So, what do you need to get started?
Primarily you will need gardening tools. The first thing you need to
establish is whether you are going to use your own tools or your clients'
tools to carry out the work. Many people will have their own lawn mowers
and tools that you will be able to use but if they haven't you will
need to buy some. You can buy reasonably priced tools from Argos,
AMAZON and for hand tools you might like to try Blooming
Direct.
The basic tools you will require are:
Lawn Mower (electric or petrol), Shovel,
Spade, Fork, Hoe, Rake, Hand Fork & Trowel, Garden Gloves, Shears,
Secateurs, Wellington Gardening Boots.
Additional tools may include:
Hedge trimmer, Wheelbarrow, Pruning Saw,
Watering Can, Jet Spray Cleaner, Garden Kneeler (protect your knees),
Hose.
Make sure that you have an appointments book to keep all your jobs in
order and a receipt pad, should your clients require a receipt upon
completion of work.
Once you've set yourself up with your gardening
equipment and you feel confident enough to take on work, you are ready
to go. However, if you are a little rusty or would like to learn more
about gardening before you start then you may want to consider taking
a Gardening
Course. Elearn offer the following two courses:
Horticulture Course, which covers the following
topics:
Basic Botany, Plant Classification, Soil Science,
Plant Nutrition, Plant Pests, Diseases & Problems, Organic Gardening,
Weeds, Basic Propagation, Amenity Horticulture, Plant Groups and Families
Planting and Plant Care Plant Notes and Indigenous Plants Exotic Plants
Indoor Plants Lawns.
The course costs £265.00 and is conducted
online from home. On successful completion of the course you will be
awarded with two qualifications. This is definitely worth looking into
if you are serious about making a career out of this profession. For
more information or to sign up for this gardening course click
here.
Landscaping Course, which covers the following
topics:
Basic Design Procedure, History of Gardening StylesDraughting
and Contracting, Basic Landscape Construction, Surfacings, Furnishings
and Features,How to Make Trails, Tools and Machinery,Earthworks,Cottage
Garden Features, More on Tools and Machinery.
This course costs £240.00 and is conducted
online from home. On successful completion of the course you will be
awarded with a Landscaping Diploma and a Landscaping Award Certificate.
A good course for those of you who are interested in developing your
career as a Landscape Designer. For more information or to sign up for
this gardening course click
here.
Now the important part, how much should you charge?
Typically, anything from £10.00 - £25.00 per hour, depending
on what type of work is required. If your client wants any materials,
such as plants, hanging baskets, pots, lawn feed etc., this is an additional
cost. You can choose to charge 'per job', for instance, if you were
clearing out a garden then it may be beneficial to you and your client
to agree on a fixed fee, this can be anything from £100 to £500,
depending on size and work required. For regular customers you could
charge a monthly rate to maintain their garden, including mowing the
lawn. The amount you charge largely depends on the area you are working
in and the size of the garden. On a typical scale anything from £50.00
to £100.00 per month. These prices were researched in May 2009.
You will have to register with
the Inland Revenue as self-employed when you become a freelance gardener,
you can find out more details on our Tax
Page. It's recommended that you should take
out some insurance to cover you for any mishaps, such as Professional
Indemnity and/or Public Liability insurance. You can find out more about
these on our Business
Insurance Page.
Gardening is hard work and much as you may enjoy it,
you must ensure that you are physically fit to work in the garden. Don't
consider this type of work if you have any health issues relating to
stamina, back pain or heyfever. Speak to your GP about your plans to
work as a gardener and ensure that he/she confirms that you are fit
for the job.
Gardening can be a rewarding and fruitful career.
Here are the pros and cons associated with this work:
- Pros: You
will be your own boss. You can fit the jobs in within your schedule.
You can earn good money. You can choose your own hours (good if you
have family commitments).
- Cons: Hard
work. Seasonal work (not much work in winter). Outdoor (you can't
work in bad weather conditions).
The next thing you need to concentrate on is getting
your client list. It's imperative that you have a flow of regular customers
to keep you in business. Once you get one or two customers, you're on
your way as these customers will recommend you to others. Or you may
find neighbours popping their heads over the fence, admiring your efforts
and offering you work. But as a starting point you will need to advertise.
Get some business cards printed. You can get 250 free business cards
at VistaPrint
(they charge only P&P). You can also advertise free online at Gumtree
and UK
Classifieds.
Preloved
offer an effective advertising campaign. They offer business users a
free two month trial, and a flat fee of £23.00 thereafter per
month. If you cancel your membership within the two month free trial
period, you will owe nothing. Get some leaflets printed, again you can
use VistaPrint
or if you have a printer, you can print some flyers off yourself for
local distribution. Place an ad in your local supermarket, newsagents,
library and ask local estate agents if they would keep some of your
cards. Finally, you can create your own gardening website using a sitebuilder,
which will create beautiful pages for your business in a few simple
steps - click on this
link to find out more about a free or budget
website.
Freelance gardening can be a productive business,
and although initially your customers will be house owners you may also
look into offering your services to companies who have gardens surrounding
their buildings. Good luck.
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