Self Employed???

I have owned and operated many businesses since 1983. I started a business from ground up (retail furniture) and later added mattress manufacturing to it just to have something to do during the time no one was coming in the store. The mattress business grew almost overnight and took over my life and while it was a good business move I no longer had a personal life. I had to hire several employees and still turned away business. As stated before hiring employees will likely take you to a place that isn't where you want to be. When I got to the place I had to hire employees was the beginning of where I hated my business. There is just too much government red tape and costs. When you have employees you will be having to deal with their family and personal issues that bleed over to the company. While attempting to down size my company and get rid of the employees I put part of the machinery up for sale. An offer came in that was so big that I sold the company but I kept the company name and the real estate. That was in late 1995. I flipped the money in to real estate and have done that every since. I also have another business involving cars but it is more of a large hobby.
The own fall to owning your own business is the you must match your FICA payroll deduction. Currently your employer is paying the other half. My kicker is health insurance and that costs me a huge amount of money each month. I was seriously hurt in 2004 through no fault of my own and if I was still in a business where I had to do the physical work I would have been in serious trouble. Having to hire people now to do what I did in the rental business costs me a bundle. Simple jobs that I used to do are no longer simple.
Lawn Care... UHHH... I had a buddy get in that business in Lincoln Nebraska. He took over his uncles business. Yes it made money until the costs of repairing or replacing equipment and trucks along with the taxes hit him in the face. Working 7 days a week or starvation in the winter wasn't his deal so he sold out and went to work as a plumbers helper for a large company. He is now a licensed journeyman making upwards of $25 hour working 40 hours a week. $25 a hour was about three years ago. His company pays 100% of his health insurance plus has a matching 401K program, sick leave and a progressive vacation program.

I just looked at your Texas location. Have you looked around at the companies doing lawn care there. Around here the illegals that work for cash have taken over most of it.