Am I the only one....

[Alphacowboy]

Heres the deal, I am a self employed carpenter, no employees. I do everything from tile, to framing, siding, roofing, finish work, the list seems to never end it seems. I have 3 brothers, and a father that are all carpenters as well. They help occassionally when I need help, and I help them as well when help is needed. Dad runs a cabinet shop, and one brother works with him mostly full time. Another runs his own deal, just like me, and again, no employees. The last brother works for Centex, but we hope he too will join the gang eventually. Well, sometimes I feel like I am getting to the point where I almost need to find more help. We are all busy as all get up all of a sudden it seems, and we keep getting refered to everyone it seems. We are growing a very very good reputation as the go to boys for pretty much anything and everything. BUT, I have a hard time letting work out of my hands. I am VERY critical, and if its not how I want it, I am not happy. Plus, i just dont know who I would even consider hiring anyway, and I really do NOT want to mess with Workers Comp, and the whole mess of red tape that involves having employees. I have been very blessed to have my brothers and my Father to lean on, and them having me to lean on as well is a plus. We very much enjoy working together, and also like our independence.

I know I got plenty of years left to do what I do (God willing) but I know there will come a day that my body wont handle this anymore... and I pray that by then I can retire, but sometimes I worry.

Guess I am a little overwhelmed right now and needed to vent a little. Good problem to have at this time with all the people treading water, but it can wear on ya!

[BHD]

That was how my business was I ran, I am now basically semi retired from construction, (knee injury really messed me up) did every thing from concrete to cabinets.

[garager]

Heres the deal, I am a self employed carpenter, no employees. I do everything from tile, to framing, siding, roofing, finish work, the list seems to never end it seems. I have 3 brothers, and a father that are all carpenters as well. They help occassionally when I need help, and I help them as well when help is needed. Dad runs a cabinet shop, and one brother works with him mostly full time. Another runs his own deal, just like me, and again, no employees. The last brother works for Centex, but we hope he too will join the gang eventually. Well, sometimes I feel like I am getting to the point where I almost need to find more help. We are all busy as all get up all of a sudden it seems, and we keep getting refered to everyone it seems. We are growing a very very good reputation as the go to boys for pretty much anything and everything. BUT, I have a hard time letting work out of my hands. I am VERY critical, and if its not how I want it, I am not happy. Plus, i just dont know who I would even consider hiring anyway, and I really do NOT want to mess with Workers Comp, and the whole mess of red tape that involves having employees. I have been very blessed to have my brothers and my Father to lean on, and them having me to lean on as well is a plus. We very much enjoy working together, and also like our independence.

I know I got plenty of years left to do what I do (God willing) but I know there will come a day that my body wont handle this anymore... and I pray that by then I can retire, but sometimes I worry.

Guess I am a little overwhelmed right now and needed to vent a little. Good problem to have at this time with all the people treading water, but it can wear on ya!


Hey Alphacowboy, maybe I can give you some pointers. However, I'm heading down to St. Paul and won't be back till Friday. Heres one pointer for you. You can hire out and pay cash up to no more then $600.00 per person per year, and it may be to a certain total amount for the year then you have to stop, not quite sure on a total amount. But you should have a signed note or receipt, something, that you paid so and so up to this amount. No W.C., no payroll, the hired hand has to take care of the taxes, no 1099 forms. Talk to your accountant (I hope you have one) and they should be explaining to you, whats would be best option for you. Glad there another Minnesotan in here.

I'm not sure if that made sense or not, we can chit chat later about it.

[tchads]

I don't own my business but have been working alongside the home construction industry for almost 30 years and can offer a few observations.
We have clients here in NJ that will wait months for a carpenter based on his reputation. They would rather be on the list for a while than have the work done poorly. It sounds to me like you have to hire someone who has the same eye for detail that you have (thath could take some time) or tell people if they want you to do the job they'll just have to wait.
Better to do less work than take on too much - your health and reputation will last much longer.

[Alphacowboy]

I guess I am just a push over, and have a hard time telling people they are going to have to wait... as being self employed, sometimes you get worried if you turn away work, you could end up with no work, if the people are unwilling to wait. Most of the people we do work for, have no problem waiting... its the contractors that we do work for occassionally that are the ones that are a pain, as they never want to wait, but they bring us work, so its hard to tell them to wait.

Personally, I wish I had enough work without the contractors, as they tend to be a pain in the royal arse some times, but, what can ya do?:confused:

[NHMaster3015]

The hardest part of being in business is learning to say NO.