Not sure where to even begin...

Nenamus

           

Hi, my name is Matt and first I would like to tell you a
little bit about myself.  I`m 18 years old and just graduated high school
this year. I have always dreamed of starting my own business one day, I don`t
know why but I have had this dream as long as I can remember. I plan on going
to collage in the fall.

          To tell you what this post is
mainly about, I would have to say that I would like to start some kind of small
project landscaping business and have a few friends help me. Doing small
project that would help make people lawns more enjoyable while gaining experience
to take on medium size projects. I would eventually love to be able to do water
gardens. It would make me extremely happy to see people be able to enjoy their
yards more and spend more time outside experiencing nature in their own yard in
an environment where they could relax from a busy day at work and escape from
the stresses. One of my dreams is that people would spend more time outside
like they did before my generation and just talk, but I don`t think there is
much appeal in that now day because a lot of yards just don`t seem that
inviting, even to the people that live there.

          I have recently discovered in the
last year that I really enjoy landscaping and have a passion for it while doing
a project for a relative of mine. I was raised around gardening my whole life
and have always enjoyed beautiful landscaping, but until this last year all the
stuff I have taken part in has been fairly small scale; planting flowers,
growing flowers, setting up flowerbeds and the like. The project I did for one
of my relatives last summer was tiring 1/3 of her backyard (garden home size),
planting some flowers, setting up some flower beds, removing unwanted plants
and bushes. I also plan to fix a drainage pipe improperly installed (done at
construction of the house) in her backyard that has been damaged and no longer
works and replacing it with a French drain to also help with her yard retaining
water after it rains, sometimes for a day or two.
          I really enjoy this type of work
and I would love to do more of it for other people. While I`m driving around
town (I live around Birmingham
Alabama) I see a lot of new homes
with yards that have minimal landscaping that was done when the houses were
built just to make it look decent enough to buy. I always think of how easy it
would be to do a few little simple things to make their yards much more
enjoyable to them and others. The majority of landscaping I see around the area
I live is bushes that do not need to be taken care of along with a small tree
or two in the yard and maybe a border around where they are planted with
stones, pinestraw, or bark on the inside. I understand why when homes are built
this type of landscaping is done and also the different reasons why people do
not change it after they buy the home.
             I have talked to
people about their landscaping around their homes and about gardens and
landscaping in general and the majority of them would really love to have their
homes improved but for different reasons have not taken the steps. I have found
that they either think it cost to much money, don`t know where to begin, don`t
know any landscapers, or think they do not have time to take care of it after
its done. I`m sure there are other reasons and if you know any please let me
know.
          Anyways back to my main point of
why I started this new topic. I would like to do more landscaping and maybe
start my own business but I`m not sure where I need to start at all. I don`t
know weather I should start a small informal landscaping  business (kind
of like when your in high school and you cut peoples yards for extra money) or
if I should start s small formal business, taking on small jobs while building
up experience until I can handle medium size jobs and so on.
           I guess I`m looking for
suggestions about where I should go form here, weather I should go any where at
all or put it off till I get a year or so in collage done first. (I plan on
taking a few landscaping courses in collage as a minor or second major)

Nenamus

I plan on geting a split masters at Samford University in Divnity and Business Administration. I was call to be a pastor a year ago and I plan on doing that, I feel that it is what God wants me to do. I dont see why that should stop me form trying to start my own business untill I am able to reach that goal since it is many years away. I am going to a Junior collage for the frist two years and I plan on taking landscaping and business classes while I am there. I know thats alot on my plate but I dont see why I cant do it if Im devoted and determaned to do it. Also if I am called to be the pastor of a smaller church alot of those type of pastors need another job to support their family and I think landscaping would be a wonderful for that and even if I end up not having time for it as a business I can atleast make my own yard when I get a house look beautiful and take on projects for extra money.
To also tell you some more about myself, I had planed to be an architect up untill the point I was called to be a minister. I took alot of drafting and design classes in Highschool and have a special paper for completing all of those classes that can help me to start out in high classes at the junior collage I will be attending. I know how to use Auto CAD, Rivit, and softplan. I also know how to do blueprints by hand and Im very artistic with these types of drawings and ideas.
 

Nenamus

CraigL,
It looks alot better when you say my plan lol...
I realy hope it doesnt take the next 10 years, but if it does it wont be to bad, after all ill only be 28 by then.

Nenamus

Yea I gess your right, after all the only thing that is honestly stoping me is myself.

Nenamus

yep, now I gess I just have to work at talking some friends into helping me, shouldnt be to hard.

ObsidianLaunch

Just to add my two cents. Success is a head game.  Henry Ford was dead on when he said "Whether You Believe You Can, Or You Can`t, You Are Right"
If you truly believe you can, it will work. I would start out slow (and cheap) and use the opportunity less to make money and more to learn about what people really, really want from your service. Then as you become a master at what you do, push the business to grow, and exploit the knowledge you have gained.
I wish you great success!

Brian77

Nenamus-
I was in a similar situation as you about 10 years ago-out of high school I decided that Horticulture was what I wanted to do with my life-I went to college for Horticulture and fast forward 10 years I am just noe getting around to working for myself instead of working for a company.  It all started for me with 1 small job and mushroomed from there to a pretty steady gig.  My niche is rehab of medium size landscapes for median income individuals, but I have done all kinds of jobs.  My 2 cents are-
work for someone else first-even for  just 1 spring-to see some of the ins and outs of the business-maybe even see how NOT to do things
Figure out what your area of expertise will be and pursue it-be THE expert in your area for a particular area of the business
Network with others in the industry-you would be surprised how often this can come back to help you
always continue to educate yourself-on plants ID, on paver construction, etc.
bottom line is-with a solid business plan, doing quality work, and just being there when you say you will be and doing what you tell your customer you will do, you will be sucessful.
also-check out www.groundtradesxchange.com-its</A> a great resource for those in the green industry
email me if you have any more specific questions, maybe I can answer