So breakdown, I started a power washing business earlier this year. I work a full time job M-F 40 hours a week and only have time to do power washing on the weekends. It works out great.
I was talking to a friend today who is not working at the moment (new baby, etc). He lives about an hour away from me in a nice upscale area. The topic came up of could he use my trailer and rig M-F and build up business out in that area. I assume the deal would be rent for the trailer and / or a portion cut of jobs worked.
My business is a legit LLC and I carry insurance. The trailer has my name and advertising on it. My question is, has anyone ever been in this type of arrangement? The guy is a good dude, hard worker, and I do trust him. But I’m not 100% sure if anyone successfully does something like this.
Ideally he’d be building my business under my name in his area. I’d use the money coming from him to build another rig. Can anyone with experience chime in? I’m on the fence about this but money coming in whille I’m at work does sound appealing. Thoughts please.
Might work at the start and then eventually he will start slipping his card thru… He will be building his business not yours!
Don’t do it! Hell don’t even think about it
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Easy fix: you send estimates and invoices and call to follow up with every customer. That’s good practice anyway. He wears your shirts and goes on payroll.
But a customer that has a warm and fuzzy about your communication and follow up will trust you enough to rat out an employee.
Calling to follow up on my subcontractors has been awesome. It’s kept things smooth. And some jobs that I wouldn’t do like a stand alone driveway or anything like that I just give to them. They get to keep the $150 or whatever.
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The old saying goes, “never do business with family or friends.” Would hate for this to come between friends but eventually it does more times than not
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Geez,
Where do I start. Same exact story, only insert 26 yr. old cousin for trusted friend.
He was my helper for a summer and did a great job, I turned him loose solo a few times. He had this down pat.
I assumed all costs ( Rig,rig maintenance,insurance, fuel,laptop, printer, business cards,yards signs,polo shirts…etc…)
We decided we would split chem costs. We agreed to 50/50 split on income.
We live about 40 mins apart, he lives near an upscale lake area (Oprah Winphrey, Chicago Bulls players, Indy Colts Players and Pharmaceutical CEO’s etc …own properties on the lakes near him)
I don’t know where everything went south. Maybe the generational gap thing, I don’t know.
Total pain in the ■■■, way too much work worrying about him and what he was and wasn’t doing.
Our areas overlapped to the point of me giving him some of my jobs and then they would call me about their concerns. I would give him a lead and I would call a few days later to see how it went and he would say " I’m out on the lake, I’ll get to it sometime next week" or “I’m going camping, call me when I get back”
I’m trying to run a business and trying to make a name and he is trying to make beer/weed money.
All the while, my business name is going down the drain.
Finished the season, we settled up. I haven’t called him yet and he hasn’t called me.
Point to the rambling, NO ONE will run your business like you SHOULD!
My advice, DON’T DO IT!!!
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What if he hired the guy as an employee? Just a thought.
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