Is this a good career?

[skyguy]

After daydreaming a bit about mowing lawns for a living, I have to wonder if it is possible to make good money doing this. Now, I don't want to get rich, I just want to be able to pay for all the necessities. I am a single guy right now, with no significant other. I am pretty sure I could make enough doing this to provide for myself fairly easily. But, in a few years, who knows what may happen. I may be married with a kid. I am just wondering how feasible this is for a person who has a family. Can you do this and provide enough money for an entire family? Do you have to work so many hours that you don't get to spend enough time with your family?

[1MajorTom]

I think to be in ths business you need to be well rounded in what you can do. Some may disagree and there is always an exception or two, but just mowing lawns probably won't be enough if you are the sole breadwinner. You need to have other services that you can offer too, especially during the slow times when a drought comes along. Retaining walls, paver patios, mulching, hedge trimming, new bed installations, etc are things that bring the money to the table, when the grass cutting slows down. Sure you can make money at this, and have enough to feed your family, but if you are just going to only mow lawns, it will be a lot harder. We have never just relied on cutting grass.

[skyguy]

I was just saying "mowing lawns" to summarize everything. I also have in mind some other things. I just want to know if this type of work can provide for a family without having to work 60+ hours a week.

[topsites]

1) To answer the basic question, yes, it is enough.
2) The first year is a bit rough, the second wasn't bad but it wasn't until this year (my 4th) that it looks like I'll break 30k gross (meaning before taxes or expenses, gross is ALL my base money put together).
3) I must be marriage incompatible because I'll be d@mned if I'm busting my tail while some woman sits around the house gabbing on the phone getting fat and skru'd by other guys, living off my sweat.
4) Far as work hours, this is seasonal work meaning we work our TAILS off when the money is out there and then we rest when things are slow. During spring, every day is work day from morning until dark for 2-3 maybe 4 months all I can think about is how tired I am, but the income of 5,000 per month helps. Then Jul-Aug I'm lucky I gross 2000/month and it's all I can do to not keel over in 108 degree heat while January-February there is absolutely NOTHING to do and this is the greatest job in the world where you get 2 MONTHS vacation / year but it's pre-planned and you really can't do it on YOUR time and some weeks you work a LOT more than 60 hrs/week, others a lot LESS.

[Gene $immons]

I'll be d@mned if I'm busting my tail while some woman sits around the house gabbing on the phone getting fat and skru'd by other guys.

lol, a little angry?

[Howard Roark]

Well I would suggest reading a lot on here, perhaps the Justmowit thread. Ask yourself if these guys are making enough to support a family. After reading this you'll most likely realize the question isn't "Can it be done?" as much as "Can I do this?"

Over 200K a year....yeah that'll support a family.

[dcondon]

I was just saying "mowing lawns" to summarize everything. I also have in mind some other things. I just want to know if this type of work can provide for a family without having to work 60+ hours a week.

Yes, for a few years 60+ hours is to be expected in this business. :waving:

[skyguy]

Actually, I guess 60 hours isn't so bad. 12 hours a day for 5 days is not crazy. Heck before the 40 hour work week was law 60 hours a week and more was probably the norm. And if I get married the wife will most likely work, it's just that at some point kids are a possibility and the wife's work might have to stop for a time.

[tyreandson]

i also started a business this year, along with pressure cleaning for the slow times, but the pressure cleaning has taken off, phone busy as heck, and the lawn service is coming around, i was petrified at first but a little advertising has gone a long way...but so far in the past two months i have made enough to survive and it want be long till it gets busy,, next summer will be a challenge but "if it grows it must be cut,, someone's got to cut it.." might as well be us, lol, good luck

scott

[twindiddy]

Heck before the 40 hour work week was law

Ha! My other employer is going to JAIL!

[topsites]

I think to be in ths business you need to be well rounded in what you can do. Some may disagree and there is always an exception or two, but just mowing lawns probably won't be enough if you are the sole breadwinner. You need to have other services that you can offer too, especially during the slow times when a drought comes along. Retaining walls, paver patios, mulching, hedge trimming, new bed installations, etc are things that bring the money to the table, when the grass cutting slows down. Sure you can make money at this, and have enough to feed your family, but if you are just going to only mow lawns, it will be a lot harder. We have never just relied on cutting grass.

The only thing I will say is don't do TOO many things or you may fall for the trap of becoming a Jack of all trades (the problem being: a master of none). But essentially I DO agree, you need a FEW services other than grass-cutting alone, there are maybe 1 or 2 companies in town that is ALL they do but for most of us, we don't know how they manage to survive, grass-cutting season is too short and too temperamentally dependent on the weather to be MY sole bread-winner.

Far as making a living, it's hard for the first 2-3 years (for me it was). The first year $UCK3D, the second wasn't bad but the 3rd was worse than the 2nd (about this time I made a turn-around and decided I had had enough of being kept down), so now my 4th year I will likely gross around 30k (gross being TOTAL of all money taken in before any is spent, not even taxes).
Some guys here got either more time in the business or picked up on some things faster, I DO believe 40-50k is doable, but then there are figures get thrown around of 80k and higher solo (by yourself), and that I just don't see.

But it does depend, some guys do snow removal, there's BIG money in that. Others do landscaping with Mini-ex's and skidsteers (loaders and excavators) and there's BIG money in that as well...
hehehe, i want this one sooo bad:
http://ditchwitch.com/dwcom/Product/ProductView/10556
(but, it's a $35k machine)

Me, I like grass-cutting... $45/hour minimum, I'm aiming for 60-75 :)
But, I started out, things were more like $20-$25/hour... It takes time but yes it does get better.
Peace out.

[Brianslawn]

Well I would suggest reading a lot on here, perhaps the Justmowit thread. Ask yourself if these guys are making enough to support a family. After reading this you'll most likely realize the question isn't "Can it be done?" as much as "Can I do this?"

Over 200K a year....yeah that'll support a family.

more like can you find enough immigrant employess to allow you to do it like tj.


people in the biz say yes, people that arent say no. people that arent in the biz and hear about the 'easy money' and decide to start their own biz go broke and starve.

the people working for me make as much or more a year than a lot of the small sol guys around here, cause we're setup to do mid-high $$$ yards in high volume... not low $$$ yards in low volume like others.

[Brianslawn]

as long as you know what youre doing, yes you can have a better career than others

[Team Gopher]

<marquee loop="infinite" bgcolor="#DDDDDF"><font color="#000000">Have a tax question? Need free business advice? Ask our CPA. Click Here (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=1&t=1296&st=&&#entry7582) </font></marquee>
Hi skyguy,

I have to wonder if it is possible to make good money doing this.
I think it's all a mindset. If you get into this industry and like the results, then great! If you don't like the results, nothing is going to stop you from morphing your business into something that will allow you to be as profitable as you want. You just have to be on the watch for a monetary return you are looking to achieve. What will do this for you? You may not know now, but as you search, you will find it.

<table width=100%>
<tr bgcolor="#C0C0C0"><td align=left><a HREF="http://www.gophersoftware.com/?ref=1">Download and try Gopher Free for 30 days.</a><BR>See if we can help you.</td><TD align="center"></td><td>http://www.gophergraphics.com/images/gopher_palm_banner_2.gif (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=2&t=1478&st=&&#entry8241)</td></tr></table>
<center>Free Web Templates (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=898).Make your own logo Free (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=1453).</center>

[dcondon]

<marquee loop="infinite" bgcolor="#DDDDDF"><font color="#000000">Have a tax question? Need free business advice? Ask our CPA. Click Here (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=1&t=1296&st=&&#entry7582) </font></marquee>
Hi skyguy,


I think it's all a mindset. If you get into this industry and like the results, then great! If you don't like the results, nothing is going to stop you from morphing your business into something that will allow you to be as profitable as you want. You just have to be on the watch for a monetary return you are looking to achieve. What will do this for you? You may not know now, but as you search, you will find it.

<table width=100%>
<tr bgcolor="#C0C0C0"><td align=left><a HREF="http://www.gophersoftware.com/?ref=1">Download and try Gopher Free for 30 days.</a><BR>See if we can help you.</td><TD align="center"></td><td>http://www.gophergraphics.com/images/gopher_palm_banner_2.gif (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=2&t=1478&st=&&#entry8241)</td></tr></table>
<center>Free Web Templates (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=898).Make your own logo Free (http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=1453).</center>

very good wisdom Gopher!!!!!! :)

[Kelly's Landscaping]

Yes there is good money in this but go in to this because you like it. The number of services I offer goes down year after year I plan to go too 90% lawn cutting over the next 2 season. I started doing everything but we are most efficient at lawns we make by far the most doing lawns and we are happiest doing lawns we also are more likely to work on lawn days I have had many days this summer were we just said screw it because I hated what I had scheduled that day. We have 5k a week in lawn cuts and I plan to expand that to 10-12 k a week over then next 2 seasons. Every thing in our trade has its good and bad points you need to figure out what you like doing and what you can not stand doing. We cut 3 days a week with 2 crews I want to go to 4 crews and I want to go to 4 days a week the advantages of the lawns for us is not needing to do estimates all year round to keep working. I do over 200 estimates in spring in the first 2 months that’s enough I want the rest of the years evenings to my self. The main reason is steady income I do not want large fluctuations in my income so contracted weekly work looks a lot better to me then one job and see ya.