insideKENT Magazine Issue 87 - June 2019 | Page 176

BUSINESS
8 TOP TIPS TO
MAKE YOUR GARDENING
BUSINESS BLOOM
by Bea Montoya, Chief Operating Officer at Simply Business
www.simplybusiness.co.uk
1. Check in with previous clients 4. Go to spring shows
If some of your clients haven’t used your services
over the winter, now’s the time to check in and see
if their gardens need some attention again. A friendly
email or phone call should do the trick, ideally with
some personalised suggestions for what you could
do with their garden this year. Spring brings a whole bunch of gardening events
around the country, including plant fairs and shows.
Events like these can be a great chance to chat to
other people in the industry and to meet potential
clients. Remember to take plenty of business cards
and flyers.
2. Refresh your website At some events, you may be able to apply for a stall
so that you can sell your homegrown products or
run a workshop, which could be good ways of
promoting your gardening business. But remember,
it’s likely that you’ll need stallholder insurance if
you’re going to trade at events.
Now is also a good time to spring-clean your business
website and social media platforms, making sure
that all your details are up-to-date and that your
website includes a full list of your services. If you
have a blog, consider writing an article with some
spring 2019 gardening tips, including what you’ll be
planting this year.
3. Offer a spring tidy-up service
One good way of attracting new clients
and reconnecting with previous clients could be to
offer a well-priced tidy-up service for gardens that
need some attention after winter. Your spring
package could include basics like mowing,
trimming and weeding, getting gardens neat and
prepped for planting.
5. Don’t get caught out
Although warm, wet weather is predicted for
late spring, forecasters reckon we could still
experience some frosts, so don’t plant out anything
tender too early.
6. Make sure you’re protected
With a busy few months ahead, gardeners will be
visiting more clients and getting their hands dirty
with more work.
Sorting out public liability insurance – which can
cover you if you injure a member of the public or
cause damage to their property – should be high on
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the priority list before the work picks up. It’s also
worth keeping in mind that you’ll legally need to
cover any employees – even if they’re only temporary
– with employers’ liability insurance.
7. Find the right kit in the sales
As it looks like we’re likely to experience all kinds of
weather over the next few months, make sure you’re
properly kitted out. Look out for spring sales, as you
may be able to get a good discount on clothes for
wet and wintry weather. Good boots, micro fleeces,
and waterproof jackets and trousers should see you
through bad weather.
8. Get into good tax habits to make 2019-
20 the best for your business
The 2019-20 tax year ended on 5th April and
the 2020-21 tax year has begun, so while the
deadline is still a way off, now is the perfect time to
get into good tax habits. If your business accounts
have been a bit chaotic in the past, make 2019-20
the year of excellent record keeping. Now could be
a good time to get an accountant, open a business
bank account, or start using a business accounting
app, for example.