I sold my part of the software consulting company I founded with my friends for 2m€ this year. After taxes it will generate just enough passive income to retire if I want to which was my original goal as an entrepreneur.

Really happy about it. I am still working at the company full time and don’t really know what I want to do next but time will probably tell.

I’m covering bills with my main business, enjoying a bit of lifestyle with the side hustle. In the process of scaling main biz to get to upper/upper middle class in next year or so. I’m content, but work many hours of enjoyable work. Not exactly fuck you money, but I don’t get into really anything I don’t want to. No one telling me what to do is really nice.

It’s interesting to continue to hear stories from fellow agency owners who try to build and scale.

The one thing I hear consistently is most of them didn’t like building agencies with dozens of employees because they got burnt out from managing people and continually being on the hamster wheel.

I make nowhere what you make in revenue but my take-home is higher than yours. Not saying that to brag but just to draw attention that big isn’t always best. When Covid hit, I lost half of my clients and had to crawl my way back. Three years later, I believe I’ll have my best year yet and excited for the new year and want I want to accomplish.

I also consider myself “kinda successful”. Thanks for sharing.

Wild. We might be the same person. I too own an agency. Our revenues are about the same. I take home about the same.

It’s a frustrating place to be.

You have a lot of freedom. Control of schedule and the ability to lead is great. But it’s also consuming.

That said, personally, I have been thinking about this a lot and working to figure out, how do I get from $600k~ revenue per year to that next figure? Maybe $1.5 M per year.

I mean the burnout is real. Don’t get me wrong. But I personally feel like I have to keep a plan in place to make that next landmark or else I really would be saying; “hey, I could probably make more money working for someone else in corporate”

Started a small bookkeeping business in 2021. Specifically, We work with local construction companies It’s just 2 of us and we turn about 240k a year.

Profit however…… maybe I keep 10-12k at the end of everything ? Currently paying myself a 55k salary so I guess I can see the end as a “bonus” at the end of the year.

Working on getting my EA so we can start completing tax returns. I’m hoping that’ll push us to the next level

Seems to be a question of margins. My consulting business brings in about $250k-$300k a year and growing, but I have no employees and very little overhead. I’m very comfortable with this outcome. Living in a LCOL area, I’m doing just fine.

Very much relate. I have a small recruiting firm, started July 2020. I’m paying myself a livable wage, taking care of my family. We have a few actively hiring clients every month, and our revenue this year should be about the same as last year. But I thought we’d be doing at least $100-200k/year more than we are. We’re light years away from any kind of exit or passive income or even scaling up at all. It’s basically the best job I’ve ever had, but it’s still a full time job, and very much working IN the business 80% of my time, rather than ON the business.

I work for a small family business. We have an office and factory in the UK and an office in Hong Kong. We used to have a factory in China. No longer. Our products are of yesteryear and we have had some very unfortunate issues over the last 4 years, so are just now getting back in to profit. We have a very small market share due to some of those issues, so room to grow. I would say I live an ok middle class life. Have been forced to cut back on holidays and expenditure in order to save for a house that we have just bought. I would like to think that in a few years we will be back up to the £2m+ that we had about 10 years ago before I was in the company.

“Kinda successful” to me seems like a loaded term because it’s relative right?

I’m sure my sister thinks I’m “rich” but I’m not cracking $400k let alone a million.

Money isn’t everything to me. Sure, I pay way too much in taxes. Sure, you can take everything away and of course I’ll not be happy but it’s a blip. If I did it once, I can do it again. No question.

We make a hell of a good living. If we want something we get it. No debt. I do what I love. Does work suck sometimes? Of course! But so is being jobless or living pay check to pay check.

I’ve been asked many different times why don’t I open up my own shop. The answer is simple. I don’t like prospecting. I’m great at what I do, have an AE bring me the customers and I’ll close them!

I earn roughly $10k/m from my business distribution. I recently retired to be a full time stay at home dad. I’m part of a pizza franchise group. I Fucking hate being “retired” at 29.

My reputation in my niche seems global and legendary. I’m only well positioned and well connected, I have never made a “deal” yet.

I started this business as a side hustle. I still have a full time job but make a good $50k on the side. I’m Trying to scale it up but am happy being a small timer.

I’m doing ok. Own two businesses. One permanent makeup studio that I run myself and started 6 and a half years ago that will bring in about $400k this year with probably $300k profit and a food truck that isn’t making a profit yet that my husband runs. We are starting up an eclectic home decor social media page for affiliate marketing this year as well that I predict will be a hit. Trying to get a little bit more passive income this year. But, just like you, burn out is so real. I have about 100k in savings and investments, but at this point I wouldn’t call my endeavors a huge financial success, just enough to possibly be able to retire someday and live a comfortable life.

Have an alright business. I’m earning about 60% what I did working for someone else, but putting back into the business. Just me. Hired someone. That didn’t work.

I’m now contemplating rejoining the work force for someone else; if I do that and cash out, it’ll be basically be bringing me back up to the same salary I would have earned the last couple years.

Barriers are getting bigger, competition fiercer and confidence lower… so it’s been fun running my own shop, but time to step back for a bit I think.

I’m 36 and have a few businesses now, the most lucrative being a property management company. We hit over 500k this past year in total profits through the businesses but I won’t consider myself “successful” until I have the kids retired and I probably won’t stop even then. Lol good luck my friend.