Self employed to employee

John Giles, post: 350703, member: 57 wrote:
I can't find any good help, is my problem.

I've all but given up on finding a good crew

Have you tried a robotic total station? They are never late to work, never talk back and if they traverse the wrong direction you can only blame yourself.

So you cannot find good help and you think someone else will be able to find help that satisfies you???

Slowly rethink your expectations.

Paul in PA

Started solo in 1999. Had a good run as an employee 2006-2009. A good group and a great fit. The economy ended that run. Back to solo in 2009. Then 6 months in 2012 I went corporate. It was a nightmare. I am ruined and spoiled rotten. I plan to remain solo for the next 20 to 45 years. It is really going well right now. Good luck to you. You will get much better advice from others here soon I am sure.

I pay percentage based wages. Basically 20-40 per hour and I can't find any good help at those wages I can't afford to throw money at employees and get nothing in return.

Maybe I am pay too good. I don't know.

The sooner you go back to being an employee, the easier it will be. I've been on my own for almost 29 years. It would be a HUGE challenge to report to others on a daily basis. That is further complicated because I have other ventures and responsibilities that I would pretty much have to stop doing if I became an indentured servant once again. I never did well at the game called office politics, so that would probably be my downfall sooner or later. Telling the boss' wife to get the He!! out of your office may be appropriate but she has a better connection to the boss than you do.

John Giles, post: 350710, member: 57 wrote: I pay percentage based wages. Basically 20-40 per hour and I can't find any good help at those wages I can't afford to throw money at employees and get nothing in return.

Maybe I am pay too good. I don't know.

20-40 per hour???

Sweet jesus that's a lot.

John, with no disrespect to my current employees, I haven't been able to hire a self directing PC for over ten years now. A good PC can think on his feet and provide good "play action" when the plan falls apart. My guys are good at what they do, but they only do what I tell them. When the "plan" falls apart, they call me and I usually head out there if I can.

I'd love to be somebody's employee again. They would be getting a hell of a deal at any price. But I'm kidding myself. I might not show up until 10AM, but stay until 9PM. If there was a ton of work, I'd get it done. If there wasn't much of a work load, I'd be on my scooter to go get a haircut. I'd really make a lousy employee after all these years.

I can say that building your own outfit is a really satisfying accomplishment (although sometimes it doesn't seem that way). I'd hate to see someone toss 15 years of self-reliance to the wind because of a sub-ordinate's ability or lack thereof.

What are you going to do if you go to work for someone and find you still have boneheaded field hands...except now they're not your employees...they're your co-workers?

Rich., post: 350712, member: 10450 wrote: 20-40 per hour???

Sweet jesus that's a lot.

I know and I can't get them to produce. I pay more to wages right now that I end up getting in the end. They get there money then I can't get them to work to do the next job. I work each job on percentage of the gross estimate. It turns out to be a lot of money. I am paying out close to 40% of gross.

paden cash, post: 350713, member: 20 wrote: John, with no disrespect to my current employees, I haven't been able to hire a self directing PC for over ten years now. A good PC can think on his feet and provide good "play action" when the plan falls apart. My guys are good at what they do, but they only do what I tell them. When the "plan" falls apart, they call me and I usually head out there if I can.

I'd love to be somebody's employee again. They would be getting a hell of a deal at any price. But I'm kidding myself. I might not show up until 10AM, but stay until 9PM. If there was a ton of work, I'd get it done. If there wasn't much of a work load, I'd be on my scooter to go get a haircut. I'd really make a lousy employee after all these years.

I can say that building your own outfit is a really satisfying accomplishment (although sometimes it doesn't seem that way). I'd hate to see someone toss 15 years of self-reliance to the wind because of a sub-ordinate's ability or lack thereof.

What are you going to do if you go to work for someone and find you still have boneheaded field hands...except now they're not your employees...they're your co-workers?

I'll be working on my own. We will be doing drill holes. I basically set up the gun set the vertical and make sure the drill follows the light on it. One man crew. I'll be working all over the USA which will be a breath of fresh air. 12 hours of driving, 6 weeks of work and back home for a couple weeks. I'm meeting the my old/new boss tomorrow. If the money isn't there I'll keep on trudging along with this until I can find somebody reliable. I know they have to be out there somewhere.

John Giles, post: 350715, member: 57 wrote: I'll be working on my own...

Doesn't sound too bad. And far be it from me to give someone "stay or go" advice. I've made a life of packing it up and leaving for greener pastures when I got a tickle in my butt. The only reason I'm not still movin' around is because I just got too old to do it.

Besides, I simply cannot think of anything else I could be doing where I make this damned much money and do as little as I actually do!

Just don't tell any of my employees I said that...;-)

John Giles, post: 350714, member: 57 wrote: I know and I can't get them to produce. I pay more to wages right now that I end up getting in the end. They get there money then I can't get them to work to do the next job. I work each job on percentage of the gross estimate. It turns out to be a lot of money. I am paying out close to 40% of gross.

Hello John,

Do you mean you are paying about 40% of you turnover as wages? If that is the case it's not that bad. My boss is paying probably 50% and my brothers company does too. They both make a good living. I suppose it depends on how big ur turnover is.

Here is a sample Job I'm currently working on.

140 Acres. Should take about 4 days of field work

They are on day 3 and have to re-traverse half the job because they went the wrong direction.

Granted, with the percentage based wages, they are hurting themselves, but I have other clients crawling down my back and can't get to them because I can't get my crew to be efficient. I go out and tell them which way to go, flag the approximate boundary to get them going the right direcrtioon and do all the other crap I have to do, court house, prelim drawings, topo/aerial overlay, calculations, etc. and they still get lost! I'm wore out and have clients waiting for me to get to them.

John Giles, post: 350718, member: 57 wrote: They are on day 3 and have to re-traverse half the job because they went the wrong direction.

Why is it so critical which way you run a traverse? Even if you have to write the description in a certain order, can't you just reverse the bearings?

John Giles, post: 350718, member: 57 wrote: Here is a sample Job I'm currently working on.

140 Acres. Should take about 4 days of field work

They are on day 3 and have to re-traverse half the job because they went the wrong direction.

Granted, with the percentage based wages, they are hurting themselves, but I have other clients crawling down my back and can't get to them because I can't get my crew to be efficient. I go out and tell them which way to go, flag the approximate boundary to get them going the right direcrtioon and do all the other crap I have to do, court house, prelim drawings, topo/aerial overlay, calculations, etc. and they still get lost! I'm wore out and have clients waiting for me to get to them.

I don't know how you could operate like that. I can't fathom it really.

Conrad, post: 350717, member: 6642 wrote: Hello John,

Do you mean you are paying about 40% of you turnover as wages? If that is the case it's not that bad. My boss is paying probably 50% and my brothers company does too. They both make a good living. I suppose it depends on how big ur turnover is.

I'm pay 40% of gross. I pay a percentage to each employee. So employee 'A' will get say 12% of gross which equals $120 per thousand, but I run three man crews and pay more than that. In the end it keeps me from getting rug burn and tends to pay the employees quite well.

We can do 5 Acres in a day if I am there and in three days if I'm not.

So they end up making about $150-$200 each depending on crew each in about 5 hours of field work. It works out pretty good but it is impossible for me to do all the other stuff I have to do and help them around every job we do. I don't mind paying them as I do. They have no office or courthouse work as I take care of that myself. I do all courthouse research and drafting and calculations.

Bill93, post: 350720, member: 87 wrote: Why is it so critical which way you run a traverse? Even if you have to write the description in a certain order, can't you just reverse the bearings?

No You misunderstand. The were supposed to go EAST and went SOUTHEAST. Almost double back to where they started

They started at a point to the southeast, went northwest then traversed southeast almost back to where they started. How they didn't figure out they were going back to the beginning I don't know. But I had a 4 man crew doing it due to the steep terrain and had an extra guy to carry the legs. I try to be as nice as possible. but a 4 man crew can't figure out they are going the wrong direction!

I shouldn't be complaining I suppose. In the end they are my crew and two of them are my sons. I'm just tired.

John Giles, post: 350724, member: 57 wrote: I shouldn't be complaining I suppose. In the end they are my crew and two of them are my sons. I'm just tired.

Oh no! Your going to lay off your sons?

Just remember, one day you'll prolly be working for them and they will be grumbling about you being old and stuck in your old ways... so be nice now 😀

This is now where I am at with my father

Rich., post: 350727, member: 10450 wrote: Oh no! Your going to lay off your sons?

Just remember, one day you'll prolly be working for them and they will be grumbling about you being old and stuck in your old ways... so be nice now 😀

This is now where I am at with my father

They both still live at home with me. So I'll be losing two employees but keeping two dependents.:-D