Adventures with Corndog: Corndog's Fish Store

C

Corndog

Lord Nagafen Raider
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Tarrant_sl said:
How did the tank turn out Corndog? Also how about the event?
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Event went well, 150 totes handed out. 6 people have redeemed their free package of food.

Tank has some angels, rainbows and a school of rummynose in it. Waiting for filtration and lighting to arrive. Or at least more filtration and lighting. Putting a new Fluval FX6 on it so I can demo it in the store and sell them.

Mostly have the next bank of 6 40 gallon breeder tanks setup with LED lighting and co2 for plants. Setup another 40g in the back for live blackworms. I'm bringing them in straight from the farms with no middle men.

My windowed refrigerator showed up from Amazon. I'm going to be selling live bottles of bacteria. Problem is that only takes up like 1 shelf int he thing and there are like 3 more shelves. It's a small mini fridge with a window and light basically. I'm thinking about possibly filling the rest with soda for sale? Hopefully my 1700 led windowed freezer will show up this week. I badly need to remove my dinosaur chest freezer and replace it with something much more attractive.

On another front, I've got the worst ant problem I've ever had to deal with. I put out some bait traps and they're dropping like flies but seems to be a never ending source of them. They're coming in via cracks in the concrete walls/around the piping. My back wall of my shop is in a hill side, not sure how to beat it. Can't spray anything because of all the live fish.

Feels like things are slowing down customer wise. Dollar wise it's still the same it seems. This week is at about $950 so far. With the 2 big days to go. Last few weeks have been 2k+ each week. With me at around 8500 for the month.

It feels like the bleeding of money has slowed down. Lots of dry goods inventory is in stock and so restocking what has sold isn't crazy amounts anymore.

Still no sign out front yet. The thing is almost done, just need a font/bolded word change on it and I can send it to print. Problem is my free labor is busy with real work and it's been sitting idle for a couple days now and only requires a 10 minute fix.

I brought on that new employee, and the first week he pulled a no show...... He has a job that works 5 other days a week. Then works for me the 2 other. He had let me know he had a house boat party he had planned before he started working for me. Which I knew about. The problem is the next day at noon he didn't show up and sent a facebook message saying he'd be in at 12:30. Pretty soon it's 3:30pm and still no word from him, didn't establish contact with him till around 5pm. All the while I had a super busy day as it was Saturday the busiest sales day. I talked to him and it looks it's gonna change to him working Saturday and a half day on Mondays.

I'm enraged that he didn't just man up to it and say he couldn't make it in. But instead left me in the dark. Needing the day off I can understand as 7 days a week can be brutal on anyone. But a no call no show I wont tolerate again. I know I'd have to be dead to miss a day of work, let alone not call to explain why I was missing it.
 
T

The Master

Bronze Squire
2,084
2
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

By far the best ant killer I have ever used. I lived in an apartment that had the same thing (built into a hill) and when it rained I would get flooded with ants. I found all the cracks they were coming through and powdered this stuff in there. No more ants. I lived there another two years and literally never saw an ant again.
 
C

Corndog

Lord Nagafen Raider
520
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The Master_sl said:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

By far the best ant killer I have ever used. I lived in an apartment that had the same thing (built into a hill) and when it rained I would get flooded with ants. I found all the cracks they were coming through and powdered this stuff in there. No more ants. I lived there another two years and literally never saw an ant again.
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Noted. I might have to order some of that up. I'm using their brand of liquid traps now. It's killing ants. but Not getting the source. I suppose if I put that at the entrance points it would stop them from coming in.
 
C

Corndog

Lord Nagafen Raider
520
130
The Master_sl said:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

By far the best ant killer I have ever used. I lived in an apartment that had the same thing (built into a hill) and when it rained I would get flooded with ants. I found all the cracks they were coming through and powdered this stuff in there. No more ants. I lived there another two years and literally never saw an ant again.
Click to expand...
Noted. I might have to order some of that up. I'm using their brand of liquid traps now. It's killing ants. but Not getting the source. I suppose if I put that at the entrance points it would stop them from coming in.
 
Famm

Famm

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
11,041
794
This is the ONLY way to go for ants:

http://www.food.com/recipe/get-rid-o...ts-ants-203233

Plenty of other places to find other versions of this highly effective home grown method. Puts over the counter ant control to shame.

I put the cotton balls on little pieces of foil but the pic of them in a bottle cap seems a good idea too. Just find any corner or other place they seem to come in from, or put them all over the place on the floors and counters. It won't take long. You'll see giant trails of ants to and from the balls first (which might help you find where they come in) and next thing you know they will be goners.
 
Shonuff

Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
5,538
791
Corndog_sl said:
Event went well, 150 totes handed out. 6 people have redeemed their free package of food.

Tank has some angels, rainbows and a school of rummynose in it. Waiting for filtration and lighting to arrive. Or at least more filtration and lighting. Putting a new Fluval FX6 on it so I can demo it in the store and sell them.

Mostly have the next bank of 6 40 gallon breeder tanks setup with LED lighting and co2 for plants. Setup another 40g in the back for live blackworms. I'm bringing them in straight from the farms with no middle men.

My windowed refrigerator showed up from Amazon. I'm going to be selling live bottles of bacteria. Problem is that only takes up like 1 shelf int he thing and there are like 3 more shelves. It's a small mini fridge with a window and light basically. I'm thinking about possibly filling the rest with soda for sale? Hopefully my 1700 led windowed freezer will show up this week. I badly need to remove my dinosaur chest freezer and replace it with something much more attractive.

On another front, I've got the worst ant problem I've ever had to deal with. I put out some bait traps and they're dropping like flies but seems to be a never ending source of them. They're coming in via cracks in the concrete walls/around the piping. My back wall of my shop is in a hill side, not sure how to beat it. Can't spray anything because of all the live fish.

Feels like things are slowing down customer wise. Dollar wise it's still the same it seems. This week is at about $950 so far. With the 2 big days to go. Last few weeks have been 2k+ each week. With me at around 8500 for the month.

It feels like the bleeding of money has slowed down. Lots of dry goods inventory is in stock and so restocking what has sold isn't crazy amounts anymore.

Still no sign out front yet. The thing is almost done, just need a font/bolded word change on it and I can send it to print. Problem is my free labor is busy with real work and it's been sitting idle for a couple days now and only requires a 10 minute fix.

I brought on that new employee, and the first week he pulled a no show...... He has a job that works 5 other days a week. Then works for me the 2 other. He had let me know he had a house boat party he had planned before he started working for me. Which I knew about. The problem is the next day at noon he didn't show up and sent a facebook message saying he'd be in at 12:30. Pretty soon it's 3:30pm and still no word from him, didn't establish contact with him till around 5pm. All the while I had a super busy day as it was Saturday the busiest sales day. I talked to him and it looks it's gonna change to him working Saturday and a half day on Mondays.

I'm enraged that he didn't just man up to it and say he couldn't make it in. But instead left me in the dark. Needing the day off I can understand as 7 days a week can be brutal on anyone. But a no call no show I wont tolerate again. I know I'd have to be dead to miss a day of work, let alone not call to explain why I was missing it.
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There's a lot there:

1- Pay the guy to finish the sign, you are losing money every minute it's not up. You are a business person, understand what opportunity cost is. A sign is pretty damn important for retailing.

2- On the no call/no show, don't give him another chance. Welcome to the world of being self-employed. If he kept you in the dark, he'll do it again. I guarantee he'll no show in the next 45 days. Some people don't understand it's important to show up to work.
 
Tarrant

Tarrant

<Prior Amod>
15,672
9,103
I'd would be more annoyed at him thinking Facebook was an acceptable form of communication than I would for him not showing up.
 
ToeMissile

ToeMissile

Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
<Gold Donor>
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Lyrical_sl said:
2- On the no call/no show, don't give him another chance. Welcome to the world of being self-employed. If he kept you in the dark, he'll do it again. I guarantee he'll no show in the next 45 days. Some people don't understand it's important to show up to work.
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I might give him another chance after sitting down and having a talk with him, any additional 'slip ups' and he'd be done. But then I don't own a business or in a position to have to deal with such things.
 
opiate82

opiate82

Bronze Squire
3,078
5
In my experiance, any time I have had someone working for me, where their job with me is their second job, it hasn't ended up working out. They end up burnt out and their priorities are going to be with their first job.

Also, a little advice. Make sure you start and keep a paper-trail of written warnings/reprimands on this stuff. In WA, if someone goes on unemployment and you can't prove via written reprimands that you had justification for letting an employee go, your unemployment insurance rates will be jacked up for the next 3 years, even if the dude only spends a week on unemployment before finding another job.

Even when I give a "verbal" warning I make the employees sign an acknowledgement form that they received the "verbal" warning. Have to cover-your-ass on this stuff. If you have to fire someone (and youWILLend up having to fire someone), and if they try to get unemployment from you, and if it ends up going to a hearing, they are set up to be extremely biased in favor of the ex-employee and against the business.
 
D

Dabamf_sl

shitlord
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I have no experience or expertise whatsoever, but a few things stick out to me

Soda in the bacteria fridge seems like it'd be against health code. I'd also be kinda grossed out seeing them in the same fridge, even though both are sealed & there's no rational reason to be grossed out.

Fire the kid. No question about that. If he doesn't have the balls to call you and say he can't come in, he's gonna royally fuck you one day. What if he's the only one in during a particular time and just decides to not come in and not tell you? No call no show seems a million times worse to me than calling and no-showing, though lyrical or whoever else can chime in more there. Plus it's the first god damn week. I've skipped on my shift maybe once or twice in my life from a massive hangover, but only when I was nonessential and I would cut my arm off before I wouldn't call and let them know.

Finish the god damn sign. Jesus

Keep the stories coming. I'm drawn to this thread and like reading updates
 
Shonuff

Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
5,538
791
It's pretty much a universal policy, no call/no show/no job. Most companies carry that policy.
 
opiate82

opiate82

Bronze Squire
3,078
5
Even with no call/no shows, you must give the employee 3 written warnings before you can fire them without getting dinged for unemployment here in WA.

I think in this particular circumstance, if Corndog wanted to, he could safely dismiss the employee because they technically haven't started working for him yet and the employee has another job.
 
Shonuff

Shonuff

Mr. Poopybutthole
5,538
791
opiate82_sl said:
Even with no call/no shows, you must give the employee 3 written warnings before you can fire them without getting dinged for unemployment here in WA.
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I'm in a right to work state, so none of that applies here. That law would suck for a small business, when you only have one employee, and they are supposed to be there by their lonesome.
 
W

wantonsoup_sl

shitlord
239
-2
I will echo with the no call no show, it's just a fine display of a persons work ethic that they would do this, especially in the first couple days.

Anyone who has started with us and did a no call no show and the boss works with them cause they had "problems" to deal with all end up quitting in some way in the future.
 
Eomer

Eomer

Trakanon Raider
5,472
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I'm so glad that a) construction companies are specifically exempt from any notice requirements for construction workers in Alberta and b) Employment Insurance in Canada is a straight tax, with no means testing, penalties, surcharges or whatever you want to call them. Your employment record is irrelevant, every company pays the same rate. And yeah, anyone who doesn't show up for work and doesn't call is pretty much terminated immediately unless they have a very good reason for not showing, and not calling. Shit comes up, we understand that. But if you don't have the courtesy to call and let us know what's up, I guess you just didn't need the job that much.
 
D

Dabamf_sl

shitlord
1,472
0
opiate82_sl said:
Even with no call/no shows, you must give the employee 3 written warnings before you can fire them without getting dinged for unemployment here in WA.

I think in this particular circumstance, if Corndog wanted to, he could safely dismiss the employee because they technically haven't started working for him yet and the employee has another job.
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Surely a probationary period applies. That would be ludicrous to be able to work 1 day, be a shithead and get fired and get to collect unemployment at the expense of that business.
 
C

Corndog

Lord Nagafen Raider
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I'm going to give the guy a chance still as it's hard to pin someone down with knowledge and only work then part time which is all I need at the moment. I won't tolerate anything else and I'll make it clear no call /no show = don't both coming back. The kid is only 21 and worked at his mom and pop's pet store his whole "adult" life. So that's going against him. With that said, he does have a large clientele that know him and hes a great worker when he's there.

As for the sign, I sent an email and facebook message, if I don't hear back by the end of tomorrow I'll figure out something else. It's just retarded that it's literally a 10 minute fix. At this point it could be photoshoped probably, one word is in the wrong font/boldness on the sign. That just need to be changed is all.
 
W

Wuwei_sl

shitlord
66
0
Corndog_sl said:
As for the sign, I sent an email and facebook message, if I don't hear back by the end of tomorrow I'll figure out something else. It's just retarded that it's literally a 10 minute fix. At this point it could be photoshoped probably, one word is in the wrong font/boldness on the sign. That just need to be changed is all.
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Call them. Call them again. And again. If they don't fix it, then go to their site, and push them to finish it.
 
C

Corndog

Lord Nagafen Raider
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Wuwei_sl said:
Call them. Call them again. And again. If they don't fix it, then go to their site, and push them to finish it.
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Yeah I would hound the shit out of them if I was paying. This is a friend who has done all my design work. I frequently get "wow who made this logo etc comments" He's really good at what he does, but for some reason it's taking a long time to finish this one correction.
 
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