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Gardeners trade still blooming despite recession

September 2009

Budget Van Insurance reveals the recession performance of UK’s tradespeople

Data released today by Budget Van Insurance shows that landscape gardeners are enjoying the healthiest trading compared to other professional tradespeople during the UK recession.

Budget Van Insurance’s survey reveals that only a handful of gardeners have had to make cutbacks to their business expenditure including staff and suppliers thus enjoying the most stability compared to other tradespeople such as builders, electricians, plumbers or carpenters.

The research also reveals an optimistic outlook for tradesman with 65 per cent of all respondents expecting their business levels to remain the same over the next six months. This is in contrast to the entertainment and leisure industry, for example, which is widely acknowledged to have been suffering in the recession.

Key findings from the research include:
  • All but one of the gardening firms surveyed have either stayed the same size or even expanded over the last year.
  • Plumbers have been suffering the most from cash-flow problems over the last year with 70 per cent of those surveyed saying they have experienced problems.
  • Carpenters in Scotland and the North of England are more concerned about the future of their business than carpenters in other areas of the UK.
  • Builders in the South-East seem to be enjoying the most stability compared to concerns elsewhere in the UK.
  • Of the respondents surveyed, 18 per cent have had to lay off staff over the last year.

Mnveer Arkan, Budget Van Insurance, says:

“Small business owners can often be hit the hardest in recessions as people tighten their belts and are less willing to pay for services that they believe they could undertake themselves.

“However, whilst it’s fair to say that all trades have been feeling the pinch, it seems that we think more of our gardens than we do our houses as gardeners seem to be holding up the best compared to other skilled tradesmen. Times are still tough and householders may well need to cut back even further which could have an even harsher adverse effect as the recession continues to bite.”

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