doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT, career change

I never really thought much about my first career.
In fact I'm always trying to get out of work.
Too much huntin & fishing & the likes to do.
Turkey season is coming soon and I pray I don't have something more important to do

Lowell wrote:


I'm sorry to hear that and I'm glad to say my experience has been almost universally the converse. In my lurking and memberships here and elsewhere, I was under the impression you lived off the land and had no intercourse with the working mainstream.

So then, you've never had work on your house or car!

Lowell,

That is quite an accusation! You have just maligned many of the board members here. There are many small businessmen here. Some are engravers, woodworkers, gunsmiths and from my reading and dealings with some of these men I am sure they are just the opposite of what you describe. That is quite a broad brush you paint with. I think you owe them an apology.

I run a small business and I have spent 25 plus years building a reputation of being fair, honest and never cutting corners. I think you might think this through again.

Milt

When I lived back east, a buddy and I purchased a boat for the Great Lakes, King Salmon, Coho's, big Mac's, loved it!
I got my captains license and started a charter company, I ran it for 6 years, day in day out, trolling, catching big fish, watching others have a good time, some I enjoyed, some I couldn't wait till they left. Sold the boat.
Moved west to Jackson Hole Wyoming. Got a dory and started taking flyfishermen on the Wyoming and Utah rivers, day in day out, worked in the fall with my older brother a big game outfitter, guiding Mule Deer, Elk, Moose, Antelope hunters day in day out.
Sixteen years ago I quit and started selling Real Estate, now I hunt and fish with my friends when I want(when my wife will let me)no guided trips, no babysitting.
I love my hobbies again.
Anything that you turn into a job, becomes a job. I had alot of fun doing the guiding, but it wasn't usually on my terms.
My recomendation is to do a job you enjoy, that pays enough and gives you enough free time to do the things that you enjoy.

I've re-read this and I sure sound like a sour puss. Guess I'll take my kids shooting.

In 38 years of full time self-employment, I have never had a written contract with my clients. Most of the time, I have worked on verbal agreements, without even a purchase order. I trust them; they trust me. Once I was established, virtually all of my assignments have come to me as repeat business or referrals; I have never had to advertise.

Most paid employees cut corners at some time or another - gaming sick leave, showing up late, stretching lunch time, ducking out early, fiddling the expenses, hanging around the water cooler, watching the clock, trying to look busy, pretending to work. The cynics among them excuse themselves by imagining that everyone else does the same.

When you are self employed, you only get paid for the work you do.

Well, jack, it's more than the security they had before they organized to get better wages and benefits so they didn't have to live from crumbs dropped from the hands of their employers as charity.

The majority of people work for someone else. The majority does not have the independence and comfort that you have described here as yours. The majority as employees built the US to be the envy of the world.

That their jobs are being lost---"because you work for someone else"---is not because they made poor choices in careers. It's an indictment of societies where common people have little or no influence over the capricious forces controlling their lives.

To be more definitive on security, we're obliged to recognize the thousands of men and women employed in our armed forces, sacrificing their lives, some for a better life, better education, some for something as intangible as an ideal.

They don't have the luxury of you and I to cavalierly take a day off. If we are to believe our president and prime minister, they sacrifice to make it possible. They may also land on the street with "untransferable skills."

Those who work for someone else made the United States of America. I am proud of them.

What's with "comfort" and "the luxury" to "cavalierly take a day off," King? When I take a day off, it isn't a luxury. I don't get paid for not working. http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0510/17/A01-351179.htm

There's no featherbedding when you're self employed, no UAW 'jobs bank' for us, no 'golden parachutes;' no sick leave or paid vacations or cost of living raises; no health, retirement or unemployment benefits. I take my chances in the free market and get paid for what I produce, period. Freedom is both the risk and the reward of self employment.

What this thread has to do with wage slavery, crumbs from capitalists or the sacrifices of our armed forces, I leave to your fevered imagination. But it's nice to see a foreigner taking pride in my country - I'm kinda proud of it myself.

Listen to your gut and live life with no regrets. The rest will take care of itself.

The small businessman's lament: I can't get good people, for what little I want to give them.
Whats up wiff da?
Profits these days come from the employees' pockets, and cutting corners on products and services.