Start a garden design and project management business

Homeowners who want a finished garden without managing tradespeople, plus small commercial clients such as offices and pubs.

A design fee plus a project management fee, often a percentage of the build cost or a fixed sum. Some designers also earn a margin on plants and materials.

• Garden design and planting knowledge
• Budgeting and quoting
• Managing tradespeople and timelines
• Clear communication with clients

• Public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and check that every contractor has their own cover
• Be clear in contracts about who is responsible for defects, delays and extra costs
• Check whether the work needs planning permission, building regulations approval or checks for trees and utilities
• If you employ people directly, employer's liability insurance is likely to be needed, and check health and safety duties on site
• Payment risk if clients are late, so consider staged payments

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £1,500 to £7,000, depending on your set-up. Treat this as a guide only, and build your own budget from real quotes for insurance, tools and anything else you need before taking your first client.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £1,500 to £7,500, depending on how many projects you take on and how large they are. Late client payments can affect cash flow, so it is worth considering staged payments.

Check that you have public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and that every contractor has their own cover. Also check whether each job needs planning permission, building regulations approval or checks for trees and utilities, and whether employer's liability applies if you employ people directly.