Looking for some career advice

sweetcheeks · January 12, 2023

On 1/11/2023 at 9:17 PM, Dano said:

The guy you work for sounds like a chief manipulator. Not a chance would I stay anywhere for that crap. If you write the checks you can keep the rest and he can find another bitch to starve out while he pretends to give a fuk. If you leave tomorrow the dealers still need an installer.

Become a vendor, don't line up to be someone else's workslave because you're scared you can't write the checks, when the money runs out he won't write one either.

Selling you fear is manipulation. It's how D-bag's get you to stay subservient.

My answer was always 'fukit I'm already hungry, I'm going to put a roll of film in the car and shake the trees. Whatever I find is mine and I'll do it again tomorrow until I can find a shop space thats disused next to a garage or tire shop. I have a friend local who just did exactly that a few days ago leaving the absentee pimp...er...owner to let him find another set of sweetcheeks to leave a handprint on.

Please read or even watch 'your next five moves' from Patrick Bet David on youtube. Best 10min you're going to spend today.

I appreciate the bluntness bro.

Edited January 16, 2023 by sweetcheeks
edited out my rant

Dano · January 12, 2023

All shot, no chaser. You're welcome.

The shop I was trained in,1995, folded from an absentee owner and I still needed to eat. I literally would roll up into a parking lot with a 20"roll and hustle the first guy I could in an old beater for $75 or whatever I could get and do it on the spot with a small torch, triming the patterns on my own car. That lasted until I could find the next better gig. That next gig lasted until I could find a crappy garage and up the ladder I went. If I ever stop climbing that's my fault. Hustle and build relationships, never have to be hungry if you have enough trees to shake and you are willing to shake them.

LB55 · February 1, 2023

On 1/11/2023 at 12:33 PM, sweetcheeks said:

Although it is my first post here, I have been reading these for awhile now and I have come looking for some advice / opinions before I really pull the trigger on what I feel needs to be done.

I have been tinting for seven years now, five for dealerships and two years in retail, where I am currently at. Was hoping to get some information regarding your experiences and if it is a common trend in this industry.. what exactly would you guys consider fair pay for the work that you do? Lets say I work for an absentee shop owner. Lets say I handle front and back end duties of the shop.. I provide quotes, schedule appointments, handle walk-ins, take calls, send invoices, as well as install for the retail side and maintain a contract with a close by dealership.

To be fair, we do have a lady who takes care of most front end aspects but she floats between two shops so she is not always in shop with me.

I get paid $19/hr and it is just me handling ALL installs and dealing with dealership bullshit. At this point in my career I am feeling SUPER jaded and absolutely demotivated and am teetering between getting out of the industry for good or thinking that maybe it is just the shop I am at now.

To the owners out there, do you work your shop full time? Do you have help or is it just you? Is it common to have an absentee owner?

I am not a greedy person by any means but it just feels so disheartening to be breaking my back and being SO stressed out maintaining retail and a dealership with what feels like absolutely no incentive to do so. At this point, I might as well just open up my own shop and make all the money but I am so over it I don't even want to deal with that. Maybe being on commission will help? Maybe salary + commission on gross profit? I don't even know.

It's funny because my paychecks now are not much more than what I made doing dealer work and I am now doing 2-3x the amount of work running a shop that is not even mine. I just can't seem to get ahead and it is extremely tiring and hard on my state of mind. I could use some help and advice and I truly appreciate you reading this. Feel free to do so over private messages, I am an open book but tried to keep this as vague as possible.

much love,

Not enough money for the value of what you bring to the business.

I would have a meeting w/ the business owner and or manager. Articulate what you bring to the table on paper and then ask for a pay increase, whether it be a higher commission rate or overall higher salary.

Dano · February 2, 2023

On 1/31/2023 at 5:03 PM, LB55 said:

Not enough money for the value of what you bring to the business.

I would have a meeting w/ the business owner and or manager. Articulate what you bring to the table on paper and then ask for a pay increase, whether it be a higher commission rate or overall higher salary.

That is good advice if you're dealing with respectable owners. If not, then leverage is the only way to pry your worth out of their pockets.

A top notch installer can command up to 40% on a w9 in most markets and often more on wholesale/fleet work. 35% is average for retail and maybe 30% if you have a base minimum guarantee of say 400wk.

I would personally begin preparing to open independently. Buy your own film and start laying it every minute you're not scheduled. When you build enough workflow go find a good space and put your name on the door. Problem permanently solved.

I always say there is no such thing as "side money" or "jobs". Making money is my job and I get all that I'm able to daily.

HobOthetinter · February 2, 2023

Hope your not at that shop anymore.

HobOthetinter · February 2, 2023

Not many shops are paying commission these days. The big money in window tinting is in 1. Making training videos (Essentially selling out the trade and 2. Setting up your own space. IMO it doesnt make sense to spend years working for a "sweat shop" in a trade that doesnt offer benefits like PTO STO Medical or some type of retirement plan. Good Luck.

Dano · February 2, 2023

6 hours ago, HobOthetinter said:

Not many shops are paying commission these days.

The installers are not demanding it or don't have a spine to allow them to walk out and set up next door. Why on earth would a good tech work for McMinimum wage under someone else? Installers owe them nothing.

WTH is wrong with these installers? If someone has skills, buy a roll of film and get busy. Are these guys just beat into submission? Lazy?

When I opened my first shop I literally went out on foot with a stack of biz cards to every buisness in a half mile radius, made local connections and 9/10 came back with a car to tint. Pounded on every dealership, rock lot and auto brokers office. Bought a used plotter and made my own store graphics, then started making them for others. No reason to be hungry or under a bad owner.

Dano · February 2, 2023

This is from almost 20yrs ago.

15gal of paint, $300 of vinyl, old classroom projector and a stack of cards. Everyone can do it if they are motivated. Wash, rince, repeat. 20190107_041841.jpg.05140c5ccc983d453b11a96ca003749d.jpg