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Re: Life Sucks, Then You Move On



Vista Print is great you can get 250 cards for free (they're templates but
still a great deal...all you pay is shipping around 5 bucks)



--
**Crash Gordon**







"Effenpig1" <dirtyspicevent@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:262db312-9e95-4ec5-bfad-aa29d2774763@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> On Dec 4, 8:14 pm, 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  you 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  your 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  builder. 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  printer 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  you'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




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