Keen gardener wants to start a business ... advice?

[ruralmum1]

I'm a keen gardener, particular interested in a bit of garden design (I'm quite proud of the Kitchen garden I have developed over the years around my cottage.)

It's been great fun but I'm beginning to think I could actually make a living from this. A lot of my friends have asked me to help rejuvenate the styles of their own garden to make them more economical, space efficient but pretty at the same time.

Am thinking of entering the recent Country Living Kitchen Table Talent Awards, which I have just seen in the April issue. Prizes include advice and courses to help building a business in a range of hobbies such as growing.

Going to give it a go - it's only a fiver!!

What do you think?

www.allaboutyou.com/craft/Kitchen-Table-Talent-Awards-categories-and-prizes/v1

Anyone got any tips and ideas?

can you do the link again or we'll have to copy and paste to see it?

here

Hmm. I think if you're serious about doing it as a business you need more of a plan than entering the competition, though the prizes do look good.

Why not give both a go though.

There are an awful lot of mummy-on-a-career-break-has-decided-to-become-a-gardeners. That doesn't mean you can't succeed, just that you need a a decent business plan; it's great doing work for friends but that isn't always a reliable test of whether you can launch a viable business. Have you done any research into what market there will be for your services? If you want to make a go of it, you need to decide where you're going to pitch yourself - fully-qualified designer (people will expect formal qualifications), jobbing maintenance gardener or somewhere in between? The small business service at your bank may be able to help you with some of this.

The competition sounds like fun but I doubt it will be enough to launch a career as a gardener.

If you want to succeed in what is a very competitive market, then you need to do some serious work; eg an RHS course- friend of mine is doing it for fun and it takes a year, half a day a week, plus exams.

The comp. is not really that exciting IMO- a day's course on an RHS course is nothing.

You won't get any credibility from it, in terms of business leads- and you would be better off putting your energy into finding a course that suits your goals.

As above- will you do hard landscaping, just planting, complete make overs, or tweaks? You need tobe a good business woman as well as gardener- so think about websites, portfolios, and how you would market yourself.

cabbageroses is right.I've been a self employed gardener for 8 years and it is not always an easy job.If the weather is bad,you can't work-I had no work for 9 weeks solid last year because of the snow.Taking holidays in the summer is tricky because it is my busiest time,yet from Nov to March there isn't much work,so I have to save enough during the busy times to see me through the lean months.

The RHS course is essential if you want to be taken seriously in the business.It took 2 years when I did it,but believe it is shorter now.It is harder now than when I started-every Tom Dick and Harriet is putting postcards on boards and fliers through doors advertising their services.8 years ago I didn't know any other gardeners,now a lot of people who have lost their jobs are looking for gardening work.

If you are trained,hardworking, knowlegeable and reliable,you shouldn't struggle for work-I'm lucky enough to have a permanent waiting list.But very much depends on your area-if there are lots of odd job men willing to mow lawns and cut hedges for £6.00 per hour,you may struggle to compete with that.

I'm sorry if I've poured cold water on your dreams,but it is very hard work,there are more and more people doing it now.I love my job and am lucky to be able to do something I enjoy,and remind myself of that when I spend evenings picking thorns out of my hands.

Mirage- the RHS course is still 2 years- my friend is doing part 1 - or whatever it is- just for fun- but there is a 2nd year too.

OP- not sure where you live, but first step should be too check your Yellow pages, or online search, and see how many other people are offering garden design. If there are loads- then you might want to think again. To get your share of business you will need to be very good, offer something unique and be prepared to spend a good 5 years getting the business off the ground ( sorry!).

cabbageroses,I bet your friend is enjoying it-it is a really good course,certainly very thorough.We covered everything from tree planting to mole catching.

Incidentally,I did a garden design course a few years back and thought I'd love it,but I didn't enjoy it at all and it was very hard work.A lot of maths stuff like triangulation,which I struggled with,and they looked at plants as shapes and colours rather than plants.I found it very difficult to look at them that way round,I'm too set in my ways for that I think.