Full Time Parking Lot Stripers

How many of you out there do this for your full time job? It sounds like quite a bit of you do as I have learned so much usefull information from you all. This is my first year getting into it, and I would love to make it my full time gig. My problem is, I work for 1 sealcoater that does about 4 lots per week (He does it on the side), and I pick up maybe 1 re-stripe a week. That small amount of work actually keeps me extremely busy after work at night, and on weekends. I just don't know how to make that plunge into the full time work. I need to make a certain amount per year to provide for my family. The kids are young, and my wife is not back to work yet as they have not started school. Therefore healthcare, constant paycheck etc are a must. Sorry for the rant, but I love striping, and it would be my dream to break out and do it full time. Also, is it easy to get work ahead of time over the winter lined up for the spring. If I could see work on the books for a month, maybe it would make me feel better.

That is a really tough decision and a difficult transition to make especially in today's economic environment. My own opinion is I would have to be turning down work before I would make the plunge. Another option is maybe find some retired person that could learn a do some smaller projects for you on a percentage basis while you continued working until you see that it could support your lifestyle. My own experience was when we made the change I had other sources of income, a decent savings, no liabilities and the winter months were still tough. Good luck!

Thanks Milt! I really am not planning this for next year, but down the road I was wondering if it is even possible to get to that point and live fairly comfortably. I will be honest and up front, I would like to see a profit of 60k a year if I were to do this full time. I don't know if that is possible. I live in the Midwest/Great Lakes in a pretty large metro area. We do get snow, and are probaly down from Nov 15 to March 15. March 15 at the earliest. More likely April 15.

I am two years away from being able to retire from my day job and am thinking about it myself. The elders here told me 6 years ago to watch out it could become a full time job and dang if they weren't right. I guess I was bored to death before. There is no spare time these days. I love the work. I would hate to depend on just the income from striping. 'Economics are to undependable.

It all depends on you and how you work things. Right now your hooked up with a part time sealcoater, try to find one that's full time or find a full time paver, the sell them on the benefits of selling restripes and let them do the hard work for you. Also talk to property managers, some of them manage 10 or more properties and hit up as many apartment managers as you can. To make $60k you will need to sell at least $150k and if your market can support it then that and more can be done. You'll know your ready for full time when you catch yourself sending post cards home. I happen have been born into the business and live in a large metropolitan area with a shortage of stripers so I was more then full time in a year, but I didn't have to worrie about the learning curve so for someone just starting out 2 years is a good time frame, maybe even 3. Best rule is don't quit your day job until it's only purpose is to cover taxes.

Also....if your day job give you benefits, retirement, ect I would think long and hard. I went full time in 1991 and it worked out for me. But there's many days when I hear that someone retired that is younger (58) then me. You need to set up IRA account and feed it every month. In NJ health care is $1100.00 per month for the family plan.