How to Start a Landscaping Business
Starting a landscaping business can be a great opportunity to earn extra income or even start your career. This blog post will discuss what you need to know before starting a landscaping business, how much it would cost, and the revenue that can be generated. We will also talk about marketing strategies for getting clients as well as the suppliers needed to get started.
Are you tired of your dead-end job and ready to start a new business? Do you have a passion for landscaping and want to make it your own? I'll teach you how to get started, where to find customers, and how to grow your business. If this sounds like something that interests you and want more information, then let's chat! This blog will show you how we can help you get started on the right foot and help you build a successful landscaping business.
Landscaping is a great business idea. It can be done by yourself, as a starting point, or with a few people working with you. But before you throw yourself into the world of landscaping and lay down your first sod strip, there are a few things you should know about the industry.
The landscaping industry is estimated to be worth $80 billion, so there is plenty of potential for anyone looking to start a landscaping business. The cost to get started can vary depending on the type of equipment and materials you need. However, most businesses only require a small amount of starting capital - typically between $500 and $3000.
Revenue generated from a landscaping business can depend on the services offered and size of the company. On average, landscape companies earn around $50,000 - $150,000 annually. However, this number can vary greatly depending on location, services offered, and the size of the company. Marketing a landscaping business can be done in a variety of ways. Some popular methods include networking with local businesses, creating a website and social media pages, and distributing flyers or brochures in the community.
In order to start a landscaping business, you will need to find reliable suppliers for materials and equipment. You can buy my landscaping supplier list here. It is also important to have relationships with local businesses who may be interested in referring clients your way. By following these tips, you can set yourself up for success when starting a landscaping business.
What is landscaping?
Landscapes are one of the most important aspects to anyone's home or garden. They beautify homes as well as businesses around them too! Landscaping generally refers to the activity that changes the visible features of an area of land, garden or growing plans, with the goal of creating beauty or symmetry.
A landscaping company is hard work but can be extremely rewarding if it succeeds. A landscaping company can be small, such as one person with a lawn mower and a few shovels, or a large multi-team company that can provide a range of landscaping services. Landscaping companies typically offer tree and shrub pruning, turf / seed placement, and weeding (among many additional services) in addition to basic lawn mowing services. Finally, landscape designers may offer additional services, such as installing sprinklers or building gardens to keep themselves busy. One of the benefits of landscaping is that you can often start a small part-time business without rushing to turn it into a full-time business.
The Importance of a Business Plan for your Landscaping Business
If you have no idea how a landscaping business operates or maybe you are a first time business owner, I recommend downloading a business plan from BPlans. Their plans outline how the business is supposed to work and what you should expect. And at the bottom of this video, you can buy the landscaping business plan plus the landscaping vendor list, so you’ll know exactly where to get the equipment and supplies from.
Selecting a Business Name
The name of your business is one of the most important decisions you will make. Your business name is not just a label, but it also says something about what you do, how you do it, and who you are. It is the first thing customers see when they visit your website or read your marketing materials. If you are feeling stuck, you can use this Name Availability Search Tool to see if your website name is available first. It will suggest ideas for you.
After you buy a website name, it's time to officially register your business. You won't be able to accept payment for services until you complete this step. You'll need to register & apply for a federal EIN Number, and form an LLC or Corporation. I recommend using MyCorporation, as they do have a variety of packages to choose from, but their most basic package will get your landscaping business started right away.
Setup a Merchant Account
Once your business is registered and you have the LLC and EIN number, you'll need to activate a merchant account for your customers to pay you through. Many businesses are using paypal, square or stripe. I personally like Square, they make it super easy for me to accept payments online via my website, on email or over the phone. They have great landscaping invoice features and your employees and contractors can accept credit cards over the phone.
The account with square is free so, once you sign up, give these details to the web designer to setup your website to accept payments.
Setup Your Landscaping Website
If you don't know about Fiverr, it's a company that sells affordable web development and marketing services that get done really quick. You just type in what you want in the search bar, and it will reveal tons of people who are willing to help you get a website up in less than 3 days. Once you choose the person you want to work with, give them the bluehost details and communicate your vision and plans for the website.
Buy Landscaping Business Branding
Branding is a crucial part of any business. It’s important to create a brand that will be recognized, respected, and remembered. But branding doesn’t just mean the logo on your products. A brand is so much more than that! Your brand covers how you speak, how you respond to your customers, and how you present yourself as a company. It’s also important to take care of the “little things” like social media images or a professional email signature. Make sure that your brand is recognizable by everyone who encounters it. I recommend using 99designs because the process is quick and painless and you actually get what you want. They will design a custom landscaping logo, landscaping brochures, landscaping flyers and more.
For marketing materials, I really like envato, because they literally have tons of graphics for each and every single kind of business, on demand. Landscaping businesses will usually need to start with a logo, website and email marketing banners, and some social media graphics. 99designs actually has what they call the ‘brand identity’ pack that will get you started right away.
Open a Business Bank Account
After you’ve chosen a name and registered your business, you can officially open a business bank account. It's pretty easy to open, but they won't get you set up without having the legal incorporation paperwork and the EIN number that I just spoke about. You can work with a local bank that you are already using or you can just choose a new one. Use this account to send all of your payments through. Square also has small business checking accounts. I trust them and have been using their services for a long-time.
Equipment / Tools Needed to Get Started
Landscaping is an industry that requires a lot of specialized equipment and you all want to have a clear idea of what tools are needed to make your business successful. There are many types of landscaping services, from mowing and maintaining lawns to high-quality corporate landscaping, and you all need to know exactly what you are offering so you can effectively market yourself to potential clients. Whether you want to offer basic garden and lawn care (such as mowing, weeding and mowing), a full landscape design service (including things like plant and tree planting, seasonal mulching and sprinkler installation), or a full landscape landscaping service architects, you need a blueprint to guide you to success.
You will also need a truck or trailer to transport your equipment to and from your customers' homes and businesses. A one-person job with a small lawnmower, trailer, and some basic tools will cost around $ 3,000, but a larger business with commercial equipment can cost $ 60,000 or more to get started. While you don't have to buy office space like other businesses, starting a lawn care business does require some upfront cost, namely buying the lawn care equipment that you will use to provide your services. Here's a list of the top selling equipment for a lawn care business:
Artificial Hedge & Plants
Artificial Foliage & Artificial Turf
Hedge Shears & Two Handed Pruning Shears
Spades, shovels, mattocks, picks, hoes, forks and rakes
Axes, bill hooks and similar hewing tools
Scythes, sickles, hay knives, timber wedges
Fertilizers and weed killers, garden tools
Aerators, lawn mowers, leaf blowers
Pesticide control products
Wheelbarrows, platform hand trucks, service carts
Flowerpots, Seed Trays, Carry Tray
Gravel, rocks, sod, sand, mulch, soil
Depending on your business model, you may need to hire a team of landscape designers and /or landscape contractors. For a small start-up landscaping business, it is often better to focus on just one specialty, such as lawn care or landscaping, than trying to start as a full-service landscaping company. Before starting your small business, it's important to choose your niche and narrow down the lawn / landscape care services you offer and who you offer them to.
Choose the Services You Will Offer
You decide what type of landscaping business you want to offer to customers. You can offer large-scale design and procurement services at a high level, or you can stick to basics like lawn mowing, weeding, and general maintenance. Once you have determined the type of lawn care services you are going to offer, you will get an even better idea of the types of equipment you will need to invest in for your landscaping business.
If you are thinking of buying or renting the equipment you need to get started, here is a list of landscaping equipment suppliers that will prepare you for any landscaping job. When it comes to pricing, look for other landscaping companies in your area to get an idea of how much to charge for your services. Of course, you can always talk to another landscaping contractor for their opinion on how much it costs to get started. You could give your business a cash-flow boost by first selling garden maintenance services and then expanding the design as your reputation grows. When starting a new business, make sure there is sufficient local demand for the service, or consider offering specialized services, such as organic lawn care, that are not currently offered locally.
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About Adella Pasos
This Entrepreneur and Marketing Expert has shared her passion for growing brands from the ground up. She’s worked with Startups, Small Businesses, Fortune 500 Corporations and Entertainment Talent to help them recognize the value of marketing, and give her clients the ability to access their niche market via online, social media, mobile, merchandising, and events.
She hosts the What's Your Game Plan TV show features: Free Expert Advice, and Growth strategies for Business Owners Across the Globe. Access thousands of FREE Tips, Trends & Tools to Move Your Business Forward!
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