According to Forbes, 2020 became the “Year of the Home” as the COVID-19 crisis led to many home improvement projects. However, 2021 is the “year of the yard,” as homeowners have pursued outdoor landscaping projects.
It’s safe to say that the landscaping business is a flourishing industry during this pandemic. It appears that it will continue to thrive next year and in the years to come. For this reason, it’s never too late to pursue a landscaping business.
If you’re a professional landscaping contractor, consider taking the plunge. That said, here’s how to launch your landscaping business during this pandemic:
1. Study the landscaping market in your area
The US Chambers of Commerce included the landscaping service in the list of thriving businesses during this pandemic. However, perform due diligence to see if this is true in your locality. Be sure to study the landscaping market in your area. It won’t make sense to start a business if the locals aren’t receptive to landscaping projects. Ultimately, doing so will determine whether or not you should offer landscaping services in your location.
2. Conduct research on local landscaping needs
If you find out that the landscaping industry thrives in your area, continue with your market research. You have to identify the landscaping needs of your locals. Be sure to survey to determine what types of landscaping services are in demand in your area. Dig deeper into knowing your target market’s goals, motivations, and even frustrations.
3. Decide on what landscaping services to offer
After conducting research, you should be able to decide on what landscaping services to offer. But before making a final decision, factor in the landscaping market and the landscaping needs in your area. Some of the landscaping services you can provide are lawn care, outdoor gardening, and hardscape installation. You can also offer specific landscaping services such as driveway construction, water fountain installation, and even asphalt crack solutions.
4. Set your finances and budget
A crucial aspect of your landscaping business is your finance. You need to set a budget for launching a landscaping business. You have to consider the capital outlay, where you must cover the initial operational costs. These include the property rental, utility bills, material costs, landscaping supply expenses, employees’ wages, and other miscellaneous expenses. Know that you can seek financing from banks and lending institutions. One example is applying for small business administration or SBA loans.
5. Hire professional landscapers
As a landscaping contractor yourself, be sure to create a team of professionals for your landscaping business. Aside from the landscaping contractors, you may need administrative personnel to help manage your business. However, be highly selective in your screening process. As you’re just launching a landscaping service, you want to work with people who can help flourish your business and grow it over time.
6. Prepare your landscaping resources
Your business needs the initial landscaping supplies to kick off your business. For one, you need to choose the best suppliers for your raw materials. Two, you have to invest in landscaping tools and equipment. Lastly, consider all other landscaping services to make your business more efficient, productive, and successful. With all these in place, you’ll be able to set your landscaping business on the right footing.
7. Secure a business permit
Once you have everything in place, it’s time to secure a business permit. Make sure to ask your local authorities about the requirements and submit all the necessary paperwork. Only start your landscaping services once you get your business permit. You need the license to operate and have no legal ramifications.
8. Start promoting your landscaping service online
Once you have your business permit, you can go ahead and start promoting online. The best course of action is to resort to digital marketing when it comes to this. It will help put your business in the spotlight and market your landscaping services. Below are some online marketing strategies you can implement:
- Search engine optimization (SEO) for online visibility and website traffic
- Pay-per-click campaign for advertising your landscaping business
- Email marketing for service promotion
- Content marketing for lead generation and client acquisition
- Social media management for client engagement
- Affiliate marketing and influencer marketing for service promotion
At this point, you now know what it takes to start a landscaping business during this pandemic. As the landscaping industry is thriving, be sure to take the plunge. Follow the practical steps outlined above, from studying the landscaping market to promoting your landscaping business. In the end, you’ll be surprised at how you can generate profit out of your landscaping service.