Im a one man outfit, often to busy for one man but not enough work for two, it would seem like a big step to hire someone, just wondering what others experience of taking someone on were, did you get so busy you just had to? did you hire a skilled fabricator or train someone up? how did it work out?
- Thread starter steve t
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ajlelectronics
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Don't do it until you absolutely have to. You will end up in a sea of red tape and expense. Better to turn a few jobs away.
It's what cost me my business. I was paying a guy and hoping my lad would learn from him.
As it turned out my lad learnt lots not least being self employed is not for everyone.
brightspark
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get someone subcontract If u can even part time .take someone on and they can go on sick leave for months and land u in it. best just keep busy on your own and not have to find work for someone else . sick pay pension ni stamp tax the lists endless 
so is the pay out
so is the pay out
wristpin
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X 2 x2 x2........ to all the above . I had six working for me before I retired and it was a b nightmare of red tape and aggro. Worse now with pension rights etc.
Just be aware that taking on someone as "self employed" is not straightforward as HMRC have specific qualification rules and are hot on the case.
Just be aware that taking on someone as "self employed" is not straightforward as HMRC have specific qualification rules and are hot on the case.
what about an apprentice ?
local garages always get them in... loads of help with them, people who do most of the paperwork for you, they're cheap so you're not much out of pocket if the first one turns out to be rubbish
and you're onto a winner if you fine someone decent (winner for them too) - you get to show/teach someone how you want things to be done, and you're the one that sets the standard of work etc..
if you get someone who's young and keen then they're more than happy to run about grabbing tools for you while you work, sweeping the floor etc... as long as you show interest in them and actually tach them
havn't had any 'proper' apprentices working for me, but have hired young lads before, mostly kids of guys working for me, their friends etc.. out of 7 had to tell one to sod off after I caught him with his hand in the till (he didn't get much, handful or pound coins). couple didn't really fit, but left on good terms - they're young enough that saying "hey this isn't the right job for you, fine something else eh? I'll keep paying you for a couple of weeks while you sort it out as long as you keep working, ok?" has gone over ok and they've left on good terms
others have been really good, always keen to learn and do new things (even tho 99% of what we do is boring repetitive stuff)
I think (but no expert) it's really important to treat them with respect... we joke around a lot, there's a lot of banter etc.. but it's all harmless stuff, nothing personal
it's hard to explain here because I won't give examples of experiences because I don't think it's right to talk about employees when they're not around
local garages always get them in... loads of help with them, people who do most of the paperwork for you, they're cheap so you're not much out of pocket if the first one turns out to be rubbish
and you're onto a winner if you fine someone decent (winner for them too) - you get to show/teach someone how you want things to be done, and you're the one that sets the standard of work etc..
if you get someone who's young and keen then they're more than happy to run about grabbing tools for you while you work, sweeping the floor etc... as long as you show interest in them and actually tach them
havn't had any 'proper' apprentices working for me, but have hired young lads before, mostly kids of guys working for me, their friends etc.. out of 7 had to tell one to sod off after I caught him with his hand in the till (he didn't get much, handful or pound coins). couple didn't really fit, but left on good terms - they're young enough that saying "hey this isn't the right job for you, fine something else eh? I'll keep paying you for a couple of weeks while you sort it out as long as you keep working, ok?" has gone over ok and they've left on good terms
others have been really good, always keen to learn and do new things (even tho 99% of what we do is boring repetitive stuff)
I think (but no expert) it's really important to treat them with respect... we joke around a lot, there's a lot of banter etc.. but it's all harmless stuff, nothing personal
it's hard to explain here because I won't give examples of experiences because I don't think it's right to talk about employees when they're not around
rkde
Me called Richard
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I was in the same situation, ended up with 2 guys working for me and a contractor, overheads and turnover went up and profit went down, I was frustrated all the time because the work was not to the level I wanted it to be at, there was little drive from them and what I thought were hard working assets to the business in the end nearly crippled it. If I could have had someone with the same attitude and drive as me I would have been fine. I now work alone and just take on what I can do, if I need to I have 2 good contractors I can sub work out too that I trust. I doubt I will ever employ again...
Work out what you will have to pay a good bloke, add in his pension, holiday & sick pay & all other costs.
Then look at what you actually earn now. Why run the show & earn less? Just before i packed it boatbuilding in I figured on my own i could build two maybe three 28ft racing rowing boats a year, It worked out that to employ someone & pay myself the same wages as them i would have to have built and sold 10 and then we would have needed another bloke!
It wasnt going to happen.
Then look at what you actually earn now. Why run the show & earn less? Just before i packed it boatbuilding in I figured on my own i could build two maybe three 28ft racing rowing boats a year, It worked out that to employ someone & pay myself the same wages as them i would have to have built and sold 10 and then we would have needed another bloke!
It wasnt going to happen.
Gritineye
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I did it a few times, only one who was worth keeping, but he emigrated.
Your life is not your own with employees, remember you take on their partners and families too and all that entails,
Also my customers want me, as that's who was recommended to them, not someone with different standards and attitude that they don't know from Adam.
IMHO for a sole tradesman it causes much more agro then it cures
If you've got that much work maybe time to raise your prices?
Your life is not your own with employees, remember you take on their partners and families too and all that entails,
Also my customers want me, as that's who was recommended to them, not someone with different standards and attitude that they don't know from Adam.
IMHO for a sole tradesman it causes much more agro then it cures
If you've got that much work maybe time to raise your prices?
I think a large part of employing people is being in the right frame of mind to do it, you have to treat everyone the same and treat them fairly
you have to be table to tell people they need to work harder/faster or that they need to improve the quality of their work without offending them
important to lead by example, I was in an accident a while back that has slowed me right down, before that I always made sure I worked harder and faster than anyone else, I used to work till my hands started to shake and I felt like I was going to vomit... wolf down a mars bar and can of pop for the sugar and straight back to work
if one of the drivers has to have a 5am start (instead of 8) I always offer to do it, if almost all all the work is done and we're stuck waiting for machines to finish their run to unload it I let everyone else go home and I stay and do it
it's important for everyhting to be a team effort, to know when you need to help someone and when to ask them if they're ok to do it themselves while you do something else
also it's easy to begrudge paying people, to see that money going out all the time and wish it didn't have to... but it's important to do your best to pay people a decent wage and let them know they're valued
you have to be table to tell people they need to work harder/faster or that they need to improve the quality of their work without offending them
important to lead by example, I was in an accident a while back that has slowed me right down, before that I always made sure I worked harder and faster than anyone else, I used to work till my hands started to shake and I felt like I was going to vomit... wolf down a mars bar and can of pop for the sugar and straight back to work
if one of the drivers has to have a 5am start (instead of 8) I always offer to do it, if almost all all the work is done and we're stuck waiting for machines to finish their run to unload it I let everyone else go home and I stay and do it
it's important for everyhting to be a team effort, to know when you need to help someone and when to ask them if they're ok to do it themselves while you do something else
also it's easy to begrudge paying people, to see that money going out all the time and wish it didn't have to... but it's important to do your best to pay people a decent wage and let them know they're valued
angellonewolf
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i beleve you can still have self employedbut they must be on price work not price work per day this is the differance you have 100 tables to build for one job thats his job and pays xxx for the lot and you can do part payments as when building a house 1/3 for foundations 1/3 for walls etc 1/3 for roof and bits eg
if done this way think you will be ok and it looks better if he works some weeks and then off for a week or 2 and then or in 3 days one week and 5 day week later 2 days after that
i used to help a windows cleaner years ago every so offen he would phone up did you want to help out for a day or two if the weather was a bit s**t over a couple of weeks put him behind his 4 week rota he kept on taking on more and more houses i said you got to meny houses to keep it at the 4 weeks he said but what do i do i said well off over the houses you took on in the last 5 years keep the same all the house you have been doing for years and never put the price up put them up by 50p this was 20 years ago and he had been doing windows for 12 years and never put the price up so he lost about 20 percent of the old houses but gained 50p for every house that did not leave so less work and made more money
im not saying wack the price up but by a little you get a little more for your work and if they like your work they will stay getting a person to do work is easy get a person to do a good job is hard
if done this way think you will be ok and it looks better if he works some weeks and then off for a week or 2 and then or in 3 days one week and 5 day week later 2 days after that
i used to help a windows cleaner years ago every so offen he would phone up did you want to help out for a day or two if the weather was a bit s**t over a couple of weeks put him behind his 4 week rota he kept on taking on more and more houses i said you got to meny houses to keep it at the 4 weeks he said but what do i do i said well off over the houses you took on in the last 5 years keep the same all the house you have been doing for years and never put the price up put them up by 50p this was 20 years ago and he had been doing windows for 12 years and never put the price up so he lost about 20 percent of the old houses but gained 50p for every house that did not leave so less work and made more money
im not saying wack the price up but by a little you get a little more for your work and if they like your work they will stay getting a person to do work is easy get a person to do a good job is hard
davidjohnperry
a different breed
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if you we're nearer me id do it for free on weekends and stuff just gaining different skills and a ref is better than money
