Hello John ...

I can't answer your question ...

and I have worked all my life in the landscape industry ... currently in my home I have a coffee bar ... it's fun and I love coffee .. I sit and drink espesso and dream of openning a coffee shop ! LOL

I dream of getting out of the green industry you at the same time want in LOL ... that's life... very funny.

I don't know anything about you but here are some of my thoughts and reflections that I can offer.

"I could fall flat on my face"

Yes .. you could .. or you could work for a decade or so and then find out you never really made enough money .. maybe enough to pay your bills but not enough to cover retirement .. health care .. a future family.

So ... you say :

"I would be able to make way more money long term"

Are you really sure about this ??? Coffee is BIG business and you already work for one of the biggest companies in the world. Why not coffee ?? Coffee is a huge business.

"Should I just jump in?"

No ... the landscape business is complex ... and a very expensive business to run ... honestly ... if you can't see yourself clearing 100 grand a year in the first three years of your business then given that you are really qualified to be in the business your better off looking for a job in the industry.

Starbucks NEVER just opens a new store ... they know when and where to open the next store .. YOU need the same kind of info before entering the landscape matket in your area ... DON'T JUST WING IT.

"I will always be able to work at starbucks"

Well not really ... in time your personal expenses will most likely grow and if you return to the coffee industry you will have more landscape experience and less coffee experience ... so do you really want to start again at that level ? Jumping ships can get costly .. better to plot a steady course ... one way or the other .. make a choice.

"I don't know I don't have many bills, and now would be the best time to do it no kids, or anything... "

That's a very good place to be BUT you perhaps someday you will have those things and they are expensive ... can YOU make that in the landscape industry ... it can be made but by YOU not just anyone and you have to make it year after year. Even giant companies like Starbucks can't be consistent with profits and when they are look what backing they have behind them ... not just money .. but people power ... expertise ... you included.

" I'm just uncomfortable not having medical benefits. "

Yeah .. dentist love to point to the visa / master card sign when you say " Can I pay monthly ??" ... What about a carreer in landscaping ? Don't underestimate employment .. it has it's benafits too.

"I was wondering when I should take it to the next level, actually saying by to starbucks, and going all out in the landscape business?"

Well .. no one knows that but you ... go sit for a while and feel what you want .. don't let fear or dollar signs ( big or small ) run your life. Look ahead .. think "what if?" .. Who are the big money earners in the coffee industry ? In the landscape industry ? How can you fit in to these industries ? There is no shortage of standard landscapers ... believe me ... I don't see anyone at Starbicks complaining about $2 to $5.00 cups of coffee .. but I have heard ALL the complaints about the cost of landscaping.

VERY smart business consultants have said that often we think the best opportunity is elsewhere when often it is where we are at the momement.

Myself ... I'd rather be off to the mountains of Brazil to cup rare coffee .. if I had to do it all over again LOL ... or so I think ? LOL

Good Day ...

Truer words were never written. Listen to the man, John.

Thanks for the input... I'm thinking I'll do two things, Stay at *$s, and... raise my landscaping prices (for new customers) that way I limit my customer base, make more money, be more 'comfortable' all that with my 'perks' so to speak from my job... who knows... maybe I'll be retiring a starbucks employee? I don't think they could really ever pay me as much as I want to make ultimately though... so I'll have to start some part time business...

Thank you!
John

Well, I'm not a professional landscaper but I'm a designer and I work with companies to develop their Corporate Identity, website, marketing plan, and such to get their business off the ground. I started my own company from the ground up and I had to deal with much of the same circumstances as you. Here's my advice:

1) Use your current job to leverage your next one - you're already doing that, but I'm sure you can take it to the next level. If you don't have a website, get one immediately. It is the cheapest and most cost effective way to market yourself. It DOES NOT need to be fancy. But it needs to be informative and professional. It immediately says to potential clients that you are not someone who does this on the side (even if that's the case).

2) Get business cards. With your website up, you now have a passive way to market yourself (ie - people can view your site on their own time, without you "selling" to them). Give them a business card and they can remember it much better and once again enforces the fact that you don't just do this on the side (even though you might).

3) Testimonials - Call or email all your old clients and get a testimonial from them. Put these up on your website. If one or two REALLY like what you've done, ask if you can use them as a reference. Word of mouth is essential in my opinion for a startup company. Testimonials (from real people!) are a close second.

4) Photography - if you are shooting your work yourself (and you're not a photographer) get a professional to do it. It will make a world of difference. Give them free coffee if you can't afford it. Landscape their house for free. Use this technique for a professional site. You can tell people you do great work, but you don't have to say anything if they can see it.

You mention that you want to raise your rates and I agree with that if you have too much work/too little time. By having business cards printed, a website built, professional photos, etc. you will appear more professional hopefully justifying a rate increase. It will also greatly help spread your services around by word of mouth if someone can say "oh this guy did my yard - go to www.whatever.com".

Now, because I do this for a living I would always recommend getting these services done by a professional agency, not your cousin, not your friend who knows how do do a site. It will be money well spent. THEY DO THIS FOR A LIVING. Besides, you should be able to get that money BACK in one or two jobs. That said, I also know how little money someone wants to spend when starting out. So they go to their cousin or friend. That decision is up to you...

Now the landscape part is up to you...

Landscape Evolution,,, I like that.

One image comes to mind. It is that one showing the line of our ancestors from ape to modern man. I believe that where you are standing in that line at the time you take the plunge is going to have a lot to do with how far you will likely further evolve (in the landscape world).

It is very easy to move latterally to perform for yourself in the same manner which you performed for others. If you mow lawns, deal with customers, and maintain the equipment, you can probably do fairly well in the mowing business. If you dig holes and labor all day, it might not translate well to designing and selling landscapes.

It is like climbing up a sky scraper. You can take the stairs on your own, or you can ride up the elevator with someone. Whatever floor you step off on, you can walk around on with little effort and not have to do any climbing. If you want to be on a higher floor, you could have ridden the elevator longer, but now you have to take the stairs the rest of the way. Don't leave yourself too much climbing when you get off the elevator. No one is telling you that one niche is less worthy than another, but that when you go on your own, it is hard to change from the niche you enter into. So, be secure with the niche you enter into, or wait until your ready for the one you really want.