There’s no business…
… like snow business. And for garden designers, snow literally means no business.
The drifts which have covered most of the UK for weeks are starting to thaw, and about time too. This is supposedly our worst winter for 30 years – I was a high school student during 1980 and remember walking miles to school past banks of snow. (Although personally I remember the winter if 1984-85 being worse, with the snow hanging about weeks into January.)
Under here is my vegetable bed!
But the current thaw is welcome for many reasons. On a basic level it makes getting about a whole lot easier, but for me it signals another step in the direction of Spring, and in this trade Spring means a chance to earn some money.
I have written before about the winter being a time when garden designers suffer. No-one gives their gardens a thought between November and February. And who can blame them, with Christmas and freezing weather and late starts and darkness by 4pm. I’ve only been into my own garden long enough to visit the shed or to prise some reluctant parsnips out of the ground.
But I’m not here to have a moan. We’ve been very busy, crystal ball in hand, wondering what 2010 hold in store, and planning the future direction of the business.
Without giving away any trade secrets, there are going to be some changes to the way in which we work. We are going to continue a trend we started last year which moves us further away from the build side of the business, and more to the design side. That’s not to say we won’t build our own gardens any more – just that we want to concentrate on our core skill of designing gardens.
But with the economic climate continuing to be difficult, and a general election in the Spring contended by parties who have all indicated spending cuts and tax rises, the prospects for business success are, on the face of it, pretty bleak.
So this year we’re focussing on getting the basics right – innovative design, great value for money and excellent service levels. The web site and blog is going to get a total update, our terms of business are going to change, and we’re going to throw everything at making 2010 a success.
If you want to add value to your home, why not consider investing in your garden in 2010? Give us a call.
I think you are right about the economic conditions – lets hope the downturn doesn’t go on for much longer. Roll on the good times!
I really sympathise with you here – I run a design and gardening business in France – I do the designs only and get someone else in to execute the work which means I can work at this time of year – for a good bit of the year I look after people’s gardens and am starting this year helping organise garden tours – that way most of the year is occupied with something – leaves me just enough time for our own place!!! Hope you have a good 2010… it’s not easy and you always have to be thinking one step ahead of the competition! Best wishes Miranda