Job Burnout

[John T 744]

This time of year I start to get burnout. Here's a typical day in my life. Yesterday I stained a back deck and front porched for a customer. I started at 10:00am and was home by 6:00pm.

At 8:30pm I left to travel 60 miles to do some commercial work. I got back at 3:30 am. Then quick shower and asleep by 4:00am.

Up by 8:30am and by 9:00am my wife and I took my 3yr old to her first day of pre-school. By 11:00 am I left to Powerwash a 2nd story deck top and Bottom and a Cedar Clap board House front. Home by 5:00pm and off to my other job from 7:00pm to 7:00 am which is where I'm at now. Then Tomorrow Morning I have to do Windows for his Commercial Company then off to bed by 11:00 am and up at 3:00 to do a couple of estimates then back here again from 7-7 then home to sleep 5 hrs then off to Powerwash 3 fences and a deck.(Might not complete the deck this day so I'll have to put it off for the next day where I'm booked already.

This is my life from Late March to Late October. I'm not complaining because work is plentiful but I feel like I could walk into a wall at times.

Am I the only one who gets this burnt out at this time of year?? For anyone that does what do you do to relieve the burnout syndrome.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

John,

Sounds like if you don't have one, you need a helper. Also it's hard to delegate and let go of a little of it so you can live and breath, but at some point you have to.

Send the crewman ahead of you to setup if he has a vehicle, and you have just freed yourself up for errands or whatever.

Scheduling can make it damn near impossible at times. I know others out there understand completely what you're going through. Hang in there buddy, and get a helper. Cut your job time, add a few bucks to the job if you have to for the new expense, and get some rest.

Beth :groovy:

[John T 744]

I have a guy thats been with me for 7 yrs. He powerwashers on the weekends and also a couple of nights a month doing commercial. My other helper lasted 3 yrs but his work schedule with me was getting to sporadic where he would have one excuse after another why he can't work today etc. so I canned him last month.

What I will do is hopefully build up my commercial end and get out of the residential all together that way I can always have steady help but untill then I'm not yet sure of the direction I am going except to keep working........

[Aplus 525]

John,

I think that the fact our work is seasonal is always going to be a factor in keeping you ridiculously busy. I know that for me, I have to go like crazy in order to save enough money to make it thru the winter.

Of course, now I'm doing this full time since I left the other job last year, but the workload has at least quadrupled.

It's a funny thing, I do start feeling burnt out, but then when it starts to slow down, after a week or so, I start to miss the work. It's kinda contagious I guess.

Usually I'll focus on future vacations to keep me motivated and working toward a goal. For example, I always go deer hunting in northern Michigan each November for about ten days, then look forward to southern Florida every January, for a couple weeks. Keeping those thoughts in mind makes it a little easier to keep pushing on. If I don't press on and squirrel away $$, then I won't be able to do the things I want, and that's enough motivation for me.

I too am starting to realize that commercial work is where it's at, and residential is just too unpredictable. I recently spent almost two weeks washing apartment buildings, and I really enjoyed being away from the decks. I don't really mind washing them, but the staining gets old....the smell, the repetition, etc.

Right now I've got about three more weeks of deckwork booked, and then I'll be focusing on gutter cleaning. I'm working at a large condo complex now, and all the decks are identical 9x15, with half on the ground, and half directly above, on the second floor. I've been doing 12-16 a week which has been a torrid pace. It's getting kind of boring doing the same things everyday, but at least I know what I've got lined up, and not scrambling for work. Also, the condos are in a nice area, so it keeps the scenery kind of interesting.

Ya just gotta keep pushing on Buddy!

[Aplus 525]

Here's the condos I'm working on. There are 25 buildings, each with four decks in the front, and four in the rear.

Most all the decks have multiple coats of Penofin, which is easy to strip, thankfully. Some are dark brown, some are light brown, red, grey, cedar, you name it. The goal is to get all looking the same.

We're doing them all with TWP Cedartone, because that's the color they want.

The uppers are really getting on my nerves, as they require a good amount of ladder work.

Now mind you, these are being stained by brush and roller, I am not allowed to spray here. Talk about repetitious. I'm trying to get about 70 decks finished this season, with another 130 next season.

I've got a signed contract, and after the first go-round, will be doing 100 every year, so they all get done every two years.

Good money, but boring as heck.

[John T 744]

Tony,

Amen Brother. What drives you is also what drives me. When I knew I wanted to buy the Buick GN I worked for weeks with no rest.

I have my wife's 40th coming up in 2 weeks and I am working like crazy to pay for the big bash. Also I plan on going to Disney in February/March and that is driving me.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I recently purchased a list of all the Property management companies thru the state of NY. This list has Phone #'s, Addresses etc. and the purchase price was not cheap. I will aggressively solicite them for potential commercial work. If this pans out even alittle bit it could pay big dividens. I may even give out a ton of info on how to get this list for different states and pass this info over to guys like yourself.

[Adrian 155]

Tony,

Amen Brother. What drives you is also what drives me. When I knew I wanted to buy the Buick GN I worked for weeks with no rest.

I have my wife's 40th coming up in 2 weeks and I am working like crazy to pay for the big bash. Also I plan on going to Disney in February/March and that is driving me.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I recently purchased a list of all the Property management companies thru the state of NY. This list has Phone #'s, Addresses etc. and the purchase price was not cheap. I will aggressively solicite them for potential commercial work. If this pans out even alittle bit it could pay big dividens. I may even give out a ton of info on how to get this list for different states and pass this info over to guys like yourself.

Well John, 7 yrs. later, it looks like you have overcome the burnout. Look how big you are now.

Much respect.

[John T 744]

Hey Thanks. I am still at my other job but I have two fulltimers in season and at times a couple of part timers helping out with me and my wife running the business. I do very little physical work now because I need to be out doing the estimates. My wife does all the calls and scheduling. We are happy because the size where at works good for us.

My two guys are unbelievable but to get to them I went thru quite a few guys and I pay my guys real well. So if I can keep them for a bunch or years well do very good and my goal is to keep these two happy....by keeping them busy