Start & Run a Landscaping Business. Joel LaRusic
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to use and tips on other services you might offer, including off-season work.
In writing this book, I have drawn on the experience I gained running my own landscaping business for ten years. I also include tips and tricks of the trade that only experience can teach. Of course, not every pearl of wisdom offered will apply or appeal to you, but many will, and I hope they help ease your road to success.
3. A Note On Experience
If you already have some experience in the field of landscape maintenance, you have an advantage, though I think you will still benefit from reading this book to pick up some pointers and learn new techniques.
If you are completely new to the industry, you have a lot to learn. Not to worry though; you are well on your way by relying on this book. To quote the old adage, “The longest journey begins with a single step.” Don’t be intimidated by focusing on the entire journey — just look ahead to the next step and enjoy the ride!
The instructions offered in this book will greatly reduce the learning curve that you have ahead of you, but they will not replace actual experience. To help you get started on the right foot, consider the following ideas:
• Get some on-the-job training. Consider working for someone else for a year or so to learn the ropes of landscape maintenance. Alternatively, if you know someone who already works in the field, ask if he or she would be willing to spend some time with you. At the very least, try “spying” on some experienced gardeners. Watch their techniques, their systems, their routines. Take notes. Learn.
• Keep to the middle of the road. For the first year at least, do not head to the most prestigious neighborhoods, where the lawns are all kept in mint condition, and say “no” to large or complex jobs that come your way before you are ready for them. Stick to middle-class areas where the occasional error will not be grounds for cutting off your services! These jobs may not pay as well, but they provide a great starting point. Once you have more experience, you can choose whether to stay in this market or move on to a different clientele.
• Practice! You can practice in your own yard, in your parents’ yard, or even at a good friend’s yard. But practice, practice, practice!
Part 1
STARTING YOUR BUSINESS
You’ve done well! You have done more than just think about being your own boss in the landscaping business; you have also taken the initiative to start reading this book. You have already shown that you have at least one quality that is needed to be successful in this business — motivation! However, other qualities are also desirable if you expect to last long. The chapters in this section will help you decide if you have what it takes to run a business. You’ll also have an opportunity to look more closely at the business to be sure this is a career you want. If you decide to move on, you’ll learn how to complete your business plan — the necessary first step to starting up. After that, you can begin to think about setting up shop by buying equipment and organizing your home office.
1
Sizing Up The Business: What You Need To Know Before You Begin
1. Is This Business For You?
Gardening is many people’s favorite pastime. They love to putter in the garden, snipping back a few daisies, turning over the soil in the bed here and there, cutting the lawn at a nice leisurely pace. Who wouldn’t want to do that for a living?
Well, this business is a lot of things, but puttering is not one of them! In my ten years in the business, I don’t think I have puttered even once. Instead, I’m usually on the go. It is a job that requires a lot of energy and a lot of motivation, and before you invest too much time and money in starting your own business, you should take a step back and assess whether it is right for you.
2. Your Personal Improvement Plan
It’s important to assess yourself as accurately as possible. You should consider carefully if you are cut out to run your own landscaping business. If you aren't cut out for this, it’s better to find out now, before you have spent money on a truck and equipment and advertised for your first customers.
Make your own action plan based on the things you think you need to improve or gain to be the best you can in this business.
When considering your action plan, think of what you might do to improve a particular skill. For example, if you realized that landscaping can involve lifting 60 pounds but you can't yet lift that much, you might write, “Work out in gym until I am able to lift 60 pounds into my truck.” Or if you aren’t confident about writing letters, you might write, “Read books on writing successful business letters. Practice.”
Make it a personal goal to follow through on all of your action items. Make these goals important to you because they will help you succeed in your business.
3. Resources For Further Help
As you go through your self-assessment and think about how you can improve on those areas in which you may need help, remember that you are not alone. There are thousands of other people in the landscaping business. Some, like you, are starting out. Others are long-term veterans. Most are willing to share their experience with you if you only ask.
Landscaping associations give you the chance to network with other businesspeople. Doing so benefits everyone, as you will learn from other people’s experiences and they can learn from yours. The industry as a whole is bettered. Associations can also be your voice in government and keep you abreast of laws and bylaws in your area that may affect your business.
Such associations often offer certification programs, and I recommend that you complete such a program. If and when you have staff, support them in becoming certified too. If you are certified, you can display the certification logo on your advertising material, proving that you have met certain criteria and possess certain competencies.
You usually have to pay an annual fee to become a member of an association or similar organization. This money is well spent. As a member, you will be offered direct savings such as fuel discounts. Also, your membership may win you customers. Belonging to these organizations will not make your phone ring off the hook, but if you are competing head-to-head with a nonmember, you are more likely to come out on top.
• In the United States, contact the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET). Their website is www.landcarenetwork .org.
• In Canada, contact the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA). Their website is www.canadanursery .com. Each province has a chapter.
There may be other organizations and associations in your area, such as the local chamber of commerce, that can be helpful and provide good networking opportunities. Ask if the member list is available so you can review how many people are involved and what they do for a living. This may help you determine if the cost and time investment are worth the potential new business you might secure.
Another good source of information is the Internet. If you do not have a computer and an Internet connection, I would highly recommend getting both. There is a universe of information at your fingertips when you are online. Sometimes you must sort through a lot of fluff to get some quality information, but once you have found some good sites, you can visit them again and again.
For a start, check out my own website, www.MowBoy.com. It provides a bulletin-board-style forum so you can talk to other lawn care operators and ask questions. There are many tips on horticulture and business, as well as a number of links to other quality sites. Finally, I also offer business consulting services, in case you need a little help getting your business