Starting and running a profitable landscaping business is a lot more than knowing about how to push a lawnmower or pull weeds.  Being a successful landscaper involves organization, knowledge, patience, perseverance, people-skills, and a number of other traits.  Many lawn care business owners fail, not because they weren’t a skilled landscaping contractor, but because they were not skilled in running a business.

The larger you want your landscaping company to be, the better you need to be as a business owner, as the responsibility will be greater.  It is not wrong to dream about growing a large company, but if you are a new business owner, it is best to start small and work your way up.

3 STEPS TO STARTING A LANDSCAPING BUSINESS

There are three basic steps to starting a landscaping company from scratch.  First is planning.  Second is registering with proper government institutions.  Lastly, you will need to promote your business in some way to attract customers.

1.  Plan Your Landscaping Company

Develop a Business plan

Before diving in to any type of business, you should develop a business plan.  If you want to start a landscaping company, you should definitely start with a business plan!  Landscaping equipment and vehicles can cost a lot of money.  Don’t forget about insurance costs, not only for you, but for any employees.  A business plan doesn’t have to be anything complicated, but is something that will help organize your goals and priorities and help you make wise decisions.

Planning properly will help you decide if you are going to specialize in a specific niche such as custom patios, waterscapes,  fertilizing, or if you will offer a variety of services.

• Set short and long-term goals – Plan your business before you spend a dime.
• Decide what services you will offer – Decide the scope of your business.
• Find a niche – What will be your specialty?  What will set you apart from the competition?
• Choose a business name – Put some thought into deciding a name for your lawn care business. Landscaping Business Name Ideas
• Decide what you will charge for your services
• Financing – You may need to get a business loan

Get Organized

As soon as you start your landscaping business, you will need to get organized so you can keep your customer communications and lawn care-related paperwork in order.  You won’t necessarily need a full office when starting out.  An office desk dedicated to your landscaping company paperwork would be helpful.

Get a daily planner or use your smartphone to schedule estimates, jobs, and other work-related appointments.  An easy way to lose customers is to arrive late or even forget a scheduled appointment.  A schedule will help you plan your day, week, and month, so you can make best use of your time and your customer’s time.

• Set up an office
• E-mail
• Business phone
• Estimate forms
• Bill Forms
• Landscaping software will streamline your business before you even start, giving you visibility and control over all your leads, sales, jobs, and tasks from a single program to get your company on the fast track toward growth.You’ll also be able to create estimates, place material orders, automate the boring (but necessary) stuff, empowering you and your team to finish jobs on time and on budget. Try JobNimbus for Free!

Equipment needed when starting a landscaping company

You can’t start a landscaping company without certain lawn care tools and equipment.  Equipment will probably account for the largest portion of your startup costs. The type of landscaping or lawn care business you will be starting will determine what specific tools and equipment you will need.  This could range from a pickup truck and trailer to haul mowers to dump trucks and heavy machinery.

Starting out, you don’t necessarily need all brand-new tools and equipment.  You will save thousands of dollars in startup costs by purchasing a used truck, mowers, blowers, and other misc. tools.  Another tip is to only buy tools as jobs require them.  This will help keep you from going into debt for tools and equipment you may end up never using.

2.  Register Your New Landscaping Business

Make it legal

Make sure you are following proper protocol in your region.  This means having necessary insurance, following tax codes, getting proper licenses and permits, etc.  This applies even to a part-time landscaping business.

Some steps to starting your landscaping company legally:

• Select your business structure (sole-proprietor, LLC, Corporation, etc.)
• Register your business name
• Register your business entity
• Register as a home improvement contractor with your state (US)
• Open a business bank account
• Taxes- either get an accountant, or do research on filing yourself
• Liability Insurance — GET A FREE QUOTE
• Worker’s Compensation
• City Licenses and Permits
• Certifications (for chemicals and other applications)
• OSHA (if applicable)

3.  Grow Your New Landscaping Business

In order to grow your landscaping company, you will need to work hard, have people skills, and be patient.  You will also need to market your business effectively.  Success and profit won’t come overnight.

Customers

Beside employees, dealing with customers can cause a great amount of stress.  Learning how to communicate well with customers can help boost sales and increase word-of-mouth leads.

• Learn how to sell a landscaping or lawn care job to a potential customer
• Estimate a landscaping job properly
• Communicate regularly and clearly with the customer
• Be fair and honest- take responsibility for your mistakes

Marketing

After you start a landscaping business, you need to market it.  Some low-cost advertising to get started can include a basic 1 or 2 page website, setting up a free business listing for your landscaping company on Google and other online directories, social media accounts, business cards, vehicle signs (magnet signs are a good lower budget option), and a few yard signs.

How to Start a Landscaping Business in the United States

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How To Start A Landscaping Business In The United Kingdom