Florida Surveyors If You Please

Definitely need an EIN ... and probably should register an LLC to protect their assets.

According to this, you don't need a state license to practice lawn maintenance and landscaping. You may need a local "occupational license" from the county. One County I used to work in used to require an "occupational license", but that was repealed. Might have to check with the county the business is based in for their local rules. Also, insurance my be an issue.

An LLC can be created at www.sunbiz.org. After filing you can get an EIN from www.irs.gov. Hope this helps and good luck to him!

Say Alan, my mother and sister live in Orlando. I'm going to be there in a few weeks. Let me check their landscaping needs and maybe send them your boys way. Drop me the contact info through the beerleg email.

Don

My son's friend bought a machine that is similar to one that makes curbs only it makes landscape borders in different patterns and colors. I just learned about it today. The wife knew way more than me about it. Appreciate the offer.
Alan

Alan,

If you don't mind sharing why is your son throwing in the towel on surveying?

I have a vested interest in this as my son is a party chief for my firm. Just curioous as to why he does not want to pursue it anymore.

The reasons are legion: He never liked it- I had him rodding for me as soon as he could hold it steady and it was always like taking castor oil for him; he wouldn't go to college when we had a Corps contract and I had the money- I wanted him to go to a good school in Tenn. that a friend of mine graduated from but he couldn't tear himself away from hanging out with his friends; he couldn't stand living in Podunk, MS so he went to Orlando where his sister lives and has struggled ever since; the firm he works for only has work one or two days a week and when we were there for our grandaughter's birth, the repo guys found him and took his POS car- I didn't redeem it for him so he has to depend on his buds for transportation; surveying pays less in Orlando (at least from what he tells me) than I did here so he is up the proverbial creek financially; when he finishes cutting line all day in the Florida heat there is nothing left in the tank for night school and he wants to go back; his roommate is getting the same job at EPCOT so they can ride together. I guess the most important reason is something we all know- unless you own the business, you will never make any decent money and though I love my son, I could NEVER envision leaving what I worked so hard on to him. He doesn't have the personality to keep it going. That is why he is getting out and I support it. He is at a dead end job with a dead end company going nowhere fast. First good move he has made in 5 years.

Understand, at least he wants to return to school.

Maybe he will figure it out on his own.

He will have to. All his troubles are from poor decisions and upside down priorities. We give minimal help. (I gave the tow truck driver a hundred bucks so he could get his wallet and stuff out of his car but would not pay the back note and tow fee to redeem it) He's a good kid- not a drunk or a doper- not married with any kids so we are not complaining. His decisions only affect him so we are pretty much hands off. I will help with advice or counsel but not money.

I've seen this a lot with kids of surveyors, and family companies.

Sometimes the kid goes into the business because he's pushed by the dad or doesn't really know what else to do with his life. Rarely, in my observation, (your observations and experiences may differ), do I see where the kid is successful or obtains his license.

It makes sense, though. I don't do what my dad did for a living, and neither did he. So why should I expect my kid to do what I did?