Started a tile business 1 year ago. Today the business is absolutely exploding. As it turns out, in contracting, as long as you just do good work and aren't a complete fuckup you become very popular.
My phone is ringing off the fuckin hook, and the only option to meet demand is to hire someone.
I'm a little nervous about it. So here's my checklist:
- get insurance
- get a payroll company
- get workmans comp
- get some hiring documents
- set up a training plan
- find a hard working guy age 20 - 30
Anything I'm leaving out?
>>1220743
fucking 1099 them
Congrats man, I remember your thread last year
>>1220747
Ehhhh.
But they really are legit employees though. They will have a schedule, hours, management.
I heard doing that can fuck me in the long run.
Plus isn't that kinda dick to the employee?
>>1220749
Preciate it buddy. I'll help this board if I can. People here gave me helpful advice.
>>1220747
>1099 them
Anyone that lays tile for a living probably can't into understanding a 1099.
>>1220751
You know which employees are worth 1099 and the ones that aren't.
>>1220743
You're small retard. Don't do any of that shit. In fact, offer to take cash everytime.
I work in construction btw. People dodge the law left and right, just don't do anything that could leave a trail.
Also, depending on your area, hire Mexicans. If they have a family, they will not steal so look for that. Be willing to pay $2/hr extra for a man with a family, trust me you won't regret it.
Make it very clear that there is room for raises after their 2nd-3rd month if you have a good employee, never late, never slacking on the job, etc...
If my business didn't have 2 hard workers that don't slack, I'd be nowhere close to where I am today. Invest in your employees, and maintain you authority. They will understand. Remember this is a business, not a music festival, so don't go overboard listening to the radio all day.
I brought in over 700K last year.
Some tips about liabilities etc...
1. Don't get insurance for your business. Get workman's comp. Use a CPA to do the accounting related stuff, you will save a lot on taxes, preferably one that is willing to loosely interpret laws (i.e. your new car can be a business expense, etc..), hardest working guys are in their 30s and 40s generally. The younger ones in their 20s always are hungry and looking to start their own business. They will bounce as soon as you start to get big and try and set up shop on their own. As far as training plans, don't hire people that haven't worked in construction.
General stuff,
Spread business cards like wildfire, every new person you talk to (maybe not people's wives lol), introduce yourself and give them a business card, it will become more casual over time.
Start work early. You are ready to go at 7AM. You can leave at 5-6PM. This shows you're willing to put the work. Your image is more important than you think.
You probably know most of shit already, and I don't work as a tiler specifically, but good luck.
>>1220791
Thanks man
> Don't get insurance for your business
but why though. What if I get, "my jewelry is missing" or "you fucked up my house" or "I slipped on your tile and fell and now I'm suing you".
You're really saying I don't need liability insurance?
As far as taking cash I do it sometimes, but nobody is gonna pay me $1,000+ in cash ever. They want to use a check 100% of the time.
>>1220802
its judiasm, didnt have it 8 years no problems. tens of thousands saved, how is it going to be useful in a tile business
>>1220791
you are also in the tiling business?
>>1220824
Woodworking
>>1220931
flyers, Facebook, Nextdoor, Google ads.
I stopped doing flyers and Google ads 3 months into the business.
It's all referral now. I do a nice job and make some lady happy, then she tells 2 friends, etc...
The start was the toughest part. Once you win over 1 customer, it all starts with that. Just getting that very first person to go, "yeah okay, let's do it"
>>1220743
how much you made in one year? how much of that you had to pay in taxes? Did you started the your business with borrowed money? if so, have how much do you owe?
>>1220743
background checks
>>1220962
thanks this is exactly what I came here for.
How do I do a background check? Is it a service I pay for?
>>1220955
$60k, no I started it with $2k that I had saved up, zero debt.
>>1220973
Congrats. Threads like yours gives me hope when I start my own business.
Speaking from a banking perspective (lending to businesses), contractor type jobs are cyclical and are more sensitive to economic cycles than other industries. Be prepared for an inevitable downturn and have some cash saved up to tide you over.
Who signed off on your license, OP?
>>1221214
That's the thing. With a downturn, disposable income goes down, construction activity goes down, housing prices go down. Those are the primary drivers of contractor activity.
Sounds like you're killing it for the moment, though, so go chase that paper.
>>1221214
>nobody
What do you mean? How did you get around the experience signoff?
>>1220973
I started a pest business a year ago, I'm just about even with you.
How does Next door work? I've gotten a referall from it, but can you advertise on it or what?
>>1221300
Cool were basically in the same boat.
Nextdoor is like Facebook for neighbors. So only people in a cluster of neighbourhoods can all post on thier own board. So you can join the one in your own locale and post about your business.
Also just ask customers to post you a recommendation on thier board.
A single recommendation leads to tons of business. Its a gold mine for people like us.
>>1221664
Im not.
>>1221235
I dont have a business licence. I have an LLC if thats what you mean.
>>1220791
>hire Mexicans
You should be banned just for that.
I worked for a guy the 2nd and 3rd year he had his landscaping business. I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly side of start-up contractors
>>1220802
>As far as taking cash I do it sometimes, but nobody is gonna pay me $1,000+ in cash ever. They want to use a check 100% of the time.
Offer a discount for cash. Knocking 10% off a job will have people running to the bank.
>>1220791
> hardest working guys are in their 30s and 40s generally.
From what I have seen the hard working guys in their 30's and 40's are either in the skilled trades(read: not laying tile) or have their own business. Guys still working under someone at that age tend to have attitude or drug problems.
I will add that you should never hire friends. You can be a friend or a boss not both.
>The younger ones in their 20s always are hungry and looking to start their own business. They will bounce as soon as you start to get big and try and set up shop on their own.
>As far as training plans, don't hire people that haven't worked in construction.
You will always need someone to hump materials. Young guys like me are cheap and easy to find. Cash pay trial periods work well to see if the person can do the work.
Some other advice
>overbid jobs if you have more work than you can do. Pads your bottom line and allows you to profit from jobs with unexpected issues.
>get a contractor's license if you don't have one.
>looking ahead you will need a good foreman or 2 to run the jobs while you focus on design and interacting with clients.
>the occasional end of the week beer with everyone at the shop helps morale.
>>1222117
>people who work under people at older ages have problems
Honestly, just how retarded do you have to be in order to even think about saying something like that?
>>1222077
No I mean a contractors liscense. What was the process like?
>>1222117
>tile work
>not skilled
All trades are skilled. Dont ever knock another man's trade, it makes you sound ignorant and pompous. You obviously have never worked on highend homes or seen a guy lath an entire bathroom instead of cement board it. Good tilework takes a ton of skill
>>1220743
>set up a training plan
no. your job is not that hard. I've done tiling. Just take a guy on a job and tell him what to do. In two months, he'll be able to lay tile. It's that simple.
>>1222117
>I worked for a guy the 2nd and 3rd year he had his landscaping business. I saw the good, the bad, and the ugly side of start-up contractors
pls greentext
>>1220743
>in contracting, as long as you just do good work and aren't a complete fuckup you become very popular.
Well, no shit. There's always a market for someone who'll do the job at a reasonable price and NOT empty your house of valuables and tools.
>>1220791
What a slimy motherfucker.
And you're also small time, just have a big ego.
Im planning on doing the same thing, my father owns his own construction company, been around 35 years and now its just him and maybe one or two other guys, but he's always busy. I was going to go to college for Business Management (free because military) but I dont see the point. If I dont go to school and work with my father I get
>free housing
>dont pay gas to go to work (ride with him)
>get taught from someone who knows like everything
>but hes almost 60, so i want to get as much information from him as possible.
What do you think /biz/? Go to school now or continue working with him?
>>1220743
Hire decent people for the love of God
Run background checks on anyone you hire
>>1223159
If you're okay with taking over the business when he's done, that would be very easy to do.
