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Thread: Getting old but have so much work

  1. #1
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Getting old but have so much work

    past 61 now and pretty fit with no physical problem all is good in that department...Doc says fit as a fiddle ...mmmm well i have so much work in all areas including a lot of hedging garden maintenance and mowing work... each day i have plenty of request for quotes but i am slowing a bit and maybe should get someone to help out..but ive tried a couple before and realise i m a buggar to work for because i dont stop..i like to work trough and get the job done but having an employee you have to give the legal benefits and if u get a subby you have to get them on the same page..
    i cant retire and i dont wont too because i do enjoy this life .. i cannot retire because my super isnt that great and having grandkids we spoil them heaps and love it..
    so the question is what do i do ??? have heaps of interest no debts but what do you do....its funny the more u earn the more you spend so i am not keen going back to a basic wage and probably have a few if not many years left doing this stuff...
    Would love to drive around in my ute supervising all thge jobs but as Daryl Kerrigan said in the movie the catle " tell him hes dreaming " well thats me .
    probably no solution but to keep going i guess ....

  2. #2
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Hire staff, sub contract, sell the leads all options each with pro's and con's.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Or jack up your hourly rate and just keep the gold customers that deserve a quality job. More money less work.

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    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    wont say here what the hourly rate is but its way above all my competitors ....and some ..but the real point is how do you handle the business when you get old and tired...smarter not harder concept we all here have learnt that but moving to the next stage is the question i would like to explore.....

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    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    wont say here what the hourly rate is but its way above all my competitors ....and some ..but the real point is how do you handle the business when you get old and tired...smarter not harder concept we all here have learnt that but moving to the next stage is the question i would like to explore.....
    You'll have to look into hiring staff or sub-contracting the work out. Good and bad points for both. Personally after 6 years i've just gone back to working solo and couldn't be happier. And when i look back, at after all the expenses were taken out, how i wasn't that much better off with employees when you take into account the extra stress and problems they caused, i more than happy to charge out what i'm worth and just keep the good customers that value a good job and good service. But we have to discover what works best for our own circumstances.

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    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Or forget work, semi retire go fishing, bush walking, bird spotting (( : whatever floats ya boat.

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    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby Steve View Post
    You'll have to look into hiring staff or sub-contracting the work out. Good and bad points for both. Personally after 6 years i've just gone back to working solo and couldn't be happier. And when i look back, at after all the expenses were taken out, how i wasn't that much better off with employees when you take into account the extra stress and problems they caused, i more than happy to charge out what i'm worth and just keep the good customers that value a good job and good service. But we have to discover what works best for our own circumstances.

    Yes I did the same several years ago Scoob. Best move I have made. Geoff what about retiring and seeing how much work you can do without losing the pension or down sizing the operation so its not so much work but still makes enough to get you by.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

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    Senior Member sterlo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Hey Geoff, I'm pretty local to you, lets catch up for a stubbie one day and discuss :-)
    I spend most of my money on beer and horses, I just waste the rest....


    http://www.sterlinggardenservices.com/

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    Senior Member seliment's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby Steve View Post
    Hire staff, sub contract, sell the leads all options each with pro's and con's.
    Not exactly from the mowing / gardening business area, but a good friend in Canberra who used to have his own very successful IT business (he sold it some years ago to a big company, then became an IT industry consultant & CEO and now retired) explained to me once for it to be worth hiring an additional staff member in his business, they had to bring in (ie net earnings) of 220% of their salary. This took into account their direct salary, on-costs such as super, long service etc etc), the 'cost to his time' (that he would otherwise spend with clients, project work etc) in supervising them, and a small margin of 'profit' for all business effort involved. Robin said to me, 'anything less than that and I am just as well off not getting bigger &/or needing extra staff'.
    Worth thinking it all through .......

    Joe

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    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by seliment View Post
    Not exactly from the mowing / gardening business area, but a good friend in Canberra who used to have his own very successful IT business (he sold it some years ago to a big company, then became an IT industry consultant & CEO and now retired) explained to me once for it to be worth hiring an additional staff member in his business, they had to bring in (ie net earnings) of 220% of their salary. This took into account their direct salary, on-costs such as super, long service etc etc), the 'cost to his time' (that he would otherwise spend with clients, project work etc) in supervising them, and a small margin of 'profit' for all business effort involved. Robin said to me, 'anything less than that and I am just as well off not getting bigger &/or needing extra staff'.
    Worth thinking it all through .......

    Joe
    thanks Jo good info there..i dont want to retire at 61 its too young and i love working ..your post have given me food for thought thanks mate...

  11. #11
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by sterlo View Post
    Hey Geoff, I'm pretty local to you, lets catch up for a stubbie one day and discuss :-)
    most definatley mate...love the area but my gold dingley customers and the Melbourne racing club and schools i will always stay with,,,actually i like going to work and coming home and forget about it..Nice to live with good people and not the toffs that look down at us in Dingley..my street had all suits i was the only yellow attired guy in the street lol

  12. #12
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    retirement is for old people,so how old do you feel ? is the question.Some can cope some can't..everyone is different.

  13. #13
    Senior Member seliment's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    thanks Jo good info there..i dont want to retire at 61 its too young and i love working ..your post have given me food for thought thanks mate...
    Geoff,
    Don't think of it as 'retiring'. My friend that I referred to and I (I worked in university / public service), both got out at 55 or bit later. (I am not heading for 65).

    Think of it as the stage in your life when you can 'do the things you want/choose to do rather than what you have to do". You will find that you probably have less idle time than when you 'worked'.
    Doing the things you want may include travel, recreation, volunteer work, family time or just working at a less stressful pace on the jobs that give you pleasure and enjoyment. Retirement doe not mean sit and vegetate!

    One othe thing I noted from a presentation (about leaving workforce) during my full time work was this advice.
    In 'retirement' you need 3 basic things. (in no particular priority).

    1. Sufficient / secure income source without worry to cover your living
    2. Good Health
    3. A good social network - family, friends, interests, recreation, hobbies etc

    3 of them -- high chance of a long, happy rewarding time
    2 of them --- pretty ok,
    1 of them --- not so good, it will be 'a struggle'
    0. --- Forget retiring now and put some effort into getting your life in order first!

    In any case, if you don't have the 3 in order, do what you can to achieve the best you can to get the 3 conditions.
    And it is never too early to start --- the same presenter said yo start on Finances in your 40's, Work on Health in 50's and finally in your 60's attend to the social / recreational / interests side of things.

    Joe.

    /.

  14. #14
    Senior Member sterlo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    most definatley mate...love the area but my gold dingley customers and the Melbourne racing club and schools i will always stay with,,,actually i like going to work and coming home and forget about it..Nice to live with good people and not the toffs that look down at us in Dingley..my street had all suits i was the only yellow attired guy in the street lol
    Yeah mate, blah blah blah...stubbies? lols
    I spend most of my money on beer and horses, I just waste the rest....


    http://www.sterlinggardenservices.com/

  15. #15
    Senior Member DavidS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Getting old but have so much work

    Hi Geoff, I sold my business to retire and travel, well health got in the way and so we have been parked up at Parkes for 6 months now and before that at Wellington NSW.
    I have always wondered what I would have done if not sold up as the body was complaining about the amount of work. I have had time to sit and think about it and this is what I would do again
    1: Sell off all my pain the arse clients
    2: Advise the others that I will be continuing to service them as we know everyone talks.
    3: Invest in new gear to make life easier
    4: Don't take on anymore work unless one client drops out ( usually Nursing home or dies )
    5: Work my schedule so I work 7.30 am to 2pm and then have the rest of the day off.
    6: Work 5 days a week and only work weekends if I needed to catch up ( maybe only work 4 days dependent on number of clients )
    7: Still pass on CPI increases so we can live comfortably but not to any pensioner clients.
    8: Anyone else asks me to take them on pass them off to good reliable competitor or on commission
    9: Enjoy my extra time and take up knitting LOL

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