Re: Life Sucks, Then You Move On

[Effenpig1 <dirtyspicevent@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Dec 4, 8:14=A0pm, Jim <alarmi...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Dec 4, 1:47 pm, JoeRaisin <joeraisin2...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Lost my job yesterday. My regional ops mgr and supervisor are lobbying
> > to get that decision reversed but I'm not holding my breath.
>
> > I'm receiving a military pension which helps in one regard but that
> > almost entirely offsets unemployment...
>
> > Filed a DBA (Doing Business As) today for low voltage wiring and I'm
> > picking up liability insurance Monday. I have a few questions.
>
> > I am NICET Level II Certified and hold a Michigan Fire Alarm Specialty
> > Technician License.
>
> > 1. What's covered under a non-compete clause? I won't be installing
> > alarms but am planning on trying to subcontract low voltage wiring for
> > sprinkler companies. Mainly (I hope) it will be phones, TV, network
> > cabling - things like that (I don't know enough right now about sound
> > system cabling but I'm a quick study if it comes to it).
>
> Hi Joe,
>
> Sorry to hear about your job loss.
>
> As far as what's covered under a non compete agreement, it varies and
> there's no standard wording. Every company can put what they want in
> them as long as it's legal. Some companies use a boiler plate form but
> most custom word them to match their particular situation. If I were
> you, I'd ask your former employer for a copy so you can see where you
> stand. There may be a no compete within a certain milage, certainly
> with their existing customers. There can be clauses regarding how you
> solicit business and how you refer to yourself to your customers as a
> former employee of the company. Regardless, as long as you can prove
> that =A0you didn't or don't deliberately go after their accounts, they
> can't deprive you of making a living. Where the problem arises is if
> someone does want to press the point that you are breaking your non
> compete agreement, and takes it to court, you have to pay an attorney
> to defend you even if you win.
>
>
>
> > With my license I can do NFPA Fire Alarm Inspections and am told (by
> > someone who may or may not know what they are talking about) that as
> > long as I don't solicit current customers of my former employer it isn'=
t
> > a problem.
>
> It depends upon the wording in the agreement you signed.
>
>
>
> > 2. I know it varies from region to region but how would you guys go
> > about estimating a wiring job? By the foot? By the estimated hours?
> > By the number of drops? All of the above? Money up front or bill later
> > or a combination?
>
> A wiring job for what? Now, I estimate for the amount of time and the
> cost of wire. The cost of wire only if it's a big job. But that is
> something that I do from experience and have to see the job to do the
> estimate. Keep in mind that I no longer do commercial and when I did,
> I was estimating for the entire job, from pre-wire to turn on. I never
> did just wiring. I always got half the job payment up front and if the
> job was delayed for any reason, after 30 days I got another 25%.
>
>
>
> > As for contacting builders - I was thinking about doing a sort of
> > 'resume' thing that details my background, training and what services I
> > offer and visiting builders in person. Any suggestions?
>
> During this time, visiting builders as a new kid on the block, I don't
> think will be very productive. Builders are running in the stealth
> mode right now because of the economy which has hit them the hardest.
> It never hurts to get =A0your name out there but I wouldn't expect too
> much from that area right now. A business card with some of the things
> you do on it and a vist, if you can get them to even talk with you is
> the best. What I found with builders is just keep dropping in on them
> every few months and someday you just may hit them when they're
> looking. It's usually, out of sight, out of mind with them, until you
> actually do some work for them. Of course, once you get to talk to
> them they'll want you to give them a special SPECIAL discount because
> they're a =A0builder. I never understood their reasoning that you were
> supposed to make less money per hour because you were working for a
> builder. So they could add a hundred percent to your price and keep
> the difference. When I first started I would give them the discount
> that they were looking for until I finally wised up and had an
> established following. Then, I stopped persuing that kind of business.
> Now, if and when, rarely I'm asked by a builder to give them a price,
> they get the same price as if I were quoting to a potential client. As
> you can guess, I don't get much business from that sector anymore.
> It's very cut throat and there's no loyalty (in my experience) Lowest
> price rules.
>
>
>
> > 3. Business cards - I googled free business cards and came up with tons
> > of sites - have any of you used such a thing and do you have any
> > recommendations? Simple/fancy - what info should be on them?
>
> I've never used a free service. I have a =A0printer that I've used for
> years. Besides, at this stage of the game, I don't have much use for
> business cards. 99% of my work is referral. However, I vote for
> simplicity. Mine is a plain white card with the company name in red
> and the rest in blue. List the type of work I do. My license numbers
> (required by law) my personal name and year established which I didn't
> have on the card until I'd been in business 10 years. I've thought
> about listing the things that I do, in greater detail on the back of
> the card, but I don't think most people will normally turn a business
> card over.
>
>
>
> > 4. Supplies - I know I can get wire at Home Depot or the local
> > Electrical Supply house - what other options might there be? I've
> > worked with enough cheap wire before to know I want to use a decent
> > product so are there any brands I should avoid?
>
> I'd think that you'd do much better on wire pricing at someplace like
> ADI, Tried, Alarmax, even Graybar or some electrical supplier. I don't
> think =A0you're going to get the best price at Home Depot. I typically
> buy from ADI and they use Genesis brand. It's not the top quality but
> it seems to do the job.
>
>
>
> > I know these may be basic and perhaps dumb questions but I've never had
> > to deal with such things before and I have to admit I'm still a little
> > befuddled and off balance - pretty sick to my stomach as well.
>
> > Is there anything else I should be considering? I am totally a fish out
> > of water here but, being in Michigan, there's a lot of folks lining up
> > for 7 buck an hour night stock jobs so, while I do plan on looking for
> > something, and who knows - this might work out. Regardless, I've got to
> > do something or we don't eat.
>
> Well, I'm sorry to say that there's a whole shit load of things you
> should be considering but if you've been around long enough, have a
> common sense attitude about what you're doing, things will turn out
> OK.
>
> I know it's not much but hope this helped a little.

Try Vista Print for the business cards, just be careful to not sign up
for the vista rewards club ( it deducts 15 a month from your account,
I didn't notice for several months but they refunded all money
promptly when I complained.) Anyway, they have some nice stuff for the
prices.

I opened my doors in '04 and I would never go back, ever

Good luck