@Daren333 There is never a good time to start your own business and always a reason to wait. Opportunities are everywhere and its only going to work out for you if you say yes to things. However...
Lack of experience, be that mechanical, trade knowledge or operating skill will seriously hold you back. I don't know what you do for a job currently but if you want to seriously start your own little plant firm up (and despite the negativity above here - they both do exactly what you want to do!) then you would do well to get some hands on experience, doing the sort of work you want to carry out for people, but under someone else's employment. Learn your lessons at their cost, gain knowledge, contacts etc and get some money and tools behind you to make a start yourself one day.
Then get your first job and do it one weekend with a hired machine and some magnetic stickers on the arm as Russell says to make it look like its your machine - the professional look
Take photos of this top notch work, plaster it all over your FB business page, website, tell your mum, kids, bloke down the pub etc that this is what you can do and trust me the next job will call.
Work weekends for a few years, save up this money to buy your machine, trailer and tow vehicle, do more work with them and it will build on its own. All whilst still working 5 days a week for someone else.
Eventually you land a job too big to do at the weekends and you can then decide if its worth jumping to do your own thing or not.
Funnily enough the recession will have ended by then and you'll be running with a head start to the competition. I know this because I was you back in 2009 - except I had 5 years or so experience by then - many say I could do with some more experience even now - they are probably right, we never stop learning
Always do the best job you can, sometimes going beyond what the customer would expect, and you will find the work finds you. You can charge more than your competitors and still be busy. Look professional, clean kit, van, clothes etc you'd be surprised how it helps. Never pay for marketing - those leaches will have your money away with little results - good work gets more work not pretty pics, stickered banners or facebook campaigns. Only thing I pay for are business cards and always keep one on you - you never know who you are speaking to or where the next customer might be. I've won work from chance meetings in supermarket queues to having a drink in the pub - people see you in your tidy looking work gear, starts a conversation and suddenly your there pricing a job.
And finally, work harder than anyone else you know. Go the extra mile and you will notice it doesn't take long to pay off. Good luck! - but get some experience first mate!