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Gardening businesses are booming across Australia and for a good reason. Landscaping, yard work, decorating or redesigning your garden are all activities happening throughout our great continent. The call of the outback and inviting the wild around our homes is part of Australian culture. To supply the rising demand, entrepreneurs have started gardening businesses. And you can join and get ahead of the curve with some luck and help!
Table of Contents
1. Access the trends
Trends show you how the market moves and “feels”. Market trends are good indicators of when to start, what to sell and where to begin your business. Throwing a dart on the map and hoping for the best will only bankrupt you, and you need to do diligent market research. When the economy is expanding, is usually when people have money to spare and hire gardening companies.
Gardening and anything related is a luxury or a hobby expense, and people will only gravitate towards it in a booming economic cycle. Also, market trends can show you which is the best time of the year to open your business. Early spring, just after winter, is usually when the gardening business starts to bloom!
2. Set realistic expectations
Don’t expect to flourish and become a billionaire on your first day. As gardens grow and expand, so will your business, but it takes time. A steady five per cent year-by-year growth is normal for all starting enterprises. It may sound small, but once you start and get your feet on the ground, you’ll soon realise it’s a big goal to achieve. Rome was not built in a day, and your business will grow with each satisfied customer. Don’t quit at the first sign of trouble, and focus on getting a couple of key customers first. Once you’ve formed your customer base, you can start planning.
3. Diversify your portfolio
One size does not fit all in the gardening business. You may operate in landscaping, but gardening involves planting and selling equipment, seeds, vegetables, fruits, lovely plants, and many others. From services to products, gardening has a wast area of operations, allowing you to create your base action and expand to symbiotic or related branches. You can do landscaping and planting, offer to sell and install pro and quality hydroponic systems, and plant alongside them. Create outhouses, potted gardens or similar projects, while restoring old gardens. Possibilities are endless, and you can combine similar activities to your heart’s desire.
4. Hone your brand
What will set you apart from the rest? You’re not alone in the gardening business, and competition is harsh. For customers, to differentiate between two brands is troublesome, and people often rely on first impressions. You can top your competition with SEO promotions, so you’re first on your customer’s web searches. Or you can go with a real-life approach and rely on word-of-mouth recommendations.
Whatever your approach is, you need to start from somewhere, and your first customers should always be from your immediate surroundings. Getting jobs as earlier as possible can give your business the gust of wind it needs. Ask your friends and relatives to spread the word. Drive around the block and offer direct assistance. Work with a smile on your face and make sure people connect your appearance with your brand in a positive matter.
5. Business plan
No business can exist or start without a business plan. Think of it as laying out the concrete steps from start to finish, regarding your future gardening job. Inside your business plan, you will create your name, and portfolio, state all the legal and necessary details and plan your budget. The budget segment is the most important inside a business plan, as it can get or prevent grants. Applying for subsidies, government grants and aid when starting a business will make it easier for you, but you’ll need a good business plan to win them over. Even without help, a quality business plan is like a guiding light.
6. Online presence
The year is 2023, and if you don’t have a website and an online presence you do not exist. Such a perilous situation is not desirable for any enterprise, let alone for a starting one. Creating and maintaining a website can drive your starting costs through the roof, but you can always use existing platforms. Create a Facebook group, post your work on Instagram and Pinterest, and create short videos to share with your clients.
Whatever you do, ensure to leave an online trace, as your potential customers need to find you and your SEO position can only improve with more content. As you grow and develop, you’ll get to developing and having your site, but it takes time.
7. Don’t be afraid to outsource
You’re not a one-man army, and starting a gardening business, or any business, involves legal, economic, programming and marketing skills. It’s great if you possess any of the above, as multitasking is necessary when starting your business and keeping the overall costs down. Outsourcing your specific business needs to professionals may seem expensive, but it’s nothing compared to the costs of you learning and doing it by yourself.
Add to that the chance of failure, when you only have yourself to blame, and time lost, and you’ll see how important outsourcing is. Time waits for no one, and you have competition in front. Get ahead with help from others, and you can later hire your departments.
8. Save for rainy days
Nobody knows what tomorrow brings, and a temporary boost in your finances when starting is a perfect chance to start setting aside. Growth funds, savings or amortisation funds can all multiply your money and set you up for future success. Any business has its good and rainy days. You need to enjoy the firsts and prepare for the others. No storm lasts forever and once the market stabilises; you’ll have a head start!
Starting your dream idea and seeing it happen before your eyes is wonderful. But you must stay realistic, and prepare for long hours, plenty of unpaid work, ups and down (especially the latter) and harsh competition. But seeing the work made by your hands is priceless, coupled together with a smile from a satisfied customer!
