How much time will your business need?

Part-time

Running your own gardening business is all about satisfying needs:

• your own needs
• the needs of your customers.

One of the main advantages of running a gardening business is that you are not tied to set opening hours as would be the case were you to have opened a shop. This means you can run your business to fit in around your present commitments. Maybe you only want to work one or two days a week. If so, then the way you run your business will differ from those who wish to make this a full-time, all-year-round business.

Case study

Two years ago, Andy was made redundant. At the age of 48 he wasn’t holding out enormous hope of getting another job like his previous one. Wrongly or rightly, he believed that his age would stand against him. Fortunately, at the time of Andy’s redundancy, his wife Sally was promoted and received a large salary increase, which meant that financially they had enough to cover their monthly outgoings.

Prior to Andy’s redundancy, their two small children were looked after by a nanny while both of them were at work. This was no longer necessary and Andy really enjoyed spending more time with his children. However, he wanted some sort of part-time job to get him out of the house when the kids were at school.

Everyone knew Andy was a keen gardener. His ex-colleagues, with whom he still kept in contact, joked that his garden must be looking fabulous now he was at home all the time. It was. But that was the problem. There was only so much gardening he could do at home. And when one of his friends rang him up and asked him if he’d mind helping them with theirs, Andy jumped at the chance and his part-time gardening business was started.

Andy doesn’t advertise his services. There is no need to. He has a small clientele mainly made up of his ex-colleagues and their friends. He doesn’t keep regular hours. His only commitment to his business is that he visits his client’s garden once a fortnight, at a time convenient to him.

It’s an ideal arrangement.

Andy’s story is not unique. There are lots of people like Andy who run small, part-time gardening businesses to satisfy their own needs both in terms of income and lifestyle. But what suits Andy may not suit you. Therefore it’s important that you work in the area that suits your aspirations and lifestyle.

Full-time

If you’re planning to start a full-time business, or at least one that will not involve you relying on already established contacts, such as ex-colleagues or friends, then you will need a more structured approach than in Andy’s case.

Chapter 2 looks at business planning and how best you can plan for success.

Finding your niche

Everyone’s business will differ in that not everyone will offer the same services. Take a look at any of the advertisements in your local papers or Yellow Pages and you’ll see what I mean. The term gardening has a very broad meaning.

If you’re still stuck for ideas on what types of things you can offer, the list below may help.

Start slowly and build up

The most important thing at this stage is that you don’t try to offer something with which you’re not familiar. Experience and expertise are things you can work on. But for now at least, there’s nothing to be gained by tackling work that you’re unsure of, or worse unable to do. Potential clients will think more of you if you tell them upfront that you can’t do something, rather than plough ahead and destroy prized shrubs. Even the apparently simple motion of cutting lawns can and is very often done badly. So, initially, try to tailor your service to undertaking tasks that you feel comfortable and confident doing.

If you’ve already got qualifications

If you have any special gardening skills or qualifications then obviously the service you offer will be far more specialised than that of the general freelance gardener. Nevertheless don’t limit your freelancing to just one service. Being a qualified garden designer is a business in itself, but remember that many clients want an all-in service. So think about either subcontracting building of the garden to a landscaping company, or even doing the work yourself.

Gardening coaching

Whatever your expertise, use it. Being a freelance gardener doesn’t mean that you have to spend all your time buried in muck and sweat. Running evening, day or weekend classes in your special subject is well worth considering, particularly during those long winter months. Gardening coaching is another way of using your expertise. You can coach by running courses in either your own or the client’s garden. Coaching can be tailored to your client’s needs and can be on any subject from propagation to caring for bonsai trees. Coaching isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve got the expertise, knowledge and confidence in your own delivery, this is an excellent way to earn a good income.