Most contractors cross their fingers at the end of the year and hope there’s something left over.

But real business owners don’t “hope” for profit. They plan for it.
They build it into their prices. They monitor it throughout the year. And most importantly — they treat profit like a non-negotiable, not an afterthought.

That’s the difference between owning a business that pays you well… and being stuck in one that just pays everyone else.

Profit isn’t a single moment at the end of the job — it’s a series of choices:

• How you price
• How you manage labor
• How you control material waste
• How you track overhead
• How you bill and collect

I had a client who was doing nearly $2M in sales — but ended the year with just $14K in net income. After taxes, it was barely enough to cover a family vacation. He wasn’t lazy or careless — he just never built profit into the system. We implemented a baseline gross margin target (35%), added profit as a line item in every estimate, and tracked net profit weekly on a simple dashboard. The next year? $186K in real net profit — with enough to reinvest and take a proper vacation.

Profit isn’t a reward for working hard. It’s the result of managing your numbers with intention.

Want to install a simple profit habit in your business?

Pick up your free copy of my new book, “The 7 Minute Conversation-How to Hear the Story Your Small Business Financial Statements Are Telling You-CONTRACTOR EDITION”.  Go to www.7MinuteConversationBook.com

Ready to find out where your cash and profits are really going? Book your free 15-minute Profit and Cash Flow Call with me. No pressure. Just real clarity. I’ll help you see where your money’s hiding — and what to do about it. Schedule at www.CashFlowCallWithLarry.com