[pcloy]

i was going to take someone on and pay a % of all takings
what do you think

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Pay them min wage, then offer incentives for turning up ontime and everyday also share the tips and a bonus if you hit targets for each month.

Why I'd do it this way:-

They are employed for the stability of a regular wage
Many workers get demotivated so offering a carrot to get things done ontime or at least turn up everyday
A bonus makes them work harder to reach your and their goal

Don't mix work and friendship, so they leave work don't go round later for a cuppa etc also they may have a life at night as us muppets don't and eat drink and sleep carpet cleaning, get them to relax and do other things.

I sound like Baz Luhtman's "wear sunscreen"

Shaun

[Jim_77]

Not sure I understand the options in the poll to be honest!  What's looking wooker?!!

Do you run portable equipment or a truckmount?

If you're using a portable, have you thought about how the economics would work out by upgrading to a truckmount so you can get more work done in less time on your own?

Taking on an employee, you're entering the premium-rate torture chamber of British bureaucracy.  Employees have all sorts of stupid rights, like you have to buy them £££'s worth of protective clothing and equipment which they will break and/or lose, meaning that BY LAW you have to go and buy it all over again.

Employees generally don't care as much as you will if they break your machines, tools, equipment or vehicles, so they're more likely to abuse them.  They don't properly understand the implications involved if they destroy a customer's carpets/suite etc.  Yes you're insured but with a whacking great excess to pay on a claim.

Employees have this bizarre thing where they expect the right not to come into work for several weeks of the year and still get paid for it.  I think I've heard some people refer to this sort of activity as "Having A Holiday".  Must look that up in the dictionary one day.

The overheads of employing can spiral way above initial predictions, which is really what I'm trying to say

Don't just think of it as a percentage of your turnover, or a set weekly outgoing

[Matt Lindus]

Reading this just got me thinking. We're a bunch of thick b***** arnt we, that why we wash carpets for a living!!

[sherco]

I had ten guys working for me a few years ago, it was a bloody nightmare,  never again. I work on my own now its much easier and im probably earning just as much with out the hassle.