[Cochran]

Congrats on wanting to get into the business--this industry is really exciting and creative, but also seasonal and frustrating.

A couple of things to consider before jumping right in:

--Have you created a business plan yet? If not, get a pen and paper (or computer keyboard) and map out what you are expecting of your business, expenses, project profits, overhead, what exactly you want to do and how much money it is going to take to do it. How do you want to start, how do you want to grow. How much money do you have/need to borrow for your business. What type of business do you want to form (sole p, partnership, llc, etc.) A detailed business plan is a good start to any endeavor.
--Our Small Business Administration regularly has seminars for potential and newly formed small business owners to guide them through the initial steps of creating a small business. Find seminars like this in your area and attend them. Also, contact your local industry organization (ie Texas Nursery Landscape Association, ANLA, etc), many typically have advice for potential business owners and it's usually free or the cost is very minimal--they want you to join their organization once you've started a business, so they're willing to help. Your local Chamber of Commerce should have business start-up info or will be able to guide you in the direction of someone who does.
--Remember there is tons of behind the scenes paperwork to be done. Taxes, payroll, etc. that will keep you busy into the late hours of the night if you're jumping into this on your own.
--Are you prepared to sacrifice weekends and evenings to concentrate on building your business?
--Re-read James post--he's hit the nail on the head with regards to what kind of stress a new business can put on relationships, credit, pocketbooks and such. He's also on target on how to begin your business--in the beginning, use only what you HAVE, rent larger equipment you need, evaluate how much you and one guy can realistically handle without being overwhelmed.
--Don't underestimate the necessity of DBA's, insurance, paying taxes, and all that other scary sounding stuff you learn about in the initial steps of starting a business. Neglecting any of these items can come back and bite you in the a&& later down the road.

I'm not trying to scare you away from beginning a business, but there are many considerations that most folks do not know about when taking that leap into self-employment. I truly enjoy being a business owner, but in hindsight I wish I would have started up my business in a slightly different manner. I wish I would have taken more time developing my business plan and mapping out my company.

As far as starting out and developing pricing, do you know anybody that needs any landscape work performed? If so, ask them if you can do the work at a rate you feel comfortable with--maybe expenses (including labor) plus a % mark-up. This will help you get a feel for how long certain tasks will take and help you create labor charges.