As a gardener, you’ll be in charge of maintaining the lawn and gardens of your client. Your responsibilities would include watering the plants, mowing the lawn, digging up the soil to grow more plants, trimming trees, and raking leaves to keep your customer’s home tidy and beautiful.
While many may be uncertain about starting a business during a pandemic, you’d be glad to know that gardening businesses are among the businesses that are thriving even with the current circumstances.
As people spent more time at home, many took the time to make changes and renovations in their homes. One of those projects includes garden transformations.
That said, we’ve gone ahead and researched the best tips on how you can successfully do it.
Understand the job description
First and foremost, you have to understand that starting a garden business means that you have to be prepared for the ugly parts of it – digging up soil, putting manure, spraying chemicals and pesticides, long hours of sun exposure, and bending.
You also have to remember that your income will depend on the weather and season. Winter is usually the slowest month for gardening businesses, while spring and summer are peak seasons.
If you’re planning on running a gardening business, gain as much knowledge as you can – especially on the business side of it.
While you may be an expert on planting seeds, propagating all types of plants, and landscaping, studying the business aspect is also vital to your success.
Take courses, talk to an expert, read books, and study. This will help you better understand what you can do to grow and expand your gardening business.
Look up gardening suppliers
Since you won’t just be working on your garden, you will need to work with a supplier to provide you with the materials you need. It could be sacks of soil, fertilizers, seeds, saplings, and other gardening necessities.
When looking for suppliers, be sure to look into the different types of gardening supplies they offer. Since you’ll be selling your services, choosing a good-quality soil and fertilizer supplier would be your best bet in producing high-quality plants for your client’s garden.
Try your luck in the local nurseries. If you can, ask them where they get their soil or fertilizers. You can also do a quick Google search of gardening suppliers near you.
The latter is a more straightforward approach. If you have friends who are into gardening, ask for recommendations as well.
Write a business plan
A business plan will serve as the roadmap you’ll follow as you bring your business to success. It will contain your business strategies, including your marketing campaigns and ideas to contribute to your company’s bottom line.
Not only that, but as your business grows, you’ll eventually need additional funding to keep up with the demands. As you apply for business term loans or other comprehensive financing options, a well-written business plan will increase your chances of getting your loan approved.
That said, to create a winning business plan, be sure to include all the components of a business plan. It should have an executive summary, company description, market analysis, business financials, marketing and sales strategies, and more.
You should explain your ideas in detail and demonstrate how each of the initiatives will contribute to the overall success of your company.
Establish an online presence
Having a website for your gardening business is ideal if you want to establish your presence online. People are likely to go to Google to look for the nearest gardening services to help them with their gardens.
If your budget allows it, hire a web developer to help you set it up and optimize it so your site appears on the first page of the search engine results page (SERPs).
If you don’t have the budget to hire a web developer, start building an online presence on social media. Post pictures, add descriptions, and provide details on how to contact you.
If you can, ask for reviews from your previous customers and post them on your social media page for others to see. Ask your friends to share your page on their social media as well. The more people you reach, the better it is for your business.
Register your business
Before you can fully operate your business, you need to have it registered in the state for legal and tax purposes. To do this, you need to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Think of it as your business’s social security number. Aside from that, you also have to establish your company’s business entity. The most common are sole proprietorship, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), and corporations. All these entities differ in the way they are taxed.
Some states will allow you to register your business online, which is convenient given the situation we’re currently in today. You will have to register with the Secretary of the State, Business Bureau, and Business Agency.
Get Your Business Insured
Running a gardening business comes with risks. You could be mowing a client’s lawn, and a stone could fly out, breaking your client’s window.
That said, it’s highly recommended that you apply for relevant insurance policies that will cover the costs of the damages in case of accidents.
It could include professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, or employer’s liability insurance.
Often, one of the things that the clients ask before they hire gardening services is whether they have insurance. Some will prefer working with a company with one, so it’s worth considering when you’re planning to start a gardening business.
Never stop promoting your business
Once your business is up and running, you have to promote it constantly. You could schedule posts on social media, send promotional emails, create instructional videos on DIY gardening, creating ads, or offering referral discounts.
Most importantly, be consistent in providing excellent service to your clients. Go above and beyond their expectations. Be friendly, polite, and pleasant to your clients.
Chances are, if they had a good experience with your company, they’d recommend you to their family and friends. Word-of-mouth, traditional as it may seem, remains one of the most potent marketing tools even in today’s digital world.
Don’t forget to build a portfolio for the projects you’ve worked on in the past. It’s a great way to show your potential to your potential clients in the future.
Are You Ready to Start Your Garden Business?
Starting a gardening service requires proper planning, patience, and a lot of effort. Though it may seem harder given the pandemic, once you see your hard work bear fruit, it can be the most fulfilling thing you will experience.
There’s no perfect time to start a business. Pandemic or not, today is the ideal time to make use of your gardening skills and offer services to those who need gardening services. With the right approach, it won’t be long until you see your gardening business succeed.
