The Big Chill

As landscapers and gardeners up and down the country shake off their festive hangovers and head back out - we find that country is frozen solid - but surely we aren’t ALL down in the dumps about 2009?So I’m back at the Bat-Cave now after a lovely past few weeks and I am working my way through all the mail and emails that have mounted up on my desk and desktop resepectively. I’m a little bit annoyed that my last post’s optimism had it’s wing shot by the announcement a few days ago that the price of fruit and veg and general groceries is to increase by 20% in th UK in 2009. Is it just me or is the media determined to make all this seem completely insurmountable to even the most optimistic of us?I had been encouraged by some of the commentators debating that the public sector would keep alot of SMEs above water, but 20% added onto shopping bills is a fair whack and can only further dull consumer confidence.On top of this English, Welsh and Irish gardeners are experiencing the, by now notorious, ‘Arctic Chill’ right now (in Glasgow we just call it winter!) while in Scotland we are experiencing relatively (but only relatively) milder weather; even though spades are still bouncing out of the ground! At any rate, the big kick-off to the new season has been somewhat ‘put on ice’ and left alot of us thumbing through our paper-work and trying to invent new sources of enterprise for the coming months (perhaps some are finally getting their tax return underway - who me?). Anyway this silly weather isn’t exactly the worst news ever because obviously things will warm up as 2009 shakes off the sleep and we can all get digging, building and planting again.I have in fact had some good news recently and I shall be sure to gloat about it once everything is finalised but I was thinking how fortunate I was here to be presented with such an opportunity at what is proving to be quite a low-point in my short career as a businessman.2008 has been my worst year by far. Business was actually very good but I was badly let down by staff who took advantage of my absence (while concentrating on design demand, networking opportunities and expanding the business) to cut corners on projects and take prolonged tea-breaks in full view of clients. This lost me some well founded client relationships and cost alot of money where work had to be re-done. A steep learning curve. I am glad to have pulled through it though and have made amends to most of those clients as best I could. The expansion plans are in the bin and like many the focus is on streamlining and improving quality. These are my plans for 2009.At any rate I have learned some valuable lessons but one more than most which is reaping rewards even now - to keep my head up, chin up, keep my eyes peeled and my ears open; keep on top of it all and opportunities, when they come along - like this one, can be taken in stride.So for me the only possible way is up and while I fully expect some downturn in business; at the moment I am relishing the challenge and I am ready to take those unexpected opportunites. And, like my dad always says - and I appreciate that it is a cliche, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”.All the best for 2009 folks, I hope it turns out a good one for us all.Nicky PattersonGardenImprovements.com

Nicky Great post thanks. I can relate to a lot of what you say here and we are also keeping our chin up into 2009 despite all the negativity around. We are blessed with a coupe of large projects that will take us through the next few months, but even then I have had to price the work very low just to secure it...so its tickover rates, keeping the guys in work and the bills paid.

Its no mean feat finding the right guys for a team, and we have also had our fair share of extended tea breakers, early leaving-late arriving souls these last years. Streamlined the team right down last year and engage the others on a self emplyed basis-they tend to be more motivated when their time is their own! The guys we have now really love what they do and get a big kick out of doing the work really well. They get paid well and receive regular bonuses too, I am all for sharing profits with those that help to generate them. However even with the best people, I have found that the boss needs to be there almost all the time to make decisions and keep the continuity gpong. We grew too fast a couple of years ago to 10 staff and had 2 gardens going at once which was a financial disaster due to lack of supervision...it was a hard lesson to learn. So this year, definitely keeping it small.

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I chop them off at ground level with secutears then spray a drop or two of Praxys on the wound... if it doesnt killt he first time, it will the 2nd or 3rd"

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Comments

Susan January 7, 2009 at 7:39am

Nicky Great post thanks. I can relate to a lot of what you say here and we are also keeping our chin up into 2009 despite all the negativity around. We are blessed with a coupe of large projects that will take us through the next few months, but even then I have had to price the work very low just to secure it...so its tickover rates, keeping the guys in work and the bills paid.

Its no mean feat finding the right guys for a team, and we have also had our fair share of extended tea breakers, early leaving-late arriving souls these last years. Streamlined the team right down last year and engage the others on a self emplyed basis-they tend to be more motivated when their time is their own! The guys we have now really love what they do and get a big kick out of doing the work really well. They get paid well and receive regular bonuses too, I am all for sharing profits with those that help to generate them. However even with the best people, I have found that the boss needs to be there almost all the time to make decisions and keep the continuity gpong. We grew too fast a couple of years ago to 10 staff and had 2 gardens going at once which was a financial disaster due to lack of supervision...it was a hard lesson to learn. So this year, definitely keeping it small.
Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com January 7, 2009 at 4:47pm

Thanks for commenting on the post Susan - I am very new to this blogging thing and you may very well be the first person to have read any of them!!

Yeah 'streamlining' is the word and I am down to myself and a labourer and I shall also be sub-contracting work out to other landscapers and brickies etc when required. This has to be the best solution as, as you rightly say, even those deemed trustworthy will push their luck now and then. The staff I had turned out not to be very capable despite their '"years of experience" and this proved very costly as they botched a few projects royally. Contractors on their own time have more to risk and this reduces the risk for the main contractors like us.

I was saying to my previous employer recently that I wish I had set up as a partnership as they did and as I assume yourself and your husband have - this means that everything can be done accordingly both on site and off site much more efficiently. I'm fed up roaring about like a blue- arsed fly!!
PRO

Phil Voice January 7, 2009 at 5:01pm

Hi Nicky

I do read your posts :-0)) and I think you write very well. Thanks for your contributions.
Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com January 7, 2009 at 5:13pm

Thanks Phil!! That's cheered me up!
Cat Fereday January 7, 2009 at 5:33pm

Nicky,

Keep writing - it's a good'un. The blogs do have a following. I sometimes worry that I'm writing to myself, but then I think, well, I'd just have to carry this round in my head anyway, so I might as well get it out of my system!
Susan January 7, 2009 at 9:51pm

Niall and Nicky, have you thought of getting your wives into the business?!
Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com January 8, 2009 at 7:32pm

Yeah I'm pretty much in the same boat as Niall here. I've tried the bookkeeping and some phonecalls to start but my wife is a trained chef and simply doesn't have the same passion as I have for this. She has a passion for cooking and running kitchens. At the moment her main focus is bringing our daughter and hopefully extending the family. After this she will probably rejoin her career. The work I have to offer isn't exciting or a challenge to her and in fact demoralises her and this is probably worse than me bearing the burden myself.

So as much as i'd love her to get on board, because she is fantastic at projects of her own and is a great manager, unfortunately it just doesn't seem to work.