Why not hire?

[CHEESE2009]

How many of you feel held back because of yourself? Think of it this way, for every job you receive, YOU are the one who has to do all of the work! Does knowing this effect your marketing efforts? If you had an employee to take care of the labor, do you think you would be able to generate a lot more business? Personally, I do feel a little discouraged with marketing, because I honestly don't want to be swamped 24/7. It's so easy to get stuck having two much work for one person, but not enough for two (i'm sure some of you are at this point) - and you will never get out of this nasty situation unless you have several years to spare slowly gathering up the PERFECT clients.... or hiring! - So forum, why aren't you hiring? A private poll has been created, your poll results will not be displayed with your name.

[Godslapper]

Lawn care business tips

You hit the nail on the head. If I knew I had to do the work I was selling chanses are I would be selling a lot less. Knowing I have the young manpower to do the work has allowed me to try and sell just about everything I go and look at. I sell a lot more mulch and trimming work than I used to. Each guy I hire is worth about 50 grand extra to me. Before expences. The only real draw back is that I have to listen to a lot of crying.

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Godslapper

Knowing I have the young manpower to do the work has allowed me to try and sell just about everything I go and look at. I sell a lot more mulch and trimming work than I used to.

Some users might be a little worried about the risks of hiring their first employee, because there is a chance that the money they throw into hiring someone can be a complete waste if business doesn't pick up.

How quickly were you able to justify hiring an employee? Were you able to find more business soon after, or was there a period of time where you were losing money?

How do you feel now, opposed to when you were doing the work all by yourself?

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Originally Posted by Godslapper

You hit the nail on the head. If I knew I had to do the work I was selling chanses are I would be selling a lot less.

Knowing I have the young manpower to do the work has allowed me to try and sell just about everything I go and look at. I sell a lot more mulch and trimming work than I used to.

Each guy I hire is worth about 50 grand extra to me. Before expences.

The only real draw back is that I have to listen to a lot of crying.

I couldnt agree more. I keep 3-5 guys that are part timers. So when I get a backbreaking job I can just sit back and eat lunch. This is the whole point of having employees. When I first started I didnt take certain jobs because I didnt want to personally do it but now I know I got a few people to take care of it. I just cleared 2 acres of brush with just manpower. In the past I wouldve rented a skid with a brushcutter attachment or just not took the job. Now I just send these guys and they go norman bates on it.

[CHEESE2009]

How do you pay your employees? (e.g., salary)

What kind of benefits do your employees receive, and how much is that costing you? (e.g. dental)

What is the process for legally being able to hire an employee in your area?

[Hedgemaster]

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009

How do you pay your employees? (e.g., salary)

What kind of benefits do your employees receive, and how much is that costing you? (e.g. dental)

What is the process for legally being able to hire an employee in your area?

There's the thing right there.

It can be quite expensive to have a legitimate employee as opposed to paying someone under the table.

I hear it from my clients all the time - "You should hire a kid to help you out."

Well, yeah, that would be grand, but I do everything legally, and I can't afford to hire an employee. I don't know all the requirements/costs involved, but I'm aware of enough to know that it's not as simple as handing someone some cash at the end of the day.

And yes, working alone does force me to limit what I do.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

I pay hourly and hire them as seasonal workers.

1. Get an employer identification number.
2. Check immigration documents.
3. Pay taxes.
4. Workmans Comp

Theres labor agencies that handle all the insurance and taxes. This makes it easy for a solo guy to get a few extra guys for a job.

Depending on the work you might be able to use independent contractors. You lose the right to tell the guy how to do the job but he brings his own equipment to the table too.

[CHEESE2009]

What's the trade off like?

Is there a lot more paperwork involved once you get an employee?

Are you stuck back at square one, with the only difference being now your in the office and not out in the field?

[Godslapper]

Getting you first employee is always a stressfull thing. I started like most guys. I had a teen ride with me for the summer doing the trimming and the blowing and he was a good kid so I'd let him mow some of the lawns. Then he would go back to school and I'd finish the season by myself.

I was in business about three years before I started doing that and they would be under the table guys. Learned later on that that was not a good idea.

Then one year I hired a young guy that was really on the ball and could even drive the truck. Thought he would stick around so I began to get more customers. More than I could ever do by myself. Then he told me he was going back to school. I still don't know how I got through the rest of the year by myself.

That happened a few times before I stoped hiring guys that might want to go back to school.

I've had a total of 11 guys work for me. Not all at the same time. Some good and some that I still want to kill to this day. I made sure I had more than enough work to meet pay roll, that has never really been a problem. I've had a few guys that really helped me grow and one or two that made me shrink so fast it made my head spin.

Some years I've done well enough to have my wife look at me with love in her eyes. That's a rare thing after 20 years. Other times my guys have made more in a week than I have. That happens quite a lot to tell the truth.

If you get lucky and find a real good guy, does a good job, shows up and you don't get any customer complaints. Pay him well and blow lots of smoke up his ***. It will give you the time and confidence you need to make your buisness grow.

You have to start out doing it all by yourself but at some point you will need some help. It is hard to hire a good helper but it's worth the BS. In the end you will make more money and have more free time. Don't forget. Put them on the books and find a good payroll company. I'm glad I did it.

[Godslapper]

In New York, if I pay my guy 11 bucks an hour and he works 40 hours it will cost me 635 bucks. That's for everything.