How Much $$$$

[BushHawG]

Let's say a solo operator, or even kick in a weed eater/helper man, if you cut 12 properties 5 days a week at $40.00 a piece, providing in doesnt rain; that's $480.00 a day, minus the helpers $120.00 bucks and your $60.00 gas expenditures, not to mention your insurance, or lack of, the wear and tear/depreciation on your equipment at best leaves you holding less than $300.00 a day at best. If you could keep that up 40 weeks of the year you'd make $60,000.00 a year, but what's the chance of that ever happening? Am i missing something? How can you make a livable income from just cutting grass ? Is it possible ??? I want to make it work, just can't figure where the " BIG MONEY " is.............

[scott's turf]

You won't find big money in cutting grass. With the influx in cheap labor and increased competition it will become harder and harder to make any money doing this work.

[PTP]

In my area, mowing 20 properties per day with one helper @ $32 per property for 32 weeks per year is very doable. Actually, those numbers are conservative.

That puts you at just over 100K per year gross. I think that a person could realistically do a little better than that.

[carcrz]

Your only bet is to get bigger paying accounts or to add more profitable services.

[Rob.C]

You have to have more services, I have a full fertilizing program, insect control, Aeration/seed, lime mowing & some snow plowing, thats how u make big money....but you have to spend big money to make big money.

[BushHawG]

Very good come backs, helping me work out the demons in my head, it's lot to think a bought, a lot to consider. This is all good advise. Thanks for the help..............

[HOOLIE]

Originally Posted by BushHawG

Let's say a solo operator, or even kick in a weed eater/helper man, if you cut 12 properties 5 days a week at $40.00 a piece, providing in doesnt rain; that's $480.00 a day, minus the helpers $120.00 bucks and your $60.00 gas expenditures, not to mention your insurance, or lack of, the wear and tear/depreciation on your equipment at best leaves you holding less than $300.00 a day at best. If you could keep that up 40 weeks of the year you'd make $60,000.00 a year, but what's the chance of that ever happening? Am i missing something? How can you make a livable income from just cutting grass ? Is it possible ??? I want to make it work, just can't figure where the " BIG MONEY " is.............

Nobody makes 'Big Money' working solo or with one employee. You can make a decent living with it that way. You get out of it what you put into it. You CAN make a lot of money mowing lawns, but nothing is a given or guaranteed. You have to be a good businessman and manager of people.

[echeandia]

Doing it by yourself is profitable but not economic. You have to bill for the work of others in order to make a decent living. Volume is what will make you wealthy and you can't do it all by yourself.

[stroker51]

The "big money" may be with several employees and a few mowing rigs, but so are the big headaches. There are two companies that I work with on a regular basis, both have played the big card, around here that's 10 employees or so, and they are both back to themselves and a helper. Not becuase of failure or lack of managerial ability, simply because they themselves are both taking home more money. They are working harder, but are making a lot more in the end. I can run a $700 gross mowing day pretty easy when the grass is all growing. Mowing is my bread and butter, but my fert/squirt side pays some really nice what is gravy money now, but will hopefully become a bigger part of the whole income picture soon. Side jobs, like tree/shrub trimming and mulch also make me a lot of money. Residential is nice because if you develope a strong working relationship with a client, they will usually be reluctant to leave for a cheaper bid, however this year I have found some very good money in the full service accounts, and also with property managment companies. When I was in high school I grossed close to 30K between the spring of my junior year and january 1 of my senior year, and this was very very part time then, like 1 or 2 days a week tops during football season, a little more during the spring and summer. I plan to stay small, at most three employees plus myself, that's what looks like will work for me, but my market may be a lot different from yours too.

[x ZeKe]

If I am just in high school, how many clients do you think I can manage without it being too overwhelming? I have been doing lawn care for a while, but I want to get a lot more clients with my own equipment now, so like how many clients do you think I can have and still do school at the same time? Also, how much money do you think I will be able to bring in?