Pros & Cons of Owning a Landscaping Business
Being outdoors and enjoying beautiful weather while working in a garden or mowing a lawn might seem idyllic. But if it is a landscaping business that's involved, everything might not always come up roses. No matter how great the weather is, there are occasional snafus that need attention.
Other People Are Reading
-
Control
-
One pro of owning a landscaping business is having control over how the business is run. Of course, the customer is actually the one in charge, so even though the landscaper might want to do things a certain way, customers will want you it done their way.
Skills
-
Owning a landscape business means more than simply knowing how to start a weed eater or push a lawn mower. It requires knowing how to properly plant and maintain various plants, shrubs and trees, and it requires a great deal of physical labor.
It also requires taking care of the needs of customers at the expense of the landscaper. So, while one benefit might be to work in beautiful weather, the downside is that, while others might be enjoying a picnic, the landscaper and his crew are working.
-
Self-Employment
-
Owning a landscaping business can be even more lucrative if the owner is a licensed landscape architect. Landscape architects can land contracts with local and government-owned properties, including federal garden areas and city parks.
Of course, when a business is doing well, there are taxes that need to be considered. One of the trade-offs of a landscaper who is self-employed is that he is responsible for all of his own taxes, while a landscaper who works for someone else has the employer match his taxes. In addition, the landscape business owner is responsible for all of his own health care insurance.
The landscaping business owner is also responsible for paying part of the taxes of any crew he has working for him.
Weather
-
When the weather is cooperating, owning a landscaping business can seem like a dream come true. When the sun is shining and everything is going smoothly, it can be positively enjoyable to be working in the landscaping business. But when the weather is bad and when planting schedules are missed because of unexpected early freezes or late season droughts, there is little the landscaper can do but ride it out.
In addition, the work is seasonal, which means that while business might be very lucrative in the spring and summer, it might suffer in the fall and winter.
-
References
- Photo Credit shape of heart. garden. garden design image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
