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Discussion Forum

Guilt about going your own way

remodelman | Posted in General Discussion on April 26, 2007 03:51am

I’m now within weeks of having ‘the talk’ with my employer who I’ve been with now for over 3 years. He is and I’m sure will continue to be a friend and a mentor long after I’m gone….after he gets over my resignation..of course. He has also talked of having me buy the company ‘someday’ and I have become an intregal part of the company day to day as well as the long view.

It won’t be easy…in fact there aren’t very many reasons to leave. I am prepared to be reminded of them over and over again. There are though, several reasons to go, and they are meaningful enough for me to take this step.

I’m sure lots of you all have been through this before. Thoughts….advice….regrets…….

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  1. joesifer | Apr 26, 2007 04:18am | #1

    are you quitting to go out on your own, or to work for someone else?

    i always thought it would be great to be the boss. in theory, once your guys learn the stuff you just oversee everything, and sign checks .... in reality, your guys end up not being that good, and theyll never do it as well as you want (even when theyve done well, you still look for things that are wrong). you end up still doing a ton of the actual physical labor, and worst of all... you do ALL the fixing of mistakes .... then, you have to answer to all the customers, and worry about how much money is coming in vs. how much money is going out .... then, you find yourself doing all your paperwork; planning the next day/week/month, paying bills, answering emails, calling people back, trying to find material cheaper, trying to find better materials, trying to figure out whats going to make your product/company better or more appealing to the public without doing the obvious and lowballing the competition, and not even making money on the job ... all of this... you do at night. when you would much rather be watching tv or spending time with the other people that live in the home ... or really doing anything besides paperwork

    then, just when youre ready to lay down and go to sleep... you think about work again, and stew over it for about 15 minutes before you go to sleep

     

    then, someone tells you that you do excellent work, and that theyll come back to you every time, and suddenly, it all becomes worth it

    but, i often miss the days of being a regular employee. when you go to work in the am, leave in the pm, and thats that. when insurance is cheap. when if you get hurt at work, you get a big fat check rather than increased workmans comp rates. etc, etc, etc

     

    its a tough call. the grass is always greener...

    1. remodelman | Apr 26, 2007 04:37am | #3

      I'll be working for myself....and it is a HUGE decision.
      I don't do any of the labor now, which I miss, and I am in charge of all production(which is about 4 times as much volume as I plan on doing myself), so I'm used to being responsible for all of the mistakes already. I also get phone calls all hours of the day, night, weekend, Thanksgiving...actually worked X-mas eve last year, etc.....so I'm prepared for all of it except for the rest of it like the sales, estimates, billing, worrying, etc.
      I'll be doing so much less volume that I fugure that I'll still have to work 12 hr. days and come home and think about it some more, but it will be mine.
      It's a harsh reality that I'm pretending to be ready for.

      1. joesifer | Apr 26, 2007 04:55am | #6

        i know i made it sound really bad, but im sure you could tell i was making it out to be horrible, when really its a good thing. and, like i said, when someone compliments your work, it really does make it all worth it. go for it, it should end up worth it in the end. make sure you get good employees! kicking out a little more money is worth every penny! best of luck, i hope it goes well

  2. Jer | Apr 26, 2007 04:27am | #2

    Never burn bridges, and it doesn't sound like you're doing that here. If you're even thinking it may be time to move on, believe me it is. You never know. A good relationship with a former employer can be real gold. Let them know how much you appreciate them.

    1. imperialseamlessdotcom | Apr 26, 2007 04:40am | #4

      You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

       If you want to go out on your own, just grow a thick skin and a strong stomach to weather the ups and downs of the first few years. Your current employer may become your greatest ally, especially if you specialize in one thing and can sub for him. If it's just more $ you want (instead of working for yourself) just tell him. It might work out great. I've been on both sides of the fence but decided to go my own way and am very glad I did.

      Good luck.

  3. User avater
    JDRHI | Apr 26, 2007 04:45am | #5

    Don't know your personal status....married? kids?personal commitments?...but all I can say is that I waited too long to go my own way.

    Kept telling myself "it'll get better".

    It never did, in nine years of talking myself out of it because I was married with children and a mortgage, yada, yada, yada.

    I aint promising its the right thing to do....but putting it off definetly isn't.

    Best of luck to you man.

    J. D. Reynolds
    Home Improvements

     

     


  4. ponytl | Apr 26, 2007 05:02am | #7

    i've lived by this since i first heard it when i was 12 and race'n go karts old guy told me this...

    "son it's better to have regrets for things you've done.... than regrets for things you wish you had...done"

    that being said.. you never work for yourself if you have a customer...

    good luck

    p



    Edited 4/26/2007 9:52 pm ET by ponytl

  5. IdahoDon | Apr 26, 2007 05:45am | #8

    The absolutely worst thing that will happen is you'll change your mind and go back to the type of work you're doing now.  That's no worse than where you've been all along so don't sweat the change.

    I've worked with a number of carps that were well thought of by the boss and when they went out on their own were able to work on some projects as a sub.  He knows you and it's a good way to keep your schedule full inbetween jobs.

    If you've been running jobs already you're miles ahead of most, just don't procrastinate getting your accounting system or contracts figured out.

    Some of the most personally rewarding jobs have been colaborations between a number of small contractors, with the guys working more like equal carpenters and figuring out framing and finish issues as a group.  It takes a bit of maturity and easy going attitude to make it work, but the results are great, productivity is high and it's a chance to work with peers.

    Best of luck

     

    Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

  6. Schelling | Apr 26, 2007 05:46am | #9

    We are losing a great guy who has been with us for close to fifteen years. He is going into business for himself with another fellow as his partner. I think he will do well because he is a very skilled worker who is honest and personable. He also is very careful in his financial dealings. He has done numerous side jobs over the years and these have given him a pretty fair idea of the pitfalls of having your own business.

    We will send him work whenever we can and will try to use him as a sub if we have a portion of a job that he might like. We all wish him the best. We also told him that he could always have his job back if things didn't work out. I don't think this will happen.

  7. andybuildz | Apr 26, 2007 06:09am | #10

    Any steady guy that ever worked for me usually averaged 3-4 years and always left happy. I always told them when they came to work for me that I wouldn't keep them dumb like some employees tried doing with me when I first started out. I've always said that I figure most guys eventually go their own way especially if they start out young. Its only natural and healthy. I've always been happy to see my guys doing well and all of them have always stayed in touch weather to ask questions or just to say hello and thanks. A good employer should be happy for you and a good employee should let the boss know they were good to you. You never know how you can help one another down the pike.

    Good luck bro!

     

     

     

    http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM                                 

     
  8. User avater
    user-246028 | Apr 26, 2007 06:33am | #11

    Good for you. I did the same. You wanna talk about scared! It was one of the hardest steps I ever made. The first one. I found it was a leap of faith. Problem was I had little faith in my abilities.

    Advice.... Be honest, No B.S. Be respectful and thankful.  He might be pissed, He might not. It depends on his character. Doesn't really matter though. This is about you. If you can maintain a relationship with him he may be inclined to send you his overflow work.

    It has been a little more than a year since I started my company. In that time a learned a few things.

    1. Do you know what happens when there is no risk?  NOTHING!

    2. Life is about relationships. The more you have the better your company will do. So make lot of friends. Some people call it networking, I call it smart.

    3. Never hire friends.

    4. Keep good books and hire a great accountant.

    5. Shave every morning and wear clean cloths to work. The first impression is the only impression.

    6. Always take a 50% deposit. If a customer screws you, at least you can still pay your bill at the lumber yard.

    7. Always pay your suppliers first and yourself second.

    8. Bring coffee and donuts to the guys at your local building centre. They will make sure you keep working. That coffee will be the best investment you ever made. I owe my success to that one little method.

    Good luck.

    Dave

    1. andybuildz | Apr 26, 2007 06:53am | #12

      5. Shave every morning<<

      yeh right...lol

       

       

      http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM                                 

       

      1. remodelman | Apr 26, 2007 05:40pm | #13

        Thanks guys! I got my phone ordered today, my LLC application on the way and I'm signed up for the G.C. exam.

        Another couple of months and I'll be an insomniac like the rest of you.

        No kids, the wife has a steady job, and there is tons of work in my field right now. I don't think I can pass it up. So I won't.

        Thanks!

        1. JMadson | Apr 26, 2007 05:56pm | #14

          No kids, the wife has a steady job, and there is tons of work in my field right now. I don't think I can pass it up. So I won't.

          You have to look at where you are in life to see if it "fits". At your age and place in you career, you could'nt pick a better time to do it. It won't get any easier in years to come. They also say if you don't start your business by 40, chances are you never will. Enjoy and good luck.

          I don't do any of the labor now,

          Get ready to hurt for the first month or so and buy some good gloves ;)“The richest genius, like the most fertile soil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankest weeds..” – Hume

        2. User avater
          BossHog | Apr 26, 2007 06:10pm | #15

          Don't have any advice. Just wanted to say good luck - Hope it works out for ya.
          Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

        3. User avater
          gdcarpenter | Apr 27, 2007 01:44am | #17

          I recommend a prep course for the NC GC exam, the exam is pretty tough. The one I took was a 2 day seminar and it was worth the bucks. Exam covers everything from construction, material takeoffs, concrete calculations, financial matters, laws, codes, etc.Get your books in order because the NC GC license application requires financials as well as 3 letters of reference. All the best from a former Raleighite now stuck in CT.Let's not confuse the issue with facts!

      2. karp | Apr 26, 2007 09:14pm | #16

        Ditto,  :)

         

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