Backyard Entrepreneur^TM

Exterior Decorator

Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire, he is still only a whisker away from the wilds.
-- Jean Burden

Make money as an entrepreneur at home as an expert designer of backyards -- as an exterior decorator.  As an extra touch, set up garden railroads.

Create Beautiful Exteriors 

As an exterior decorator, you will get to do what interior decorators.  But, as the name implies, you get to spruce up backyards and outdoor spaces.  You get to decorate with accessories that you (or your clients) select.  It will be up to you to create a backyard atmosphere that brings life and creativity to bland areas. There are so many ways that you can help others with this, making the opportunities endless for this exciting and profitable career. Just think of the excitement and fun you will have!  You can find clients who have plain, boring backyards and offer your services to them.  Use your imagination or your flair for design.  Work with clients to decide what items they would like in their backyards, or what kind of theme they are going for.  Shop with them online and pick out useful, pretty, or just plain fun decorations.You can also help arrange the items in their backyards, such as deciding the best location of a grill or a garden bridge.

Add shutters and window film to windows to cut glare and save on cooling and heating costs. 

Add outdoor structures for added living space and interest.

Decorate your garden with all kinds of hanging, dangling items of interest.  Your garden is in your backyard, of course.  The neighbors and the neighborhood associations might object to your taste in décor if you do this in your front yard.  Seems your front yard is enjoyed by everyone.  Your backyard belongs to you and your birds and to no one else. 

You can hang decorations and feeders from trees and poles.  Make certain that the metal poles do not rust and are made of powder coated steel.   What is powder coated steel?  A hot  polyester powdered resin is applied to a steel pole as it is dipped into the mixture.  It weathers well and lasts for years.

Besides feeders filled with seeds, hang flower pots filled with flowers for hummingbirds.  For a great list of flowers that will attract these tiny birds go to:  http://www.dianeseeds.com/flowers/hummingbirds.html.

You, or at least the birds, will also enjoy the beauty of all kinds of other dangly objects.  Here is a list.

Windchimes - Be certain they make a soft, sweet sound and are not so loud as to scare off your birds. Wood windchimes may work well. 

Suncatchers 

Suet feeders

Suet cakes 

Flying bird mobiles

Windsocks, especially red ones to attract hummingbirds

Hippie beads

Engineer a Garden Railway

It takes time and effort, but every backyard should make room for an old fashioned miniature train running around the perimeter, across the center of the yard, over bridges, and under decks.  Set yourself up as the expert who can install these wonderful relics of the past.  Add all kinds of scenery, shops, and signs along the tracks.  Make it as simple or as elaborate as your customer's budget allows.

Add a larger railway system.  This can be run on batteries, electricity, or pedal power. Haul a few kids at a time around your yard. You might need a track, or just a dirt path.

Run your train at a park, your backyard, the zoo, or anywhere kids cluster.

© Backyard Entrepreneur^TM 2007

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