We are in difficult times. Decisions like this are having to be made quite often. How to juggle what we really want to do with what is available and pays the bills. And, in this case, it appears would pay the bills very nicely.
You know it, but, the bottom line is in you and what you need. How to take care of family. Set up retirement. Medical. So many aspects.
We'll be praying for you to make the decision that is best for you.
Have a Great Day, Brent
Tommy,
What's the aerospace industry outlook 5-10 years from now?
If it looks good, how important is security at this stage of life?
Tyrone
Tommy,
The result of your work is excellence... Keep that in mind whatever you choose.
Whoever is the reciepient of your work is the winner here..........
Having just made a big jump recently I feel ya....
How much is actually enough?
Which parts of your day, week, month, year give you the most Joy,
With whome do you share your labors, trials and victorys; and how often?
Ecc 5:12
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep
Well, we've talked for hours if not days on various subjects, this being one of them. My used to be brother in law always said, "a job is just a job. If I have to work at Mcdonalds to pay the bills and wait for something better to come along then so be it".
I have been in your situation many times in the early years and making that tough decision, throwing caution to the wind seems to be a practice well established in the small business world. Do I take this single hand job or keep shaking the bushes? With three young kids, new driver's licenses, the need of another car for another driver in the family, braces, college thoughts and more and you wonder if the decision you made was the right one, dragging up on a steady paycheck freezing my buns off getting blamed for everything everybody else screwed up and poor scheduling? It was a steady paycheck though, right??
I've worked so many jobs since 1995 as a clock puncher. Politics, butt chewings over stupid stuff and after 18 years I've realized that in the end it is most likely my personality type. I'm just not a good employee, long term. You hire me for a few months on a big job, I'm in and out and it's all good. Longer and I get caught up in the politics and I am one that will openly voice my opinion, you ask and I will tell. Management says they want to hear the employee opinion but not from me, maybe I'm to abrasive, could be the Jarhead. They say it takes a certain type of personality to even start a small business. I have met many guys that talk the talk but never walk the walk or they'll crank wrenches in their garage at home but still doing the 9-5 during the week. Toying with the idea but never getting that license, paying the taxes and jumping all in.
The business side is rough at times I agree. I like to look at the freedom for one. Freedom to do things with my family, cooked kabobs tonight, went to the dentist, grocery store and just had a pretty lazy day. Tomorrow I'm all out running my butt off doing paperwork and who knows what else. Work and jobs I am in control not in the sense that I am a control freak but in the sense that if something is screwed up them I have only myself to blame. If I work for somebody and they send me out on a job that they have bid, planned and then find out that it is "not as designed" on the prints from my phone call, then have the stones to blame me because they don't "field verify"? Yeah, I can't do that. With me being the boss and as you very well know we can eliminate those aspects for the most part with careful planning and understanding what we need to do.
Ultimately you've got to make that step to the right or to the left. Pay your bills now with the job that is there and if you can step off go for it. When I get offered a job I think of how good it will be for the money but in my head is the thought that I am stuck. Dentist appointment, doc appointment, kids school functions or events all dictated by the 40 hour week for a living. Just something as simple as my wife texting and saying she is in town, "want to grab lunch real quick?". I like that freedom. I know I have to work, I know I have to have money but I also want to live and enjoy my life, control my life not have work or money control it. I also fear that if I were to fall into that routine again for several years and it falls apart coming back to the business will be difficult because "the man" will have me bound again. At least staying in my business I know I am broke and up is the only way left, other than a pine box.
Good luck man.
Shaun....... Gotta tell you , it's the same all over with business ......For "YEARS" I've heard from others in business (competitors and other business owners) how great their doing $$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!! ???????? WTF...... Ends up looking back EVERY ONE of them is gone...... Usually it's bankruptcy ...... Business in general sucks.... The weather in the Northeast has put a hold on everything not already paralyzed by the political climate..... I've bid at least 6 big jobs ( for me 30-300k) and everyone of them is up for rebid or postponed...... I also know exactly what you mean by not having to " Work Singlehand" for someone..... I like to be in charge of my destiny, destination , final outcome or what ever you want to call it..... That's why years ago a hand that worked for me nicknamed me SmoothOperator, because I took the time to go over every aspect of the job, leaving nothing out/ forgetting nothing ...... Because I don't want anything to cause a problem on a job, from Bidding to Billing.........I have a hand in it.......Like I told you a couple years ago.....It comes down to "HOW LONG CAN YOU TREAD WATER" till you can hit a good job/ project ??????????
So true. From the bridge job I worked this last summer to gates and handrails I mull over prints and plans more than I probably should but when you're standing under the bridge and three guys are there(not my employees) asking what we are going to do today and you can spit off locations by numbers on prints, lengths and just about any other aspect of the job and then I figure I am doing my job. Relying on the prints is ok but having that real deep understanding in your head helps to not miss it. I like bringing Murphy in for a pint and discussing what could go wrong so when I get out there I have already anticipated that it will go wrong and I'm not surprised or shaken.
