Just got back from visiting my son who owns a landscaping business up north. We had a "bring your dad to work day" that was very interesting. His is a very hands on business. There is a lot of interacting with customers and the crew. Follow up is a key ingedient. And customer satisfaction is paramount. Kind of Landscaping Business 101. I told him about the trials and tribulations that we have here, and he was just amazed. The Villages is a tremendous market that has a huge void. A lot of his business is referrals and call backs for additional landscaping needs. Like 12ridehd and redwitch , a couple of long time posters said, they would be hardpressed to recommend anyone. Anyway, here's a link to my son's business that I am including in this post as a proud father.
http://www.lawnstopatios.com/