Topix Underground

Fortunately, I took metal shop, wood shop and drafting in high school. They should have also taught us how to farm and build things too. I suppose some high schools do. Classes in home ownership, bill paying, doing taxes.  Maybe they did teach us that. I can't remember.

Need more than that.  Every one of the bosses has really nice personal vehicles and crap that is not road worthy for business ones. When they break down that is an excuse not to work, which leads to getting behind on the schedule, which leads to the job taking way too long and most of the profit flying out the window.

In any business you make your money on how fast you can turn the job and move on to the next profit.

And they pay their people peanuts then seem scared to teach them anything which leads to the boss doing all of the critical work. --slowing the job down more.

The boss of the crew in there now has been in the trades since he was 10 yo yet his business seems to survive only by draw to draw. He should have several crews by now, late 40s, and not be swinging a hammer unless there is some sort of emergency.

Even the GC seems to suffer from that. If the work wasn't so nice I would have sent them all packing 4 months ago.

I am only a DIY level on trades but I do know business, I could have them all solidly in the black and building in less than a year. 

For me personally, the absolute best niche possible is to be a subcontractor for tile and/or trim and to do it solo. I have the perfect set of equipment and skills for that. It's the best f both worlds. I'm self employed but I also don't have to shell out for material, quote, etc. At the end of the day, a sub probably makes as much or more than a general contractor per unit of time. It is so much less fckng around.  The formula is not difficult to understand. There are those that drink and there are those that don't. I cultivated a brand. My equipment is spotless, I show up when and where I say I will, I'm dressed for the job, no radio blasting, I do the work flawlessly... also, I don't need to get paid right away...and that's the Big Kahuna if the truth were told.
I'm a general's dream.

For me personally, the absolute best niche possible is to be a subcontractor for tile and/or trim and to do it solo. I have the perfect set of equipment and skills for that. It's the best f both worlds. I'm self employed but I also don't have to shell out for material, quote, etc. At the end of the day, a sub probably makes as much or more than a general contractor per unit of time. It is so much less fckng around.  The formula is not difficult to understand. There are those that drink and there are those that don't. I cultivated a brand. My equipment is spotless, I show up when and where I say I will, I'm dressed for the job, no radio blasting, I do the work flawlessly... also, I don't need to get paid right away...and that's the Big Kahuna if the truth were told.
I'm a general's dream.

And that is my point, it is not rocket science. Look nice and be sober so you don't scare the old ladies (referrals), show up when you are scheduled no matter what, work while you are there and get it done in a timely fashion so you can move on to the next profit instead of eating up the one for that job.

Drywalling the damage in my house should have taken 10 work days at the outside with delays, they could have had 4 jobs that size done in the time it took them to do mine. Just say 5K profit a job, they made 5 when they could have made 20.  Call it, 5k expense to keep the work vehicles on the road or have a cheap backup and you are at 15 instead of 5.

I am no math whiz but I reckon 15 is more than 5.

I’m not a salesman either. That’s a huge reason to be a sub. No one even knows I’m alive. The contractors love me because I don’t want to talk to them. All’s I need is an address. Production carpentry on new houses can be the easiest and least complicated job on the planet if you make it so, and I insist. I can do work for a guy for a few years and meet him maybe three or four times.

That IS a sales strategy.  "He gets it done with no drama and I don't have to waste my time babysitting him" --Hire the dude that doesn't cause me problems

I have a single paragraph that I send to contractors looking for subs. It basically just says I have experience and tools and that I'm clean-cut, honest, professional, don't drink or smoke, have a driver's license, reliable transportation  and no drama. Because that is exactly what they are looking for. 
You put a grand down on a nice white, ten-thousand dollar used van that doesn't leak oil, maybe $2500 for essential tools and machines, etc. and a Home Depot card. Then just show up and do what you were hired to do. It's as simple as life can be. Being a contractor is for people that need to work but don't want or can't handle a job - that's all. It's a lifestyle for borderline personalities.

I'm really hoping that we're not that stupid. Cooler heads will prevail. That may not seem the case in this moment.

Hi Lyons!

Hey. I just gave no faith in humanity anymore. We will get pulled into it. Canada will if Carney wins.

What the world needs now is a watery tart distributing swords. Mark knows.