Also, a $7000.00 a week payroll? With 12 employees? That works out to be an average of around $14.50/hour. At least a couple of these are licensed journeyman? Thats a pretty small pie no matter how you slice it.
Here in the northern Minnesota area where I live there are over 50-60 electrical contractors within a 25 mile radius. Why? I believe its because the few larger established ones don't pay well enough. Nobody can effectively live and raise a family these days on those kinds of wages, so they are all forced to go at it on their own, once they have enough time in for the master's license.
And its not like these low paying contractors couldn't afford paying better, most of them live in $500,000+ lake homes, drive around in brand new matching his and hers Hummers, and spend endless afternoons rubbing elbows with their cronies at the country club.
They cut every imaginable corner when it comes to the jobs they do, yet they charge the customer big city fees. But they have an established business, so the work keeps trickling in. They will make deals with apprentices to fudge on their hours so they can take the journeyman's test early, with the agreement that the guy stay there for a minimum number of years.
Before you go running down your help, take a look at your own lifestyle. Could you do with less in order to find and retain good, hard-working, honest employees?
[This message has been edited by Matt M (edited 03-27-2005).]
