Survey 1

I haven't read this yet... How many of you guys have hired someone, paid them well, trained them turned them loose and before you know it they have opened their own striping company up in the same town. I have three times in ten years. Only good news is they are all out of business now and I am still here but they took thousands of dollars away from me the time that they were in business.. Like some of you now I use some friends, a lazeliner, string, hammer, a bigfoot like thing, and if I am lucky my best friend in the whole world my girlfriend is always there for me.

If you do train someone don't train them in all aspects of the business. Not that it would hold up in court but but you could make them sign a noncompeting clause before offering them the job.

JimJack, I have the same concern about teaching someone the tricks of the trade and then having them turn around and start their own company. I have been a one woman company for 12 years and have done great. I, too, coerce my boyfriend to help me on the occasional big job (like 1000 3 digit stencils job in a car dealer holding lot), but 99.9% of the time I go solo. I have come up with a lots of tricks and have a good system down now and actually feel like I can complete a job, layout to painting, a lot faster by myself than if I had help. I admit, sometimes I go home very tired and worn out at the end of the day, but it is very satisfying at the same time.

I'm one man with weight and before I hire I'll have a line driver. I might get occasional help on huge jobs only, but only a day or two.

one man crew for the last 5 yrs this yr i had two more less mony but i got more done because i sealcoat and therm too Dave

Faster alone than with a helper, Sundog? You must be the Bionic Woman! I find that for me having help gets my jobs done faster, with less work for me. That frees me up for more important things, like driving my boat around the ocean.

Man if I could figure out how to seal coat by my self. I would get rid of them all. I can't figure this out because I use to have a winch on the front of my truck and if I got I could be atleast 75 feet away from the truck and push the remote and the winch would start rolling up. So any of you invertors out there. Here is a idea but just don't charge my out of this world for this system. Or What about those air compressor hose reels that if you apply pressure it starts to roll up. Same thing just thicker hose. -Dean

ME AND MY SON,PART TIME HELPERONCE IN A WHILE

One man, seasonal. I have had a friend help me twice on a new job.

hello im new to the site but im a i man show works out good you could always have someone that helps out only when you get the big jobs or needing to get it done on a certain time frame good luck SKULLY