Running my own biz this summer!

[callen]

Hello everyone! I just wanted to start by saying I havent been here in JW as much as I have liked over the past few months because of a new opportunity that I have been taking full advantage of. Last summer I worked for a Student painting company and really enjoyed myself. I had always thought I would make a great manager and had all the abilities to run my own successful operation.
So when I moved out here to Halifax, I decided to apply. After some interviews and screening I was offered a position here in Halifax! I had some great contacts already established in the company which helped me secure the position. So I have been hard at work in the past few months marketing and securing work for the summer. So far to date, I am one of the top 10 managers in Eastern Canada (East of Manitoba, so this includes all provinces including ontario and everything east of it), and am trending towards more than 100K in sales this summer. This is a great opportunity not only to earn a substantial amount of money for school the coming year but also a fantastic additon to anyones resume.
I guess I am curious how everyone feels about student painting companies. The specific company I am working for is called Student Works Painting. I know many people have a love hate relationship with student painters meaning that they either did a great job and they were happy or they did a piss poor job and they hate them... IMO, this is all up to how efficient the manager (my position) is at hiring competent employees and ensuring that everyone upholds the high values and standards that one must set out when running thier own biz. Ones employees are in most cases only as good as their employer and in this business it is especially true. Your workers will imitate your habits, good and bad! So far I have been doing very very well and I look forward to this summer when I begin to produce some jobs!
website: www.studentworks.com

[nthfinity]

i had worked for the company "the color works Collegiate painters" for a while... i got in with one of the worst managers in that particular biz; the guy seriously under-bid houses; provided shitty equipment for the job, did terrible power washing (pre-paint prep work) and required us to work wayyyyy off the clock.... and not adhering to company safety standards (one guy had a serious concussion from falling off a 2nd story roof... thankfully no borken bones; and he wasn't even taken to the hospital :shock:

i nearly took him down on my last day working there... as i refused to put up with his BS anymore.... not to mention his refusal to give me my earned checks after i left... but thats another story.

i later heard from my former co-workers that i got out at the right time, as it shit was rolling down hill, and everyone ended up getting jipped out of well over 40 hours of work by summers end... let alone, there was no bonus at the end of the summer for anybody except the manager.

needless to say, i'll never paint for another company; but i'll always paint my own houses.

[BADMIHAI]

WTF, mate? I'm running the same franchise in Kitchener. :P

[callen]

Come on man you gotta be shitting me! You are a student works manager? In Kitchener? Rookie? or u a vet?

[BADMIHAI]

I'm a rookie.

[callen]

.....i later heard from my former co-workers that i got out at the right time, as it shit was rolling down hill, and everyone ended up getting jipped out of well over 40 hours of work by summers end... let alone, there was no bonus at the end of the summer for anybody except the manager.

needless to say, i'll never paint for another company; but i'll always paint my own houses.

Thats wierd dude. I worked for two guys last year, the first one was shitty and fuck he still paid me and made money... and he prob only threw down like 35K in sales... so he effectively didnt do shit... And the second guy was sick.. he paid everytime.. we had workers comp tons a shit it was sick.... i know some companies are shady.. but i am confident that the one i am working for is solid... Fuck man there is a girl in winnepeg or something that threw down a shade over 300K one year.... that is SERIOUS... i bet her painters had the sickest time of thier lives!

[callen]

Nice nice me too.. how u doin so far?

[BADMIHAI]

I'm only sold at $4000 but have some big commercial contracts pending. I think at least one of them ($9000) will come through. I just started getting millions of resumes this week so I will take some of the applicants who returned my application form out cold calling and interview them while cold calling. I want to build a marketing theam so I can focus on doing estimates and commercial marketing. I'll see you in Mexico! BTW: were you at the Toronto training in January?

[callen]

Ya dude i was in TO for the training.I commuted a few days and stayed over in the hotel one night with my buddy who i worked with last year. Shit has been going well here over at my end... just came off a big day, got a lead for argueably one of the biggest houses in Halifax... but it is going to be a tough one cause the lady is getting a few qoutes for it, but i bet it'll push 7K for sure. So I ended up throwing down 4700 today in two contracts, which puts me at alil over 16K.
This is cool that you work for SWP too! haha i would never have thought it! So for sure dude i will be seeing you in Cancun! I am shooting for the TaG incentive...saves me having to buy one which I was going to do this summer anyway!
edit: BTW. there is a good chance I will see you at the boat cruise or the rafting trip... I am flying home for a wedding in june.. so i hope the cruise is that weekend.. otherwise ill just be throwing down the rafting trip!

[Mattk]

This sounds cool. Better than the shithouse casual jobs I get.

[bmwmpower]

im working as student too, but during all year,
shitty wages but better then 0,
students job re mostly helping for construction company,
and work for tesco,metro as suplier,
today i packed iso container,
anyway as students we re payed minimaly: mostly 1,2-1,5 usd per hour

[callen]

... is this the same job as in American Pie 2, when Stiffler and Jason Biggs paint a house of two hot lesbians?? :P

http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/reviewsgfx/americanpie203.jpg

Good luck mate - sounds like you've got everything under control :D

LOL Dani!!! haha essentially the same thing i suppose... but ours is a franchise company.. i think the american pie boys were independant. Plus I am going to be doing a lot more work than they are!!! hah but if there are two hot lesbians at a house i paint... not to worry i will maybe negotiate a discount for a threesome :wink:

[BADMIHAI]

Yeah, Callen, I hope to see you at the boat cruise and Mexico. :twisted:

[callen]

I cant wait for the mexico trip dude... especially since we are going with all the west coast managers... so everyone from california and texas and shit... should be some seriously sexy managers from the south headed there!! cant wait dude :wink:

BTW, how has things been going for you over the past few weeks?