Opening of studio of landscape design as business
Studios of landscape design is rather new phenomenon in the Russian market of services which has appeared a little more ten years ago and, nevertheless, continues to type popularity actively. Irrespective of, where do you live – in a city or behind its limits, the beautiful and well-groomed court yard, a site or a zone round your shop draws attention and pleases a sight.
Steady demand for services of the professional landscape designer, high profitability of such agency and small initial investments do this kind of business attractive in the opinion of beginning businessmen.
Though the competition in this sphere rather big, but, basically, it concerns the companies working in a high price segment. Meanwhile, services in landscape design use considerable demand and among people with the income average level. This niche is for the present insufficiently filled, and you have every chance to take the place in the market.
What services are offered by the studio which is engaged in landscape design? First of all, this designing of a landscape, and also landing of plants, building of artificial reservoirs and erection of decorative and functional protections (a fencing, gates, gate), planning and a lining of paths (asphalted, мощенных a tile or a natural stone), creation of platforms, designing of irrigation system and illumination system, excavations (arrangement of flower beds, lawns, the Alpine hills).
Besides, there is a number of adjacent kinds of activity for which performance the executor addresses to the help of other companies. Certainly, small studios which undertake difficult orders, are compelled to co-operate with manufacturers of materials for building of fences and gate, various kinds of fencings, including decorative, canopies, arbours, fireplaces, weather vanes and etc.
The partnership with suppliers of materials and the independent contractors rendering similar services, allows to receive additional benefit and considerably to reduce initial investments.
The design studio or bureau develops projects, and the industrial and building companies are engaged in their realisation. Is at such partnership and the minuses: the company-contractor can break terms, execute the services insufficiently qualitatively, to break the obligations. To bear for it responsibility before the client it is necessary to studio of landscape design from which he concluded the contract.
So, small and the moderate-sized firms working in sphere of architecturally-landscape design, are engaged, first of all, in personal plot reduction in an order and performance of small orders.
Larger architecturally-landscape companies independently render the full list of services in gardening and an accomplishment, including working out of the project from zero, geoshooting, the chemical analysis of a ground, landing of rare plants, designing of premises and winter gardens, creation of artificial reservoirs, building of bridges, installation of benches, children's playgrounds, erection of sculptural compositions.
Such companies work, basically, with sites the area over 20 hundred parts. Orders of smaller volume for them are unprofitable. About half from total of orders get to "universal" contractors who render services "on a turn-key basis", that is a full complex of works from scheduling before landing of plants and erection of arbours, and the rest falls to a lot of small and average studios.
Certainly, in this business, as well as in any the reefs are the friend. Annually in big cities opens about thirty new firms positioning as studio of architecturally-landscape design, and approximately it is as much closed. The success of the company on creation of landscape design consists in the qualified and skilled personnel.
Optimum (but not the most budgetary) a variant – to employ experts. Their services will manage недешево, but these expenses will necessarily pay off. On the size to agency which is engaged in the device of landscapes, following employees will be necessary for an average: the landscape designer, the agriculturist, дендролог, the geodesist, землеустроитель, and also the bookkeeper, managers on sales and purchases, the working personnel.
If you have no sufficient means and-or want to begin with smaller, that, probably, you will accept the second variant – most to become the designer, having passed corresponding training. The blessing now exists a large quantity of courses of landscape design duration from three months about one year. Training cost makes from 12000 (for three months) and above. On these employment you receive base knowledge in the field of design, will get acquainted with bases of a composition, dendrology, and also study elements of work with the special software.
However, to expect that having disaccustomed by three months, half a year or even year and having received the certificate on the termination of courses, you the present expert in landscape design, of course, it become not necessary. As a result you can independently develop the simple project and, probably, even to realise it, but it is not enough for creation of own studio of it.
The optimum variant – to work at least year after the termination of courses under the direction of the skilled designer. To find such work difficult enough, and it practically is not paid. But you can gain unique practical experience which will give you much more, rather than some months of studying of the theory. The main problem of young designers – absence of examples of the works (portfolio) which potential customers can look. Hardly someone will dare to use services of the expert which has no any realised project, except the educational.
After training, acquisition of practical skills of work and, probably, creations of own client base it is possible to think of opening of the firm. At first it is possible to work without office, leaving on negotiations to clients. However the separate premise for storage of documents (accounting and design) and for work all the same is required to you.
The basic item of expenses – technics (the computer, the printer, the photocopier, phone) and special programs for designers. With their help it is possible to develop projects and to create evident presentations for clients. To save on the software it is not necessary.
If you plan not only to be engaged in design activity, but also to carry out a part of works independently, the list of the necessary equipment and equipment considerably will extend. In this case special tools (power saws, screw-drivers, chisels, ножовки and etc.), garden stock (a rake, shovels and other), and also the garden technics (lawn-mower) will be necessary for you. Thus, on acquisition of all necessary for work will leave from 150-200 thousand roubles and more.
The following stage after registration of the firm and acquisition of all necessary – search of clients. It is possible to place announcements of services rendered by you in local newspapers and magazines, in specialised editions, at regional Internet forums.
The minimum expenses on advertising can make about 10 thousand roubles (the announcement in newspapers). If the budget allows, reflect on creation of own site-cut-away (the most simple variant for 5-10 thousand roubles or nearly so free of charge if you can make it independently) where you can spread examples of the works, responses of clients and to specify your contacts. Order small circulation of own cut-aways (500 pieces of simple cut-aways will manage in 500-600 roubles) in which it will be possible to specify all data, including the address of your site on the Internet. At business plan drawing up consider that such business is seasonal. The osnovnyj peak of orders is necessary for the spring.
The prices for services in landscape design depend on region in which you live. On the average, consultation of the expert of departure on a site will manage in 500 roubles in an hour. Site shooting, measurements and gaugings also stand from 500 roubles for a site to five-six hundred parts. The preliminary project (sketch) – from 1000 roubles for a hundred part, the project of gardening of a site – from 3000 roubles for a hundred part. Cost of the budget documentation usually makes about 10 % from cost of all works. In architectural supervision of project realisation as much will manage.
The separate price-list operates on a spadework (cleaning of building garbage and its export, cutting down of trees, корчевание stubs, dredging and ground export, delivery of a fertile ground and etc.).
Arrangement of paved paths and court yard will manage in 500 roubles for square metre, not including costs of materials. Creation of a stony hill is estimated a minimum in 2,5-3 thousand roubles without cost of materials.
Creation of a decorative reservoir will manage in 5-10 thousand roubles for square metre, depending on the form, depth and materials. Planting of bushes costs from 500 roubles for a piece, trees – from 1000 roubles for a sapling. Works as it should be are paid for regular care of a site and its maintenance separately.
Thus, realisation of the developed project can manage to the customer in the sum from 10-15 thousand roubles for a hundred part and above, depending on volume and kinds of works, the budget of the customer, a relief and other features of district. The size of initial investments in the business connected with rendering of services in landscape design, depends on presence at you vocational education and experience in this sphere. To pay back all expenses it is possible from the first realised projects.