A large number of people prefer to live in a private house than in boring apartments. And they all want the garden near the house to be beautiful, well-groomed and neat, but not everyone can make it that way. Someone simply does not have enough time, someone has not enough talent and skills.
Such people become clients of landscape design companies. However, there are still those who can devote their time tending their lawn or garden at least once a week. They are also those who check for online lawn and garden tool reviews on sites like https://bestofmachinery.com before purchasing
If you decide to organize a business in landscape design, then you should immediately think about what price niche you are going to work in. Among the companies that work for high-income customers and fulfill expensive orders, there is more serious competition. In order not to drown in the competition, create a company that will operate in the middle price segment. Of course, you will also face competition, but it will be much easier for businesses to survive.
How to register a company
You can set up a business as an individual enterprise or a limited liability company. The benefits of the first option are simpler, faster, and cheaper. The benefits of the second it will be easier to cooperate with other large companies, as well as receive orders at the state level (for example, landscaping of city parks or squares). Which is preferable for you, decide for yourself.
How to choose a space
A landscape company does not need a chic and large office. At least in its first stages of development. Pick up a small room closer to the area where many private houses and cottages are located. An office in any of the business centers of your city is also suitable. An office is needed only in order to conduct initial negotiations with clients and deal with their organizational and financial issues. All main work and further communication with customers will be carried out directly on the site.
The office will need to be equipped with office equipment computers, telephones, printers, etc. On computers, it will be necessary to install special programs for the design of territories.
What equipment to purchase
Do not rush to immediately purchase everything possible for such work equipment. Now on the market, there are a lot of devices and machines for landscape work, and some of them you may not need at the first time of activity, or you may not need at all. It is recommended to purchase only the most necessary:
- Lawnmower.
- Electric saw.
- Electric Planer.
- Secateurs.
- Garden shears, shovels, rakes, hacksaws, chisels, etc.
For example, expensive equipment such as a tractor or a motor-plow can be purchased several months after starting a business. Then you can more accurately assess the real need for such machines and the financial possibility of acquiring them.
Which employees to hire
The landscape business is somewhat dangerous in the sense that the slightest mistake by an employee can lead to unpleasant consequences. Not everywhere you can dig deep holes, and not everywhere the soil allows you to build any objects on it. If before the start of work a professional analysis of the site is not carried out, such a situation may occur that the employee will literally fall underground because of his tractor or motor plow. Therefore, the more qualified and experienced your staff will be, the less likely it can occur.
To work in a landscape company, you will need: an architect, soil scientist, botanist, surveyor, designer, sales manager, purchasing manager, accountant, as well as laborers. Salaries in such companies are most often paid according to the “rate percentage of the order” scheme. The number of orders and their complexity will always be different, so this approach to the payment of wages will be most beneficial for both the owner of the company and employees.
What services to provide
Landscaping companies work on the principle of “full cycle”, that is, they perform all the work from the beginning and to the end. This is convenient for customers in that they do not need to look for additional work performers, it is beneficial for the company itself in that it is possible to get considerable income from each order. So what are the main services that a landscape organization provides?
- site design and earthworks;
- planting flowers, bushes and trees, as well as cutting down unnecessary plants;
- design and construction of artificial reservoirs and bridges;
- construction of fences, both decorative and functional;
- construction of tracks on the site;
- installation of benches and arbors;
- installation of fountains, sculptures;
- construction of an automatic irrigation system for plants and a lighting system on the site.
How to organize the work process after preliminary negotiations with the client, the team of your employees should go to the site for preparatory work. Usually, 3-5 people work at one facility, but in some cases their number may be different, depending on the complexity and amount of work. The preparatory phase of the work may include a plan of the site, calculation of the drainage system, soil analysis, analysis of the condition of the lawn, analysis of the relief of the site, and so on. If some indicator does not allow you to do what the client wants on the site, first you need to bring the territory into the necessary condition.
After preliminary preparation, you can proceed to the direct execution of the customer order. Some companies prefer to work on a full prepaid basis, some take only part. Decide for yourself which option is best for you.
In order to prevent the situation that you have already done some part of the work, and the client says that “he wanted differently”, it is better to coordinate with him all the stages of work in advance. It’s better to ask again twice than to redo and swear with the client.
Since you will be forced to purchase building consumables for your activities, think in advance about who to choose as a supplier. You will need tiles and stones for laying paths, materials for the construction of fences, gates, gazebos, street fountains, etc. Choose one or more companies that manufacture and sell these materials, and conclude a cooperation agreement with them. This will significantly reduce your costs and reduce organizational difficulties. To make it better you should make a deal with the specialists, that for example will make some additional work that is not in your specialty. As indicated by decksforlife.ca, decking is a complex process that requires experience and knowledge that not every landscape business company can make correctly.
In terms of advertising such a business, it is best to act in several areas: advertising in print media, advertising on the Internet, leaflets, and booklets. Place advertisements not only for regular print media, but also in the specialized press about architecture, landscape design, gardening. Create your own website, fill it with interesting content (articles, photos) and actively promote it on the Internet. Appear also on thematic forums. Place not only advertisements of your company, but also some useful articles, tips for those people who may be your potential customers. This will also work for you.
However, there are still those who can devote their time tending their lawn or garden at least once a week.
