I started my first gardening business when I was thirteen years of age. It was a simple affair run with two customers who I visited every Saturday. During the school holidays my operation expanded where I would get up earlier and pick fruit and vegetables from neighbouring farms and then sell this produce to my customers at a considerable profit.

I had the perfect business. An ever-plentiful supply of customers who relied on my attending to their gardening needs as well as supplying them with fresh fruit and vegetables.

When I finished school, acting on well-meaning advice, I closed my business, went to college, got a real job and eventually became thoroughly miserable.

Finally, in my early thirties, I had tired of working for a large organisation and grown weary of meaningless annual appraisals, dirty loos, vacuum packed sandwiches, open-plan fluorescent hell offices and bosses I truly detested. One day I finally snapped, told my employers where to stick it and did what everyone at least once in their life yearns to do – walked out the door and waved it all goodbye.

I made a promise to myself that I would no longer be a steward on someone else’s Titanic, but captain of my own future. The only way this could be achieved was for me to employ myself.

But what could I do? What sort of business could I possibly start and run? I had no ready capital, no savings, no business experience and like everyone else had all those monthly bills to pay.

After searching for the impossible – a business you can start with no money – I thought back to those good old, carefree days when I ran my own gardening business and decided to go back to it. I’m glad I did for although the initial period was a struggle, I now enjoy the sense of achievement and freedom that only comes with knowing you have taken control of your life.

But despite my previous ‘experience’ with a gardening business, I learnt the hard way. Through trial and mostly expensive error I stumbled my way through my first year. What I lacked in experience and knowledge, I made up for with passion and enthusiasm. I realised that running a successful operation relied not just on gardening ability, but on a range of skills and business know-how.

I wrote the first edition of this book in 2003 when my business was finally making a profit. Since then my business has grown and diversified, but at its core are the same values and ethos as the first day I opened my business, which is to offer a quality, value-for-money service.

Since the first edition of this book was published in 2003, I’ve enjoyed many emails, letters and telephone calls from all sorts of people who, with the help of my book, have started their own successful gardening businesses. From disillusioned police and fire officers to redundant city brokers to those who just want a change of career, change of scenery or the freedom to run their own lives – this book has helped them.

My writings, advice and suggestions are from my own experiences in starting and running a gardening business. You won’t find any textbook theory or death-by-Powerpoint here. Every suggestion, tip and piece of advice has been hard won from the soil up, so to speak. My aim with this book is not to simply make you aware of potential pitfalls, but to show you the enormous possibilities that this type of business offers.

This updated edition contains advice and information on how you can go about expanding a one-person operation into a business where you employ others to work for you. However, my advice would be for those just starting out – better to start small and grow slowly rather than burst into the marketplace hoping to achieve overnight success.

For me personally, much has happened since the time I walked out on my salaried job and started my business. Today I enjoy a better standard of living than I did back then. I work on my terms now and enjoy what I do.

Without a doubt, starting your own gardening business is one of the most rewarding, life-changing things you can do. The satisfaction you get when you turn a tired, overgrown garden into something wonderful again is unparalleled.

This is a business where customers become your friends and the magic of the gardening becomes your life. Every day you’re making positive change. If you’re looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, then look elsewhere. That said, there are potentially enormous financial benefits for those who work hard and focus on building a successful business. There’s also plenty of opportunity for those who simply want to earn additional income and work only a few hours a week, but at their own pace and in their own time.

That’s the beauty of this business. You choose where and how far you want to go. You don’t need capital or specialist tools to get started. Neither do you need gardening qualifications or vast amounts of experience. Enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to learn are all you need to get started. To keep focused you’re going to need to have clear objectives, hopefully in the form of written goals, a positive outlook, and be prepared to slog it out when others would have given up. And to be truly successful you’re going to have to be prepared to accept that starting a successful gardening business doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to build up a successful client base and see a return on your hard work.

But don’t let that deter you. Getting to the successful stage might be hard work, but it’s also great fun. And the freedom you get when you know you’re in charge of your future makes every day special.

I hope you’ll join me in running what I still believe to be the greatest business in the world.

Paul Power
January 2007
Please do visit me online at www.paulpower.co.uk