serious opinions needed

[94f450sd]

ok well i have been trying to have my own bussiness for the last few years,but so far its failed everytme.and yet again i am failing.seems like people around here would rather spend twice what i charge for work to have a known shop do the work even though said shops gotta do the job 3-4 times before its done right .

but now i have a sealcoat/paveing company that wants me BAD.a friend of mine works there and loves it.he told his bosses about me and now they want me there.all it is is maintenance on thier trucks and equiptment.they will start me off at 25-27.00 an hour with full benefits and cell phone on the first day.can have any hours/shifts i want.work as many hours as i want.as much overtime as i want.my friend said the bosses wont even come in the shop to talk to bother me.

but i hate working for somebody.i hate doing thework to make somebody else rich when i can do the same work cheaper then them and make myself rich.i dont get along well with people that tell me when,where,and how to do something.i hate that.but my friend said the bosses wont say a word to me,and even though he is the shift manager hewont say anything other than what truck or piece of equiptment needs work.

i dont have tools to bring withme as i need them at my shop but my friend said i could use his tools if i want till i can buy some or just keep useing his.

what would you guys do?i dont want to give up my shop as i am makeing a little money.

 

[psdan000]

Hey Rich, owning your own business can be tough. my dad has owned a glass business for over 20 years now...all i can say is that i never want to own my own business after seeing the hell he goes through. thats just me though. you also have to consider retirement, benefits, and wages if you have other workers. plus it can be twice as much work. but hey man, do what makes you happy. afterall, if you're not happy with what you're doing, then money doesnt really matter. just my .02, good luck!

Dan

 

[95_stroker]

Serious opinions? OK, you asked. From the description you gave of yourself you already know the answer. You wont work there long and one of the bosses is going to rub you the wrong way and you'll quit. Its no big deal but thats the way it is and you already know it. So, take the job knowing that from the gitgo. Or dont take the job and continue to muddle around in your own private business. Its all about happiness Rich. I have learned that you have to be happy in life or nothing else matters.

 

[powerboatr]

read the last line of my signature

like it was said, if you aint happy and feel good and can laugh, its time to re-evaluate and move on

no sense working for someone if inside your miserable........
i got it easy now, but it sucked before and i found a way to move on be happy


good luck young man

 

[Fine69]

Would they consider just sending you their trucks to work on in your shop, and you could continue being self-employed? Might be the best of both worlds, you continue to build your customer base, they get the mechanic they wanted in the first place.

 

[Roland_Jenkins]

Stick with your own business but find out what you aren't doing. I don't mean you are doing something wrong, but you aren't doing something.

Maybe take a business course or learn people skill's, money management, scheduling etc. Just examples. I don't know why your business have failed but there is a reason. Up to you to find and remedy it.
or
Go work for somebody else and be miserable.

 

[hheynow]

I agree 100% with 95_stroker, powerboatr and RJ. I've run three separate businesses of my own for the last 21 years and recently took a job that I did for 8 years prior to them. I lasted six days... ...until I quit. The pay was excellent but the stress was unacceptable.

Please don't take this the wrong way but here's some unsolicited constructive criticism. Your spelling and grammar are atrocious. I hope you speak clearly and concisely. The public's perception of you and your skills run deeper than your ability to be a great wrench...which I believe you are. Perhaps a make over such as a uniform and classy business cards will help you generate business. Heck, didn't I send you some business cross country?

 

[95_stroker]

I've run three separate businesses of my own for the last 21 years and recently took a job that I did for 8 years prior to them. I lasted six days... ...until I quit. The pay was excellent but the stress was unacceptable.

Back when I was a young'n on my own for the first time and before I was married, I had a room mate. The guy was a paint and body man that was an absolute genious with some bondo, a sander and spray gun, he did the big shop stuff for awhile and always knocked down good money, 20-30 bucks an hour and this was back in the 80's. But he always had a boss that was an azzhole. Never failed, everywhere he worked his boss was a jerk. So he bounced around from shop to shop for awhile until he would eventually wear out his welcome and have to move on again. Then he finally jumped ship and opened his own shop and then he got to experience the pitfalls of being the owner. Which meant no work = no money. He had absolutely no motivation, in other words he was the kind that was a total slob in his personal life and would rather lay around the house until noon or 2 o'clock and then finally show up at the shop and he would work until 2 or 3 in the morning, which was good for him but bad for business. So when that train finally came off the track he decided to go to work in a total different line of work, he got a job with the city and you guessed it... within 6 months his boss was an azzhole and he quit. Somewhere in that long mess of a life I kicked him out of the house because he could never pay bills on time, always ate all my food and drank my beer and left disgusting messes all over the house.

I guess what my long winded drivel is about here is that sometimes you have to re-evaluate your personal situation before you can ever expect to be successful in business ventures.

 

[puma]

I have owned a small private shop that I have operated for 6 years.I worked for a lot of companies over the years. As I got older and wiser and honed my people skills. Becoming a personal mechanic was the next obvious choice for me. I genuinely like the people I work for, also customers sense this they also sense when you are truthfull and respond with loyalty and amazing friends who also become customers.
My advice to anyone considering a small business. Make honesty the most important part of your business philisopy.And you cant fail.
Also thank you guys who operate this website. I am an old guy who has been wisked in to the computer age. I have to say This is one of the best I have ever used. and yes I do make money when I gain information from sdd.A lot of my customers have ford s/dutys I live in a semi remote area and a lot of people dont like the dealership way of repair.
I'll shut up and go to bed now!

 

[WD40]

Would they consider just sending you their trucks to work on in your shop, and you could continue being self-employed? Might be the best of both worlds, you continue to build your customer base, they get the mechanic they wanted in the first place.

I would talk to them real hard about working out a deal to do there work.
Also make sure you reread each of the above replys two or three more times. You all ready know the answer.
Good luck young man.