How to Set Up a Gardening Business
Many homeowners are happy to pay a gardener to tackle the everyday maintenance in their gardens. This could include cutting the grass, trimming hedges, and weeding borders to bigger tasks such as landscaping or felling trees. If you think there is a demand locally for the services of a gardener, read on to learn how to get started.
Market Research
It is important to do plenty of research before you start a business. Find out how many other gardeners operate in the area. What kind of services do you plan to offer? Are people willing to pay the rates you’ll be charging? Will there be enough work for you all year round?
There are lots of ways to find out this kind of information. Run some surveys on social media and post leaflets in the local area. Speak to potential customers and chat with garden centres to see if they might be willing to send business your way.
Tools and Equipment
You may already have many of the tools and equipment you’ll need to get started but factor in the cost of new items, such as a petrol lawnmower and specialist tools for lopping branches, etc. In addition, you will need a van or pickup truck to transport your tools and equipment. How big does the van need to be? How much can you afford to spend? While it might be nice to buy a brand-new van, it’s probably sensible to go with a used van while you are getting the business established. Shop for a used Ford Transit Custom Liverpool from dealers like the John Charles Motor Group. They will have dozens to choose from and you can take advantage of finance deals to spread the cost.
Finding Customers
Once the business is established, word-of-mouth recommendations will be key to finding new customers, but to start with, you will have to do some legwork. Create a presence on social media and encourage people to like your page and leave reviews. Facebook is a good place to start, as you can post in local groups, advertising your services. Other social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are great for building a brand.
Distribute flyers locally and place notices in local shop windows and in the local press. Once you have a few customers, ask them to recommend you to their friends and neighbours. It will take time, but eventually, you’ll have regular customers and a steady income stream.
Growing a Successful Business
Don’t take on more work than you can handle in the early stages. It’s much better to turn down jobs and do a great job for the customers you have than spread yourself too thin and leave customers unhappy.
Eventually, if you have more work than you can handle, it might be worth employing someone to help you or taking on a trainee. This will allow you to grow the business organically.
Finally, don’t forget to keep your accounts and paperwork in order from day one. It makes life easier when the time comes to submit a tax return.
