These days, landscaping jobs involve a lot more than simply mowing the lawn or pulling a few weeds. In fact, while landscaping businesses don\u2019t require any official training, the industry offers a lot of opportunity for growth. With that in mind, we\u2019ve assembled this in-depth guide on starting your own landscaping business so that you will be set up for success on your journey to entrepreneurship.<\/p> \r\n
As the owner of your own gardening and landscaping business, you\u2019ll likely be working as a freelancer<\/span><\/a>, especially when you are first starting out. Before you devote your time, effort and money to starting a small business in landscaping, it\u2019s a good idea to understand the size of the Canada landscape market and your potential for earning so that you can determine whether the venture is financially viable.<\/p> \r\n According to the Canadian Industry Statistics for Landscaping Services<\/span><\/a>, as of 2019, there were over 22,000 landscaping businesses in operation. The annual revenues across all Canada landscape businesses ranged from $30,000-$5,000,000, with the average annual earnings coming in at just over $380,000. A study by Statista<\/span><\/a> found that the overall landscaping business market revenue in Canada is $8.44 billion USD. Plus, depending on the type of lawn care services you offer and the amount of time you\u2019re willing to devote to your new small business, as a freelancer, you have control over how many hours you work and how much you get paid.<\/p> \r\n Are you ready to start your own landscaping business but still not quite sure where to get started? This step-by-step guide will break down everything you need to do in order to start your small business.<\/p> \r\n In order to be successful as a landscaping business, you\u2019ll need to have a thorough understanding of the types of lawn care services that are available. While lawn maintenance is an important part, landscaping can also involve using your creative vision to design a space that works for your clients. You get to decide what type of a landscaping business you want to have, so you can choose to offer full-scale high-level design and contracting services, or you can stick to the basics like lawn mowing, weeding and general maintenance.<\/p> \r\n Once you\u2019ve figured out the type of lawn care services you plan to offer, you\u2019ll probably have a better idea of the types of equipment you will need to invest in for your landscaping business. If you\u2019re completely new to landscaping and have no idea what you\u2019ll need, Eden U offers a two-week masterclass where you\u2019ll be taught to use equipment safely and efficiently, to identify plants, trim hedges, plant gardens and work efficiently. Plus, there\u2019s a guaranteed job placement when you complete the masterclass.<\/p> \r\n To effectively find clients for your landscaping business, it\u2019s a good idea to define your target audience<\/span><\/a>, or the type of people that you will be marketing to. Your lawn care services business could be employed for residential or commercial properties, with clients including homeowners, building property managers, corporations or individual contractors. As you design your landscaping business, every single business decision that you make, from branding to ad campaigns to website copy, should be specifically directed at the type of client that you want to attract.<\/p> \r\n While most landscapers charge based on lawn size, there is also the option to charge a total project fee or a monthly maintenance fee. In general, you should have an hourly rate decided on, and then you need to determine the size of the property and make an educated guess as to how many hours the project will take you to complete.<\/p> \r\n Make sure that you research what other landscaping businesses in your area are charging for the same services so you have an appropriate range to choose your hourly rate from. While it can be tempting for a new entrepreneur to undercut the more established local landscaping businesses, you don\u2019t want to end up getting burnt out and resenting your new business. Stick to the middle of the range when you\u2019re first starting out, and don\u2019t forget to take into consideration all of your expenses when determining your rate.<\/p> \r\nPros and cons of starting a landscaping company<\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Pros<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Cons<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n
How to start a gardening and landscaping business<\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Decide what services to offer<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Get familiar with your equipment<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Figure out your target audience<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n
What to charge for gardening and landscaping<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n
Register your small business<\/h3>\r\n \r\n \r\n