How To Start A Landscaping Business

There are lots of opportunities for setting up a landscape business. It will depend on your location for the amount of competition you might face but there are always going to be people wanting their gardens designed or you might go into landscape gardening commercial properties.

If you are planning on starting a landscaping business there are lots of important steps to take. In this article, we walk you through some of the steps that you need to take when setting up your new landscaping start-up.

Why Start a Landscaping Business?

You will have some experience or training in landscaping if you are planning on starting a new landscaping business. Have you thought about what type of landscaping service you would like to provide, such as which type of customer will you cater to? Are you going to target new homes or old cottages, are you focusing on premium planting or eco plants?

If you are an experienced landscape architect or gardener and you’ve got experience working in this industry you’ll likely have a good idea of what you would like to specialize in for your business. If you decide to cater to a wide range of clients then it is still a good idea to have a USP, a unique selling point that describes what makes you stand apart from other landscaping businesses. Perhaps you specialize in landscaping using native plants for example or natural landscaping.

If you are new to landscaping, perhaps you have recently studied landscape gardening, then you should get some experience in the industry before starting a new business. You might learn some additional knowledge and also get the necessary experience you’ll need behind you. You could always volunteer to landscape a charity garden in exchange for using the photos in your marketing. This will get you invaluable experience and also you’ll be doing some good too!

Statistics for the Landscaping Industry

There are numerous statistics about the landscaping industry that can help you decide whether to start a business and also how to build a business. Here are those important statistics:

•     Based on revenue, the US landscaping business is worth $176.5 billion in 2023.
•     The growth of the industry is about 2.5% per year.
•     About 1.3 million in the US work within the landscaping industry.
•     The average US household spends $500 a year on lawn care.
•     There are 650,000 US landscaping businesses, each employing an average of 19 people.
•     California and New York have the most landscaping businesses.
•     A quarter of landscaping businesses generate revenues of more than $1 million a year.
•     86% of those working in landscaping are male.
•     The District of Columbia has the best-paid landscapers, with them earning an average of $22.49 an hour.

How to Start a Landscaping Business

So you have decided to start a landscaping business and have some experience and hopefully a certificate in landscaping. So what do you need to do to start a landscaping business? Take a look at our steps below.

Step 1 - Choose Niche

You know that your business is in the landscaping sector but what is your niche going to be? You’ll need something to set you apart from all the other landscaping businesses that are in your vicinity. Many businesses will travel quite some way for work so research rival companies quite some way. Look at where there might be a gap in services.

Perhaps you're passionate about people being able to grow their veg and you set up a landscape business to get people going with ‘grow your own’, whatever the size of their plot! Or you might have extensive knowledge of shrubbery for high-end borders and lawns and decide to target this market instead.

There are lots of options, so think about where your passions lie and what is on offer in your local area.

Step 2 – Choose a Business Name

Now, you’ll need to come up with a great name for your landscaping business. This will need to be an original name. You will need to check on US business registers for every state you wish to operate in to make sure that the name you would like to use for your business is available and has not already been taken for use by another company. You can use a business name generator to help you come up with lots of great ideas. You should also make sure your name is available on social media and as a domain for your website.

Step 3 – Register Your Business

Once you have done all the relevant checks to make sure the name you have chosen is unique you will need to register your business with the US state registers. You might decide to register as an LLC, this can offer you additional benefits so this is something you should consider. You’ll also need to register your website domain and social media sites.

Step 4 – Build Website

You can then get on with building your website you could use WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix which are good options among others. You should make sure the text you write on your website is optimized for search engines. Websites have a 6-month penalty placed by Google which affects your ranking so you should be prepared for this.

Step 5 – Marketing

You will need to market your local business. You should use your website to do so by using keywords and writing a blog. Videos are great for marketing as well as social media. You might wish to use traditional marketing techniques such as leaflets. Making a great impression can help significantly with word-of-mouth marketing.

Final Word: How to Start a Landscaping Business

It’s very exciting to start a landscaping business. You’ll need to come up with a great name, register it everywhere, design your business, and get going with marketing. There are lots to do! Good luck with your new venture!