Add me to the Laid off list
- Thread starter ditchdr
- Start date
Sorry about your job dude. I know you will find something else soon.
Lost mine back in March. With a BS in CS and University level teaching experience i have yet to find anything. Of course I live in a depressed area even in the best of times. My resume now states...Consultant!
Good luck my friend, looks like you will be cuttin a few more lawns now. Time to expand!
Good luck my friend, looks like you will be cuttin a few more lawns now. Time to expand!
juno27f
Registered
Like Rev said COBRA is prohibitively expensive. Hopefully the lans scape business will keep you in the black for a while until something else comes up.
Sorry bout that brother. Good luck on the job hunt
Hopefully something great will come your way.
sorry to hear this. 2009 isn't the best of years for all of us workin' folks.
That's a bummer, man. Hope you can make it.
Look at it as an opportunity. It can be a good thing to get laid off if you take it as the kick in the ass to do what you wouldn't have done for yourself.
Get the landscaping thing going full blast. Spend your downtime marketing the crap out of your business, every chance you get. That will build up your business in a big way. Learn the marketing techniques you need. The info is out there.
If your former employer calls for help, say, "Sure!" Then, help them out, but before you help them, bill them IN ADVANCE for the work you do. In other words, charge them a retainer for an hourly rate. When the retainer is HALF gone, bill them for more retainer. Do more work. When the work is done, refund any overages they paid. Make sure your hourly rate is high enough to cover your self-employment taxes (about 18%), your health insurance (about 10% or more), your professional expertise, AND your profit on top of that. Usually, it's about 2.5 times what your prior hourly rate was but round up. If you were being paid $25/hour before, charge about $60 for your consulting services. Even at that rate, you WILL be saving them money, trust me on this.
Whatever you do, do NOT allow them to get time from you for which they have NOT paid you in advance. End of discussion, my friend.
Last but not least, if you have expertise in doing something like installing electronics in cop cars or whatever, realize that is VALUABLE. Start your own business doing this and take the business for yourself. This is a capitalist society and competition is the name of the game. You can do it cheaper and faster than the other guy, including your former employer.
Go for it!! You can do it and retain your self respect.
--Wag--
Look at it as an opportunity. It can be a good thing to get laid off if you take it as the kick in the ass to do what you wouldn't have done for yourself.
Get the landscaping thing going full blast. Spend your downtime marketing the crap out of your business, every chance you get. That will build up your business in a big way. Learn the marketing techniques you need. The info is out there.
If your former employer calls for help, say, "Sure!" Then, help them out, but before you help them, bill them IN ADVANCE for the work you do. In other words, charge them a retainer for an hourly rate. When the retainer is HALF gone, bill them for more retainer. Do more work. When the work is done, refund any overages they paid. Make sure your hourly rate is high enough to cover your self-employment taxes (about 18%), your health insurance (about 10% or more), your professional expertise, AND your profit on top of that. Usually, it's about 2.5 times what your prior hourly rate was but round up. If you were being paid $25/hour before, charge about $60 for your consulting services. Even at that rate, you WILL be saving them money, trust me on this.
Whatever you do, do NOT allow them to get time from you for which they have NOT paid you in advance. End of discussion, my friend.
Last but not least, if you have expertise in doing something like installing electronics in cop cars or whatever, realize that is VALUABLE. Start your own business doing this and take the business for yourself. This is a capitalist society and competition is the name of the game. You can do it cheaper and faster than the other guy, including your former employer.
Go for it!! You can do it and retain your self respect.
--Wag--
ike
Registered
I lost my job in February. Received a phone call from a fellow employee WHILE I WAS ON VACATION giving me the heads up that the owners of the company (Freightliner and GM dealership) decided to terminate the business. I worked there for over 10 years. They closed the doors and rented the building for 80k a month to NYC. About 100 employees got cut. Been unemployed ever since because of my own choosing. I am enjoying my time off. Don't worry buddy. Thing will get better in time.
