Quit Good Job?

citteee

I have a good job doing carpentry and painting at a state university for over 15 years, with medical, retirement,vacation, sick leave. But I hate it and am in the process of starting a painting business,am I crazy or smart? What happens if I get hurt and can't paint, is there insurance for that?

rino1494

Being your own boss is great, but if you don't have the benefits, then your fun can go down hill fast. Are you married and does your wife have insurance ?

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Mike Finley

Workman's compensation or as an owner you can opt out of it and buy a separate disability policy.

Teetorbilt

When can you retire? If you have 10 or 15 yrs. to go, you may want to stay put and run a side business for a while before just leaping out on your own.

As a business owner you will have to create all of the benefits that you currently enjoy, your market may not support this. I see a recession coming despite the way that the market is going.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

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slickshift

You are a technician having an entrepreneurial seizure
Read "The E-Myth Revisited" right now
Then read "The E-Myth Contractor"

PlainPainter

You have a secure job with benefits, and you want to quit to become a painting contractor?!? You are nuts! You better not be married or have kids - or I can see divorce in your future. I got laid off after 9/11, and could never get back into tech - don't get me wrong I love what I do - but the amount of overhead you will have to carry to have liability, medical insurance, retirement, etc in order to maintain what you have now will propel you into ultra expensive category among painting contractors. I know this, because that is where I am right now - I have to fight tooth and nail to justify my pricing. Luckily some of my clients are right next door to a bunch of homes that were painted last year, and already peeling - and I am using this in my favor.

But that being said - you don't know how good you have it. And I am covered if I get injured - but presently do not have any disability insurance, and don't know if I can ever afford it. America has voted, and they voted for Big Box Marts and mexican painting crews - keep your day job, until they push you out!!!!!

-plainpainter

PlainPainter

Oh god - and I forgot, PAID VACATION - oh how I miss that.

-plainpainter

ProWallGuy

POST OF THE DAY!!!
Well, it was actually posted yesterday, but you get my drift.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Melissa

I used to work for a state university too, so I know exactly how damn good those benefits are!!! It's a tough decision for sure.

If ever any of us in my family had a serious health issue, I would definitely go back and work part time to get the medical insurance. That's the biggest difference I saw at first. I just couldn't get over having to pay for that. Since it was completely free for us before.

George Z

I agree with Slick and ProwallGuy.

If you read and practice the E-Myth, you will do fine.

Go for it.

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Painting Toronto Blog

AAPaint

It was very simple for me....work for myself, or let someone else dictate my life.

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-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

Tscarborough

What Slick said. If you enjoy the work but hate the other crap, you will REALLY hate being the boss and having to deal with the other end of the stick.

camaroman2125

This was a easy decision for me. Construction runs in my veins. I can still remember being 6 years old and dad giving me a hammer and some nails and letting me put together some scraps. Then once I got older during the summer I was always with my father doing some addition or helping him with finish work in one of his homes. Then I decided to branch out and worked for a painting company for 6 years and decided to go out on my own. I'm happily married with 3 kids. Is it hard sometimes?? Of course it is nothing in life is easy, But would I give it up to work for someone else and let them make all the money?? Hell No.
Everyone in my family owns their own company on the side or owns their own company. One day down the road my dad's company will be passed to me just like my grandfather passed it to him.