Solo Op's Gross

Do you think that a solo operation could pull in $100,000 per year? If not, then what? Also, do you think that a solo operation could average out $100,000 year after year, or would it only be a one time shot maybe every 5 years?

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ]Do you think that a solo operation could pull in $100,000 per year? That seems to be the elusive goal many lcos shoot for. Can we break that figure down to how much would have to be made each month and then how many customers would need to be serviced each month to reach that?

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Yes that can be reached. But what is your cost going to be? Not only money, but time with your family and friends. You'll never get to 100K by working Mon-Fri 8 hours a day (solo that is). It is not just a J-O-B it is a different kind of life.

You need to sit down and budget, budget, budget. I'll post one of my budget sheets from my business plan when I get home.

I agree Rich. You would have to be working at least 6 days a week, 10 hours a day. The only area that I can think that it could be reached more easily would be in installations, compared to maintenance.

[Steve]

For those reading this post, what would you say would be a healthy income range for a solo operator?

Gross....I say between $40,000 to $60,000

Expenses are probably around $25,000, so take home pay would be around $15,000 to $35,000. This is just a guess on my part.
.

[Steve]

Isn't it amazing how much work must be put in to get that?

Hehe ya it is hard work. I get a lot of phone calls and resumes from retired guys wanting a job to keep them busy. They want to putter around in the gardens and mow a lawn or two...ha! This career is anthing but puttering, and I have to correct them. Time is money and this is a business where minutes count.

Attached is a excel file of a sample budget sheet I use to plan my year. Some of the headings may be different for the US...such as ETH "Employer Health Tax" and such. You can fill in your own headers to split up the costs. It is a great tool and eveyone should detail budget.

[Steve]

Oh great file! Thanks!