Posted on 04/07/2018 8:24:48 AM PDT by AbolishCSEU
So we are in our second year of my husband's HVAC biz. He is busy like crazy (one man band) And I have a "regular" 40+ hour job with benefits that keeps the lights on and the mortgage paid.
I think she means New York State.
Big businesses DTART out as small business. It takes a lot of hard work to get into the BIG category.
We’ve gotten to the point that we don’t need to advertise right now. Word of mouth has gone a long way.
As far as kids go, his kids 21, 19 and 15 have been alienated from us by his ex for the past 9 years. He just pays his $800 a month. The oldest one was emancipated accidentally by moving out and mom was hoping we wouldn’t find out. We did and boy was she ANGRY.
Anyway, hub’s ex would rather see their three children impoverished than learn any valuable trade skill from hubs.
And they are—21 year old son is a dishwasher in a pizzeria—mom told him he’d be a rock star as a career, I kid you not. 19 year old daughter and 15 year old son are going no where fast—truancy and pot smoking. She hates hubs more than she loves their children.
My children are 36 and 30. 36 yr old daughter is happily married for 14 yrs and living near the PA/MD border; her husband is a purchaser for a large pharmaceutical in Baltimore.
Son, 30 is in the Air Force, does electrical engineering and has a math degree/teaching certificate—his wife is an elementary school teacher in a private/parochial school and she loves it.
MOVE.
It’s the only answer.
Born in NY in 1954, I moved to FL in 2009 - best financial decision of my life. No state tax, significantly lower cost of living. Makes a tremendous difference.
I’m from generations of New Yorkers, on both sides. But except for those in New York cemeteries, we ALL got out. Not a single relative lives there now.
Flee to red America as fast as you can.
Yes, absolutely true, takes hard work and passion.
She can look for local small contracts, or have a friend or neighbor help find them and bid for them. Some of the contract work can be with a local school district to clean HVAC ducts. Her husband doesn’t have to do that but she can grow the business by managing subcontractors that way and it can feed his main line of installing new ductwork and equipment.
She can also set up subcontracts with emergency power backup companies and advertise that as value-added. In NYS, when the power goes down and the AC goes off, work inside a building comes to a halt as the sweltering conditions are unbearable.
Succeeding in business is all about managing well or execution, execution, execution. Even how a phone call is answered is important. She should find a person with a nice voice or an auto system that answers the phone pleasantly and brings her on quickly to add more business.
Think what government would do if we didn’t have the right to form a well regulated militia. You would not have a dime left.
“Seven+ years owning running my own business. Six days a week. No vacation beyond a day or two here or there. No change in sight. I feel your pain.”
A clear sign you don’t own a business system, but you are the system.
It is a difficult transition to working on your business, creating systems and a team that allows you to replace yourself.
Most never think this way and end up burning out, running out of money, or both.
Mr. mm owns his own business as well and we can’t wait for the day when it works out that we are out of here as well.
Retirement is OUT OF STATE for sure.
You are NOT alone.
NY - The Vampire State
Really nice thoughts Albion. I second them.
Recurring income is one of the wonders of the world.
If he does electrical and plumbing why not just work for someone else?
Just remember, “You didn’t build that.”
Hey look up Intellidyne out of New York
Goid HVACR controls
Fyi
It’s very important to raise you own kids
Me and the wife both have jobs but trade off so one of us is always with them
‘Child’ support till age 21? That’s insane!
“And work anytime you want. Christmas, New Years or any other holiday you want”
Thanks for the laugh :-))
That’s nothing. it can go even LONGER than 21 (to 24) if the kid isn’t keeping up in college.
No incentive for mom to see that kid doesn’t fail out semester after semester. BIG incentive to keep kid failing out semester after semester.
Doesn’t iike the management models. He’s finding out quickly the ONLY way you can stay in business in NY is to be crooked. Of course I told him that early on but, some people have to learn first hand.
Starting up a business generally entails early costs. It is common not to make as much in the early stages. But if he is busy and not making enough, then either his cost structure is too high or he isn’t charging enough for his services. If his customers really are cheap, he needs to find those who will pay better. But perhaps he’s just not good at holding the line on his rates? Do they turn him down and go elsewhere? If so, how are those competitors swinging it? One or more levers on the business needs adjustment, and it is pretty darned common for someone new in running a business needing to learn what that is — and then make the needed changes.
New York State—as opposed to NYC.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.