Chasing the dollar question.....

Roofing is slow here in my neck of the woods and I was just wanting some info from some of you guys that have chased the $ from storm to storm.

I am going to use myself as the example. I am in Indiana and the work is slow....the most obvious places for me to go find storm damage is either Illinois, Mo., Mn. or Tn.

Here I own my own company, sell my own jobs and do my own work.

If you were me and had to go find work, or if you have been in this postion before....would/did you....

1. Just go to another area, get a local phone number, bang doors and become a "storm chaser"?

2. Go to another state and just sub installs for a legit company?

3. Go to another state and sale for a local company?

I just have a lot of questions..some bigger than others. I don't want to just go into a town, unlicensed and start doing work.....but I dont really want to remove $1000 worth of decals off my company vehicles to work for someone else.

How did you guys do it....have you ever went chasing work? How did it go?

Thanks!

Randy>>>

Randy, if you gotta go, then you gotta go. It's happening all across the country. I am still using four out of town crews from AL TX FL.....even had one from PA ( you working yet Alan? ) Migration is just one facet of recession. If I could get out of this dump (LA) and back to FL then I would go in a heartbeat but there's no work there........ >>>

Randy, I think I would stay where I am and work on branching out into other types of work. I would contact past customers and see if there was any other type of work that they needed done and whether they could refer me to others who have any kinds of needs that I could take care of. I think that the lower the population in a given area the less work there is so you have to really keep pushing to get enough to stay busy. I have heard too many of the stories about guys seeking work elsewhere and coming out worse off than if they had stayed where they were. It would be hard to trust some of these companies out there who have no qualms about cheating someone out of money that they have earned.>>>

Only if we can garnish it with basil , a thin slice of tomato and of course Mozzarella di Bufala I just had the best Margherita pizze I have had away from home and or Naples Italy . It is a little place a Trattoria & Pizzeria in Montecito California , VIA VAI . Spectacular views , cool breeze . Nice lunch . I will eat there again before I fly home .>>>

Groovee Chuck. Would you like an Aardvark sandwich and a hostess Ho-Ho 2 pack w/ that? Wash it down w/ a Green River?>>>

Thought of this verse Frank Vincent Hoe tune

Time is money...

But Space is a long, long time! On my lonely throne In the cosmic night I ponder the vast expanses Between your puny world and mine! From my Couch-In-The-Sky, As my planet goes by, I behold all your misery below there! I have seen all your crying, and dying, And, believe me, YOUR planet is NOWHERE! SPACE is a VERY LONG TIME! (And if the equation, As set forth above, Is PROVED when we get to The BOTTOM LINE... The 'Powers Financial' I'll hold o'er your world Will complete my fantastic design!) And the whole 'EQUIVALENT EARTH' SHALL BE MINE! >>>

Well, I went to Lafayette Louisiana in 1992 after hurricane Andrew and subbed work from a local company until it ran out. I did ok but nothing to brag about. Then i drove from there to Miami, Florida and gave that a shot. But it was wayy to hard to find someone to sub from and i tried selling my own and that was too hard as well. Pretty much left that place broke. Then in 1995 i traveled to Louisville, Kentucky on the Indiana line to work a major hail storm. I started off subbing from a storm chaser but only becuase i was nieve then i guess and didnt realize this guy was a storm chaser. Within a month i found a very reputable local roofing company to sub from and worked for them for a year until they slowed down. Then off to work for a reputable general contractor who had stacked back all his roofing jobs due to not having a good roofer to do them. I finished all his jobs as well. Made a LOT of money during that 1 1/2 yr. stretch. Unfortunately i was still a wild hetheren and blew a LOT of money also. However, I did manage to save enough to come back to my hometown and start my own buisiness which is what i have done since 1996. My advice would be sale or sub ( whichever profits you the most ) ( you know your abilities with each and i dont ) from a legit local company. And make sure its a large HAIL storm. Not just winds or a dinky hail storm. Best of Luck! :)>>>

Thanks for the advice guys.

I have always been more than a roofing contractor. I am actually a General Contractor who just loves to roof and flash :) I do windows, siding, decks, fences and been thinking of going into the "no pressure" shingle cleaning business. Things are just so slow here with all the automobile workers that are out of work. They are doing work for next to nothing...

HOP......I am in Indiana, a couple of hours south of Twill.

Twill...That is what I want to do. If I have a choice, for example, I would like to go to Illinois and work for a local, established company.

My least favorite plan is to go into a town and buy a tracfone, sell sell sell and sub Jacklegs to do crappy work & run out of town with my money....that's just not my style, even if it pays better, lol.

Thanks and you all take care. Randy

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Here is what I don't understand. And it is not about you Randy, 'cuase I think you got a good idea. Or maybe the same idea.

But why not go to work for a legit contractor where a storm hit? Why go to work for a pimp, or a stormchaser? I do think you might make a little more money w/ the storm chaser/ pimp, but you'd have to lower your standards, and risk not getting paid.>>>

I have yet to own my own company. It is great to keep your guys working as much as your can, but there comes a point where you have to start worrying about yourself for once. I would scale back my employees and expences to keep me a floating for a little bit longer. At the same time , think about different ways to make money. If you have a dump truck or trailer, advertise in the local papers for hauling services (We have a special section in our local paper where you can adertise your business. That type of business is going strong, lots of work in our area, and lots of small companies springing up.

When I did have a full time job (you yourself own a company), I had three other companies that I worked for part time. In your case, I would be humble and purchase and unmarked truck and out source yourself. I have seen that when this is done, you become the most experience person for that company and sometimes more experienced then the company owners themselves. They will want your services on a full time basis because thier employees are not cutting it (but you can not give it) they will you use you for the experienc stuff....When they send you out to a job they don't have to babysit you. I do not have that luxury now days as I am on UI.

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