ive been doing plumbing alone for 8 years now....I grow 10% every year and am finally at the point where id like some help....what sucks is if I don't grow $40,000 more this year(to pay the apprentice) it comes directly out of my profits...scary stuff
the apprentice will be right next to me all day...he will hear my pricing and discussions......when I worked for someone I never even knew what they charged per hour......I remember seeing invoices on a countertop one time and being shocked at how much my boss was making.....my apprentice will know more about pricing in 1 week than I knew as an employee in 8 years as a journeyman
I don't see any way to avoid it...I get service calls and customer calls all day long....and money is discussed much of the time..
I figure its just part of being a small company
I also most likely wont be able to always give him 40 hours every week(im planning on guaranteeing 32 hours though)....im considering calling other plumbing shops to start a relationship to possibly share my apprentice when im slow....have any of you done things like this? ...when I go on vacation I cant expect him to just take unemployment for a week (or at least I don't want him to have to)
when im slow I figure ill let him do yard work or wash the work van......anything to give him some more hours....I want him to be happy and not quit the day he passes his journeyman test
the apprentice will be right next to me all day...he will hear my pricing and discussions......when I worked for someone I never even knew what they charged per hour......I remember seeing invoices on a countertop one time and being shocked at how much my boss was making.....my apprentice will know more about pricing in 1 week than I knew as an employee in 8 years as a journeyman
I don't see any way to avoid it...I get service calls and customer calls all day long....and money is discussed much of the time..
I figure its just part of being a small company
I also most likely wont be able to always give him 40 hours every week(im planning on guaranteeing 32 hours though)....im considering calling other plumbing shops to start a relationship to possibly share my apprentice when im slow....have any of you done things like this? ...when I go on vacation I cant expect him to just take unemployment for a week (or at least I don't want him to have to)
when im slow I figure ill let him do yard work or wash the work van......anything to give him some more hours....I want him to be happy and not quit the day he passes his journeyman test