- 1). Gather your knowledge and employees. Most people who want to operate a landscaping business have previous knowledge about plants and landscaping. You can never have too much knowledge about plants and installing them. Buy books on the subject and study them. Community colleges usually have courses about horticulture and landscaping that you can take. Sometimes, experience is the best educator regarding your local plant species and their installation. Whatever course of action you decide, you can't read too much on the subject.
If the size of your company will require employees, post ads in your local classified section looking for people experienced in landscaping. Ask local garden centers to recommend experienced landscape workers who are looking for employment. If you supervise and plan to be at the work site, your new employees can gain the experience they need while working. Nothing is better than hands-on experience when landscaping and dealing with plants. - 2). Acquire the tools and equipment to operate a landscaping business. These include basic gardening tools such as rakes, shovels, pruners, loppers, hand tools, blower, brooms, tarps and a wheelbarrow. You also need vehicles that can transport plants and supplies to your jobs. Proper equipment is important to operating the business efficiently.
- 3). Organize your business forms and records. These include invoice books, schedules, employee information, bid and contract forms, and business cards. Keep all your business paperwork in one place so you'll be able to find it when you need it--for instance, at tax time or when you're checking on a job you did. You also need accurate records regarding the plants you've used and in what locations.The more organized you are, the more efficiently your landscaping business will run.
- 4). Treat all your customers and jobs in a professional manner. Even though you're in a dirty line of work, the customer wants to know she is dealing with a serious businessperson.
Be on time for appointments. Always contact your customer if a problem arises and you cannot be there. Nobody likes to wait for someone who never shows up, and doing this to your customers will hurt your future business prospects. - 5). Respect your employees, and treat them fairly. If you are running the business and not doing the actual landscaping yourself, the people in the field are your business cards. If they aren't happy, the jobs will suffer, and so will your business. Landscaping is hard work, and your employees need to know you appreciate their efforts.
- 6). Advertise your company and its landscaping capabilities every place you can. The more you get your name out there, the more jobs you can expect to land. Also, a satisfied customer will be more than willing to tell his friends about the great job your company did for him. You'll be surprised by how much work you will get by word of mouth.
- 7). Get any licenses you need to operate your landscaping business, and list them in your contact information on your business cards, websites and other advertising. Clients want to know they are dealing with a legitimate business and are not going to get scammed. Also, a license allows you to purchase your plants and materials at wholesale costs, instead of retail.
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