One man or two man crew?

[Steve Toburen]

Any suggestions on how to get more winter work?

That is a toughie and fer sure not one to address the first of January, Kevin!

First you should ask yourself if in truth you really want and are prepared/capable of running employees full time year round. Your comment re: being "tired of that person anyway so no big loss" speaks volumes. (doesn't make you a bad person. Just that you may not want and/or be ready for employees.)

Anyway, some ideas on keeping employees busy in winter ...

1. Regular contract commercial work.
2. Pre-paid residential maintenance programs for cleaning every six months which means many fall during winter months.
3. A special mailing to long term clients offering a substantial discount for early booking before April 1.
4. Have them work on your house. (Seriously, one winter I had a tech that was also a plumber replumb and entire house I was rehabbing.
5. Snowplow. Seriously!

Let us know what you decide,

Steve
www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS IF you decide to do snow plowing make sure your business insurance covers you and your employees.

 

[KevinL]

I already plow snow but I sure wouldn't let some knuckle head take my truck out. I've had employees every year for the last 9 years but not one worth keeping through the winter. I'm on my 5th helper this year and there is no way he could go out and do sales. I also hate doing night jobs as I wear contacts and my eyes are bleeding by 5pm. I can't wait to get them out and rest my eyes. I do a few restaurants and I dread going back out at night to do them. Especially if it was a rough day. I am working on some fliers to take to plumbers to try to get wdr referrals. I sent them all letters a year ago but doubt if they got past the c$#% blockers.

 

[daniel@procarpet]

I already plow snow but I sure wouldn't let some knuckle head take my truck out. I've had employees every year for the last 9 years but not one worth keeping through the winter. I'm on my 5th helper this year and there is no way he could go out and do sales. I also hate doing night jobs as I wear contacts and my eyes are bleeding by 5pm. I can't wait to get them out and rest my eyes. I do a few restaurants and I dread going back out at night to do them. Especially if it was a rough day. I am working on some fliers to take to plumbers to try to get wdr referrals. I sent them all letters a year ago but doubt if they got past the c$#% blockers.

I will do whatever it takes to keep my guy happy.

If that means losing some money during slow times, so be it.

Thankfully we are not slow.

I know that if I screw this deal up, I will always be a one man bdcc operation.

You have to find someone you trust and like working with. Forget about the numbers.

For me I could never work with a complete stranger.

I gave my guy the whole week off after the holiday even though I had jobs everyday. I paid him a full week's salary.

I know I can do most jobs by myself, but I want to grow just a little. I need help to do that.

Brandon is a winner.

 

[Steve Toburen]

... I dread going back out at night to do them. Especially if it was a rough day.

Man you got that right. I DESPISED working a 10 or 12 hour shift on the truck and then going home, cleaning up and having a nice dinner but knowing the whole time at 11:00 PM I had to head back out into the cold night.

Steve Toburen
http://www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS Now on the other hand, once you are able to achieve Critical Mass and get employees out there running the late night work life is good. Remember that their are some great people out there that want good paying part time work- which is exactly what you should be offering.

 

[John Watson]

We have done both ways, trying to have a 2 man crew on the larger Resi jobs. Back in the early 80's with 7 trks it was a real challange to keep them manned, employees calling in sick or just plain no shows.

Every time I made a new schedule, I was prepared to make another. Yes, we were trying to do our flood and fire jobs with the same crews.

Back then it was easiest to have 2 man trks.

In 87 when I took over Claude's He had it set up for 1 man trk and a manager who ran the fire and water jobs and inspected, scheduled and rescheduled cleaning jobs as needed. In 88 we got our 2nd truck on line again. (Claude had 3 trks going at one time previous, down to 1 in 85, by then he was devoting his full time to Dri-Eaz..

We then ran 2 and worked up to 2 1/2 trks. We did great till our accident in 97, in 98 we were not doing fires jobs anymore. 99 we were down to 3 emp. 2 trks, Helen and I were just getting the Co back on its feet again after it took me over a year to heal.

in 99 we were 2 single man trks or 1 2man trk as needed.

Brother and sister don't always work good with each other.

Daughter left first for other employment,

Our son then was alone except when a realy big one came in I would get on the trk with him. We tried to schedule 2-3 a day. When our Son screwed his knee up and was off wk for 10 months, I was alone on the trk, Helen had her RA attacks, couldent afford a sitter for her so she rode shotgun, She aint one to sit and do nothing so started help.

With both of us getting older these last 8-10 years have been hard, but has gotten us closer than we have ever been. We baby sit each other and our clients love our work. So I guess between 2 1/2 people we make a whole one with a twist. We try to schedule 2 jobs a day, 1 in am and 1 in the pm .

So Anthony, unless you have the work to support a full time helper and train to get his own trk (for you or him) us part time help, pay them good, but remember they are part time.. Helpers.

Both Helen and I agree that if we were to do it again we would have a tec and a helper on each truck.

Sorry for the rambling, but thats what I do best now....

 

[Steve Toburen]

Sorry for the rambling, but thats what I do best now....

Your "rambling" is better than most of us can do even with serious thought, John.

I hope things are going well for you and your health is stable.

Steve

PS You be sure and tell Helen I said hi.