The road to being your own boss!!!

[Backpain]

My problem is myself really, i have always had a steady job at a tree firm and have been a lead climber for 4 years now.

My main gripe is job security. Tis better to have a steady job than no job at all.

I would be working mainly as a subbi, but would keep an eye open for private work.

Have just spent a small fortune on powerlines tickets but i am loathed to go and do it because the of the job satisfaction.

just getting feedback at the moment on peoples thoughts and ideas regarding subbi work.

 

Backpain- what you say is to true about the type of work. but is the job satisfaction better than being in a steady job doing the usual???

Cheers Dave

 

For me the satisfaction comes from a combination of things. Being independent and self sufficient is everything to me and so too is doing a good job. Power line work is ok and the banter is good if your with the right blokes. It took me years of preparation before I went on my own. I made sure I had the right kit and a steady stream of work that I did at weekends. As word gets around and people see you working, more work will come your way. Some one will always pop there head over the fence and ask you for a price to do their tree's. Advertising works well for me but it does cost so I have to budget for it. Stick an add in yellow pages, news papers, shop window etc and see what happens. Get a good website designed....this is your shop window and always conduct your work in a professional way and it will serve you well for recommendations.

[Proclimber]

Some of the people on here just jump on anything you say its laughable . Since when is working at the weekends moonlighting and suddenly become a ***** lol? Picking up the phone and getting liabilty insurance is hard? I was agreeing with andy for the guy to stay employed.

[Albedo]

That's it, moonlighting behind your employers back working without insurance and backup, no different to the gypos we all hate. 😡

 

Its doing what you like with your own time, working in a way that an individual chooses to work. No employer owns anybody.

 

Speak for yourself in terms of who hates whom. I don't hate travellers and I don't use derogatory terms to describe them.

[Andy Collins]

If you do it the "proper" way, you can be employed and self-employed at the same time, in your own right. Your employer for let's say 4 days pays you PAYE and the other days you choose to work you declare as S/e., with all insurances etc in place. Most companies started in the same way, with the boss breaking away to form his own company. Of course many bosses then resent this happening to them, even though it was their way years before.

I do think there would be a conflict of interests however, I have seen subbies dishing out their own cards to clients, which is a big no-no, so it's not straight forward. Another thought is that as an employer, if I had someone who wished to be starting up on their own, that would tell me that they no longer wished to work for me, so I'd be encouraging them to go now, rather than later, I'd need time to get new staff up to speed.

[Ms2004life]

Agreed andy!! If you do it the right way the old boss flicks work over to ya and helps out when they can. I freelance to an old boss often and he flicks me work all the time, as well as my own gig we are solid five days a week every week. Wouldnt be that way without him

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Its doing what you like with your own time, working in a way that an individual chooses to work. No employer owns anybody.

 

Speak for yourself in terms of who hates whom. I don't hate travellers and I don't use derogatory terms to describe them.

 

I didn't say a boss owns anyone. My opinion is that if someone gives you full time employment with a fair wage and conditions (he doesn't have to) and he takes all the risk and liability and puts in all the effort to find work that keeps you in a job, is it fair to take jobs at the weekend under cutting all the pro firms?

The cheopo, cowboy, gypo & undercutters deprive the professionals of work, thus jeopardising the guys in full time jobs. One could jeopardise ones own job!

 

I agree with Any Collins last post by the way.

 

I DO hate the 'travellers'! They lie to the public, do seriously substandard work in all trades and fly tip their rubbish. They are scum. Of course I realise there is a very small minority that do conduct themselves with integrity.

 

The issues on this thread are misunderstandings around honesty, decorum and integrity. I think Andy Collins covered that well.

 

I don't wish to argue but there are two sides.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

One of the best climbers at my company was moonlighting at the week end and put a saw in his arm,

And itS now three months off with just ssp, hardly seems worth it

 

Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2

 

This happened several years ago to someone in my area. He had a full time job and at the weekend got badly injured and damaged the clients property.

The local press jumped on it, you can imagine the headline, ignored the fact he was moonlighting and the article had name and photos of the employer, damaging his reputation and public image.

The employer then had to make a massive effort and expense to clear things up.

 

By the way, the employee worked for a very pro firm so he was sacked instantly as 'moonlighting' was in breach of his contract.

[Andy Collins]

A clause such as "bringing the company name into disrepute" usually covers such a scenario. So "moonlighting" in a company shirt could be classed as above, as you're representing that company if you wear their shirt.

What I particularly like to see is someone else's staff moonlighting in company time, in their company clothing, and the truck all nicely sign written, then leaving a trail of messy work, makes us little companies look much better. Must get them a bottle of wine next time I go to their offices:thumbup:

[Old Mill Tree Care]

a clause such as "bringing the company name into disrepute" usually covers such a scenario. So "moonlighting" in a company shirt could be classed as above, as you're representing that company if you wear their shirt.

What i particularly like to see is someone else's staff moonlighting in company time, in their company clothing, and the truck all nicely sign written, then leaving a trail of messy work, makes us little companies look much better. Must get them a bottle of wine next time i go to their offices:thumbup:

 

👍👍😄😄!!

[Albedo]

That's it, moonlighting behind your employers back working without insurance and backup, no different to the gypos we all hate.

 

If you don't wish to argue, don't make statements like this accusing people of stuff then writing off an entire ethnic group.

 

With regard to your later remarks on undercutting...

 

There are loads of regular members of arbtalk who don’t personally have the skills to climb and take down a tree, they have to employ someone like me to do it for them.

 

Therefore I can do any tree cheaper than any of them or at least make more profit from it if we are the same price. I’m doing the work myself and not paying others to do it for me.

 

What you call undercutting is just down to various choices on how you run your business. If all those members on here want to compete with me they are going to have to learn to climb a tree themselves for a start.

 

Furthermore it’s my opinion that everyone has a right to go out and quote work if they think they can do it. It's about putting food on the table. I resent nobody and I mean nobody their right to do this.

 

Edit I think your last post was quite good by the way even though I don't agree with all of it... are you a climber yourself?

Edited September 5, 2012 by Albedo