* The calculations use average data for Russia
This business plan discusses a project to open a landscape design studio in the city of Krasnodar. The goal of the project is to create a highly profitable enterprise, generate profit and satisfy the population's demand for design and decoration services. The studio will specialize in providing services for landscape design, 3D modeling, and landscaping. The company's clients will be owners of private city farmsteads, country cottages, dachas, and corporate customers.
The region under consideration is favorable for the chosen direction due to the concentration of a large number of solvent population and the high pace of cottage construction, which guarantees increased demand for landscape design services.
The volume of investment in the project is 1,670,000 rubles. Own funds will be raised to implement the project. The main indicators of the project's effectiveness are given in Table. 1.
Table 1. Integral performance indicators
In 2014 the volume domestic market landscape design, excluding city parks and lawns, was estimated by experts at $600 million. The greatest competition in this area exists in largest cities countries. For example, in St. Petersburg, according to experts from the Forum of the Landscape Industry, Park Industry and Industrial Floriculture, the market volume is about 200 million dollars, increasing annually by 15-20%. The landscape design market in Russia, despite the abundance of new players, is considered not saturated - it has not yet reached the point of fierce competition.
The landscape design studio will be opened in the city of Krasnodar - one of the largest cities in the South of Russia: the city currently has a population of more than 854 thousand people. The selected region is promising for creating a landscape design studio. According to data for the first quarter of 2016, the region ranks third in terms of construction volumes in Russia, second only to St. Petersburg and Leningrad region. The peak of housing commissioning in the region occurred in 2014, then over the year this figure jumped to 20%. In 2015, there was a predicted decline associated with the crisis in the Russian economy. However, despite the current situation, in Krasnodar region Many developers did not freeze projects, and construction continued at the same pace. In 2015, 3.5 million square meters of residential space were delivered in Kuban, which became the second indicator among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation after the Moscow region. A favorable factor is that the city's development consists mainly of low-rise buildings having adjoining plots. There are also a large number of cottages in Krasnodar. Today there are 23 cottage villages within the city.
The landscape design studio planned for opening will specialize in providing wide range services in the field of landscape design. It will include landscape design, landscaping, 3D modeling, design decorative ponds etc. Target Audience The project will include owners of private urban farmsteads, owners of suburban areas, and corporate customers.
The investment project involves the creation of an enterprise from scratch: the company does not have any financial results or achievements. At the time of writing the business plan, an individual entrepreneur was registered, negotiations were held and business connections were established with specialists in some related fields of activity (construction companies, a nursery), and work on personnel selection began. To open a studio, office space will be rented, furniture and equipment will be purchased. The founder of the company is an entrepreneur with great experience work as landscape designer. He will also act as the immediate project manager.
The project is not capital-intensive - the total investment is RUB 1,670,000. The main investment will require the purchase of a truck. Investment cost items are shown in Table. 2 of this business plan.
Table 2. Investment costs of the project
|
NAME |
AMOUNT, rub. |
|
|
Equipment |
||
|
Office equipment |
||
|
Purchase of garden equipment and tools |
||
|
Buying a truck |
||
|
Intangible assets |
||
|
Website creation |
||
|
Purchasing software |
||
|
Working capital |
||
|
Total: |
1670000 |
|
The landscape design studio will work in the “medium” segment, offering clients high quality services for affordable prices. The list of services provided by the studio is given in Table. 3.
Table 3. List of services provided
|
Service |
Description |
Cost, rub. |
|
|
LANDSCAPE DESIGN |
|||
|
Design project (Standard) |
Preliminary sketch, master plan for landscaping and landscaping, dendrological plan, layout drawing, planting plan, assortment list, recommendations for garden care |
4000/100 sq. m. |
|
|
Design project (Premium) |
“Standard” package + automatic watering plan, estimate for automatic watering and work, outdoor lighting installation plan, visualization |
7000/100 sq. m. |
|
|
Gazebo design project |
Development individual design, creation of a 3D model, preparation of drawings |
||
|
BBQ design project |
Development of barbecue construction and design |
||
|
Traveling around the city |
Departure of a specialist to Krasnodar for an initial examination, measurements, consultations |
for free |
|
|
Departure within the region |
Departure of a specialist Krasnodar region for initial inspection, measurements, consultations |
||
|
IMPROVEMENT AND GREENING OF TERRITORIES |
|||
|
Landscaping |
|||
|
Paving paths |
Laying paving stones or paving slabs |
from 800/sq.m. |
|
|
Device soft coverings |
Geotextile laying, installation border tape, filling with gravel, crushed stone, pebbles or marble chips |
from 1500/sq.m. |
|
|
Landscaping of territories |
|||
|
Lawn seeding |
Setting up a sowing lawn of cereal grasses |
from 220/sq.m. |
|
|
Rolled lawn |
Device roll lawn from cereal herbs + delivery and installation |
430-580/sq.m. |
|
|
Flower garden of annual flowers |
Arranging a flower bed of annual flowers (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 600/sq.m. |
|
|
Creation of a hedge (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 600/m. shoulder straps |
||
|
Planting deciduous shrubs |
Planting deciduous shrubs (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 150/sq.m. |
|
|
Landing coniferous shrubs |
Planting coniferous shrubs (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 350/ sq.m. |
|
|
Landing deciduous trees(up to 2 m) |
Planting deciduous trees up to 2 m (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 500/sq.m. |
|
|
Planting deciduous trees (over 2 m) |
Planting deciduous trees over 2 m (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 2000/sq.m. |
|
|
Planting coniferous trees (up to 2 m) |
Planting coniferous trees up to 2 m (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 1200/sq.m. |
|
|
Planting coniferous trees (over 2 m) |
Planting coniferous trees over 2 m (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 2500/sq.m. |
|
|
Planting coniferous trees (over 4 m) |
Planting coniferous trees over 4 m (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 5000/sq.m. |
|
|
Planting deciduous trees (over 4 m) |
Planting deciduous trees over 4 m (without the cost of planting materials) |
from 4000/sq.m. |
|
|
CHANGE IN RELIEF |
|||
|
Creating a decorative pond |
Construction of decorative reservoirs (fountains, waterfalls) |
from 3500/sq.m. 4900-7900 |
|
|
Creation of alpine slides |
Construction of an alpine slide |
negotiable |
|
|
Creation of a dry stream |
Dry stream installation |
from 1200/sq.m. |
|
|
RELATED and AUXILIARY WORK |
|||
|
Creating an automatic watering system |
A range of services for creating an automatic watering system on the site |
negotiable |
|
|
Selection and purchase of seedlings |
Selection and purchase of seedlings in nurseries |
negotiable |
|
|
Preparing the soil for the lawn |
Preparing the soil for laying turf |
||
|
Delivery of planting material |
Delivery of plants to the site |
||
|
Soil delivery |
Delivery of fertile soil |
from 600/cub.m. |
|
|
Site cleaning |
Clearing the site of construction waste |
negotiable |
|
|
Garbage removal |
Construction waste removal |
from 600/cub.m. |
|
|
grass weed |
Grass weed plants |
from 20/sq.m. |
|
The main clients of landscape design studios are people aged 35 to 60 years. As a rule, these are citizens with an income level of “above average” and “high”, who own private country cottages, land and dachas. The circle of potential clients also includes corporate clients - large and small organizations who have a need for design plots. Customer segmentation is given in Figure 1.
Picture 1.
One of the features of providing services in Russia is the mentality: Russian consumer tends to take an active part in the process of creating site design. Often in discussions of the future image garden plot Several family members are involved, each of whom has their own idea of “how it should be.” In this regard, employees of a landscape studio need to be able to take into account various wishes, correctly present their position regarding technical and financial side activities.
The main consumer preferences for landscape design studios today are:
Ready ideas for your business
An integrated approach to the provision of services: according to industry experts, about 95% of Russian customers prefer to turn to organizations that provide comprehensive services;
High quality of order execution, professionalism of employees;
Short deadlines for design and implementation of the order;
Clear budget;
Taking into account all the needs and wishes of clients;
Careful control over the implementation of the project.
In total, in Krasnodar there are over 100 organizations specializing in landscape planning and design. The market is quite varied. Most of it consists of multidisciplinary construction companies, the direction landscape design in which it is not a priority. About 10 companies can be classified as specialized: landscape design and gardening is their profile, and many of these companies supplement their services with gardening services, have their own nurseries and online stores, etc. Such companies have many years of experience, a long portfolio of completed projects, and established relationships with suppliers and manufacturers. building materials and contractors. The staff of such companies can reach 150 people. Another part consists of small studios with a staff of up to 5-6 people, the key person in which is the designer. Often, designers have no experience of completed projects at all, despite the presence of information about landscape design on their own websites. Their work is focused on creating interior design, and landscape design is presented in the form of visualization and creative projects. As a result, we can note a high range of prices for services. Price per 100 sq. meters of the project can vary from 2000 to 7500 rubles. and higher, but the quality of the project will differ dramatically.
Sales are planned to be carried out in the city of Krasnodar and beyond. To attract customers will be used various ways, including cold calls, distribution of booklets and advertisements in places where potential clients live, advertising in glossy magazines, maintaining groups in popular in social networks(Facebook, Instagram, etc.). An important point At the start of the studio’s activities, potential clients will form a positive image of themselves. First of all, clients of landscape design studios require proof of the professionalism of their employees. Therefore, they will need to create a high-quality website where they can get acquainted with the designer’s portfolio, see the projects he has previously created, and be convinced of the experience and competence of the staff. It is also planned to post useful articles on the site for people interested in this topic. The company's concept will include a customer-oriented approach, taking into account all customer needs, and an affordable pricing policy. By forming a circle of satisfied customers, the company will collect material from positive feedback that can influence the decisions of potential customers.
The process of providing services is divided into several stages: clarifying the client’s needs and his financial capabilities, visiting a specialist and advising on the details of the project, direct preparation of the design project, project implementation, construction support, subsequent maintenance (if necessary).
To implement the project, you will need a room of 20 square meters. meters, in which the office of the designer and sales specialist will be located. An office is also necessary for working with clients, conducting presentations and negotiations. Since location is not a factor of primary importance, the office will be located in one of the residential areas of the city. This location, firstly, will help reduce rental costs, and secondly, it attracts potential clients - there are several cottage villages in the area with a large number of representatives of the target audience. The premises will not require renovation, but will require purchasing technical equipment And office furniture. The studio office will be open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 18:00.
On average, one order is completed in 1 month; at least 7-10 days are spent on creating the project. Taking into account the average cost of services for designing 1 hundred square meters (4000 rubles), the cost of a design project for a plot of 10 hundred square meters will be 40 thousand rubles. Together with the implementation, the cost of one landscaped hundred square meters, as a rule, increases to 70-120 thousand. rubles Thus, the revenue from one completed project reaches 1.2 million rubles. The net profit will be 270 thousand rubles. If these indicators are achieved, the studio will be able to pay for itself by the 7th month of operation. An important point in the field of landscape design is the seasonality factor, so maximum profitability can be expected in summer period. During this period, you should set a budget for the off-season period.
An individual entrepreneur will be chosen as the legal form of activity of the landscape design studio. The form of taxation is the simplified taxation system “income minus expenses” (USN 15%). The implementation of the project will require the following main stages: selection and rental of an office, purchase of equipment, hiring employees, establishing contacts with companies from related fields of activity, and a marketing campaign to attract clients. The start of operations is planned to begin in April, before the start of the seasonal increase in sales.
Management functions will be carried out by a manager with more than 5 years of experience in the field of landscape design. The manager has knowledge in the field of dendrology, practical experience in the construction and design aspect of activity. He will be responsible for creating design projects, personnel issues, and determining marketing policies. The company will also require a surveyor, agronomist, dendrologist, sales and purchasing manager and accountant. Other responsibilities, in particular related to project implementation and construction, will be assigned to representatives of third-party companies. Since the landscape business has a pronounced seasonal nature, it is possible to attract seasonal workers. Salaries for full-time employees will be maintained during the off-season. In Table. 4 shows the staffing table and wage fund.
Table 4. Staffing and wages fund
|
Job title |
Salary, rub. |
Number, persons |
Payroll, rub. |
|
|
Administrative staff |
||||
|
Accountant |
||||
|
Sales staff |
||||
|
Sales Manager |
||||
|
Production personnel |
||||
|
Surveyor |
||||
|
Land surveyor |
||||
|
Dendrologist |
||||
|
Total: |
160000 |
|||
|
Social Security contributions: |
||||
|
Total with deductions: |
208000 |
|||
The total investment in the project will be 1,670,000 rubles. Among the key costs are the costs of purchasing a truck (600 thousand rubles). More detailed items of investment costs are given in Table. 3 of this business plan.
The financial plan of the project has been developed for a three-year perspective. All types of studio expenses are taken into account, including tax and social contributions, and the factor of seasonality of demand. Appendix 1 provides a detailed cash flow statement, information on projected revenue and net profit. In Table. 5 shows the studio's fixed costs.
Table 5. Fixed costs of the enterprise
To assess the effectiveness of the project, generally accepted integral performance indicators are used, including net present value, profitability ratio, payback period and discounted payback period. To account for the time value of money, a discount rate of 10% is used.
Analysis of the indicators given in Table. 1., allows us to talk about the investment attractiveness of the project and its high prospects in the next 5-10 years. In particular, the net present value (NPV) indicator significantly exceeds the volume of starting capital investments - 4,836,669 rubles. versus RUB 1,670,000 respectively. The internal rate of return (IRR) is higher than the discount rate and the return index is greater than 1.
The rich experience of foreign and domestic studios does not allow us to name this direction business with a high level of risk. The area is well developed, and it influences risk reduction high level demand for design and decoration services in the region under consideration.
However, it is necessary to foresee possible risks associated with the implementation of the project, assessing the severity of their consequences and the likelihood of occurrence. Detailed information about possible risks is given in Table. 6.
Table 6. Possible risks and ways to prevent them or their consequences
|
Risk factor |
Probability of occurrence |
Severity of consequences |
Events |
|
Failure to achieve planned sales volumes |
Hiring a sales representative with experience, a well-thought-out marketing policy at the preparation stage, careful processing of the market, installation of an effective pricing policy |
||
|
A sharp drop in the solvency of the population |
Reviewing the range of services provided, drawing up an “anti-crisis” proposal, minimizing costs |
||
|
Increased competition |
Creating a strong position at the first stage of work, image advertising, establishing strong connections with clients in a certain area of activity |
Owners of private houses understand how difficult it is to independently zone a plot so that it is aesthetically pleasing and convenient. It’s easier to contact a landscape design studio and hire professionals who will develop a plan and bring it to life. The service costs from 15,000 thousand rubles, since the work will take at least 1 week. Having several experienced and qualified workers on staff, a landscape design studio will generate good income. How to organize your business? Detailed business plan landscape design studio is presented below. The example was calculated based on the average prices of the regions.
Main activity: landscape design and gardening.
Taxation form: simplified tax system 15% (income minus expenses).
The purpose of creating the company: making a profit and satisfying the desires of users in landscape design and landscaping of their plots.
Main target users: owners of private houses, cottages, dachas.
An analysis is carried out before opening settlement, in which it is planned to locate the company. If cottages are actively being built in the city, plots are being bought and sold, then you will have clients.
Work schedule: the designer works in the office and travels to the site, the office is open from 08:00 to 19:00. You can contact the manager through the website.
Premises: premises for office space are rented in a remote part of the city with an area of 20 square meters. m.
Registration form: Individual Entrepreneur. But if you plan to work with government agencies, such as kindergartens, schools, parks, then you need to register an LLC. In the first year, the company plans to gain regular customers, so individual entrepreneurship is enough.
An individual entrepreneur is registered with the local tax service. The following package of documents is submitted for registration:
Documents are not stapled; fastening with a paper clip is acceptable. Submitted to the tax office for review. You can receive a completed certificate in 2-3 weeks. During this time, the remaining parts of the project are implemented.
Based on an analysis of competing studios, a price list for services is compiled:
| Service | Peculiarities | price, rub. |
| Project work | ||
| Standard design | Sketching, general plan landscaping and landscaping, drawing, planting plan various plants, list with assortment, recommendations for caring for various plantings | 450/1 sq. m |
| Premium package | Includes standard design service + calculation and design of installation of automatic irrigation system, lighting, 3D visualization | 700/1 sq. m |
| Gazebo project | Individual design sketch, drawing with calculations, 3D visualization | 7 500 |
| BBQ Project | Individual design and development of technical plan | 9 000 |
| Visiting the client on site | Measurements, initial examination, consultations | 250 in the city; outside the city – 30 per km |
| Landscaping and landscaping | ||
| Paving stone paths | Laying paving stones or paving slabs | from 400 per sq. m |
| Laying and installation of soft covering | Rolling out geotextiles, filling with gravel, crushed stone, marble chips or pebbles | from 150 per sq. m |
| Seeding the lawn | Landscaping the lawn and sowing it with grass seeds | from 200 sq. m |
| Rolled lawn | Delivery to the site and rolling out rolled grass | 450 sq. m |
| Arrangement of a flower garden from annual plants | Arrangement of flower beds, selection of plant species, planting | from 500 sq. m |
| Plant hedge | Selecting the right type of plants, creating conditions for growth, planting | from 550 sq. m |
| Planting low growing trees and shrubs | Planting a ready-made seedling, choosing a place for it | from 150 deciduous and from 350 coniferous |
| Tree planting | Preparing the site and planting a tree seedling up to 2 m in height | from 350 deciduous and from 500 coniferous |
| Creating a decorative relief on the site | ||
| Water | Preparation and creation of a reservoir with waterfalls, a fountain | 3,500 per sq. m |
| Alpine slide | Arrangement and placement | Depends on the complexity of the project |
| Dry stream | Arrangement and placement | 1,100 sq. m |
| Ancillary services | ||
| Automatic watering | Design, installation | negotiable |
| Purchase and selection of planting material (seedlings, seedlings, etc.) | Selection and purchase of seedlings in nurseries | negotiable |
| Lawn and tree care | Cleaning dry leaves and branches, cutting, fertilizing | 500 per sq. m |
| Delivery of purchased planting material to the site | Delivery of plants to the site, unloading | 1 000 |
Planting prices are indicated without purchasing seedlings. Minimum price for on-site visits to one site is RUB 3,500. Each client is calculated separately after inspection of the site by the manager. Regular customers are offered an individual discount of 5%.
On average, it takes 2 weeks to create one individual design. It takes 3-4 weeks to implement. On average, a company receives from 550,000 rubles for a design project and implementation on ten acres. The price does not include the cost of materials and seedlings.
The work of the landscape design studio is aimed at satisfying the wishes of clients. Work with customers proceeds in several stages:
For initial work with a client, you will need a room. The office is rented with an area of 20 sq. m, not necessarily in the city center. This will save costs. In the office, work with the client is carried out: consultations, presentations. When choosing a location area, it is worth focusing on the presence of cottage buildings nearby. It will be easier for your potential clients to reach you. The room is put in order depending on its condition. You should not choose an office that requires major renovations. This will significantly increase investments and delay the opening time.
To implement the project, you will need gardening tools and light equipment. Inventory will be stored in the personal garage of the company owner, so as not to spend money on renting storage space.
To implement a landscape design studio project, you will need to purchase the following equipment:
| Name | Quantity, pcs. | price, rub. (Total) |
| Office equipment | ||
| Computer desk | 2 | 7 000 |
| Computer chairs | 2 | 6 000 |
| Filing Cabinets | 1 | 4 000 |
| Bookshelves | 5 | 6 000 |
| Chairs | 5 | 4 500 |
| Computer | 2 | 60 000 |
| Color laser printer | 1 | 25 000 |
| Xerox | 1 | 7 000 |
| Software | 15 000 | |
| Equipment for work | ||
| Garden tool | – | 25 000 |
| Walk-behind tractor | 2 | 120 000 |
| Special uniform for workers | 5 | 12 000 |
| Total | 291 500 | |
Amount of 291,500 rubles. - This minimum costs to organize a small office space and equipping a team of professionals to implement projects. It is not recommended to reduce spending on equipment, as monthly depreciation costs will increase. Used equipment is less expensive, but if it breaks down frequently, the company will suffer losses.
The owner will manage the landscape design studio. This is a person with experience in this field who understands what landscape design is. He will approve projects and actively participate in their creation. The manager is also responsible for human resources management and the company's marketing program.
Also on permanent staff will be a surveyor, dendrologist, purchasing and sales manager, and accountant. A team of handymen is hired freelance. Since business reacts to seasonality, winter time The company will have few orders and maintaining a bloated staff is impractical.
Payments to permanent employees are made twice a month - advance and settlement. The form of payment is salary. At the end of the year, bonuses are given at the discretion of the manager. Individually distinguished employees are rewarded with bonuses throughout the year.
Costs for salaries and contributions for employees to various state funds in the table:
Together with contributions to maintain a staff of seven people, you will need 283,000 rubles. This money is included in the down payment, since the company’s income will be minimal for the first few months. IN summer time, when orders increase by 70%, workers receive bonuses in the form of a percentage for each order completed. The manager maintains the time sheet.
In winter, the number of orders is reduced by 70%, so the opening of the studio is planned for the end of winter - beginning of spring. The presented implementation plan is designed to open on March 1. It will take two months to implement.
Each stage of implementation is described in table form:
Each stage is controlled by the entrepreneur himself. It makes no sense to schedule the opening for late autumn, since winter months income will be minimal and the business will go into the red.
The following investments will be required to implement the project:
Since the business is planned from scratch, the entrepreneur needs to find the entire amount of initial capital. To promote and implement the project, a bank loan was taken out in the amount of 1,100,000 rubles. at 14.5%. The loan is issued for 5 years with a monthly payment of 33,000 rubles.
To keep your business afloat, you need to cover the following expenses every month:
Monthly expenses can be safely added to the initial capital, since the company will only gain momentum in the first few months. It is planned to achieve profitability after 3-4 months of work.
Profit is influenced by seasonality, so the highest revenue is planned at the height of the construction season. In winter, profits will fully cover expenses, but this is only 3 months. But in the summer, the company will bring in at least 1,500,000 per month. Since in winter income drops to 500,000 rubles, the average annual income is:
1,500,000 x 7+ 500,000 x 5 = 13,000,000 rub.
The average monthly income is: RUB 1,080,000.
We calculate net income by subtracting monthly expenses from revenue:
1,080,000 – 423,000 = 657,000 rub.
Let's calculate profitability:
(657,000 / 1,034,000) x 100% = 63.5%.
Such high profitability is only possible with proper promotion of the company and a constant flow of customers. To ensure a constant influx of customers, booklets are published, advertising is launched in local newspapers, and an agreement is concluded with developers. Construction companies They will be happy to recommend you to their clients, but for a small percentage of revenue. About 10% of total income will be spent on this per year.
Profit will be divided into several parts:
A business plan for a landscape design studio with calculations has a payback period of 1 year. This period may be shortened or extended depending on customer availability. To prevent your business from being disappointed, you need to analyze your activity construction work In your city. If construction in the city is sporadic, then find customers by landscape design it will be hard. You need to invest at least RUB 1,100,000 in the project. This money can be borrowed from one of the banks, but the risks increase. The business is suitable for an organizer with knowledge in the land improvement industry and at least 5 years of experience in this field.
The landscape business is characterized by good profitability of 15-20%, quick payback and growing demand. After all, more and more homeowners dream of a well-kept garden or a beautiful lawn in country house. Experts say that there is always room for small firms in the landscape design and construction market and entry into the market is open to everyone.
Specialization in this business also occurs by area of activity: someone brings plants to Moscow from abroad or from other regions of the country, someone produces materials necessary for landscape work, someone cares for plantings. But the most promising and profitable direction is comprehensive landscaping of the territory. Due to its versatility, this service remains the most in demand. It includes such work as creating lawns and flower beds, planting green spaces, drainage, installing utility systems, automatic systems glaze. The client often prefers to receive the entire range of services from one company.
Landscape design is a profitable business, profitability is from 15% to 20%. Profitability largely depends on the ability to sell your services.
The prosperity of a company depends not only on the quantity, but also on the volume of orders. Therefore, it is important for a start-up company to first decide what kind of work they will be able to perform, how much volume they will be able to handle, and in what segment they will work.
The experience of entrepreneurs in this business shows that the amount of initial investment may be small. To begin with, it is enough to buy a truck, equipment and tools: a saw, lawn mowers, concrete mixers. And, of course, you need to rent a small office to receive customers. For this, 10 thousand dollars is enough. According to experts, success in this business does not depend on the amount of equipment and tools. The determining factor is professionalism and the ability to do work efficiently and beautifully. At the right approach a start-up company can rise very quickly and end its first year with a profit.
In our market there is a very clear division into urban, corporate and private sectors. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which must be taken into account when choosing a field of activity.
The advantages of orders for the development of urban areas lie in their scale and ease of organization (after all, it is easier to manage one large team than several small ones). To obtain such an order, it is necessary to take part in a municipal tender, the results of which are usually announced in the fall. This is also a big plus, allowing you to plan in advance a certain amount of work for the coming spring and summer. But there is also a serious drawback: city authorities often delay payment for already completed contracts.
Finding clients from the private sector is much easier than winning a city tender. But, unlike municipal facilities, on private plots it is necessary to painstakingly and carefully work on every piece of land. In addition, working in small areas is associated with some inconveniences - there is no
special equipment is used here. Another disadvantage is the short duration of orders.
The most optimal solution for a company providing comprehensive landscaping services is to work with both private and municipal customers. Working on private plots provides an opportunity for the flight of design ideas and increasing experience in creating beautiful objects. In the city, this “flight” is limited by budget.
The main channel for promoting and attracting new clients for landscape companies is word of mouth, when information about the company is passed on by word of mouth. Specialized magazines, such as “Ideas for Your Home” and their own website, also provide good returns.
Work with the customer begins with negotiations, where the tastes and interests of the customer, his preferences and desires are clarified. Often, the customer cannot clearly formulate the task for the designer, and then the designer’s task is to find out the customer’s needs, his tastes and thoughts and combine them with his vision and assessing the capabilities of the site, to ensure that everything is done beautifully and with high quality.
As soon as some of the contours of the future garden become clear, it’s time to design. Then the project is approved, and the next stage of approving the estimate begins. At this stage, some changes to the project are possible, for example, if the customer wants to save on something. His wishes are taken into account, the estimate is adjusted again. Well The final stage- prepayment for the purchase of materials, drawing up a work schedule.
When creating a price list and estimate, you can rely on the prices of other companies, which can always be viewed on their websites on the Internet. The cost of work also depends on the risks accompanying its implementation. For example, trees and flowers are living organisms, so there is always a danger that they will not take root on the customer’s site. The higher this risk, the higher the percentage of profit that is included in the estimate when planning this service.
When developing and implementing a project, you should never completely follow the customer’s lead and do whatever he wants on the site. Always
Yes, it is worth taking into account all the features of the site and the lifestyle of the owners. For example, a client wants a lawn, but there are pine trees and a dog on the property. Smash beautiful lawn impossible in such a situation. Or a client dreams of building a pond. In this situation, he must be warned that monitoring an artificial reservoir is not easy. Or, if you want to set up a garden - if the owners are rarely at the dacha and cannot provide regular garden care, you need to select unpretentious plants, but if the owners are interested in serious care and are going to hire a gardener, then the plants are selected completely different.
The basic rule that a young company should learn: you will have to “tinker” with each customer. And this work requires colossal energy.
The bulk of the landscape company's orders are for complex landscaping. As a rule, it takes from 40 days to three months to complete a complex order on one plot of several hundred square meters. The main work is carried out in March-April, and some types of work are postponed
for the fall. However, post-project supervision continues throughout the year. Some kind of improvement is constantly required: mowing the lawn, planting certain plants.
The main capital of any company operating in the service sector is its staff. It is impossible to achieve success without professionals. The permanent staff of any landscape company usually consists of a designer, engineer, builders, foreman, and dendrologist. The main specialists are a designer, a dendrologist (usually a botanist by training) and a foreman. The functions of a designer include working on projects, creating bright, creative and creative ideas for customers. The element of a dendrologist is plants and everything connected with them: selection, planting, care, treatment. The foreman supervises the workers; he must master landscape construction technologies and know the standards and rules adopted in this particular company.
Good specialists there is little in the landscape design market. Therefore, true professionals must be retained at all costs. There are a lot of tools that allow you to keep your “gold reserve”. For example, a differentiated payment system, additional motivation. It is impossible to retain experienced specialists if you do not pay them in the off-season - winter
Ouch. Under no circumstances should you fire your “breadwinners” during the “off-season”; this could result in a very big loss. valuable people, which will be very difficult to recruit in the spring. Only constant efforts to find and retain personnel guarantee success.
Today there are no problems in the market with the supply of plants or materials for landscape projects. Western players - Polish and German concerns - appeared on the market. We can say that Moscow has everything, or almost everything, that is needed for landscaping.
However, excessive market saturation also threatens the newcomer with certain problems. You need to be able to understand materials for landscaping, engineering systems, soil and plant options. For example, the land purchased for a lawn may turn out to be of poor quality and infertile, although visually you will not notice these defects. The situation is the same with plants: there is always a risk of acquiring diseased and weak seedlings, with a 50 percent “dead” rate.
Therefore, at the start you need to be very careful when choosing suppliers. Relationships should only be established with proven suppliers of quality materials. Over time, it will be necessary to establish contacts with foreign suppliers who are able to supply rare plant specimens, as well as with nurseries and logistics companies.
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Another difficulty that threatens newcomers is the seasonal decline. It starts around November and ends in March. The seasonality factor of a business should be taken into account when planning and allocating costs, try to stretch summer profits into the winter, working intensively during the season. By the way, you don’t have to sit idle in winter. You can clear snow in the city, engage in some related activity, prepare new design projects, and repair equipment.
Based on materials from the magazine Your Business
In the spring, hundreds of thousands of summer residents begin to improve their personal plots. And people with an entrepreneurial spirit are looking at the ever-growing dacha and cottage market. Landscape design and related services are increasingly in demand. However, there are also many pitfalls here. With my experience in the field garden design Nikolai BAKHMAT shared with the readers of the Business Magazine, landscaping and gardening, CEO Magley company.
Not so long ago, there were no companies specializing in landscape design, and everyone who was not too lazy took on landscaping. Builders often “did” this. They could throw some seeds into the clay compacted by boots and stick tree seedlings into the holes in the hope that nature would eventually take its course. However, with the beginning of cottage construction in Russia, that is, from about 1996, landscape design quickly began to turn into a very popular service.
Do you want to create a similar business? If so, you have several options. Often a professional designer opens his own company: he recruits people, purchases equipment, and himself acts as an ideologist and “artist.” On the other hand, there are examples when builders, who have put together their own team and gained extensive work experience, hire specialized specialists - dendrologists, designers. And they end up building a separate business.
Both paths, if successful, can lead to the creation of a company like ours. Namely, a company offering a full range of services - everything that in one way or another relates to landscape design. Lawns, plantings, paving paths, drainage, gutters, electricity, outdoor lighting, gazebos, small architectural forms, fountains, streams, automatic watering... The list is long, to be sure.
Yes, there are highly specialized companies on the market, engaged, for example, only in automatic irrigation systems. Or exclusively by planting trees and other plants. However, it is still more profitable to create a universal company. Experience shows that clients prefer to contact those who can solve several problems at once - in a comprehensive manner.
Oddly enough, in Russia there are practically no companies engaged in caring for sites. But this is a very interesting direction for a novice entrepreneur - the niche is practically empty. True, the problem is that many potential customers still have not realized that a gardener is a specialist. The usual story: wealthy people who seem to care about the design of their personal plot, often try to turn their drivers or security guards into gardeners. Water the area, do some work... The effect, as a rule, turns out to be disastrous.
But the world is changing. And gradually the realization comes that qualified care of the site is the lot of professionals. And that 80% of success depends on this.
With proper activity in this market segment, you can “get into the flow.” But keep in mind: our business is very... painstaking. You will have to maintain a large staff of experienced gardeners, and the head of the company will have to independently tour the sites, check, manage... Strictly speaking, not all clients can afford the luxury of maintaining a gardener, who needs to pay $400-500 a month. But the work of a company offering such services should be valued even more. Don't try to play low prices. Better calculate everything in advance. Otherwise, it’s easy to find yourself in the red.
If you are not a designer by profession, but have decided to do so, know: the main people here, the key figures, are designers! They are not just executors of other people's ideas, but “generators”. Keep in mind: today there are many former students who have just graduated from college and are endowed with incredible ambitions. But in practice it turns out that most often newly minted designers are only suitable as apprentices to an experienced specialist with reservations!
A designer is not just a specialist in “beauty”. He must understand plants, have a decent amount of knowledge in the field of dendrology: some plants do not go together, some do not grow together, and it happens that, planted together, they simply kill each other. Sometimes plants offered to a client by an inexperienced designer do not take root well in Russia. But the risks ultimately fall on the company!
Designers must also be good psychologists. In my opinion, a real designer is 50% creativity and 50% ability to communicate with the client. A skilled artist will convince a client of anything. And this is the ability to sell.
As for the number of employees, it all depends on the volume of work. If the company intends to grow, it will need dendrologists (their task is to control plantings), foremen, and builders. By the way, you will have to take into account seasonality. For example, we have two operating modes - winter and summer. IN winter period The core of the company remains on payroll - the employees, about twenty of them, are working on future projects. But in the summer, builders join us, and then the staff reaches 80 workers.
To promote our company on the market, we use specialized magazines. In my opinion, they “work” best. Moreover, you can place it not only in landscape design magazines, but also in publications devoted to real estate, and there are more and more of them today. Magazines such as “Ideas for Your Home” are also a good platform.
A stable, motivated audience is what you need. And thanks to such advertising, many customers have already come to us. True, here comes a special client - one who knows what he wants, including the ability to choose a designer based on his handwriting. And these are far from the people who simply call companies in search of less busy and “cheaper” specialists.
And yet, a significant number of new clients come to us on recommendations from previous customers. So, as cliché as it sounds, your reputation is your future.
We also have our own page on the Internet, and the flow of clients “from the Internet” is gradually increasing. We do not place billboard advertising. In the same way, I don’t recommend going to radio and TV - the costs are too high and not always justified. Simply posting advertisements in cottage villages will do much more.
Yes, don't forget to create your portfolio, take photos! Over time, you will have a decent collection of your work that can be shown to potential clients.
Never rely entirely on the construction team. That is life. It’s good if the head of a young company is a specialist in the field of construction and design. This allows you to control and direct the work of the hired team. And this is the only way you will get exactly what you wanted.
By the way, I am sure that in a small business it is generally impossible to rely on anyone. This means that the head of the company is simply obliged to understand the very essence of the business. As practice shows, this is precisely what is characteristic of a manager, who rolls up his sleeves and delves into absolutely everything, into any processes!
No matter how many assistants you have, they need to be controlled. This means you need to understand the subject. So until you have formed a team that you can trust as you trust yourself - control, control and control again!
We started with 10 thousand dollars. In 1996 prices. With this money we bought a Gazelle cargo truck, which then cost 7 thousand (it still costs that much now), purchased a concrete mixer, an angle grinder, a drill and some other little things. There were no compressors, loaders... All our equipment was located in an ordinary garage. And, of course, we paid for office rent.
So, at the first stage, you also only need one Gazelle for traveling and transporting equipment. At first, there may not be many means of small-scale mechanization. The main thing is that the entrepreneur himself is a real organizer. We needed earth, crushed stone, sand - let's go, we agreed. If you need plants, that means you have to go again, negotiate and buy. So if we talk about equipment, then 10 thousand is enough to start with today. Well, then everything is in your hands.
Renting premises... A lot depends on your ambitions here. There are “private traders” on the market who work at home or mobile phone and go to potential customers themselves. And there are companies that do not spare money and rent a quite decent office, receive clients there, present their portfolios and generally demonstrate their solidity in every possible way. All this, whatever one may say, plays a role in the client’s decision - to agree to your services or not, to make an advance payment or to think again.
However, many customers can be won over in another way. For example, come to a village and perfectly “make” one plot. And then go to the neighbors of the first client and offer your services. Many agree...
And yet, over time, you will have to acquire some kind of office. At least in order to do normal bookkeeping.
Our business is different from other areas where relationships with suppliers determine a lot. Of course, it is important to establish contacts with companies from which you plan to regularly purchase. Moreover, over time, you may need exclusive items; suppliers will specifically purchase them for you abroad. But at the first stage this is not necessary.
In addition, the variety of orders does not allow you to think ahead for a long time. Finally, the proportion of plants in a typical landscaping project is not nearly as significant. And plants are different, which means you will have to work with many companies. In general, expand your circle of acquaintances, find out where, what, and how much. And do not strive for direct long-term contacts - the supplier market is quite extensive. After some time, suppliers themselves will come to you with offers.
Different companies operating in this market have different ideas about the ratio of greenery and stone on the client’s site. If a company sells plants and imports them directly, then naturally it will try to create a design in a more “landscape” style - a minimum of paths, a maximum of plants.
However, there are other approaches. The fact is that “green” design is good in late spring, summer and early autumn. But, taking into account the peculiarities of the Russian climate, it also makes sense to make beautiful paving and lay paths through the garden. In autumn, the leaves will fall, the trees will become bare, but the appearance of the site will still be neat and attractive.
If the customer wants to “meet” a certain amount, help him with this. Our business allows this. When drawing up an estimate, offer cheaper plants, “budget” covering options... And keep in mind: if, by all indications, the client is ready to spend a large amount on landscape design once, but does not plan to specifically care for the site, he should choose a design style that will will require minimal care in the future.
Large firms are fighting among themselves for large orders, for a reputable client. This means that they do not pay close attention to small areas. And for a start-up company, this is the best format for gaining experience. Try to find clients not too far from each other. Ideally, this is 2-3 sections in one cottage village. And yet, from the point of view of business development, large orders are more profitable. Not even because there " more money", but because the work on large plot much easier to organize.
On small area you need to involve at least three people, because there is a certain sequence of things. But you won’t bring 10 employees there - they need to be accommodated somewhere and have their daily routine established. Or transport from the city, which is expensive. Finally, from the point of view of labor costs, bringing half a truck of land or a whole truck is the same thing. And the cost is higher. So look for large orders in the future. Don't be afraid to take them on and... do your job beautifully.
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The demand for landscaping and landscaping services is growing every year.
Country property owners strive to decorate their property, while entrepreneurs within the city strive to create the image of a European company.
A competent business plan will help you achieve success in landscape design.
Competition in the landscaping market is quite high. Reason: minimum size starting capital sufficient to get started.
However, tough competitive conditions apply to large and expensive projects.
Majority Market Russian cities ready to accept small companies in the mid-price category.
It is carried out after studying the technical documentation for the site and the composition of the soil. Implemented in a professional graphics program (for example, Realtime Landscaping Architect). Allows the client to see the final result in all nuances and angles.
At this stage, in accordance with the wishes of the customer and the intended purpose of the site, the idea of the garden is formed.
It is better to offer the client its implementation in several options.
Based on the results of the approved project, the following is formed:
The client is offered planning solution, the cost of performing the work and further maintaining the created facility is announced.
Types of jobs:
The investments shown in the business plan of a landscape design company can be recouped from one large project.
Personnel decides everything.
This truism must be taken into account when drawing up a business plan for a landscape design studio.
The staff should consist of the following units:
The first three specialists are irreplaceable people. It is necessary to attract professionals to these places by all means.
They will have to pay in the off-season (winter), set up financial incentives during peak summer periods.
Where to begin? The creation of a company should be accompanied by some kind of information campaign in the media, distribution of leaflets, etc.
However, the face of a company is its portfolio. Therefore, the most difficult thing is to take the first order.
The problem can be solved in two ways. The first is to attract specialists who can demonstrate their own achievements to the client. Perhaps they will “entice” their clients into permanent service.
The second way is the free design of space in a crowded part of the city. This could be a site in front of the studio office, part of a square or park, or a flower bed.
Local authorities will readily agree to improve the territory in exchange for the right of the entrepreneur to install an advertising or dedicatory plaque.
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