GroundKprs
03-09-2000, 01:52 PM
In respect to the attempt to professionalize the green industry, especially in the maintenance area, there is little you can do to professionalize someone else. Also in attempting to inform clients of your professional position, you sound petty referring to "Lowballers."<p>I prefer to include these operators in the more general phrase of "Black market econony", especially when discussing with clients. In any trade, black market operators generally do not have licensing, insurance and other expenses to operate as a legitimate business. I just have not taken the time yet to put it together in a document to present to customers, along with proposals or contracts. I would like to have a easy reading page explaining how to determine if a landscape contractor is operating above-board or black market, and including my own ID numbers to verify that I am operating as a professional.<p>Some of the items to include would be:<p>1- PROPERTY TAX ID# & phone of township assessor for verification- any business is supposed to pay taxes to support the community giving it a livelihood<br>2- INSURANCE CERTIFICATION: liability, workers comp, truck if plowing snow- self-explanatory<br>3- RRMC#(state sales tax): is bsns licensed to collect tax?- once knew an operator who collected tax, but never sent to state, just extra money for him<br>4- business PESTICIDE LICENSE# and phone # of state agency to verify- for those who apply pesticides<br>5- NURSERY DEALER License #- if you are installing live plants<br>6- if more than one person, FEDERAL EMPLOYER ID#- yes, there are good sized operators that just deal in cash to employees<br>7- MEMBERSHIPS in professional groups- local, state, & national trade orgs<p>Please post any additional items you would include, and maybe someday I'll take the time, or maybe Phil could do it? ;) <p>My idea was to have a fill-in-the-blanks form that is self-explanatory. I can put in my numbers, and if client wants a blank form for other bidders, I can just give him a few blank forms. Don't want to beat your chest to client. Just simply explain you are proud to be legitimate, instead of black market, even with extra costs. Also it has to be concise, or people won't read it.<p>In long term, if used by legitimate operators in a given area, this would also help to identify the customers who want black market prices. Let these seek their help from just the black market operators.<p>----------<br>Jim<br>North central Indiana