Effective rate = weekly revenue / hours on the clock, working or not. You will work 40 hours and get paid for maybe 20-25.
| Line | Worked example | Your week |
|---|---|---|
| Billed hours | 22 | |
| Hourly rate | $75 | $ |
| Week gross | $1,650 | $ |
| Hours on the clock (driving, parts, quoting, invoicing, restock) | 45 | |
| Effective rate | ~$37/hr | $ |
Worked arithmetic from "The Honest Money." Rate anchors: self-employed handymen bill $50-80/hr; company services $75-125/hr; Angi data $50-150/hr; call-out minimums $75-150; whole jobs $186-612 (Minneapolis, avg $399) and $199-727 (Philadelphia, avg $459). Enter at or near your local middle from day one.
| Week | Hours on the clock | Billed hours | Revenue | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 |
Two levers: group jobs by geography so drive time collapses; push small predictable work to flat rates so an efficient hour earns more than your hourly rate.
| Line | Worked month | Your month |
|---|---|---|
| Billed hours x hourly rate (85 x $75) | $6,375 gross | $ |
| Tax set-aside (~30% of every payment; SE tax alone 15.3%) | ~-$1,900 | -$ |
| General liability ($50-80/mo band) | -$60 to -$80 | -$ |
| Vehicle and consumables (~10% of tickets: blades, bits, caulk, gas) | ~10% | -$ |
| Tools & equipment coverage (~$20/mo add-on, with help: workers' comp ~$173/mo) | -$ | |
| Take-home | ~$3,900-4,200 | $ |
| Owner's draw (defined amount, defined day) | $ |
Defensible month from "The Honest Money," no promises. Set-aside slice: a quarter to a third of what lands; CPAs recommend 25-35% of profit for quarterly estimates. Three accounts from week one: business checking, tax set-aside, personal; scheduled draw beats spending whatever is there.
| Line | Your month |
|---|---|
| Platform spend (monthly ceiling: about the price of one typical job) | $ |
| Booked revenue from platform leads | $ |
| Return per dollar spent (keep paying only while each dollar returns more than a dollar of gross) |
Lead prices: Thumbtack $5-20 per lead; Angi $15-100. Documented loss shape: one operator spent $2,533 on Angi ads over eight months and grossed $1,240 from three jobs. The platform's sales rep calling to upsell you is not a signal that it is working. Never discount to win a platform lead; book every platform job toward graduation to direct clients.