I am getting busier and busier (thankfully) and getting some nice large jobs in the last few weeks which will be continuing through the winter and into next season.
I am considering setting my dad onto the smaller jobs which will take the pressure off of me so I can take on these large jobs without killing myself.
My dad is a hard working man, a perfectionist and one of the few people i could trust to do a job to my standards without me having to worry and check up on him.
He is planning to retire from his current job next year, so this plan would work out well for both of us.
I would have to get a van for him and tools including a mower etc, so there is quite a bit of investment to make.
I was just wondering at your opinions on this idea? what would I need to think about?
Thanks in advance.
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Replies
Andy, that's really good news on the job flow and its obvious your busy to be considering employment.
The first thing I would say is this. Try it for 6 mnths with your dad on a subcontract basis. You can still purchase the machinery and van and claim it back as your providing the tools for your trade and then you don't have the incurred costs of lots more admin, accounting/payroll, tax and N.I contributions which YOU have to pay and not forgetting, the all important Insurance premiums, which increase considerably, you cost just rise and rise and your work load may seem lighter until you get home and sort the list above out.
Its a great chance to see how it pans out and after the 6mnth period, you need to employ your Dad anyway, its LAW, It might even be sooner as it would appear that the employed person as a contractor in the eyes of the law, is able to be employed, the law has changed for sub-contractors with CSCS cards.
I think its a great way to move forward though Andy, its hard to give your work load to another especially if you don't know them but in your case.... Excellent
Andy, reckon the success or otherwise of this depends on your personalities and the family dynamic.
Writing from some experience, as I once went into business with my bro-in-law many years ago, and it didn't go so well causing a family rift that took years to mend. Thankfully, now water under the bridge.
Is your Dad one who's happy to take a back seat, being tasked by his son 'The Guv'nor'?
Trust and competence are already there though, and that's important. You need to agree the ground rules for your 'working' relationship as opposed to the personal one, and from the outset be very clear with each other of what's expected, and what's not. Saves a lot of grief later!
Good luck Doughty & Dad Garden Maintenance!
initially i would not invest further give say 6 months to see how it pans out working together and see if your client / workbase continues to grow
i would work side by side get a good method and sequence of working so each of you know their own duties
plan out your week cutting down travelling time etc
this way you should get thro the work quicker than working alone with no more investment
good luck its nice to see people doing well
Firstly thanks for your replies.
Woodster, great advice thanks, so what you're saying is that my dad would be self employed and i'd be subcontracting him? Not thought about that.
Nick and Gary, I see your point but the small jobs don't require 2 people and the big jobs I am capable of doing myself it is purely about time. As it is and with the new large jobs coming in I would soon have to give up the small jobs as there will simply not be enough hours to do everything. With my dad taking on these little jobs my time can be spent on the big jobs without me having to worry about fitting everything in.
Hope that makes sense.
Ian, I know what you mean here. when I first started up my family kept saying how good it would be if I went into partnership with my older brother, we get on well normally but I just know that if we were to work together we'd end up falling out. So that never happened. My dad is a really easy going guy, I know it could work. he'd be more than happy, in fact proud, to take a back seat and let me do the "governing". We get on extremely well, we have worked together on many projects without a single cross word (most recently fitting a bulkhead into my van). He is an intelligent and thorough man who was an engineer most of his life so has an inbuilt perfectionism which he carries into every job he does. I know the work he did for me would be to the best standard, and to top it off he is a keen gardener!
Thanks again everyone, really appreciate the advice :-)
Hi John, well it's not a weeks work at the minute, but I have turned down numerous small jobs recently, so I'm looking at dad doing the existing ones and then any new ones that come through thereafter.
And, I'm not thinking of spending a fortune on the investment, I said in my original post about a mower, well I have got a spare mower that he could use and a lot of hand tools. the biggest spend will be the van obviously.
I suppose i'd have to go through the numbers to see how the investment would be returned.
John www.acegardenservices.co.uk said:
How about a small trailer and let your dad run the round himself, but under your wing.
A van at say £2k initial outlay, with annual costs of Tax(£100ish) + Insurance(£300ish) + repairs/service (£300) + depreciation(£500) + equipment. You would also have to cover wages, holidays, employers NI etc etc. Plus you would need to sort out any problems. Do you need it?
Tax at £100ish a small van like my ford courier costs £230.00 per year, and insurance would have to be business insurance so the cost would be more and your business insurance needs to be aded aswell for your dad.
Colin Hunt said:
your very lucky to have a dad like that, im happy for you =]
andy@ Doughty Garden Maintenance said:
No Stephen my dads not got the figure for it :-D
stephen Huxtable said:
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