Side Jobs to Working Solo

Status
Not open for further replies.
Are you saying this company dumped an entire division and its customers just to get rid of the guy running that division?

If so, was that your plan, or was it more like after becoming the amazing piece of work that you are, you just made the best of a situation?
Click to expand...

I was not running the division, I was a worker bee, me and 6 others were let go, 2 were asked to stay they left as well.

The guy running the division was kept on. We were not making any money. After we left they found over $250,000.00 in unprocessed billables for one year. The guy that was running the division was then let go.

Lastly the project managers did not like our group as they were forced to use us on jobs over a certain amount, this came out of the jobs budget and they did not like that. No matter that on some jobs we did save them money.


You had some leverage. Maybe customers liked your results, and customers are always right.

Perhaps no one else had your skills and you used double speak and non-sensical phrases to tell them how you did it.

Brings to mind someone on this forum who described load testing for impedance as a fall-off potential test, which to me seems like a perfect specimine of a BS'ing electrician
Click to expand...

Being basically a DOLT, not sure how to respond/answer this?
 
Last edited:
SiddMartin said:
I hope everyone realizes that to me "SIDE WORK" is legitamate work, it is not work that I aquired while on the job nor would it jeoparize my career. I don't agree with taking existing customers, I am talking about working for YOURSELF.
Just wanted to know some of the struggles that you guys went through in the beginning. If you started with a lot of money then don't reply b/c I can't relate.:)
Click to expand...

No we did not start with a lot of money we took out a line of credit from a bank, we had little to no money saved, but needed the credit line to help thru the start up period, not too many understand the cost of operating a ligitmate business, and i am talking about a small one or two man shop, not a large company. The times were real rough, even with the line of credit, and with illegal side job guys, cutting the prices, so they could get some tax free money, it just made things harder, If some of these side job guys had to depend on the work payingf all their bills and benifits, you would hear them scream and demand the side work stops.

If your following all your state laws, and providing the needed insurances to conduct a legal business, then I would not call it side work, but rather start up work, and a lot of guys have to start up slow, and build the business.
 
Last edited:
The one thing I never did on side jobs was to bid them low.

One time I came in at 12K on a job bid by a real contractor at 7K :-? .

The GC looked at me with disgust and ran me off.
 
satcom said:
Excellant information, but some guys just don't get it, a lot of them, are wage workers, and will never really underatand the true cost of operating a business until they are out there on their own with no life boats, like a full time job, with benifits and study employment, then think nothing of under cutting rates by operating illegal, then crying but I have a family, well good news so do all the other guys that have risked everything and pay all the ligit expenses, the side worker has no regard for the laws, or respect for anyone else, me me me!
Click to expand...

Satcom, how is the sideworker any less endearing to you than the "legitimate contractor" who also isn't paying benefits, pensions, no lifeboat, etc?
 
LawnGuyLandSparky said:
Satcom, how is the sideworker any less endearing to you than the "legitimate contractor" who also isn't paying benefits, pensions, no lifeboat, etc?
Click to expand...

What do benifits, and pensions have to to with working legal?

The lifeboat i am talking about is the present job the sid worker is doing, in simple terms if he leaves a job that has study pay and benifits, he has to man up and make it on his own, pay all the expenses of operating a business, all insurances, taxes, and payroll.

The side job worker, just dosen't have what it takes make it on his own. without a lifeboat.
 
EBFD6 said:
OOOOOOOOHHHHHH........you said that dirty S-word! Look out!

Get ready to hear how you are "single handedly destroying the electrical trade as we know it", not to mention causing world hunger, depleting the ozone layer, killing baby seals, and who knows what else guys are gonna throw at you.

There are some on this site that believe side work automatically means that you are working for $15.00/hr, not pulling permits, and hacking every job you can get your hands on!

You are supposed to jump into business blindly and struggle to make ends meet, maybe have your house foreclosed. Taking unnecessary risks is the only way you'll ever become a "real" contractor.;)
Click to expand...

how bad does it hurt your head when you attempt to think?
 
220/221 said:
.
I hope I didn't bring down any contractors or do any real damage to the industry. I was trying to get ahead and provide a better life for me and my family. My son is an electrician too. 15 years now :)
Click to expand...

i don't know about damaging the industry....but did you have to destroy your son's life? couldn't you let him become something better than an electrician? like operate a honey truck or something?:D
 
iwire said:
I notice you are not taking any chances of getting thinking pains. :grin:
Click to expand...

doesn't happen that often...kind of like you running a profitable job:D (compliments of peterd;))
 
emahler said:
how bad does it hurt your head when you attempt to think?
Click to expand...

I was just making an observation of previous threads and peoples comments in general about sidework on this forum, that's all.

The term "sidework" is a very touchy subject around here.:smile:

As someone who works full time for a comercial/Industrial contractor and does a decent amount of "legit" resi sidework, I just get a bit of a chuckle reading some of the posts on this topic.

And my head hurts all the time!:D
 
emahler said:
doesn't happen that often...kind of like you running a profitable job:D (compliments of peterd;))
Click to expand...

I don't bid them, I just deal with them. I have also cleared 45% on jobs taken for 20%.

You think 30 minutes per 8' fixture hung on aircraft cable with the rows running at a 45 degree angle to the building is enough? Thats receiving the customer supplied ligating package, inventorying it, unpacking, hauling trash, assembling, hanging, wiring inside and lamping.
 
i can only go on the information i'm given:D

unfortunately that didn't happen enough...otherwise 800 people would still have a job (no that's not a dig directed at you...just an observation)
 
emahler said:
iunfortunately that didn't happen enough...otherwise 800 people would still have a job (no that's not a dig directed at you...just an observation)
Click to expand...

I am sure Peter was in the inner circle and knows exactly what happened and why. :smile:

Supposedly it had to do with the division in South Carlina that was the big problem.

However I really have no idea at all and don't lay awake trying to figure it out.

Right now the economys direction makes me remember 1988-91 when things got real slow.
 
iwire said:
I am sure Peter was in the inner circle and knows exactly what happened and why. :smile:

Supposedly it had to do with the division in South Carlina that was the big problem.

However I really have no idea at all and don't lay awake trying to figure it out.

Right now the economys direction makes me remember 1988-91 when things got real slow.
Click to expand...

i remember those years all to well...those were not the best years...
 
emahler said:
i don't know about damaging the industry....but did you have to destroy your son's life? couldn't you let him become something better than an electrician? like operate a honey truck or something?
Click to expand...

Never mind problems from illegal side work, see what the LA Times reports about contract/agencies stealing your Son's SSN for illegal electrical laborers.

http://blog.trustedid.com/?p=436
http://www.alipac.us/article2365.html

During the last year --under false promise of P-wage work-- 3 seperate employment agencies got my SSN for jobsites run by laborers. The hiring agency states US tax Form I-90 requires proof of ID, these agencies damanded my SSN each time, then the excuses varied why their was no work or referals.

The practice is so prevelent now, GC's are doing it themselves without paying agency fees.

This has become very frustrating during the last year in my area. These employers prey upon resumes posted to the State's CalJobs web site. A free list of resumes --those who have collected unemployment benefits-- provided to employers by the State.

When I reported my ID was taken under false pretext, the Employment Devolopment Dpt. in my State claimed the agencies checked out fine, I had no evidence of ID theft, and referred me to the Dpt of Labor.

Lifelock reports no attempts on my credit so far, so it appears (According to LA times article above) the harvesting of our SSN's is only being used to get illegal laborers working at the jobsites.
 
couldn't you let him become something better than an electrician?
Click to expand...


Believe me, I didn't want him to get into construction. I gave him a few years to choose his own path before I asked him to join us. As fate would have it, things have turned out nicely.
 
iwire said:
I am sure Peter was in the inner circle and knows exactly what happened and why. :smile:
Click to expand...

I don't really know why the company went under, nor do I really care, other than the fact that many people lost their jobs. I left 6+ months before it happened anyway. With hindsight it looked like they sunk because of very bad management on all levels, and trying to be the cheapest guy on the block.
 
emahler said:
doesn't happen that often...kind of like you running a profitable job:D (compliments of peterd;))
Click to expand...


It's true that Bob ran some jobs that were losers. That said, every foremen I worked under at CES ran jobs that were losers (and a few that made money). Most of the jobs I worked on in my 1+ years there under multiple foremen lost huge amounts of money.

The losses were greater than the gains and you know the rest of the story.
 
SiddMartin said:
Expecting a lot of good discussion off of this,

How many of you guys started out w/ side work that eventually got so overwhelming that you branched off and started working for yourself.
Click to expand...

I know of no other way to start a contracting business. I got my license and started doing side jobs on evenings and weekends. When the money I made on side jobs exceeded what I made on my day job, I quit my day job.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top