If you are tired of the 9-5 routine, you may have considered setting up your own business, there are many work-from-home opportunities available these days, and it can be quite easy to set up something to bring in an income when you use the computer and internet. But if you like being more hands-on, you might prefer something else, such as landscaping.
Professional landscapers, provide us with a list of what you need to do to be successful in this area?
- A love of working outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.
- A reasonable amount of muscle since you will be doing some lifting and other hard physical work.
- A knowledge of plants and designing skills, so your work is amazing.
- A friendly disposition so your clients feel they want to hire you. And so you can get them to tell you exactly what they want and you can suggest even better solutions.
- The ability to work machinery. This depends on whether you choose small jobs or want to get into the larger landscaping of schools grounds, hospitals and other organisations.
- Handyman skills so you can offer additional work such as concreting pathways, building retaining walls, fencing, installing a swimming pool or adding a gazebo. Unless you outsource that work, it will be more expensive for the client.
- The ability to work for yourself. You may think that sounds easy, but your business will not be successful if you are not disciplined about showing up when you are supposed to and working a full day.
- The ability to keep good records and work out pricing to make your business financially viable.
- As obvious as it may seem, you should love gardening since a lot of landscaping includes this element.
- You’ll also need creativity so that not all your landscaping jobs look alike. No one wants a backyard that is the same as their neighbour’s.
- You need to be organised so that once those jobs start rolling in you can schedule them and not miss out on any that were supposed to be done, as that will give you a bad reputation. You can get software designed especially for landscapers to help them keep track of all their jobs.
- This means that you should also develop your computer skills if you are not up to scratch in this area. A computer can also make bookkeeping quick and simple, saving you many hours of work for the few you put in learning it.
- Once your business expands and you consider hiring employees, you’ll need the ability to be a leader without being too bossy, so they’ll know exactly what they have to do and won’t feel demeaned by your attitude.