Yes, it costs a lot to manage and build a landscape company. Overheads are high, time investment is high, and mental investment is high. But if you're ready for all of that, just commit to putting together a solid plan, knowing your costs, being responsible and accountable, and then doing it. It will be an adventure that has the potential to make you a lot of money while creating pieces of paradise for others, I promise.
If you're attracted to the idea of working outdoors with plants, a career in landscaping might be a good option. There are several paths you can take, including worker, business owner and landscape architect. In some positions, you can go to work right away and learn on the job. Other positions require specialized training or a university degree.
Generally speaking, a landscaper is someone who works to maintain or improve an outdoor green space. Workers must be physically fit, as their jobs include lifting, digging, planting, weeding and paving. They can install water fountains or change the slope of a space. Can use various hand and power tools.
In cold climates, landscaping work can be seasonal, although cleaning fallen leaves and removing snow may be aspects of the business. Workers can be employed by a landscaping company, daycare or any public or private facility with their own maintenance staff. With experience, a worker can progress towards ownership of a company, developing a list of customers, which can include owners of residential and commercial properties. While there are no formal education requirements to become a landscape business owner, you can benefit from courses offered by Small Business Administration in your area or from courses at a local university or university extension office.
A landscape designer creates plans for outdoor spaces. A landscape designer can be self-taught or have some formal training. To be certified by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), a designer must work in the field for at least two years and submit a portfolio of work to be evaluated by the APLD. Recertification is required every three years, and is obtained by completing a minimum of 30 continuing education units.
A landscape architect has a minimum of a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture and a license to practice in the state. At the undergraduate level, courses include study design and the study of plants, terrain forms, water, engineering and construction. Candidates for a bachelor's degree must also meet the requirements of their faculty or university in biological sciences, mathematics, communications and humanities. At the master's level, it is generally required to have two additional years of study beyond the bachelor's degree, and students complete advanced courses and choose an area of specialty, such as urban landscaping or sustainable development.
Working in the landscape business means you can work in just about any type of outdoor space that appeals to you. Workers, designers and architects work for municipalities, state and local parks, educational institutions, recreational facilities, large corporations and residential homeowners. Designers and architects do part of their design work in offices, where they can also meet with clients. The salary of a landscape designer depends on whether you are a worker, designer or architect.
Geographic location and type of employment also affect remuneration.
landscape architects
who have computer-aided design (CAD) skills tend to earn more. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 7 percent growth in job opportunities for landscape architects through 2026, a rate that is roughly average, compared to all other workers. There are no statistics available to landscape designers, probably because the background and qualifications of designers vary greatly.Jobs for workers will remain plentiful, with an expected job growth rate of 11 percent. Until you've spent 4 hours moving rocks on a hot summer day, you don't really know if you're fit for the landscaping business. An average landscaper salary means that half of the people who have that job earn more, while the other half earn less. To protect your plants and vegetation, you must ensure that homeowners enroll in a plant food protection program in their gardening plan.
If you are going to hire a professional garden service to help you with your garden maintenance needs, it is important that you understand the different types of services. In accordance with the program and with the existing flora in your landscape, you will receive food and fertilizers. In most maintenance contracts, most gardening business owners already include an irrigation start-up and shutdown. It doesn't take a big investment to start a landscaping or lawn care company and the revenue potential is high, as you can see from the numbers of BL landscapes above.
One of the frustrations I hear from landscape start-ups is that money always seems to come out faster than it comes in. I hear it today in my business coaching practice and I have listened to it all these years working side by side with all kinds of landscape professionals. Many of the skills you have developed as a gardening business owner & could make you an effective real estate investor. As you will see from Brian's journey, if you are willing to work and are committed to quality and customer satisfaction, you can start a professional landscaping business that is successful and profitable.
The commercial landscaping business has higher income-generating projects than those landscaping businesses that only deal with residential contracts. BL Landscapes has focused on building an online following, as evidenced by its more than 8,000 followers on Facebook. Landscaping includes altering the land area, growing plants, filling, maintaining a beautiful environment and remodeling the grounds. The easiest sacrifice is to cut the services of a landscape designer and maintain the lawn and garden yourself.
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