The average American household spends $500 a year on lawn care and gardening. Despite this DIY attitude, the reality is that the landscaping industry is valued at $176.5 billion in 2023. Clearly, Americans value a perfectly manicured lawn but don’t have the time or energy to do it themselves.
This is where you come in with a landscaping company to help them out. People will pay good money to have a beautiful yard, so if you’ve got the skills, there are customer waiting for you.
Are you now curious about how to start a landscaping business that’ll be packed with clients? Then keep reading. We’ll show you all the steps.
Research the Local Landscaping Market
The climate and environment will be vastly different when you compare a house in California versus one in Arizona, and there are even microclimates within states. Take a drive around and see what’s lacking and what’s in style.
You should also understand your competition, target audience, and potential demand for your services. While you’re at it, identify your niche within the landscaping industry. This could be anything from residential lawn care to commercial landscape design, or even both if you have the resources and capacity for it.
Create a Business Plan
Before you do anything else, you should create a business plan. This can give you a sense of purpose and some direction as to how to operate your company.
Put down your business goals and name your target market too. In addition, outline your services offered, such as pruning, mowing, fertilizing, mulching, weed control, and hardscaping. Other considerations include pricing strategy, marketing plan, and financial projections.
While you’re at it, determine your startup costs, including equipment, licenses, insurance, and marketing expenses. Not only will this give you a better idea of how much money you need, but it can also provide a stronger case should you decide to approach investors to fund your business.
Think About the Legal Considerations
You can’t just start up a landscaping business on a whim. Unfortunately, there’s red tape you need to deal with, but it’s not much if you know what to do.
First, you’ll need to register your business name and structure, which can be a sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. This is done through the appropriate government authorities.
If you find things overwhelming, then use our business registration service. Not only can we advise you on the best business structure for your situation, but we can also get you set up in no time with little effort.
After you’ve decided what type of legal structure you want, you should obtain any necessary permits or licenses required to operate a landscaping business in your area. The requirements and laws will vary by state, as well as what your services are. But in general, if you offer basic landscaping, you shouldn’t need permits, although it’s best if you do your due diligence and ensure everything’s squared away.
On top of that, purchase liability insurance to protect yourself and your business from potential accidents or damages. It’s not always mandatory in every case, but typically, it’ll benefit you since it’ll cover any unexpected events. For example, if you run over someone’s sprinklers with your lawnmower, and they need to be replaced, your insurance will cover that.
Acquire Necessary Equipment
To operate a landscaping business, you’ll need equipment to handle the jobs. Check out essential landscaping equipment, such as lawnmowers, trimmers, blowers, and hand tools.
You can purchase these items upfront, but it may cost a pretty penny. If you’re really strapped for cash, you can start out renting equipment instead, or buy frequently used tools and rent out ones you don’t use often. Buying used rather than new can save you cash too.
Depending on your services, you may also need vehicles for transporting equipment and materials. Again, buying used can be more cost-efficient than buying new, but second-hand vehicles can come with more issues than they’re worth, so keep that in mind.
Take Care of Business Operations
Determine if you want to rent an office space or operate from home. Usually, the latter will work fine, as you’ll serve clients at their houses, and they won’t have a need to come to you. It’ll save you both money and hassle.
If you aren’t going to be a one-person business, then you’ll have to hire additional staff. Before you do so, you’ll have to apply for an employer identification number (EIN) with the IRS. This is what you’ll use to file taxes.
To ensure that no customers slip through the cracks, develop systems before you start taking them on. For example, have a structure for scheduling appointments, managing finances, and tracking inventory.
Market Your Landscaping Business
Now that everything’s set, it’s time to find some clients. You may have already looked around the local community to see which residents and commercial businesses need help with landscaping, so that’s a good place to start. However, you should widen your net to ensure your business is successful.
To start, develop a brand identity that’ll make you stand out from competitors. This includes a strong logo that goes well with your business name, and a brand message that’ll appeal to your target audience.
Having a company website is a must too, especially one that’s search engine optimized. That way, when people find you by searching relevant terms, they’ll find pertinent information, such as your services and contact information.
When that’s done, create social media accounts where your target audience is. Take high-quality pictures and videos of your work and post them regularly. If people reach out to you, respond to them promptly to show good customer service.
In addition, get in touch with local businesses, real estate agents, and homeowners associations. If you build solid relationships with them, you’ll generate referrals.
Continue Learning and Growing
As you build your client base, seek feedback from people. That way, you can identify areas for improvement, and then tweak your services.
Also, stay updated on industry trends, techniques, and technologies by attending workshops, taking courses, and reading industry publications. And, as your business grows, add to your services or target new markets. For instance, if you started out only offering residential services, you can add commercial landscaping later on.
Now You Know How to Start a Landscaping Business
Now you how to start a landscaping business, and it’s not a difficult process. If you already have the knowledge and knack for this industry, then it’s about time to get started.
As long as you put your clients first and are committed to providing value for them, you can’t go wrong. With hard work and dedication, you’ll soon be the neighborhood name for landscaping that everyone knows.
If you want to create a landscaping business LLC, then sign up with Business Anywhere now. We offer registered agent services too.
