I had a small 1 man shop for about 3 years. My back went bad and I had 2 surgeries, that pretty much put me down so to speak. Anyway after recovery I thought I’d go work for someone for awhile til I got back on my feet financially. I’ve been working in a small 2-3 man custom woodshop for the past 7 mos. The job is alright but, I really hate having to work for someone else, I’m too stubborn and fixed in my ways. So, I ran the idea by my boss of sub-contracting the furniture and cabinetry work from him and just doing my own thing again out of my shop. I forgot to say that probably 85% or more of his business is custom moulding and stuff like that. The furniture dept. really is nothing in dollars to him. He totally liked the idea, and agreed to sit down and discuss details next week.
One of the details is going to be deadlines. What I’m wondering is how do I or we set an accurate deadline? What if I don’t meet the deadline on some jobs for some reason or another? Should there be something in writing for an % taken off the final price per job, per day? Maybe this is a dumb question, I don’t know. I know someone out there has been in this situation. The main reason I’m looking for specifics is because he will expect it done down to the hour agreed upon, and we all know that rarely happens. Thanks for any info.
John E. Nanasy
Replies
I suggest you stay away from discussions about penalty clauses if at all possible. There is no benefit to you in offering or agreeing to them and they subject you to the whimsy of Murphy and his infamous law. I would also suggest you attempt to keep as much control over scheduling as is humanly possible; if you allow it to slip away you will always be running to play catchup. Given the volume of work one man is capable of, you should be able to negotiate each delivery individually.
Good point Dick, I didn't look at it like that. As always the obvious. I'm usually pretty good about getting jobs done close to on time. The only thing I fear is getting 2-3 or 3-4 jobs dumped on me at an time. That's what this guy does to me now. I get so much stuff going on and start making stupid mistakes that will end up costing me money. Oh well, I'll figure it out. Thanks, John.
John, Dicks advice is good but don't let the other parties ignorance influence your decision to protect yourself. Sure enough if he gives a customer a bid and delivery date that you can't possibly meet and then dumps it on you, you will be the one to pay.
Get right in there with the bidding and let him know that you will be the one who sets the completion date for your part and not him. If it is a rush job, you need to charge him more to compensate for the jobs that will now not be delivered on time. I don't know what is appropriate or even legal for that matter so you should do some research on it. As always, you must be fair and reasonable to succeed.
Steve - in Northern California
Let the guy know what you are capable of doing in a week (leave yourself 10% just in case or more if you plan to get other work, which I would) You can guarantee on time will that work. If he gives you more he needs to pay an upcharge for your overtime.
The one thing you have to worry about is your back. What happens if it goes out again? Another thing is What if your boss sees decides to make a larger profit on this business? You might end up working 12-14 hour days. Not good for the back, right.
I do woodworking as a hobby but my wife thinks I can make a lot of money on the side and I mean A LOT of money. Granted I am unemployed right now and I have to get a real job but she has me lined up for 6 garden benches for a daycare, 4 window flower boxes for a neighbor, 3 small anirondack side tables for another neighbor and 3 chaise lounges see saw in a magizine. If I was doing this for a living I may not mind. But as it stands I am not gear up for all this work and espically the storage of lumber, so its one thing at a time.
Thanks everyone for the responses. It's been going pretty good working with this guy, except for one aspect. He's clueless when it comes to pricing a job. And I'm the one picking up the financial slack. After this job I'm doing now, It's meeting time. Either he lets me bid the jobs or he can have them himself. I won't have a hard time finding my own work, it's just alot easier having him line jobs up for me. I think he thinks he can compete with Art Van prices. Art Van is a mass produced furniture chain in Michigan that suffers quality to say the least. Thanks again.....John E. Nanasy
John I new you would bounce back from that injury. Its great your up and about and doing good again.. Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
Here it is Sunday afternoon on Mothers day and I’m at the shop working. One of those deadlines someone forgot to tell me about and I didn’t ask. I am a self-employed woodworker / hardwood floor man doing subcontract work.
Jeff in so cal
I took Mothers Day off, had a nice dinner with the family and relaxed. I keep track of all my projects by using a dry erase board in the shop and a cork board in the computer room. I only do a few at a time being unemployed, but the Mrs. thinks I can make a lot of money woodworking. So I track all the projects I have. Learn to write things down and olace it in the shop and one other place in the house as a reminder.
Dave in Pa.
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