This licensing BS is killing small landscapers like us

Every year I gotta shell out for renewals on my pesticide applicator cert and irrigation license just to keep mowing lawns and planting shrubs around here. The state fees keep climbing and now they're adding some BS continuing ed requirement that's like 20 hours on environmental regs. It's forcing me to raise prices on basic jobs like mulching beds or installing sod, but clients think I'm gouging 'em. Meanwhile, the big outfits with crews don't blink at this crap. How do you small operators deal with the red tape eating into your margins? I'm about ready to just stick to residential gigs and tell the city inspectors to shove it. NGL, this is why I barely take on commercial contracts anymore.

Same here, the bureaucracy is a total scam designed to squeeze out the little guys while the chains laugh all the way to the bank. Screw 'em, I'm dropping commercial entirely and focusing on high-end residential where I can charge what the work's worth without all the oversight.