How long did it take you to really get the business up and running?

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mdshunk said:
I've never used (or even been tempted to use) the Internet to find a local service provider of any type. For that reason, I am suspicious whether net advertising would work in my market. I suspect that it is more effective in metropolitan areas.
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They have a way of locating the searcher's location, and will only show advertisement for shops that are local to you. I do think that it might work better in metropolitan areas, if for no other reason, but for the fact that you have a much larger number of potential searchers in a given radius from your shop. e/m.
 
Would not change it for the world.

Previously I had worked for 5 contractors, one went bankrupt, one would not give me a raise though they said I deserved it, giving me a raise would put me over the top of longer term employees, I quit. Next guy turned out to be a crook. Number 4 company fired me for having a big mouth, I tried to tell them how to run their business (and they DID know better than me). Last company we (4 of us) came in on Monday and were told the testing division was going to be shut down on Friday. I asked what are we suppose to do and I got the response "I really do not give a F*** what you do now or in the future." The guy that fired us was let go at a later date.

I do not think I could really work for anyone else due to my hardheadedness.

3 of the 5 companies I worked for are now my customers.
 
Being the newbi in town will be a struggle. Phone book and decent easy to read name, etc on truck will help. Not a magnetic sign that happens to be stuck hap hazardly on the side of your fishin' truck.

Make sure your rates are high enough for the area you are in. I had to add $10/hr a few years ago just because someone decided to take me for a ride. Guess what, no one complained. I am close to the norm here, not that of DC.

Talking to your competitors does not hurt at all. I don't have a bucket truck but I do have a fault locator. I don't mind passing on work to someone that is capable.
 
I spent several months in the planning stage before I opened my shop and several years of saving up money.I used my savings for working capitol the first six months I had a 2500.00 limit at the supply house so I dipped into these funds to pay for materials the jobs were slow coming and expenses often were more than income I found out that when people talk about loosing money the first years they are talking about REAL money.
 
I've heard it said that the way to make a small fortune in this business is to start with a large one.

After getting my EC license in 1978 I moved to a new town and hung out my shingle. I pounded the pavement, worked for peanuts, avoided debt, lived frugally, and worked as many hours as I could. My wife finally took over the book-keeping (whew) and after about 5 years I had the confidence to hire a helper.

Since then I've had anywhere from 2-6 men at any one time. We've been through a few economic cycles. My company is probably the best know of it's kind in the area and I still get paranoid about business. My prices are up where htey need to be but when the others get slow they bid/work cheap and we all suffer.

I'll be laying off at least two guys next week and it's really the hardest thing I have to do. But that's business.
 
I'd goto work for someone, get your ducks in a row. Do jobs on the side and weekends, legitamently, but without your employer knowing if they care. That's where I'd start. If you can't get the "sidework" and you don't have contacts at least you have a job paying the bills.
 
I started 23 years ago, laid off and clueless. I made $2400.00 the first 6 months. Before I figured some thing out and built up a client base, I missed a lot of paychecks. 18 years in business and I had a bad year and missed a few more paychecks. Sometimes business runs smooth, but often it's a broken machine and you have to fix it or pay someone else to fix it. If you ask anyone in business, they have probably paid thousands of dollars on some bright idea that fell flat.

Dave
 
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wireman71 said:
I'd goto work for someone, get your ducks in a row. Do jobs on the side and weekends, legitamently, but without your employer knowing if they care. That's where I'd start. If you can't get the "sidework" and you don't have contacts at least you have a job paying the bills.
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I tell everyone that works for me they either work for me or they work for themselves,you can't do both. I make it clear if they do 'side" work they are fired ,I am not going to pay you and compete against you.
 
I never did side work, it is not fair to your employer. (unless he approves).
Nothing makes you succeed or want to succeed like only getting one check.
 
Rewire said:
I tell everyone that works for me they either work for me or they work for themselves,you can't do both. I make it clear if they do 'side" work they are fired ,I am not going to pay you and compete against you.
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That's EXACTLY the way it is in my shop too. Guys doing side work usually work much cheaper than we do. Care to guess why? Because I'm already paying for health insurance, vacation/pto, a 40hr workweek, worker comp ins....................... The they undercut my prices? Not.
 
bkludecke said:
Guys doing side work usually work much cheaper than we do. Care to guess why? Because I'm already paying for health insurance, vacation/pto, a 40hr workweek, worker comp ins..
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You left out material. Some side work has real low overhead.:grin: :grin:
 
I ENCOURAGE side work as long as it's not MY customers/contacts. I want them to know how easy they have it here with all the tools, labor and support we provide. Two guys have left to start on their own. One of them is back after a couple years.

I did side jobs from day ONE.....well, after a couple months anyway. I couldn't get by on $1.25 an hour or 4 bucks or 6 bucks or 9 or 12. Whatever wages were at the time didn't seem to be enough for me.


I learned early on that I could make as much on a weekend as I could all week long. Yes...unlicenced, uninsured and tax free.



My guys don't belong to me. When they clock out they can do as they please. I count my blessings every day when they show up for work because there is only so much I can produce by myself and it seems to dwindle with every passing year.


You left out material. Some side work has real low overhead
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I fired a guy for stealing a few items from a truck. He was caught by a security camera that HE installed. Hellooooo!
 
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220/221 said:
I ENCOURAGE side work as long as it's not MY customers/contacts. I want them to know how easy they have it here with all the tools, labor and support we provide. Two guys have left to start on their own. One of them is back after a couple years.

I did side jobs from day ONE.....well, after a couple months anyway. I couldn't get by on $1.25 an hour or 4 bucks or 6 bucks or 9 or 12. I learned early on that I could make as much on a weekend as I could all week long. Yes...unlicenced, uninsured and tax free.

Whatever wages were at the time didn't seem to be enough for me.

My guys don't belong to me. When they clock out they can do as they please. I count my blessings every day when they show up for work because there is only so much I can produce by myself and it seems to dwindle with every passing year.
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220, no offense meant, but you are part of the problem...i'm glad it works out for you, but your guys doing sidework are taking my customers...and my guys doing side work, are taking your customers...
 
I make it clear if they do 'side" work they are fired
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I had a hard azz old boss that looked just like Ross Perot. He told me "If you talk about how much you get paid, I'll fire you".

That day I left my paycheck on the truck seat where the guy who had been with him for a few years could see it. I think he made about 3 bucks an hour less thatn me.

It was kind of a jerk move but if the boss would have talked with me instead of threating me I would have respected his wishes.


220, no offense meant, but you are part of the problem...i'm glad it works out for you, but your guys doing sidework are taking my customers...and my guys doing side work, are taking your customers...
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A) I don't think there IS a problem. I could use a bit more work, especially high dollar easy work, but I have never suffered from a lack of work.

B) I don't think I am entitled to ANY work. If someone took one of my best clients away I would be pissed but the reality is, this is a free market and competition exists.
 
when the playing field is slanted against me I can really get my back up.
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That is what drives us to succeed. When things are stacked against us we find a way around them.

Maybe my optimism comes from being born and raised in a large metro area. The economy always goes up and down but there always seems to be plenty of work if you stay diversefied and are able to change with the times.
 
220/221 said:
A LONG time ago I sent out a simple letter to every HVAC guy in the phone book...about 300 at the time knowing that they occaisionally come across elec work that they diodn't want or could not do.

For the youngsters, the "phone book" was a printed source of information, updated yearly, containing everyone with phone service. It was the olden days.


I also sent the same amount of basically the same letter to all electrical contractors trying to pick up any junk/extra work that they didn't want.


I got a few calls from the HVAC guys, nothing that really stands out but I got a CRAPLOAD of calls from the EC's and one of them lead to a good contract that spanned almost a decade.
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My phone book ad (small), always come thru monthly,to make my overhead expenses.
 
bkludecke said:
That's EXACTLY the way it is in my shop too. Guys doing side work usually work much cheaper than we do. Care to guess why? Because I'm already paying for health insurance, vacation/pto, a 40hr workweek, worker comp ins....................... The they undercut my prices? Not.
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How do you know if they are doing side work though? I don't know how short of putting GPS on the trucks so that at least someone will not be using my truck to do side work. But that is very expensive, not to mention time consuming, tracking the trucks, etc. e/m.
 
220/221 said:
I had a hard azz old boss that looked just like Ross Perot. He told me "If you talk about how much you get paid, I'll fire you".

That day I left my paycheck on the truck seat where the guy who had been with him for a few years could see it. I think he made about 3 bucks an hour less thatn me.

It was kind of a jerk move but if the boss would have talked with me instead of threating me I would have respected his wishes.





A) I don't think there IS a problem. I could use a bit more work, especially high dollar easy work, but I have never suffered from a lack of work.

B) I don't think I am entitled to ANY work. If someone took one of my best clients away I would be pissed but the reality is, this is a free market and competition exists.
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i should qualify that my thoughts are based on unlicensed guys working on the side...not licensed, insured, legitimate contractors who also work for someone else. Ironically, if they are not stealing from their boss, their OH per man hour is not much less than mine...

but to not differentiate between the 2 is like forgetting the word "illegal" when talking about immigration...

so, there is a problem with unlicensed guys working nights and weekends for cash....
 
emahler said:
i should qualify that my thoughts are based on unlicensed guys working on the side...not licensed, insured, legitimate contractors who also work for someone else.
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Agreed. I have no issues with guys doing side work, as long as they're complying with the law as it already exists in their localities. I am aware of companies that have a moonlighting policy, whereas all moonlighting is prohibited. That's fine, and the men who work there aparently have agreed to that. They're free to work someplace else if they want to moonlight.
 
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