Venue
Study from the comfort of your own home.
Times
Start when you wish, and work at your own pace. A guideline is issued to each student for assignments/exercises but there are no stringent deadlines.
Dates
Study At Your Own Pace
Duration
Three Months
Details
In an industry that deals with a visual and living art form such as garden design and landscaping, it is easy to become so engrossed in beautifying a space that you forget about the many costs you incur while running your business to derive a decent salary each month on which to live.
Please note that this course is offered as a correspondence course with some in-house training for locals and those living further afield. This is necessary due to the students' own time constraints.
For students in KZN and Gauteng, personal tutoring is available at a time to suit both students and facilitator at no additional cost to the student. For those living further afield, tutoring will take place via Skype, email and private YouTube videos that we have recorded to assist you.
Who Benefits
Anyone in the gardening industry will benefit from this course – landscapers, owners of garden service companies, grassing contractors, designers, etc.
Outcome
On completion of this course, the student will feel confident to enter the landscaping or garden service industry, with a sound knowledge of marketing, administration, labour and the quoting process. Naturally all good things come with experience but this is why we mentor our students until they feel confident in their business skills.
Content
Course Structure :
Marketing : Marketing is a critical part of any business. It is a fact, however, that marketing is often neglected the most due to time constraints. If you do not have your name in the market place or are not communicating your service accurately, your business will not succeed. This course will teach you how to become an effective marketer and how to harness the skills of others in the marketing industry to assist you.
Administration :
Your workspace is critically important in this creative industry. One might start off using the kitchen table as a design space, but essentially every designer needs a creative space, away from the general noise of the home. That space might also need to house your administrative functions. This course will guide you as the systems and equipment you require to run a successful business.
Labour Practice :
This course guides you through the entire labour practice for a landscaping or garden service company. Here we discuss the correct way in which to deal with your labour force, including temporary versus permanent staff, reasonable grounds for dismissal, etc.
As any staff complement is a huge financial and moral commitment in a company, it is worth sticking to the labour laws of your particular province or country and having a contented workforce instead of having to waste precious time on damage control.
The Quoting System :
This module takes you step by step through the quoting system so that you are able to gauge where you are quoting accurately and where you need to improve on your system. For a new business owner, it is essential to get this correct right from the start. A pre-designed plan is provided to each student on which to quote as, on this course, we are not testing your design skills.
Once you have been through this course, you are unlikely to miss out any critical points in your quoting system again. Practice makes perfect!
Options
Not Applicable
Do I Need Previous Experience?
No. You will work at your own pace. Students may enroll at a time to suit them during the course of the year. We recommend that you complete the course within three months, where possible. If you are an experienced gardener/designer, you are most welcome to work at a faster pace.
Course Enquiries
You can submit your form in two ways:
1) Download the form, complete it upload it to an online hosting service such as Google Docs, then submit the document sharing URL along with your details to the form on this page.
2) Download the application form, complete it and email it to info@schoolofgardendesign.com
We will be in contact with you shortly after the forms are submitted, but should you not hear from us within 48 hours please send a follow up email to the address above.
On application, you will be requested to pay a 20% non-refundable deposit.