Getting Into The Flooring Business...

DAK

Hey everyone I've been on this site for a while now but I don't seem to post much. However now I need help from all of you out there. I am about to turn 17 (yes I know I am still very young) and I am interested in starting a hardwood flooring business next summer. I have been working with hardwood floors on and off for about 4-5 years for a good friend of mine. I can pretty much do it all sand, finish, stripe, and lay. I am going to try to learn as much as I can about laying hardwood in the next 6 months so I can not just know how to do it but be perfect at it. I plan on talking to my friend and starting out by just having him sub some jobs out to me.

Now where I need yalls help is what do I need to do to be legal, and what do the general contractors want to see. I already know its going to be super tought being only 17 because my friend started his when he was 18/19 and the gen. contractors were all weary when they hired him. So how am I going to convince gen. contractors to trust me? (BTW if you are just going to put me down for my age I would rather not even seen it so please don't post it)

Thanks guys

Dan

mdshunk

Let me share one of my dreams to you. I would like to paint beautiful oil paintings. It's always interested me. I used to watch Bob Ross on public television paint "happy little trees", so I'm almost a qualified picture painter. I think I'll spend the next 6 months getting the skill down so that I can be perfect at it.

DAK

Its funny how everytime someone on this site asks a question there is always someone out there ready to be a jacka$$. Yea I'm showing my youth alittle bit but I'm not about to get in an internet arguement with you because that would just be like winning the special olympics. But you must not have seen that I have been doing this for almost 5 years, and that I want to make sure I know everything before I dive into this. I'm not going to sit around on the internet all day like you thinking of ways to be a jacka$$.

But hey man thanks for your help. Anyone else?

mdshunk

Would you rather have these things pointed out while you're just an anonymous person on a forum site, or while you're face to face with a potential GC? I'd think it would be more desirable to learn of the folly sooner rather than later. I have no doubt that you can be successful. I just thought you needed a bit of a tune-up on the 6 month thing. I'm happy you've been doing this since you were 12 years old.

DAK

Ok well how about you tell me what to do then instead some smarta$$ remark? Let's hear it!

mdshunk

Maybe get your temper and speech under control, as a first step? Just a thought.

DAK

Ok well how about you tell me what I should do besides that.

mdshunk

I don't know. I'm not a floor guy.

They'll be along at some point.

DAK

Just a question then, why are you posting in this thread?

mdshunk

Because it entertains me to do so, and I felt compelled to point out how funny that 6-month thing was. There's value in that.

DAK

Your probably in your 30s or 40s and its almost 12 up there in PA and your posting away on internet forums. No wonder you got 6k posts

mdshunk

The number of posts I have has less to do with my age or the hour of the night, and more to do with the fact that I can be a fat-headed know-it-all. Plus, I type almost as fast as this stuff pops in my head.

Got any pictures of your completed floors to post?

DAK

Is there anyone out there who actually does something that deals with hardwood?

mdshunk

If you're asking me, I'll answer "Yes". There are lots of people who deal with hardwood. Lumberjacks, wood carvers, furniture builders, and baseball batters come to mind right away.

PrecisionFloors

Some of us in the flooring biz might have been interested in helping you.....until you destroyed your credibility by acting like a little punk when md did try to help you. I suggest you listen when you ask for advice, not act like a spoiled brat when the response is not what you want to hear. I don't give a damn if you have been doing this for 5 years. How much skill can a 12 year old obtain working a few hours after school exactly???? If you find a GC out there willing to hire a 17yr old kid with your kind of attitude, I doubt very seriously thats a GC I'd work for

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Mr.Werks

Hi Dan:

I don't know what these guys expected from you, you admitted your age and were asking for help from professionals, if they truly cared they would have helped you out giving you some of their knowledge from years of working in the flooring business. Remember not to call people names first of all, you want to be a professional floor installer, just ignore negitive responses and wait for the ones that will help you out. To start a business you must be willing to work day and night, weekends, take the small jobs, earn your way. And most of all do quailty work and be on-time to meet the customers needs. You will need the right tools to complete your work, a way to get to the job sights. A business licenses, business cards, reference letters from past floor employers, and pictures of work you have done are very helpful. You are going to have it very rough for the first little while, anybody would no matter what age if they didn't have any of the above. The more information you can provide GC the better. You should make alist of flooring companies in your area and meet the people who hire sub-contractors, gain their trust and when they take achance on you make it count and you will be on your way. There is no better training in this business then experience. One note to remember, don't take on jobs you can't handle failure will come your way. Why not start with Laminate its easy and people are always looking for someone to install it at a decent price. Easy money. Another way to get started is just work with aprofessional and gain more experience before you go on your own. You will have the odd time of none payment and this can sink you when your not established. Good luck

Demonseed

The biggest thing you are going to need to do, is learn how to deal with people, I think that was part of what the others were trying to get across to you. It doesn't matter how good you are at 17 years old you are going to get asked alot of questions, I started on and off on my own around that age doing carpet, and people will see your age first. It was easier for me just because my dad, my cousins, my godfather, etc were all installers and I worked summer vacations, weekends, days off from school since I was a little kid. I knew all of the supply houses, I knew GC's, vendors, etc.

You need to have a positive attitude, show up on time, act like a professional, do a quality job, and treat people on the job with respect. Don't get in over your head and think you will figure things out along the way. Don't be afraid to turn down a job, you will get more respect walking away from a job you can't do, then you will messing it up. All in all, if you treat people well, you shouldn't have many problems. Hope tis helps, good luck.

DAK

Thanks Mr. Werks and demonseed for the responses. I was trying to be a jerk but I've been on different forums for a while and nothing makes me more upset then when someone asks a question only to get a smart remark.

Mr. Werks thanks for the information. I actually have a business license for a small pressure washing, detailing, and mobile audio business a run. I have business cards too.

I am interested in starting out very small and relize that I should not take a job I am not ready for.

Thanks for all the information and tips yall provided.

Oh and btw, Presision I'm not trying to be a little brat or punk as you called me but isn't there some old saying about its better to learn young than it is old? IDK, what do you suggest? Should I wait till I am 25 to start learning about hardwood? Oh and once again not trying to be a little punk, but why would I be asking how to start a business so I can make my own money make me a brat? Just wondering, and yes once again I am sure I have blown what little credibilty I have left but I wouldn't mind an answer.

Anyways thanks Mr. Werks and Demonseed for the info.

Dan

Wolverine-Eric

First, I'm just impressed that you aren't sitting in front of a playstation eating CheeeeeTooooeeeesss... I think that it's cool that you are at least thinking about being industrious.

However, I don't believe that winning an argument in these forums comes anywhere close to the amount of 'heart' it takes to win the special olympics. Winners understand that there is WAY more value to an underdog with 'heart' winning versus some juiced up overpaid athlete!

Next, if you want to go into business for yourself, you've got to be able to do ALOT more than install floors. You've got to learn accounting, management, and... SALES. You've got to be able to negotiate and handle complaints.

I suggest that you go to work for the best company that you can... preferably a big one. I believe that it would be good for you to get away from your friend and experience a broader view of the flooring industry and the world.

Good Luck...

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Some things just shouldn't be mixed... like... Kids & Paint

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Demonseed

After reading your responses, you should take a few years to relax. Honestly, if you get this worked up over our advice, you will lose years in credibility on a job site. Think about it like this, you can not maintain your 'cool' on the internet when you have time to think about your replies and how you respond, what will you do Face to Face with a GC?

You came here asking for advice, people are giving it to you, perhaps it is not what you wanted to hear but it is what it is. A GC will call you a punk the first time you show up late, and the first time the job is not done.. Would you trust your house to a 17 year old kid who said he has been framing full time for the last 6 months?

I could give lessons on how to deal with people, everything from the complete stop, to tone inflection. You could be one 100% in the right, and you know what will happen, the GC will say I have this Kid over here, who messed up the floor. This will happen, you will hear that, and think, oh crapp, he won't pay you and he will say sue him.

Tips for that are via email only, after you sign a waiver releasing me from any liability.