How to Start A Landscaping Business

What’s not to like? Low cost, High profit business that we can help you start fast!

 

1. Overview
2. Pros and Cons
3. How much can I earn?
4. How much does it cost to start a landscape business?
5. Choice of Business Structure
6. Making a business plan
7. Branding and how to market your landscaping business
8. Registering your business
9. Red tape
10. Conclusion

 

With us all spending more time at home over the last few years, many people have decided that they want more than a patch of unloved grass and a few shrubs, we want texture, space, biodiversity, calm and tranquillity along with a cracking BBQ area for those sunny days and it MUST be low maintenance! This is why the landscaping services industry in the UK is worth an impressive £5.3 billion!!!

 

 

An attractive garden is an investment in your lifestyle and well-being, this is why more and more of us are turning our boring lawns and borders into something much more appealing where we can spend our leisure time.

We can help you start this business today with this great package!

 

Landscaping a garden doesn’t have to be as drastic as ripping the entire garden out and starting again. Your client may need more room for a comfy seating area for those weekend drinks with friends or a shaded area where they can practise yoga! Maybe their flower borders are becoming unruly and they fancy low maintenance gravel and some raised beds. As a landscape gardener you can transform an unloved outdoor space into an area that will be used throughout the year.

 

Before you dig in, here are some pros and cons to keep in mind:

5 Great Reasons to Start a Landscaping Business

• Recession proof – you can´t hold back Mother Nature 
• Trends change constantly and so will people’s idea of the perfect outdoor space
• A desirable garden can add up to 20% to the value of a home.
• Flexible working hours
• Keep fit and healthy

 

5 Common Challenges when Starting a Landscaping Business

• You need to have expertise in many areas including horticulture
• Usually less work is available in the winter.
• Can be back breaking work
• Travel costs
• Your equipment and tool maintenance can be expensive.

 

If you start a landscaping firm, you will most likely be making three types of alterations or modifications to a piece of land:

• Plants: Adding, removing, or managing native, edible, decorative or other sorts of landscape plants.
• Terrain: The process of redesigning the shape of the terrain by grading, backfilling, mounding or terracing.
• Building constructions such as walls, fences, patios, decks or raised planters.

 

As a landscape specialist, you will need to utilise your design and construction skills to plan and design the hardscape layout of the area and structural features, as well as your artistic skills to create the softscape components and the overall aesthetic of the garden.

Maybe you´re already a qualified landscaper and have decided to branch out on your own or you have finished a landscape construction or horticultural course or apprenticeship and are taking the next step in your journey. We are here to help.

From registering your company, establishing your brand to marketing your services, we’ll cover everything you need to know to help you turn your creative talent into a successful landscaping business.

 

 

The all-important question – How much can I earn?

Do your research. Find out what other local landscaping businesses are charging in your area for the same services you offer.

Exploit your speciality if you have one! Are you excellent at laying patios or constructing perfect ponds? You can make a name for yourself by concentrating on a specialist area. This will be more efficient for both you and your customers as they will get expert quality workmanship and you will be able to work more productivity in this area.

The British weather can play havoc with your business takings, so make sure you can still cover your monthly outgoings if a job is a wash out for weeks on end. This can be where additional skills can come in handy, the garden is a swamp but do you have a tree surgeon qualification or can you install a water feature under cover? Use these days to design, do your paperwork and some marketing.

You can charge by the hour for more basic work or by the job for more complicated design jobs. An average hourly rate is about £20-30 per hour but can be much more depending on the job and the local region. An established successful sole trader landscaper can earn £63,000 a year.

Remember when quoting for jobs to add in extras like fuel, weed killer, fertilisers etc. And remember waste disposal could cost you so factor that in as well.

The most important thing to remember is to make your pricing clear to your client before you start the job and warn them of any extras that may occur.

 

 

How much does it cost to start a landscape business?

Depending on what level you intend to set out on your start up costs can vary quite a lot.

Will you be doing more hardscaping, construction with hard materials such as bricks, tiles and stone or more softscaping, planting and maintenance? Depending on which area you go into will determine the type of start-up equipment you´ll require.

You will need transport, look at the second hand market and a set of good quality tools, in the long run these will be more cost effective. You are looking at a minimum of £2,000 for basic start-up tools. Consider renting larger items such as a cement mixer or an earth compactor, then when your finances allow, you can invest in the more expensive items. Consider where you will store your tools.

Your customer database could be varied, from residential gardens to large private grounds such as restaurants, care homes and hotels.
Also contact your local council for any work contracts in your town. Keep your eyes open for new builds in your area. New housing estates are a great place to advertise your business as the gardens of new builds are usually left bare. Handing out leaflets on a new estate is a great way of instigating a chat.

 

How I’d set this business up

So do you think this sounds like the business for you?

Anyone who sets up a new company should have a business plan. Ask yourself  “What is my ultimate goal and how am I going to achieve it?” Think organised, efficient and productive.

A strong plan is fundamentally important when you are setting up any business.
Here’s how I’d make sure you hit the perfectly manicured ground running.

 

Choice of business structure

As a solopreneur, you can start this business as either a sole trader or a limited company.

I’d also strongly consider a hybrid startup structure where you can reap the benefits of both structures with minimal cost and risk.

This could enable you to start trading with the simplicity of a sole trader but also have secured the limited company for marketing hacks and saving tax later if you decide to incorporate your business.

Search through a database of over 5 million registered company names and more than 11 million UK domain names using our FREE Company Name Checker Tool Here you can find  your memorable name! You can also see what domain names are available.

 

We are available to talk you through this in a clear and concise way you will understand.

 

 

Business plan

Start by formulating a business plan. This will help to focus on delivering a clear message to your potential customers.

There are different types of business plans. (But you can use my 1 page business plan here) It’s designed to cut the waffle but has enough detail to make it a meaningful tool so that you remain laser focussed on what needs to be done when you set up this business.

 

How to market a landscape business

This is a business that I would definitely want to fast-track from the beginning for growth. You want to get busy as quickly as possible and there is only one real way to achieve this.

Most buyers/potential clients for this service are going to find a landscape gardener using a Google search. Sure some will use an app, some might ask for a recommendation on social media but MOST will look on Google.

Google knows that when someone is looking for a landscaping service, they want to see results close to where they are located.

This usually means that Google will show a maps listing at the top of the search results like the image below.

If your business shows up here then you are right at the top of the search results, under the nose of people who want to find a landscape gardener.
For any type of business/search term where Google shows a Maps listing like this , I describe these businesses as having “high local marketability”.
High local marketability means if you know what you are doing and tick the right boxes with Google you can get a lot of business enquiries very easily.
So if potential customers can’t find you on Google, they won’t be calling you. And guess what? That means someone else is picking up that client and you’re missing out!

 

 

So how do you dominate Google search results for this business?

You have to optimise for the Google maps listing.
How do you do that? 

 

Follow these 10 simple steps to marketing a gardening business:

• Get a website. Make sure it complies with Google’s best practice guidelines.
• Get your new website in Google so clients find YOU.

• Provide LOCAL PROOF. Use a local phone number to tell clients and Google you are definitely a local business.

• Provide SOCIAL PROOF. Show reviews from real customers on your site. This is called “social proof” and turns browsers into buyers!

• Use LANDING PAGES. A landing page is optimised for a specific search term making it rank higher than your competitors. Landing pages are for people who want to buy your service now. They show the client what they want to see

• Provide great CTA’s (CTA =call to action). Make it super easy on your website for clients to get in touch with you by including features such as a messaging/chat app and CTA’s that show clients exactly how to contact you.

• Share FEEDBACK. Go the extra mile to provide an outstanding service and you are sure to collect plenty of positive feedback from clients. Ensure you harness this by collecting reviews from every new customer.

• AUTOMATE – You won’t have time to be manually updating your website. Make sure you automatically show the new reviews on your website, driving more clients to your business.

• PROMOTE – Regular updates to your website and using Google tools will give your website an extra edge.

• MAINTAIN – From time to time websites need technical maintenance to the software they run on to keep peak performance.

 

Most businesses in this sector DO NOT invest enough time and money to execute this simple marketing  strategy providing you with the opportunity to step in and DOMINATE in the local search engine results.

 

Live Chat Function

This is great as it gives your potential customers a “one click method” to message you straight from your websites – you get the messages on your usual Messenger account, this is probably something that your competitors won’t have and we’ve had clients getting great success using this tactic. Make it easy for your potential clients to get in touch with you.

 

Still confused? We can create a personal website for you to get you off to the best start.

 

Always ask for references and reviews on your website. This is so important for new customers looking for a reliable company. Why not offer your services free of charge or at a reduced rate for friends and family to get the ball rolling.

Google reviews, testimonials and recommendations are essential. Potential customers WILL check for reviews when they are searching for a service, product or trade.
This is difficult when you first start out and asking can be uncomfortable but a happy client will want to help you up the ladder every time.

 

Here are some more great tips to help you market your landscaping business effectively:

 

How to find your customers and grow your business

Marketing your business is crucial to attract new customers and expand your business.

• Do your research:

Running a landscaping business can be competitive, so it’s important to research your competitors in your local area and identify what you can offer that others don’t. This will help you differentiate your business and attract more customers. Be reliable.

 

• Create a great company and domain name for your website:

Choose a name that is related to you and your business and is memorable for your potential customers.
By using our Company Name Search Tool you will be able to steer well clear of similar sounding names so confusion does not occur with other companies.

 

We can quickly and easily help you get the ball rolling, registering your company and domain name and even providing you with fully featured business email boxes making your business look more professional, adding credibility when you are approaching new customers. So instead of emailing from an @yahoo or a @hotmail address you can be emailing from @mycompanyname. Doesn´t that look better?

 

You will then have to register a domain name for your website. We all know websites are crucial nowadays so make sure you get yours registered as soon as you have chosen your trade name. Take a look at our Domain Name FAQs  which will explain why a domain name is so important to getting your business up and running.
Try our simple to use Domain Name Checker and find your website name today! 

 

 

• SEO

Search engine optimization is the art of getting your website to the top of the search results on Google and the other search engines so that you have the best chance of getting their business.
If you’re new to running a website it’s easy to get caught out with a low cost SEO service that just doesn’t work.
We can help put together an affordable SEO package and we’ll always tell you what we are going to do and what results you might expect to achieve.

• Create a website:

We all know a website is essential in any business today. High quality photos and videos of beautifully manicured lawn, a pergola and winding path are fantastic for an attractive website and the site gives lots more information about the services you offer, the area you cover and if relevant, any fixed rates you offer. They are also essential for contact purposes, bookings and enquiries.

Here you can introduce yourself and give your experience and any relevant qualifications you have. A little information about yourself can make the business more personal and boost customer confidence.

 

And don’t forget to add all reviews and comments to your website – I can’t stress highly enough how important reviews are. 

To begin with, offer your services to friends and family. Also give special offers, ask your clients to introduce friends and family and they´ll receive a discount for a set period.

We all rely on those Google reviews and recommendations when we need a service, product or trade, so make sure they are clearly visible on your site.

Unsure where to start with a website? Just ask us. We can help you create a website that will attract new customers and boost your local marketability.

 

• Word of mouth is a powerful and effective marketing tool and should never be underestimated!

A lot of your business will come from clients recommendations, they´ll want to show off their beautifully landscaped outdoor space over a glass or 2 of something chilled!

 

• Design an eye-catching logo:

Your logo is an important aspect of your brand identity, so it’s essential to design a logo that represents you and your business and can be used everywhere, including your workwear, van, business cards and leaflets.

If you belong to a trade, being a member of a trade association is always an excellent way to show your professionalism. Make sure this is shown on ALL your marketing materials.

 

• Use social media:

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram and TikTok can be powerful marketing tools for your landscaping business.

Join local business Facebook groups or similar platforms to promote your business and connect with potential customers.

You can also create social media pages for your business and post regular updates, photos, and promotions to attract more customers.

How about a discount for early bookings at the beginning of the year. Get in early and have your garden transformed ready for the summer months!

Plenty of photos, videos, reviews, updates and promotions will keep you in full sight of your target audience. Lots of Before and After photos are perfect for showing off your work.

Shout out loud what makes your business unique!

Whatever if it is, make sure you are getting the word out there.

Reach out to other businesses that work outdoors. How about a pool maintenance service or an exterior painter? These relationships can be mutually beneficial if you both make recommendations. Ask to leave leaflets in DIY stores and garden centres.

 

• Use apps:

There are many apps available that can help you manage your business more efficiently. They can be used for booking appointments, saving customer details and receiving payment.

 

By implementing these marketing strategies, you can attract more customers, improve your brand identity and grow your landscaping business.

 

 

Other formalities and suggestions

There are other formalities that you will need to complete before you can start trading successfully.

As well as registering your company and preparing your business plan ….

Open a bank account

Keeping your personal and business finances separate is crucial for several reasons. It simplifies accounting and bookkeeping, making it easier to track business expenses, income, and tax obligations. It also helps demonstrate financial transparency, which can be important for legal and tax purposes.

How about a  contactless card payment machine? There are plenty on the market now and easy for you and your customers to use.

You will need Insurance

There are lots of companies offering their services so have a good look around and take their advice.
Public liability insurance is crucial to protect yourself and your customers, providing cover against injury or accidental damage to their property.
If you employ someone Employers’ liability insurance is essential to cover any injury and illness sustained whilst whilst being employed by you.
Then there is insurance for your equipment and tools, protecting you from theft, damage and loss.

If you have a van make sure your insurance company knows it is a works vehicle. And make sure your eye-catching logo and your contact details are prominently displayed!

Some of your work may require a licence such as use of a chainsaw, waste carrying or pesticides. Do your homework and contact your local council and government websites for details.

 

Conclusion

Starting your own landscaping business is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, stay fit and active and meet new people. It is full of opportunities, you can keep it as a solo enterprise or expand with time.

You do need some skill, knowledge and experience, as running a landscaping business is involved more with construction and design than just maintenance and planting. If you have horticultural qualifications make sure you advertise these as well.

Ultimately, running a landscaping business can offer satisfaction to both you and your clients. The ability to create something beautiful, contribute to the environment, serve your clients’ needs, and build a successful enterprise can bring a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment. Knowing that you are making a positive impact on people’s lives and the world around you can be deeply rewarding.

It’s important to note that like any business, running a landscaping company also comes with its challenges, such as managing costs, competition, and seasonal fluctuations. However, with passion, hard work, and a commitment to excellence, the rewards can far outweigh the difficulties, making it a highly rewarding endeavour.

So, before you take a notebook and pencil and start drafting your business plan, learn more by getting in touch with us.  Let’s get this business started!