posters in general

Status
Not open for further replies.
peter d said:
Yup, I'm on record here as saying that the most successful EC's that I know are poor electricians but are excellent businessmen.
Click to expand...
Certainly there must be exceptions, but that appears to be a prerequisite as far as I can tell also.

That reminds me of a saying they used to use when I worked for a large corporation. "Keep screwing up boy, and they're gonna make you a manager!"
 
brian john said:
I had one friend that started in business the same time as me tell me I wasted my time learning electricity he learned how to smooze with the customers I had 16 men at the time he had in excess of 300. He golfed and fished with clients every week as I set up test equipment. I like what I do and told him so, He then informed me he had sold his business for 16 mil........Oh well.
Click to expand...

What's wrong with smoozing?

They get what they want, you get what you want - you both get what you want.

If it takes 18 holes and a $250k membership to land a few million dollars worth of work..everyone's still happy.
 
Nothing wrong with smoozing just pointing out that two men that choose the same career path, ended up with widely different outcomes.

I do feel that there is a point where smoozing becomes payoffs.

But to the OP I was on a job and the customer asked the service manager (right under the owner 1,200 man shop) of the shop where I worked . The Dick was on the job to smooze the customer after a major blow up. The customer was asking how this could happen and Dick responded. I do not bother with that kind of stuff, men can be hired to address those issues, I have better things to worry about, they both laughed and went to lunch.
 
It doesn't matter how well you know the technical stuff, you're never gonna get much ahead of the doofus who just barely knows what he's doing. Because you're pretty much doing the same job, even if you're doing it much better than he is.

Before you clobber me on that, I will tell you that it has taken 30+ years for that to soak in, and I don't want to believe it even now.

As one poster mentioned, your bosses may even consider you a PITA because you're the only one who says you can't do this or you have to do that.... Never mind that you're the one he goes to when nobody else can figure it out... that never seems to register, or count.

If I have a point, I think others answered it correctly before. The big guys don't care about the code... they care about money, contracts, money, insurance, money equipment, money bids, etc... oh yeah... and money.

Apparently, I always liked the technical stuff better than the money stuff. If I knew then what I know now, I still don't know what I would have done. I have a wonderful family whom I love, and I think love me.... reasonably good health.... it's zero out and warm in here...

how rich am I? :smile:
Like the TV commercial says: My hands are dirty and my conscience is clean.
 
Last edited:
brian john said:
I do feel that there is a point where smoozing becomes payoffs.
Click to expand...

To a large extent that is true and business as usual for all types of businesses.

Carefully crafted 'payoffs' that skirt the edge of legality and blow right by any type of morality.
 
realolman said:
Like the TV commercial says: My hands are dirty and my conscience is clean.
Click to expand...

I know that many of your posts have taught people some very complex theories but IMO your post above is one of the best. :cool:
 
Tori said:
the company i work for has over 2000 men working - all union but they don't post, least not the employer.

anyone suppose why ?
Click to expand...

Tori,

Good to see you back on the Forum again and established. I know who you are talking about and I agree they should be posting on this Forum, or somewhere, at least they would find out I am not full of BS. BTW......Chris did not mean that in a brazen manner.

See Ya next week.
 
the big boys have to care about money...it's the food that feeds the monster...look at Tori's shop...2000 union men, what's the weekly payroll? think the owner of that shop is worried about whether ground is up or down? or whether he has $4mil in the bank to cover payroll?
 
emahler said:
the big boys have to care about money...it's the food that feeds the monster...look at Tori's shop...2000 union men, what's the weekly payroll? think the owner of that shop is worried about whether ground is up or down? or whether he has $4mil in the bank to cover payroll?
Click to expand...

I agree, I would much rather the big cheese knows about business then electricity.

Still not happy about the business world in general....but it is what it is and it has always been that way.
 
iwire said:
I agree, I would much rather the big cheese knows about business then electricity.

Still not happy about the business world in general....but it is what it is and it has always been that way.
Click to expand...

i know you agree, you've seen it...

but throughout the course of this day, there will be 100 guys from this board reading this thread, agreeing that the big boys only care about money not about quality, etc...then they will see $4mil in weekly payroll and will say "holy bat crap, that's a lot of money"

:D
 
emahler said:
then they will see $4mil in weekly payroll....
Click to expand...

The company I work for now increased the number of employees by more then 100 literally overnight, I can't imagine covering that payroll until the money those new employees generate starts coming in.
 
Personally I'm betting that we all benefit from the "small guys" here who care a great deal about the trade and the code than we would from some or most of the big boys. Not that I wouldn't welcome them, too. I'm just not sweating their absence.
 
j_erickson said:
Personally I'm betting that we all benefit from the "small guys" here who care a great deal about the trade and the code than we would from some or most of the big boys. Not that I wouldn't welcome them, too. I'm just not sweating their absence.
Click to expand...

too a degree...we have entirely too many craftsmen giving away their work...we need more information on how profit is not a cuss word:D
 
iwire said:
The company I work for now increased the number of employees by more then 100 literally overnight, I can't imagine covering that payroll until the money those new employees generate starts coming in.
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, what percentage of an increase is this?

Going from 100 to 200 is different than 1000 to 1100.

I couldn't imagine the company I work for getting 100 guys overnight. 25 to 125 would be a big change... to say the least. ;)
 
JohnJ0906 said:
Out of curiosity, what percentage of an increase is this?

Going from 100 to 200 is different than 1000 to 1100.
Click to expand...

I am not sure how accurate I should be here, but 100 to 200 is much more accurate then 1000 to 1100.
 
I give away my expertise up to a point, but I make more than a fair living doing this, customers appreciate the free information, IMO it has proven to be more than worth any lost information. But I have been taken advantage of on occasion.
 
some people who enter this trade just aren't meant to be electricians and a few of them come across the opportunity to go into business. most of the large contractors that i know could drive a service truck ------ but thats about it!!! as mentioned above, whats important for them has very little to do with the actual nuts and bolts of our trade. they don't think like an electrician and this is probably good..... being successful in business requires that person to be happy in what they are doing. some people cruise along with major expenses facing them every day, and they can do it without a problem, without a worry! i have worked for a 200+ man shop and i questioned most of the moves my boss made -- but business wise -- it worked. and when it didn't work, he had an answer to save face!!! the first few years i was in business i continued to expand as my accounts grew and found myself with 23 men. white shirt and tie, job meetings every day, chasing money and running to the bank!!! i was not happy!! another business offer came my way which made me down size the electrical business. i cut back to nine men and that was a relief. i was happy, my customers were happy and i knew where i was at all times(financially). eventually, i got down to two men-the last 15 years and we(the men and i) used to comment on it "what a run"!!! good working conditions--always had work--working for happy customers--never worried about money!!!
 
business side

business side

I wouldn't mind reading more posts about the business side of the electrical contracting business. Maybe a seperate heading could be made for it in this forum. Just a thought.
 
bhall1 said:
I wouldn't mind reading more posts about the business side of the electrical contracting business. Maybe a seperate heading could be made for it in this forum. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Isn't that what the Electrical Contracting is? The business side?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top