Get a Job

[Nevyn]

So the boss wants me to get a real job! For those who don't know me I am a self employed plumber/ gas fitter. I have never had to chase work, I don't advertise apart from the Yellow pages and I don't know what it is like to be "quiet". BUT, we haven't had a decent holiday I'm ten years and my f#%#^n phone rings at any time of the day or night 24/7. My super is shit, I'm gonna have to work until I'm ninety so I can pay the bills. I know I will miss the cash flow (because I don't really have money/savings, it's technically borrowed) but I know I can earn good money working for the man. Has anyone here gone from working for themselves back to working for the man? Can it be done? So many pros, I know the cons!

Cheers Brad

 

[sparra04]

hi brad
I went from10 yrs as a subcontractor, chasing my own work and working when I needed,to working in an aluminium smelter "chasing someone elses dream''
the security of a perm gig where the paycheck just keeps coming is great but dealing with the same idiots every day can wear you down
I wish I was still doing my own thing, I hate being regimented,and brainwashed
maybe its time to drag one of them young fellas out of the surf and slap him round the head with a job?
buy another house for your super?
and keep doing what YOU want to do
goodluck mate

 

[Chris C]

I made the change 12 weeks ago,

I had been sub contracting too for 6 years, plenty of work, lots of money, all good, but with the mines just getting so slow, work was drying up, I still had work but the rate had dropped as so many others out there chasing willing to work for less.

I got a staff job with a HUGE Oz mining company, good hours etc, but the pay sucks compared to what I had, the other side is no more BAS, PAYG, workers Comp etc.

We did the numbers and we are down a little, but like you I never put into Super, I have not had more than 10 days off in 6 years, (and that was only once).

We bought rental property instead of super so e can control how we spend it later.

I am looking forward to Holidays (5 weeks a year) , sick leave, I have not had a sickie in 6 years, Super I am getting is 12% and Long service too.

You can make it work, look at the good things you will get, dont think about the money all the time.

The up side is, if it all gets too much, you can leave and go back working for your self any time you like.

Best of luck

 

[Jason]

You can make it work, look at the good things you will get, dont think about the money all the time.

True, no man ever laid on his deathbed and wished he'd spent more time in the office!

 

[jjohn]

I work for a company, and myself.
I live on the income from employment, the rest is a bonus.
I choose my clients, since I don't have to live on the income I don't care if I don't get the contract. That feels good, good enough to offset the, dealing with the same narrow minded wankers at work.

 

[doc]

Work to live.....NOT live to work.

Everyone makes different choices in life, and there are plenty who get great benefits from working for themselves.

However - and this is a big one - if your family are saying that its time you spent more time with them and less time at work, the choice is up to you. Family or work.

 

[bloke48]

Ok. Just my experience after going back to working for the man 18 years ago: Large company, forget about "loyalty" and being looked after. You make your own way because the tops will cut you off at the knees in a heartbeat. Small company you need to act as though it is yours. Profit is just as important either way. Don't lose that profit motive just because you now work for the man. Otherwise, all that compliance and working for the government crap has just become too overwhelming. 65 heading for 66 now and only have a reasonable super because I work for the man and made super a priority about 10 years ago. Stay right away from staff share schemes! That's another story...

 

[happy john]

I have been down this road been self employed for 15 years in the drought of 2006 i when things went quiet i got my crane ticket and went to work in a steel factory.

After a fatality where a workmate stuffed up and was crushed to death by 2 tonne of steel right next to me i took some time off to recover as i had extreme anxiety.

These a/holes sent lawyers to my house and threatened me that my anxiety was pre existing Bullcrap they wanted me back to work as i could operate everything.

After this and seeing his wife and kids come to the scene of the accident i told them to shove it and i would go public with info on their coverup i was then paid hush money and told not to speak about their lack of safety or else.

A week later i restarted my business the work poured in my health was better than ever i get to pickup and drop off my girls before i had to pay for before and after school care now i work 6 hrs a day i average around $400 a day if we want to take a extra bit of time off we do the van is always packed i could never go back to working for a large company.

But thats me others would prefer the security working for a large mob and i guess the circumstances in my case are most unusual but now earning 4 times as much for fewer hours and no danger i could never return family comes first for me and i love my lifestyle oh and Brad take a lot of long weekends if the phone rings they can wait.
John

 

[Navmania]

I just left a massive company and am now working for myself. The way I look at it is if you put in for the boss he doesn't give a s#!t but if you put in for yourself you get the rewards. Just don't let the business run you. Turn your phone off or to voicemail after a certain time and take holidays. If you do a good job your customers will understand and stay with you. The more you earn the more you spend anyway. So unless you are good with money you are no better off. Put in the hours when you have nothing else to do then when holiday time comes around take one and switch off. All bosses want these days is maximum profit for minimum outlay. Good luck with you decision.

Cheers

 

[Resto]

Its a tough call, but i went from working for myself for 12years, was all good, busy had two staff and a workshop, then seems like one day (couple years back) everything just stopped, things went south real quick!! left me in a financial hole.
I enjoyed being selfemployed, as i was doing something i loved, but yep always had a job to finish, never had more than a week off, bugger all super, and was starting to affect my family. Sold up and moved interstate.I now work in a small shop doing same thing but for someone else, i do my hours and can go home, pay is not fantastic, but enough atm. ive just had three weeks (paid!!!)off, with my family, been camping/exploring, fixed my boat and am alot less stressed. Wife and kids are happy. I still have people chasing me(they found me), but my boss is really good and lets me use the shop after hours to do some stuff on the side, when i want to
I kept my ABN, but just deregistered for GST and fired myself, so the business is still there when i need it. Its Good atm, but i know i can go back if i want or need to.
Good Luck
Adam

 

[Nevyn]

Thanks for the replies fellas, you've given me an idea what I need to do. I have to get that happy medium back . I've been resisting expansion but there are other avenues I might explore over the next few months. You're right Nathan! Every thing we talked about is why it's worth the effort. On the other hand my wife has a very good concern in my physical well being, she worries that I'm busting myself for little gain at the end. I have a lot to think about!!

Cheers Brad

 

[terryc]

If you have more work than you can handle, have you tried putting your rates up?
If you can not put them up, then I wonder if it is safe to expand.

What the competition?

The worst mistake I made was using my personal phone number for business. Being phoned by yanks at 3am wears thin very quickly. A business phone gets answered in busiess hours/ YMMV. also, get an answering machine.