Trellis Coaching - Trellis News Garden Design Newsletter & Attraction Marketing Coaching

Trellis News
The newsletter for Garden Designers

Welcome to this edition of Trellis News, the ezine that aims to help you expand your community and your business.

You'll find details of another client looking for a Garden Designer, as well as letters and comments from your peers on issues of interest. There are also articles relevant to anyone running their own business, one on the Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs, and one on the importance of adequately funding your future.

If you have found this ezine interesting, it would be great if you could forward it on to colleagues, and ask them to subscribe by sending a blank email to .

Letters Page -
Your opportunity to have your say, to ask questions, look for resources.

Last month both Christine Goodman and Beth Forster asked about Charging for Work, and several people replied:-

John Welch of Aberdeenshire wrote:
"Two of your correspondents refer to the difficulty of assessing charges for work done, or quoting for work to be done. I know from my own experience that this can be a difficult area and it is clear that a lot of designers when just setting-out in the profession under-charge to a significant degree. In the longer term they are probably not doing themselves, or others in the profession any favours. To a degree I was lucky: I undertook professional training before setting-up on my own and the need not only to establish a professional identity and approach, but also to adopt a realistic approach to charging for work came through strongly in the business-management section of the course.

Personally I charge an hourly rate for work done, and try and stick to this religiously so that clients' bills are composed of a charge for my time and an additional element for any expenses incurred. I do this firstly because the time and creative energy I expend on a project is what the client is paying me for and secondly because I insist on working up to a standard rather than down to a price and I find it very difficult to accurately gauge exactly how much work a project will involve at any given stage. A good estimate is always possible but I have found that estimates are almost universally on the low side, so if such estimates were issued to clients as firm quotes I would spend time effectively working for nothing - which is not professionally healthy. So I generally avoid quotes and quite happily explain to clients why I do so. What I do instead is go through my portfolio and point out those projects which most closely resemble the prospective new one and give an indication of what these cost. I find this approach works well for me.

Beth Forster says 'We find clients would prefer to pay a fixed fee for the entire design process rather than hourly charges which can add up quickly'. It is not hard to see why this is so, but if you restrict yourself to a fixed fee you must be prepared to work within it: if you don't you will find yourself expending a lot of effort for no reward - and it is tempting to do this: to work to finish things, to change details, to stop only when you feel the thing is right. In doing so you are effectively driving your fees down. The twin demons of the fixed fee and your own urge to deliver the best creative work can soon drive you onto the horns of this dilemma. None of which is to say that the client should have to pay for your creative whimsicality or endless unfocussed prevarication - it just means that, ideally, you should proceed in such a way that the client is confident that the fees will not get out-of-hand whilst you have the creative latitude to do the job properly.

There is sometimes the problem that you have a gut feeling for what a project is worth and that you know it will actually take more time and effort than you can justify: I'm not sure I know the solution to this conundrum. All you can really do is satisfy yourself as a designer that you are not compromising either your livelihood or your professional standards and that you are keeping the client's best interests in mind when you make whatever compromises are necessary."

Duncan Heather, MSGD, wrote:
"As a member of council for the Society of Garden Designers, we are about to discussing a industry standard 'Recommended Fee Scale'. It works on a diminishing scale, based on cost of contract. (In the same way architects charge) The smaller the contract amount the higher the % design fee. It allows the client the opportunity to pick and choose which services he/she requires and takes away the guess work, when quoting for a job. For further information on The Society of Garden Design contact www.sgd.org.uk ."

Roger Webster wrote:
" Ultimately it's up to the individual designer to know their own business and charge realistically for the services they provide. Working out a realistic price depends on two things - A what it costs you to do the work (your actual living expenses, office costs, insurance, transport etc etc) and B what your client is willing to pay. To a large extent you have direct control over your own costs but it is important to be realistic, they may be much greater than you like to imagine. The second part of the equation, what the client is willing to pay, brings in all those marketing points mentioned in the newsletter - what are the benefits of your services as perceived by the client, how can he/she be confident that you will provide the desired outcome which is not just a garden, certainly not just a drawing of a garden, but a range of benefits that might include peace of mind, confidence in a quality service and end product, value for money, a special treat, solutions to practical problems etc etc.

I think it would be commercially unwise and professionally unethical for designers to set fixed fees acording to size of garden. However, it is certainly good for us all to compare notes from time to time and to encourage each other - too many designers suffer from isolation and lack of confidence."

Jason Nosworthy's view was:
"I am just forming a garden design business, Paysage, after having obtained a BA hons degree in Garden Design. The point that I would like to stress is that nothing quite prepares you for what you are to face when leaving study and setting up in business and making a go of it for yourself. Confidence and cohesion is a good approach and I have found that what is most important of all is to place all your cards on the table from the outset so that no misunderstandings crop up at a later date. Good communication skills are imperative when dealing with a client and if for whatever reason you feel uncomfortable with a new client from the outset , then this is perhaps the time to pull out and let the job be passed on to someone else.

In terms of what to charge a client - I feel that this should be either broken down into stages or a percentage of the total budget (say 10%). It may be easier for your client to phase in the stages throughout the year i.e spreading the cost.

1 consultation/survey FEE
2 sketch scheme proposal (show client for approval to move on) and final/masterplan design FEE (£400 min)
3 planting plan FEE
4 construction drawings FEE
5 any other relevant drawings - axonometric,elevations etc...(these can be priced in at stage 2 ) or FEE

Now the next part I think is very important, because you need to take a deep breath and decide whether or not you want to oversee the construction of your design. Perhaps knowing that if you do not then mistakes will happen and things will be changed and the finished article will not resemble what you initially worked so hard over on the drawing board. Your reputation is at stake!!! The next steps are more varied:

6 management fee for the whole project - this will include sourcing contractors and materials etc... FEE
7 supervision of works (when contractors are on site) day rate fee is probably best here!!
8 carrying out work yourself may be an option day rate fee

Now all of this adds up and it is best to state all this information in documentation beforehand and also to write a basic working contract between you the designer and your client. Make sure that you also have relevant insurance before carrying out certain works.i.e. public liability,accident insurance etc.. I personally make sure that all my hard work is paid for and try as hard as is possible not to compromise my fees!!!

Annie Meachem wrote:
From a Coach's perspective, difficulties with charging what you're worth can come from several areas.

Sometimes people simply haven't done the calculations to work out the hourly rate they need to charge - and it's important to remember to allocate yourself a salary plus profits after expenses and taxes on top of that. If you'ld like details of one method of how to calculate this, do contact me.

Sometimes people's self-beliefs get in the way, the little voice that says "Who do you think you are, hoping to charge the same as all those top designers? What if no-one will pay that sort of figure - I'll starve! I'm not as good, not experienced enough..... " As it says in section 4 of my article below on the Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs, getting to grips with these inner gremlins who seem to want to sabotage you is always possible, and is one of the areas where people will gain a financial reward through working with a coach.

Another area that's worth looking at is that of attraction marketing - as we develop ourselves, so we start to attract opportunities and clients to us. We become "attractive" to them, rather than us having to become better and to work harder at self-promotion and marketing. If you're interested in reading more about the powers of attraction, do email me and I'll send you some articles about it.

If you'ld like to respond to any of the comments above, or to raise any other issue, please email it to us at for publication in the next edition of Trellis News.

The 10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs by Annie Meachem

Being a garden designer allows you to express your creativity and to experience the joy of realising what you have envisioned. However, do you also have the following characteristics, shared by successful entrepreneurs, that will help you run a profitable business?

1. Visualise success
Just as you can visualise the completed garden in your mind, so do successful people visualise their success - David Beckham can see the ball curving into the goal in his mind's eye before he kicks it, Linford Christie used to picture coming in first over the line. So if you want to win the Tudor Rose prize at Chelsea, imagine it so that you can almost feel it and touch it. How will your life change? How much will your income increase and how will you spend it? This vision isn't just a daydream, to work you will need to focus on it regularly. A vision pulls you towards it, instead of you having to push yourself to reach goals.

2. Be really passionate about your work
If you love the work that you're doing, it's easy to dedicate the time and effort that's needed to become successful in your chosen field. If you aren't passionate about how you spend your days, you'll probably plod along and no doubt be competent at what you do, but you're unlikely to achieve real success and the enjoyment that goes with it.

3. Focus on your strengths
It would be unrealistic to be good at everything we do. You may be the most creative designer on the planet but how successful will your business be if your customer service skills are poor? If we know where are our strengths lie, we can concentrate on these, and if we are aware of our weak areas, we can either choose to strengthen them (take a course in bookkeeping for instance) or seek help from people who have the skills we lack. Making informal alliances with other professionals can be a good way of strengthening your business.

4. Never consider the possibility of failure
Successful entrepreneurs really believe that they will succeed, they believe in themselves and their abilities. We often hold self-limiting beliefs about ourselves which can sabotage our best efforts to succeed, and we then look for evidence in our lives to support these beliefs, ignoring all evidence to the contrary. It is possible to change these inner conversations so that we are convinced of our eventual success.

5. Plan accordingly
So, you've got the vision, and the belief in yourself and in your abilities - to make your vision real, you will have to set goals that are stepping stones on the way. Write them down, as this makes them more concrete, and then plan your daily activities so that each action contributes to the success of your vision.

6. Work hard!
Setting up a successful business does require focus, determination, patience and lots of your time. Once it can stand on it's own, you'll be able to focus on getting a balance between your work and your life again - until then, success is achieved by hard work and activity, not by staring at the garden all day.

7. Always look for ways to network
Take the view that anyone within a 3 foot radius of you is a potential client or useful contact, be it the lady in the queue at the supermarket or the guy on the next stand at a show. Marketing is about telling people what you can do for them over and over again - keep alert for all opportunities to do this.

8. Willingness to learn
Most successful entrepreneurs don't have lots of qualifications - what they do have is an unending curiosity, a willingness to be open to new ideas. As the information age progresses, this willingness to learn becomes more crucial due to the rapid changes in technology and in the ways of doing business.

9. Stickability!
Being able to bounce back when things don't work out as you planned is a key skill for success. In the US, having your business go bankrupt is seen as part of the entrepreneur's learning curve, rather than as a cause for shame as here. Persistence is a measure of the belief you have in yourself.

10. Self-discipline
Being able to make yourself do what you know you've got to do at the time you've got to do it, even when you just don't feel like it!

Would you like more clients?
Or perhaps you're looking for better clients.
Maybe you want to increase your confidence and motivation.
Maybe you want higher profits.

Contact me by email, or ring me on 01243 545010 for an informal chat about how our services could help you achieve your goals.

Growing Your Pension by Bruce Jamieson, ACIB, ALIA (Dip), ASFA

Pensions are an exceptionally dull topic when one is in one's 20's, but by the time the 50's and 60's come along they begin to look much more important. They are rather like plants, inasmuch as they do best when planted at the right time (e.g. early) and are nurtured well, particularly in the first stage.

The snag with pensions is that they have become inordinately complicated, even though the Government is talking constantly about simplifying them. However the new Stakeholder Plans, introduced last year, are cheap with charges capped at 1% per annum. They are extremely suitable for self-employed people because tax relief is allowed at source even if one is a non taxpayer, and you are not committed to paying a set sum of money for ever and a day. Lump sums can be added and savings can be as little as £20.00 a month, and there are a wide range of Funds to choose from.

For more cautious investors there are With Profit Funds, but there are only two providers for these, Property Funds and the full range of Stock Market investments. While they are available from a diverse range of providers, nevertheless there have been some notable dropouts from well known names, and it is important to use someone who is going to be around for years to come. Popular choices are Legal & General, Norwich Union and Standard Life, among several others, and these should all be more or less household names. Because the charges are cheap it is no more expensive to go to an adviser to discuss this.

In the future pensions do not necessarily have to have "pensions only" written over the top, and there are numerous other ways of investing for retirement such as investing in property, ISAs and many other vehicles. However a nucleus of a good Pension Scheme is well worth having, and the tax relief is not available in the same form elsewhere.

Bruce is an independent financial adviser, who can guide you gently through choosing the best pension plan. He often writes as an expert in the financial press and has appeared on TV and on Moneybox on Radio 4. To contact him, ring 01243 841825 or email him on bruce.jamieson@assureweb.com

Garden Designer Required

Below are details of the garden that Simon & Janie, this edition's clients, want to have designed. If you're interested in putting yourself forward for this commission, send an email to and you'll receive details of how to proceed. The deadline for proposals is 24th October.

Simon & Janie's Garden: The garden is about 70' x 20' north facing back garden of a 1950's semi on an estate. Although pleasant, the style of the garden does not suit them, nor is it cohesive. They are looking for more structure and colour, as well as ideas for transforming two small shaded concrete areas. They like contemporary styling, with clean lines and simplicity but aren't looking for "concrete and steel".

Simon & Janie are a professional couple with a young daughter. They would like to feel inclined to use the garden more as a social area, which they think they would if it had a better design, and to feel that the maintenance, which they can spend 2-4 hours on per week, is no longer just another chore.

They have a budget for design, construct and planting of around £1000. They appreciate that this project is more likely to appeal to newly qualified or student designers needing to build up their portfolios rather than to the established designers.

Feedback

Peter, the client from Edition 1, received 8 proposals from designers, and is currently talking to 2 of them, Janet Bligh and Jo Wilde, before making a final decision on who to work with. He was delighted with the response, and looking forward to the project starting.

End piece

I hope that you've found something of interest in this edition, and I would really like to get any feedback from you on any aspect of Trellis News and its contents. Please do send in your questions and comments for publication in Edition 3, due out on 7 November, by the deadline of 25th October.

Roger Webster, in the Letters section, mentioned that many designers work in isolation - having a coach to talk to for an hour a week about the development of your practice can really help overcome the problems associated with solitary working, and encourages you to focus on your most important issues. It gives you the opportunity to spend some time working "on" your business rather than just "in" your business, and a coach challenges you to stretch in order to grow your practice to the next level.

To arrange a complimentary consultation, with no obligation involved, contact me soon!

Best Wishes

Annie Meachem

Trellis Coaching
+44 (0) 1243 545010
email

"Supporting Personal & Business Growth"

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Copyright © Annie Meachem 2003/4. Copyright in this document is owned by Annie Meachem. All rights are reserved. This document may not be copied or distributed without the prior written consent of the Copyright owner.