Question for tint co. owners

Steelfly · December 12, 2007

This is not even necessarily just an owner question. Just like to know how alot of you guys that tint get paid from other tint companies. Im sure most owners pay their employees either on an hourly or salary basis. Im really talking about guys that might be like me that don't work for any tint company, they tint for several different companies and basically working for yourself. Usually works on a sq footage or hourly deal.

I just started working for myself this year working for several local tint companies in the area. Back in 97 I worked for a company as a lead installer for 6 years. No cars. I basically get paid on an hourly basis. I know a buddy of mine that kind of does the same thing but he charges a certain % of what the jobs billed for and he does quite well, he's fortuntate too and does alot of commercial work for a huge glass company in the city. Tons of decorative white frost work on inside corperate office buildings.

So far this year its been going pretty good and Ive been able to stay busy for the most part. Too many times I felt I wasn't compensated enough for doing the whole job myself. I go to the residental job myself, do the job then he shows up to pick up the check and get paid. I basically just need to raise my hourly price I think or better off I would like to charge a certain % of what the jobs billed for, especially if Im doing the entire , lets say 1500 dollar job myself. Not exactly fair when Im only walking away with say like 160 bucks of it. And thats not cash, I have to pay my own tax's on it. I do extremely clean install work too and can hang some sq footage, Im defintitely not the fastest, I dont do many things fast but I surely give quality work.

Just wanted to hear some thoughts, I know basically what I have to do, either charge more per hour or start my own tint company.

:rimshot

-SF

December 12, 2007

Charge by the sq ft and you will be compensated for what you do. Only charge by the hour if it's something time consuming like cut outs. That way you get rewarded for the more work you do and it's easy for your shops to know upfront what their labour costs will be.

December 12, 2007

Bundy is right! Charge by foot and charge more for detail or divided panes. You might try to connect with a full time benifits job if there's any real tint company around. I pay $18.00-$25 an hour by skill level plus health and paid holiday/vacations. You get 15% of any job you bring in too. I would rather pay sq ft but it's slow in the mid-west so they want steady pay all year so they cost me in the winter and hopefully make me money in the summer.You can go out on your own but( you break it you buy it) you get the pleasure of tax and payroll tax too along with healthcare.

My advise: GET A BUSINESS DEGREE!

tintpros lv · December 12, 2007

I use subcontractors quite a lot in my business and pay them on an average of one dollar a square foot. If it's high windows. I go up to two dollars, if it's a small job they get a percentage of that job. 30% is average. If they go, on a sales call and the job comes through they will get 10%. They always seem to be happy to work for me. So I guess I'm paying on the right amounts. I hope this was some help

Steelfly · December 13, 2007

Good advice fella's thanks. Anymore advice is also appreciated. Bundy B , your right I just need to stick with charging by the sq foot period and I should do ok. And definitely bumb it up on smaller sq footage jobs. I like tintpro's way of handling business... man dude, I would work for you in a second, where you from? Haha

You too FlyPaper, I would work for you too, you sound fair. I like the fact that you pay well for skilled work. I understand your thoughts on working for a reg. benefits job too and it would be nice to have health insurance again. :lol2 Yyyup right now, I have none, zero. Pretty scarey. First time in my life that I don't have any insurance. Ive been down the road of working for a regular tint company, its definitely not bad, but Im much happier on my own being my OWN boss and love the freedom I have. Fly why did you mention getting a business degree? I know its not a bad idea taking a business course or two.

Thanks again guys. :lol2 I'll put your advice to good use.

:spit

-SF

Roach · December 14, 2007

Just a couple of thoughts... since I'm currently kindof doing the same thing now. I'm doing both an hourly rate from one company, and a day rate from another company. These were mutually agreed upon rates, which at the time I didn't really think about it enough.

But as the others have said, I agree about having different rates according to the type of jobs... ie. commercial jobs, small squares, etc. If you can set it up some way to have your pay rates according to the job, I think that would be best.

Of course, I'm not sure if I could switch at this point... Well, I could, but I don't know if they would go for it. In which case I'd be sol if they decided to say take a hike.

While each business owner has their own expenses according to how they run their business, there isn't any reason, if they are running it correctly, that they can't pay the going rates for skilled installers. That, IMO, is the bottom line.

-R