Being in business may feel more uncertain than ever but now is the time to consider the future, look at new ideas, and think about change, says John Wyer FSGLD

If, like me, you get a bit down in the dumps at this time of year, then you might feel more like crawling back under the duvet than going outside. However, a glance out of the window shows the first signs of spring: bulbs shooting, buds swelling on the trees, and a few early blossoms. For the natural world, spring is about growth and renewal. For we humans too, it can be a chance to focus on the future, to look at new ideas and to think about change.

At a party recently, I spoke to someone whose business had been going for a couple of years and so was still in ‘start-up mode’. ‘With all your years in business, what would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learned?’ they asked me.

I had to think about it (perhaps surprisingly, it is not something I am asked very often) but my answer was that their business should always be both focused on the client and looking outwards. 

It is vital to always focus on the client and what they want (which is not necessarily what they say they want). Money, power, and influence are not shared out equally in the world (and our clients often have more than their share!). However, we are all allotted the same amount of time. If a client chooses to spend some of that time with their advisor or consultant, the worst thing the latter can do is to not listen. In my experience, many garden designers make the mistake of trying to tell clients all about themselves and what they have done, or can do, before they listen to the client. 

The interesting thing about this is that the more you listen and have a genuine dialogue, the more you understand your clients and what they are trying to achieve. In doing so, not only will you both enjoy the process more, you will find yourself able to meet the brief more fully and that, in turn, will mean they will be happier. Everybody wins and, of course, however you look at it, happy clients are more profitable than unhappy clients.

This does not mean you should abandon your beliefs, values, or ideas. Quite the opposite. You need to seek out the people who will appreciate and understand your approach. It is mostly about finding common ground. 

As marketer and author Seth Godin puts it: ‘This is the chance you’ve been waiting for. The opportunity to bring work you care about to people eager to engage with it, pay you for it and talk about it. I believe that the only way to make a difference is to truly see and understand the people you seek to influence. Once you’re fully engaged, they will be happy to help you spread the word.”1

Strong stuff. He is right, but how do we make that happen? Here are some practical steps you can take: the first thing is to decide what you really care about, and what you are good at; there is generally quite an overlap. Concentrate on being the best in that field, even if it is just in your location. Do not try to be the cheapest; be the best. 

Once you have worked this out, you need great marketing material, be it your website, case studies, social media, or whatever. Obviously, all prospective clients will look at this before they contact you, so the message needs to appeal particularly to the people you want to attract – your ‘tribe’. The point here is not that you will completely restrict yourself to those people but that by concentrating your message, it will affect the sort of clients you attract although, inevitably, other people will also come your way.

YOU NEED TO SEEK OUT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND YOUR APPROACH.

To make all this work, you need to do the sums as well: what is the minimum number of jobs you need to do in a year? How many of those could be local? How much would you need to charge to make a living based on those numbers? 

Once you have this resolved, you need to be nimble – business analysts always talk about ‘agility’. In practical terms, it means being able to react and adapt to a changing market without losing sight of your core values. To do this, you must have low overheads and be open minded; for example, avoid tying yourself to only doing gardens if other good opportunities open up for different types of clients. Be brave and take on new areas of work if it fits with your model.

So, this is a two-stage, or two-sided, process of discovery and redefinition. Your practice needs to be truly client-focused, but for that to be fulfilling and successful, you must define who you want those clients to be and how to attract them. 

Perhaps the most important thing is to always be enthusiastic and friendly, and if it is not a project that you want to work on, be firm with yourself, and be helpful by pointing the client in the right direction.

JOHN WYER FSGLD
graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a post-graduate diploma in landscape architecture in 1983 and co-founded Bowles & Wyer in 1993. His extensive design portfolio spans private gardens to large-scale development projects, and many have won awards. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers (SGLD) in 2011, and a Fellow of the Landscape Institute in 2020. As well as continuing to take a lead role in Bowles & Wyer, and to serve as Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the SGLD, he lectures in Britain and abroad and writes a monthly blog that explores the design process and role of landscape and maintenance. bowleswyer.co.uk