Working in the field of landscaping enables one to spend time in nature through designing and planting gardens that meet the needs and desires of customers. My short term career path is owning a landscaping company. As a landscape architect, I can take the opportunity of working for an already developed landscaping firm where I would earn enough revenue to be able to venture on my own business. In addition, I plan on researching on literature that is in line with my profession, which will assist me in leveraging my project management. Additionally, I plan on placing my service enhancement and excellence at the forefront of my objectives. It is essential to understand the competitive landscape environment, market appetite, and new revenue opportunities to identify the most profitable approach to my company goals.
The landscaping field is a seasonal business which is low during the winter in approximately two-thirds of the nation. The plan is to identify my area and its climate, which fall under the prime growing months from about April to October. A landscaping company owner would market his or her services aggressively during the spring to get enough clients to ensure business flow through the summer. During the fall, the firm should be winterizing the lawns, collecting past-due accounts and raking leaves. There should be knowledge of how much to be charging per square foot before making an estimate. This is because the lawn care field is highly competitive. It is vital not to overprice for the services (Richbell, 2006). The professional firms and publications serving the lawn care industry might be able to assist since most of them conduct annual member studies. Specifically, I might concentrate on the Lawn and Landscape magazine's State of Industry Report that appears in different monthly issues to assist in improving the business.
Career possibilities in landscape architecture are initially open to the university graduates in landscape architecture. Even though access to the jobs is not regulated, a Bachelor's degree is practically important in the industry. A majority of the large design and construction companies hiring individuals to operate their landscape design services necessitate a bachelor's degree. if possible in majors like landscape architecture or landscape design. Colleges with such types of programs have reported that the landscape design position of national firms is one career opportunity for most graduates. A degree in landscape design, architecture or an associated field prepares the students through units in drawing, planting design, horticulture, landscape maintenance and construction principles. Degree students require completing the multiple hands-on projects, and they might also take some courses in bidding, business management, contracts and estimation.
Landscape architects do not put the plants or the hard landscaping materials on the ground. Instead, they have skills used at the planning level, operating with the engineers, city planners, the private property owners and numerous government departments to work together on the projects that range from developing the city parks and the roads to the flood-water mitigation planning of green spaces (Richbell, 2006).
My lifetime career goals might change given the development expected in the construction industry and the rise in demand for the services of landscaping. As a result, the number of landscape companies will increase significantly. Therefore, landscaping companies will face strong competition since numerous landscaping professionals will offer their services at a lower cost. Venturing into the field of being a consultant in the landscaping business might be a good venture in the long-term.
References
Richbell, S. M. (2006). Owner-managers and Business Planning in the Small Firm. International Small Business Journal, 24(5), 496-514. doi:10.1177/0266242606067275
