If you want somebody "holding your hand", you should not start your own business - any business, not just tree care. We would all like that...but most of us who have started a business also like doing our own thing and some of the adventure of figuring it out for ourselves.
There are no hard fast rules. Sure, 99% of tree companies run a chipper everyday...but does that doesn't mean you can't do without. Right on the active forums, there is a guy with a crane with the grapple saw and nothing else. Contracts out to let others chip. I mentioned in another thread about a company who does everything with large grapples and large dumps instead of chippers. Neither of these will lower your start-up costs (in fact, both are more expensive than a conventional operation) but I use these examples to show not everybody needs to be the same.
Keep asking around. See what other people do. If you can get 100 miles from home, most would be more than willing to spend time with you talking about what works best and why. Within your own market, you may find more "hostility" as not many want to feed the competition...
Regarding plant health: people are willing to spend money on that in most markets. They just need to see the value, and know that you have the ability to it properly. Every year I get clients calling me because the large national lawn treatment firm tells them they have a tree or shrub problem. I have yet to agree with what the turf guy told them needed treated. No quicker way to lose trust and clients than selling them stuff they don't need...and people aren't going to call us because we have the name recognition of those national companies with multi-million dollar advertising campaigns.
