At the best of times, starting a business is a risky proposition. In the kind of conditions that have plagued the world over the last year, starting a business can seem like a clear sign of madness. Yet, it is for these risks that entrepreneurs are rewarded with profits. Without skin in the game, without taking on risk, it is impossible to earn profits. To dare is to do. Indeed, many great firms have been founded in the thick of crisis. Companies such as Procter & Gamble, Tiffany & Co., General Motors, Microsoft, Burger King, and many more, were founded when uncertainty was high and the obstacles seemed impossible. So, for those potential entrepreneurs thinking about founding a landscaping business, in the near future, I say to you that now is the time to strike. Many experts in the green industry believe that this is the best time to invest in the sector.
Shravya Peddigari, a graduate research assistant at the University of Maryland, College Park, specializing in turfgrass management, is one potential entrepreneur who has decided that she will begin a landscaping business. Peddigari participated in an international training program at Longwood Gardens, Philadelphia, that inspired her to learn more about turf management. A passion for the field emerged and led to her focusing on the subject for her masters. Though she is very keen on starting a landscaping business, she plans on doing so in her own unique way, focusing on organic lawn maintenance.
She believes that organic management of laws is extremely attractive because of the huge demand for organic management. She also believes that she has a compelling value proposition given her research field. Not many people in the field can say that they have advanced their education as far as she has, which would attract a large number of clients looking for high quality organic management.
Peddigari correctly believes that every company must strive to have a unique value proposition and competitive advantage. In a world of intense competition, it is important to be able to stand apart from the crowd. Her value proposition relies, not only on her research, but also on her current projects and her focus on organic management. Certainly, landscaping companies that offer an organic gardening service have an edge over their competitors because of the sustainability and environmental-friendliness of their practices.
Peddigari believes that the industry has too few women and people of colour, and this has been a huge motivation for her entering the industry.
She says that she has met with a lot of support from industry professionals, support which has strengthened her conviction to start a landscaping business. Every entrepreneur must find the motivation to work and build support structures to enable their work. Like many readers, the economics of the pandemic worried her greatly. Yet, her research showed her that it was precisely this time that she just had to start her landscaping business. The sector has grown immensely since the beginning of the pandemic, especially as landscape workers were classed as essential workers by authorities, which allowed them to work when other industries were shutting down.
