Step-by-step guide to starting a successful Landscaping business.
Recurring mowing and maintenance contracts smooth cash flow and keep crews busy, while design-build projects pay better per job but arrive unevenly. Most healthy landscaping companies use maintenance as the base and sell projects into that existing client list.
Don't chase his price — chase the customers who got burned by unreliability. Showing up on schedule, quoting in writing, carrying insurance, and answering the phone wins the clients who pay properly, and those are the only ones worth routing.
The spring rush is won in January and February, when homeowners start planning and your calendar is still open. Renew existing contracts first, then push cleanup and mulch promotions before the first warm weekend triggers the call flood you can no longer schedule.
It varies by state and city, but expect a business license, general liability insurance, and workers' comp once you hire; pesticide or fertilizer application usually requires a separate applicator certification. Some states also require a contractor's license once hardscape or irrigation work passes a value threshold, so check before quoting big projects.