[ALE-jobs] Linux System Administrator

[Chris Fowler]

On 03/19/2013 03:42 PM, Brian W. Neu wrote:
> but it would present a huge cash flow issue for them if everyone started
> hiring 1099's instead of employees.

correct and this has a lot to do with unemployment insurance premiums.

At least once per year my business partner and I get into this argument. 
  For him it is either money or complexity.  My argument is that my blue 
collar father, who has a successful machine shop business, can even do a 
W-2. So my dad, high school graduate, can deal with a W-2 where a MBA 
can not...

Now then the argument goes on to "I'd like to be able to do this, but we 
do not have the money".

My response is to change the plan.  If the business plan does not allow 
one to do the right things then the plan needs modification.  If it is 
required to exploit the employee then the plan needs changing.


I look at plans like buying a house.  We invest in a house, pay that 
cash, and we own it.  The problem is that it requires maintenance.  Over 
the last 2 weeks I've been doing painting work I've neglected for years 
do to having small kids that touch walls.  I'm also having to fix issues 
that builders cause to cut corners.  After having this place for 12 
years I'm investing again to keep it up.  I think many people in 
business do not understand that about their plan.  They make a huge 
investment upfront, but have no clue that their plan (not the business) 
needs maintenance and mods.  That maintenance is in the form of changing 
the plan, investing capital for equipment to support changes, etc.  They 
expect to make an investment 20 years ago and it be just as good toady 
as it was then.

I think why my dad is so successful where the MBA (my business partner) 
fails is because my dad has no clue about "business".  His goal is to 
provide a superior product with zero defects. Even if it means he loses 
money on a job he may have misquoted or made a mistake.  This level has 
service has lined him up with customers that mostly come to him via 
referral.

I think when it comes to treatment of employees I see things a bit 
differently than the MBA.  If an employee has health, money, or home 
issues then those issues will cut into performance at work.   Providing 
support for the employee will provide greater returns.  It is possible 
the MBA sees the 8-N job as their time and the employee will perform, 
but we know what humans are and they are not robots.  I was tired of 
being tired so I embarked on a plan to get in shape.  My goal was to be 
able to do things at work that did not tire me.   I work from home and I 
had noticed that when I drove to Alpharetta and back I was exhausted. 
After spending almost a year getting in shape I notice this is no longer 
the case.  Seeing the effects in what I was/am able to get done I 
pressed the MBA to invest in a $20/mon stipend for each employee to get 
a membership to Anytime Fitness.  I had a plan where AF would check them 
each month and report to us (vaguely, for privacy reasons) if they were 
meeting the target.  If so, they would get reimbursed.  The MBA saw this 
as an expense and not an investment that would create return.  If an 
employee drives an hour to work the last thing the employer needs is for 
that person to be exhausted before even starting their day.  I guess I 
see things more as cause and effect.   Making small investments can have 
a huge effect.

I expend more energy thinking about motivating people than I do thinking 
about numbers...

Chris