Adventures with Corndog: Corndog's Fish Store

Shonuff · Apr 4, 2016

Corndog_sl said:
Other business owners, do you mow your own yard? I've always been in the camp of hell if I'm gonna pay someone to mow my yard! It only takes like 30 minutes. I'll do it myself better... But now I feel like those 30 minutes could be much better used on my own business and finding time where it's not raining and lining up with my schedule where I could actually mow is proving difficult. I'm thinking it just starts becoming business decisions for simple home tasks like mowing the lawn at this point.

I don't mow my own lawn. My wife has taken over as Office Manager, and we've since then hired a maid. At some point in time, it costs more to do this stuff yourself, than to actually do it yourself. I regularly sell $3-5k a day in service fees (which comes out to over $500 an hour to my company). I can mow my lawn in an hour, which costs my company 500+, or I can pay someone 40 to do it. In Spring and Summer, I'm on my feet all day. If I'm out visiting customers all day at their lawns, the last thing I want to do is work on my own lawn when I get home.

Everything has a cost to it. Especially your time as a business owner.

opiate82 · Apr 4, 2016

Yeah, I mow my own yard. If I didn't I still wouldn't be working, I just sit around drinking a beer watching the landscaper do it. Wasn't always this way but my business is now to the point where I can basically keep normal office hours and still have enough time during the work-day to BS on RR.

Jysin · Apr 4, 2016

Lyrical_sl said:
I don't mow my own lawn. My wife has taken over as Office Manager, and we've had a maid. At some point in time, it costs more to do this stuff yourself, than to actually do it yourself. I regularly sell $3-5k a day in service fees (which comes out to over $500 an hour to my company). I can mow my lawn in an hour, which costs my company 500+, or I can pay someone 40 to do it. In Spring and Summer, I'm on my feet all day. If I'm out visiting customers all day at their lawns, the last thing I want to do it work on my own lawn when I get home.

Everything has a cost to it.

Hard explaining this stuff to friends. I have a maid, a gardener, and a guy that comes by once a week to wash my car. Granted, I do contract work and live in the middle east and labor is cheaper. If I mention to family back home I pay for all of this, they think I am some lazy rich guy. But when you start figuring your own salary and limited time off, it just makes sense. Why waste HOURS of my time each week doing this shit when it costs me 1/3 of a day's wages per month.

Kiroy · Apr 4, 2016

opiate82_sl said:
Yeah, I mow my own yard. If I didn't I still wouldn't be working, I just sit around drinking a beer watching the landscaper do it. Wasn't always this way but my business is now to the point where I can basically keep normal office hours and still have enough time during the work-day to BS on RR.

Ditto - I like mowing the yard, gives me podcast time. Now I wouldn't mind getting a maid to come by a couple times a week, I hate household stuff. Probably going to look into that pretty soon.

BrutulTM · Apr 4, 2016

opiate82_sl said:
We aren't formal sit-down, we are more of quick serve but do have a much more substantial dine-in business than your typical pizza parlor. So typically the customer's order at the front counter. While we don't have a formal wait-staff we will have employees circulating the dining area offering to clear dishes, refills, sell more beers, etc.

In-house tips are already pooled, delivery drivers get to keep all of their tips but they drive their own vehicles (we do also pay each driver per delivery to cover gas and typical wear-and-tear on the vehicle).

But yes, all employees have to get paid minimum wage regardless of tips, so restaurants that do have wait-staff would have to pay that rate. No tip-credit here in WA.

This is off-topic, but have you heard the discussion of doing away with tips? Do you like them running a restaurant or would it be simpler without them? As a customer I hate them, not because of the money but just because of the awkwardness and uncertainty of it. I would much prefer to just get a bill for what I need to pay and not think about whether I am being cheap or overly generous or what. There was a recent Freakonomics podcast about a restaurant that banned tipping that I thought was pretty interesting.

Freakonomics Radio: Should Tipping Be Banned? - Freakonomics Radio - WNYC

Shonuff · Apr 4, 2016

Jysin_sl said:
Hard explaining this stuff to friends.

I don't explain myself to friends and family on any business decisions. It's easier that way. I spend a ton of money on a bevy of things, and it's all a cost of doing business. I'm not going to explain why I spend more in gas in a day, then they make in a week. Yes, gas prices have come down, but I remember when they were high, my brother in law complaining about why I spend more in gas than he made. It's either that, or we can sit at home and not work. Maybe you should try to make more than minimum wage. Duh. The only ones that realize stuff like this is other business owners. When you really get going, you can have $30,000 in deposits come in, and have all of it go right back out again to pay bills.

opiate82 · Apr 4, 2016

BrutulTM_sl said:
This is off-topic, but have you heard the discussion of doing away with tips? Do you like them running a restaurant or would it be simpler without them?

I think it would be simpler without them, but I definitely don't want to be at the forefront of the movement. I've been following the stories and social media of some of the restaurants in the Seattle area that have started trying to eliminate tipping in preparation for the $15 an hour minimum wage and it has been a devisive issue for sure. Lot's of backlash.

One mistake I personally think a lot of these restaurants make is they try to be transparent about it by adding a "service charge" to the bill, making the consumer feel like they are basically being forced to tip. I would just build it into my pricing and be done with it.

moonarchia · Apr 4, 2016

opiate82_sl said:
We aren't formal sit-down, we are more of quick serve but do have a much more substantial dine-in business than your typical pizza parlor. So typically the customer's order at the front counter. While we don't have a formal wait-staff we will have employees circulating the dining area offering to clear dishes, refills, sell more beers, etc.

In-house tips are already pooled, delivery drivers get to keep all of their tips but they drive their own vehicles (we do also pay each driver per delivery to cover gas and typical wear-and-tear on the vehicle).

But yes, all employees have to get paid minimum wage regardless of tips, so restaurants that do have wait-staff would have to pay that rate. No tip-credit here in WA.

That leaves less areas for improvement in that area, but allows for others. You can cut a couple headcount by moving the service side to the customers. Serve in house on paper or plastic plates and in paper or plastic cups on trays. Put the non-alcoholic drink dispenser in the customer area, and a salad bar if you don't have one already. You'll only have to send someone out a few times per hour to wipe booths down, sweep/mop the floor, and empty out the trash bins. Using disposable stuff will also significantly reduce the amount of dishes that have to be done.

Borzak · Apr 4, 2016

I always had the gopher/goto guy do it. He had a 1,000 other things to do and mowing around the office and shop was one of them and it took about 1/2 a day to do.

Corndog · May 31, 2016

So I'm still mowing my own lawn due to being too busy to find a guy to do it lol. Sales this month are up 33% again from last year. I think my youtube channel is driving the traffic. Seems like someone new comes to my store every day saying they saw me on youtube.

With the increase in sales, I have many more employees than before. Normally I'd be looking to cut hours, but instead I almost need more help. I'm hoping this continues through the summer where it's usually barely break even time for me.

Kiroy · Jun 3, 2016

Corndog_sl said:
So I'm still mowing my own lawn due to being too busy to find a guy to do it lol. Sales this month are up 33% again from last year. I think my youtube channel is driving the traffic. Seems like someone new comes to my store every day saying they saw me on youtube.

With the increase in sales, I have many more employees than before. Normally I'd be looking to cut hours, but instead I almost need more help. I'm hoping this continues through the summer where it's usually barely break even time for me.

Mowing builds character. Good to hear everything is kicking ass. How many employees you have right now? We're having a hell of a time getting our 3rd but I think it's because we've been burnt a few times and our main employee is insanely good. She ruined us.

Corndog · Jun 4, 2016

I currently have 5 employees. My main employee will be leaving at the end of July. So far June is starting off rough. The good weather has finally hit our state. It's like 90 degrees today and tomorrow... No one wants to be at a fish store when it's so nice outside.

Corndog · Jun 28, 2016

So I'm still way up over last year. Weather isn't as nice, still nice but not as nice. 40% gains. Online sales that I launched are up to 10% of income. Youtube channel booming. Star employee still leaving

Tried to bribe him to stay really, He's up to making 20.50 an hour, which was a $5 an hour raise. Still leaving in about a month. I have 3 other employees, trying to bribe one to leave his other job to work for me full time. He works at a tmobile store. for $12 plus some comission. I offered him $15 and guaranteed 40 hours to make the switch. So far no dice. He currently works for me 1 day a week and wants to work more for me... I don't get it, unless he is wanting more money but hasn't asked for it.

I feel like money can't buy the employees I need. I need someone who knows fish and good work ethic. Those two don't seem to go together very often

By the way, my first lawn cut was this week by a hired service. So far I love it, I look at the lawn going, that's nice... I didn't have to cut it... Amazing.

Palum · Jun 28, 2016

Corndog_sl said:
So I'm still way up over last year. Weather isn't as nice, still nice but not as nice. 40% gains. Online sales that I launched are up to 10% of income. Youtube channel booming. Star employee still leaving

Tried to bribe him to stay really, He's up to making 20.50 an hour, which was a $5 an hour raise. Still leaving in about a month. I have 3 other employees, trying to bribe one to leave his other job to work for me full time. He works at a tmobile store. for $12 plus some comission. I offered him $15 and guaranteed 40 hours to make the switch. So far no dice. He currently works for me 1 day a week and wants to work more for me... I don't get it, unless he is wanting more money but hasn't asked for it.

I feel like money can't buy the employees I need. I need someone who knows fish and good work ethic. Those two don't seem to go together very often

By the way, my first lawn cut was this week by a hired service. So far I love it, I look at the lawn going, that's nice... I didn't have to cut it... Amazing.

Yea, good luck finding good employees in the sub-professional bracket. I run about .5-1% overall.

Borzak · Jun 29, 2016

I'm sure you get more at the lower pay rates. But I can list a half dozen or more people with very good salary ranges that just went full retard and either bankrupt a 50 year company or caused it to be sold off.

Palum · Jun 29, 2016

There are shitty people at all pay brackets for sure, but those types of non career jobs are largely going to attract failures, 'retired' people and young kids. Since the current generation has the work ethic of a sloth on benadryl overall, it takes awhile to dig out a few good ones.

Corndog · Jun 29, 2016

I just gotta keep hunting I guess. I'm not sure how much money it takes to hire competent people. I start people are $12 an hour. The problem is the job is all trained on site. It would be very unlikely someone would come from another store that was worth having. The problem is I have bigger dreams than my competitors. There was a kid running a competing store and he quit cause he was only getting $12 after 6 years of being there, and his hours were low. I can't pick him up because he doesn't want to move 30 minutes away. Another store that went out of business about 4 years ago, my current t-mobile employee ran. The fish part of that pet store anyway, and $15 hasn't gotten him full time. There is only so much money a fish store can bare and still stay in business. With my highest employee at $20.50, this is seriously getting up there for a retail job. And yet still not enough.

I feel like I need to be hiring and firing people until someone fits the mold, but would be bad for image as I look for that person.

moontayle · Jun 29, 2016

How long as you willing to let a person get a feel for the job? Because if you start training and hand them an "x month" plan to learn things, coupled with maybe a modest raise at the conclusion, that might work to weed out the bad ones and at least net you someone who takes the job seriously. At least enough to learn the basics.

BrutulTM · Jun 29, 2016

It's just going to be tough to find somebody that wants to work in a fish store as a "career". They're either going to look at it as a temporary job or they're going to be a loser. I've always thought college students were your best bet for this kind of job because although there are plenty of fuck ups in college, there are also motivated, hard working people who just haven't acquired a skill that would price them out of your market yet. When I was a security guard in college, the college kids were the only people we could hire that weren't total fuck ups. Yeah you probably won't get to keep them for more than a couple years, but in reality, the fuck ups probably won't last that long. Looking for someone who is responsible and motivated and wants to spend a decade working in a fish store is probably just not going to happen even if it pays better than most retail jobs.

I suppose women with kids might be another possibility if you are willing to work around their family obligations. A lot of women are willing to take less ambitious jobs if it allows them more flexibility to deal with their kids and their husband has a higher paying job already.

Shonuff · Jun 29, 2016

Corndog_sl said:
I just gotta keep hunting I guess. I'm not sure how much money it takes to hire competent people. I start people are $12 an hour. The problem is the job is all trained on site. It would be very unlikely someone would come from another store that was worth having. The problem is I have bigger dreams than my competitors. There was a kid running a competing store and he quit cause he was only getting $12 after 6 years of being there, and his hours were low. I can't pick him up because he doesn't want to move 30 minutes away. Another store that went out of business about 4 years ago, my current t-mobile employee ran. The fish part of that pet store anyway, and $15 hasn't gotten him full time. There is only so much money a fish store can bare and still stay in business. With my highest employee at $20.50, this is seriously getting up there for a retail job. And yet still not enough.

I feel like I need to be hiring and firing people until someone fits the mold, but would be bad for image as I look for that person.

The job market is legitimately tight. I had to put up job postings on Craigslist and the local newspaper, and it took me three months to fill a non-skilled gopher type position, and this was at $12 an hour. We've had plenty of applicants, but they had issues I didn't want to deal with (drugs, felons, etc.). We finally found someone at a skilled position, and he's worked out fine. It is better to be patient than to sully your business' name with a bunch of scrubs. Five years back, I hired a crew that I knew were going to be scrubs, but ego told me I could mold them. I'll never do that again. They'd sit in the trucks and smoke cigarettes rather than work, and then turn in tickets as completed that they never did to cover it up.

Adventures with Corndog: Corndog's Fish Store

Mr. Poopybutthole

Bronze Squire

Ahn'Qiraj Raider

Marine Biologist

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Mr. Poopybutthole

Bronze Squire

The Scientific Shitlord

Bronze Baron of the Realm

Lord Nagafen Raider

Marine Biologist

Lord Nagafen Raider

Lord Nagafen Raider

what Suineg set it to

Bronze Baron of the Realm

what Suineg set it to

Lord Nagafen Raider

Golden Squire

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Mr. Poopybutthole