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a NEW day...

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incognito

New Member
Being an employer is not for the faint of heart. Being a self employed one-man-show was like paradise compared to being a disgruntled employee... so for many years I worked harder than ever, but I knew in every day that I had found my calling & I was working on exactly what I wanted to be doing.

Soon, my ambition turned to a belief that not just being "in business", but being a "business man" was my calling, & employing others to help do the work that had given me so much satisfaction was a logical evolution of my journey.

Today I am not so sure. Yesterday I had to let my right hand man go, in a sudden unfortunate event, that may well have been his own subconscious lapse of judgement, designed to facilitate a transition we may both prosper from.

I endured some difficult emotional struggles over the course of nearly 3 years of work together. There were signs that all was not well in Camelot, and on the worst days of disharmony, I would seek guidance & was often advised that I might not have the right team player & shouldn't have to endure so much strain at my own business.

All I saw was that the arrogance & marginal levels of disrespect at times were traits so similar to my own character flaws, & so likely to be a typical by-product of most highly intelligent, confident & capable self-starter types... that I just figured if I wanted talent, I had to accept ego.

The mind blowing realization yesterday was that after 12 hours of mental anguish on Saturday, my personnel restructuring was completed in an hour, and throughout the next 8 hours of responding to all my own calls, emails and walk-in traffic, setting my own prices, scheduling commitments, and running my own machines...

...I was amazingly & uncontrollably happy in my new surroundings of unrestricted control & dominion!

I feel like I slung a pack over my shoulder for a day hike & someone had been sneaking rocks into my pack... and the day hike turned into a hobbit-like quest of epic proportions, during which my ever increasing load was shouldered for the long haul, accepted as my rightful burden & cinched up to where I became unable to distinguish that burden from the chore of dragging my own weight over the treacherous terrain of this worst year in my business life.

So, when I slid that pack off my shoulders I thought I might shed 1/10th of my troubles with it.

Of course there will be days I am overwhelmed with work, and there will be days I miss my comrade, but those facts notwithstanding...

...I feel like I just shed 9/10ths of my burden, & the sinking ship I was ready to captain my way down to the murky depths of possible failure, is now feeling like a favorable wind has billowed my sails, freed my anchors, & brightened my horizon beyond belief!
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Don’t get used to it. If you’ve built your business up to a point, based on two guys that you have 90 or 100 hours worth of work going through your place a week…. you’re gonna have a lot of slack to catch up on… let alone a lota orders backing up. Try to replace the guy, even if with some temp help to take some of the menial tasks off your tray so you can do what you do best….. run the business.

It’s always a load off your mind when something like this is over with, but customers will continue knocking at your door and you won’t have the luxury of taking a deep breath of relief without some idiot for a customer says…. Hey, where’s that sign I ordered while the phone is ringing with that job from Hell that is just going on and on forever and then your computer locks up and you just wanna scream……………. :scream:






Ah.... just get on with it and we'll see ya back here in about two months............. :banghead:




I can come and help if you pay my way...................... :clapping:
 

Border

New Member
Translation....
 

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Billct2

Active Member
I'm sure the relief is great, but the reality is you will have to change your business model or get another employee. The key is to keep the relationship more formal. I worked in a few shops that ended up feeling more like a dysfunctional family than a place of business.
Glad you cleared the decks and Good luck
 
there is a hard transition in growth from a one man shop to that of an employer. having gone through many different versions of that transition, for me, bigger is not always better.

i do best (am happiest) with one helper and myself. i have made the most money (by percentages) with 2 production/installers, one office person and myself wearing all hats. everything beyond that has been necessary to meet demand but has not necessarily consistently made me more money (even though the dollars and liabilities are much larger) there have been other benefits in growth for example my ability to simply not be present because with good staff and management it 'should' run itself...however, that is not a scenario i particularly enjoy..for large periods of time.

early in my career as an employer i had a habit of employing people with skills less than mine or people that i could 'help grow' etc. there were many reasons for this but one day i had a realization in that i should be hiring the absolute best that i could afford, people with talents and skills greater than my own..that is the best use of my money and as owner of the business i am not replaceable.

if you have someone that you are paying that IS making your job harder, less enjoyable you have to let them go.

in my years working primarily with other self employed people i have noticed that we share a lot of similar traits and all too often i have seen myself and other self employed ppl hire their 'right hand guy' the guy who can do it all...eventually they will be another self employed person for whatever reason they just dont have the resources or desire at the moment they are working for you. very rarely do i see that 'right hand guy' work out as an employee (of course there are always exceptions) they are too independent.

i agree with Bill you have to keep that relationship formal and it is natural to want to be friends or friendly with everyone especially when you spend more time, at times, at work than you do at home, but you can not muddy these waters, the roles have to be clearly defined between employee and employer, what is acceptable and expected and what is not.
 

Bradster941

New Member
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incognito

New Member
too much drama!!

sorry dude, er.. amigo
didn't mean to be too obtuse for ya!
...let me simplify

See Dick & Jane. See their company "Spot"

See Dick run Spot. See Jane run Spot.

See Jane piss off Dick. See Dick run off Jane.

See Dick run Spot.


THE END

 

gabagoo

New Member
sorry dude, er.. amigo
didn't mean to be too obtuse for ya!
...let me simplify

See Dick & Jane. See their company "Spot"


See Dick run Spot. See Jane run Spot.

See Jane piss off Dick. See Dick run off Jane.

See Dick run Spot.


THE END

dick, dick, baby!!!
 

BobM

New Member
The hardest thing to do is to fire an employee/associate/partner/co-worker. The best thing you could have done is just do it and go forward. Learn a lesson from it and use that lesson in hiring and surpervising the replacement person.

Congratulations on doing what was right for you and your business.
 

Biker Scout

New Member
Funny thing is, that from this point on you have to bring light the obvious to any new hire. "Now don't go making stuff on the side or anything illegal."

Normally that shouldn't have to be said, until you are actually faced with it.
 

ddarlak

Go Bills!
i think your diggin this incognito personality....

thanks for the dissertation, it will help me in my quest.
 
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