The Good Helper
Let’s face it; you’re not going to install an 8’ run of 3cm Uba Tuba alone. But, finding someone who’s reliable and doesn’t want to break your bank can be difficult.
If your business is anything like mine was, the helper’s position itself is a bit of a paradox. You’ll need someone who’s always available, even though the work isn’t consistent from week to week.
On the days I was templating, I didn’t have work for an install helper. But on the days we were installing, I might need that person for 12 hours, sometimes more. This meant some weeks totaled 20 hours, and some ballooned to 60.
This is the reality of the countertop industry, which means it isn’t for everybody. A helper hungry for work won’t mind the shifting hours. If there’s a need to rush a job to get home on time to play in a softball league, that person probably isn’t going to last.
Be clear about the varied hours when you’re talking to someone about the position, and make sure they spell out their ongoing commitments to see if you can work around them. A single, childless helper may not have many commitments during the week. One who’s married, or has kids (or both) may be a different story.
Most families today have both parents in the workplace, so child-care or school-transportation issues may be something you’ll face. I had to drop my son off at school in the morning, which meant starting an install at the break of dawn was not an option most of the time.
So, I understood. If your helper is making an honest effort to be a responsible parent/ spouse, you likely also have a responsible worker – and it’s worth the extra effort on your part.
From my own experience, I’ve found it is easier to be flexible with a start time than a finish time. It’s impossible to know what you’ll run into during the course of the day, so promising someone they’ll get home at a certain time is an unwise move. If you start looking at the clock and rushing, you’re bound to make stupid mistakes. It’s better to have an open-ended window to complete a job.
If working late means missing a child’s music recital or important sporting event, perhaps the helper can drive to the jobsite and leave when there’s absolutely no need to stay. Since most of the “two-man” tasks deal with lifting pieces at the beginning of a job, this may be an option. This also works if your helper has a second job and is used strictly for the big lifts.