Liking the work is one thing. Having the tools and equipment to do the work is another. Having the experience to get the jobs done is yet another. You have thought about all of those.

The things that you do not yet understand is that each potential customer has a choice of you and everybody else. The three things those customers are looking for are ability to do the project with the skill equal to the task, a competitive price equal to THEIR value of the work, and confidence that you can complete the job in a timely manner. It is not how well you are qualified in each of these areas, but how well you are qualified vs. all the others out there. You will have less experience than most of the others, you will be less financially efficient because you won't have the same sources, same discounts, same credit, same organization, etc,..., you will be less likely to be in and out as fast as a well managed, well manned, well equiped, and well trained crew. Who would you hire? In other words, jobs are not going to be pouring in right away.

The next thing that most "corporate dropouts for the great outdoors" people do not look at is what it takes to bring in the same net pay. Right now your employer pays half your social security, all your workmans comp (which is higher in landscaping than mouse clicking), probably all of your health care, some kind of matching to your 401k, pays your days off, vacation, and sick time.

Let's use the figure of $50k as your gross income (taken directly from ... well let's say the thin air). I'm sure you hear the prices of $35-$60 per hour as the billing rate for landscapers on a job. That sounds great. You are in the south, so let's say $40 an hour is the billable rate and nine months is the working season. That is 39 weeks. If you billed 40 hours per week for that 39 weeks you will gross $62,400. Then you have to pay you ss, you still want to get $3,000 into your 401k, it rained too hard to work for 20 of those days ($6,400), you were ill for 3 more ($960), your wife wanted the week long family vacation in the mountains($1,600), you have a big gas bill from all the driving around, the city won't let you keep your equipment in your residential neighborhood (rent), Oh, you are new, so you don't have a full on going schedule of work either. So how's that $40 per hour working out? The $4,000 mower can expect three years, so there is another $1,300+ off the salary. Oh, liability insurance. Lettering on the truck (by law in many places). Three pairs of $100 boots for the year. Health insurance is a fun one too - you won't be in a group policy anymore - expect an easy $7,000-$10,000 a year for a family plan.

You can usually expect a good 29 day wait after you send the monthly bills for maintenance out, and a few roll overs to the next month. Then in the fall, you'll have to be putting in serious time cleaning up. How's that 100 lawn accounts that take up the week to mow looking now that they each need a half day to clean up? That would take 10 weeks, but they all want it done in the same two week period. That will add up minutes on the cell phone bill - you need to upgrade your minutes.

Yup, I hate sitting in an office clicking a mouse 40 hours a week and those lonely evenings without 12 messages on the answering machine. How much do you think you'll like to putter around in the garden when you get home after doing it all day every day?

I tore a disc two years ago. If I were self employed and relying on my body for a living, I would have been in big trouble. You can hurt yourself and be out of commission so easily. When I was in my early 20's I sprained my ankle and could not work for two weeks. I was self employed and made no money (luckily I was freeloading at home at the time). You have to know the risks.

You just worked your tail off and earned about $30,000 before taxes and you want to buy more equipment so you can do more different stuff next year.

But, many people do it and have a great time and make a great living. Just understand that it is not the same as working in your own back yard.

I never mentioned customers and all the things that go with them.