According to IBISworld, the largest sector of the landscaping industry of the UK is garden maintenance, which accounts for a third of its revenue. The need for garden maintenance businesses has grown in recent years, as the public sector increasingly outsources these services.
People in the UK have long been proud of their lush green lawns and parks; however, as people work harder and become more strapped for time, garden maintenance is often also outsourced by householders.
Did you know that the combined area of the UK's domestic gardens is approximately the same as the whole of Somerset, and that UK adults spend around £1.5 billion each year on plants for their gardens? (Source: Horticultural Trades Association).
The garden maintenance industry is clearly blooming. A gardening franchise lends itself particularly well to scalable business, allowing you to grow at your own pace.
The UK Gardening Industry
Gardening has always been a passionate pastime for Britons over the years, with about 30 million people partaking in gardening annually. On average, a UK household will spend £150 on gardening products per year. (TGI survey, Kantar Media )
Some other gardening facts and figures:
- As of 2020, there are nearly 165,000 gardeners and landscapers working in the industry (Statistia) .
- There are 2,000 plus garden centres across the UK
- 8 out 10 adults have access to a private garden (HTA)
- More than 40% of Britons say that enjoy gardening tasks in their spare time (YouGov for HTA)
- In a ‘YouGov for HTA’ survey, nearly 90% of all British adults have said that having access to either a garden or a public green space is very important to them.
After the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, Britain was forced into a lockdown for the guts of a year and as a result, the general public had more time to immerse themselves with projects around their house, with gardening proving to be a popular way to pass the time among a high proportion of adults. Whether it be planting flowers or maintaining the lawns, long-term investment in gardening and landscaping is on the rise.
While it’s clear the population are garden lovers, they also don’t mind outsourcing all their gardening and landscaping needs to gardeners and contractors when necessary. With the public’s passion for gardening invigorated, there has never been a better time to tap into a transformed and highly profitable industry.
Franchising
Looking to start a business but not sure if you have the resources or capital to build up a company from scratch? With franchising, you don’t need to worry about the uphill struggle of starting a new business as you already are buying into an established and successful enterprise. You won’t have to ‘go it alone’ as you have the parent franchise supporting you every step of the way.
With a plethora of resources at their disposal, the parent company can offer you all that you need to continue the success of your franchised unit. Whether it’s marketing or advertising strategies, training and support, or advice on customer/client retention, the parent franchise is available to provide you with the necessary tools and materials to set you on the right path to success.
Financing
Financing for a franchise is also less expensive than if you were to look for a capital for a small, independent business. Banks will look more favourably on an entrepreneur that is seeking a franchise loan as there is inherently less risk when investing in an established business than a start-up.
Additionally, some franchises will offer financial assistance to their new franchisees, either directly or through a third party.
Franchises on Offer
There are a wide range of franchises available within the industry that focus on lawn care, landscaping or general gardening work.
Some include:
Lawn Care - Maintaining a pristine lawn is both a time-consuming and difficult task so is it surprising that home-owners prefer to outsource lawn care to contractors and gardeners? Greensleeves Lawn Treatment Experts is one of the UK’s oldest lawn care treatment franchises and is renowned for providing their clients high-quality and affordable lawn care services. As they offer expert training, no experience is required for potential franchise owners!
As lawn care management can be expensive over a long period of time, many homeowners are now seeking out alternative options for their lawn, such as artificial grass. Not only is Trulawn Artificial Grass an innovative, management franchise that has a high earning potential for franchisees, the business is one of the only grass franchises that has fully recyclable product options available for clients!
Landscaping - It’s not just lawn care and maintenance that is hot property right now. Landscaping design and architecture are also popular business ventures as more and more homeowners wish to transform their front and back gardens. Approved Resin Driveways is one of many landscaping helping their clients ‘revolutionise’ their driveways. What sets them apart is their reputation for not only using traditional methods for installing new driveway, but also using high-quality resin bound materials too. Following the surge in demand for the resin-based landscaping, the franchise decided to specialise in the installation of resin bound driveways and patios. With a customer-base of 150,000 this is a franchise opportunity not to be missed.
With many more diverse gardening and landscape franchises available on the market, it is a clear indication that the market demand for all things gardening from the general public will also fuel the creation of new enterprises.
Gardening Franchises
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to explore the gardening industry, then now is your moment. The gardening and landscaping market is predicted to continue its growth throughout the next decade so you don’t want to miss out on this lucrative opportunity.
To get involved in this robust service industry, why not start with Franchise Direct? We have all the information and advice you need to make an informed decision before making a franchise investment.