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Topic:
Thinking about selling
This thread has 91 replies. Displaying posts 61 through 75.
Post 61 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 13:10
Mac Burks (39)
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On January 11, 2016 at 19:47, Fins said...
Why do you work for someone else since it's obviously so easy to run a business? Why in the world wouldn't you start your own company and create the next Best Buy since you think you have all the answers?

Why do you have a bathroom indoors when you can easily pee on the front porch?
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 62 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 13:12
Mac Burks (39)
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On January 11, 2016 at 20:49, Fiasco said...
Then I apologize for my line of posts. Not tying fins impossible post to yours was my downfall.


Now, as to your Lawn mowing reference... I never wanted to mow the lawn and didn't stop mowing the lawn until the point where my time became more valuable then it cost to pay someone to mow the lawn.

I think that right there is the tipping point you're looking for.

When does your time become more valuable then the cost to pay someone else to do it (and can you afford it)?

I think thats where Jeff is if hes posting about closing up shop.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 63 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 13:14
Mac Burks (39)
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On January 11, 2016 at 22:18, Fins said...
See, there was where Mac erred again. I never said anything was impossible. But I did find his nonchalant, "just hire someone" solution to be laughable. It is right in line with when a child looks at a parent, wanting a new toy, and says, "well, just write a check for it", not understanding the implications involved in what seems like such a simple transaction.

Actually you didn't say anything at all in 2 posts. Thats why i referenced Trump.

Your LOL "thats impossible" sentiment still has me confused. People get hired every day. "Simple" is a relative term. For some walking and chewing gum at the same time is simple.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 64 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 13:32
Mac Burks (39)
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On January 11, 2016 at 20:17, goldenzrule said...
Mac, hiring someone is anything but easy. Sure you can place an ad, sure the phone will ring. That does not mean you're done. For every ad I place for EXPERIENCED people, I probably get 50 responses from people that were never in a field even closely related. I will get another 20 responses from people in live theater that think that correlates to this business. And most come through from people that cannot even take the time to address their email in a properly formed letter, with resume attached.

Sure I can just hire ANYONE off the street, but that will not do anything to lighten my workload. I already have one of those people, and need to find a replacement. Today, it took him 9 hours to run 3 cat5's and a coax from one side of the room to the other in a channel he had to cut behind the baseboard that the builder removed for us. 9 hours. I can train all day, but this very basic task took this individual 9 hours. When I spoke to him about this, he scoffed like I am being unreasonable to expect that it should have taken no more than an hour and a half (that would be the time expected if he were sleeping through it).

Point, anyone can find "help". Finding HELP though is far more difficult than you can imagine until you actually try. Some of us spend years building a business and cannot just hand the keys over to a fry guy simply cause he wants to make more than $10 an hour. The real hard workers that also happen to be technologically minded, have experience in this field or at the very least knowledge in electronics and ability to learn are VERY difficult to find. Some companies spend their entire existence looking for those people, never finding them.

I started at $5 an hour in the early 90's and after 1 year i was doing retro work, new construction, solo installations and i was even beginning to handle the front end of the service department. The next company i worked for i was making $7.50 for a year then $10.00 then $15.00 then $20 and so on and so forth.

I have seen dozens of people come and go. The guys who sucked after week one are the guys who sucked 5 years later. Cut them loose and hire another guy. Rinse and repeat.

The key is having the time and ability to train someone. If you wait until you are running around trying to put out fires your new hire will spend his career as a glorified gopher. 5 years later hes still worth $12 an hour but he needs more money to live. When i started we were busy but every day for the first month was spent being taught how to do things. By week 2 i was retrofitting in-ceiling speakers by myself...leaving the job without needing to paint. This is because the first 3 days of work were spent with me being taught how to do it.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 65 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 13:36
Mac Burks (39)
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On January 11, 2016 at 22:06, chris-L5S said...
This post made me think of a tech in training that I had.  The drywall guys covered the TV outlet, it is 2 holes to the left of the AC outlet.  I was out of town, he was sent to terminate/trim the wall plates and the can.  Its a 30 minute drive from the office.  He calls me after he has driven back to the office to tell me that the TV wiring in the MBR was not cut out.  Really?  you didn't find it and cut it out while you were on site?  He decides to drive back to the job site the next morning and proceeded to cut 8 holes looking for the TV wire.  Not only did He spend another hour of windshield time, but it took 2 hours to cut the 8 holes.

He wondered why I pissed when the builder calls me the next day and sends me this picture.

The drywall guys created that mess. Why is the builder pissed at your guy?

We used to get to jobs like that and kill ourselves working for free because of someone elses mistake. Now i go get the GC and show him the problem and ask him if he wants to pay us or the drywall guy to fix the mistake they made. Drywall guy labor is significantly less than ours.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 66 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 14:10
Fins
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On January 12, 2016 at 13:10, Mac Burks (39) said...
Why do you have a bathroom indoors when you can easily pee on the front porch?

That comparison doesn't even make sense. It has nothing to do with the previous comment.
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

Post 67 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 15:59
goldenzrule
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On January 12, 2016 at 13:32, Mac Burks (39) said...
I started at $5 an hour in the early 90's and after 1 year i was doing retro work, new construction, solo installations and i was even beginning to handle the front end of the service department. The next company i worked for i was making $7.50 for a year then $10.00 then $15.00 then $20 and so on and so forth.

I have seen dozens of people come and go. The guys who sucked after week one are the guys who sucked 5 years later. Cut them loose and hire another guy. Rinse and repeat.

The key is having the time and ability to train someone. If you wait until you are running around trying to put out fires your new hire will spend his career as a glorified gopher. 5 years later hes still worth $12 an hour but he needs more money to live. When i started we were busy but every day for the first month was spent being taught how to do things. By week 2 i was retrofitting in-ceiling speakers by myself...leaving the job without needing to paint. This is because the first 3 days of work were spent with me being taught how to do it.

Mac, I know you have experience, as do many of us. I have been on both ends of this topic. I started later than you in the industry, but as a helper. I learned quick and was installing things like TV's, speakers, and more in the first week. Fishing wires came easy to me and I have always been tech minded, so again it was natural for me. I saw others come and go, some could handle part of the job, some could not handle any of it. In the time I was with that company, I did not see a single person come that had the work ethic, technology minded, punctuality, pride in work, or dedication that I had. Some had some of these qualities, but not all. All of them went before I did.

As I transitioned to running my own business, I found out why it was that the old bosses never were able to find the right kind of help we needed. It was not from lack of trying. It was from lack of stock. The job market was just out of stock of the right minded people. As I have looked now for several years of that kind of help, I have come to realize that the job market is ALWAYS low on that kind of stock. To bring person after person after person in is draining. Can be both financially and definitely emotionally draining. It is easy to say just hire people. I used to tell the old bosses that. Just hire better people. They tried. I have now tried. It just doesn't happen that easily unfortunately.

Another big issue that I have seen. The older generation may have better work ethics, but are not always as sharp with new technologies. Now matter how much you train, most of these folks are just wired differently than today's younger generation and will not get how these technologies work. There are exceptions of course. The younger generation, Brendon included, have no work ethic. They show up for the paycheck, drag their feet to pad their hours, demand time off, do half assed work, and are generally not very professional. There are exceptions of course. Finding the right mix is a crap shoot at best, and until you have been in the position of looking for that right individual, you just do not have the understanding of how difficult a situation and task it is.
Post 68 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 16:00
goldenzrule
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On January 12, 2016 at 14:10, Fins said...
That comparison doesn't even make sense. It has nothing to do with the previous comment.

I was just wondering how he came to the conclusion that you DON'T pee off the front porch. I always assumed you did.
Post 69 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 17:05
FP Crazy
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On January 12, 2016 at 16:00, goldenzrule said...
I was just wondering how he came to the conclusion that you DON'T pee off the front porch. I always assumed you did.

In bare feet, mind you. Most people in the mountains don't even own a pair of shoes ;).

The trick, however (according to Casey) is that you should not keep peeing in the same spot. You have to constantly pee in different spots and rotate through the spots to mange things (if you ever want anything to grow there again). Sage advice. I'm sure.
Chasing Ernie's post count, one useless post at a time.
Post 70 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 17:43
Fins
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On January 12, 2016 at 16:00, goldenzrule said...
I was just wondering how he came to the conclusion that you DON'T pee off the front porch. I always assumed you did.

Why wouldn't I?
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

Post 71 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 17:44
Fins
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On January 12, 2016 at 17:05, FP Crazy said...
In bare feet, mind you. Most people in the mountains don't even own a pair of shoes ;).

The trick, however (according to Casey) is that you should not keep peeing in the same spot. You have to constantly pee in different spots and rotate through the spots to mange things (if you ever want anything to grow there again). Sage advice. I'm sure.

I hate going barefoot so bad I don't even like slip on shoes
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

Post 72 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 18:31
Fins
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Can we all back up for a sec and address what is possibly the best statement made in this whole thread? Mike made a great comment that all of us seemed to gloss right over
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

Post 73 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 18:41
goldenzrule
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On January 12, 2016 at 18:31, Fins said...
Can we all back up for a sec and address what is possibly the best statement made in this whole thread? Mike made a great comment that all of us seemed to gloss right over

Brendon?
Post 74 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 18:43
Mario
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On January 12, 2016 at 18:31, Fins said...
Can we all back up for a sec and address what is possibly the best statement made in this whole thread? Mike made a great comment that all of us seemed to gloss right over

No, I didn't.
I read it twice to make sure I didn't misread his slam on our young one.
Post 75 made on Tuesday January 12, 2016 at 20:09
highfigh
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On January 11, 2016 at 22:06, chris-L5S said...
This post made me think of a tech in training that I had.  The drywall guys covered the TV outlet, it is 2 holes to the left of the AC outlet.  I was out of town, he was sent to terminate/trim the wall plates and the can.  Its a 30 minute drive from the office.  He calls me after he has driven back to the office to tell me that the TV wiring in the MBR was not cut out.  Really?  you didn't find it and cut it out while you were on site?  He decides to drive back to the job site the next morning and proceeded to cut 8 holes looking for the TV wire.  Not only did He spend another hour of windshield time, but it took 2 hours to cut the 8 holes.

He wondered why I pissed when the builder calls me the next day and sends me this picture.


Why didn't someone shoot photos of the job after the rough-in was done?
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
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