Scheduling a one man show

[quogueelectric]

I find letting the customer know what is going on when you fall behind or an em occurs is important. Keep in contact as much as it pains you to make that call when you got hung up in hd or the supply house. There is nothing worse than leaving them in the dark.

 

[Sparky555]

At my last employer we had a plumber who was a one man show whom we used for small/medium sprinkler repair work (before they tightened things up in New Jersey). He had a service which did most of his scheduling. He loved it. Most of his work was straight forward; clear a drain, fix a leak, put in a toilet, etc. and they would schedule directly for him. He'd call in once or twice a day to see if he needed to call back on the "oddballs" or to get his schedule for the next couple of days. He spent most of his day working instead of trying to figure out his work for the next two weeks on the phone with some GC, while his current customer is watching the clock hands spin .

Sounds like a man that doesn't upsell. Occasionally I go to a 4 hour repair & sell $10k. I don't think the service's schedule is going to help.

Dave

 

[Rewire]

IMO any sized contracting business is pretty screwed if the phone stops ringing for an extended period.

Dave

You just expand your market area we are doing jobs in about a 50 mile radius now I am bidding work farther out .I think that a one man show is very limiting as to not only the amount of work you can do but the distance you can travel.

 

[ohm]

You just expand your market area we are doing jobs in about a 50 mile radius now I am bidding work farther out .I think that a one man show is very limiting as to not only the amount of work you can do but the distance you can travel.

IF your overhead is low (my case) I can hold a company meeting (by talking to myself) and change my business model to accomodate any situation, without having to lay anyone off.

I can even go fishing on a workday and if I don't have any work it doesn't cost me a dime. What big shop can say that?

 

[480sparky]

IF your overhead is low (my case) I can hold a company meeting (by talking to myself) and change my business model to accomodate any situation, without having to lay anyone off.

I can even go fishing on a workday and if I don't have any work it doesn't cost me a dime. What big shop can say that?

You also have a killer profit-sharing program, plus you get to sleep with the boss's wife!

 

[ohm]

You also have a killer profit-sharing program, plus you get to sleep with the boss's wife!

Right as rain!:grin:

 

[Sparky555]

You just expand your market area we are doing jobs in about a 50 mile radius now I am bidding work farther out .I think that a one man show is very limiting as to not only the amount of work you can do but the distance you can travel.

You're right. I only like to travel 20-30 miles, but I've gone as far as 300 miles for the right customer & job.

Dave

 

[satcom]

A one man show is easy to schedule.

7:00 AM Go to local pub have one or two morning openers.

8:00 AM Go to local eating spot where the gang hangs out, and work out, all the world problems.

9:00 AM Park Truck near a work site, any site will do, just in case the wife goes by.

9:30 AM Walk to fishing spot, set line and take nap.

11:00 AM Back to get truck, driver to service call, charge $250 flat rate fee for reset GFCI.

12:30 PM Back to pub for liquid lunch with un employed buddies.

3:00 PM Go to truck, and pour water all over your shirt.

3:30 PM Arrive home, come in house, and complain about what a rough day you had, ask wife to get you a cold one.

 

[480sparky]

A one man show is easy to schedule.

7:00 AM Go to local pub have one or two morning openers.

8:00 AM Go to local eating spot where the gang hangs out, and work out, all the world problems.

9:00 AM Park Truck near a work site, any site will do, just in case the wife goes by.

9:30 AM Walk to fishing spot, set line and take nap.

11:00 AM Back to get truck, driver to service call, charge $250 flat rate fee for reset GFCI.

12:30 PM Back to pub for liquid lunch with un employed buddies.

3:00 PM Go to truck, and pour water all over your shirt.

3:30 PM Arrive home, come in house, and complain about what a rough day you had, ask wife to get you a cold one.

3:59 PM: File for bankrupcy.

 

[ohm]

3:59 PM: File for bankrupcy.

Too late in the day..put it off until tomorrow, or so.

 

[480sparky]

Too late in the day..put it off until tomorrow, or so.

Someday, you should join us.

 

[ohm]

Someday, you should join us.

Looks like something I might want to do ..later.

 

[dnem]

I'm the next best thing to a one man show (a two man show).

Some of us look at 1 or 2 man band as meaning that you don't have enough work.

This is why I am a six man show today.

I'm also a fan of the 5 to 6 man shop. . I started out as a 2 man band, my brother and me. . We ballooned up to 13 within 2 years and I was yanking my hair out everyday.

If I go back to contracting, I'll start as a 1 man band and grow to 5 as quickly as possible. . 2 crews of 2 men each with me filling in the gaps. . Depending on need, I'll do paperwork in the office, pound the pavement for future work, or join one of the crews to hit a job with 3 guys.

I'll stay at 5 or jump up to 6 total.

If I go 6 it would be because I've accumulated some service work. . Set up a service truck and man it with a 6th guy.

Never, never, never again do I want to be in the 10 to 20 range. . There's not enough cash flow and profit to get the office help you need to run that size of a company. . And doing all of the office/management myself, for that size of a shop, is the very last thing I ever want to do again.

 

[ohm]

Some of us look at 1 or 2 man band as meaning that you don't have enough work.



I'm also a fan of the 5 to 6 man shop. . I started out as a 2 man band, my brother and me. . We ballooned up to 13 within 2 years and I was yanking my hair out everyday.

If I go back to contracting, I'll start as a 1 man band and grow to 5 as quickly as possible. . 2 crews of 2 men each with me filling in the gaps. . Depending on need, I'll do paperwork in the office, pound the pavement for future work, or join one of the crews to hit a job with 3 guys.

I'll stay at 5 or jump up to 6 total.

If I go 6 it would be because I've accumulated some service work. . Set up a service truck and man it with a 6th guy.

Never, never, never again do I want to be in the 10 to 20 range. . There's not enough cash flow and profit to get the office help you need to run that size of a company. . And doing all of the office/management myself, for that size of a shop, is the very last thing I ever want to do again.

Was a 300 man band, then a 9...now a 1 (by choice).

 

[dnem]

Was a 300 man band, then a 9...now a 1 (by choice).

Once you get above about ... 25, it gets better. . You can hire the people you need to handle the office and sales work needed. . It's that 10 to 20 that's horrible. . Never again for me !

 

[ohm]

Once you get above about ... 25, it gets better. . You can hire the people you need to handle the office and sales work needed. . It's that 10 to 20 that's horrible. . Never again for me !

That's kinda what they say about money...the 1st million is tough to make after that it's all downhill.

 

[Mule]

A one man show is easy to schedule.

7:00 AM Go to local pub have one or two morning openers.

8:00 AM Go to local eating spot where the gang hangs out, and work out, all the world problems.

9:00 AM Park Truck near a work site, any site will do, just in case the wife goes by.

9:30 AM Walk to fishing spot, set line and take nap.

11:00 AM Back to get truck, driver to service call, charge $250 flat rate fee for reset GFCI.

12:30 PM Back to pub for liquid lunch with un employed buddies.

3:00 PM Go to truck, and pour water all over your shirt.

3:30 PM Arrive home, come in house, and complain about what a rough day you had, ask wife to get you a cold one.

HAHA you MUST have a ''sugar moma" paying the bills