Of course, landscaping and maintenance services are becoming more and more popular every year. That is why many are interested in questions about what landscape design is. A business plan for creating such a company should contain several key points, which will be described in this article.
How to open a landscape company? How difficult is it?
Today, organizations involved in the design and landscaping of territories are popular. Naturally, every year there are more and more such firms, but the niche is not completely filled. Of course, the landscape design of the site can be profitable.
But it is worth noting immediately that the development of any new company is fraught with some difficulties. And the starting capital for equipment, office rental and advertising will need a rather big one. Nevertheless, with the right approach, a business can bring good money.
Legal paperwork
Before you begin, you need to properly arrange all the paper. As a rule, a landscape design company is formed either as an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur) or as an LLC (limited liability company). All documents are drawn up at the tax office.
If you plan to make landscaping near private houses your business, then you can register as a private entrepreneur (this is cheaper and faster). But if in the future you plan to cooperate with large companies or undertake landscaping and preserving urban areas (for example, parks), then it is better to set up an LLC.
Landscaping: a business plan
Starting your own business is always difficult. And some difficulties await you if your calling is landscape design. The business plan in this case should include several mandatory points.
- Legal registration of the organization.
- Definition of a category of clients.
- Opening of a design studio where you can receive customers and provide them with orientation information.
- Recruitment and proper allocation of responsibilities.
- Purchase of necessary equipment.
- Cooperation agreement with one or another manufacturing company.
- Advertising your company.
By following such a plan, you can achieve significant success in this business. Therefore, it is worth stopping at each of the above points and considering all possible options.
We open the office of a landscape company
Some businessmen in this area claim that in the initial stages they did not even have their own office. However, it is better to rent and equip the premises. Although having your own office is associated with additional costs, this will help to organize the work correctly and look more solid in the eyes of future customers.
It is best to open a studio in the city center, although in this case the location of the office is not as important as, for example, advertising. The room should be spacious, bright and well equipped. Since you will be offering your customers design and landscaping, your office should demonstrate that you are really good at design.
In the office, in addition to classrooms, there should be an entrance hall or a waiting room with comfortable furniture.You can decorate it with plants and other decorative objects, and hang pictures of your projects on the walls (if, of course, they are).
It is desirable that the office has a telephone line, so it will be more convenient to communicate with customers and suppliers.
How to determine the category of customers?
For many people, this type of activity is more likely associated with decorating the territory near private houses. In fact, clients (landscape design and any other sphere of art) are not limited to "wealthy private owners."
Although if you have just started working, it is best to start with them, since the projects here are small.
In addition, the services of such firms are often used by urban organizations. Indeed, in almost every city there are public gardens, parks and plots that need to be improved, landscaped and maintained. You, for example, will be able to improve the area near the school or to break some bright flower beds in the city center.
The possibilities here are quite a lot. But city orders in most cases are voluminous and require not only the creation of a certain design, but also regular maintenance of the plots. In addition, the city administration most often uses the services of firms that already have a portfolio and a good reputation.
Equipment for landscape design
It will take a lot of special equipment to help you do art called landscape design. A business plan must necessarily include the purchase of the most necessary equipment.
First you need to take care of gardening equipment. In particular, you will probably need a pruner, pruning shears, an electric saw and an electric planer. It is hardly possible to imagine a garden without a well-kept green lawn, so do not forget to add a lawn mower to your shopping list. You will need small tools for the installation of various decorations, in particular, screwdrivers, hacksaws, chisels. And, of course, gardening can hardly be imagined without shovels, a rake and other equipment.
Naturally, as your company develops, the set of equipment will be constantly updated. But in the initial stages, even the simplest things will suffice.
Stones and plants for landscape design - where to get the necessary scenery?
Every novice businessman asks the question "where to get the necessary materials." Indeed, in landscape design, a wide variety of elements are used. These are plants, sculptures, and irrigation systems. Naturally, you can rent a room where the dendrologist or gardener will be engaged in the cultivation and care of plants. But this business is long and painstaking.
Therefore, before opening a company, it is worth visiting several shops, building supermarkets and, if necessary, drawing up a contract with manufacturers. In some cases, landscape design specialists work closely with architectural agencies.
It is worth considering where you will get a stone for landscape design, which, by the way, is an integral attribute of a beautiful garden. You may need benches, wrought iron fences, arbors during your work. Do not ignore the importance of decorative elements and building materials.
What kind of specialists will you need?
Naturally, the size of your staff will directly depend on how big the company is going to deal with. The key employee is the designer.
It will be he who will create projects, determine the appropriate styles of landscape design, decide where to plant plants and create flower beds. The success and popularity of your company depends on the innate taste of this person.
It is advisable that the design worker have the appropriate education and from time to time attend continuing education courses, where you can always learn about new methods, styles and little tricks that will be necessary when upgrading the territory.
Another important person is the dendrologist. It will be he who will be engaged in the selection, planting and care of plants. After all, some exotic flowers or trees can live only in specific environmental conditions (for example, next to water or in constant shade). Some plants for landscape design simply can not be planted next to each other. In addition, even the trees can “hurt”, and the dendrologist will deal with their treatment and care.
In addition, your company will need a foreman - a person who can organize and monitor the process of updating the territory. The foreman must be familiar with the basic construction technologies, know the necessary rules, standards and laws. And, of course, you will need simple construction workers, who, in fact, will be engaged in construction work.
It's no secret that landscaping is carried out in the warm season. But what to do with workers in the winter? It’s worth saying right away that if you have found a really talented designer and dendrologist, you should never miss them, in the months of “downtime” continue to pay them their salaries. But simple builders can offer seasonal work and increase their number as necessary.
Required software
If you decide to seriously engage in landscape design, then you will need the appropriate software. Your office must have at least one computer with the necessary programs, as well as a camera or camera.
The fact is that modern computer programs allow you to engage in virtual design. After the first visit to the site and its filming, you can make an approximate view of the territory on the computer after the design work. This will be useful not only to you, but also to your customers. Modern programs are designed so that you can see literally every little thing: how this or that zone will look in magnification, what kind of view will open from the hosts window, how your chosen style will look in winter or autumn.
Such a work scheme has a lot of advantages. Your customers will have the opportunity to see the result before the start of work and, if necessary, adjust it. Naturally, such programs are not cheap, but they will help to save a lot of money and time in the future. And, of course, at least one employee of your company must thoroughly own the program you have chosen.
Land improvement: project stages
Naturally, you can independently plan the project. But in most cases it is the same.
- First, one of the experts travels to the object, studies it, takes the necessary photographs, determines the features of the soil.
- Further work is carried out with the participation of both the designer and the dendrologist. They together make up the landing drawings. In addition, each landscape element is considered separately. For example, experts decide what a flowerbed will look like, what is the best way to create an alpine hill.
- Using computer programs, a general and detailed landscape work plan is compiled. The obtained results are demonstrated to the client and, if necessary, make the necessary amendments.
Only after this begins construction work, the cost and duration of which is determined depending on the size and characteristics of the site.
How to correctly conduct advertising?
Of course, a new landscape design firm needs quality advertising. In the first few months, it’s just promotions that can create a flow of customers. For the purpose of business development, leaflets, banners, announcements on the radio and in newspapers can be used.
Your own website will also be extremely useful. Clients will be able to get acquainted with the range of your services, as well as pricing and samples of your work.
Of course, landscape design can become a very profitable business, since the cost of its creation compared to possible earnings is not at all high. But here you need to remember two things. First of all, the success of your business will directly depend on the talent and skill of the employees. Secondly, landscape design is a seasonal business, so you should prepare for the fact that for several months in a year you will remain without work and, accordingly, earnings.
