The following are questions people ask when they respond to the ad we place in the paper.
I SAW THE AD IN THE PAPER AND WOULD LIKE INFORMATION??
We are looking for CONTRACTORS to do the repair projects for our properties.
There are TWO TYPES OF CONTRACTORS.
1. LICENSED CONTRACTORS have gone to school,
taken tests and are licensed by the California Contractors Board. I believe there are apprenticeship
requirements too and they are bonded. They are in business for themselves but obtaining the license
is time consuming and expensive
2. HANDYMEN are in business for themselves too . . .
but it takes very little to start. They do not have to take tests
or have a State license. Technically they should have a city business license but those are very inexpensive
- like $12 per quarter. Handymen are allowed to do work that totals less than $500.
Mostly we hire HANDYMEN. We prefer handymen who have a city license (not
a state license) which in Holtville costs $12 per quarter and requires filling out a page or two of information.
Occasionally we do need to hire LICENSED CONTRACTORS like when we need to replace a roof - which is
a job way bigger than $500. We have one property that needs to have the foundation replaced - at least a $5000 project
and if you know a licensed contractor who can tackle that project, send them our way. We can schedule
our project to fit in conveniently with theirs but in return we usually expect to pay less than the usual high contractor
bids.
WHAT KIND OF SKILLS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR??
We need all kinds of skills. From plumbing and electrical, to yard work and painting. And everything
in between. Our favorite Contractors are the ones who have multiple skills and could in theory build a house
by themselves. I say in theory because we have never built a house and dont plan to either.
Our company buys fixer uppers and our projects are almost always small ones. Many many small projects. Working
on older houses often requires fairly high level skills. So we are not looking for "helpers" but competent unsupervised
business people.
ARE COMPUTER SKILLS SOMETHING YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
Yes, One skill I am always looking for is COMPUTER SKILLS. I dont know whether we dont pay enough
or I just dont get along with computer people very well, but I sure have had a hard time finding someone who can take on some
of our computer projects. We muddle along with Dave's knack, Julie's high school classes, and my determination.
If you have computer skills and still can talk and act like a human being, give me a call. We need
someone to replace the hard drives of the laptops I buy on Ebay, and to obtain domaine names etc. Oodles of projects
for the right person.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SKILLS YOU LOOK FOR??
Sometimes we need HOUSEKEEPERS who do some personal assistence as well. I just talked to someone
who was paid by the State of California as a caretaker under the 1099 program.
Which is how we pay as well. We need people who can do a mix of home housekeeping,
and apartment or motel room cleaning, in Holtville as well as Jacumba. People who can
travel to Jacumba in the summer and spend at least 4 nites per week either with family or friends who live
nearby or in a trailer we provide. The housekeeper needs to be comfortable working alone at the cabin all day long and
sleeping in the trailer at nite when no one else is on the property. The housekeeper
unlike the Handyman has to speak quite a bit of English. The ability to smile and some people skills make
a difference as well.
SO YOU NEED PEOPLE WITH HANDYMAN, COMPUTER AND HOUSEKEEPING SKILLS. ANY OTHERS??
Well since you ask . . . our eventual goal is to purchase property in Mexico and we need an attorney
to help us establish a Mexican Corporation - preferably someone with lots of experience in real estate. We will
eventual need someone to help us look for property to purchase. To start we are looking for something small close
to the East Side border crossing. Possibly land with no structure but we love those old falling down adobe houses people
in Mexico seem not to value. Eventually we want to buy acreage in a place high enough to be cool in
the summer - kind of like Boulevard or Julian "South". In the mean time we do dental work in Mexicali and of course
Auto Repairs. We consider ourselves to be "Border Residents" - we live and work on both sides of the border.
COULD YOU DESCRIBE SOME OF THE HANDYMAN PROJECTS YOU DO??
Yesterday, a handyman installed a ceiling fan, and laid tile in a bathroom at the Klassy
Karrot. Today several people are car pooling to go to Julian where our newest property is located. One
person will be painting rails. Another person will clean carpets. A third person will rehab interior doors.
Dave my partner will reinstall vandalized light fixtures. In a couple of months we expect to
make a visit to Los Angeles to replace a hot water heater. Any plumbers out there up to a few days in Los Angeles.
ARE THERE ANY DISADVANTAGES TO BEING IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF??
The main disadvantage is that you will not have an employer who is withholding taxes for you so
you can not expect money back at the end of the year but instead might need to pay some money to the IRS. Having to
pay money to the IRS instead of getting it back can be quite a shock if you are not used to it. It would be smart to
start a tax savings account and deposit at least 15% of at least half of your gross business income into the account.
If on the other hand you are employed part of the year and usually get some money back from the employment,
that might be enough to pay any monies due for your business income. One way or another when you are in business for
yourself you can not be mindless about your taxes.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS?
There is a neat website called Wise Geek which has some interesting info on the system described above.
I bet Wikipedia has good info as well. IRS booklets are also suprisingly easy to read. Wise Geek seems to
have info about ways in which people abuse the system. We value ethics so I dont expect that anyone will find that
we abuse the system in any way.
I WANT TO BE IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF. HOW DO I START??
America truly is the land of freedom when it comes to being in business for yourself. It really requires
nothing more than the decision to be in business. You should name your business but if you use your own name as in "Mike's
Repairs" you do not need to file any kind of special paperwork.
Even taxes are very simple. A Handyman is required to add a Profit and Loss Statement
(Schedule C) to their ordinary (1040) tax returns. Turbo tax can do this, or any tax person or company like H &
R Block. Or you can learn to do it for yourself. It is remarkably easy.
WILL I RECEIVE A W2??
No you will not, but you will receive a 1099 if we paid you more than $600 during the year.
The 1099 will report to the IRS the total amount we paid (cash as well as checks) but unlike a W2
the amount we pay you is not the amount you will pay taxes on because you will deduct expenses and pay only on your PROFIT!!!
HOW MUCH TAXES WILL I PAY??
A benefit of being in business for yourself is that all your expenses related to the business are
tax deductible. Expenses such as auto, clothes, office, advertising, phone etc. I am not a tax accountant so verify this for yourself but my impression is that if you go out to dinner with
your wife and the two of you discuss the business for even part of the time, the meal is tax deductible. Many
businesses lose money for the first few years. Expenses can be greater than the income. A business can literally
reduce taxes owed for employment income. It is best to keep receipts and/or a daily journal
but if you dont have them I believe it is best to deduct the expenses anyway altho you have to be prepared that the IRS
might disallow the deductions if you were to be audited. Set aside a bit of money just in case, but only some tiny percentage
of businesses get audited at all, and very small businesses even less often especially if you figure your taxes
in a standard way so that your return does not trigger any special interest. I believe that deductions for
a home office for example have been so abused over the years that deductions for a home office trigger IRS interest nowadays.
If income is over $400 per year (again I am not an expert, please check with your own tax professional or
read the IRS booklets for yourself) you owe 15% self employment taxes. (15.3% ?) With deductions for
expenses you might pay less than you would for comparable income for employment.
CAN I BE IN BUSINESS PART TIME AND EMPLOYED THE REST OF THE TIME??
A handyman business can be conducted during weeks or months when employment is not available.
Great opportunity for people who work seasonally. We are not generally able to hire people who are only
available in evenings or on week ends but we often hire people who are available only seasonally.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO TO START MY
HANDYMAN BUSINESS??
Well, you really ought to get some business cards. Does that sound expensive? Yea if you go
to a printer, even on line, the cost could be $200 or more. But there is usually a cheaper way of doing things.
The key is that cards do not have to be on card paper to function as a way to promote your business. Hand draw
10 cards on a single sheet of ordinary copy paper, make 10 copies and voila for pennies, the handyman has 100 cards.
With a computer the cards can look very professional and can be made literally in minutes but hand drawn has a
certain attraction too. Pass the cards out to friends and neighbors and put them on bulletin boards
and before you know it, you may be too busy to work for us.
You can also advertise in the newspaper. The IV Press is pretty spendy but the White sheet only
costs about $50 per month.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU PAY??
The contract states that we pay no later than the Friday following the end of the week in which the work
was done. But we usually pay by the following Tuesday in time to get to the bank by about 3pm. If
the contractor needs to be paid immediately they must arrange it in advance. WE PAY BY CHECK. We
occasionally pay cash the first time or two but we report cash payments just like checks. No one has ever had to "hunt
us down" to get paid. We have never failed to pay anyone. No check has ever bounced. Checks can be cashed
across the street at the bank.
WHAT HOURS WILL I WORK??
As a person who is in business for yourself, you decide your own schedule. You decide when to work,
how many hours you are available, when you have to go to the Doctor, go on vacation, or have other jobs and
of course other clients. We do expect that if you have committed to do a project at a given time that you will generally
abide by your word, or at least give us 24 hrs notice. We do not repeatedly contract with people who do not
keep appointments. We can not plan around that kind of unprofessional behavior.
Because we are not employers and work is not always needed, Handymen sometimes work a lot for a short
time, and other times not at all. Some people work more than others.
it depends on skills and compatibility. A person with lots of skills is going to be needed more often
than someone who can only do concrete or only painting, or only laying tile or only any other single thing. For that
reason we have often worked with semi retired builders. People who could build a house but really dont
want to anymore. Because you might not hear from us for weeks or months at a time, you need to make sure
we have your up to date contact info. It doesnt hurt to check at least once every 6 months to make sure your info is
not lost somehow.
I LIVE IN YUMA. WOULD THIS WORK FOR ME?
Yuma is at least 45 miles from Holtville. Travel nowadays costs a minimum of 30 cents per mile so
the drive back and forth would require 2 hrs time and $30 so chances are it would not work.
I LIVE IN MEXICALI. IS THAT OK?
Living in Mexicali makes a lot of sense and we hope to do it ourselves some day soon. The border wait
can be long but we are very close to the East Border Crossing. The actual miles from our Mexicali auto mechanic for
example to the Klassy Karrot is less than 15 miles. If you dont mind the border wait, living in Mexico is fine with
us. We dont mind making phone calls to Mexico either. But do remember that we require you to have a social security
number and that the number, name and address match. One advantage to being an Independent Contractor is that you can
arrange your work times to coincide with shorter wait times at the border. The wait time the day after a 3 day
holiday can be hours. So just plan to cross at noon or even the next day. Just be sure to let us know so we can
plan around your available times.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT??
A MAJOR requirement for being one of the business people we hire repeatedly is to be extremely
conscious of safety for self and others. We are safety NUTS! We are spiritually minded, and we value a pleasant
work environment and good relationships above all else. Handymen are often surprised at the productive but non stressful
work environment we try to create.
CAN I WORK WITH ANOTHER PERSON??
Typically people ask to work with a partner, friend, helper or relative. Unless
a handyman can prove that anyone working under or with them is covered by workmen's comp and all employment
taxes are being properly withheld, we want the person we hire to do the work to be the one doing the work. If
you have a friend who also wants to work, have them start their own business, sign a contract with us and fill
out the W9 etc.
CAN I RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AT THE SAME TIME AS BEING IN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF??
We use the information supplied in books like Nolo Press's "Hiring Independent Contractors - the Employer's
legal guide"
to determine how we do things. But not all subjects are covered. Unemployment insurance
is not an issue for us.
We report what we pay 1 time per year on a 1099 and the form does not ask for any information other than
1. name of contractor
2. address of contractor
3. social security #
4. Total amount we paid the contractor during the prior year.
The total amount paid is of course the gross income from which the Contractor subtracts
expenses in order to calculate
taxable income.
The form asks for no information about when we paid.
I have never applied for unemployment insurance in my life, having always been in business for myself so
what do I know. But as a favor I was trying to research the rules regarding unemployment on
the internet and I ran across a site that suggested Contractors are not obligated to report pay from a business
as long as they are looking for and available for employment. But that may have been a different state. I was not able to verify the information so you really have to check that out for yourself. It
did appear that the penalty for false claims is remarkably mild even for serious fraud like collecting for multiple
social security numbers. Apparently the penalty is being required to pay the money back - with a fine maybe?
On a different subject but related to unemployment. . . Some people need to prove
they are looking for work by submitting applications. I suspect that because we are not hiring employees,
and dont do either applications or interviews it is a waste of time to contact us for that reason. It
certainly is a waste of our time.
EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR???
I place ads in the paper and often get calls from people who ask "Exactly what are you looking for".
The answer would be easy if we were looking for someone to fill a "job" - with some precise job description. The
question typically comes from people who have never worked anything other than a job and they find the ad confusing. So
this page on our website is an attempt to answer that question. Here is a one paragraph answer . . .
We are looking for people who will be available on an ongoing basis or at least seasonally, who have the
skills needed to repair properties and who either are already or want to be in business for themselves.
We do not have a specific hole that needs filling. Instead we organize around the people who are available
to us as long as they are self employed ie in business for themselves.
I'D RATHER WORK FOR CASH!
Sorry working for "cash" is illegal and not something we do. If you are not willing to fill
in a W9 and add a schedule C to your 1040, and be paid by check, please dont waste your time or ours. As
an aside - the Federal Government expects the social security # and the name and the address to match and there are penalities
for lying on a W9.
I'D RATHER BID ON PROJECTS.
I would rather have people bid on projects too. But we work on old buildings and it is very difficult
to figure out how much something is going to cost in labor or even materials. We often estimate how long
a project is going to take and it usually takes anywhere from 2 to 4 times that much. For example we start to lay new
tiles on a bathroom floor but in removing the old tiles we discover that the floor underneath is deteriorated particle board.
The need to replace that with plywood turns a 4 hr project into a 15 hr project. We dont have time to renegotiate the bid
every time something new pops up. And something always seems to.
So we find it works better to pay time and materials. It seems more fair to the Contractor and saves
our time.
HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY??
About half of what we would like to pay. The fact is that we live and work primarily in Imperial Valley
and we rent motel rooms for as little as $100 per week. Those same rooms would rent for 3 times that much in San
Diego. This year Dave could not find anything cheaper than $90 (per night) for 2 people for a motel room in LA.
At those rates we could afford to pay three times what we pay and have plenty left over for a long vacation.
But you might make at least as much as you made on your last "job" especially when you take into account
the favorable tax situation for people in business for themselves.
HOW DO I GET STARTED??
Great question. Here is a list of things I think you should do.
1. Read this website and get an idea of who we are and what we do.
2. Write a letter about yourself - even a paragraph or two. But longer letters are
fine. I cant make head or tails of resumes so dont send them by themselves. Include a photo
- drivers license or ? And fax or mail the letter and photo to me.
3. A day or two after I am likely to have received the letter, call
and verify that I am available for a meeting. I usually meet with people Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between
11AM and 3PM. That is 12 hrs per week and you can decide when it is most convenient for you to come in. Any
other time requires an appointment.
4. Either come prepared to fill in a W9 (social security etc) and read and sign the contract
or let us know you want to take it home.
5. ASAP bring the paperwork back
6. Read our "Good Work Habits and Good Safety Habits". Plan to read them repeatedly
over the time you work with us.
7. Call occasionally to find out if we might need you or wait for us to call you. But
keep us updated with correct contact info.
8. In the meantime promote your business to others, and learn more about how to
do taxes for a business etc. Also consider buying the city license, and printing business cards. The
more it is obvious that you are serious about being in business for yourself the more enthusiastic we are about hiring you
for our business.
DO I NEED TO SPEAK ENGLISH? ?
Not necessarily, but you have to have someone who is willing to spend time translating for you what
is written on this website or the Contract, or the Good Work Habits, etc I also write a lot of newsletters
so that people stay informed about what projects will be coming up in the near future. Someone has to be willing
to spend the time translating those for you as well. It also helps if you speak or understand a little bit
of English. But we have several fully bilingual people around most of the time and Dave has learned a lot
of Construction Spanish and I too can get by with very simple Spanish. What you really need is
the ability to speak Spanish slowly and simply so that we can understand you. Some people speak Spanish so rapidly that
I wouldnt understand them if they were speaking English. As a general rule Dave and I speak better than we understand.
Keep that in mind. Dont think that just because you understand us, we understand you. We have a simple 3000 word
vocabulary. Every native speaker of almost any language knows 30,000 words and up . . . that leaves 27,000 words
you can use that we do not understand
Here are some rules for speaking Simple Spanish:
1. Put a pause between words. I know it is natural to string words together
in Spanish but talk to us like we are Ninos or even Perros. (We have chihuahuas so we know all about Perros!)
2. Use 5 words max in each sentence . . . or 10 words at the most.
Past 10 words it becomes gobbledygook for those of us who are learning.
3. Speak in present tense only. If it happened any other time than right
now, clearly state AYER or MANANA. Dont depend on the vast number of Spanish verb forms
to communicate. Keep it simple. Recognize that we do the same so ask for clarification at times. "Ud
Quiere ya o manana?"
4. Use pronouns. Say "Yo", "Ud", "Ella" and "Nosotros"
5. Dont ask us to keep track of the nuances of Ud and Tu.
We use only Ud. Altho we generally do understand Tu.
6. Recognize that we have limited vocabulary. Be willing to repeat what
you say over and over. Be patient while we look words up in the dictionary.
7. Recognize that we use a few abbreviated ways of saying things. We point a lot
and say "Esta cosa" . . . sorry the distinction between Este, esta, Aquella, and paya (para aya) is better
left for a day off when we are not thinking about 20 other things. We also say "Yo Quiero"
a lot, which might not be very polite but it is the quickest easiest way of communicating in many cases.
8. Dont be fooled by our relatively correct pronunciation. We learned "On
the Street" not from books so we pronounce it the way we hear it so people tell us we have less accent than expected.
But that does not change the fact that our Spanish is very limited.
9. Dont be fooled by Daves apparent understanding. He often is shy about telling
people he does not understand and then when he gets it wrong all kinds of problems result.
I think that for some people speaking Simple Spanish is so unnatural they are motivated to learn English
instead. Well that makes sense since they are working in the USA. In the mean time they should
try to keep it simple for those of us who are valiently learning Spanish - Yo Estoy Apprendiendo Espanol.
I'M DESPERATE SO I'LL TAKE ANYTHING???
We hear that from a lot of people. Imperial Valley is not an easy place to find work.
But we really prefer to work with people who are NOT desperate. We actively seek people who have adequate
income to support themselves but want extra income.
We actively encourage people to find other clients. We just hate feeling under pressure to find
work for someone just cause they are desperate. Especially when we know there are wife and kids at home depending on
them. We have found that kind of pressure encourages us to become workaholics. That is another reason we
like to work with builders who are now semi retired. They appreciate the money without being desperate. So
we can tackle projects when the projects are needed and convenient not because we feel sorry for a contractor
who is desperate for work.
IS THERE A FUTURE IN THIS COMPANY??
We feel incredibly lucky that the present foreclosure economy is not negatively affecting our company.
Even tho we are in the real estate business, we have bought so cheaply over the years that we are doing fine. Since we have been buying and fixing for literally decades, we have considered the possibility of taking advantage
of this economy by buying many of the newer houses that are selling for less than it would cost to build them. If
we decide to do that we plan to do an equity sharing program. Some people might make some very good money by being part
of our plan. But Dave and I are at an age where that is a long shot. For the
forseeable future we will probably just keep buying and fixing in our usual TORTOISE fashion.
HOW DO I CONTACT YOU?
Go to the contact page on the navigation bar. You will find fax number and email address and phone
#s both for winter and summer use. Also names. You can contact us in any of those ways. But
also be aware that if we are running an ad, chances are I will be in the office available for meetings 12 hrs per
week - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 11AM to 3PM. Just come on by and say hello. Bring info about
yourself and a photo so we will remember who you are. It might be a good idea to call first to verify that something
didnt come up so that I can not be in the office. Let us know when you will be available for an initial small project
so we can see how you work and what your skills are.
IF THIS SOUNDS RIGHT FOR YOU, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU. ADIOS!
