Found out my 'small job' minimum was losing me money

I ran the numbers on my cleaning business last month and found out I was losing about $50 on every job under $150. After gas, supplies, and my time driving across town in Austin, those quick bathroom cleans just weren't worth it. I found this out when I sat down with QuickBooks and actually looked at my profit per job for the first time. Has anyone else realized their minimum rates were way too low?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyhall3h ago

Oh man, have you been tracking this in QuickBooks for long... it's wild how those little jobs add up to a net loss when you factor in everything. I had a similar wake-up call with my own service gig last year, and it's honestly humbling to realize you've been practically paying to work. That drive across Austin alone is brutal with gas prices and traffic, so I bet your real cost is even higher than you think when you add in wear and tear on your car. Stick to your guns on that $150 minimum, your time is worth way more than those cheap cleans were giving you.

rosepark1h ago

QuickBooks is for bookkeeping, not tracking job costs though.