Small Backyard Landscaping IDEAS do myself
Pet Sitting Image (c) Hero Images / Getty Images
More and more people are looking for someone to care for their pets when they can’t – people who don’t like the idea of putting “precious” into a kennel. Professional pet care givers comes into the home to care for the pet while the owner is away, feeding, walking, and playing with the animal(s). If you love animals and are knowledgeable about them, this could be a great business for you. According to the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), in-home pet-care is one of the fastest growing industries in North America today.
Requirements: Knowledge of and affinity with animals, good time management skills. Currently accreditation and special training is not required (although this may change). You should be bonded and insured.
Variations on the theme: Dog walking services, other pet business ideas.
Residential Cleaning Services Image (c) andresr / Getty Images
Having your house cleaned by someone else is no longer only for the rich. With everyone getting busier all the time, more people than ever are willing to pay to get the benefits of a cleaner home and more free time to do things they consider to be more important. Residential cleaning services are normally provided on a once-a-month or once-a-week basis. If you’re an organized person who can build a clientele, you could do extremely well if you start a cleaning business.
Requirements: Knowledge of cleaning products and procedures. The ability to attract and keep reliable staff. Strong scheduling and organizational abilities.
Variations on the theme: Specialized cleaning services, such as blind cleaning.
Delivery Services Image (c) MachineHeadz / Getty Images
We’re all familiar with the “big names” in the delivery industry, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no room for the little guy (or gal). If you can deliver things quickly and efficiently in your local area at a reasonable price, this may be a good business idea for you.
Requirements: Clean driving record and good driving skills. Strong organizational skills. A suitable vehicle; it may be necessary to transport large items.
Variations on the theme: Delivery services of a particular product, such as establishing an organic vegetable box route.
Grass Cutting /Snow Removal Services Image (c) Vstock / Getty Images
We mow our own grass here (and remove our own snow). But we’re in the minority in our neighborhood. Many people would rather spend the money on having someone else keep their yard looking good. The great thing is that in many places, you can combine lawn care and snow removal and have a viable business all year long.
Requirements: Equipment, such as power mowers, edgers, etc. You need to be prepared to trim as well as to mow. Trucks equipped with blades for snow clearing. Basic mechanical knowledge to run and repair equipment.
Variations on the theme: For those with more knowledge and experience, landscaping and or gardening services.
Scrapbooking Image (c) Sharon Dominick / Getty Images
I freely admit that I know little about scrapbooking. But I do know that scrapbooking is a growing industry (of about $3 billion a year currently) and that kind of popularity tells me that it’s a business idea that could be very profitable. You can start a business as a creator of original scrapbooks or by becoming a consultant for a scrapbook business that’s already established.
Requirements: Artistic talent. Knowledge of scrapbooking (which you can get through research and experience or by taking scrapbooking courses). Materials to make scrapbooks.
Variations on the theme: Specializing in a particular type of memory book, such as books memorializing the lives of beloved pets.
Hauling Services Image (c) Dream Pictures / Getty Images
Ever try to fit a sheet of plywood into the back of one of those new compact SUVs? Then you know why the demand for hauling services is on the rise. Besides the size issue, there’s the whole issue of things that people don’t want to haul in their own shiny vehicles, such as yard waste or loads of compost for the garden. All the things they don’t want to or can’t haul could be money in your pocket.
Requirements: A suitable vehicle or vehicles and a clean driving record. Sometimes a strong back if you’re loading the material yourself.
Variations on the theme: Specializing in hauling a particular product, such as delivering loads of compost or soil for gardeners.
eBay Selling Image (c) Janie Airey / Getty Images
eBay’s popularity continues to explode. I personally know very few people who haven’t bought or sold something on eBay. But did you know that eBay is also a solid business idea? If you have a product that there’s a demand for and that is suitable for being sold online and shipped to the purchaser, eBay selling may be the way to go. It can be a more inexpensive option than setting up your own online store and eBay offers all kinds of information to help you sell successfully – including eBay seminars.
Requirements: A worthy product or products. A computer. Knowledge of online selling and shipping. For more information on selling on eBay successfully see my article 7 Tips for Selling on eBay.
Variations on the theme: Moving from eBay auctions to having your own eBay online store.
Gutter & Siding Cleaning Image (c) Bobbi Gathings / Getty Images
One of the easiest ways to make money is to be willing and able to do things that other people don’t want to do. For many homeowners, chores such as gutter and siding cleaning are right up there on the “I don’t want to do that” list. Besides being messy, there’s always an element of danger involved when people are working with ladders.
Requirements: Ladders, hoses, buckets etc. A head for heights and appropriate safety equipment.
Variations on the theme: Add more outside cleaning services to your offerings, such as window cleaning.
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Event Planning Image (c) Dave Mcleod
Are you an extremely organized person who can successfully work to deadlines?
Do you handle crises well and have strong interpersonal and communication skills?
Obviously, event planners plan events. But you may not be aware of the scope of possibilities. Corporations, hotels, non-profit organizations, municipalities and government organizations all have a need for event planners to put together everything from conferences through pedestrian only days.
Or you might specialize in a particular kind of event, such as becoming a festival or wedding planner.
And you do not need a degree to become an event planner.
Requirements: Strong organizational, planning and communication skills. Eye for detail and ability to work to deadlines.
Variations on the theme: See above; there are all kinds of event planning opportunities available.
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Gardening/ Landscaping Services Image (c) Tom Merton / Getty Images
Gardening has been one of the most popular hobbies throughout the U.S. and Canada for the last twenty years and today its popularity is increasing, perhaps thanks to people’s increasing interest in the quality of food they’re feeding themselves and their families. (Plus, as an avid gardener myself, I can vouch for the fact that there’s nothing tastier than something fresh pulled or dug from the garden!)
But gardening is no armchair hobby; it takes time and work to make a garden flourish – two things that many would-be gardeners aren’t able to provide. Working people with families are often short on time while many aging gardeners have physical ailments of one kind or another that prevent them from doing all the outside work they would like to do.
Those are two problems you can solve by providing gardening and/or landscaping services. From basic weeding and spreading mulch through hardscaping, there are all kinds of business opportunities here for skilled, willing hands.
Requirements: Physical fitness. Knowledge of plants, gardening techniques and possibly landscaping and design principles.
Variations on the theme: Garden planning and landscape design; specialized gardening such as xeriscaping.
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DJing Image (c) Hill Street Studios / Getty Images
