Interior Landscaping Service
Startup Costs: Under $2,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? Yes
Online Operation? No
If you're a plant lover and you can't be dragged away from the garden department of any store, then an interior plantscape (also called plant maintenance or interior landscape contractor) business is the one for you. You'll feed, water, prune and doctor indoor plants on a weekly basis for residential and commercial customers--from small offices to major shopping malls. You'll also lease plants, caring for them along with your other green charges, replacing them at no extra cost if they become unhealthy, and provide seasonal plant décor from winter holiday poinsettias to spring tulips. You can also design hardscapes--indoor fountains, planters and other indoor garden-oriented amenities. This can be a growing field, especially if you educate your clients about indoor air quality (IAQ), one of the newest health trends around. Plants, especially some varieties, scrub the air of environmental pollutants, from formaldehyde in carpet fibers to smoke and smog in our air. The advantages to this business are that you can start part-time, your initial costs are minimal, and if you like helping things grow, then you'll be in plant heaven every working day. Besides that green thumb, you'll need a working knowledge of indoor plants, their care and feeding, including what blooms in what season and which plants grow best under what lighting and humidity conditions. And if you'll be working on hardscapes, you'll need a knowledge of interior design and architectural elements as well.
The Market
Your customers can be residential and commercial, but businesses will provide a greater income with less drive time, especially if you sign up large corporations or office parks, or buildings where you can service a lot of clients in one stop. You can also target restaurants, hotels and institutions. Hand-deliver brochures to prospective business customers. Place ads in local publications. Build up a referral network at garden centers and nurseries.
Needed Equipment
All you really need are soil probes (regular size and perhaps a 4-footer for those towering indoor palms), watering cans, a pair of plant-snippers, plant foods and chemical insect controls, and a reliable vehicle to take you on your rounds.
Interior Landscaping Service Ideas
Renovation Service
Reinvigorate people's homes with a renovation service.
Remodeling Project Management
Coordinate all the different people and companies involved in a remodeling project to keep homeowners happy.
Home Storage Solutions
Help others clean up their clutter with a home storage solution business.
More from Business Ideas
Agile Project Management — 4 Key Strategies for Navigating Complexity and Driving Results
There is no way around it, efficiency is crucial for project success. Agile principles allow teams to easily navigate complexity, breaking down projects into manageable tasks.
This Former Flight Attendant and Her Roommate Started a Side Hustle With Just $2,000 Each. Then It Earned Them Nearly $600,000 — and Counting.
Rachael Leina'ala Soares and Heather Aiu co-founded ALOHA Collection in 2014 — inspired by a "wet bikini" and "sweaty yoga gear."
He Started a Business on the Side of the Road. Then He Did 'the Scariest Thing Ever' — and Got $200,000 From Barbara Corcoran.
Jeremy Carlson, founder and CEO of Crispy Cones, was inspired to recreate a sweet treat after visiting the Czech Republic.