If you love gardening and have a great knowledge of plants and their care. If having visual proof of a good days work is what you seek, starting a gardening service may be ideal for you. This is a flexible business with a lot of potential.
What Does a Garden Service Business Do?
A garden service can provide a variety of services from grass cutting and weeding to full garden designand planning. The services you provide will be up to you. However, its a good idea to know ahead of time just what youll be providing.
Start by writing a list of the services you feel able to offer. Do you have experience with garden designand a great eye for detail? If so, you may want to help people plan and design their dream garden. Be aware that potential customers may ask about your qualifications and ask for samples of gardens you have previously designed.
If design isnt quite right for you, you may want to simply offer maintenance and/or planting services. In this case, you may advice clients about certain plants, and help them choose new plants and then plant them and care for them. Or you may simply want to offer light maintenance on existing gardens such as scheduled grass cutting and weeding. Again, the services you provide are entirely up to you.
How Do I Get Started?
If youre going to get started as a one-person business then you simply need all the relevant equipment. Of course, youll have good knowledge about gardening and plants. If youve never taken a formal course thats usually fine; you can always brush up on your skills as necessary with a home-study course or by studying gardening books.
Once you have all your equipment, you need to ensure youre meeting all the legal businessrequirements. Your local county office can advice you and help with this step.
How Do I Find Clients?
This is a business that will largely depend on word of mouth. If your customers are happy with your services, they will likely recommend you to their family and friends. Ensuring you do a great job is important!
To gain your first few clients, sending flyers out locally as well as placing a magnetic sign on your car (which has your logo and details) is an easy and inexpensive way to start.
You may also want to place an ad in your local paper. Building a relationship with a local garden nursery or garden center is a good idea as well. You can commit to buying your plants and equipment from them if in exchange they tell their clients about your services. Most garden centers will be okay with letting you place a flyer on their bulletin board.
