This week I attended the first Hard Landscaping Show, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and while my first impressions of Coventry aren’t exactly glowing it turned in to quite a day. It started at the HQ of NFU Mutual on the outskirts of Stratford on Avon. I was generously accommodated in the Farmhouse – my fellow B&B ‘ers were none other than the main board of Directors preparing for a board meeting that morning – it made for an interesting breakfast! NFU Mutual sponsor the Garden Network which I have been running for just on a year now.

As owner of the Garden Network I make an effort whenever I can to get out and meet members. It’s fantastic to put faces to names. These are people that only exist in a sort of parallel universe normally – today I was going to meet them for real.

There were three members present that I was particularly keen to meet for the first time, as well as catching up with a few others that I had met previously. The first meeting was with ‘fenlandphil‘ – who was a real gentleman and clearly passionate about his company making ironwork for gardens. Despite 23 or more years in business he still seemed as keen as mustard to find new ways to promote his business both on and offline – if you need obelisks and garden seats this is the place to go!

My next meeting was with Kerry Jackson. Wow – what a surprise! My expectation was completely shredded! Sometimes we pigeon hole people for reasons that I am not entirely sure. Here was a man so driven and enthusiastic for his work, and it was stunning. He has developed a very strong identity and has won a number of awards for his work – including one at the show. I have arranged to meet up with Kerry again at the Malvern Spring Show to look at the show gardens together – I am really looking forward to that as I anticipate we will challenge each others thinking in a really positive way. I’m also looking forward to seeing some of his gardens ‘in real life’ when I get a chance.

The third person was again quite a surprise. Claudia de Yong is well known for her water gardens – not least when she triumphed at Hampton Court, winning a Gold Medal and  the Tudor Rose in 2006 for her garden hotsprings. When you meet what might be described as garden design royalty, it is difficult to know what to expect. My fears were totally unfounded and we chatted for several hours about garden design, encounters with others and how we ran our businesses. The rapport that developed was interesting and demonstrates the benefit of networking. Although we might technically be regarded as competitors, we actually started looking for ways that we could enhance each others businesses through collaboration.

All of the people that I met will be beneficial in helping me develop my ideas and further extending my knowledge and personal network. So much for gardening being lonely then! By seeking out others you can enrich your experience and gain knowledge that will help you get even greater enjoyment out your garden and your life! So who’s up for meeting at Malvern?

John is a hugely influential garden designer who was designing gardens before it became fashionable to do so and in so doing developed methods of designing that are widely used today by a great many garden designers. I am a big fan of his grid system and it forms the basis of many of my garden designs.

John was speaking to the Oxford College of Garden Design at St. Hugh’s College Oxford on Thursday 11th March, 2010 and I travelled there to hear him speak. I was immediately taken by his genuine warmth and passion for garden design. John has been designing gardens for many years and he has clearly lost none of his enthusiasm.

What was also fascinating was that he treated the assembled audience as fellow designers, talking with us as opposed to ‘lecturing’ at us, which made it all the more real.

It was fascinating to discover his sources of inspiration – perhaps unsurprisingly coming from theatre, artists and sculptors of our day, in the way that other creative people draw their inspiration. It is this connection with and understanding of people that helps make his gardens believable. Apart from the money, it is those people that keeps him interested in continuing to design gardens.

His key tips, which are valid for anyone wishing to pursue garden design as a career, were to write down your justification, understand why your design ideas work or not! Build your contacts, you never know who might be helpful to you in the future. Photograph like mad, capture as many images of gardens as possible and let people know that you are around.

I certainly advocate his advice and as I develop as a garden designer ceratinly heed his words. As owner of the Garden Network building contacts is clearly an important part of my agenda and keeping a blog is a great way of writing regular articles about topics that interest you. What better opportunity then to combine these by meeting someone like John Brookes, taking some photographs and then sharing your experience!

John Brookes has written many books on garden design and owns Denmans Garden in Fontwell, West Sussex.

Blanche Surman, Affinity Marketing Executive at NFU Mutual comments, “We are thrilled to become official insurance providers of the Garden Network. NFU Mutual recognises the need to play an active part in community life and reach out to country-based groups and organisations like this one. We hope that Garden Network members will find the relationship of real benefit.

Tim Matcham, Director, the Garden Network said, ”The Garden Network is very pleased to be working with NFU Mutual to provide comprehensive home, garden and other insurances to the Garden Network members. “Regardless of location, country or city, NFU Mutual can provide the same excellent coverage. NFU Mutual is well respected, has a proud heritage and is able to deliver the quality insurances and service that Garden Network members and supporters expect. Our association is all the more exciting because we share the same values of excellence and environmental concerns.”

Such great news for the Garden Network – the network that is growing places!

Following instruction manuals on how to do something is not in my nature. I am the type of person who is determined to figure it out for himself without the heavy burden of having to read instructions first!

So when I was asked to review this book I faced an interesting challenge. I was actually going to have to read some detailed instructions on how to create fabulous 3D rendered garden designs using Vectorworks – complete terror set in!

I have had about a years experience of using Vectorworks and have achieved a reasonable standard of 2D drawing skills, complete with rendering, insertion, labelling and reporting on plants, much of which was achieved following a days training with Tamsin – so I knew the basics (or at least I thought I did!).

Make no mistake I still have a long way to go to be called an expert on Vectorworks but the book has shown me how to take the 2D basics and transform them in to potentially thrilling 3D work.

What I found useful about the book was the way it was set out – in a straightforward, logical sequence with exercises demonstrated with simple to follow exercises and an accompanying CD. Before setting about a task we are given a taste of what the section is aiming to achieve, followed by short, well written, numbered sequence of instructions accompanied by screen grabs to add further clarity.

For me this won’t replace face to face tutoring but it does allow you to progress at your own pace and review procedures at any time. The power of this CAD tool is huge and finding the bits that mean you can make a difference to your customers is now much easier. Presenting 3D plans and walk throughs rather than a 2D representation of the garden will make a big difference for many of my clients who fail to grasp the way a garden will look when just faced with plans.

My only criticism is the small format, which while handy, also means that the screen grabs are frequently rather small and therefore hard to see – but that’s a minor criticism of a book that delivers a cost effective route in to using the power of Vectorworks Landmark.

You can contact Tamsin Slatter through her website and the book can be purchased through her or through other Vectorworks resellers

Whilst the content is clearly aimed at the US there are a lot of universal ideas here to share!

The other day, the 60 Second Marketer team sat down and came up with 51 low-cost or no-cost ways to promote your business during a recession. There are enough good ideas here that you should be able to use a good number of them for your business and, as a result, grow your sales and revenue.

We’ve broken them down into several categories to help you segment and prioritize which ones you’d like to use.

Here goes:

Web 2.0/New Media Ideas:
1. Upload presentations on your area of expertise to SlideShare (best if you’re in a service business or if you’re a consultant). Do this regularly. It generates buzz and increases visibility.

2. Supercharge your blog by writing one new post a day for 45 days in a row. It’s what Chris Brogan has done (several times) and it’s made him one of the most relevant social media bloggers today.

3. Create a LinkedIn Group around your cause or discipline. Don’t just do this – do it, then put some effort into promoting it. It won’t work unless you nurture it and add relevant content just about every day.

4. Create a Facebook Group. Ditto.

5. Create a YouTube Channel. The best way to do this is to offer “How To” videos. Please don’t upload 5 minute videos from the CEO that regurgitates old press releases. Just don’t do that. Really.

6. Create a viral video. Way harder than it looks. Just search under “Funny Office Videos” in YouTube. Still, if you can make it work, it’s worth it.

7. Send a message to a prospect via video on Facebook. It’ll help you stand out. Just use your webcam. Easier than you’d think.

8. Get a Twitter account. Don’t over-promote yourself or your company. Instead, provide useful Tweets on a regular (daily) basis.

9. Do a social media scavenger hunt to get prospects engaged with your company or brand. Place code words in your Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace pages. Add them to your Twitter page and your website. The first customer prospect to collect all of them wins $100. (The 60 Second Marketer is going to do our own social media scavenger hunt with BrandMovers in 4 weeks, so be on the lookout out.)

10. Comment on other people’s blogs. Provide really useful stuff, too. Don’t just say, “Nice post.” And don’t bother putting your web address in your response since it’s usually recorded in the response anyway. Just be a good member of the blog community and write something useful and helpful.

11. Do a webinar. Make it interesting. Don’t over-sell your product or service. Just be helpful.

12. Make sure your blog is built INSIDE your website. When you use Blogger or some other free service, you’re not driving traffic to your website, which is where you want people to go. So, for example, make sure your blog is at www.MyWebsite.com/blog, not www.MyWebsiteBlog.com.

13. Re-post someone else’s blog posting on your blog. Give them credit with a link back to their site. Get their permission. (If they know anything about generating awareness, they’ll gladly let you use the posting. Hey, why don’t you re-post this blog on your website?)

14. Ask a friend to write a guest post for your blog. You’ll get a break from writing your blog. Plus, they’ll promote their article to all their friends and associates.

15. Contact high school and college friends on LinkedIn and Facebook and tell them about your business.

Time-Intensive, But Big Impact:
16. Interview local CEOs for an eBook. This accomplishes two things. First, it gets you in front of high-profile businesspeople who may be future clients. Second, the final eBook is a great door opener when you promote it to other businesses.

17. Conduct primary research that your customers/prospects would find interesting. Offer it for free – provided they supply their name, company and email address.

Events:
18. Hold an International Party at your home. Set up different rooms with food from different countries. One 60 Second Marketer staffer did this several years ago and the party is still talked about today.

19. Hold a Battle of the Corporate Bands party. There are a ton of corporate bands out there who would love to play for free. Bonus Points: Donate money raised at the event to charity.

20. Conduct a Chili Cook-Off. This one has been done to death, but it still creates buzz and builds awareness.

Oldies but Goodies:
21. Create a referral program: It’s an old idea, but a good one. If your Customer Lifetime Value is $1,000, then giving a $100 gift certificate every time you close a customer is money well invested.

22. Start an eNewsletter that provides tips and techniques. This is perfect if you’re, say, a real estate agent. Provide tips on home staging. Mention your services in the margins.

23. Create an online magazine. This has worked like gangbusters for BKV, the parent company of the 60 Second Marketer. It’s a lot of work, but may be worth it.

24. Write hand-written thank you notes. You’ll be surprised at their impact.

25. Return calls from salespeople, even if you don’t want their product. They’ll be so flattered, they’ll talk your company up to everyone they come in contact with.

26. Hold an open house at your office.

27. Better still, throw a party for your suppliers. They’ll be flattered. And honored.

Charitable Affiliations:
28. Donate to a charitable cause on behalf of your customers or clients. Let them know, but not in an overt or obnoxious way.

29. Sponsor the Kids 4 Change program at A School Bell Rings. This is a program that engages elementary schools in the U.S. to raise money to build schools overseas. It can build awareness for you and your company in the process.

Personalized/Customized Ideas:
30. Go to one of those pottery painting stores you find in the mall that fires the pottery you’ve painted. Paint a coffee mug for your clients. Give it to them. They’ll think of you every morning. Seriously.

31. Buy a bottle of wine, take the label off and put a new one on with your company logo on it. Give it to a high-value prospect.

Buzz Marketing and PR:
32. Ask your friends to talk you up. It works. Really. And it’s cheap.

33. Write your own eBook. It worked for David Henderson. He wrote a useful eBook and, in the process of promoting the eBook, promoted his traditional book as well.

34. Write an article for a magazine. Or write an article for a blog.

35. Write a press release each week for 8 weeks in a row. Make it relevant and helpful. Don’t broadcast it out – send it to specific journalists who you’re familiar with.

36. Give away a week’s stay at your lake/beach house as part of an online promotion on your website. Don’t have a lake or beach house? Borrow a friend’s!

37. Sponsor a company service day where every person in the office helps clean up a park or an old cemetery. Promote it. Gently.

38. Take a journalist out to lunch. They’re interesting people. Don’t sell your story too hard. Just build a relationship and follow-up a week later with a good story idea.

39. Invite your biggest customer out to dinner. Simple, yes. But it works.

40. Get a local high school group to help you clean up a park. Put 30 ten dollar bills under 30 random pieces of trash. Tell the kids. The park will be clean in no time.

41. Get 10 members of your office to go down to the street corner to raise money for your local Red Cross. Wear hats with your company logo on it. Donate the money to the Red Cross.

42. Give one of your products away.

43. Give 10 of your products away.

44. On one random Tuesday every month, give your product or service away for free for one hour. This is especially effective if you’re a restaurant, a florist, a spa or even a dentist. Make it a random Tuesday for just one hour. Macaroni Grill did this when they first opened their doors as a way to build mid-week traffic. It worked like gangbusters.

45. Call in to a radio station talk show. Mention your company name – gracefully.

46. Contact the producer of the TV news with a good, relevant and helpful human interest story.

47. The Programs Director at most local trade organizations is almost always looking for people to do speeches at upcoming events. Contact them. Be prepared to send them a one-sheet on your topic and why it’s relevant to their audience.

48. Always be the first person to ask a question at a luncheon or event. There’s usually a pregnant pause when the speaker finishes and says, “Any questions?” Be prepared for that pregnant pause and be the first to ask a question. Identify yourself and your company. Ask a smart question. Or ask a mediocre question. But ask!

49. Talk about your business at parties. C’mon, get over it.

50. Ask your building if you can put a sign up in the elevator about your business.

The wildest and Craziest Idea of All:
51. Take 500 $1 bills with a yellow stickie on them. Write your URL on the yellow stickie with a mention that the first person to contact you off of your website gets another $500. Go into an office building, a mall or a hotel with an atrium. Throw the 500 $1 bills with your URL on them off the balcony. Video tape it and upload the video to YouTube. Promote the YouTube video on your website. Watch the buzz start flowing almost immediately. Seriously. It’ll work.

That’s all folks. These are some of the best ways we know of to grow your business with little or no money. Oh, and one other thing – our attorneys say that if you try idea #51, it’s at your own risk. We aren’t responsible for twisted ankles, fist fights or riots.

Are there any other ideas we missed? Tell us what you’ve done!

Link to the original article

1. Some people are definitely worth following. The power of their network of followers can work for you. This is not by direct selling but through referrals to people who share a common interest or goal.

2. I have noticed quite a few people who seem to be willing to contribute little in the hope of hitting the big time. I find these characters stand out like a sore thumb and I easily avoid them.

3. Twitter has opened my horizons. The world is my oyster. I can create opportunities for my business. I can communicate effortlessly on a global platform. The possibilities are very exciting.

4. And it’s not just about Twitter. There are a number of add-on features known as API to give you additional functionality programs.

o Tweetdeck lets you manage your followers more effectively.

o Twitter PWR lets you to list unlimited URL links; all connected to you.

o Twitterfall lets you to link in to current hot topics.

o Twibs lets you list your business.

o Tweetlater lets you schedule Tweets for future publication. There are also some fun applications like Tweetstats and Twitpic for uploading pictures.

5. Twitter is starting to make business sense. In less than a month I now have 250+ global followers. I have seen a MASSIVE increase in traffic to my blog and website. I have been requested for appearances to act as an ambassador for garden designers, open school sensory gardens, and as a guest blogger on several influential blog sites.

When I set this against the current economic situation my world looks positively rosy! Have I ‘sold’ anything through Twitter? No. Do I intend ‘selling’ anything through Twitter? Absolutely not! But I can share free advice with an appreciative audience and offer help to those in need of assistance. Will the community benefit? Will I benefit?

I feel like I am already making a difference and I love it! Do I feel more positive and confident about the future? Yes!

Has Twitter played a part? I leave you to be the judge.

As far as a social network is concerned I have a wide circle of contacts through various local events and family life (having 4 children provides me with a “wide” local network). Having moved around the country somewhat adds an extra network of friends up and down the country.

Great, I have a network but how do I communicate with all of them on a regular basis? How do I tell them who I would like to be connected with? Not so simple. There are only so many hours in a day and my family see to it that even this is restricted!

My first “real” networking venture was 4N who have a 50/50 rule: 50% business and 50% social. I started meeting business people locally and connected to the group online via the 4N forum. Now I had access to a growing national audience and by chance the 4N forums lead to me discovering Twitter. Twitter, a social network based on the simple idea of letting people know what you are doing right now in less than 140 characters! I’ll admit I was nervous at first. Some people had thousand of followers and I had a handful!

Then things started to change…

Twitter though is gaining a strong business following and a number of key businesses within 4Networking have started to use it to good effect. The beauty of the system is that it is very simple, and that, I believe, will ensure its success. The basic concept is to answer the question: What are you doing now? You can only use up to 140 characters so each post is kept short and manageable. Brilliant.

When you add to this the ability to add links to websites, blogs, articles of interest you have the potential for some exciting possibilities.

Updating is easy and can be done from any internet connected computer or even your mobile phone so it has great flexibility.

So what business uses can it be put to? I have started interjecting snippets of useful tips within the social chatter. Free advice particularly on my area of knowledge which is garden design. I am not trying to sell anything simply demonstrating my knowledge and expertise to my followers. I can link these posts to my websiteor blog should anyone wish to gain a greater insight.

I have had assistance in getting up and running with Twitter in particular from Gary Gorman a fellow 4N member – there is plenty of additional functionality that can be added and he has been most helpful in getting me up and running. I am still learning and am enjoying the discoveries!

Another 4N member Julian Wellings has started to explore practical uses for it. Embedding the feed direct in to live web pages. Examples of this are for his tennis club and squash club where it is an easily updatable information link that members can view online or by follow on their own Twitter site.

A number of 4N members have embedded it in their forum signature so that it appears every time they make a posting – keeping people abreast of latest developments and boosting search engine rankings at the same time. Examples Lesley-Anne Hornbogen Mark Beaumont-Thomas Helen Silver & Brad Burton.

On a non business front it is also fun to keep up with the likes of John Cleese, Jeremy Clarkson, Barack Obama and Stephen Fry.

Will it have an impact on my business – too early to say but its free and fun so I’m going to keep going until it proves otherwise! I’m sure it will develop and more ideas will come in time. If you haven’t tried it yet why not join in?