Inheriting a Fire Alarm Company
Howdy,
I've been working at a fire alarm and low voltage company for going on 7-8 years now as lead technician, picked up a bunch of stuff and have the knowledge to work on practically any panel. From older simplex, Harrington and edwards stuff to quick and ez honeywell family panels it's all getting to be old hat. not tooting my horn but I've been lucky enough to be a part of all aspects of the trade and the company doesn't just stick to one brand and run with it.
I'm in a position where I'm inheriting the entire company, like to run full kit and kabootle with my word as basically law. This is due to my father in law finding out he has stage four cancer, he is a Nicet 4 and has been in the trade for damn near 40 years. He's an old head but isn't nearly as gristled or shitty about keeping trade secrets or making an empire with an iron fist. Dude has been doing his thing and doing well for quite a long time. Now he's pushed it to me to handle and I'm not sure what I'm doing in regards to some of the aspects of things. I'll be one of the first ones to listen to someone else's opinions or to try and learn something new.
How in the world do you hire people these days that seem to both want to work, and also want to move forward without immediately expecting the world? I try to be, what I feel is, generous and everyone wants to start at $30 without any certifications or even their own tools. it feels like material prices are skyrocketing and same with wire, customers look at numbers and they are flabbergasted if the parts are 10% over cost or 200% over cost due to the price floor starting out so high.
A few tips or something like it would be appreciated, for the guys that run a crew or work in the office more, how do you balance things out where you are in the field as well as the office? I expect to work 7 days a week, almost 24/7. But even then it feels like I run out of time to complete things.
I can see great things in my future but I don't want to step over a dollar for a dime and get too big for my britches, or at least too fast.
If yall got insight, I'd love to hear it.