[[email protected]]

I own and operate a small painting business with one partner and we do all the work. I am considering the use of a labor service to gain helpers as we pursue the possibility of expanding this year. I am limited in my knowledge of this type of hiring. Our budget is limited and the headache of WC and payroll ect... isn't something I am willing to deal with this year. I know... you get what you pay for.

Labor services Pro's & Con's: (add to the list, PLEASE!)

Pro's:
No need for WC
No need for payroll except for what we use for ourselves.
No need to dispute Unemployment Insurance claims.

Con's:
The skills are limited
Lack of commitment
Lack of quality in many area's.

I have just recently talked with a few small business owners that have had some good things to say in this process to eliminate the employee headaches and gain some good helpers.

Has anyone here done this and what has been your experience?

J

 

[timhag]

I was a branch manager for a labor service. We paid WC, taxes and everything else from A to Z. We billed the companies for the time they used our labors. If you are going with a labor service, it may be very difficult finding a skilled painter. You may want to find a skilled labor service, they will be able to get what you need.

 

[T200]

I've used a temp service: Bad experience (painter skills deficient).

I've also used a placement agency. They pre-interviewed and sent me candidates. That was a disappointment, too, and expensive (their fee was 10% of annual wages). The only good thing was their "guarantee": If a painter they placed left for any reason (including being fired) within the first year, they would find a replacement. I don't use that service anymore--their pre-screening might be okay for clerical types but wasn't acceptable for painters.

If you're interested in eliminating the labor burden associated with direct employees, it might be better to consider hiring a subcontractor.

 

[[email protected]]

I still want to do the work (painting), it's that, my partner and I want to split up when we are about a month out on jobs and hire a helper for each of us. In this case I am not too interested in a sub, but that is an idea I may entertain later.

J

 

[slickshift]

I've had very good helpers that I would have hired full time...had they not skipped town to avoid prosecution/child support/drug lord thugs

I've also had horrible help that I couldn't leave unattended with anything not nailed down or it would end up gone, or if I expected any work to be done whatsoever

I've had guys that took an initiative and wanted to be foreman

I've had gals that just wanted to steal enough for some crack and then "felt ill" and had to go home

I've never got a good painter

 

[vermontpainter]

I've never got a good painter

I think I better give some raises next week.

 

[ar Construction]

using a labor service

@ AR Construction we have used labor services and found them to misrepresent the quality of the skilled labor that they are supposedly supplying.
.I suggest you call on your competitors whom you are friendly with and share laborers at all times when possible

 

[ar Construction]

@ AR Construction we have used labor services and found them to misrepresent the quality of the skilled labor that they are supposedly supplying.
.I suggest you call on your competitors whom you are friendly with and share laborers at all times when possible

 

[vermontpainter]

Is this possible?

 

[timhag]

.I suggest you call on your competitors whom you are friendly with and share laborers at all times when possible

 

[vermontpainter]

There are lots of painters around that I am friendly with when I see them at the paint store or around town. Would I share an employee with them or borrow one of theirs? No.

 

[timhag]

Would I share an employee with them or borrow one of theirs? No.

V, not a bad idea, could steal potential customers:shifty:

 

[The paint whisperer]

I have used one of those Day Labor services.

I used them when my exterior work required a 40' ladder.

And also, I like to use them when I do landscaping works.
It is nice to have them do all heavy lifting, digging, and clean up...

However, one time they sent a guy to help me doing some scraping, it did not go well. He did more than i asked.
He did not only scrape the loose paint, He ATE them too!
When I first saw him did that, I did not believe my eyes.
Well, I sent him back after only an hour of work.

 

[Mark of Jacksonville]

If you use a Temp Agency, you should select one that will screen for painters that possess the skill set you desire. Let them feed you employees, but by all means, repeat the process of screening the employees they send. Temp Agencies are Relationship Managers, and reputable ones will stand by their resources. I have used several, and from experience, can attest that they are not all built the same. If you are unhappy with the caliber of employee that you receive, you can often dismiss their time from your payroll with the Agency's approval, given that you inform them immediately, rather than at the completion of the job. You the business owner must still do your part, to make certain that the Agency is supplying your needs, not just placing bodies. Realize also that you will likely have better placements when you agree to pay typical painter's wages based on your area.

I would not advise sharing employees with another contractor. Several reasons come to mind. One is that the message to the employee being traded is that there is not enough work to support said employee in his current situation, therefore field other options. Also, which party dictates which employer's job will be performed first...difficult to schedule when you don't have a clear sense of all your resources.

 

[slickshift]

If you use a Temp Agency, you should select one that will screen for painters that possess the skill set you desire.

Wow...that's not even an option around here
If that is where you are...that's great

 

[[email protected]]

Wow...that's not even an option around here
If that is where you are...that's great

There are sooooo many of these services around here.... My first choice will be one that a friend uses.

J

 

[Mark of Jacksonville]

Slickshift,

Why isn't it an option where you are? Temp Agencies work to fill positions that you the customer define. Your criteria being met is their gauge for success.

 

[timhag]

We were a labor service. We supplied Heinz field and PNC park with clean up crews after games. We also serviced waste management with garbage tossers. Serviced the universities and hotels with house keepers and food service workers. Very seldom did we cater to skilled companies. If a skilled company called and needed a worker, our screening consisted of asking the 1st person that walked in the door if they had ever done such and such job. If they said they had the experience, off to work they went.....lol You have to understand this was a temp.labor service and not a skilled labor service. Also, these were not my tactics for recruiting but the companies. So, your best bet is to find a "skilled" labor service.

 

[Ethan]

.I suggest you call on your competitors whom you are friendly with and share laborers at all times when possible

I have to agree with this. If you have a good friend or neighbor, you give each other a hand when moving right?

Run with people you trust, and look for win/win opportunities.

We have shared painters and customers with "competitors" all the time.

I feel that the better and bigger your network, and the more you give to that network, the more leverage you have with different resources, and the more leverage you have the more RESOURCEFUL you are.

The more resourceful, the more VALUE you bring to your clients.

I really like bringing work to fellow competitors. It usually comes around when we need something....

This market is HUGE my friends, there is no competitor or market or anything but yourself that can get in the way of whatever your dreams are.
Just another way to look at it!

 

[PressurePros]

Different business model for me than most of you guys but this year I am looking to cut down on my administrative work. Last year I switched to all seasonal help and had over 20 guys move through my payroll. That is an administrative nightmare. This year I am blending the task with a Labor Service. I am still going to have guys interviewed, but when they are found to be a good fit they are going to be run through the agency. An added benefit is that it is that I won't have to dispute UI claims.