Setting Up as Self-employed

BCD

I'm seriously thinking of setting up as a self-employed gardener in time for next spring.

Unfortunately, I don't have much capital or business knowledge. I am, however, RHS qualified. I can get my hands on a van and have most of the required tools.

Am I wise to consider this as a carerer move? I know that the custom would be slow at first, but I live in a large city so hope that there is a good market out there.

How will I know about what fees to charge, etc?

Is there any friendly advice you can offer me?

tizhimi

There are loads of courses available for free via business link on setting up your own business. In Sheffield we have BiG who help people from low incomes and bad post codes to set up in business.

People are cutting back on luxuries near me (such as having a gardener) and doing it themselves. If you think you could get the work go for it, just do your market research. Most businesses fail because the owners thought "oh it'll work" rather than asking themselves the hard questions.

PlutoinCapricorn

There are many aspects to this:

the first step for anyone is to try https://www.businesslink.gov.uk where there is a lot of free advice and workshops.

Would it be possible to build up slowly perhaps alongside a job, and move over when you have enough customers?

Googling "self employed gardener" will give you a lot of information. Walking around locally looking at cards in windows might show you what some of the competition are charging.

smartpicture

I helped my ex set up as a self-employed gardener, having been self-employed myself.

1. Gardening is very seasonal work. I know there is work you can do in a garden all year round, but a lot of customers just want someone through the obvious summer months, so you need to diversify into something you can do to earn money in the winter as well. For example, laying patios or more advanced stonework, or putting up fences.

2. Being self-employed is only one-third about being good at the job you are actually paid to do. Then it's one-third about how good you are about finding business, because no matter how good you are its no use unless you get yourself known and get poeple asking for quotes, and manage to sell yourself and your services well enough to get the job at a profitable rate.

3. The last third is being in control of the paperwork, doing professional quotes in a timely fashion, having a system for chasing up quotes, producing timely quotes and a system for ensuring payment is made on time & chasing up late payers, putting enough money aside from each job for future tax payments, keeping adequate records for tax purposes etc.

4. When you work out your quotes, you'll probably base them on a daily or hourly rate. Don't forget that you also have to cover the time & petrol you spend doing quotes that you may or may not get, going to collect supplies, days when the weather is against you, days when you don't have any work, travelling between jobs etc.

I could say lots more, but hopefully that gives you some things to think about!