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Published on 01/05/06

Program teaches basics of new landscape business

You enjoy working in the yard, and you see lots of landscape and lawn maintenance companies around. How hard could running that kind of company be?

Well, nine out of every 10 new businesses fail within three years, most in the first year. Given such dismal odds, you may be leery of starting a business.

But the odds are better than you think. Landscaping and lawn maintenance are service businesses, which can succeed even in a competitive market.

Other things that make starting a service business easier are that you can begin with little investment and with low overhead.

Most businesses fail because they can't survive slow periods or cash crunches. If you manage a service business well, though, you can design it to survive these problems. Slow times won't cause a financial hardship.

More help

One more thing will help make your startup easier: You can attend the Green Industry Business School Feb. 1 at the Chicopee Woods Ag Center in Gainesville, Ga.

This one-day program will address core issues for the landscape and turf industry in northeast Georgia. Topics include "managing by the numbers," "how to submit a winning bid," "finding and keeping good employees" and "pesticide licensing and record keeping."

The program is sponsored by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Hall County and the UGA Small Business Development Center. The cost is $75.

To learn more, call the Hall County UGA Extension office at (770) 531-6988. To register, visit www.sbdc.uga.edu/ce/gainesville.

 

Billy Skaggs is the Hall County Cooperative Extension coordinator with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Billy Skaggs
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