Of course, services for the improvement and care of the territory are becoming more and more popular every year. That is why many are interested in questions about what constitutes landscape design. A business plan for creating such a company should contain several main points, which will be described in this article.

How to open a landscape company? How difficult is it?

Today, organizations involved in the design and landscaping of territories are popular. Naturally, every year there are more and more such firms, but the niche is not completely filled. Of course, landscape design of the site can be a profitable business.

But it should be noted right away that the development of any new company is fraught with some difficulties. Yes and start-up capital for equipment, office rent and advertising, you will need a rather big one. Nevertheless, with the right approach, a business can bring good earnings.

Legal paperwork

Before starting work, you must correctly complete all the paperwork. As a rule, a landscape design firm is formalized either as an individual entrepreneur ( individual entrepreneur), or as an LLC (a company with limited liability). All documents are processed in the tax service.

If you plan to make landscaping near private houses your business, then you can register as an individual entrepreneur (it's cheaper and faster). But if in the future you plan to cooperate with big companies or take on landscaping and conservation of urban areas (for example, parks), it is better to form an LLC.

Landscaping: business plan

Open own business is always difficult. And some difficulties await you if your calling is landscape design. The business plan in this case should include several mandatory items.

• Legal registration of the organization.
• Definition of the category of clients.
• Opening a design studio where you can receive clients and provide them with introductory information.
• Recruitment of employees and competent distribution of duties.
• Purchase of the necessary equipment.
• Cooperation agreements with certain manufacturing companies.
• Advertising for your company.

Acting according to such a plan, you can achieve significant success in this business. Therefore, it is worth stopping at each of the above points and considering all possible options.

Opening a landscape firm

Some businessmen in this field claim that at the initial stages they did not even have their own office. However, it is better to rent and equip the premises. Although having your own office is associated with additional costs, it will help you organize your work properly and look more respectable in the eyes of future clients.

It is best to open a studio in the city center, although in this case the location of the office is not as important as, for example, advertising. The room should be spacious, bright and well-equipped. Since you will be offering clients design and landscaping, your office needs to demonstrate that you really understand design.

In the office, in addition to cabinets, there should be an entrance hall or waiting room with comfortable furniture. You can decorate it with plants and other decorative items, and hang photos of your projects on the walls (if you have them, of course).

It is desirable that the office has a telephone line, so it will be more convenient to communicate with customers and suppliers.

How to determine the category of clients?

For many people, this type of activity is more likely to be associated with decorating the territory near private houses. Actually clients (landscape design and any other sphere of art) are not limited to "rich private traders".

Although if you have just started working, then it is best to start with them, since the projects here are small.

In addition, the services of such firms are often used by city organizations. Indeed, in almost every city there are public gardens, parks and areas that need to be improved, planted and preserved. For example, you can improve the territory near the school or lay out several bright flower beds in the city center.

There are quite a few possibilities here. But city orders in most cases are voluminous and require not only the creation of a certain design, but also regular maintenance of the sites. Besides, City Administration most often uses the services of firms that already have a portfolio and a good reputation.

Equipment for landscape design

It will take many special equipment, which will help you practice the art called landscape design. A business plan must necessarily include the purchase of the most necessary equipment.

The first thing to do is take care of your gardening equipment. In particular, you will probably need pruning shears, pruning shears, a power saw and an electric planer. It is hardly possible to imagine household plot without a manicured green lawn, so be sure to add a lawn mower to your shopping list. You will need small tools for mounting certain decorations, in particular, screwdrivers, hacksaws, chisels. And, of course, gardening can hardly be imagined without shovels, rakes and other equipment.

Naturally, as your company develops, the set of equipment will be constantly replenished. But at the initial stages, even the simplest things will suffice.

Stones and plants for landscape design - where to get the necessary decorations?

Every novice businessman asks the question "where to get necessary materials"After all, a wide variety of elements are used in landscape design. These are plants, sculptures, and irrigation systems. Naturally, you can rent a room where a dendrologist or gardener will grow and care for plants. But this is a long and painstaking business.

Landscape design is a relatively new phenomenon in our country. The owners began to put in order backyard lawns a couple of decades ago. In addition to private customers, the services of designers are ordered by offices and institutions, municipal authorities. Approximately $10,000 is enough to start.

Landscape design as a business in our country has become in demand relatively recently. With the growth of incomes of the population, more and more summer residents and owners of cottages dream of a beautiful well-groomed lawn or garden. The order market is divided into sectors: private, urban and corporate.

When choosing a field of activity, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each sector. City orders for the development of territories are advantageous in their scale, but in order to receive them, the company must participate in a municipal tender.

A significant drawback of such orders is that the city authorities often delay payment. It is easier to find private orders, the company has the opportunity to realize its design findings, to get excellent practice. But such orders are usually short-term. Therefore, it is most advantageous to combine all types of orders.

Start-up capital

To start you need initial capital approximately $ 10,000. With this money you can buy some equipment - a grinder, a drill, shovels, hand drills, a concrete mixer, etc., as well as a car for transporting equipment.

An office will be needed for contacts with clients, storage of documents and drawings, and work of specialists. You can get by with a small room, about 20 square meters. m. with a rent in the range of $150-$300 per year.

Staff

The number and composition of employees depends on the volume of work performed. Ideally, the company should include dendrologists, a foreman, builders and a designer.

The designer is the most important specialist, since it is his ideas that are brought to life by all other workers. Therefore, much depends on his taste and ability to competently apply various architectural styles, he needs knowledge in color, biology, etc. In addition, the designer must understand landscape graphics, be able to apply the necessary computer technologies in his work.

There are landscape design courses where you can learn a lot. Such courses, if necessary, will cost $ 400, their duration is approximately 2-3 months.

The basic programs in such courses are Sierra Photo Land Designer, Garden Designer and Punch! Software”, having mastered which the designer will be able to create projects based on photos of the site or from ready-made software elements.

It will be possible to create seasonal landscapes of the project using these programs, showing the client how the garden will look at different times of the year, a panorama of the view from the windows of the house. It is possible to develop architectural plans, taking into account the necessary communications, and then view the finished project using 3D visualization.

A dendrologist is another key link in the composition of specialists. His work is plants, their selection, planting, care and, if necessary, treatment. Some plants require special conditions growth, others simply cannot grow side by side, because they have a detrimental effect on each other. A mistake in such cases can threaten your company with a loss of reputation and material losses.

The foreman working in your company must know the technologies of landscape construction, as well as all the necessary standards and rules applicable in this area.

Typically, most firms landscape design work in two different modes, taking into account the seasonality of the business. IN winter period in the staff - only the "backbone" of the company, the main employees who receive a salary. During the summer period, when the number of orders increases, the number of employees also grows due to the involvement of builders.

Advertising

To attract new customers, the most effective way is a recommendation, or the so-called "creeping marketing", when a client recommends your company to his friends, acquaintances, etc. Your company's website on the Internet will be quite effective in this regard. You can also advertise in specialized magazines. Pasted ads in a new cottage settlement can give a good result.

Range of services

Your company can choose for itself any range of activities: the arrangement of lawns and flower beds, the design of landscapes and playgrounds, the implementation of earthworks. Almost 95% of customers choose the integrated development of the territory, but there is a demand for certain types services, such as planting orders. It takes approximately 40 days to 3 months to complete a complex order, and supervision of a completed project can take up to a year.

As a rule, clients prefer to contact a company that could solve all the tasks. Therefore, offer, if possible, a wider range of services for customers: planting, lawns, flower beds, drainage, paving paths, drains, outdoor lighting, gazebos, fountains, small architectural forms, automatic watering, etc.

At the initial stage, it is possible to offer preparatory work services: site visit, territory planning, recommendations for care, calculation of drainage systems, development of the initial stage of the project. For such types of work, payment will be about $1,000. Then, the territory will be equipped at a cost per hundred square meters of land in the range of $1,000-3,000, depending on the project. The cost of the design project (documentation, without the cost of work) will be from $200 to $2,000.

Your company can provide further services for the care of the client's homestead: the gardener will take care of the plantings and order on the client's territory. This type of service will allow you to have additional profit.

Cost of work and return

When assessing the cost of work, it is necessary to take into account such factors as the solvency of the client, the area and topography of the site, its location, the volume of work performed, as well as their urgency.

The seasonality of the business makes adjustments to the work of the company. It is necessary to work intensively during the summer period in order to distribute the profits received over the winter months. Typically, the seasonal decline occurs between November and March. During these months, you can engage in related activities, such as shoveling snow, or develop new projects, repair equipment, or even use such time for vacations.

Approximate prices for services:

• departure and consultation of a specialist - $ 26
• development of a garden project - $ 10-15 per hundred square meters.
• tile work - from $ 10 per sq. m.
• delivery of lawn land - $ 20-30 per cubic meter.
• installation of drainage systems, lighting, arrangement of flower beds - $ 120 per sq. m.
• installation of irrigation systems - within 70% of the cost of equipment, which is approximately $ 1,500
• architectural supervision of the project for the entire period - 10% of the cost of work.
• topographic survey of the area, taking into account the relief - 10% of the cost of work.

A start-up firm may have the following approximate monthly balance sheet:

• revenue – $25,000 (100.0%)
• general expenses – $19,000 (76.0%), including:
  • purchase of materials (stones, fences, curbs) – $4,950 (19.8%)
  • purchase of plants (shrubs, trees, flowers) – $4,950 (19.8%)
  • purchase of irrigation systems – $2,600 (10.4%)
  • salary of employees (5 people) – $6,500 (26.0%)
• profit (amount excluding taxes) – $6,000 (24.0%)

This is an approximate result of the work of a landscape design company in the implementation of a complex order for the improvement of one site. For the season, profitability can be in the range of 15-20%. Of course, a lot will depend on the quantity, volume of orders and how you promote your company and offer your services.

When drawing up a business plan, you need to take into account the prices prevailing in your area. landscape business considered quite profitable. Therefore, with a serious attitude, you may well achieve success.

Problem: The absence of the concept of landscaping and a developed network of flower beds on the territory of the park, the park is limited by the theme of victory in the great patriotic war, but time inexorably runs forward, the city is growing, a new generation is growing up, the park today is a place for citizens to walk (from small to large), spending leisure time for parents with children; a place of honor in the routes of weddings and celebrations, a venue for summer cultural events.

The purpose of the business plan is: - to meet the needs of city residents for quality recreation on the territory of the ChGO; - to create a landscaped area in the eastern part of Victory Park with a developed structure of flower beds, small architectural forms and sculptural compositions; - unite the residents of the city in the park for a joint pleasant holiday; - to attract unorganized tourists vacationing in the green zone to visit the park. The main tasks are: - to qualitatively increase the attendance of the park by citizens and guests of the city; - to create a landscaped area in the eastern part of Victory Park with a developed infrastructure: flowerbeds, small architectural forms, sculptural compositions, sound accompaniment.

Analysis of the state of affairs in the industry. Current situation: There is a sports and park complex on the territory of the ChGO, consisting of: a “factory park”, a sports stadium, an ice palace “Ural Star”, a swimming pool, buildings of a sports complex (gyms, gyms). The sports and park complex is equipped with: central heating, water supply, sewerage, electrification (including street lighting), telephone installation, food facilities. On the territory of the sports and park complex, events of regional, regional and local significance are held. During the year, sports sections, associations, sports teams operate on the territory of the sports park complex. Within the boundaries of the Chebarkul city district health resort zone of regional importance. Hosting up to a thousand vacationers a year. Sanatoriums, recreation centers, children's health camps are equipped with central heating, water supply, sewerage, electrification (including street lighting), telephone installation. Territories of sanatoriums have zoning and a clear planning structure of improvement: a network of paths, flower beds, sports and playgrounds, equipped beaches, small architectural forms. Including on the territory of sanatoriums there are cafes, rental services (sports and game equipment), as well as. saunas, health complexes with the provision of additional services.

Development trend: On the territory of the Chebarkul city district, it is planned to build a museum and park complex "Chebarkul fortress" on the cape of the lake. Chebarkul, in the zone of low-rise residential buildings. An object of regional importance, and is calculated on unorganized tourists of the sanatorium-resort zone (about 40,000, the data is taken from the presentation of the Chebarkul fortress project). The museum and park complex will include a unique object - the “lake museum”, which has only one analogue in Russia. This project is now in the stage of development and search for investors.

Potential consumer: - residents of Chebarkul: - parents with children; - pensioners; - teenagers; - Citizens who are in active, able-bodied age. - unorganized tourists of the sanatorium-resort zone; - the military, both permanent employees and temporarily seconded; - residents of the Chebarkulsky district (as a leisure option for the weekend, organized excursions).

Potential competitors: - the territory of the sanatorium-resort zone; - sports and park complex; - bad and pernicious habits, irregular working hours; - Internet, computer games; - residential playgrounds apartment buildings; - city Museum; - exhibition hall "Colorit";

When creating the project, the following was used: a review of regulatory literature, a review of statistical data, a review of cartographic material, an analysis of the current situation and trends in its development, a project for the improvement of the eastern part of Victory Park, statistical data posted on the portal of the CSD administration website.

Marketing To advertise the territory, the following will be used: Vkontakte social network groups Dialogue newspaper, Kaleidoscope Official opening Human factor (word of mouth) Costs include: Red ribbon, balloons, wages for mailing in contact.

Item rev. Quantity Cost 1Establishment of sites for exhibitsm2m Arrangement of flowerbeds from annualsm2m Arrangement of flowerbeds from perennialsm2m Arrangement of pergolysts Planting a single-row climbing plant / n Construction and production of information stands pcs Planting a shrub in 1-row hedge / n Acoustic system installation pcs Total Statement of works on landscaping and gardening *Final the cost of the improvement project can be determined only after design and estimate work. Advertising cost rubles Financial part Total cost of the project rubles

Risk assessment Weak sides Risk - lack or manifestation of weak interest among consumers in museum exhibits Change of exposure, with a preliminary analysis - adverse weather conditions Insurance of this type. Application special technology and gardening supplies. - unfair fulfillment of the contractor's obligations Include a warranty service item in the contract. - complaints from residents of houses bordering the park on an increased sound background Arrangement of sound points in accordance with current standards and SNiPs according to specifications. - vandalism, damage to property, engineering systems, plants High-quality arrangement of landscaping objects using impact-resistant coatings and materials. Placement of information plates about penalties for damage to property. - lack of fundingSearch for investors, benefactors of the project.

Alternative strategies are the creation of a "lawn recreation area" equipped with sound points in the eastern part of the "victory" park. - in view of the inexpediency of museum exhibits, and the placement of thematic flower beds and compositions of small architectural forms in these places.

M.A. Kokurina, lawyer

We “landscape” taxes after landscaping

How to justify and take into account the costs of asphalting, landscaping, lighting and pay taxes

The topic of the article was suggested S.Yu. Kazankova, Chief Accountant Yarmarka LLC (Moscow region).

Demand, as you know, creates supply. Customers want to drive up a smooth road right to the door of a cozy shopping center, workers - to leave cars in the parking lot near the office, suppliers - to unload products from a convenient platform near the warehouse.

Therefore, owners and tenants of retail, office, warehouse and industrial premises in every way they try to equip not only the internal, but also the external territory, asphalting the paths, equipping parking lots, breaking lawns and flower beds.

Landscaping is a set of measures for engineering preparation and security, landscaping, coating, lighting, placement of small architectural forms and objects of monumental art and clause 1.5 of the Guidelines, approved. Order of the Ministry of Regional Development of December 27, 2011 No. 613 (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines).

The tax authorities believe that the objects of external improvement are not depreciated for tax purposes. sub. 4 p. 2 art. 256 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation; Letter No. 16-15/123392@ of the Federal Tax Service for Moscow dated December 21, 2011. And because of this, accountants are puzzling over how to defend the right to account for the costs of such improvement in expenses, whether it is possible to deduct VAT on such expenses, whether to take into account the cost of “improved” fixed assets in the property tax base.

How should one act in order to minimize the likelihood of disputes with the tax authorities on such sensitive issues?

We justify "improvement" expenses

By refusing to recognize your "beautification" expenses as expenses, the tax authorities will not agree with the deduction of VAT on works and goods purchased for the beautification of territories. The most common tax arguments are as follows:

• improvement expenses are not aimed at generating income and are not related to commercial activities organizations and Letters of the Ministry of Finance dated July 17, 2012 No. 03-03-06 / 2/81, dated October 18, 2011 No. 03-07-11 / 278;
• deduction of VAT on goods, works and services related to the improvement of territories is illegal, since they are not used in transactions subject to VAT Letters of the Ministry of Finance dated November 9, 2011 No. 03-03-06 / 1/736 (p. 2), dated October 18, 2011 No. 03-07-11 / 278, dated March 15, 2011 No. 03-03-06 / 1/136.

The court decisions mentioned in the article can be found: "Judicial practice" section of the ConsultantPlus system

Your task is to convince the inspectors that you did not just spend money "to create a comfortable, practical and aesthetic space on the territory of the organization"

... and a business woman. Today - a rather peculiar story about a girl who, at the age of 20, with almost no work experience, took the opportunity and took over the leadership of a brigade for the improvement of cottages and summer cottages. We left the original author's style unchanged, so the story turned out to be a little informal, but interesting.

Ambition is a gift

Hello, my name is Alexandra. I am from the city of Kyiv. My business was launched in 2010, I was engaged in it for a year. I was 20 when I started my business.

landscape design

There are two types of people: those with an entrepreneurial mindset and those with a subordinate worker mindset. The first of them cannot work "for his uncle", because he understands that he can work for himself and fully control the profit. The second type will not even think of this kind of activity, since stability and the ability not to be responsible for the overall picture of the business are safer for him than risks and possible falls.

I was born with an entrepreneurial mindset. Even as a child, I managed to sell chocolates to high school students that my mother sent when she went to work. Opportunities to increase my out of pocket expenses seemed very interesting to me. But it is very difficult for a girl who has just graduated from the institute to start a business from scratch in a big city. Oh, if only I knew then what I know now. The energy and enthusiasm that rages at that age would not be wasted.

I had not only entrepreneurial thinking, but also creativity, thanks to which I received an education in the architectural area. But all attempts to get a job in the specialty, basically, ended with the phrase of employers "we need a young designer under 30 years old with 25 years of experience."

Genie Investor

So, not without the help of friends, I got a job as an office manager in advertising agency, where I had to not only take calls, but pour tea for employees and wash dishes. Lucky! I was lucky to get into the company, the head of which was its owner. He had a talent for seeing hidden potential in people. Never go around such people, communication with them sooner or later will give a positive result, even if your paths diverge. We never know who and how can help us, so show your the best sides always and under any circumstances.

He saw in the twenty-year-old girl responsibility and the desire to develop, and also logical thinking and the ability to communicate with people. It was worth working on the manifestation of my best qualities so that my immediate supervisor looked out of his office like a genie. It all started with an increase in authority, and continued with the fact that one fine evening he opened my course project, which I successfully completed at the workplace. It was a landscaping project.

The next day, he called me into the meeting room and asked: “If I give you an office space, a phone number, the ability to create your own website, and minimal financial support for advertising and a tool, can you start a landscaping and landscaping company? Answering this question, keep in mind that I can only help you with advice in solving organizational issues, since I am incompetent in this area. Realizing that such a chance happens once in a lifetime, I answered: “I can.” And the next morning began new life…

Knowledge is power

So many questions arose before me, the existence of which I did not suspect, and which no school will ever teach! To start your own business, you need to be able to sell, be cunning, be able to lie and have strategic thinking. All these qualities must be applied simultaneously.

Never show that you don't know something. You need to kill on the nose that you can do everything! And although it is impossible in undertakings, you must believe in it with every cell of your body and every convolution of the brain. Nowadays, information is very easy to get, you just need to want. Your confidence will give confidence to the client and your subordinates, and this is the key to success. You need to know what you don't know. The first step to getting answers is to have questions. And never be afraid to ask people with experience, more often than not they will gladly give helpful tips. My hour has come to learn to be a specialist not only in providing services, but also in doing business.

From architect to programmer

The first step was to create a website for your services. At my age, I knew how to talk on Skype, sit VKontakte and use the Google search engine. But “create a website” sounded fantastic. The internet is filled with ready-made templates- filled in the information and READY, run. But at that time, in 2009, things were much more complicated.

A programmer was found who could do miracles from a picture, as my mentor assured me. My knowledge of Photoshop came in handy, finally, not only for adjusting my photos on social networks. According to my design, the site was created and given to me for administration. In a week, I learned how to change the background, text, pictures on the site, learned how to make elementary button animations, memorized the codes and places where they need to be inserted. I want to tell you, it turned out well, and this fact gave me confidence. After overcoming the first difficulties, it seemed to me that I could do anything.

A seller to himself - exploring the possibilities of contextual and offline advertising

The next step was advertising. Google AdWords and Yandex Direct have become my best friends. I realized how important correctness is keywords For search. Everything depends on this - whether visitors get to your site, and if they do, whether they will become your customers. I realized that the phrase "how to create a design on the site" attracts people who love to make everything with their own hands, and step by step description work and completely unties the hands of those who want to have a beautiful site, and they, having learned information for themselves, simply go to do everything themselves. And that the phrase “landscape design of the site” is more likely to interest the buyer and costs less than the previous one in paying for the context. If the first option cost 5-6 hryvnia per click, then the second 3-4 hryvnia (A hryvnia in 2010 cost about 4 rubles - ed.) . One business day for contextual advertising it took 60 UAH - such a limit was set in order to save money - and this gave me 2-3 calls. On average, 20 calls per week gave one "warm" client. Attracting customers was my main task at the first stage.

The most basic thing that clients wanted was to do everything.

Therefore, when choosing this kind of business for yourself, remember that you must sell both services individually and their complex. Otherwise, if you cannot plant a lawn and provide lighting on the site at the same time, then your competitors will do it with pleasure, and you will limit yourself to “finishing” someone else’s work, planting one tree per month.
Each area has its own way of advertising. Having learned this, I traveled almost the entire suburb of Kyiv with flyers and signs. This worked much better. outdoor advertising in the city and required little cost. For example, 2000 brochures good quality cost at that time 1000 hryvnia.

First client for landscaping

Plot decoration

And then came that enchanting moment when the first order arrived. It is worth noting that landscape design is a business where the project takes more than a month to complete (if the order is serious and complex), and its cost is on average UAH 180,000 - 250,000, where 30% is your net income (about 250 thousand rubles in terms of - ed.). For any business it is very good profitability, in this area, net earnings could be increased to 40%, or even 50% of the total amount, being a professional in their field. The estimate is signed, agreements with guarantees that Mother Nature will in no way harm the customer's yard are signed.
Having received an advance payment of 50%, it was difficult to cope with joy, how can you keep such money in your hands! The order, although limited to laying turf and adjusting existing irrigation, was estimated at 112,000 hryvnia. Overcoming my excitement, I deliberately indifferently counted the money.

Never say "thank you" if the client pays you - he pays you for services. Say "I'm glad to cooperate"!

San Sanych said this phrase smilingly and with slight sarcasm, giving his instructions before the first trip to the client for an advance payment.

Starting investments in a landscape design business

Oddly enough, but all the words of my genie - the fulfiller of desires were confirmed. At the beginning of this simple business, it took a little money. Perhaps the costs that I will talk about will be a lot of money for someone, but the numbers definitely cannot be compared with contributions to a start-up for the production of a product. All the money that was needed - for the site of the "economy" option, for advertising, a monthly fee for a landline phone and small transportation costs - amounted to only 10,000 UAH. There were also standard tax expenses in the amount of UAH 1,000 per month for a Limited Liability Company, but their payment was already made from payment for the work performed.

The purchase of tools and car rental were included in the amount from the first order, net profit from which amounted to 26 000 UAH. The most expensive tool was a manual roller for leveling the soil - 750 UAH. The rest of the tools - all kinds of shovels, rakes and watering cans - did not require special financial costs, only 500 UAH were spent on them.

Everything was simple, at first glance. But if everything went smoothly up to this point, then the time has come to make mistakes, and I learned about them later.

Making money on paper is like a black and white chessboard

The institute does not teach that there should be two estimates for the performance of work. And that is exactly what it is. The work is done not only for the client, there is a price for your expenses and a cost for the customer. In the "clean" estimate, you write only the prices for the work, and in the "draft" - all the amounts, gaps and risks. For example, the price for earthworks for the customer is one - 12,000 UAH. For you, there will be 3 columns in the estimate: the price of work is 8,000 UAH; price for the customer - 12,000 UAH, earnings - 4,000 UAH. Otherwise, you will never know what you will get and how you can do better next time. Because risks often turn into costs… your costs.

The human factor, or the best lessons are your own mistakes

In order to do the work, people are needed, they must be experts in their field. Having thought carefully about how to make better money, I hired 6 simple workers who were not afraid to do hard work with the land for 120 hryvnia per person per day.

While doing such work, I realized 3 truths for myself:

First:

You should never become a foreman yourself and talk about work because:
a) You are the head of your company. If you yourself stand above the head of everyone, then this automatically lowers your status.
b) You will not be able to do everything at the same time: communicate with the client, follow the work, select material, manage and teach. As a result, the efficiency of your work will be so low that all this fuss will lose its meaning.
c) It's good when the leader knows how each of his team lives, but from now on, everyone's problems will become your problems. And it will be exactly so if you will be on the site nearby the whole working day.
d) One of the most important points is to be aged plus/minus 5 years from the oldest of this team. Otherwise, you risk losing control.
e) When organizing work with a foreman, you must understand that, most likely, he will have entrepreneurial thinking and he cannot be trusted with a “rough estimate”. So you can get a lot of financial claims.

Second:

Always take a good gap both for the time of work and payment from the customer, and for paying your subordinates. At the time of execution, try to add yourself always 2 weeks for unpredictable cases. And to the total price, add 15-20% insurance of the entire price and break the amount down into all items. If you do not need insurance, you will have a plus to net earnings. Landscaping is an unpredictable job, especially for beginners. The first year of work - the losses will be clear. It is up to you whether you insure them financially or not.

Third:

If you are a woman, turn off your femininity, fragility, defenselessness and stock up on iron nerves. Clapping eyelashes innocently will not work, I tried.

Business test

Orders were coming, work too. We had one order per month, an average of 150,000 UAH. Success has been variable. My mentor went abroad to build his future, and for a while I myself became a mentor to my colleagues. Motivation, encouragement of the team took place, as the earnings were good. I invested all the profits in development, an old minibus for transporting building materials and workers from site to site was purchased almost immediately for a symbolic amount of 5,000 USD. e.

Good conditions for the team and corporate training were essential. My builders, whom I found at the station, became good professionals and earned 300 hryvnias a day, and the foreman got the opportunity not only to independently negotiate with his team, but also to have a decent percentage of each order. I was proud of it. But as their knowledge grew, so did their ambitions, and when they asked for higher pay, I did it, hoping to increase my credibility. And that was the first mistake that had to be paid for.

One day, my foreman told me that he and his team wanted not a fixed fee, but a percentage of the entire business - 50%. This is what happens when you cross the line between management and subordinates and become friends, sharing their problems with them. The foreman was fired, the conditions for the team remained the same, but respect was lost forever between me and those people. On their part - for the fact that they did not receive a percentage of the common cause, on my part - for their stupid courage.

And then autumn came, there were fewer orders, and more problems. I was so busy developing that I missed the most important point- the arrival of winter. At that time, it seemed to me that winter was the time for design work, and there would be a lot of them. Design work cost a lot: full project documentation costs from 10,000 hryvnia (it all depends on the area of ​​work performed). Orders became less and less. And in December I had to disband the team due to lack of funds to pay wages. Having given the last supplies to people for life, I was left alone with an old minibus, he was the only one who agreed to quietly stand in the garage until spring.

Hibernation

With a reserve of 6,000 hryvnias for the next 3 months of life and paying taxes, I became a secretary in the office of a large trading network. I had enough to live on, and the earnings from the artistic painting of the walls all went into a box called "Future". It came to me the following spring in the form of another business.

hope dies last

On cold autumn evenings, I wrote fresh thoughts and new strategies. I remembered my mistakes, drew conclusions and will try never to repeat. There will be new ones. But it is on how many times we got up after the falls that our future success depends. Now I am 26 years old, and my husband and I family business for creating websites. It's 2016 and winter brings back old memories. But unlike that interesting year my life, today I have a folder on my desk in my office called “Business Plan. Improvement". And I am sure that in the spring of 2016 a new life of my old favorite business will be born. Only this time this life will stand on strong legs.

Never give up, because with every mistake in business, we gain new strength to fight for our financial well-being.