I was just reading Dave55s post on cable reeling and he mentioned he works alone. I am very interested to find out how many of you, like myself, work alone. Either part-time, half the time, or most of the time. I'm sure we could help each other out considerably w/tips and war stories!

Thanx 4 your efforts,

Steve

I've worked alone for 20 years now, Steve. I should add that I do grab the homeowner, or whoever is around if I'm burning time and not getting anywhere...as in trying to fish a wire from the attic into a switch box and I've been up and down a couple times.

I grabbed a guy for a long pull of about six 12 ga wires. Now this guy knew how to pull wires (or so I thought). I left lube on the panel and asked him to keep the wires lubed. It's one of those 100' pulls, so I'm pulling and he's keeping the wires from tangling.

I pull about 75' and it's really getting tough and my fish tape is bending out of shape. My old back is complaining, so I look over and...of course...the lube is sitting on top of the panel right where I left it. I thanked him for lubing the wires and he said they didn't need lube because he was pushing the wires (stranded).

Now, I know you get what you pay for, but this is a guy I could hire if I hired help. I talk to contractors about their help and it looks good on paper, like you could make a bundle of money from hired help, as in:

I pay $20/hour...40 hours = $800/week
I get $75/hour...40 hours = $3,000/week
times 50 weeks = $110,000!!!

...but none of these contractors have said anything like "I'm netting $40,000/year from every one of my guys". They say things like "I pay them every week while I wait for the customer to pay and I'm taking money out of my personal account for my own paycheck".

Then, sometimes I read a story in the paper, like, a guy works for a couple and asks them for a loan. They refuse and he shoots them both. A little extreme, but disgruntled employees can rip you off at the least. I also see these employees work, and almost all of them work at about 50% speed when the boss isn't around.

Anyway, this was long, but that's why I work alone.

Dave

Dave,

I resonate with your perspective. I had a couple employees earlier in my career, and it never ceased to amaze me how clear and concise instructions could be permutated into something else, most often, something less than desirable. I returned to being a lone ranger over a decade ago. . .realized I just wasn't adult enough to handle an employee work schedule. There's a lot to be said for flexibility.

I too work alone. Part time so I can't afford a helper. Next week I've got 4 10's to pull in 140 ft. of 3/4 PVC. I can see both ends but I expect to do some walking.

I work alone most of the time. Who needs starmaster when you can work alone
Phil

Thanx for your responses fellas. I just got back from some more "old work", which I seem to specializing in anymore. Today went smoothe. I was pondering my post all day hoping for your input(s). Attic and back-----attic and back, then to the basement. Finally done, power back on, tools scattered all over the house and now I get to load the truck, by myself. We must be a different breed, but I'm not complaining..................or hear anybody else complaining either! ha

... When I started my own business 3 years ago,I too went out solo,..then came the bigger jobs,and I found out I could use a hand..I've had 3 employees since,and I'm down to just one guy now.Just him and me..I'd like to get 2 trucks on the road but finding someone reliable enough is a real headache.I've become "spoiled" now,and need someone to run to the truck for stuff.The guy I have now is green,and is slowly learning the ropes...Just today I asked him to go to the truck for a 1/2" K.O. seal,and I was busy doing something else only to find him trying to attach a threaded K.O. seal to a 1900 box,..I laughed and he felt dopey,as he didn't know that there were different seals for different types of boxes..I should have been more explicit I guess...

I have an apprentice with me, almost always. I do service calls alone.

I'm an employee. My employer probably doesn't make any money off me when I'm alone on a small job. With wages and other employee overhead added to the cost of the truck, fuel and maintenance, there isn't anything left. The profit comes from the apprentice.

Having an employee allows him to bid larger jobs, where there is a profit, because the competitor is also paying an employee.

The unspoken benefit is that he can also take on really ugly work, without getting his hands dirty We also have quite different backgrounds, so our range of work extends from residential, to data, to industrial. I try not to think of myself as a "starmaster", whatever that is.

I do agree that the employer-employee relationship is not what most expect. My employer works for me. His job is to find work, and look after financing and billing. He is free to make as much money as he can, as long as I get my hourly rate. If he doesn't do a good job, I'll replace him.

... Very well put, twh,..I couldn't help but smile as I read your post..I wish my guy had that attitude. You seem to have a healthy understanding of what the employer/employee symbiotic relationship consists of..
Russ

this is good stuff fellas, thanx! Our two sons have worked w/me on some things. I was having a blast "passing it on", but they could care less and always had their eye on the door. I also have two daughters, of which the younger one shows some interest, but she is only 7! I am almost 50, and don't know if Dad can hold out that long! lol It just seems a shame to have so much experience not to pass it on. But as you have already mentioned, it is getting extremely difficult to find anyone who will listen. Oh well...........

I do it too as I am short an electrician. My hats off to you. Myself I feel like my efficency is so low by myself compared to 2 guys. It just seems like if it takes an hour with 2 guys then it would take me 3 hours going back and forth.

There are only so many work hours in a day. Between drive time, supply house, estomates, bids, billing, colecting money, answering/returning calls, job set up, clean up, and truck repairs it leaves me with less time doing electrical labor.

Just wondering how many hours a day and days a week you do the labor side and how many hours you do the business side?

Tom

I work alone for the most part. I have never had any employees other than my wife and she wasn't a payroll employee, she is a partner. When I have absolutely needed help for a job I have subbed another sole proprietor sparky for a day or two. I have reciprocated with other sparkys as well. There are about 4 of us around here that work alone and we've pooled our resources from time to time over the years to get each other out of scheduling jams. It works out great.

Yeah Steve,
Majority of the time I work alone during the day.
I've also had situations where I've had to call out a second Faultsman to help get a Fault repair finished.
Any other work that I do usually involves a crew of Linemen.
Can't say that I enjoy working alone, but that's just reality.

Been reading of the coming(and already here in some areas I hear) electrician shortages around the country. Manufacturers are reading the writing on the wall and a whole new generation of "Labor Saving" tools are expected to hit the market. Hey, maybe us solo electricians can at least get some "cool tools" out of this! lol

Steve

Labor saving, like a ceiling fan? They don't put any labor into assembling those.

Steve, I too work alone, and have for about 4 1/2 years now. I have learned to adapt and think of things that have really helped to save steps. Even though here recently I am trying to consider a different strategy. It does seem that if a good supply of work is available, that with at least one helper you can make more money. As it was stated in some of the above post, that one man can only do so much. My experience is that working by yourself, you only make wages usually at the best, not a whole lot of profit. Usually to get a job, you have to cut your price. I do my work, my office work, my accountant work, everything I have two sons, but they didnt't have an interest when they were young. Now that they're older, and know better now, I can't afford to pay them what they need, being inexperienced. But I like the freedom and with the knowledge I have, it's hard to work for another man, and anyway I can't live with what they want to pay me.
So all said, I keep on trudging alone. My problem seems to be advertising and getting my name out there. Good business usually requires a certain amount of investment. Knowing when and where to make your investment in advertising can make or break you on a limited "capital". If a lot of capital is available, then advertising in the right way can bring your name to the public, thus allowing more work, then the opportunity to hire good help. Of course with more work and employees comes more financial obligations ( taxes, etc. ) I guess the best way to start out would be to "sub" out work, then of course you would be paying out good money to experienced sub's, and you better have your job priced right or you'll be paying him more than you make I'm sure some of the others that have employees can give us much more information on these areas. So if you have any areas of help, I'm sure it would benefit the rest of us "loners" out here. So anyway, back to the drawing board I guess that's the risk of being in business. Maybe they could give us some pointers to help our business grow Some make it big and some make it small. So we do the best we can So all said again, we keep on pushing right alone. So, next job, here I come. Certainly makes you use all the resources that The Good Lord has given you in your brain to get it to come together

I haven't had an employee for 17 years. I rarely miss having one.

I'm fortunate that the contractors I work with understand a couple of things, the first being I'm not going to set any speed records roughing in and if they want their cords & drills & other equipment repaired, they will have to pitch in once in awhile & help on a cable pull. The flip side for the GC is that he knows exactly what he is going to get.

I have also been very fortunate over the years in that my usual punch list is zero items long and I almost never have to go back to fix anything under warranty. Hard to have that kind of record with employees.

I also work alone - of course, I'm just starting out on my own, and have subbed for other EC's when they needed a spare pair of hands for a day, or a week...

There are some other realistic advantages of having an employee. For one thing you become much more efficient with your company time. It means alot more to do a "favor" for free when it's costing you bucks for the employee who's with you at the time. You're forced to pay more attention to the little items that add up. You certainly avoid standing around at the supply house making your list up as opposed to calling it in advance. Oh, and forget about the scenic route to the job.
All in all I think it depends on the work you're doing and where you want your business to go or not go. One drawback for sure is you can stay alot slimmer alone than having to take regular lunch breaks with an employee.
Andy

In the last 25+ years I've gone from working with my with just two of us (my late father and myself) to keeping between 8 and 12 employees as the need dictated.

I came to realize that I was running a daycare center for "mis-guided middle aged men". I'd have to count how many guys showed up for work and who was sober enough to drive the trucks. Add to that the expense of tooling them up and maintaining the tools and trucks.

I've since heeded the long ago advise of an accountant to "keep it simple" and am doing it solo again.

I've also rethought my daily routine and the type of work I was after and have stepped back for a while and am regrouping. I've gotten tied up with a builder and am doing a house a week for them along with a service or something else to fill the week.

Although I'm putting in some longer hours I now find myself anxious to get to the job rather than dealing with anxiety once I get there.

I also catch myself whistling while I work, something I haven't heard on the job since my dad passed away in 1982.

FRANK

I worked alone for 15 years...then my body started to wear out.My wrists are messed up from repetitive motion and I can't tie in or plug and switch all day long anymore.So I hired a helper 3 years ago and I have him do all the work that aggrevates my wrists.I have trained him to do things my way.My profit margin has grown also.I also go to the gym now to stay in shape.Makes it easier to do daily tasks.Sucs gettin old

But thats it,baby sittin one guy is enough for me.I say "Stay small,keep it all"

shortcircuit

This is really good stuff Gents. I sure want to thank you for taking the time to respond on how you see things. Especially those of you who have had employees and have cut back to solo and "almost" solo. Franks comment really struck a nerve with me concerning working w/his Dad. I did that also, although not electrical work, and truly enjoyed it. It is hard for me to "make" my kids enjoy this work. I guess I'm going after something that will probably never happen the way I want it to. My Dad passed away in 1979, but I still have alot of his sayings running thru my head. Anyway, it is kinda' neat knowing that even tho our bodies are starting to tell us of pains we never had before, it is good to know we are not alone in our logic for flying solo!

Thanx again,

Steve

Today, one of my mechanics didn't get to the job until 1:30. No call from him, just the general contractor telling me he wasn't there and the job HAD TO BE DONE TODAY! Another mechanic had to go home early to meet the lady from "child services" checking on his daughter's home situation.The helper was supposed to go help the late guy after the second guy went home early but the helper never showed up. I put in a fourteen hour day covering for all my "help". I'm considering joining the lone wolf club!

Not to sound unsympathetic, but there can be another side. Years ago, I had an apprentice who wanted a day off to attend his girl friend's graduation, in another city. When he asked, three weeks in advance, he was told "There are no days off around here". When the big day arrived, he didn't show; and, while he was awol, he took a second day. The third day, he was sent home as punishment. So, short one man for one day turned into three days.

On the fourth day, the boss told the apprentice that the labor standards act allowed him to designate holidays for employees, so he took the apprentice into the office and wrote his name on a calander for two weeks off (less three days, of course), a couple months in the future.

The conversation on the first day of the apprentice's holidays went like this:
Me: Who shall I take?
Boss: Craig, of course.
Me: He's on holidays.
Boss: Who said he could have holidays?
Me: It's on the calender.
Boss: You guys can't just write your names down for holidays.
Me: That's your handwriting.
Boss: I just meant that he could ask for those days.
Me: Get your tools.

Since then, I've always wondered how many employer's problems are self-inflicted.

Looks to me that we are all victims of enjoying our jobs! It seems to all boil down to priorities. We enjoy what we do more than we would trying to supervise employees, whether the money is better or not. Electricity is predictable, people are not! It seems to be our "calling". To strap on a tool pouch and get our hands dirty and doing an honest days work for an honest days pay. 'Nuttin wrong with gettin' good @ it either!