1.Preface
2.A Growing Opportunity
Why Start A Gardening Business?; Who Will Want Your Services?; Your Skills And Aptitudes; Have You Got What It Takes?; How Much Time Will Your Business Need?; Finding Your Niche; Carrying Out Some Initial Market Research; Summary;
3.Essential Planning For You And Your Business
The Importance Of Business Planning; Planning A Strategy; Writing Your Business Plan; Detailing Your Business Idea; Preparing An Initial Cash Flow Forecast; Preparing A Profit And Loss Forecast; Contingency Planning; Is Your Idea Viable?; Summary;
4.What’s Involved In Starting And Running A Gardening Round?
Knowing What You’re Letting Yourself In For; Working Out The Costs Of Providing Your Service; Getting Started; Coping With The Paperwork; Limitations Of A Gardening Round; Offer Domestic Maintenance Contracts; Summary;
5.The General Gardening Business
The Inner Workings Of A General Gardening Business; Some Services Offered By A General Gardening Business; Getting Started; Tools; Vehicles; Financing Your Business; Getting The Business – Quotes And Estimates; Some Other Issues; Summary;
6.Seasonal Opportunities
The Benefit Of Spin-Offs; You Can Specialise; Lawn-Cutting Service; Build It And Fix-It Service; Mobile Plant Nursery; Gardening Coaching Service; Always Something To Do In A Garden; Summary;
7.Launching Your Business
Preparing For Growth; Creating The Right Image; Standing Out From The Crowd; Business Stationery; Bank Accounts; Getting Your First Customers – The Gardening Round; Launch Strategy For Other Businesses; Summary;
8.Bookkeeping And Administration Systems
Tax For The Self-Employed; Value Added Tax; Bookkeeping – The Options; Completing Your Annual Tax Return; Getting Paid Every Time And On Time; Staffing Issues; Summary;
9.The Gardening Calendar
A Year In The Gardening Business; January; February; March; April; May; June; July; August; September; October; November; December; Summary;
10.Avoiding Seasonal Blues
When Things Don’t Always Go To Plan; Factors Outside Your Control; Difficult People And Situations; Handling Complaints; Motivation – Keeping Going; Building Your Knowledge; Successful Selling;
11.Growing Your Business
Expansion Is Good For Your Business; The Commercial Market; One Last Thing; Summary;