I’ve been mopey for a couple of weeks, and I want to share the reason for it, since I have carried many of you through it, unbeknownst to you…
I finished a really big job (for me) I pitched a roof on a mansard roof,and excelled, finished it and went to the interior, sheetrocked 1600 sq ft of surface as a contractor I like to make some good moolagh when I do moderately large jobs …I made about $750 per week on that affair, that seems like half of what I was shooting for, It was my fault, I was weak on my materials some and weak on my labor that I brought in…
Now I’m sitting and waiting on the faux marble people to put in a surround,and looking at another poor estimate for another reason… and I don’t feel comfortable bouncing around town to get production at least on these really small things I’m doing now,I have always felt the best production is all you can do in one place till all is done…
It makes me grumpy!!!
Scribe once, cut once!
Replies
Theres a silver lining in every cloud. Or so grandma used to say. A fatalist would tell you the next job you bid you're going to hit $100/hour on, and it'll all come out even in the end. All you can do is try to convince yourself that there's a bright side somewhere, then find it, then move on. If it makes you feel better, I'll buy the first round.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Hang in there, dude! We are all capable of having our "times".
Aryn
you need to start charging more for you time! if you don't you will have to give it up and go work for someone else! think about it. you could make 750 a week working for someone else and leave the bs on the job site when you go home at the end of the day. the only person keeping you from making more money is you!
Osorry
shucks,,,,,,,,,,,I do it every day it seems
mopey..................not me .......well my wife says otherwise
treat those the way I would like to be treated
yeah some day youll break even ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,yeah sure
the mark twain line is baloney
"treat a dog good he will bite you"
I dont think so
treat a man( human ) well........... they will
how many of us have trained a employee only to go out on there own and be competition
how many of us have given the deal of a century to someone that seemed like a good ol boy or an honest family
and backfire. it was a deal, now you would have been better off giving them a trip to hawaii and you and your fmaily going camping and fishing for a few weeks, and still be money ahead
Well maybe Mark Twian was calling man ( human) a dog, in that case he is right
Hey,
Mopeache...as long as it doesn't happen as a regular occurance.
We've all "lost" money so youre ahead of the game.
You "made" money and maybe some good referals along the way.
Be a half full glass
andy
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
thanks andy
been a long day
your right
got to stay positive
got to
hey finished a job today! when all suppliers are paid and the guy that helped me for one day gets paid I will 6 dollers left for 6 days work. Thats right a buck a day. called Dad and he said he remembered working for that. lol will send a pic soon. My point being I thought I did great on the last one and everyone told me not to get to excited that one day I will be closer. Guess things balance out in the end.
Keep your head up, stay positive and fair in the price.An inch to short. That's the story of my life !
bstcrpntr --- I hope to grow into this name.
Hmmm Mopeache has a ring to it. I'm sure the next jobs that size are gonna be richer tickets or I won't be on them... I'm having more thrown at me now and asking cost plus, for a while I think that's how I'm gonna go...I have stepped up the size of work I'm involved in and gotta feel the bids out some more.
Where's that Hottie pic? see ya later yall...Scribe once, cut once!
Every puppy has his day
Everybody's gotta pay
Everybody's gotts meet their Waterloo
Don't feel too bad.
I'l bet we've all screwed up a quote ( or more ) at on time or another.
The trick is whether or not you learn from your mistakes.
Now have a beer, relax and then -- GET BACK TO WORK!
It makes me grumpy!!!
Feel for ya, bro.
If it's any consolation, I'll have a cold one for you. Best I can do, really. Can't offer to trade, I'm not bringing in $750 a week either, and I can't abide Harris County for very long at all <g>
Oh, yeah, I may have more than one cold one, but they are for me <grin> . . .
Hey mac thanks,I got the claw into my keystone light and everything is starting to look better...If you are here in Houston,and need some other help, I can turn you on to my helper, and look out for labor...give me a shout any time...Dave...Scribe once, cut once!
I'm finishing walls in a bath, and the client doesn't like the texture,(I have to admit I beat it up a little...)But when he told me it was about 4 days post,and I already showed it to the spouse...He says I'm a professional and should not be putting responsibility on them...
I think he should be because he is with the upper echelon of a world class engineering and building firm...
we did not have a manual of technical specifications nor a schedule of finishes...he should know the way it must be done to be professional is to inspect and approve.
what is occuring is I basically made a promise to perform in a"workmanlike" manner...so it means I'll do it all..but this guy is giving me a big grudge to bear.Scribe once, cut once!
A number of years ago I was involved with a customer that was a real PITA. We did a 3 story addition for him, and partly because we didn't quite figure everything and partly because he was a real nit-picker ( and a lawyer to boot ) we ended up losing money on what should have been a nice job.
It was a happy day when we finally finished and I didn't have to deal with him anymore.
Your day will come, too.
I've actually gotten all of my stuff on my truck and got paid off from folks like that and had to refuse kindly to do any thing more,to be asked why...I had to tell them another bit of work and dealing with them...would be liable to lead me to vehement fits of open vulgarity fits... so I then left forever,thank GOD...
Scribe once, cut once!
The two thing I like best about working for myself is I don't have to "look" busy if I'm not and I don't have to work for people if I don't want to.
But as everyone else said don't be to down, the bad job deal happens to everyone. My first big job, a 40k remodel, paid everyone and I lost $800. Frankly $800 over 2 months wasn't the end of the world but it was entirely my fault as I didn't cover a few areas and I simply didn't know enough to bid somthing that big.
Recently did a 75k addition and some remodel work and did very well, all based on the experience from above. So it comes around. DanT