Profit And Loss Statement For Landscaping Business – Two important financial ratios for landscape contractors and 10 critical equations to support a healthy landscaping company.
Rod Bailey is a Certified Landscape Industry Consultant based in Woodinville, WA. Having worked with all types of landscape contractors over the years, Bailey says many simply don’t understand their financial characteristics.
Profit And Loss Statement For Landscaping Business
“Most contractors seem to be using QuickBooks’ standard forms and look at financial reports as an interesting historical trail,” says Bailey. “They have not learned that their money is and should be, the basis of looking into the future more than the past, and critical planning, tools to control and manage.”
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Bailey adds that he talks about the two most important reports: The Balance Sheet and the Income Statement, often called the Profit & Loss Report. Let’s take a quick look at the forms that each one uses.
A Balance Sheet is linked to a point in time, such as the end of a fiscal year, quarter or month. It is like a snapshot that shows how things were at that time. It is a picture of what you own (Assets), what you owe (Liabilities) and what is left over (Equity, or Owner’s Net Worth). It is typically formatted as you will see in the illustration, Example: Balance Sheet.
One reason this report is called a “Balance Sheet” is because it must always be in equity with Total Liabilities & Equity equal to Total Assets. The balance sheet equation is ASSETS minus liabilities equal equity.
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Download A Free Printable Profit And Loss Statement Template [pdf, Word]
The Income Statement, or Profit & Loss Report, covers a period or series of periods, such as months, quarters or years. If the Balance Sheet is like a snapshot, the P&L can be likened to a movie.
The P&L says: Here’s how much money we’ve earned, how much money we’re costing, and how much money we’re left with. The basic equation of a P&L is Revenue (Sales) minus Expenses equal to Profit (or Loss).
For an example of what a typical Profit & Loss Report might look like, see the example, Example: Income Statement/P&L Report.
Actually, each section of the P&L includes details on the type of income and expenses, Bailey points out. You should also, as shown, have a column to report the percentage of total sales for comparison to your history or to other companies in your industry. (NOTE: For those who want a more detailed “Ration Sheet”, they can contact Bailey via the email address shown at the end of this article.
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“One of the problems that often occurs is the form where the Sales Price includes almost everything but the kitchen is sunk, like a typical tax return,” Bailey points out.
As shown in the illustration, Direct Costs include only those costs that you can trace directly to each job you perform. There are items that you should include in your estimate sheet when you order a job.
“Do research on every part, service or product line you’re producing,” Bailey says. Calculating Gross Margin and Contribution Margin are two of the most important numbers you need to determine in order to plan, measure and manage your business.”
One additional mistake Bailey says is that he often sees the treatment of wages and salaries under a single account titled Labor Expenses. All labor, salaries and commissions would be noted and tracked separately by species. Direct labor is investigated in the Direct cost section, which may include some allocation of managers or master salaries, if there is actually “hands” work in the field directly above the jobs.
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Indirect labor should be tracked and reported in the Indirect Expenses Section. Usually mechanical, care and administration as well as indirect hours are paid to employees for time not burdensome to the business, such as shop time, training time, holidays, vacations, and in some companies, travel.
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So how do we use all of this information to organize and manage it? Bailey says you should start by making some important calculations that show the relationships revealed in your financial statements. Then you use these strategies to compare yourself to time, and compare yourself to others in the industry.
Some of these calculations and accounts are from the Balance Sheet, others from the Profit & Loss, and some from the internal reports. Here are the 10 most valuable, using data from two of our examples to provide examples.
What Is A Profit And Loss (p&l): Examples For 2023
Bailey says anything over 1.0 is good. But if you’re below that, “You better be in a maintenance business and you’ll have a very stable and predictable cash flow,” Bailey points out. “This ratio is considered a measure of your ability to pay your bills and stay current.”
Bailey says your banker wants to know that you’re both in the game and in the game. Your ratio should ideally be under 1, and definitely not over 2.
Bailey says this ratio should be in the range of 0.4 to 0.6. “If it’s too high, you might end up with a new tool,” he adds. “If it’s too low, you could be looking at a bunch of tired junk that you’ll have to replace within a few years (because of the low cost of use).”
Bailey says this is usually in the 45-55% range for most landscape companies. Companies with heavy maintenance, often 50-55% is because they are not using so much material. For design team building, on the other hand, it is often 45-50%. “If your gross profit margin falls below these targets, you may be operating inefficiently or underperforming,” Bailey points out.
About Your Rental Property Profit And Loss Statement
Bailey says a good goal to shoot for is 22-32%. If your contribution margin is lower than that, it will indicate inefficient operations. Additionally, if your gross profit margin has landed in the ideal 45-55% range, but your contribution margin is still lacking, you need to take a serious look at your indirect expenses and identify where you are going wrong. Maybe you’re spending too much on equipment repairs and tools/commissions, for example.
“Net profit is the proverbial ‘bottom line,'” Ballio explains. “A good target is 5-12%. If you are significantly outside this range, you need to understand why. The reasons can be strong, especially if you are a very stressed company with a high debt-equity ratio in a large market.
“This is literally said to the ROA,” he adds. “It is a measure of the amount of capital plus the total amount of debt invested. As an entrepreneur you are a gambler and should expect a large return for other safer investments. A good limit is 15-22%.”
This should land in the 25-35% range. “This is literally called ROI,” Bailey says. “It’s a measure of the return you’ll get on the money you and/or other investors put into the business. The number is important. If it doesn’t go up to the 30% range, maybe you should sell your business and put your money in a safer place.”
Free Printable Multi Step Income Statement Templates [format] & Excel
A good goal is 2.5 to 5.0. “This is a measure of how effectively you are using your assets to generate sales,” Bailey explains. “A high number like this (1.9) may mean that you have invested more in equipment and facilities than you really need, or perhaps you are simply not using your equipment and facilities efficiently. You may have too much idle capacity.”
Bailey says a good target is 25-45 days. “If you’re selling over a 30-day credit term, this number will be under 30 days,” he explains. “If the number is high, look at your current account and compare it to accounts payable. Typically, the installation and contractors show bid/build for 45 days, and their credit and contribution efforts should be examined.”
“These are just a few of the many factors that you can calculate and analyze,” Bailey recalls. “I rate these as the 10 most serious critics. A more complete discussion of the policies, costs and operating data can be found at Planet.
Updated and published every three to five years. Other comparative data and reports are published periodically by many consultants working with the industry based on their client’s experiences.
Balance Sheet: Larry’s Landscaping & Garden Supply
“You should calculate and track your accounts at least annually, and preferably on a quarterly basis,” Bailey continues. “Watch for trends in your accounts that may be significant, and use your experience when doing short- and long-term thinking and budgeting. You should also compare your experience with Planet’s Operating Cost Study.
“I have included many loose features that we consider significant in my calculations in this article. You are the best of your standard and you must check the trends in your data. I do not think it is essential to fall into the lists. .
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