Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[PelicanPines]

Tho shalt properly label ... but yea ... doing stuff in the dark can be an issue.

For instance... M12 cut off tool... went thru my 5 pack of cut off wheels that I got when I bought it. Ordered a 25 pack yesterday... found TWO unopened 25 packs in my consumable location. I should have never put the 5 pack in the bag with the tool. It prevented me... looking where they live.

 

[Strouty]

Yesterday turned out a bit differently than originally planned. I ended up with two bodies, one dump, one flat bed, the last one was just too far gone and the thing that I wanted from it seemed to be in rough shape, so I avoided it altogether. Since I was there with a trailer, I asked them what else the had for sale, they were doing a complete clean up of their back forty, I took a look around and found this trailer thing, definitely homemade, but done well. I ended up buying it for $300 and it technically fit on the dump trailer, I say technically because, well.............

 

[86turbodsl]

What are you using all this stuff for?

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[Strouty]

I have no clue. I wanted the dump body to slap on the F700 cab chassis so it will sell for more money, but since the forklift ruined the pump, it won't be as quick of a solution. The other flat bed is a super rugged one that I was thinking about using for Bev as a quick solution once I remove the rear aluminum box/body. It needs a little work, but it is just removal of goofy add on stuff the previous owner did. The trailer, well, it is just a frame, pretty decent I-Beam setup, I am thinking it would make for a nice homemade trailer base. It is a fifth wheel setup now, has the landing gear on it, the axle is just an older one ton rear, welded in place. The plan is to start listing this stuff on craigslist with higher prices and see if anyone bites, if they pay, it will go, if not, I will reuse it.

 

[Strouty]

This is the dump body, it isn't terrible, but definitely not perfect. I liked the fact that it had all the scissor lift and everything.



Damage to the tank, hopefully it will be repairable, but we will see. They did say they would be able to come up with used parts for me.





Fluid everywhere! Made for a slippery surface too.



Second flatbed, the previous owner added these fold out width extenders, they don't work well and really make it look like ***. Will remove those.



Trailer looks well built, was used to move truck boxes into their shop, then they got a bigger forklift and just used that.

 

[Strouty]

It is funny, but today feels like Sunday, at least that means I have another day before Monday. I need to get the burb unloaded, yes I bought more stuff, my GF and her Mom work the local Lion's Club charity auction, so we get to cherry pick things. I ended up with toys, literally, bought an older RC boat and two helicopters for me, then some Playmobil stuff to resell, a Couple neat blue milk crates and some other trinkets. I ended up picking through the DVDs and told them I could make them more money by bringing them to the local reseller, did that last night, I couldn't believe how little they would pay, sold them anyways as I have no time to do it myself. Total of 46 TV seasons, all newer stuff, some still shrink wrapped, $75, the Lion's only wanted $1 each, so I almost doubled the money without much hassle. Also kept a few select ones for myself and paid them, if I had the time, it was probably $400 worth of stuff. I did see value in the Playmobil stuff, one group of stuff was worth about $400 on ebay, I paid $150 for everything. I figure it is a good cause and they were very happy about the money, at least I don't feel like I took advantage of them.

 

[Strouty]

Cleaned up some battery corrosion on the RC stuff, had to order some batteries and a charger for the RC helicopters, set me back just under $30, look to be in good condition otherwise, micro style, but not the cheapo ones you can't get parts for.

I am almost done unloading the burb, slow going as I am cleaning things up as I go. The Playmobil stuff will be the biggest pain, I am going to eventually have to sort it, assemble things and then list them on ebay. I can save that for when I am just not feeling like anything else.

 

[Strouty]

So far I have spent the afternoon playing with a doll house. Missing a few small parts, I think I can make a decent profit on it, sounds silly, but I always enjoy something different.........

 

[lilscorpion]

So far I have spent the afternoon playing with a doll house. Missing a few small parts, I think I can make a decent profit on it, sounds silly, but I always enjoy something different.........

A doll house? Played like with dolls and whatnot?! If you’ve figured out how to make a profit playing with dolls please tell my daughter. If she could start contributing daddy might be able to buy a new tool. [emoji2957]

 

[Strouty]

I was researching how to sell the Playmobil stuff, the biggest part of it is this Victorian Mansion, essentially a doll house. After going through the stuff and doing some eBay research, I am going to list things in pieces. I should end up with about 500 listings, average profit after eBay, PayPal, shipping, and handling would be $2.50 per auction. The profit goes up substantially if you get one buyer with multiple items. Usually I don’t sell anything on eBay unless it brings a really good profit ($50 or more), but I need to setup a store to list all the **** I have and this will be the perfect starting point. My aim is to have a few thousand listings all the time and shoot for multiple sales per buyer. I will still sell higher profit margin items, I will also be selling larger things that need to be shipped freight, but my aim is to list things with “free” shipping. I hate it when an item has variable or totally unknown shipping. I figure if I make the profit margin in the item then I can lose a little or gain a little depending on where it ships. I will figure additional money for lift gate or residential delivery, at least that way I should be able to deal with that type of delivery as well.

Only rime will tell, but I need to do this, I have needed to do this for years. Now with my new job (running my Dad’s company), I don’t have the flexibility to do my own tower projects, but I should have the flexibility to do this. Now all I need to do is give up on all my other projects and things will be perfect.

 

[Strouty]

I have been looking at starting an Etsy account as well as amazon, got part way through the amazon and they wanted bank statements, no way to back out or pause the process, I have to go to the office to get that info, wish I hadn’t started it at all now. Etsy requires you to list something, just to start a sellers account, again, nothing to list at the house. I at least setup a new eBay user ID and also a personal account, that way my buying habits aren’t front and center, I am going to have two selling accounts, one for more industrial items and one for more vintage/retro stuff. I have seen way too many stores that have a crazy mix of stuff, makes me think they don’t know anything about what they are selling. I figure if I separate things it will look better to the buyer and help sales long term. I am still going broad for sales, just tightening my base a bit. I don’t think it is unrealistic to have a store that sells video games, toys , vintage/retro items, and RC car stuff, I probably won’t have anything newer unless it is something collectible or related to other stuff I am selling. I am thinking like 1970s to early 2000s type stuff, things you would leave I your parents basement or attic when you moved out, but later when you found out they tossed it, you would want to find it again, that type of stuff.

 

[Strouty]

I just got the Playmobil stuff picked up, I could see starting an entire eBay store dedicated to just that stuff, there is tons of it, it's a worldwide thing, and lots of people collect it. I am not sure I want to dedicate my store to it, but I can see how someone would get tangled into it. I have always been a more jack of all trades, but I am starting to think I should be a master of something, the all trades thing is really expensive and has lots of drawbacks.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

That poor Villain IV. It looks like it sat at a dock in the sun for many summers in a row!

 

[xtremek]

That sounds like a ton of work. I hope you're successful.

 

[86turbodsl]

Just an opinion, don't take offense, but is this toy thing going down a rabbit hole?

 

[Strouty]

Possibly, but every part of my life seems to be a rabbit hole.

I feel obligated to run my Father’s business, but I still need something of my own and it needs to be flexible schedule.

The toughest part is Dad wants me to work by the hour, I want a flat fee, I hate trying to keep track of everything and in the end I am still estimating lots of things. It takes up more of my time than I would like, it stresses me out, it doesn’t pay well, but in the end, I do love the work, just not the process. When I signed on, there was a 20 hour a week secretary, now there is me and my GF randomly does 3 to 5 hours a week of data entry. I am on call 24-7, but only working about 20 to 30 hours a week. The problem is that I get paid $40 an hour, when I work on my own, I make $90 an hour, so if I worked 10 hours a week on my own, I would be better off, less stressed, have more time. Unfortunately running his stuff is erratic and doesn’t allow me to take on the jobs that I used to do, so I either need to be paid better or I need to stop things all together. The work is no longer fulfilling, I used to work with my Father and that was enjoyable, now he doesn’t want anything to do with it, except building trucks and other stuff. Most of my tasks don’t give me any control, I am always at someone else’s mercy or waiting for info from a lawyer.

 

[86turbodsl]

That sounds hellish.

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[Strouty]

Don't worry, I only discussed the good parts, it gets worse. I am not sure I can step away, I know he would just go back to making do, he would hire a half assed secretary that would pay the bills, he would send important stuff to the lawyers, he would drag things out to years instead of months, he would sign leases and lease amendments without really understanding them, he would basically work off the no budget, money will always be there attitude, like he used to. For some reason it always works, he always gets by, so there is no way I would say I am not replaceable. I will say that this year, so far I have found over $100k in rent that was due and has not been paid, this will also increase future revenues by about $3000 a month, someone just doing data entry wouldn't figure that out. You have to read and understand all the leases, then understand what has been paid and what hasn't. Basically I am a forensic lease investigator. Of course once I get done, things should be smoother, but someone needs to keep tabs on the tower sites and negotiate lease amendments, this is erratic, but when you need to do it, it has to be done fairly quickly. Regardless, someone needs to understand all the moving parts or you end up right back where we are now.

 

[shortykorte]

How about your dad work for your business.


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[Strouty]

Today is a perfect example of why I can't have a fixed schedule, Lawyer that we have been waiting on got back to me, means I had to do something ASAP since it is a priority. Then when checking email, customer that owes back rent sent info for review, I have been waiting for it for two weeks, reviewed it, had to respond asking for an adjustment to the data, then dealt with payroll. All of this probably took 30 minutes, but it happened over a two and a half hour time span and I am still not out of the house yet. My plan had been to leave the house at 10 AM, I am sure there will be something else to slow me down as well. My question is, how do you figure out how much "time" I actually spent dealing with this, is it 30 minutes? Is it two and a half hours? The 30 minutes isn't fair to me, the two and a half hours isn't fair to my Dad. Either way it would just be easier to be paid a flat rate and be done with things.

 

[Strouty]

How about your dad work for your business.

 

[xtremek]

I don't envy you.

 

[Strouty]

I have been thinking about things and now I remember when I signed on, I was still working with my Dad, there was also a secretary that was around for an average of 20 hours a week. Now my Dad isn’t interested in any of the stuff I am doing and the secretary is gone. So I am doing the work that the three of us were doing, while juggling my own stuff. I definitely need to have a discussion with him about things, I also need to be fair to myself, that is hard for me, especially since it is family.

 

[PelicanPines]

HIRE a secretary... make sure they have math skills... maybe they could help with the billing issues... keep track of things etc...

 

[Strouty]

I am just going to make him pay me enough that I don't worry about the small stuff. Time to either make it work for me or move on, it just isn't fair to me

 

[Horror Business]

I am just going to make him pay me enough that I don't worry about the small stuff. Time to either make it work for me or move on, it just isn't fair to me

This is the best course of action.

 

[racingtadpole]

First rule of business is to never do business with friends or family. Best of luck working an outcome.

 

[jakemac]

My question is, how do you figure out how much "time" I actually spent dealing with this, is it 30 minutes? Is it two and a half hours?

TOUGH LOVE
I know it isn’t easy dealing with family BUT, you need to put your foot down. Each incident should be billed out at a 30min minimum.
5mins on the phone = 30min billable.
43mins = 1hr billable.
Etc.

You aren’t billing your father, you are billing the company. Keep them separate in your head. If you’re father doesn’t want to run the company, then he should sell it. TO YOU, since you’re the one keeping it going. You can pay it off over time, creating a predictable income for your father. Then, he can go off and play in his shop like he’s already doing. Hire him separately for project work/maintenance so he still feels involved, but not responsible.

You’re already doing most of his work, you should reap the rewards if you’re going to be responsible. If he doesn’t want to let go, then hand him the company and remove your assets to run your own operation. It may be time to do your own thing.

I know this, my life has been on hold for decades (not business, personal) because I can’t get out. Now it’s too late for me to build a new life.
It’s time to take your life back.

If the company folds, that’s on him, not you.
You have what it takes to be successful on your own. Now is the time to fish or cut bait.

Your father can’t see what he’s doing, it needs to be laid out. Are you just a part time employee, or are you his successor ?
He needs to decide, and you need to act accordingly.
For your own good.



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[86turbodsl]

TOUGH LOVE
I know it isn’t easy dealing with family BUT, you need to put your foot down. Each incident should be billed out at a 30min minimum.
5mins on the phone = 30min billable.
43mins = 1hr billable.
Etc.

You aren’t billing your father, you are billing the company. Keep them separate in your head. If you’re father doesn’t want to run the company, then he should sell it. TO YOU, since you’re the one keeping it going. You can pay it off over time, creating a predictable income for your father. Then, he can go off and play in his shop like he’s already doing. Hire him separately for project work/maintenance so he still feels involved, but not responsible.

You’re already doing most of his work, you should reap the rewards if you’re going to be responsible. If he doesn’t want to let go, then hand him the company and remove your assets to run your own operation. It may be time to do your own thing.

I know this, my life has been on hold for decades (not business, personal) because I can’t get out. Now it’s too late for me to build a new life.
It’s time to take your life back.

If the company folds, that’s on him, not you.
You have what it takes to be successful on your own. Now is the time to fish or cut bait.

Your father can’t see what he’s doing, it needs to be laid out. Are you just a part time employee, or are you his successor ?
He needs to decide, and you need to act accordingly.
For your own good.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

There's real wisdom here. Do it before your life is half over. Too late at that point to start over. You deserve a life too.

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[Horror Business]

TOUGH LOVE
I know it isn’t easy dealing with family BUT, you need to put your foot down. Each incident should be billed out at a 30min minimum.
5mins on the phone = 30min billable.
43mins = 1hr billable.
Etc.

You aren’t billing your father, you are billing the company. Keep them separate in your head. If you’re father doesn’t want to run the company, then he should sell it. TO YOU, since you’re the one keeping it going. You can pay it off over time, creating a predictable income for your father. Then, he can go off and play in his shop like he’s already doing. Hire him separately for project work/maintenance so he still feels involved, but not responsible.

You’re already doing most of his work, you should reap the rewards if you’re going to be responsible. If he doesn’t want to let go, then hand him the company and remove your assets to run your own operation. It may be time to do your own thing.

I know this, my life has been on hold for decades (not business, personal) because I can’t get out. Now it’s too late for me to build a new life.
It’s time to take your life back.

If the company folds, that’s on him, not you.
You have what it takes to be successful on your own. Now is the time to fish or cut bait.

Your father can’t see what he’s doing, it needs to be laid out. Are you just a part time employee, or are you his successor ?
He needs to decide, and you need to act accordingly.
For your own good.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

All of this.

 

[Strouty]

Thanks for the input guys, I have a feeling this week is going to be more stressful than usual, we are meeting tomorrow to discuss things. Due to the assets the company owns, I am not sure that I could buy the company, towers are a funny thing, they are worth a lot of money based on revenue stream, so even with his small portfolio of sites and the land that the company owns, it would be close to ten million or more as a buy out. Everything I have been doing has made the company worth more, realistically I would be better off as the management company that handles all the assets, except he still uses the company to write of his truck building endeavors, so there is no easy way out. I may talk with the accountant and attorney to see if they see a clear path to owning the company without owning the largest assets. Then he would be paid by my company, I do have one tower of my own, I also have a 10% stake in another one, then commissions for customers on another tower. It is all a big complicated mess, there are actually several businesses that get lumped together and money flows between them freely, the accountant works wonders considering the mess that she has had to work with.

 

[xtremek]

My head is hurting just thinking about all of that.

 

[legenddc]

If you're being paid for the hours you work you do need to keep track like jakemac said. There's lots of apps for doing it. If a lawyer opens an email it's 15 minutes billable time even if it takes them 30 seconds.

Best of luck with everything!

 

[Plastikosmd]

As long as u also get the ranger forklift, I’m happy with whatever u choose

 

[Strouty]

As long as u also get the ranger forklift, I’m happy with whatever u choose

Clark is all mine anyways, Dad and I have separate shops and companies, he does have better equipment than I do, but he doesn't have a Ranger!

As for the hourly wage and time tracking, it is not as easy as just using an app or writing it down. I am on the go all the time, I may answer a phone call, check an email, respond to a text, or it could turn into an hour of phone calls and emails. The problem I have is that nothing seems fair, for either party. If I bill minimum times for any task, it can add up too quickly, if I try and bill for time spent, it is way too low. I am stuck on salary and it is going to either happen or I am going to have to part ways.

My example from the other day was this:

I get an email from a Lawyer, been waiting for a week or so. I respond almost instantly - 5 minutes

I then go back to what I was doing (trying to get ready to leave), 10 minutes later, I get another email with an excel spreadsheet attached, info I have been waiting for. I review it and respond. Slow volley of emails follows across 20 minutes.

I am almost ready to leave, text message, it is my Father wants a check for someone, I tell him I will be in the office Tuesday. I add the task to my list, 3 minutes.

Almost out the door, I send another text looking for a response about the sale of a tower, no response, I note it in my list that I texted the party. 5 minutes

I then get a call from the first Lawyer as I am walking out the door, stop and go back so I can take notes. 10 minutes.

Now I have to call my Dad to discuss issues Lawyer brought up, he doesn't answer.

As I am walking to the truck Dad calls, I answer, call log says 10 minute call.

I still haven't done my errands, got to pick up a cellular based security camera to test out for the tower sites. 30 minutes at the store

At this point I have two more emails from customers and the Lawyer, please review....... 10 minutes, but only because I had to fumble through my phone to find supporting documents.

I make a call as I am headed to get lunch, no answer, leave message.

During lunch my phone rings, two more emails from different Lawyers, ignore and continue eating.

check emails, answer quickly with one, the other needs to wait until I am in the office. Return phone call as I am driving to the shop.

I think you get the idea, this continued on all afternoon and for the most part these are estimates. It doesn't take me long to handle things, at least not usually, but it does really mess with my schedule and personal time.

 

[PelicanPines]

I lived my life billing my time. Forget being fair... you need to do appropriate billing.

I billed based on what i was doing... travel ... beginning to their door was one value. Maintenance work... easy stuff was billed a bit more... training was expensive... unique creation another value.

Enough on that. My point is... I felt it was not fair charging my big rate for everything but knew i had to be paid for what i did.

I kept a leather day planner with ruled paper in it. I kept a diary of my day. End of each week... or Saturday morning i did my spreadsheet billing. Someone read that and generated everyone's invoices for that week... once a month the bills went out SUMMARIZED. If there was a question... the answer was on the spreadsheet my girl had. With my paper planner backup.

It's how i made money... I had to be organized about it.

Don't worry about justifying each and every billing line...
Don't worry about the small minutes... worry about parts of an hour...
Yes you still get paid when youre doing a job... and you have to pee...

 

[Strouty]

Had my conversation with Dad, went better than expected, we are going to give my new salary model a try, I really think he sees the value I bring to the table, it was still tough asking to be compensated for that value, but I did it. Hopefully it will make things better on all fronts.

 

[PelicanPines]

You have always given the impression your father is very smart. It was an obvious choice to listen to you and see the value you bring and add to his life work.

 

[Strouty]

I told him how much the company means to me and that it would be an honor to run it the way he intended, also told him he deserves to do the things he wants to do without the burden of the company BS. In the end, this is still a "trial", but I know that I can make it work and flow better than ever, now I have the ability to put my full effort into things. I am optimistic for the first time in a while.

 

[PelicanPines]

Said it before... Will say it again... hire a chick that knows excel... you could put her in your dad's building eventually... but educate first.