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Self employed

Started by woodmills1, December 02, 2003, 09:01:25 PM

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woodmills1

Can't believe the last two weeks got more jobs and orders than the last three months, meanwhile have already lined up my work time.  Those of you in business for yourself is this how it goes?
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Texas Ranger

Yep, while not a sawyer, been running my own business for 25 years, and when the wolf is at the door, so is the mailman with the next job.  I am amazed at the timing, sometimes.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

etat

Good for you!  I'm a small time roofing contractor.  Started for myself about 10 years ago on a shoe string.  About two months ago I hired my main competitions best crew, complete with their own dump truck, laddervator, and all tools.  All I have to do with that bunch is point em at the job.  Foreman over the crew been with the competition almost 20 years.  The man who owned the business was a scoundrel with almost no competition.  I know, I worked for him two.  Quit when I found how much he scammed my grandpa out of when he roofed his house.  I begged the guy I hired to leave with me than and us go into business together.  He wouldn't come.  Thought he had job security.  A few years ago the owner of that business retired and turned it over to his son.  He's down to running one crew, where years ago they ran 3 or 4 crews.  When David called me about a job he told me the other guy couldn't keep him busy.  At that time I was over 400 squares behind, and getting more calls so regular I didn't even want to answer the phone.  Well David and his crew are knocking out about 80 squares a week for me, and now he's got MY name on the side of his truck.  Keeps me on my toes seein after things but I don't do as much of the actuall roofing work now, mostly because I don't have time.  Truthfully though, sometimes I kinda miss when it was just me and a couple of guys.  I have decided to grow NO larger, I just don't think it'd be worth it to me.  An old carpenter told me when I went into it for myself, and he didn't have too, my grandpa had taught me well.  Strive to do excellent work, don't overcharge and especially don't overcharge old people, and stand behind what you do and the work will come to you.  I have been very fortunate the last few years, and I do know and appreciate it.
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

bull

Hey, From the frying pan right into the fire.. remember fires do burn out so diversify!!  Firewood, Slabs, Sawdust, Barkmulch, Compost. Tractor work and snowplowing also help to fill the voids.You can't rely on the lumber alone and you need to get rid of your byproducts..... Im into my 4th year Self Employed and it's been a roller coaster but WOW what a ride.
Don't let the little sh-t get ya down, tommorow brings better,have a blast !!! 8)

Brian_Bailey

Just don't lose sight of the fact that your RETIRED !! :D :D :D
WMLT40HDG35, Nyle L-150 DH Kiln, now all I need is some logs and someone to do the work :)

Norm

Being self employed sure has its ups and downs but all in all I like it better than working for a company. We try to do about three different things with one being our regular job and the other two to help fill in the dead time and add a little extra to the kitty. I haven't been bored in a long time. :D

Frank_Pender

Woodmils 1, you are so correct.

CK you are right on the being forthrite.   I am just dealing with some of that at this time on two fronts.  One front is the fee I charge based on dimension of the lumber.  I charge the actual dimension, while many in the region, charge based on the old true dimension of 2" x  4, ?????  I figured it out this moring and found that if I did that the customers cost would be 40% more. :-/
Frank Pender

Frickman

For years some of the neighbors have been after me to get a job in town like they have. I tell them that between the farm, the mill, and the woods I don't have the time.  If they keep after me I tell them that I'll get a job, as soon as I'm finished with all my work, and I'm not finished yet.

Some time ago I read somewhere about the advantages of owning your own business, it might have been here on the Forum. Anyways, one of the points was can you sell your job to someone else? You really don't own a job, it owns you. Except for some stock options you don't have any equity in a job either, like you do a business. And when you are an employee you have but one customer, your employer. But if you own a business you may have dozens or hundreds of customers. I have a better sense of security with hundreds of customers than only one.

Congratualations Woodmills on all the new orders. That is how it usually goes, feast or famine. Do like some of the above posts describe and diversify your operation. It seems to me that when one part of our outfit slows down, something else picks up.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

SasquatchMan

The way I figure it, I could work 40 hours a week for someone else, and make as much money as I do in a 25 hour week being self-empoloyed.  In that way, I see the rest of a busy week as gravy.

I think all self-employed people have weeks where they bill 67 hours and weeks where they bill 10 hours.  In my experience, self-employed folk  seldom sit around - there's always something to be built, repaired, modified etc while waiting for the next job.

My "company" (which is me) could use another guy or two for lifting drywall, hauling waste, and a million other things, but I've found it too difficult to keep quality up with other dudes helping... always have to check their work.  So I do it alone, and I reap the rewards (usually a sore back and cut hands).

But I wouldn't go back to working for someone else, I don't think... I like the freedom.
Senior Member?  That's funny.

woodmills1

definate on the diversify always did snow plowing and some firewood along with job here and there even when teachin.  Doing more finished lumber lately flooring delivered today and moulding and shiplap for the next few days.  These two orders are for wormy denim pine the other speciality wood.  Monday I did a driveway regrade just before the weather went north.

Hey Brian don't forget it is a 26% short retirement. :D :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

pappy

I'm soooooooo spoiled  :D

I couldn't or I should say I wouldn't ;D ;D

I ain't gots da patients anyway  :-X :-X :-X
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

VA-Sawyer

Busy weeks pay the bills. Slow weeks are for either fixing or fishing! If you have a 60 hr week, plan your spending like it was a 40 hr week. Then when it is slow, there will be money in the bank. Too many people panic when it slows down a bit. Enjoy it! Live life a little. If you do quality work at a fair price, you won't be slow very long. I don't start to worry till the third slow week in a row.
I bought my sawmill used. I spent about 3 weeks fixing it up and learning how to do a decent job of sawing. ( Note: I won't be an expert for a long time... 100,000 Bf minimum ) Then Shirley put an add in the paper.... 4 days later, WHAM ! The phone won't quit ringing. I hired a fellow to work part time. He does offbearing for me now, but I'm teaching him to saw. That way we can take turns offbearing so we can keep the production rate up.
This is a busy week, so baaaccckkkk to work  ;D

Rick
VA-Sawyer

sawyerkirk

I've been on my own for about 5 years or so now. Every day is a trial of some type or another. Right now orders are awesome, which means I am up at 3 in the morn, and back in the house for the night about 8. This time last year I was probably splittling firewood just to have something to do. People often say "it must be great to be your own boss" My orders are my boss. They tell me when I can rest or when I must work. I wouldn't trade my business for any job, well maybe a few but, none that my wife would allow!! It really is a great life. Sure some days I look at the big Toyota plant up the road and the guys making $20/HR and think that might be nice, but then I run into those same guys at the convenience store in all their "japanese drone costume" and go back to sawing.

EZ

Even before I started sawing, I always did some kind of part time work. I always did because I never wanted to depend on the shop completely. Now come July of 04 we all are pretty sure they will close the doors. In a way I can't wait, but in another way I'm scared because I have never been on my own. :-[. I'm sure I can make it with the sawing and everything else I can do but,,,,,,,,with this insurance thing, the state laws, taxes and everything else that is against me. DanG, I better stop right now before I go and dug a hole to hide in.
EZ

etat

EZ, once you find out you can make it on your own you'll never want to go back!  Save all you can to prepare yourself.  My first couple of years were ROUGH.  All the while I continued to run ads in the paper, and my wife kept flyers on every store that'd let her.  I slowly started building a customer base who helped by telling others.  Word of mouth is always the best advertising.  Now I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.  Was I scared, you bet, but I never considered giving up.
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

woodmills1

Hey termite you gonna explain that post? :D :D :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

isawlogs

  I started working at 17 as a cutter (slasher). We where paid by the acre slashed, the more you cut the more your paid... Don't take long to figure this out ... Then after this slowed down I took my apprentiship out on the high rise steel and iron work... Welded, bolted and connected steel for 12 years then had a missap  :( in northern Québec wile working on the James Baie damming project , did 4 years of physiotherapy for an injured shoulder, took out my withdrawl card from the ironworkers union ,took out my pension fund in 93 and bought my mill... :) ;)
  Now I still work my mill , have a plow and sander on my Dodge have 45 yards to keep me busy in the winter and do woodworking as in finishing and or building for the customers that I saw for. ;)
  I could never do the 9 to 5 trip it would drive me up the wall. I like the work and knowing that you can plan your work around your own schedule... ( the mill can always break when theres a show or something as important come up...) ;D ;D ;)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Norm

I know how your feeling EZ, the company I worked for had figured out that they could hire younger guys fresh out of school for far less than they paid me. If you gave them any excuse to fire ya out you'd go. Experience meant nothing to them. I sold more equipment for them as a service rep than their high price salesman. Finally I got my nerve up and decided why not go on my own and compete against them. It was scary as he!! not having a paycheck and benefits. But I worked hard and always made sure to do a good job for my customers. I heard from my former co-workers that the company was trying to figure out why their revenues from Iowa had gone down so much. In reality it was because they hired an inexperienced guy more than me taking all their business. I guess my long winded point here is if you work hard and do a good job (which I know you do) you'll be successful in whatever you do. I still worry about making it but I don't worry about how some heartless corp is going to screw me next.

pappy

woodmills,


 
QuoteI'm soooooooo spoiled
 ....
working for me cause I'm a DanG good boss...ask the misses, she quit her job and now works fer Harttwood also  :)

 
QuoteI couldn't or I should say I wouldn't
...
I don't think I could work fer anyone else since I've been on my own now for 14 years

 
QuoteI ain't gots da patients anyway
...

should be patience and not patients I ain't no Doc  :D  :D


In a nutshell I think being self employed is the cats pajamas.. yes it was tough in the beginning there was some sacrifices made but now I'm glad I jumped off on my own.  8)

I'm working more hours, but in those hours I do many different things and one of them is I learned to not only turn on a 'puter I learn how to use it cause my biness needed me to.   :)  :)

termite

Oh ya -  it's feast and famine.. it is nice when it's more feast though ;D
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

EZ

Thanks for the kind words, guys. Makes life go alot EZ'er when ya have nice folks like you all. Thanks again.
EZ

woodmills1

Termite I get it and I think am beginning to feel the same way! :) :)
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Sawyerfortyish

Never worked for anyone else. Got out of school in 81 put in a sawmill for our own use on the farm and it took off. Had to buy equipment to log with to supply the mill also a firewood processer.( I hate to leave anything waste in the woods) When you take the hole tree out it looks like a neat job and that gets you more work.I had a slow time earlier this year about 3 weeks gave me just enough time to almost catch up. Everybodys right when they say you must diversify. I never have a dull moment. I havent taken a vacation away in years. Don't need to every day is an adventure I love what I do This farm is as much a part of me as i am of it.I'm sitting here today watching it snow out because i'm my own boss. Yesterday I started at 5 am and went home in the snow at 6 pm a 13 hour day the shortest day this week and the earlist I"ve gotten home this week.Next week I take the phone off the hook drag the gate across the road I'M GOOIN HUNTIN.
It's great to be your own boss  :) :)

Buzz-sawyer

Sawyer40 I have lived basically the same as you since 83...and I believe that like you ....I am the "richest" guy on the block!
Don
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

Bro. Noble

I quit a good job when I was in my late 20's to farm full time.  I've had to work off the farm some and we have had to do without stuff others might think essential.  We have raised a good family and two of our three are choosing to stay in the country.  

When I quit,  my co-workers told me how dumb I was to quit a good job and risk making a living on the farm,  especially with our first one a toddler and another one on the way.

I'll admit there were a few times I thought of my co-workers when we were broke or when I was working in the heat or cold and they were in comfortable offices.

Would I trade what I have for what they have now?  We have ended up all right and almost everyone of them have died of heart attacks.  I have no regrets striking out on my own.  I do wish I had bought a woodmizer the first year they were made however.  
milking and logging and sawing and milking

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