Well... This Is It...

6stringmason

I start my new job tomorrow. I had to close the doors on the masonry business. I couldnt get any work and I couldnt take the stress of trying to compete with the cut throats and hacks. Plus we have a kid coming in a few weeks so I need something more stable.

It sucks giving up the business, but I still have a few smaller jobs out there that I can do on the weekends, and hopefully others will follow. I also will be keeping the doors open on the concrete countertops, but that has been excruciatingly slow as well. I dont have money for advertising and I havent done enough to get word of mouth going yet.

So Im technically no longer a mason contractor. After seeing what I made on paper last year with the amount of time I put in doing bids, driving around looking for work, and calling people, it hit my like a ton of bricks. The headache was not worth it.

Maybe someday I will pick up the trowel for myself and my own crew again, but right now, the housing market is just to bad for a little guy to compete.

Tomorrow morning at 6:30 I stop in at their shop to fill out the final paper work, and then off to the job site. We're going to be doing an addition on a church.

At least it will be nice to be working consistently again.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

dougchips

Congrats---or that sucks-----------no "correct response".

Good luck with the new kid. Keep posting your pic's (countertops)

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PressurePros

Good luck in your new endeavors and congrats on the coming bambino. Stick with the sidejobs and you'll build a following and start your business again later.

__________________
Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

Dik Redi

your still slinging mud in new job right??or u carpentry

6stringmason

I cant see myself doing anything but slinging. I love it too much

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

Tscarborough

More than half of the masonry contractors I know, including ones of a national scope have done what you are doing, if not multiple times. No big, just keep on slinging de mud.

masonking02

once a bricklayer always a bricklayer this is one hellava trade give someone else the headaches 4 awhile and just be a man on the wall . good luck

Tom R

Wow, - - a little shocked to hear that 6, - - but good luck with the new job. He's lucky to get someone like you, - - plenty-experienced and undertands the meaning of TIME=MONEY!!

Keep pluggin' at them tops . . .

ruskent

There is no shame in what you are doing. Running a business is one of the hardest things some one can do. I can not imagine doing what i do if i had to also be a husband and a father also. Hopefully by that time my business is a well oiled machine.

lukachuki

6stringer,

I feel your pain in having to set aside you dream of running your own business, but I admire you in being responsible and doing what you have to do for your family. Having a baby is a wonderful wonderful thing indeed and well worth any sacrifices you have to make. You will be successful i'm sure and I wouldn't be surprised if you someday when the time is right go back into business for yourself. Keep nurturing good contacts and you never know when you might run into the perfect situation.

I myself have had to morph into a hardscaping business to make it but, I don't have the years and years of life on a scaffold so it is not too hard for me. Thanks for your help on the countertop as well I really appreciate it. Unfortunately the customer got cold feet today as I was about to begin and just decided to go for granite.

__________________
"The problem with internet quotes is, you never know if they are authentic." -Abraham Lincoln-

Less with the jaw more with the paw!

6stringmason

Thanks Tim.

That really sucks they backed out. You should do some samples anyway just give your hand at them. The material cost involved is minimal. It takes a bit of practice to get the grinding and polishing to look right anyway.

Hopefully another will come along for you.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

lukachuki

Yeah your right....I will be much more prepared next time though so nothing is lost really. I will try to do some samples that is a good idea. I think i told you that we bought a building on a busy road and I want to put up some display outdoor kitchens in time and when I do you can bet they will have concrete countertops. But first I have to push through a lull we are having in business.

__________________
"The problem with internet quotes is, you never know if they are authentic." -Abraham Lincoln-

Less with the jaw more with the paw!

Dik Redi

Salute

stacker

6, my dad died 13 years ago,i tried to keep up the contracting end for a couple years until i married.things got tough so i went to ks to work for a couple years and things slowed down there.so i came back home and contracted for myself again for a couple more years.i walked off a job( a first and only for me)and went to work in okc for a company.made damn good money.when we finished a school and was waiting for another job to start i had the chance to do a home in my hometown.that was four years ago,i have been blessed by the good lord to stay busy this time out.
but i will tell you one thing,i will not ever think twice about giving up being my own boss when things slow down and i cant bring in the money i need to pay bills and live.there is no shame in going to work for a steady pay check.
you will be back as a contractor someday soon.good luck.keep us all posted.
i expect a cigar when your kid is born.

__________________
life is short,do your masonry naked!!
http://ok.local.yahoo.biz/knabemasonry/index.html

reveivl

Far as I'm concerned you're more than welcome here for your input, 6. Hey, I did some masonry today!!! Forgot my camera so you don't get to laugh at this timber framers' attempt at what you do so easily. (Yet!)

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From where does knowledge come? If you need to know what is in a box, you could ask someone (not reliable), you could pray, (not useful), you can consult with the scripture (not helpful) or you could open the box (science)

6stringmason

Thanks all for the kind words. I've got 45 minutes until I need to be at work. Got my lunch made, got all my gear together, just waitin on the clock now.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

send_it_all

I may not be far behind you if the phone doesn't start ringing shortly. You're doing the right thing by not letting pride get in the way of taking care of business. I have no kids, so I'm gonna scrap till the end. Good luck with the new job, and I hope you end up doing what you want to do, whatever that is.

tgeb

Good luck on the new job 6string.

Congratulations on the expected baby. I am sure you will be able to spend more stress free time with the family now that you have a "real" job.

__________________
Tom

www.gebcon.com

lukachuki

So how was the first day on the job? Your stressed out self employed masochistic friends would like to know!

I've got to go work on bids right now and it's 8:00pm here....must be nice to come home and just worry about whats going into tomorrows lunch. :-)

__________________
"The problem with internet quotes is, you never know if they are authentic." -Abraham Lincoln-

Less with the jaw more with the paw!

6stringmason

Actually it wasnt bad. I did get a phone call though from a contractor I put a bid in for about a month ago. I had been calling this guy for the past couple weeks without finding out anything, only to have him ask when I can start the job.

This is a 30,000 brick job and theres no way I could do it and work my job, so reluctantly I had to turn it down. But I told him I still have my insurances paid up through the year and would be more than happy to do his smaller house fronts on the weekends.


Anyway, it was kinda nice not to have to worry about anything, or wonder who's keeping busy and finding stuff for people to do. I'll let the leadman handle that.

This company does have some of the worst tenders I've seen in awhile though lol.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/