If there was ever a time to start a landscaping business, it’s now. Thanks to the pandemic, never before have so many brands wanted to enhance the appearance of their premises to get consumers and workers to return.

The effects of COVID-19 are likely to linger for some time in our collective psyche. People aren’t going to want to go back to public places for a while, even in areas where the infection rate is low and vaccination rates are high. It just won’t feel right. Brands, therefore, will have to coax people back through other means, including via landscaping. And for savvy entrepreneurs, it’s a massive opportunity.

Think about the benefits that building a landscaping business could bring you personally. You could increase your income, find more enjoyable work and be more creative. In this post, we take a look at some of the pros and cons of starting a commercial landscaping company so that you have a full picture of what’s involved.

Advantages

There are many advantages for people who run landscaping services. Perhaps the most critical is that you decide exactly how you spend your time. You don’t have to abide by your boss’s timetable. Yes – customers will book you to come out and do groundskeeping for them. But when you own your own business, you determine your availability, not them.

Remember, running a groundskeeping company is not like an electrician or a plumbing business. You don’t need to provide 24-hour emergency support. Just regular business hours, perhaps slightly skewed towards the morning, will suffice.

There’s a second big advantage to landscaping: setting up the business is a lot of fun. Besides buying all the usual pruning and shearing tools, you’ll also want to invest in hillside mowers, buggies to get around private estates, and plenty of machine tools to get jobs done faster.

What’s more, you get lots of fresh air and a cardiovascular workout every day. Compared to working in an office, it has its advantages.

Downsides

Are there any downsides though? Well, that depends on your perspective. One possible downside is having to get up early in the morning. Many things, like mowing and watering, are best done as the sun comes up, or before.

Some parts of the year will also be quieter than others. In the winter, for instance, there’s not a great deal of work to be done.

Then there’s the physical fitness required. It’s not a job for everyone. If you’re the type of person prone to muscle pain or you don’t have much stamina, you’ll struggle. You spend most of your days handling heavy equipment, trimming bushes, and pruning trees. It can take a few months for your body to acclimate.

Then there are also the financial issues you’ll face. Getting regular business can be a challenge for some landscaping brands. Ideally, you want to get big organizations on retainer and then provide excellent service so that you get referral business. Making this approach work, though, is a tremendous challenge.