Business plan

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sparky_magoo

sparky_magoo

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Reno
My shop is really slow right now. CA. central coast. My previous employer wants me to come back.

The old employer wants me to write a business plan on how to make the service dept. more profitable.

I feel I write well. I can write something up. Call insurance companies and property management companies. etc.

Do any of you have sugesstions on how to write a business plan. I have a bunch of notes for the interview tomorrow.

I have a van with my current shop. It has sit unused for two days. I am not fired or laid off. I have to wait for the phone to ring. Three months ago, I went to work for him. Work was great. Now, I don't have any work. He is willing to let his van sit in my driveway until something comes in.
 
Always a Tough call.

Always a Tough call.

Your writing a business plan for your old boss to get your job Back?

Sounds like a free be for old boss and or your present boss might find out,
old one gets some free advice, present one fires you. Tough call.

I just had another conversation where a person was asked to write a plan
as part of being hired, must have been something in the press lately...
 
cadpoint said:
Your writing a business plan for your old boss to get your job Back?

Sounds like a free be for old boss and or your present boss might find out,
old one gets some free advice, present one fires you. Tough call.

I just had another conversation where a person was asked to write a plan
as part of being hired, must have been something in the press lately...
Click to expand...

I don't think my present boss will mind. Two days ago, he told me to look for work. As I have said, I get to keep the van. He has no work for me. I have never been in this situation before. If he has work, he will call me.

My old company will hire me back, if I can generate some business. I know I can. I would like info. on how to write a business plan.

I know I can win back the service customers lost when I quit.
 
What do I know, Search Google

What do I know, Search Google

If you'd of said all that in first post I probably won't have posted at all, but not matter.

I frankly find it odd that thats a quailification for get your job back, you weren't happy 3 months ago, now your going smiling back ....

I 'd hate the thought that I'd have to show a business man how to run his business or even generate work, or what ever you might want to call it.

Besides all that, if your that good and the boss knows it, why not partner up, OR get out on your own.
 
cadpoint said:
If you'd of said all that in first post I probably won't have posted at all, but not matter.

I frankly find it odd that thats a quailification for get your job back, you weren't happy 3 months ago, now your going smiling back ....

I 'd hate the thought that I'd have to show a business man how to run his business or even generate work, or what ever you might want to call it.

Besides all that, if your that good and the boss knows it, why not partner up, OR get out on your own.
Click to expand...

Interesting, an associate asked why I don't partner up with the "good" owner and conspire to get rid of the "bad" one.

The "good" owner is carrying the company out of his pocket. He has threatened to get rid of his partner by shutting off funds.

I have enough in the bank to help carry the company for a while.
This thought is scary. I have bucks in the bank to buy a house.
We pre-qualified for one this summer. I shut the wife down on buying it. She was bummed, but unsterstood my fear of the housing market in Cali.

I am meeting the "good" owner tomorow. I could easily offer to throw my life savings at him to become a new partner. He has hinted to this. My wife is a displaced mortgage officer, who works as the book keeper for this guy.

This is the greatest crap shoot I have ever thrown. I am thinking he can hire me hourly and I will keep my savings.

The pay-off could be big, but I might lose it all.
 
If you have to show him how to market his business, then he is not of a business person, an really someone you should not get involved with him.

For you to invest in a business, it would have to have some real value, like signed contracts for ongoing work, that can keep the business earning profits for years to come, no value no deal. anyone can buy a dream, that in no time, can turn into a nightmare.

A contracting business with signed ongoing, maint contracts, or a large back log of years of signed projects, might be a decent long shot on investing in.
 
Im a Central Coast EC , i could probably guess which Van is parked
:cool: . The way this market is, offer the good owner to work Hourly and go the extra mile, make it your company and even work out a way to buy into the company , maybe a few bucks everyday.
Just a thought
 
sparky_magoo said:
I am meeting the "good" owner tomorow. I could easily offer to throw my life savings at him to become a new partner. He has hinted to this.
Click to expand...

NO NO NO, and just to try to communicate, NO. The business is loosing money. You have zero control over it and even if you put up the money to be a owner, I doubt you will gain any control.


This is the greatest crap shoot I have ever thrown. I am thinking he can hire me hourly and I will keep my savings.
Click to expand...
This is a much better plan with these guys.


The pay-off could be big, but I might lose it all.
Click to expand...
A much better pay-off would be if you just went out on your own. It sounds like you can (or at least believe you can) run a business. I believe partners have more problems than benifits. If you believe in yourself, by yourself is the way to go.

BEST of luck.
 
sparky_magoo said:
I am meeting the "good" owner tomorow. I could easily offer to throw my life savings at him to become a new partner. He has hinted at this. My wife is a displaced mortgage officer, who works as the book keeper for this guy.
Click to expand...

Sounds like he wants to sell stock in the "Titanic" as it sinks below the surface.

I have to agree with hardworkingstiff. If you are going to invest your money then invest in yourself. If you think that you can get customers for the other company then you can get the same customers for yourself.

There is a major difference between haveing to support your family and having to support two families. I had a partner at one time and I learned the meaning of " Dead weight ".

If we have the work slow down that I expect then a small business that can control it's overhead will have a better chance to survive.

I hate to say this but I will anyway. You have the customer list from your old company, use it. If you have the customers and the money, what are they going to bring to the table ( more hungry mouths to feed )? :-?

PS. That van and tools will probably sell cheap hear in the near future if it's parked for very long. Make an offer and keep it on the cheap side. In slow times Cash is the most valuable commodity there is.
 
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If you are interested in becoming involved in the business as more than just an employee, he should be able to produce a business plan for you, not ask you to write it up. If things are so slow he thinks having a plan written up will help, he's already too far behind.

If you've got the skills to be both an electrician and to write up a business plan, how far are you from striking out on your own? Especially if you got some bucks in the bank and a working spouse? IMPO, that's a great head start as it is! Write up a plan for yourself, as well as a financial statement and balance sheet, and see how it works out.
 
growler said:
You have the customer list from your old company, use it.
Click to expand...

This is what is bothering me. The OP claims (and I have no grounds to disbelieve) that he can get the "lost" customers back. If so, he can probably take those customers anywhere. So why bail out a business that the current owner has driven into the deck, and then finance him to do the same again...?

Magoo: If you have the confidence, the abilities, and the belief in yourself, then I would seriously suggest you look at taking this one on yourself, it looks a less risky course of action than the alternatives. It actually looks like a good opportunity. But a sound, calculated, pessimistic business plan is the first essential step, to work out if this is really is an opportunity, or the short way to bankruptcy.
 
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I agree. If he wants to hire you only if you can show him that you'll generate most or all of your own work, what do you need him for?
 
For now, I am going back with another couple of bucks an hour. I was unwilling to PPiece the work Way too much time is spent scheduling, ordering material, writing estimates, etc.

I am walking into a hornets nest and I know it.

The small shop I just left wasn't interested in picking up any of the unhappy customers. Ethics and what not.

I have considered going for a C-10. In this market, I don't think I could find enought business. Shops are losing money just to keep thier doors open. Most places are laying electricians off.

The biggest home builder in the area packed up and went back to Texas.
My wife's and several other mortgage companies have closed thier doors.

It doesn't seem like a good time for a mostly resi. guy to go on his own.

We almost bought a house last year. I backed out at the last minute and it's a good thing. Thats what the money in the bank is really for.
 
I went back today. The big slice of humble pie I ate didn't taste so bad. After all, I did get a nice raise.

I was given a pile of unresolved work orders and messages my predessesor left. I made many cold calls today. I patched things up with three clients (read three + service calls for me!). Remember I was hired to sink or swim.

Some of these clients didn't want to fire us. They really had no choice.

It wasn't easy going through the pile of previously "hidden" calls.

I have confidence I will get many of the lost clients back. I just winged it.

It amazes me how many of the clients were willing to write off one drunk employee, to restablish long term relationships.

Of course, I saved the hardest calls for tomorrow afternoon.

Only two clients don't want to hear from us again.
 
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