How to start a gardening business

Why start a gardening business?

When it comes to fulfilling and creative trades, there are few that can compare to gardening and landscaping. It’s a calming job, one enjoyed by many hard-working tradespeople across the nation every day.

So, if you’re thinking about becoming a gardener any time soon, setting up a gardening business is a smart venture. Not only will it help you stay in shape, but you get to experience the great outdoors while you work!

Whether you’ve been gardening for a while or are new to the career, our guide is here to help. We cover:

• Business plans
• Tools needed
• Qualifications
• Skills needed to succeed
• Set-up processes for any new business

Keep reading to learn what you need to know about starting a gardening business from scratch.

Creating a gardening business plan

If you’ve read any of our other business starting guides, you’ll know that creating a business plan is essential. Without one, it will be much harder to lay out your business goals, and how to want to achieve them.

Therefore, a business plan is the first step in setting up your gardening business. That way, you can be sure that your business is moving in the right direction with minimal issues.

So, when starting your business plan, we recommend looking at the following areas:

• Business goals – what are the goals of your new business and how do you intend to meet them?
• Funding costs – how do you plan to finance your business initially and fund it in the future?
• Financial management – who is going to manage your finances? Will you do it yourself or hire an accountant?
• Services – what sort of gardening services are you going to offer your customers?
• Customer base – who are you going to target as your primary customers?
• Prices – how much do you plan on charging customers for your work?
• Work area – where do you plan to work and how big will your catchment area be?
• Work hours – how many hours a week do you plan to work? Do you intend to work weekends?
• Marketing strategy – what marketing tools do you plan to use to reach new potential customers?

Make sure to research and think about these areas as you build your plan. That way, you can set much clearer goals for yourself and your new business.

Of course, we wouldn’t just leave you here without extra help. So, why not download our free to use template?

What qualifications does a gardener need?

If you’re an experienced gardener, it’s likely you already have all the technical skills you need for a gardening business.

However, if you’re new to the trade, then setting up a gardening business will be harder without the right qualifications.

For new gardeners, we recommend looking at gaining the following qualifications:

• A Level 1 Certificate in Horticulture Skills
• A Level 2 Diploma in Practical Horticultural Skills
• A Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture

On top of these, it’s also worth looking into the regulations and certification around the use of pesticide chemicals.

Naturally, you might want to consider an apprenticeship as well, as doing this will provide you with on-the-job experience.

What business skills does a gardener need?

While experience is key to impressing customers with your gardening work, so too are good business skills. After all, running a business is an entirely different beast from trimming the verge.

So, if you’re serious about starting a gardening business, then you should think about developing these skills:

• Gardening knowledge – it goes without saying that good gardening knowledge is a must if you want to succeed in this industry
• Attention to detail – much like gardening, running a business is a delicate art that can’t have you cutting corners
• Organisation – staying on top of everything is key to running a successful company, making organisation a must-have trait
• Interpersonal skills – as a gardener, you’ll be working with new customers every day, so you need to be able to communicate effectively
• Management skills – while solo gardening is possible, if you take on staff, you’ll need to know how to manage them effectively
• Health and safety – it might not seem it, but gardening comes with plenty of risks, so you need to have good knowledge of these to avoid accidents
• Customer service – good customer service is essential to getting repeat business and new clients
• Patience, enthusiasm, and endurance – gardening is a year-round business, so you need to be willing to put in the effort over those cold winter months and big projects to keep your business afloat.

Of course, these are just the core skills required by this sort of trade. To get some useful advice from existing Checkatrade members, why not read our article on becoming your own boss?

How to set up your gardening business

With the initial stages of starting a gardening business covered, let’s cover some vital areas to address before you set out.

Specifically, there are four key areas to complete when setting up a gardening business, such as:

1. Register your gardening business

First things first, you need to decide on a name for your gardening business. And then register it with HMRC.

Registering your business is particularly important as it relates to tax and is a legal requirement before you start trading.

Registering your business also comes with the decision of whether you’ll operate as a sole trader or limited company. Both come with different pros and cons, as well as different tax implications.

You might be thinking that “it is only a name”, but it relates to the business legal structures and regulations that will affect you.

2. Getting gardening insurance

Like any trade, getting insurance for your gardening business is key to providing peace of mind and helping protect you in the unlikely event something goes wrong.

Not on that, but customers can have more trust in your business if you’re properly insured.

For starters, some degree of public liability insurance as cover against third-party claims.

And if you have staff, then you’re legally obligated to acquire employer’s liability cover as well.

3. Accounting and bookkeeping

While not the most exciting part of running a business, good bookkeeping is essential if you want to be profitable.

So, take the time to work out your finances before beginning the process of starting a gardening business.

You’ll need enough to cover start-up costs for things like:

• Tools
• Insurance
• Van or vehicle
• Marketing

You’ll also need to monitor your finances as you operate to keep an eye on outgoings.

For more tips on how to do this, we suggest reading our business accounting blog. Or, alternatively, you could look into hiring an accountant instead.

4. What tools do I need to start a gardening business?

Gardeners rely on a range of different tools and equipment to make their job easier and tackle challenging issues.

Thus, it’s a good idea to invest in good quality tools (within your budget). That way, you’ll have tools that are both effective and last you for years.

The following list some of the tools you’ll need to get you started:

• Spade
• Shovel
• Lawnmower
• Strimmer
• Trowel
• Goggles
• Secateurs
• Gloves
• Pruning shears
• Watering can
• Strong boots
• Fork
• Rake
• Kneeler
• Wheelbarrow
• Chainsaw

Alongside these tools, don’t forget to invest in transport as well.

After all, you’ll need a work vehicle to take your equipment between jobs. Why not look at our post on finding the best van lease deals to get started?

And don’t forget that Checkatrade members can get a discount on tools they buy through our partners such as Selco and Tradepoint.

Save money and time marketing your business

With all that in place, you should be in a good position to know how to start a gardening business from scratch. Of course, if you want help expanding your business further, then you should consider joining Checkatrade.

You’ll get access to more marketing materials and a business profile so that potential customers can find you with ease. You can also show off recent reviews and images of your work.

In addition to that, by becoming a member, you can also:

• Enjoy exclusive offers and discounts
• Save on the cost of your PLI with Superscript
• Get your work guaranteed when booked through us (T&Cs apply)
• Save admin time with our quoting and invoicing tool
• Access to our dedicated trades app
• Membership advice and support

Our fixed membership option lets you build the plan that’s perfect for you and your business needs.

Sign up today to learn more about our 12-point vetting process.

Gardening business FAQs

Is a gardening business profitable?

Owning a gardening business comes with many costs, but you can also look forward to a decent profit. Most gardeners charge an average of £20 per hour, or £230 per day if you’re a landscape gardener.

However, you’ll then need to account for your overheads and taxes before you can work out your profit and wages. That’s why it’s very important to do your research on becoming a sole trader or a limited company.

How much does a gardener make a day?

Gardeners can make around £150-£200 per day, depending on the amount of work and the type of project being undertaken. Landscape gardeners will typically charge on a per-project basis.

For more on what you could earn in this trade, read our piece on how much gardeners earn.