Claire Brown runs Plantpassion started in 2004, she loves gardening and it's true she really is passionate about plants.
Then she is also savy about the use of Twitter, iPads and the Landscape Juice network from a business angle.
Speaking at Creating Landscapes Claire is so enthusiastic that after ten minutes listening to More than just maintenance her seminar, I am ready to change career.
After leaving a job such as managing the Plant Centre at RHS Wisley, which Claire did, it is not clear how to keep getting new ideas.
Claire said: "After I left, I started thinking 'How am I going to keep learning if I don't have my weekly training session at RHS Wisley?."
But then she found out more by being with the plants and seeing them at different stages and being at shows also added to her knowledge.
'How then to make money from gardening?'.
A hot topic of Claire's is 'What other services or things does the customer need in their garden?'
With the people in the seminar they made a list of items.
Compost,space to grow vegetables and rose beds, water features, bulbs, planters hanging baskets, watering systems, furniture, fire pits, lawnmower and feed plant supports, lighting, greenhouses and sheds, lawn edging, water butts, compost bins and wormeries, hosepipe and watering systems, obelisks, leaf bins, and a whole range of tools, tree stakes, raised beds, plant supports, closhes, fabric netting, fruit cages, gripple clips, watering cans, plants seeds and bulbs.
There is a balance between learning and passing on the knowledge, selling your own skills.
"I am assuming that most of you know more than your clients, if not then your knowledge needs to accelerate until it does," Claire said.
Then Claire moves on to marketing and meeting human needs. "Don't worry about whether they need it or not the point is people get things because they want it.
"Do they need it? Rather think do they want it, if they want it they will buy it, so you have to make them want these extra items, then it is fantastic.
"How do you make them buy them from you? How do you find out which they want and which are cheapest?
"Where can you get info from? Landscape Juice, twitter, blog, email newsletters,
if you tell your client you love something and they trust you enough then they will buy them.
"It's easy if you know about the things out there, use the internet and shows and talking to the exhibitors, start up affiliate schemes with the companies you are already recommending. The same with wiggly wigglers.
"You make sure that you use something you like such as the hose pipes that retract and then you can recommend them. After I began using it, the company began its own affiliate scheme."
The ideas flowed.
Refine how you get customers in order to make money, get a waiting list of customers, and if one is being a pain in the but then it helps if you know of someone else waiting.
What helps me to keep a constant supply is giving talks, to the WI, local Horticultural society, going on Twitter'.
Keep the clients up to date, eg on Twitter, put up a message such as (even though it's the Autumn) don't forget by the way that we can plant tulips for you next month and so on'.
There's no need to stop working in the winter.
Karen Skidmore runs a business for coaching people, has a Webtech club, with videos of how to do things. Claire has had coaching from her from the early days.
The special offer to Landscape Juice members through Claire uses code 57067 entered on the Webtech club join page. Under the offer it is only £5 for the first month including the email newsletter and so on.
However that aside, Claire emphasised that most money is made from seeds, plants and bulbs, as you are never trying just to keep the garden at that same level of maintenance but always trying to improve it.
Other money making ideas included giving clients a planting plan and schemes to encourage them to enhance their gardens. Replacing plants. Spending 10 min in the morning on social media.
Coaching clients on gardening and doing it using your favourite tools which you can sell under an affiliate scheme.
It all adds up.
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