So what is your "woops I broke my leg" back up plan?

[Mikey P]

Owner Ops...

• Are you prepared to not work for 6 to eight weeks?
• Is your helper, kid, wife or retired next door neighbor able to cover you in such an event?
• Is there enough in the kitty to pay your bills and expenses?
• Do you have a company to refer work to that wont steal your customers?

• Do you grab both rails when walking down staircases?
• Is the most excitement you have on the weekends a rousing game of Stratego?
• Do you make your wife, kids, helper or neighbors do all the heavy lifting around the house?
• Did you close this thread half way through, close your eyes and start singing real loud to make it all go away?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I try not to do too much for fear of injury. I'm irreplaceable....or is it irresponsible?

One of those two, I get confused sometimes.

 

[dgardner]

I suspect there are a lot of folks that are basically always one payday away from bankruptcy with no backup plan, and not limited to this industry.....

 

[Mikey P]

When I broke my leg in 2004 my wife did get a crash course in cleaning.

Luckily I had just gotten my first glided wand from Ken Harris, so the training went quick.


I sat on the front porch of the home with my leg up and booked jobs while she did the cleaning. I don't think we had the luxury of me over analyzing her clean and dry stroke techniques.


People were very understanding and I can't recall any issues with call backs.

 

[JS41035]

Very important post.
Jan 1st I really goofed up my back. Fractured L5 and S1. 2 weeks on my back doing nothing. (Almost nothing. 3rd is on the way ). It was really scary and sobering. Even with a helper. even though I was back to work by jan 20, it cost me a lot. Lost momentum. Etc. You cannot be overprepared for something like that.

 

[steve_64]

ive worked in some pretty severe pain before, guess if im conscious id try and work. i do have a few people trained who may or may not be able to pitch in.

i also have insurance so i get paid if i cant work but i would fear losing accounts.

if worse came to worse id do damage repair when i was capable even if that meant starting over.

im pretty clumsy sometimes and as mentioned before have fallen down staircases, hit my head and been knocked unconscious, ripped my shoulder bad enough i could hardly move it, several times. ive got heart problems that makes me black out and numerous other things i could whine about but none of it has kept me from working except surgery. even after my heart surgery i was back to work two days later.

i hate sitting still to long.

 

[Willy P]

Owner Ops...

• Are you prepared to not work for 6 to eight weeks? You better be. I've been out 3 times, after the first it was way easier.
• Is your helper, kid, wife or retired next door neighbor able to cover you in such an event? Yes I have a few areas to draw on.
• Is there enough in the kitty to pay your bills and expenses? I keep at least 6 months ahead in the bank so I don't draw on savings or credit.
  
• Do you have a company to refer work to that wont steal your customers? Yes, although they don't get much- see first question.

• Do you grab both rails when walking down staircases? Slide on my bum.
• Is the most excitement you have on the weekends a rousing game of Stratego? Solitaire
  
• Do you make your wife, kids, helper or neighbors do all the heavy lifting around the house? Doesn't everybody?
  
• Did you close this thread half way through, close your eyes and start singing real loud to make it all go away? Nope. I even have an earthquake preparedness kit.

 

[jwfoulk12]

Thankfully back in 2011 when i wrecked my motorcycle it was in January and between a helper and my dad they were able to handle the work load for the next 3-4 months, But I agree with some of the posts above, you can never be to prepared.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Can't you hear me singing from there?!

Knee surgery 2 years ago....

Luckily had the help.

Had some water damage situations that little old lady just had to have me there....jump in the Jeep with the crutches....straight leg driving...lay off the drugs so could drive....

Now still at one helper and we should be getting help again for a 3rd person (at least during the busy season)

But, with my Brothers as carpet cleaners, we have covered for each other even being 1.5 hours away....THAT WAS A BURN....LOT'S OF WORK AND CRAZY!

But here I go singing again....

 

[Desk Jockey]

I tore a calf muscle last month. I when I did I felt sick with pain, I hobbled in to the house, I felt hot almost like I was going to get sick. For the first couple of days I could barely walk. As the week went on I progressed to walking with my right foot side ways so I didn't put any strain on my calf. By the second week it felt better but occasionally a lighting bold of pain would shock me if I put any strain on my calf muscle. By the third week I could walk again and no pain at all but the muscle when touched was still tight and sore. Today 6-weeks later I'm all good again!

I thought about what if I had to go out and clean? I wouldn't have been able to do much until that third week.

I think the best you can do is consider disability insurance for a real catastrophe. Put aside some money for a rainy day and don't touch it. Make friends with another cleaner that would be willing to clean for your clients while you were down and be willing to do the same for him.

 

[Mikey P]

I tore a calf muscle last month.

how?


line dancing?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Being stoopid and not wanting to get caught being lazy.

Wife took the grand kids and daughters to a basketball game. It was an unusually warm winter day so I was supposed to take down the Christmas lights. I watched games on TV until it was getting late and then I rushed around taking the lights down before they came back home.

Just before it got dark I pulled some down from my gutter and the strand pulled loose. Not wanting to get the ladder I jumped off the deck and grabbed the cord but landed on one leg and tore the muscle.

I seriously thought what would I have done had I needed to go clean? I truly don't think I could have worked for 2-weeks.

I was such a dumb ass, I'll never try that again.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Disability insurance is a must for owner operators.

Crazy not to.

 

[Spurlington]

Hey maybe I should hire a group of people and train them to be amazing cleaners then offer them to all cleaning companies as back up cleaners only. Kinda like a temp service but only for this industry. Im sure most of yous had a time where you coulda used a guy or 2 just for a day or so or even on large projects. Hiring my guy for the day would free you up from over working yourself, or possibly losing work and or hiring then firing. The more experienced plan B cleaner became, the more I could collect !!

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's a great idea!

I'd like a couple of scantily clad wimins to clean up around the office. Send them over and bill me!

 

[Willy P]

That's a great idea!

I'd like a couple of scantily clad wimins to clean up around the office. Send them over and bill me!

Here ya go Richard. They're just getting Brazilians right now and should be there in an hour. Do you want them to bring their feather duster?

 

[Willy P]

Can you owner- ops get workers comp there? I pay $800 a year, but I only collect $29.999 in benefits plus all medical expenses. Only works when you hurt yourself on the job, but it gives some peace of mind.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Here ya go Richard. They're just getting Brazilians right now and should be there in an hour. Do you want them to bring their feather duster?

normally I'm leg man However in this case, not so much!

 

[Doug Cox]

Busted my leg in a motorcycle accident coming up on 8 yrs ago. Happened to have my van and TM for sale at the time that was free and clear and softened the blow. Didn't have much security back then, but if something happened again, I would probably just hang it up and move on. I have plenty of credit available for anything unforeseen.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Been there, thought I was prepared enough.

I wasn't. Insurance got most of it, but disability insurance has so many weasel words as to be almost useless.

 

[jcooper]

I tore a calf muscle last month.

You tore a muscle and three weeks later you were good to go? You sure yo didn't just have a cramp?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I wish. That fist few days I thought I might need surgury but a tech at work described the same thing. He told me when it happened to him the doctor said ice then heat but nothing they could do. He said his was better after two weeks, but it took three for mine.

 

[Askal]

I spent the last 15 years trying to make myself not needed. Almost there. Lots of diversification. Pay employees lots and treat them very well including sharing the profits. I can now do almost everything by phone. It's pretty swell.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

Being stoopid and not wanting to get caught being lazy.

Wife took the grand kids and daughters to a basketball game. It was an unusually warm winter day so I was supposed to take down the Christmas lights. I watched games on TV until it was getting late and then I rushed around taking the lights down before they came back home.

Just before it got dark I pulled some down from my gutter and the strand pulled loose. Not wanting to get the ladder I jumped off the deck and grabbed the cord but landed on one leg and tore the muscle.

I seriously thought what would I have done had I needed to go clean? I truly don't think I could have worked for 2-weeks.

I was such a dumb ass, I'll never try that again.

Putting up and taking down Christmas lights can kill ya. I literally could have killed myself putting mine up this year. I was standing on an extension ladder with my feet about 8' off the ground. It was an old wooden one. I had it extended all the way up. It broke and folded into itself. Something like that happens in a blink on an eye. You think you might have time to jump down or grab something but you don't. Literally heard the crack and a millisecond later I'm laying flat on my back in my concrete driveway. If I landed any other way I could have been killed, paralyzed or seriously hurt otherwise. I laid there for probably a minute stunned. I slowly took "inventory" of all my body parts. Somebody was looking over me because it seemed like I was fine. I know I was in a state of shock. Turns out it really took about a month to feel "normal". Not sure how to really describe it.My head was fine, nothing wrong there but it was like my body was "shaken up" and all the internal stuff needed to heal? I could work and do everything so no problem there. The only lingering problem is my elbow it isn't broken or sprained but it feels like there's something in the very end of the elbow that shifts around a bit. Nobody was home at the time and I didn't tell my wife it happened. She still doesn't know about it.

So this got me to thinking as a one man band. What did I do? I contacted my insurance agent and got the life insurance policy I'd been thinking about getting. I'm also lucky that my wife has a great job that we could live on if we had too......I know....that's a lousy "what if I get hurt" strategy.

 

[Mikey P]

Damn Barry!


When are you going to tell her?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Putting up and taking down Christmas lights can kill ya. I literally could have killed myself putting mine up this year. I was standing on an extension ladder with my feet about 8' off the ground. It was an old wooden one. I had it extended all the way up. It broke and folded into itself. Something like that happens in a blink on an eye. You think you might have time to jump down or grab something but you don't. Literally heard the crack and a millisecond later I'm laying flat on my back in my concrete driveway. If I landed any other way I could have been killed, paralyzed or seriously hurt otherwise. I laid there for probably a minute stunned. I slowly took "inventory" of all my body parts. Somebody was looking over me because it seemed like I was fine. I know I was in a state of shock. Turns out it really took about a month to feel "normal". Not sure how to really describe it.My head was fine, nothing wrong there but it was like my body was "shaken up" and all the internal stuff needed to heal? I could work and do everything so no problem there. The only lingering problem is my elbow it isn't broken or sprained but it feels like there's something in the very end of the elbow that shifts around a bit. Nobody was home at the time and I didn't tell my wife it happened. She still doesn't know about it.

So this got me to thinking as a one man band. What did I do? I contacted my insurance agent and got the life insurance policy I'd been thinking about getting. I'm also lucky that my wife has a great job that we could live on if we had too......I know....that's a lousy "what if I get hurt" strategy.

One of my supervisors had his father-Inlaw fall off the ladder this fall. He said he was talking to him next time he looked over he saw a blur and he screamed when he fell. He broke his ankle and is still not back at work. He went from family hero to family zero fast!

 

[Bryan S. Bennett]

We operate as a 3 person cleaning team and double that in the summer time for demand. I've geared the business this way so that if anything happens to any of us we can switch seats and roll. My guys are good and tell me to stay in the office - they can handle but we all work together on the majority of jobs. They are both cross-trained in duties and IICRC Certified and do the majority of their training at Pemberton's.

We try and keep a good emergency fund and cash flow for these types of things too which is a requirement for operating a sound business.

I have a rental property business, a lawn care and landscaping business, and invest heavily in the market each month for mostly future, but these are additional revenue sources to tap into if needed.

That's my plan and I'm sticking to it as long as God sees fit!

 

[212]

wrecked a dirt scoot on jan 9th and crushed 2 vertebrae, had 2 rods, 8 screws, cadaver bone fused in, 39 staples. Spent a week in the hospital and been rough ever since. Very uncool, if it woulda just been me cleaning Id be in a bad spot. Makes you really think

 

[Mikey P]

wrecked a dirt scoot on jan 9th and crushed 2 vertebrae, had 2 rods, 8 screws, cadaver bone fused in, 39 staples. Spent a week in the hospital and been rough ever since. Very uncool, if it woulda just been me cleaning Id be in a bad spot. Makes you really think

Getting airborn or got highsided?

 

[Bryan S. Bennett]

But I did learn two things from this thread.

One, Be careful motorcycling which I love to ride, and two, love your neighbor enough to pay them dearly to install and remove your christmas lights each year!