If you have a talent for garden landscaping, consider starting a garden landscaping business from home. This is a great business choice if you love working outdoors, working with living things and creating beauty.
There are many things to consider to start this type of business, including
- Tools to purchase. Depending on what type of landscaping service you want to provide, tools may include a truck, hand tools, a lawn mower, a rake, etc.
- How many employees you will need. Most landscaping services are provided by at least two people.
- How to market your business. This could include newspaper ads, internet ads and brochures.
- The business side of things. Most people with an interest in gardening services love to work outdoors and love physical work. But there is a business side which needs to be learned, including managing taxes, insurance, licenses, permits, etc.
- How big you want your company to grow. Where do you envision your business in a couple of years? Will you need to hire additional help?
If you have no experience owning your own business, the easiest place to begin is as a maintenance gardener. This is the person who cares for the garden after it has already been installed. Tasks involve pruning, pest control and fertilization. Taking good care of a garden gives the illusion that nothing is being done, as the gift of nurturing life is done in a very subtle way. Run an ad in your local newspaper or put up an ad on a supermarket bulletin board that you are available for this type of service.
Some gardeners drive around neighborhoods knocking on doors when they see yards or gardens that look like they need attention. By being available for a variety of gardening services, you can build a regular clientele. If you treat your clients well, they will come to respect and trust your work, and will bring you new clients through word of mouth.
You can also offer a garden landscaping service that is very specialized such as
- Rose gardens
- Fruit gardens
- Water gardens
- Rock gardens
- Structures such as gazebos
Another approach is to offer a garden design service. This option requires a bit of artistic flair. If your friends have commented about the wonderful design you have created with your own garden, this could be the right direction for you. Start slowly with this type of business. Take on small jobs, such as a small part of a large garden. Take pictures of successful gardens you have created and put together a portfolio of your work. If you see pictures in magazines of beautiful gardens that you are 100% sure you can recreate, include these in a notebook of options for potential clients.
Getting initial clients for this type of service may be a little more difficult than for a maintenance gardener, but it’s not impossible. Treat each client you do get with the utmost courtesy and professional service, and before long your business will grow to be as healthy as your plants.
