The thing to do is to sit down and work out your expenses, machine costs, 3rd party work insurance, van insurance, fuel, tyres, servicing and licence, chemical costs, clothing, office, ADVERTISING, ETC.
This will be quite a shock if you have not done it before.
Work all that up to annual costs for the business and then add what you need to live on plus 30% for tax and NI.
This will give an approximate figure for what you need to earn just to stand still.
I started in 1990 seriously to earn a living at it, having cleaned my own carpets for 10 years in a business we had.
I have now been running the business down, working 2-3 days a week. Having now finalised my accounts for the year I find my overheads are 85% of my turnover- I am paying other people for the pleasure of me working. Hence I will be packing in at the end of March, it is not worth going out 3 days a week for the pittance I am left with.
My overheads have not reduced as I cut the work down.
I would rather be in the shed playing with wood.