There are plenty of homeowners who don't have the time, energy or skills to take care of their yards or design garden features so a landscaping business can be lucrative.Beyond the basic gardening services like mowing, weeding, and fertilization, you can work as a landscaping designer or do advanced installations and planting.If you have a green thumb and can do heavy labor, finding out how to start a landscaping business is the first step toward working at a job you love.
Step 1: Establish your business.
A good business plan will help you manage your finances.Getting financing to start the business will be your biggest concern.It's a good idea to consult an accountant.It is possible to incorporate your business as an limited liability company.A limited liability company will help limit your personal liability.If you want to be a small outfit, this can be useful.You will need financing as well.You will need this cash to purchase early equipment and survive as a business.Take your cost estimates and see if you can get a loan from a bank.If you're just starting out in the industry, it's a good idea to work for someone else for a while to learn the basics of the business.It's easier to handle a higher volume of customers once you're on your own, because they can help you learn tricks and techniques that will allow you to get the job done faster.
Step 2: You have to figure out your pricing.
Most customers want to know how much the job will cost before they hire you.To provide an accurate estimation for your work, you will need to be able to figure out your skill and speed.Costs include materials, labor, equipment, and overhead.
Step 3: Proper licensing is needed.
Depending on the state, you may need to get a variety of business and professional licenses.Pesticides andfertilizers are some of the more common regulations for landscaping work.Local jurisdictions regulate the use of pesticides andfertilizers because they contain toxic chemicals.You might need an additional license if you plan on applying any of these.There is irrigation.Particularly in the American Southwest, where water is scarce, you may need to develop techniques that bring water to your client's land.You will need to be familiar with local laws if you want to do this kind of water transfer.There is waste removal.Extra dirt, grass clippings, branches, and other refuse can be produced by landscape work.The local jurisdiction expects businesses to deal with waste.The license is for contractors.Landscapers need to be licensed in many states.You should check yours to see what kind of license you need.
Step 4: You have to get licensed.
Many states require Landscapers to be licensed by the American Society of Landscape Architects.You need to pass the L.A.R.E. to be licensed as a Landscape Architect.You will be tested on your knowledge and skills for maintaining health, safety and welfare standards.There are ways to prepare for the exam as well as additional information from the ASLA.You can schedule your exam through the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards.$150 is the application fee.The ASLA's Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System can give you continued education for this license.Depending on your current status, the renewal fee is $150 or $195.
Step 5: Get the tax information.
A tax identification number is required for federal and state offices.You can get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS.You can apply through the IRS website or fax or mail the completed form.You can file online and get an EIN immediately, or you can mail or fax the form and it will take about four days to get a number.It's free to file for an EIN.You should get a state-level tax identification number when you register as a business.Make sure you know the laws of your state.
Step 6: Find your first customers.
Many people are interested in hiring people to work on their yards.Their needs are different depending on location, age, and professional lives.Understanding your potential market can help you determine what services you want to offer.A low cost of entry makes lawn maintenance a relatively straightforward business.When you're just starting out, you can grow your customer base by cutting people's grass and making the property look nicer.Potential customers include homeowners who are frequently out of town for professional or seasonal reasons, retirees who can't care for their lawns, or property owners with green spaces who do not have the manpower to keep up.It requires more knowledge and training than lawn maintenance to modify the current landscape of a piece of property.People who lack the skill or tools to design their own, new homeowners who want to update their property, those looking to sell their home, and property owners who do not employ landscapers are all potential clients.Most of your work will be done in the spring and summer.You should be prepared to do off-season work if you want to earn money throughout the year.During the fall or winter, this can include raking and shoveling snow.
Step 7: Hire people.
Depending on the type of work you intend to do, it may be necessary to hire additional help.You will need to be more than one in your approach to landscape work recruitment."Help Wanted" fliers and signs on your equipment and posted at local lawn care stores can bring in potential employees.Contact information should be included so interested workers can get in touch with you.When hiring workers, you need to account for their employment and tax status.Make sure your workers fill out the I-9 form and W-4 form if they want to work in the United States.For easy reference, keep your employees' tax forms filed.You will still need to account for your employee's tax withholding even if your work is seasonal.
Step 8: You can find a niche.
You will need to stand out from the crowd.You can market yourself as a specialist for certain aspects of landscaping or garden work.It can help target customers by making you stand out.
Step 9: Purchase equipment.
If you don't own all of the equipment you'll need to be an effective landscaper, it's a good bet.You don't need to buy all new equipment if you make sure the equipment is quality.Quality pieces can be found at better prices at yard sales and auctions.You don't have to buy every piece of equipment.Depending on the services you intend to offer, your individual needs will vary, but there are some important basics.There is a lawn mower.A quality lawnmower is important for cutting grass.If you are planning to cut a number of large yards, a riding mower can be more efficient than a tractor.If you are cutting grass on a steep hill, or with a more intricate garden, you may want to have a push mower, which is safer for you.The edger.A gas-powered edger can help trim the edges of a lawn.Gardeners use gardening tools.You will need a shovel, rake, and weed puller if you are going to do any gardening work.There is safety gear.Gloves and safety goggles are important for personal safety since you will be working with machinery.Hearing protection may be considered with some machinery.The transportation.You will need something to carry your equipment.The type of transportation you need depends on the rest of your equipment, but you will need at least a truck, large van, or trailer.It's a good idea to make sure you have insurance for your equipment.Basic knowledge of how your equipment works and how to repair simple problems are what you should have.On a daily basis, you'll use a watering can, extension leads, foam knee pads, twine, push broom, and electric power tools.
Step 10: Maintenance and mowing of lawns.
Even though a property is built up, there will be some grass that needs cutting.The edger and lawn mower can be used to keep the grass away from sidewalks and other installations.
Step 11: Natural landscapes can be designed for your customers.
The transformation of a piece of property using additional natural materials like trees, flowers, rocks and sod is what makes landscaping different from lawn care.Artificial items like lights may be included in more advanced designs.Your customer must approve of the design you come up with, as this is a collaborative process.Ensuring that your customer knows what they want the space for and properly accounting for weather and sunlight patterns are some things to keep in mind.Making an estimate of how long it will take to make the changes and how much they will cost is part of the process.To get a fair estimate of costs, be honest with yourself and your customer about what it will take.When the time comes to pay, neither of you will want any surprises.
Step 12: New materials to install.
Your job as a landscaper is to take your design and put it on a client's property.Follow through on the plan you created for installing different materials.Make sure you have the right equipment for the job.
Step 13: Don't let your creations go to waste.
If you schedule a regular return to your client's location, you will be able to perform basic tasks like applying pesticides.You need a plan for keeping the landscape maintained in different weather conditions if you live in an area with pronounced seasons.
Step 14: Prepare for the weather.
The weather is always a concern since you will be outdoors a lot.It's a good idea to leave some space in the work week for delays from the weather.While it rains, you can keep up with your paperwork.
Step 15: There is an opportunity to advertise.
fliers or going door to door are small scale activities that you will need to rely on in the early stages of your business.A cheap way to get early advertising through friends and other acquaintances is using social media.Social media can be used to find new customers.You can use business networking sites and establish a Facebook page to showcase your work.Encourage your customers to post reviews on sites where people search for services, such as Angie's List.
Step 16: Become a member of business organizations.
The Chamber of Commerce is a local group.Local business groups can provide additional services to your company, or keep you connected to local businesses that need your landscaping expertise.Regional and national trade organizations allow you to keep up to date with changes in the business, and can provide additional opportunities for education.
Step 17: There is a new niche.
You can expand your customer base with other types of design or installation.Maintaining your contractor license will allow you to take continuing education courses that will teach you new skills that your customers will want to use."interior-scaping" is a good niche to move into.Businesses can manage the greenery of indoor spaces, such as malls or office buildings.You will want to know the type of plants best suited to the environment and will be visually appealing with the building's design.There can be a lot of overlap in this kind of work.
Step 18: You can get a degree in architecture landscape.
You might consider branching out into more advanced projects if you want to get bigger.You can get a Landscape Architecture degree if you do not have a bachelor's degree.Depending on your undergrad degree, there are further programs for a Masters in Landscape Architecture.In-person and online accredited schools are listed by the American Society of Landscape Architecture.The MA/MS degree in Landscape Architecture is better suited for someone who wants to do research in the field, not be a professional.
Step 19: Maintaining quality requires the development of processes.
It is difficult to grow a landscaping business because you will not be able to do all of the work.You will have to rely on your employees to keep up the quality that attracted customers in the first place.Make sure your business has design and work processes in place for everyone to follow, and perhaps a designated management team to help carry them out.There are ways to keep the best employees.High turnover businesses include landscaping and lawn care.You need to find ways to keep your best employees, as they provide additional skills that allow you to attract more customers, and may not be easily replaceable.Maintaining standards and quality will be helped by finding ways for them to stay with the company while still having room to grow.