ONE MAN OPP

[dmk395]

Just curious about some of you solo operators, is it possible to gross 50k a year (it seems possible), working 40 hours a week, 9 months a year by using a 48wb, 33wb for gates, backpack blower etc. (I should have 35 weekly accounts this year, ranging from 30-50 a cut)? Basically I am mostly into yard maintenance and am thinking of fulltime next year, and just wanted some projections for a one man operation versus the higher overhead of having employees.

[Scraper]

Depending on where you are you should be able to GROSS twice that...a one-man show can NET $50k if not more.

[SDF250]

well they say one man could make 60 k,but then you have to figure overhead.last night i figure that my 55 lawn acct. produce about 39k if cut 30 times a season,but most summers are not that good for weekly cuts.thats 3-3.5 days cutting,23k in expenses leaves me with approx 16k for the lawns -30% of course and that ain't enought i have not yet figured trimmings ,mulch and so on but 1 more day per week for 30 weeks 10 hr day produces 10.5k that will put you at about 50k one more day and you sould be at 60.with that said you must work 30 weeks 10hr.days at 35 per min to make 60k in approx 9 months so i personaly figure that i would like 1 more full day of lawns and the extra work from those customers should put me well over the top and would prob.need a little part time help.there is a fine line between solo and with help becouse if you don't get to the extras the custumer will find a company that will.
I HOPE THIS HELPS
also being solo and having to many lawns can screw you when it rains (go hydro)

[Skookum]

I have always figured at $15,000 a day for each day in a week you want to work per season. So, 5 days at 15 = 75,000. This is just a real rough estimate though. But it has run true for me based on my years doing this, give or take a few thousand dollars.

[lawnboy11]

Yes, it can be done! I agree that grossing 100k is possible.
The key is to only do full service accounts. Do not do mowing only clients. If you have 60 accounts that are full service and each takes 20 mintues you can do all of them in three days (I'm on Long Island in suburbia and most properties are 60*80 or less). Now, if they're all full service (all applications, aerating, trimming,dormant oil, shrub and tree fert. etc.) you can get $1200-$1500 each per season. 60 times 1200 is $72,000. That's for 4 days per week (3 maintenance, 1 for the other stuff). The extra day or two each week (no sundays) can gross another $15,000+++ with design work, removals, stump grinding, etc. etc, etc. I fired all of the cheapos, late payers, out of the way accounts and plan to do 60-75 houses solo this year. I don't want to deal with employees or bad clients this season. I have 40 signed contracts back already out of 92 estimates so I feel good about this year already and it's still early! If your houses are $35-50 per cut then you should be able to get over $2000 each per season for full service. Here I average $20 per weekly maintenance visit. I hope that this is encouraging, it can be done!

[DMC300]

Most of my acct.s are mowing only and acct.for $40,000 in 2000.This does not include any extras.The rest depends on what services I can offer and how many I can sell per year.

[lawnboy11]

Might I add to my last post...
I hope and think it can be done! I am making projections only, but they are based on signed contracts and many years of experience. I have done this in the past with help and grossed over 100k, I'm hoping to gross 90k+ this year solo. Hans solo.

[awm]

I believe if a person concentrated his effort
where the money is and offered pesticide,tree work
fert ,and all the high priced extras he could make
well over 100k.

[thelawnguy]

Originally posted by dmk395
Just curious about some of you solo operators, is it possible to gross 50k a year (it seems possible), working 40 hours a week, 9 months a year by using a 48wb, 33wb for gates, backpack blower etc.

You can net that working 8 months averaging 30 hours a week with a 52 hydro and leaving the gated yards to a co. with $8/hr employees.

[LJ lawn]

here we go again on this same subject it's like beating a dead horse. i think it all has to do with your location.and then you have the big "IF".if i can get all full service accts.if i don't get underbid etc,etc.it's been my experience that where i live (central n.j.) it is extremely difficult to find the full service customer- most just want the mowing and maybe some shrubs done.we're kind of "locked into" the $25.00 for the average cut around here.waaay too many part timers and scrubs under bidding.not saying that a solo op can't gross in the 70-80k range but you'd better be ready to bust your ass with over 100+ lawns to make this kind of scroll.last season i was servicing 50+ lawns by myself,mostly weekly and only 2-5% were what i'd call full service. i was lucky to gross near $40k last year.hmmm... maybe i'll move out to long island?

[cclllc]

I made over 40,000 last yr by myself working part time.I think anybody could make at least 80 grand solo.

[thelawnguy]

Originally posted by LJ lawn
it is extremely difficult to find the full service customer- most just want the mowing and maybe some shrubs done.we're kind of "locked into" the $25.00 for the average cut around here.waaay too many part timers and scrubs under bidding.not saying that a solo op can't gross in the 70-80k range but you'd better be ready to bust your ass with over 100+ lawns to make this kind of scroll.

If you have 60 mowing only accounts at $28 each average with 30 cuts a season you grossed $50,400. Throw in ten hedges @100 and cleanups spring and fall on 30 of your accounts (1/2) @ a modest 75 each, dont even drop any fertilizer or touch a snowshovel, leave the landscaping to the big boys, and you, as a solo operator with a mower trimmer blower and 1/2 ton 2wd truck just netted 50k+ after your expenses (insurance $1500 fuel for machines $500 repairs on equipment $1000 truck expenses of $2500 sound reasonable for a guy working by himself for a lawn season?)

I found 50k to be quite easily made even before snow fert and other sideline business ventures.

[TJLC]

It all depends on Location, Location, Location. Down here average 10,000 square foot lot to cut, edge, trim and blow $18.00-$20.00 per cut. Very hard to get residential contracts. Nobody is willing to sign anything. Commericals are a different story though. Mine are yearly contracts,signed by both parties.

[VLM]

You should be able to net 50k after about 2-3 yrs full time, aggressively marketing yourself, and of course doing great work. Not a bad gig for only working 9-10 mos a yr!

[mlo]

Mowing, weedeating and cleanup, 24 hours a week, commercial only,one man operation,gross $52,000.00

[GrassRoots Lawn Care]

Location, Location, Location.

I think you would be hard pressed to gross $80-100k down here in Florida doing this solo. Average cuts are around $20. Not much full service. Lots of part timers and retired men doing it for cheap. One guy might gross $80-100k up north but not down here.

[eggy]

I am doing something wrong here in Indiana.............

[Mark]

Im a solo operator, It seems impossible to give full service on your lawns in 20mins? You better come and see some of my 2acer yds. I can't see a solo cutter making 100k. I have 51 accounts and thats all i can handel. I do average around 38 dollars per cut, that includes cutting,trimming,blowing, shrub trims,mulch,and fert. Which gets me around 58k gross. Just taxes alone drop me to 46 then all the regular overhead, Im lucky to net 35k. Maybe alot of you all have a much better average on cuts I have um form 25 to 60 on residents. And alot more on my appts, banks, and stores. but i can't see one guy doing a good job in 20min on a 10k yd with full serv added on. Marks Mowing Service

[Paradise Yard Service]

As any successful business, it usually depends on Location, Location, Location. Or else you will be runninn hard all season to get the $$$$.
P.Y.S.

[HOMER]

Maybe ol'Homer ain't doing so bad after all!

[lawnworker]

I am just wondering what size lawns do you service for $25.00 I live near roanoke VA.And no body does anything for less then 30.00 per cut Many of the bigger residentials Bring up to 50.00 and more 25.00 dollers would have to be prettty small.New jesrsey cost of living is very high how come they are paying so cheap to get there lawn cut.we do have some part timers (scrubs)and start ups around here but also have a lot of pro outfits around here.The way i look at it is this 40 dollers times say 25 cuts =1000.00 think of the leisure time the customer gets for this money heck one good vacation will cost this much 25.00 dollers forget it ill sit at home first are go work a office job .just a thought.

[jdjoe_97]

I must be doing something wrong, I have 40 weekly accounts, granted mow only. But still I only gross 42K and I can't get it done by myself in a week, maybe could do it with just one part timer. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??? And I have 60K in overhead, 4 60" mowers, Two trailers, and two trucks. Joe

Major factor, we average only 20-22 mowings per season, last year was a record with 24.

[Edited by jdjoe_97 on 02-21-2001 at 07:56 AM]

[Scraper]

jdjoe...sounds like you need to cut back on your overhead...4-60" mowers for 40 lawns? Thats like taking an elephant gun to a squirrel. ;) Not knowing how large these properties are doesn't help in my assessment, but that sounds like 2-3 days work with one guy where I come from.

[lawnboy11]

20 minutes for weekly maintenance each house. We're talking properties that are 60x80 with lawns that are 2-3k square feet. I leave 1 full day per week for pruning, etc. Applications take literally 3 minutes granular, maybe 5 minutes for backpack spray of weed control. It's not like more rural areas with large properties. I have houses close to each other and have done 5 in an hour solo, but that's not typical. You should move. Sounds like FLA blows.

[jdjoe_97]

Scraper.....

Smallest one I have takes 15 min, one guy. Most though are rural residenses with average around 1 acre. For a lawn with one acre and a house and normal obstacles I charge $30 and it takes 30 min for one guy. I base my prices on $1 per min for two 60" ers. My largest grossing accounts are two cemetaries at $225 per mowing takes 5 hours with three guys to finish both, so thats $450 gross in 5 hours. One other large on is 8 arces mostly wide open, I get $260/mowing on that and it takes 3 hours with two guys. I am trying to figure out how all of you guys make so much money. Don't get me wrong, I think I make good money, but I can't make a living at it by myself. And I KNOW I will loose customers if I make a major hike. This season I raised rates by 10% to recover immense increases in fuel costs. Also not many of those 80' X 100' 's where I live. NONE that I have. I would say we mow about 60 acres a week in 40 accounts. I am scratching my head trying to figure out where I went wrong. Joe

[TLS]

jdjoe_97,

Out east, we are definately charging more. I calculated that you are charging from $15 to $43 per hour. Those BIG lawns are what is eating up your profits....charge more. I usually base my estimates on $60 per hour or more for mowing. This would be the difference in grosses that you are seeing.

Thing is, mowers, parts, gas, trucks, usually cost about the same countrywide. Average charges for mowing vary widely. Some things I just dont understand!

[Green Finger]

Joe,

There could be several factors as to why your money is flowing differently.

Equipment and Trucks. If your equipment and trucks aren't paid off thats overhead. That's a large chunk of money.

Your payroll. You are paying yourself and think you said two to three other guys. That's a large chunk of money. You have to cut back a man.

Your prices. I don't know your area but for your new customers, you are going to have to go up on the prices.

Try consoldating your accounts. Try to market in a housing division where you can cut down your drive time.

Also most important. You make 40k but your expenses are 60k. You have to cut your overhead. Build up your cashflow reserves. (check out the business forum)

Get more accounts.
This is when your mind has to shift from landscaper to businessman.

Account for every penny you spend.

[SDF250]

is that gross after employes and overhead paid

[jdjoe_97]

That Gross is total sales of service. Nothing taken out.
And ya I am paying on one trailer, one truck, and two mowers. And I know that takes a large chunk of it. I paid last season $6200 for hired labor. That's paying myself nothing. Just for the part timers. See I am a still in college and love the lawncare business. But I need to push the net up this season cuz I graduate in Dec. this year.

And last season was a HUGE one here in NE Indiana, went from average 20 mowings to 24. So it's hard to say what it will take labor wise on a "normal" season. Also someone said get more accounts. Well I am at a cross roads there too, I want to get bigger this season, but mowing will start while I am still in school, and begin in the fall when I am still mowing. So I have to watch that too. My father has helped me tremendously the last two seasons but his health is getting worse and I don't want him to overwork himself. So this is where I am coming from. Probably more that you guys wanted to know.

One of you said raise prices on the big jobs. That big 8 acre one I mentioned, I was underbid by $15 / mowing, but I knew the owner. So I got it. But that's how competitive it is here. Thanks Joe. Any other suggestions you have are welcomed...

[Green Finger]

Joe,

We don't mind knowing everything here (We share the hurts and the victories) so don't worry about that.

Well, if you are in school, then you'll just have to ride out the season. You might have to wait until you graduate until your business really takes off.

Are you still at home?

Just focus on maintaining what you have. Keeping your name and work good in the community.

The reason you are operating at a lost is because you are not at full capacity, and that's ok. Because after you graduate. Then your business will BLOW UP!

But from what your sitaution is, you'll be fine.

Best advice just ride out the season.

[thelawnguy]

As a solo operator you need to maximize every minute to get the most $$$ for your time. You dont have the luxury of sending an 8 buck an hour yard ape out to mow widow carters gated yard and pick up dog dirt. Everything is done by the top dollar employee-you. Glean the easy money gravy lawns and throw back the time consuming bed-weeding jobs to the guys who run low wage crews. Then you will net your 50k for part-time work and next winter be able to swamp Stones Sunfish in the Keys in the wake of your 33 ft Sea Ray.

[eggy]

Joe I am in the same boat here in Southern Indiana, prices are going to low, bids are getting lower each year,lot and I mean a lot of new people getting in it, You sound like you have a similar operation to mine, And yesw bids lost do to $10 differnce, quality..hmmm people dont seem to care....bottom line they want it cut and cut cheap...mowing alone is not going to cut it down the road......

[Edited by eggy on 02-21-2001 at 10:20 PM]