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Home » Home Improvement Articles » Think Garden Gifts For The Holidays

Think Garden Gifts for the Holidays!

There is nothing better than being able to relax in the garden on a lovely day. Whether you want to be out there soaking up the sun while you read a book or you just want to unwind and be in the essence of nature, having a great garden is the best option for activities like these. If this is not your idea of a lovely day and you would prefer it when the rain is pouring, there are many options for that too. It doesn't matter if you have a small garden or a large one, as long as there is space for you to relax, there are many things you can add to your garden to make it a relaxing retreat. If you have friends, co-workers or family that enjoy their gardens, think Garden Gifts for the Holidays.

Garden Gnomes

Garden gnomes look good in any garden, as long as you can fit them in, they deserve to be there! You also have a wide variety when choosing one of these items for your garden; just a few of them are; the Artemisia Gnome is a 14" tall green pixie that will go well in any garden that's green. She has a beautiful smile with her blonde hair and is made from unbreakable aluminum. The Dianthus Gnome is a more colorful pixie, dressed in pretty pink and stands at 12". She will add brightness and happiness to any garden! The Farming Gnome is of a short farmer with a big beard. He is also colorful and will look lovely in any garden that needs, or has, a bit of color. He is also 14" tall. The Osmunda Gnome is a happy pixie indeed! This garden fairy will bring smiles to the faces of its viewers and will have you pleasantly spending more time in your garden. The Woodland Gnome is a merry old man that has his beard neatly tucked into his belt, and offers a friendly smile to whoever walks near his domain. This gnome stands at 12" and will bring color to any garden.

Garden Sprites

Garden sprites are great if you are looking to add some realism and color to your garden, and there are so many different ones to choose from you are sure to find the one that is perfect for your garden. Like the April Showers Garden Sprite, it is hand cast from an original sculpture and is of a little girl with a watering can. This is great for a large garden and can be put in a section with long grass, on a rock close to a pond. The Charlie My Boy Sprite is also hand cast and has a silver mirror ball that the sculpture, a little boy, is holding in his hands. This Garden Sprite will look wonderful if placed in a garden around a lot of pretty flowers. Instead of having just an ordinary downspout in your garden, the Old Boot Downspouter provides something more interesting and fun. If not the boot, how about the Ladybug Downspouter, the Curious Kitten or the Turtle Downspouter? These are all great and they look beautiful too. The Jr Fire Chief Garden Sprite is a very cute one indeed, of a little boy dressed as a fireman with a miniature hose to water your garden!

Patio Fountains

There is nothing more soothing than sitting in your garden and listening to the flow of water from a beautiful patio fountain. There are big ones, small ones, colorful ones and plain ones; whatever you think will suit your garden. Choose from fairies, angels, dolphins, frogs and even wishing well fountains, like in the olden days!

Garden Benches

If you want to sit in your garden and relax, you are going to need something comfortable to sit on. There are many great garden benches available that would suit your garden perfectly. Some are small, just enough for two people to sit on, so if you have a small garden you could use one of those, but there are also larger ones like the Lutyen l Bench, this one is best when put at a large tree because it is in the shape of a half moon, so putting it almost around your favorite tree in the garden will make the most relaxing spot ever! It is made from wrought iron so it will last a long time and it comes with a full size comfortable cushion, providing you with maximum comfort.

Weathervanes

These make an unusual gift. Forged in the USA, these iron weathervanes come in all the favorite designs, Deer, Horse, Rooster and more – even a Fireman!

There are many ways in which one can make their garden into something more, a place where they can just chill out when they get home from a hard days work or when they are at home during the day and just feel like being on their own. So why not treat yourself while you are shopping for other's gifts.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

How To Realistically Set Your Fees - Part 4

Effect Of Bad Debts

So far, we have covered the major factors involved in setting your fee structure. We have set a realistic number of billable hours, calculated the effect of expenses and taken into account the cost of a benefit package.

This has brought us to an hourly rate of $77. By charging $77 per hour, you will have an income of $46,000 per year, plus benefits.

What happens when you have a client that does not pay you for your services? What happens if a customer goes out of business before your invoice is paid? How will these events affect your own planning? Do you want to take a bad debt write off on your taxes? Do you want to try to include for these contingencies in your fee structure? Your answers to these questions will have a direct impact on how you operate your business.

Thankfully, unless you provide very poor service, most clients will eventually pay you. However, it may take you awhile to collect your money and you may have to settle for less than the originally billed amount. You have the option of adding late fees to your invoices, but keep in mind, the more time you spend trying to collect a past due invoice, the less time you have to devote to paying customers. Also, if you need to engage an attorney or collection agency, you will in all likelihood, not see the full amount of your invoice because of their fees.

One way in which you can protect yourself is to build into your fees an allowance for bad or uncollectable debts. If you estimate that 5% of your invoices will be either unpaid or underpaid, then add 5% to your hourly rate. For example, your hypothetical fee is now $77 per hour, 5% of that is $3.50, added together gives you a rate of $80.50 per hour. If we round this off to $80, you would have approximately $3300 per year cushion.

Allowing 5% for bad debts may seem high, however, keep in mind the present state of the economy and remember this figure can be adjusted as the economic conditions change. Today, it is not unusual for businesses to take longer to pay invoices then they did a couple of years ago. Most businesses expect to pay late fees for overdue invoices, however determining how much to charge and whether or not you are meeting the various legalities involved can be time consuming. It may be easier to add a percentage to your overall fees to offset bad debt. In a sense, you are spreading the economic risk over all your clients. For a small business this may be the safest and less time consuming course of action.

If your client base is large enough, a certain percentage of your customers will go out of business, leaving you with unpaid and uncollectable invoices. There is little chance you will collect any money in a bankruptcy hearing. To protect yourself, you can charge partial fees as your work progresses. This way you are assured of having received at least some of your money. Not all businesses are set up to take advantage of this option.

Remember, you are not in business to give away your services. Your goal is to provide yourself and/or your family with a reasonable income. Uncollected invoices are part of doing business, you owe it to yourself to consider this before you get stuck.

Copyright 2003, DeFiore Enterprises