How hard is it to start a successful landscaping business?

I don't think it would be a hard thing to start, but to work on one maybe.

Do you want to become a landscaper or a garden maintenance man.

Landscaping you really need to get some qualifications or you can get yourself into big problems. You can't do some types of work, and you can't get insurance without qualifications as well. Where I live you also can't become licenced unless you are qualified and there are big fines if you do the work unlicenced.

Home garden maintenance is easier but it would be good to get some work with someone else to see the pros and cons before you went to the cost of starting your own business and then perhaps didn't make the money you wanted or didn't like the work. Again you would do a lot better if you knew what you were doing.

Yes, this is something you can do by yourself and you are much better off starting off by yourself.

I started a landscaping business in Fla., years ago, but I made two mistakes. I didn't buy or build a trailer and I strechted the jobs too far apart

Everyone down there wants you to use a catcher so I built me one. It worked perfect but was too wide to fit into my van without taking it apart.

It took me longer to get ready to mow a yard than it did to mow it ,

plus I had plenty of contracts but they were too far apart. I had to unload and load on every job.

I bought everything needed except a trailer that I could unload and load fast and I was young and dumb. Worked my butt off and got nowhere.

If you are going to start a company like this, it is an easy one to get started, but it takes a while to start showing a good profit.

Get yourself set for that.

Every contract you get, do your dangdest to get another one or many more in the same area to keep road time down.

You are spending dollars going from one job to another instead of making them.

Make sure you have equipment that you aren't having to work on and keep getting at it.

To get started, you need a NEW zero turn mower, weed eater, and backpack blower. And you have got to have a trailer. Don't think about loading it on a pick up or old van.

According to where you are at, you may need a catcher for the mower.

The largest thing you need is enough year round contracts. If you will e-mail me I will explain what you need in the contracts to cover your butt.

If you can buy the above items, and you aren't lazy, you can not only get a company started, but in a couple of years you won't be cutting the grass. Your hired help will be doing so, but pay them well so you have good dependable help.

Good luck and God Bless.

Dennis

P.S.

I read the last post and getting a licence is something you should do, but this one of the easiest ones to get there is. Qualifacations are nil. What do you have to know to cut grass prune shrubs. Jess, some people. ROFLMAO

It will probably cost you less than a hundred bucks to get licenced and bonded, meaning insured.

It was less than 200 bucks for my last contractors licence and I live in Va. with tight codes compared to most states, and I could do a job up too $85,000.00 .

I don't think you will need that much insurance to do yard work.

I will add, please pay your taxes and especialy social security. If something happens down the road and you worked under the table a few years it could come back and bite you on the tail as it did me.

Being disabled and getting less than a grand a month is a bummer and it's too late to change any thing.

One other thing is, if you are working in a hot area and doing a lot of sweating, take salt tablets as needed. This may sound grose, but every day or so while you are sweeting, lick your shoulder. If you don't taste salt, get some tabs. That is one of the main things that causes strokes and heart attacks when working in the heat. You will sweat out all the salt in your body.

It's easy to start a landscaping business. How successful it will be depends on you.