Anyone self employed?

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dodgetkboy78

dodgetkboy78

EDELBROCK HEADS SUCK!
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
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Location
Cabin Fever, Alaska
I am. It seems my competition likes to work for free now, I guess it is their way of stimulating the economy. I, on the other hand, have plenty of work. I saw the writing on the wall this spring and went after commercial jobs. I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed the prices have gone way down lately.

Of course, the general contractor I am working for isn't ready, and winter is coming......... Looks like I will be playing with cold pipe in the snow this year, again.
 
Same story here. I do wood floors, trim, and custom woodwork. Lost a 2500 sq ft heart pine floor last month. Guy who got the job agreed to provide labor and material for roughly what my material costs me.
 
As long as you are good it is never an issue.

Keys are:

1 Customer Service & Support
2 Quality work
3 Stand behind what you offer
4 Follow Up and be up front with customers
5 Good but fair prices for good work cheap is not best

I own a Computer Consulting I.T. Company. I have little to no competition.

Most businesses can not follow this model. Seems most screw the customer free or over charging them, then word of mouth ruins their company.

Botom line, even in a tough market and times people still need service...
 
I do home improvement and have a couple of small jobs lined up for when the heat wave breaks(im to old to do much work outside in the summer here).
I work pretty cheap (15-25) per hour due to I am not a licensed contractor, but these jobs are people I know. For my quality of work I could charge more.

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Yep same here in SW MO. cant sell a ten dollar bill for five bucs and they still want to jew ya...lol...times are tough and you want to work you will do it cheaper or go home,so I am at home alot,kinda hard to work for 8-10 bucs an hr when you have truck/equipment/tools/insurance etc....so you have specialize in something or tag insurance jobs and even they are getting harder to deal with, I got out of new construction altogether for simple reason you will go broke quick. Small remodel jobs and handyman jobs or doing install work for Lowes/homedepot seems to be my ticket for now...getting to old for this game between the IRS and the cost of insurance/workers comp,operating expenses,license/bonds etc and laborers that are either drunks/crackheads or just plain nutty, so I just work myself now,and turn alot less money but more of it goes home with me with a whole lot less headaches and stress....fired myself last month but couldnt make it on unemployment so it's back to the grindstone...lol
 
rbdart said:
fired myself last month but couldnt make it on unemployment so it's back to the grindstone...lol
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I tried that once, back when Pop and I owned our own shop. Woke up the next morning and something told me not to take my idiot boss seriously. Walked into the shop and, boy, was I pissed at myself...:-D

Seriously, though, if it weren't for the lack of capitol I'd be thinking of getting back into self-employment. Always hated the paperwork associated with it and the long hours that went along with the game just to break even sometimes, but I know that the headaches of having someone between me as the technician and the customer would disappear.
 
I owned an IT company specilizing in networks...this was back a bunch of years ago..I was charging $ 90.00 an hour which was on the lower scale of some really good guys and I started to notice new network guys were charging 10 and 20 dollars an hour..i did exactly what djwhog did and I wasn't idle...however, I did see the writing on the wall and moved on to another gig..

Grassy..
 
I Have Had A Income Tax Business Since 1973. I Am Retired From My Regular Job But I Will Keep The Tax Prep For A While Longer. At Least Until My Daughter Is Out Of College And My Barracuda Is Road Ready. Winters Are Cold And Long In Northern Mi. So It Helps To Keep Busy Inside. There Was Not Much Of A Slowdown In My Business Last Year But There Are A Lot Of People Out Of Work In Mi.
So Who Knows What This Year Will Bring.
 
I make and install signs..my son and I have been doing this for 14 years now and business is booming despite the competition that thinks working for 1/2 of nothing is the way to go..luckily we are established with an excellent rep. But like rbdart mentioned the game with the IRS, insurance, workers comp, vehicle insurance..(I own a crane truck and a bucket truck)...I'd fire myself too but I don't qualify for unemployment..LOL...
 
<waving up at GT Dave my fabulous decal guy :-D>

Now in my third year of self-employment, I've found that I've learned a lot more than I ever expected to along the way. It's still up in the air as to whether this venture is better than workin' for lawyers ... sure, the money was a heckuva lot better over there but I love this job more than anything (haven't "worked" a day since I started) so I'm not inclined to throw in the towel just yet.

I have no local competition to speak of, but I don't really have any local customers either ['hey, whuz power coatin'?" as they spit Skoal on my shoes]. I've been observing djwhog's Five Tips For Success up there since the outset though -- way before I saw them in print lol -- because I try to put myself in my customers' place. I won't call myself a savvy business woman but do try to keep my mind open to new ideas, and I'm not afraid to jump in with both feet if it's something I believe in. Sometimes my toes just singed a bit but it's trial by fire baby! It will never be a success if ya don't at least TRY.

I admire all of you for your commitments to excellence and for doing your own thing, even in trying times like these.
 
I was an Operations Manager for a Demolition company here in the NY, NJ area for 15 years. I seen this mess coming and the owner told me to mind my own business and that he had advisors about such things. Well he went from 350 employees to 18 employees quick. He also auctioned off 2/3's of his equipment. That was May of 2008.
Anyway twenty five years ago I graduated from The Audio Recording Technology Institute an Audio Engineer. Worked ten years in a recording studio. Day or Night it didn't matter, I loved it, As Leanna said I had felt I never realy worked a day.
Since I got laid off I opened an internet business www.theonlinemusicproducer.com I now mix and master music online. Things were going real well. More and more work each month, until this month. This month I've received one email and one phone call. Clients often comment and thank me for going above and beyond in my customer service and educating them on techniques for better recordings.
I don't plan on giving up anytime soon. I feel after 25 years of making a living I'm finally pursuing my dreams! Hopefully it will turn into a living. Hopefully.
 
I`ve been self-employed since`94 and I have to say it is harder to make ends meet now than it`s ever been. I work in sales and profit margins are lower than ever. I would even consider going back to working for a company but there are no jobs to be had. Until the US can start creating jobs, and I mean a lot (15-20 million) of decent paying jobs then, contrary to what the papers say, this recession will never end.
 
Longgone said:
I`ve been self-employed since`94 and I have to say it is harder to make ends meet now than it`s ever been. I work in sales and profit margins are lower than ever. I would even consider going back to working for a company but there are no jobs to be had. Until the US can start creating jobs, and I mean a lot (15-20 million) of decent paying jobs then, contrary to what the papers say, this recession will never end.
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You nailed it there Longgone. My thoughts exactly.
 
What I do is not car or building related. I do not have a business license. I do not have a contractors license.

What I do is a craft that I was taught, at the age of 7, by my Grand Mother and my Great Aunt. I make hand made (sewn) baby blankets, I also crochet baby blankets, throws, bedspreads, and scarves.
(or mufflers).

Back in the old days, women did this and taught it to their daughters all the time. They were making items to keep family members safe and warm or to pass as family heirlooms. Everyone in my family, from my Mother and Dad to nieces and nephews, has a "Hand Made By Mary".

Now that fall is here, I wear one of my scarves. When I go to a doctor's office the nurses absolutely love them and want one of their own. It's my way of trying to make ends meet. Every penny helps, right?
I have even taught my sons how to do yarn work. (Hey, guys can do it too, remember Rosey Grere of the Rams? )
:cheers:
 
I have a feed store and sell hay and grain to the local community. It has been slow for the past year or more and sales are down 40% or so. But we are hanging in there. Prices on hay and grain have gone way down to almost what they were before "the boom" and my marke up is still the same so fopefully people will start getting horses again as pets. A lot of people got rid of them when the hay prices went to 17 bucks a bale.

HayBarn.jpg
 
I am a self employed independent insurance adjuster/appraiser...since 1986.Work has been good up until about a year ago.Independents around my neck of the woods are cutting their fees just to get the work!!! Sending un-licensed people out in the field to inspect for them take pics and get info to carry back to the owner/appraiser and he sits at his desk and tries to write damage appraisals from a picture and charges a small fee for the work !!!! Quality surely is not there....It's "tuff" for us independents that have license & are qualified. We work our butts off & some independents tries to cut your neck off just to lower his service bills to get the work but no quality......But we're still hanging in there.

Leonard
 
Burntorange70 said:
I have a feed store and sell hay and grain to the local community. It has been slow for the past year or more and sales are down 40% or so. But we are hanging in there. Prices on hay and grain have gone way down to almost what they were before "the boom" and my marke up is still the same so fopefully people will start getting horses again as pets. A lot of people got rid of them when the hay prices went to 17 bucks a bale.
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17 bucks a bale......

Thats CHEAP!
 
dodgetkboy78 said:
17 bucks a bale......

Thats CHEAP!
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That was the most I ever paid for hay. It is down to 10 bucks a bale now. Bales are around 100 pounds. I see you are from Alaska though may not be as easy to grow it up there. What do you have like a 2 month grow season up there? Or do they truck it in?
 
Truck some.

Hell no, we have four months, three with over 20 hours of daylight.

bad for growing pot though, it doesn't bud before if gets frosty, but man does it get tall........ Oh,...........uh........ LOL
 
Yep, mobile mechanic specializing in piece of crap Mercedes-benz.

It has always been feast or famine.

right now a little slow but nothing I'm not used to.
 
I have always been self employed have had a bbq restaurant last 10 yrs. www.Rivertownebbq.com . Last month someone decided they could make a living off the customers we have waitng to get in and opened a restaurant right next door it aint working they have resorted actually giving away meals and a magician one night a week.Desperate folks,Kevin.
 
I'll have the chopped beef, with Okra, and fries!


You are living my dream, if I thought us stupid Alaskans could enjoy a real BBQ pit, I would open one up.
 
As with most independent auto repair shops that specialize in one or two fields I can't complain. Business has been very good all year and now that the cash for clunkers is over more and more people are keeping their older cars. Of course when your a sole proprietor it doesn't take long to get busy........I thank the good lord for every day I do work and often think about those less fortunate. D
 
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