Hvac businesss

[Zouk]

Good afternoon Fellow mechanics, I am new to this site and this is my first post. I have been in the business for roughly 18 years. About 2yrs in residential and about 16yrs in commercial and heavy industrial. and am trying to decide if I should venture out on my own. Any insite or thoughts appreciated. Thanks

[Harris&harris]

Start my business with my brother 3 years ago.

Dont go into debt to start you business.

Be prepared to learn some hard lessons unless you have someone who can mentor you.

Keep good records. We take a lot of photos of every job

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[BBeerme]

Good afternoon Fellow mechanics, I am new to this site and this is my first post. I have been in the business for roughly 18 years. About 2yrs in residential and about 16yrs in commercial and heavy industrial. and am trying to decide if I should venture out on my own. Any insite or thoughts appreciated. Thanks

You might be a very good Tech, but being a successful business owner takes a different skill set.

None of us reading this has any clue whether you have that skill set or not.

[timebuilder]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I will expand on my thinking about this.

The first commonality among business owners I have known: the business is their life, nearly 100% of the time. It is an entity with a constant need to devour your time.

The second is nearly as pervasive: most of the owners I have known are people that I do not want to become. Nearly humorless, unable to have joy in their lives, and basically shadows of who they could be. Many top level managers are similar types. Unable to enjoy life at all. They tell themselves they are happy, as they self-medicate with alcohol or something else.

Many years ago, I decided that the need of a business to take over your life is so overwhelming that few are able to handle it and live life.

Now, maybe someone reading this thinks I am way off. That's good, because it may mean that you are one of the exceptions. OR, you are not, and are deluding yourself. I have only met a few thousand business owners. There are literally millions that I have not met.

So, all other aspects aside, I don't want to become one of the majority of owners I have met. I won't give up joy, and I won't give up all my time.

I have explained this to business counselors. They look at me like a zombie....as if I am not supposed to admit this to anyone.

So....... I have not been forced into becoming an owner by necessity, and I have decided I won't become one by choice.

[TechmanTerry]

Why are you going into your own business? That tells a lot,right there! You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine.

I agree w/ timebuilder and his thinking.

[BBeerme]

Interesting story. And cites the exact reason I have never had the desire to venture off on my own.

Let me tell you about where I work now. There are essentially two owners. And have a bunch of office staff. The idea is that they would rather pay others to do all of the busy work.

Are they involved with the day to day stuff? ABSOLUTELY!!

Do they need to deal with the stuff techs never have to deal with, absolutely.

The point I'm trying to make, is they know they need a personal life. On a side note, one of the things they like to do is build and race cars. Not in the big league, but what they do gives them a great release and joy. Build and engine, then race it till blows up, rinse and repeat. LOL

I mentioned this in another thread, but I will expand on my thinking about this.

The first commonality among business owners I have known: the business is their life, nearly 100% of the time. It is an entity with a constant need to devour your time.

The second is nearly as pervasive: most of the owners I have known are people that I do not want to become. Nearly humorless, unable to have joy in their lives, and basically shadows of who they could be. Many top level managers are similar types. Unable to enjoy life at all. They tell themselves they are happy, as they self-medicate with alcohol or something else.

Many years ago, I decided that the need of a business to take over your life is so overwhelming that few are able to handle it and live life.

Now, maybe someone reading this thinks I am way off. That's good, because it may mean that you are one of the exceptions. OR, you are not, and are deluding yourself. I have only met a few thousand business owners. There are literally millions that I have not met.

So, all other aspects aside, I don't want to become one of the majority of owners I have met. I won't give up joy, and I won't give up all my time.

I have explained this to business counselors. They look at me like a zombie....as if I am not supposed to admit this to anyone.

So....... I have not been forced into becoming an owner by necessity, and I have decided I won't become one by choice.

[Adlerberts-Protege]

We all have to find that one thing that helps us cope with life and eventual death. I probably drink too much alcohol but I dont go overboard and I have fun with it. I have met a lot of interesting and remarkable people in the last 42 years. Wouldnt change a thing. Oh, and I have done the business thing a couple times. No thank you anymore.

[timebuilder]

Interesting story. And cites the exact reason I have never had the desire to venture off on my own.

Let me tell you about where I work now. There are essentially two owners. And have a bunch of office staff. The idea is that they would rather pay others to do all of the busy work.

Are they involved with the day to day stuff? ABSOLUTELY!!

Do they need to deal with the stuff techs never have to deal with, absolutely.

The point I'm trying to make, is they know they need a personal life. On a side note, one of the things they like to do is build and race cars. Not in the big league, but what they do gives them a great release and joy. Build and engine, then race it till blows up, rinse and repeat. LOL

I'm sure there are exceptions. Yes.

I wonder what they went through to get to that point......

[BBeerme]

They can tell horror stories. One has the tech experience, and the licenses, the other (both actually) deals with the techs and sales. Sort of difficult to tell too much more on an open forum.

I'm sure there are exceptions. Yes.

I wonder what they went through to get to that point......

[STEVEusaPA]

I’m perfectly glad I’m a business owner, 1 man show with a part time helper.
Yes I work more than 40 hours a week, sometimes much more.
I take all the risk, and I reap all the rewards. I can work as much or as little as I want.
It has afforded me a nice lifestyle. I’ve earned, saved and invested wisely, and @ 54 I can seriously consider selling and retiring. I wouldn’t have all I have busting my hump working for someone else.

It doesn’t have to be the soul sucking, life draining experience some of you others seem to think it has to be. Seems like the negative comments are from people who never owned a business.

True it’s not for everyone.

My simple philosophy about owning my own business:
Owning my own business is like pizza or sex...when it’s good, it’s great, and when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.

[ga-hvac-tech]

IMO... running ones own business is a blessing and a curse... depending on how one manages it (or lets it manage them).

I have been self employed (with a few short exceptions) since 1979...

There were times I worked 7 days a week... and there were times I took a month off...
And there were times I did things I did not want to do, to avoid going broke and loosing my home and business.

I have learned to pay attention to the subtle messages from my body and soul (mind/emotions)...
And work hard when it is necessary...
YET...
To know when it is time to schedule a day off...
Or to tell a customer 'no' or 'NO' or 'H*LL NO"...

And along the way, I have a couple of hobbies that fill in and give me a diversion.

So IMO... yes, lots of folks let the business consume their lives...
Yet it was a choice they made...
Which folks can choose to make or choose to not make.

[TechmanTerry]

I enjoy being in my own Business.I enjoy being in the HVACR Profession. I enjoy going to Schools/Classes/Seminars to learn this HVACR stuff.I enjoy "practicing my Profession". I enjoy TOUGH JOBS. I enjoy customers that pay for all of that "enjoyment".

And being in Business is a "paperwork PITA". I find that for every hour in the field there is a 1 hr "in the office" job also.

[paklein]

Speaking from personal experience, I went from working for other people in 2000 to starting my own business from scratch. I can say without ANY hesitation that I prefer working for myself. Even with all the headaches and crap you have to put up with from running a business.

I did about 12+ years in the IT field and got laid off in 2000 when the .COM bust happened. Did some framing and painting as a teen, so I decided to become a handyman and work for myself. Lean times back then. After a few years I had built it into a successful home remodeling business. I learned a LONG time ago that TRUE happiness and satisfaction doesn't come from making a ton of money, or amassing the most toys. I learned that the important things in life are the intangibles; things like family, health, friendship, honor, integrity, empathy, etc. I don't have to be rich, or amass the most toys to be happy.

The other thing I learned from stating my own business is that you REALLY need to LIKE the job you are doing. I don't care how much money you make....if you don't like your job it will always suck. I truly LOVE doing the work I do! I fix things with my hands, and there is something deeply satisfying in doing that. I help people make their vision come to life. Now days, after turning 56, I am more of a general contractor in the residential field, and have subs for most of the trades and I get to focus on coordinating everything to happen. I also get to cherry pick things I WANT to do like moulding and high end custom stuff.

Bottom line....the hours are a whole lot better and the boss is a whole lot nicer. If I'm not feeling it on any given day, I take a day off....and don't have to justify it to anyone but myself.