Strength, Growth, Flexibility.
I am a Carpenter. I lift heavy stuff, I carry 80+ pounds on my shoulders up ladders. I have moved over 2000 pounds of shingles with nothin' but my god-given grit. I have been getting steadily stronger since I was about 14 years old.
These days, I can bench press over 200 pounds. I can swing a hammer like nobody's business. I can mix concrete all day. I have marketable skills, and the ability to think outside the box to solve problems I encounter. Every job I take on flexes those skills and abilities. Every job, they get a little more marketable and flexible.
My company is growing more rapidly than I imagined possible. I thought I would take on the Holveck roof and settle in working for someone else while I processed my successes and failures. Instead, I have been pumping out estimates and seeking other work. I am fairly sure I have another roofing job, now, that would make a VERY significant profit for my business. Enough that I can put it in a profitable investment, and let it grow until tax time.
I am seeking legitimacy. There are fears associated with this. For instance, most of the small-time carpenter/contractors in Vermont (some of whom are much more able than me) work off the books and under the table. They don't pay for workman's comp. They don't offer their employees health insurance plans. They don't deduct tax money from their employees.
They pay someone $10/hour, and they take home $400 a week. If I pay someone $10/hour, they take home something like $300. I have to pay something like $40 to the government for social security. This means I have to charge people more for my laborers. My own labor is more expensive, because I keep less of what people pay me. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. Disadvantage: I will cost more. Advantage: I can honestly tell people that I am legit. I believe there are enough responsible people in the state that this will be a good thing for me.
My job requires me to be flexible. I need to be able to go from swinging a sledge hammer around, to caring about 1/64th of an inch in a piece of window trim/Cabinetry. If you're framing, and you're within 1/4 of an inch, you're okay. If you're 1/16 of an inch off in cabinetry, you've flubbed it.
This limits my expertise. I have had to come to terms with the fact that I will never be a master Sheetrocker, or roofer, or framer. I will be a jack of all trades, master of one. I will be a master of the fine work, because it is my ultimate passion.
There is a market and demand for the things that I do. People will find me likable, and want to hire me because I am trustworthy. I will treat people with respect, and never dip into their pockets unduly. I will be fair. I will be a good business man. I will work my ass off to make sure everyone feels like they've gotten something. No one should feel duped.
This is my business model: no one deserves to be cheated.
These days, I can bench press over 200 pounds. I can swing a hammer like nobody's business. I can mix concrete all day. I have marketable skills, and the ability to think outside the box to solve problems I encounter. Every job I take on flexes those skills and abilities. Every job, they get a little more marketable and flexible.
My company is growing more rapidly than I imagined possible. I thought I would take on the Holveck roof and settle in working for someone else while I processed my successes and failures. Instead, I have been pumping out estimates and seeking other work. I am fairly sure I have another roofing job, now, that would make a VERY significant profit for my business. Enough that I can put it in a profitable investment, and let it grow until tax time.
I am seeking legitimacy. There are fears associated with this. For instance, most of the small-time carpenter/contractors in Vermont (some of whom are much more able than me) work off the books and under the table. They don't pay for workman's comp. They don't offer their employees health insurance plans. They don't deduct tax money from their employees.
They pay someone $10/hour, and they take home $400 a week. If I pay someone $10/hour, they take home something like $300. I have to pay something like $40 to the government for social security. This means I have to charge people more for my laborers. My own labor is more expensive, because I keep less of what people pay me. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. Disadvantage: I will cost more. Advantage: I can honestly tell people that I am legit. I believe there are enough responsible people in the state that this will be a good thing for me.
My job requires me to be flexible. I need to be able to go from swinging a sledge hammer around, to caring about 1/64th of an inch in a piece of window trim/Cabinetry. If you're framing, and you're within 1/4 of an inch, you're okay. If you're 1/16 of an inch off in cabinetry, you've flubbed it.
This limits my expertise. I have had to come to terms with the fact that I will never be a master Sheetrocker, or roofer, or framer. I will be a jack of all trades, master of one. I will be a master of the fine work, because it is my ultimate passion.
There is a market and demand for the things that I do. People will find me likable, and want to hire me because I am trustworthy. I will treat people with respect, and never dip into their pockets unduly. I will be fair. I will be a good business man. I will work my ass off to make sure everyone feels like they've gotten something. No one should feel duped.
This is my business model: no one deserves to be cheated.