Growing an Australian Small Business : Woodland Designs takes hard slog out of business

Woodland Designs is a garden design and construction business in the Blue Mountains, NSW. After 7 years of operating, the owners recognised they were working too hard for not enough reward. They used The Strategic Stocktake to determine the future of their business.

In January 2002 Woodland Designs completed The Strategic Stocktake. The Strategic Stocktake helped them to get clear about their preferred clients, the uniqueness of the business and what their preferred clients really valued about them.

The Benefits

• The business now has a new image that has their preferred clients raving.
• The business has access to larger, more profitable jobs.
• The Strategic Stocktake has given the owners a renewed enthusiasm for business.
• The owners can now focus more on the 'thinking side' of the business, having taken on new employees for the physical work.
• The owners are now taking on new challenges and invigorated by a steep learning curve.

"We were tired, confused, frustrated and angry. Seven years of failure lay behind us. A lifetime of drudgery seemed to spread out ahead. Then we discovered EWO and now we're in business.

Our enthusiasm has returned and life's an adventure again. It's not plain sailing but now we win some victories, and when we don't, we're able to take advantage of our experiences. We still don't know what the future holds but who does? At least we know where we'd like to go and we have a good idea of how we can get there."

Felicity Hallam, Managing Director, www.woodlanddesigns.com.au

Update February 2004

Woodland Designs continues to grow as a successful business. The business now enjoys a strong reputation in their community and is the service provider of choice for many of the region's well heeled residents.

One of the owners has been able to cease full time involvement in the business, while the business continues to grow, and pursues other interests.