THE UK’s business landscape is in rude form, despite the various stressors impacting the economy throughout 2022. Though an impending recession signals danger for a number of businesses, as consumer spending is set to dip yet further, there remains ample opportunity for budding freelancers to stake their own claim to part of their industry.
Indeed, many are making the move from salaried work to freelancing or starting their own business, as evidenced by an uptick in the number of people leaving the employment pool. The ‘Great Resignation’ has seen workers across Scotland and the wider UK leave their work for pastures new – oftentimes to indulge their passions, and to monetise their hobby.
If your hobby lies within horticulture, there is a rich market in gardening and landscaping for you to build a viable, hands-on career. But what are the key steps to starting your own landscaping business?
Plans and Budgets
Every good business begins with a good plan. In order to properly stake your claim in what will be a competitive industry, you will need to narrow down the specific services you will offer as a business.
Finding a niche will narrow your demographic slightly, but also enable you to secure a steady stream of income via specialised work. You might specialise in commercial landscape architecture, or domestic hedge artistry; just ensure your specialism plays to your strengths.
You should also take this opportunity to draw up a comprehensive budget for your first six months of operation. You will have an idea of the funding available to you, and of your expected income when starting out. Formalising this allows you to speculate on future income and growth.
Equipment and Supply
Your next concern should be the sourcing of equipment and raw materials. With regard to tools, buying cheap can often be the more costly approach in the long term. In order to buy quality tools without bursting your budget, make sure to start with high-quality everyday tools; you can rent larger, seldom-used items of equipment until your profits enable their purchase.
With regard to materials, there is much to be said about forging a positive long-term relationship with suppliers. In fostering such a relationship, you can ensure the reliable and timely delivery of paving stones and other bulk materials whatever the project. You can also secure access to increasingly difficult-to-source timbers.
Marketing and Launch
At this point, you will be more or less ready to take your business to market. Before you do, you should take some time to forge a marketing plan for your business. Start with your digital presence; creating a business profile on Google ensures your details can be discovered organically by people seeking services such as yours and can also serve to legitimise your outfit to customers found via other means.
For landscaping, word-of-mouth is undoubtedly on of the more effective forms of marketing. Simply by working on a friend or associate’s project, you can open yourself up to referrals and naturally grow your portfolio.
