Landscaping Entrepreneur

310 Hours/12 Months/Instructor Supported

Course Overview:

This Landscaping course provides the basic knowledge and industry information needed to be successful in the field of landscape design and architecture. Focusing on three areas of professional practice; design, contracting, and management, traditional topics such as design, plant installation, and pricing, as well as topics not found in most other resources, such as interior landscaping, xeriscaping, water gardens, and safety are discussed.

Successful landscapers and lawn care professionals reveal their secrets to success in this $20 billion industry. With all the homes, business parks, apartment complexes, shopping malls and hospitals that need landscaping, you can tailor your services and create your dream job. Your business can range from the simple-mowing and edging lawns, raking leaves and clipping hedges-to applying chemicals and fertilizer, trimming and shaping trees, designing landscapes and more.

Our landscaping course offers quality career training filled with a number of professional landscaping ideas and tips. The course even includes information on how to start a landscaping business. If you're interested in starting a new career, want to learn more about landscaping, or just want to spruce up your yard, then this course is for you!

This program includes a "Start Your Own Business" class will help you create the business you want. Throughout this course you will be working on your business plan and creating a quick comprehensive overview of the elements you want in your new business.

Have you ever eaten a Mrs. Fields cookie? Used an Apple computer? Listened to a hip-hop CD? Entrepreneurs brought these products to your world. People that start their own businesses and work for themselves are called entrepreneurs. For an entrepreneur the sky is the limit as far as earnings are concerned. An entrepreneur is someone who's recognized an opportunity to start a business that other people may not have noticed -- and jumps at it a skillfully. Entrepreneur can shape and create an opportunity where others see little or nothing -- or see it too early or too late.

The Landscaping Entrepreneur program includes 2 courses:

Landscaping
Start Your Own Business

Course Outline:

Landscaping

Landscaping Module 1
Landscape Designing

Using Drawing Instruments
Learning Lettering
Graphic Materials & Techniques
Design Sheet Layout
Understanding the Site
Performing a Site Analysis
The Landscaping Process
Interviewing the Client
The Outdoor Room Concept
Plant Selection
Plant Nomenclature
Plant Grading Standards

Landscaping Module 2
The Principles of Design

The Foundation for Designing
Flowers in Landscaping
Flower Beds and Flower Borders
Xeriscape: Water-wise Landscaping
The Seven Principles of Xeriscaping
Hardscape: An Umbrella Term
Water Features
Outdoor Lighting
Landscape Enrichment
Technology in Landscaping
Pricing the Proposed Design
Presenting a Proposal

Landscaping Module 3
Landscape Contracting

Landscape Calculations
Understanding Contracts and Contractors
Contract Documents
Importance of Specifications
Staffing & Human Resources
Installing Landscape Plants
Selecting the Proper Grass
Lawn Construction
Landscape Irrigation
Interior Plantscaping
Water Gardens

Landscaping Module 4
Landscape Maintenance

Maintaining Landscape Plants
Pest Control
Pruning Trees & Shrubs
Plant Injuries: Identification & Care
How Insects and Diseases are Spread
Weeds and Fertilization
Care of the Lawn
Winterization of the Landscape
Pricing Landscape Maintenance
Safety in the Landscape Industry
Customer Service

Landscaping Module 5
Starting a Lawn Care or Landscaping Business

Industry Snapshot
Business Basics
Staffing Your Business
Types of Landscaping Businesses
Scope of Services
Conducting Market Research
Naming Your Business
Legal Aspects
Money Managing
Tools of the Trade & Equipment
Office Equipment
Industry Associations
Marketing Your Business
Your Cyber Salesperson
Writing and Producing a Newsletter
Networking with Others
Income and Operating Expenses
Your Formula for Success

Start Your Own Business

Start Your Own Business Module 1
What Business Do You Want to Start?

What Is an Entrepreneur?
Why be an Entrepreneur?
Costs and Benefits of Becoming an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship Options
An Idea Is Not Necessarily an Opportunity
Paths to Small Business Ownership
Making the Business Work on Your Terms
The Business Plan: Road Map to Success
Why Do You Need a Business Plan?
Business Plan Components
Business Plan Suggestions
Creating Business from Opportunity
Your Competitive Advantage
Feasibility: The "Economics of One Unit"

Start Your Own Business Module 2
Who Are Your Customers?

Exploring Your Market
Market Research Prepares You for Success
Know Your Customer
How Customers Decide to Buy
Which Segment of the Market Will You Target?
Market Positioning
Developing the Right Marketing Mix
The Four Marketing Factors
Product: What Are You Selling?
Price: What It Says About Your Product
Place: Location, Location, Location!
Promotion: Advertising + Publicity
Marketing as a Fixed Cost
Smart Selling and Effective Customer Service
The Sales Call
Successful Businesses Need Customers Who Return
Customer Service IS Marketing

Start Your Own Business Module 3
Show Me the Money!: Finding, Securing and Managing It

What Does It Cost to Operate a Business?
Start-Up Investment
Fixed and Variable Costs: Essential Building Blocks
Calculating Critical Costs
Creating Financial Statements for the Journal
Three Rules for Managing Your Cash
Using Financial Statements to Guide a Business
Income Statements
Balance Sheets
Financial Ratio Analysis
Cash Flow: The Lifeblood of a Business
The Value of Money Changes Over Time
Taxes
Financing Strategy: Debt, Equity or Both?
What Is the Best Type of Financing for Your Business?
Gifts and Grants
Debt Financing
Equity Financing
Accessing Sources through Online Networking
Investors Want Their Money to Grow

Start Your Own Business Module 4
Operating a Small Business Effectively

Business Legal Structures
Contracts: The Building Blocks of Business
Protecting What You Have: Intellectual Property
Risk Management
Licenses, Permits and Certificates
Operating for Success
The Production-Distribution Chain
Supply Chain Management
The Idea-to-Product Process
Job Shops
Manufacturing Tips
Defining Quality
Organization Wide Quality Initiatives
Using Technology to Your Advantage
Setting the Tone for the Company
Leadership Comes from Self-Esteem
Adding Employees to Your Business
Corporate Management: Team Building
Ethical leadership
Human Resources Fundamentals
What Do You Want from Your Business?
Growth Through Licensing and Franchising
Harvesting and Exiting Options
Creating Wealth by Selling a Profitable Business
Exit Strategy Options
100 Business Ideas

Materials Included:

Landscaping Principles & Practices by Jack E. Ingels
Start Your Own Lawn care or Landscaping Business by Eileen Sandlin
Entrepreneurship: Starting and Operating a Small Business (2nd Edition) by Steve Mariotti and Caroline Glackin

System Requirements:

Internet Access

Broadband or high-speed internet access is required. Broadband includes DSL, cable, and wireless connections.
Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Moodle pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.

Hardware

Windows hardware configurations and processors are acceptable.
Mac computers MUST have Microsoft Window Operating Systems over Bootcamp (Bootcamp is a free download from Apple's website).
1 GB RAM recommended
Software
Operating Systems
Windows XP or Vista and Mac OS X 10 and higher with Windows
Web Browsers
Google Chrome
Safari, Internet Explorer & FireFox are not currently recommended as they cannot display certain Moodle editing menus for both students and instructors
Adobe PDF Reader
Media Plug-ins (These may be required depending on your course media-click on the links below to download the latest versions)
Adobe Flash Player
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Apple Quicktime
Windows Media Player
Real Player
PowerPoint Viewer (use this if you don't have PowerPoint)

Landscaping Entrepreneur