[LGLS]

You got it all wrong. Both as a business owner and boss I think of the guys first.
As a business owner I threw a xmas party for my workers. Even after I shut down I still threw the party and most of the former employees came for 8 year that was how well I took care of my people.

Cowboy, it does my heart good and makes me feel so much better if I knew that I was wrong or if I was actually wrong. But from the words you said I’m not convinced. You seem to resent bringing a new hand on board at a wage on par with those who have been there for years, as if there is something inherently wrong with that. There isn’t. Who would run and go get a new job for less money? Why do business owners/contractors feel they are entitled to or expect total loyalty from their employees, as if you are providing them the opportunity to make them money is something they should worship at your feet for? You realize that when you don’t need an employee most employers do not bad and I at letting one go. It’s just business. And business is about making money. But for some reason employers don’t seem to feel that employees are in it to make money.
One of the first rules of business is is; pay yourself first. Which is funny, because that was my rule as an employee as well. Show me the money.

 

[nrp3]

We're all in it for the money. Doesn't matter whether you are the employee or the employer. I'm both. I'm better as the employee than the employer. The reason I don't take on a "real" employee, is that I understand what that means. I have to keep him or her working, cover the costs of employing them, workman's comp, some form of decent health insurance, set up some sort of investment plan, etc. I take that seriously and know I'm not ready for that. I may never be. I'm still more interested in delivering a good product than the business end. Fail to take care of the business end and you fail, plain and simple. If my daughters decide to become part of the business or take the whole thing over, and they might be far better than I, then I might consider it. Their husbands, or partners, too.

 

[Slenderman]

Just an update, everyone at my current company got a $5 raise today to encourage them to stay. I am still leaving due to the pro and con list I made on Monday, but I have never been so happy for the guys. They absolutely deserve that money.

 

[nrp3]

Like I said, labor is in demand still, good labor even more. If management can raise the rates to help with cost of living and keep people, great. That said, you need to do what's right for you and the family. You won't get anything without asking.

 

[LGLS]

Just an update, everyone at my current company got a $5 raise today to encourage them to stay. I am still leaving due to the pro and con list I made on Monday, but I have never been so happy for the guys. They absolutely deserve that money.

It looks like your boss did not want anybody following your lead. You should be proud of yourself. I am.

 

[kb1jb1]

We're all in it for the money. Doesn't matter whether you are the employee or the employer. I'm both. I'm better as the employee than the employer. The reason I don't take on a "real" employee, is that I understand what that means. I have to keep him or her working, cover the costs of employing them, workman's comp, some form of decent health insurance, set up some sort of investment plan, etc. I take that seriously and know I'm not ready for that. I may never be. I'm still more interested in delivering a good product than the business end. Fail to take care of the business end and you fail, plain and simple. If my daughters decide to become part of the business or take the whole thing over, and they might be far better than I, then I might consider it. Their husbands, or partners, too.

What you say is soo true for many small companies. The constant worry of making sure there is work and more important the regular cash flow. Many employees do not realize 15% to 20% of their hours are not productive but you still have to pay them. One of my customers went to 60 day billing which with the wrong timing gets pushed to under 90 days. Where does the money come from to make payroll, pay rent, gas, insurance, etc... ? A line of credit which now is at 9%. A lot of contractors unfortunately had their jobs canceled because of The Covids so the cash reserves were depleted and it takes time, if possible, to build it up. A new client base takes years to develop. Not every contractor is a millionaire.

 

[nrp3]

I'm not a bank, and rely upon customers to pay quickly. Most do. I did a small job for a large company recently and forgot to ask what the billing cycle was, oops 90 days. If I remembered to do what I usually do and ask up front, I would have added more to the bill. Oh well.

 

[yankeejoe1141]

Just an update, everyone at my current company got a $5 raise today to encourage them to stay. I am still leaving due to the pro and con list I made on Monday, but I have never been so happy for the guys. They absolutely deserve that money.

It goes to show they have been getting away with a lot for a long time. Who else would just give a $5 an hour raise like that.

 

[99cents]

Just an update, everyone at my current company got a $5 raise today to encourage them to stay. I am still leaving due to the pro and con list I made on Monday, but I have never been so happy for the guys. They absolutely deserve that money.

So he had the money, he just decided he had to spend it on his guys rather than himself. This sounds like the guy I did contract work for whose “shop” was actually a warehouse for his RV’s, motorcycles, sleds and classic cars. He drove a new Raptor and company trucks came from a sketchy used car lot. I drove one of his trucks back from site once, a two and a half hour drive in the dark. It had one headlight and no speedometer. It had a fresh oil change, though.

 

[kb1jb1]

So he had the money, he just decided he had to spend it on his guys rather than himself. This sounds like the guy I did contract work for whose “shop” was actually a warehouse for his RV’s, motorcycles, sleds and classic cars. He drove a new Raptor and company trucks came from a sketchy used car lot. I drove one of his trucks back from site once, a two and a half hour drive in the dark. It had one headlight and no speedometer. It had a fresh oil change, though.

The fresh oil change? Was it because it constantly leaked oil?
Some people just can't drive or do not care. I know one contractor who's guys are always hitting something, a tree, a bulldozer, building, fence. All little dings and dents. He stopped buying new trucks.

 

[LGLS]

So he had the money, he just decided he had to spend it on his guys rather than himself. This sounds like the guy I did contract work for whose “shop” was actually a warehouse for his RV’s, motorcycles, sleds and classic cars. He drove a new Raptor and company trucks came from a sketchy used car lot. I drove one of his trucks back from site once, a two and a half hour drive in the dark. It had one headlight and no speedometer. It had a fresh oil change, though.

You got to admit, that raptor is sweet!

 

[just the cowboy]

One of my customers went to 60 day billing which with the wrong timing gets pushed to under 90 days.

When this happened to me I offered to give them a 5% discount for 15 day pay, they jumped on it because it saved them money. I then raised rates 10% a few weeks later to cover the 5% plus 5% more just because of them trying for 90 day pay.

 

[nrp3]

If the in house guy calls again to have me come work for them for something small, I'll raise the rates too, or offer them the same thing. We aren't banks. If its small and I know, I should (though I forget sometimes), just charge extra. Trying to get smarter.

 

[just the cowboy]

If the in house guy calls again to have me come work for them for something small, I'll raise the rates too, or offer them the same thing. We aren't banks. If its small and I know, I should (though I forget sometimes), just charge extra. Trying to get smarter.

I did leave markup money on the table sometimes and just have the customer order large items such as PLC's and HMI's when it was long pay time. I would tell them up front if they order and pay it would save them money.
It saved me risk running low on funds and I made it up with some "extra hours".

 

[nrp3]

This year, while still fat on work has gotten me into trouble with bid now and forget to include the clause, of, well guess what, in this market, pricing is highly volatile in the upward direction so the price is very short term and expect to pay extra. Trying to be smarter about this.

 

[LGLS]

I did leave markup money on the table sometimes and just have the customer order large items such as PLC's and HMI's when it was long pay time. I would tell them up front if they order and pay it would save them money.
It saved me risk running low on funds and I made it up with some "extra hours".

I’ve done that too, even as an employee. Filling out job tickets an hours… One day the project manager called me at home he said how did you possibly work 26 hours in one day?

 

[yankeejoe1141]

I’ve done that too, even as an employee. Filling out job tickets an hours… One day the project manager called me at home he said how did you possibly work 26 hours in one day?

13 hours of union double time?

 

[GladMech]

36 hour days are really rough. I only did that twice in my life on PLC startups.

 

[just the cowboy]

I’ve done that too, even as an employee. Filling out job tickets an hours… One day the project manager called me at home he said how did you possibly work 26 hours in one day?

I meant I made it up with more work not " just adding extra hours"

36 hour days are really rough. I only did that twice in my life on PLC startups.

Yea most I did was around 30 hours straight redoing a bread oven, once I ripped out control no going back.
When I was young OT weekend were 16 hours work, sleep for 5 hours then another 16 hours work, sleep for 5 hours then back to the 40 hour week. If you were going to lose a weekend might as well go all the way $$$$$$$$

 

[LGLS]

I meant I made it up with more work not " just adding extra hours"


Yea most I did was around 30 hours straight redoing a bread oven, once I ripped out control no going back.
When I was young OT weekend were 16 hours work, sleep for 5 hours then another 16 hours work, sleep for 5 hours then back to the 40 hour week. If you were going to lose a weekend might as well go all the way $$$$$$$$

Absolutely especially when you’re young. That’s called making hay while the sunshine’s.