Yes. Bought most of my equipment at that time also.
But, I will explain it this way: I didn't really ever start out wanting to be a business owner. It just happened that the two losers I was working for at the time didn't spend anything on decent equipment. When I found myself hanging paper in a 2-story foyer off of a Type III duty 20' aluminum extension ladder, I said screw this. I went out the next day and bought myself a Type IA fiberglass extension, just so I could be safe at work. Soon, I bought another, and so on and so on. Within a year or so, I was fed up with their crappy work ethics, and unrealistic low pricing, and realized that I was better equipped to be a company than they were. I had been doing sidejobs for a couple years already, so I had a few decent customers in my pocket. My coke head boss (the other was drunk) was notorious for being production minded. Forget quality, just get it done as fast as you can. He showed up at a job where I was to hang a small powder room. I had just primed the walls, and was setting up my table to cut up pieces. He shows up, sees what I'm doing, and flips out. He screams at me that we don't have time to wait for this 5hit to dry, just hang it. And proceeds to grab paper towels out of the kitchen, and attempts to wipe off the primer. I quietly just tore down my table, packed up my tools, and left. Never looked back. 4 of their 7 remaining hangers were working for me in about 6-9 months. But, it took me over 10 years past that point to begin to run it like a true business, instead of a guy who owned his own job.
Sorry for the long winded answer, but there you go.
But, I will explain it this way: I didn't really ever start out wanting to be a business owner. It just happened that the two losers I was working for at the time didn't spend anything on decent equipment. When I found myself hanging paper in a 2-story foyer off of a Type III duty 20' aluminum extension ladder, I said screw this. I went out the next day and bought myself a Type IA fiberglass extension, just so I could be safe at work. Soon, I bought another, and so on and so on. Within a year or so, I was fed up with their crappy work ethics, and unrealistic low pricing, and realized that I was better equipped to be a company than they were. I had been doing sidejobs for a couple years already, so I had a few decent customers in my pocket. My coke head boss (the other was drunk) was notorious for being production minded. Forget quality, just get it done as fast as you can. He showed up at a job where I was to hang a small powder room. I had just primed the walls, and was setting up my table to cut up pieces. He shows up, sees what I'm doing, and flips out. He screams at me that we don't have time to wait for this 5hit to dry, just hang it. And proceeds to grab paper towels out of the kitchen, and attempts to wipe off the primer. I quietly just tore down my table, packed up my tools, and left. Never looked back. 4 of their 7 remaining hangers were working for me in about 6-9 months. But, it took me over 10 years past that point to begin to run it like a true business, instead of a guy who owned his own job.
Sorry for the long winded answer, but there you go.
