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Gardening Business: 7 Steps to Implementing an Idea
Research shows that 87% of British households have a garden. In addition, according to experts, private gardens in the UK covering an area larger than all the country’s nature reserves combined. A quarter of a typical British city consists of private gardens, half of its green spaces. One study found that the average garden is 15 meters long and has ten kinds of flowers, a vegetable garden, and a lawn.
With around 24 million gardens in the UK, it’s no surprise that the garden care industry is growing at 2.8% annually. The beautification services sector provides a wide range of services to private households, commercial institutions, and public sector entities. With an income of £4.5 billion, it employs over 65,000 people in about 17,000 businesses.
Success statistics or the love of gardening motivated you to open your own business? This article will explain seven key points that will help you grow a successful garden care business: from idea seed to full bloom.
Understanding the Profession
Not everyone can become a professional gardener and monetize these skills into a profitable business. It is essential to understand what this profession implies. Gardening includes: manual labor and getting dirty, being outside in inclement weather, keeping in touch with clients, negotiating with suppliers, drafting contracts, budgets, and project deadlines, knowing which plants go well together, maintaining and handling tools. There are also business management tasks such as accounting, marketing, and HR.
In terms of qualifications, it is not necessary to have a higher education to be a professional gardener. However, documents on the passage of some courses can be helpful in negotiations with large clients. Experience is also not required, but knowing the industry will prove invaluable in winning new business.
Writing a Business Plan
A business plan will help solidify your goals, vision, and business strategy. Also, a business plan will help you focus on specific tasks and not waste your time on trivial issues.
Before you start a gardening business, you must research the market. This data will allow you to understand better your target audience, your competitors, how much profit you can expect, and what services you can offer.
Your business plan should include:
- A summary of you and the business.
- Your mission, vision, and values.
- Goals and objectives of the product.
- List of proposed services.
- Your target market.
- A list of competitors and ideas on how you plan to beat them.
- The estimated cost of starting a business.
- Planned income.
- Sales strategies.
Deciding on the Business Model
Market research will let you know what services you can offer and who needs them. There are many potential clients: you can decide to increase one particular type of client or target several at once.
Clients may include:
- Individuals with extensive private gardens and areas or small residential gardens.
- Landlords.
- Holiday business owners or managers.
- Nursing home.
- Commercial grounds.
- Schools, colleges, universities.
- Local councils for public places.
- Plant developers.
Also, market research will allow you to highlight the services you will be offering that are either not on the market or can be improved. Your services will reflect your target client and can be a niche or broad, depending on what they may need.
Growing A Client Base
Growth and sales strategy are key in this business. Building a customer base from scratch is challenging but possible with careful planning.
Building a customer base can be achieved in several ways:
- Word of mouth – you can reach out to existing customers and ask them to advertise your services to their friends.
- Calling and sending letters – you can call and send letters to potential clients. Phone numbers or addresses, for example, hospitals, nursing homes, and recreation centers, are publicly available on the Internet.
- Useful app – you can create your own useful app or ask for advertising on off-the-shelf platforms such as the plant leaf identifier app and plant care app. These platforms can introduce potential customers to your services and increase brand awareness.
Developing a Marketing Strategy
Developing a marketing strategy when starting a gardening business is critical. You must create a strong marketing campaign so new customers can remember your brand. An effective marketing strategy will provide continuous financial benefits.
Marketing tactics may include:
- Advertising in local newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and radio.
- Advertising on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram.
- Flyers and direct mail.
- Attendance at community or industry events.
- Networking at business or industry events.
- Company cars.
Understanding the Legal Aspects
Decide if you want to start a company as a sole trader or a limited liability company. Deciding on this legal structure will allow you to register with HMRC for tax, National Insurance, and potentially VAT and PAYE if you’re employing staff.
It would help if you also got proper insurance. This should include professional indemnity insurance, civil liability insurance, and possibly employers’ liability insurance.
There are no specific guidelines, rules, or regulations for starting your own business in the horticultural industry. However, for your and your client’s safety, we recommend that you receive the appropriate training in handling, storage, and transporting pesticides and chemicals.
Organizing Rooms, Tools and Transport
For a gardening business, you need to procure special tools and vehicles. You may need a lawnmower, trimmer, wheelbarrow, and safety equipment such as goggles and gloves. To offer extensive gardening services, you may need larger equipment such as concrete mixers, angle grinders, and chainsaws.
We do not recommend that you invest all your money in equipment. To get started, find out if you can rent the equipment or find a potential lender who, at a small percentage, will provide you with the necessary tools.
All equipment needs to be transported from one client to another, so a van or truck can be a necessary expense. It may be required to rent a room to store this equipment or set up an office with administrative staff.
Conclusion
Creating a product that will bring high income, pleasure, and loyal customers is hard work. Starting a gardening business requires constant investment, planning, and organization. With the right step-by-step approach, your business will thrive and bear fruit. We wish you success and patience in a new but exciting direction!
