When Should I Do It Full Time

[Doug Perrone]

I was just wonder if anyone can tell me how many lawns i need to go full time and make a good living. I have a full time job now and do this part time, i had 25 lawns last year and made about half of what i make at my full time job and i only did mowing about 4-5 hrs a day. If you can, tell me how many lawns i need and how much that would give me money wise. thank for the help this site is great

[Eric ELM]

If you made 1/2 of what you made on your full time job with 25 lawns, you would need 50 to make what you did at your job. You would need 75 to make what you did on your full time job and your part time mowing job.

[Fantasy Lawns]

Doug .... I'd say you answered you own question ... Spring is best to start working ..... Today is the best time to start planning !

[Runner]

Doug, does your job have health benefits? It takes a whole lot of lawns to cover a good insurance plan for you and your family. Weigh the options.

[bobbygedd]

wow, thats a tough one. i do this part time also, and for me to quit my full time job, to operate my service full time, i would have to cut alot of grass. make sure u take into consideration: u can work at yur current job year round, rain or shine. if yur equipment breaks down, u cant work till its fixed, and benefits? in my case, its full medical, dental, optical, 3 weeks paid vac, and 6 sick days. think about it down to the nickle and make sutre u know what yur getting into first. also, for how many years can u operate yur lawn service? i dont see too many guys 50, 55, 60 cutting lawns and wheelbarrowing stone. i hear guys say they are making 60, 70, 80 thousand a year doing this, i dont know how. good luck. BOBBY

[HOMER]

When you've had enough of all that so called "security"!
When you realize what's more important, happiness or knowing that you have to get up and make somebody else rich EVERYDAY!

When you have the self confidence it takes to make that leap of faith and the faith it takes to muster up the self cofidence.

When your family will support the decision cause it does get kind of tough the first winter!

Again, when your family (wife) will support the decision and stand behind you 100% good or bad.

When you know your work is as good or better than the competition so you don't worry about losing what you've worked hard to get.

When you have enough equipment to do quality work so there is not a big investment AFTER you leave your "secure" job.

When you have liability insurance to cover your a$$ if something were to happen.

When you have made arrangements for health insurance and KNOW there will be no issues causing you not to qualify.(Group insurance is easy to get, private ins. requires a background check.)

And last but definately not least, after you've prayed and prayed and YOU feel in your heart that it's the right thing to do.

Everybody that is self employed has struggled with that decision. The plumber that you call, the carpenter, the painter, the mechanic, the computer repairman, the equipment dealer, the book store owner, the truck driver etc. etc.

If you look around there are a lot of people that had to make a decision at on time or another. It may not be for everybody, there is something to be said for weekly paychecks and there is something to be said for "no limits". It has to be an individual thing, a personal thing. Gotta get quiet sometimes to hear the answer.

SHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[MIDSOUTH]

security=joke
no matter how well you think your job is-remember there is no security, i was laughed at by fellow co-workers when i quit to mow yards. they now call me on a regular basis to see if i have any work. most of them still don't have a job yet because the company i worked for shut down a couple of months ago. most of them can't make house payments, i recently bought a f-250 superduty and am wondering what i want to buy next-the point here is that i control my future, not some guy in a suit. my dad has been with a company over 30 years, he is 62 years old -3 years from full retirement- they called him in last week and told him that they wanted to cut cost and they put some skirt doing his job for half of what they were paying him. security---you better think again-that is the biggest mistake you can call a job, money is money, to most any company you are nothing but an expense, you can be replaced easily.

[OBRYANMAINT]

everyone talks about insurance costs and that kept me hanging on to my previous job tooo long ....then when i actually researched it it was not really that expensiven from what people said......get actual figures from an agent before you believe the hype!

[awm]

My advice is take it slower.Eric an RUNNER
told you some good info.Put it all down on
paper and look at it.Full time is great an
will be when you are so big you have to.
To me thats the time to go full time.
You mabe their now,so good luck.

[SJR Lawncare]

Very well put Homer, I could'nt have said it better. What you said is exactly what I went through, and probably everyone else who has made this decision has gone through.

SJR

[Vibe Ray]

Hey Doug,
Read my signature!

[gene gls]

Homer said it all!!!!

I promissed my dad years ago that I would get a good job and build up some sinority. That was the way in the old days. I'm 58 years old,I made my 20 years with the same company as a machinest on Sept 1st. On Oct 30th I gave my notice and shocked every one. As of this March 30th I'll be in the lawncare business full time. I started part time years ago and went commercial in 1988. There comes a day when you have to look at the past and decide whats best for your future. This year I grossed $11,000.00 more in the shop with over time than I did part time in lawncare. I kept my promiss and now I feel its my turn. As they say,hind sight is 20/20,I should have done this in 1990.

Look around you. How many other guys do you know that are self imployed? Some are busting thier butt and others you wonder how do they make enough to live on by the few hours they work. Good Luck with your decision.

Gene