BUSINESS STARTUP QUICK LINKS

How to Start a Landscaping Business In Ohio

There are some specific steps to starting a landscaping business in Ohio. Your landscaping business could include gardening, lawn mowing, leaf and lawn debris removal, excavation, tree work, and more. You may want to start here: How To Start A Landscaping Business. Here are some steps you may have to take (not necessarily in order) to start your landscaping company, along with links to more information. Here is a website created by the state of Ohio that will help if you want to start a business in Ohio: Ohio Business Gateway -Register your landscaping business name in Ohio. Find out more about registering a fictitious name here: http://www.tax.ohio.gov/taxeducation/starting_a_business_step_2.aspx If you need help selecting a name for your landscaping business: How to Choose A Business Name and Landscaping Business Name Ideas -Select your business structure. Sole-proprietor, LLC, Partnership, Corporation, etc. Find out more about business structure: https://tax.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/tax/help-center/resources/tax-education/starting-a-business-step-1 -Register your landscaping business. You can register your landscaping business with the state of Ohio through the Ohio Business Gateway here: https://ohiobusinessgateway.ohio.gov -Open a Business Checking Account. You will need to open a separate bank account for your landscaping business with your new business name. -Find out about taxes, hire an accountant. You may want to file your own taxes if you are a small company. As you grow, it will be easier to have an accountant do the work. More information about taxes here: http://www.tax.ohio.gov/Business.aspx and http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Starting-a-Business . -Get Landscaping Software.

Landscaping software will streamline your business before you even start, giving you visibility and control over all your leads, sales, jobs, and tasks from a single program to get your company on the fast track toward growth. You’ll also be able to create estimates, place material orders, automate the boring (but necessary) stuff, empowering you and your team to finish jobs on time and on budget. Try JobNimbus for Free!

-Get Liability Insurance. We work with ContractorsLiability.com because they’re the one-stop-shop for General Liability insurance and are able to get online quotes in all 50 states. Learn more > More about liability insurance here: Contractor Liability Insurance -Worker’s Compensation. You will need Worker’s Compensation if you have any employees. Find out more>

-Register as a Contractor with the State of Ohio. Currently, you do not need to register your landscaping business with the state of Ohio, but you may need to register in your particular city. -Get Health Insurance. Since you will be self-employed, you will need your own health insurance. If you have employees, you will need a plan that will include their health needs also. -City License. You may be required to obtain a license to operate your landscaping business in a particular locale, whether you are a resident, or not. You may possibly need certifications or licenses to perform certain repairs or installations. -Permits. Depending on the locale, you may need to apply for permits before commencing certain types of landscaping jobs. -OSHA. Depending on how many employees you have, you may need to follow OSHA regulations. http://www.osha.gov