Shop size poll, how many people

[480sparky]

In the past, I've worked for some small companies (1-10) and some big ones (over 1,000).

To date, I prefer working for myself, by myself.

 

[yanici]

I used to have a helper, but found out it was much easier working alone. Pulling wires can be a problem, but you get good at finding a working system. I use a 200 ft. reel snake and pushing the wires into the pipe works really good if you put a 5 pound weight tied onto the reel handle. Things get slow and I don't have to worry about having work to keep anyone busy. Best part of being a one man band is NO STRESS!! :grin:

Yeah, I new a guy that always worked alone. When he needed a hand, pulling wire, etc., he would actually go out onto the sidwalk and get some young guy walking by to help. He would offer him maybe $20 for a small amount of work. It worked for him.:smile:

 

[Rewire]

Yeah, I new a guy that always worked alone. When he needed a hand, pulling wire, etc., he would actually go out onto the sidwalk and get some young guy walking by to help. He would offer him maybe $20 for a small amount of work. It worked for him.:smile:

As long as the guy doesn't get injured on the job and sue you for everything you own or decides he wants a tax refund and turns you in to the IRS or you get audited and need to account were that twenty went.

 

[Mule]

Yeah, I new a guy that always worked alone. When he needed a hand, pulling wire, etc., he would actually go out onto the sidwalk and get some young guy walking by to help. He would offer him maybe $20 for a small amount of work. It worked for him.:smile:

With the licensing laws in Okra-homa that would not be legal for a contractor. A helper must hold an apprentice card. Not sure if it would be enforced or not, thats how it reads....

I know a GC that has a different helper EVERY time I see him, and thats at least weekly. For him, its because he's cheap and he's hard to get along with........

 

[sparkyway]

Lone Wolf... with an occasional helper. In the residential realm, I want to complete all switches and recepts, mount the lights and smokies, flip all the breakers on ... list breakers, complete a load sheet, and smile on down the road knowing it was another smooth job. I've heard the only one I can get along with is myself but... that just couldn't be true? In this slowing economy, I am so glad I don't have the worry of employees. This just works for me right now...I would be willing to hire if the need arose but so far, not necessary to do my residential work.

 

[Dnkldorf]

This is interesting.

It seems there is no common demonimator for the people in the field vs people in the office here.

Some of your shops run from 2-1, to 10-1.

This is interesting, when you take into account the overhead expenses generated by office staff.

 

[Rewire]

This is interesting.

It seems there is no common demonimator for the people in the field vs people in the office here.

Some of your shops run from 2-1, to 10-1.

This is interesting, when you take into account the overhead expenses generated by office staff.

An office manager was one of the best investments I have made.Our cash flow greatly improved as invoicing was more timely as well as the increase in accuracy reduced the amount of shrinkage we were expieriencing.Our inventory became manageable with less duplication. We were able to reduce unneeded trips to the supply house by keeping in stock our most used items and pre order for many jobs.

 

[Rockyd]

Wow, I must be odd man out. Working for an outfit from Michigan, on a large scale project in the desert. The project is somewhere around 2.9 billion before any changes. Happy camper as long as they keep writing checks

 

[Karl H]

Wow, I must be odd man out. Working for an outfit from Michigan, on a large scale project in the desert. The project is somewhere around 2.9 billion before any changes. Happy camper as long as they keep writing checks

2.9 billion? What are you building?

 

[Rockyd]

Kitchen areas in the Fontainebleau, in Las Vegas. 42 foot to the ceiling, really a pain when you have to work up there. Most of the stuff has been on a 12 foot ladder and a 20 foot man lift (drop ceilings no taller than 14 foot, hides a lot of pipe


Supposed to be done this fall...

 

[Karl H]

Kitchen areas in the Fontainebleau, in Las Vegas. 42 foot to the ceiling, really a pain when you have to work up there. Most of the stuff has been on a 12 foot ladder and a 20 foot man lift (drop ceilings no taller than 14 foot, hides a lot of pipe


Supposed to be done this fall...

Looks like an interresting project. :smile:

 

[Rockyd]

Challenging, and anything but boring. hope this one doesn't have any money problems like a lot of Vegas does right now. If your in a good spot financially, and Vegas is your thing, the town is for sale CHEAP! You will never get an opportunity to stretch dollar in Vegas like right now.

As far as the shop I work at, I think there has to be at least 50 to a 100 of us there. I'm in a spot above the garrage, and only four of us in the Kitchen(s), along with the power and fire alarm crews, so don't see much of the job site.

 

[B4T]

Yeah, I new a guy that always worked alone. When he needed a hand, pulling wire, etc., he would actually go out onto the sidwalk and get some young guy walking by to help. He would offer him maybe $20 for a small amount of work. It worked for him.:smile:

That is something I have never done. The chances of something going wrong and being sued is not worth it. There are legit companies around here that "rent" out an electrician for the day or a laborer.. what ever you need. Last year I did (4) 600 amp. services with meter stacks. There were a total of 26 meters. I made a deal with the owner to help me hang the meter stacks. I made another deal with the Cable company to dig a 40 inch deep trench and I put my primary it first, backfill, and his wires were on top. It all worked out just fine. Having a good game plan is half the battle.

 

[e57]

Funny what I picked is what my shop used to be 2 months ago, and what it is now...

 

[Teaspoon]

We are a small Residential shop.Just me and my wife.
But we have learned to handle most jobs by ourselves.
Our son helps us when we really need help.
for instance when we have a large house.
Then most of the time he will help us pull the home run's.
It is nice to have an extra set of hands especially on Multi level houses.

 

[rt66electric]

me myself and I

me myself and I

Hey Mule ! ! ! If you are near the Tulsa area give me a call and I'll buy you lunch. I may also have you help me pull wire... I work alone mostly, but I have a retired electrician help out, mostly because we enjoy each other company . He cannot hold a card because of retirement rules, but we have never had a problems with an inspector. My general day goes like this ---- drop off 2boys at elementary school, do service calls/smalljobs for 6hrs , meet kids at home afterschool. I generally make as much as I would working for the other guy putting in a hard 8hrs.

 

[Mule]

Hey Mule ! ! ! If you are near the Tulsa area give me a call and I'll buy you lunch. I may also have you help me pull wire... I work alone mostly, but I have a retired electrician help out, mostly because we enjoy each other company . He cannot hold a card because of retirement rules, but we have never had a problems with an inspector. My general day goes like this ---- drop off 2boys at elementary school, do service calls/smalljobs for 6hrs , meet kids at home afterschool. I generally make as much as I would working for the other guy putting in a hard 8hrs.

Tie them two boys on as weights onto your fish tape like was earlier mentioned. then you can push the wire real easy......:grin:

I'll remember that lunch for sure........never pass up free food....:grin:

 

[Mule]

Well so far, this poll tells me two things.....first, one man bands, have a big presence in the trade......

second, the poll also shows that shops of four and greater carry just as big of a presence, and so does the cost to run those businesses.

Then from the customer or market perspective, the market will reflect higher prices due to more work being done by larger shops. I say this because of the assumption that overhead cost and profit expectations have to drive the price upward from the level of a one man band.

Is this a fair statement???

 

[roger3829]

One man show. My son is just graduating from a technical high school, has been helping for a while.

 

[Rewire]

Well so far, this poll tells me two things.....first, one man bands, have a big presence in the trade......

second, the poll also shows that shops of four and greater carry just as big of a presence, and so does the cost to run those businesses.

Then from the customer or market perspective, the market will reflect higher prices due to more work being done by larger shops. I say this because of the assumption that overhead cost and profit expectations have to drive the price upward from the level of a one man band.

Is this a fair statement???

The advantage to having more than one man is that you increse your available man hours.You also can spread your overhead among them. many of your overhead costs are fixed and the additional costs are easily absorbed by the increase in billable hours.

Having two men does not double your overhed

If you need $800.00 per day one man would bill at $100.00 for 8 hours

with two men you can reach your target in 4 hours 2x100=200x4=800