If you have a green thumb then you may want to know how to start landscaping business!
Since most people don’t have the time to care for their own gardens, you will almost always have clients interested in your services. Nevertheless, with this business sector becoming increasingly popular, you need to think about how you will stand out from your competitors.
Starting your own business is never dull! Read more in this post about how to cover all your bases.
What is a Landscaping Business?
A landscaping business involves completing a variety of tasks in relation to lawns, gardens and other outdoor areas.
When trying to understand how to start a landscaping business in australia it is important to consider what your niche will be. You can offer specific services or provide more general help, either way making sure the landscaping looks good is at the core of your business.
There are a number of paths that you can take your landscaping business down. Generally speaking, there are three main niches that you can choose from:
Lawn mowing and maintenance
The most common landscaping business. It involves tasks around mowing the lawn, weeding, fertilising and pest eradication work.
Structural landscaping
This involves building structures such as driveways, ornamental features and driveways.
Landscaping maintenance
In addition to mowing the lawn, jobs also include maintaining hedges and other landscape features on the premise.
Getting Started: The Pre-Planning Steps
Research
Doing your research early on will ensure that everything is in order, when you launch your business. When starting a landscaping business you are going to need equipment and tools, so understanding what you will need and how much it will cost is a good place to start. You should also do your research to find the best deals to optimise the profitability of your business.
Location
It is important to choose an appropriate location where you can operate your business. This will affect who the clients you are able to serve. You will likely need to travel to different clients, so it is also important that you can transport all your tools effectively.
Technology
Client impression is something that you need to be constantly thinking about. Clients will want to see some examples of your previous work. Investing in tablets and smartphones will make your business appear more established. It will also save you the hassle of carrying around several pieces of paper to a consultation.
Develop a Landscaping Business Plan
Excellent planning will often lead to success. Using your research, you should develop a formal business plan to guide your business. This might include your:
- Business objectives and goals
- Business structure
- Target market
- Competition
- Marketing strategy
You can always seek assistance from a professional accountant or business lawyer to assist you with this, if you aren’t confident in developing a business plan yourself. It’s important to revisit and review your business plan regularly.
Determine your Business Name
Now you need to decide on a business name. Once you decide on your name, you can check the availability of the business name you have chosen.
If the name is available, you can then register your business as a trademark to ensure that you have the exclusive rights to your business name throughout Australia.
Determining your Business Structure
You will need to decide on a business structure to establish your business plan. Consider whether you will operate as one of the following.
- A sole trader is someone who owns and operates a business under their personal name.
- A partnership is when two or more people come together to form a business.
- A company is when you register your business as a separate entity from your personal affairs.
You should contemplate which structure will work best for your business goals. It is important to know what the legal ramifications are of each structure and how they can affect how you operate.
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Registering your Business
You need to register for a few things in order to make your business official. For instance:
- A business name
- An Australian Business Number (ABN) to help the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and customers identify your business.
- It would be good practice to also register your business as a company (ACN) so you can benefit from limited liability.
- Register your Tax requirements.
- Ensure that all relevant licences or permits are valid.
Source Insurance
Insurance is the most important step when setting up your business. It is imperative that you protect yourself and your business from any legal action. Firstly, you will need a type of public liability insurance, this will be beneficial for you and your business when customers or staff experience injuries on site or otherwise.
Public liability insurance from insurance companies such as BizCover can help you protect your property and your employees from damage or injury.
Additionally, you will want to ensure you have worker’s compensation set up for these instances. Finally, you will need a form of coverage for all your equipment to protect against loss, damage or theft.
Hire Employees
You will want to consider hiring additional staff to help ensure that your business runs smoothly, especially as it expands. You will need to decide how many employees you are looking to hire and what type of employment they will receive. Will they be full time, part time or casual workers?
You will then need the appropriate employment agreements drawn up and signed. There are different types of employees that you can hire, learn more about how they may affect your business in the Webinar below.
Marketing Your Landscaping Business
Now all you need to have a successful business is working on appropriate jobs. When considering how to advertise your landscaping business to help you attract individuals or companies in need of landscaping work you may want to implement a strategic marketing plan to cover all your bases. This will allow you to gain insight into your target market.
It will also be beneficial in helping you understand what is the most effective marketing method to reach your target market. Some marketing methods you may choose to use include starting a social media page or putting an advertisement in your local newspaper. Another simple and effective approach of reaching new customers is through word of mouth.
Having an online presence is important even for construction companies. Using websites like Shopify or GoDaddy can help you create a well-established business so that your customers can easily find you. Additionally, you should set up and maintain a website which means you need to consider any website terms and conditions to ensure that your customers are safe.
Considering the Law
Licences
If you choose to run a lawn mowing and maintenance business then you do not need any licenses.
However, if you opt in for a structural landscaping or landscaping structure business then you need to get qualified. Since licensing requirements vary from state to state, you should consult your state’s licensing facility. For example in NSW, Structural Landscaping requires one of the following qualifications:
- AHC30916/ AHC30910 Certificate III in Landscape Construction; or
- RTF30403 Certificate III in Horticulture (Landscape); or
- RUH30498 Certificate III in Horticulture (Landscape) TAFE course #0672; or
- Certificate III in Landscaping TAFE course #1581.
Australian Consumer Law
Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), you will need to ensure that your business has consumer guarantees that relate to due care and skill. This also ensures your clients that you will complete the job within a reasonable time.
You will also need to ensure that you have effective communication with clients and a complaints procedure is in place. This is useful for you so you can learn from your shortcomings and better develop a successful business.
The Landscape Association
The Landscape Association (TLA) outlines the Code of Ethics and Code of Fair Business Practice. As a business owner, you should consider becoming a member of the TLA so that you can secure community trust and ensure the reputation of the landscaping industry is upheld.
Legal Documents you will need
To get up and running, you should consider these legal documents so that you can protect your business. Some documents you should consider include:
- A Services Agreement can outline the service you provide so that your customer can know what to expect.
- A Employment Agreement can outline your employee’s responsibilities and their obligations to your business.
- A Sub-Contractor Agreement can be useful if you need to employ another business or sole-trader when operating your business.
- A Privacy Policy is put in place to ensure you deal with your clients data in a reasonable manner.
- A Trademark Assignment is a deed for the assignment of registered trademarks and of domain names that include trademarks.
- A Tax Invoice allows you to create a formal request for payment and ensure your records are up to date.
How Lawpath Can Help
At Lawpath, we can help guide you through starting your own automotive repair business. One of our Experienced Lawyers can provide you with all the legal information and requirements necessary for your business to succeed.
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