Should I hire employees or use 1099 subcontractors for better quality?
We have 6 subs full time and it's burned us a few times. We go behind them on ~25% of jobs. We just got CompanyCam and that'll help operationally. But, I am considering going the employee route and paying hourly. What do you feel works best -- to maximize profitability, ensure quality, and reduce headaches?What kind of employee bonuses are you offering your team?
I recently listened to this Masters of Home Service episode with Cory Byron (WiringByron). It got me thinking, how are you all handling employee bonuses? Has your current approach improved team performance, or have you faced challenges? Share your experience below! Give the episode a listen if you want to learn about: Building a simple bonus system that's easy to manage Common issues a bonus plan can address How regular communication keeps your team motivated Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
How to compensate employees for mileage and drive time between jobs?
Howdy y'all, we're looking for new and/or experienced cleaners in Austin, TX and given the expanse of our service area (drives could be up to 50 miles) I'm trying to source cleaners who live in all four quadrants of the Greater Austin area. [Any recommendations of folks who would make great employees in my area, please shoot me a message!] Understanding that there are a multitude of ways to compensate for mileage or drive time, I'm curious who has found a balance between efficiency and cost. Say a cleaner does 3 cleans in a day and goes directly from home to their first job, and from the last job back to home. Those first and last are 'commute' drives, so we could calculate either a) the distance between jobs 1, 2, and 3, and pay per mile , or b) record the time of arrival at job 1 and the time of completion at job 3, and instead of paying per mile offer an extra $1 or $2 per hour rate so that it is all encompassing. Love to hear your thoughts - thank you!
Commission Based Pay?
Hey guys! Wondering if anyone here has experience with paying employees commission instead of hourly. How is that working for you guys? How do you have it set up to where you’re making the profit you need and the employee is happy and motivated to work hard? At what percentage do you pay? Thanks!
Where do I hire a qualified box truck driver willing to do hard work?
I run a growing local food scrap hauling and composting business in Louisville, and we’re looking to hire a dependable part-time route driver for box truck and step van work. The job involves early mornings, local routes, heavy wheeled bins, liftgates, outdoor work in all weather, and a long drive down some windy country roads after backing in and out of loading docks downtown. For those of you who have hired solid delivery or route drivers before, where have you had the best luck finding hardworking, reliable people who are comfortable with physical work and independent routes? Indeed? Amazon/FedEx drivers? Word of mouth? Looking for advice from folks who have actually found good people.Do You Train Your Team to Think or Just Work?
Every Monday, we hold a short training session with our team. We train on communication. leadership. & mindset. The reason being most tradespeople aren’t struggling because they can’t do the work. They’re struggling because they were never taught how to: Speak with clarity Handle conflict Lead a crew Represent the business professionally These tend to be the issues I see bottling up, either from our exit interviews or customer feed back or when things are misunderstood. Thats why I'm curious: Do you train soft skills with your crew?
Transitioning from Landscape Maintenance to Higher Earning / Project Work
For those who started in maintenance, how did you transition into larger projects like hardscaping and design? Did you train your existing crew or build a separate team? I’m trying to figure out the best path forward without disrupting our current operations. Any advice from those who’ve made that shift would be really helpful.
How do you handle unreliable employees in a home service business?
Hello! I run a Home Remodeling & Handyman business, and we're excited to share that we've recently expanded to include a Cleaning Division. We've noticed that in our area, many folks are eager for jobs but sometimes lack the commitment to follow through. How do you navigate this challenge? We've already offered competitive pay, which is quite high for our area, yet issues like poor communication, missed appointments, and subpar work still pop up. I'm curious to hear how others have managed similar situations and what strategies you've found effective—whether it's offering career growth opportunities, enforcing strict communication policies, or even increasing wages further. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!
