Table of Contents

Preface Introduction 1. Coming up with Your Initial Idea What Do You Want to Do? Further Research Finance CASE STUDY: Angus White, Architectural Plants CASE STUDY: Sarah Mead, Yeo Valley's Organic Garden 2. Thinking Outside the Box Ethical Businesses CASE STUDY: Guy Watts and James Gubb, Streetscape CASE STUDY: Jimi Blake, Hunting Brook Gardens Specialist Businesses CASE STUDY: Lisa Rawley, Fleur de Lys The Career Changer CASE STUDY: Sam Ellson, The Traditional Flower Company 3. Getting Qualified CASE STUDY: Caroline Knight, The Quiet Gardener (garden maintenance) CASE STUDY: Juliet Sergeant, Garden designer and lecturer 4. Forming a Company (Technicalities) Company Set-up Funding Planning Advice CASE STUDY: Mark Yabsley, Pod Garden Design CASE STUDY: Sue Gray, Damhead Nursery 5. Forming a Company (Practicalities) In the Beginning Day to Day CASE STUDY: Louise Cummins and Caroline De Lane Lea, Gardenmakers CASE STUDY: Alan Shipp, National Collection of Hyacinths 6. Establishing a Client Base CASE STUDY: Hugo Bugg, Garden designer CASE STUDY: Graham Gough, Marchants Hardy Plants 7. Building a Network Your Network CASE STUDY: Gill Chamberlain, Garden Rescue CASE STUDY: Gilly Pollock, Plant nursery promoter 8. PR and Promotion Online Local Presence Writing National Presence CASE STUDY: James Alexander-Sinclair, Landscape designer CASE STUDY: Georgia Miles, The Sussex Flower School 9. Dealing with Customers CASE STUDY: Louise Dowding, Designer and gardener CASE STUDY: Alison Marsden, Gardening by Design 10. Developing Your Business CASE STUDY: Sean Walter and Keith Pounder, The Plant Specialist CASE STUDY: Mike Kitchen, Rocket Gardens Conclusion: Words from the Wise On Starting Out On Organisation On Customer Care On Staff On Attitude On Managing Projects On Finances And Finally Resources

About the Author

Sophie Davies is an experienced journalist who studied garden design at the English Gardening School. Today, when not writing or designing, she spends her free time gardening at her home in West Sussex.