Earlier there was a thread asking how many are union members. How many of you have your own business and are self employed? I don't mean you tune up a few cars after work or run a trapline on your days off, but run a business to pay the bills and keep a roof over your head twelve months a year?

Do you have any employees? How long have you been in business?

I am self a employed commercial fisherman and when the season is over I used to have a home maintenance business (handyman) with 6 or 7 clients. I gave up my bond, a $1000.00, a couple of years ago and won't renew it unless things get real bad. I don't have any employees except when I crab or we have a good salmon season. The rest of the time I fish alone.

Who else is self employed?

I am.

I was until a couple of years ago. I wired data, and telepone networks.Now I work in IT for a hospital. The hours are better, and the benfits/time off are better. Some weeks the money is better too.

I've got 3 businesses that keep me employed steady. Been at it 24+ years and have no employees. My wife works with me and also does the billing etc....but that's for "free". My son also pitches in when needed.

IMO...you'll work harder and longer than any "regular" 9-5 job....because you have to. Benefits...LOL....I pay out of my own pocket. Unemployment benefits...LOL....work harder and longer to get more work.

I'm also self employeed, have six employees at present.

LOL Jeremy, of course the hours are better. I used to carry a clipping in my wallet, it said, "Work hard 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and save your money so you can buy your own business and work hard 12 hours a day, 6 days a week!"

Ole Hawkeye, why don't you go up and be on The Deadliest Catch?Some hard work there.

You mean I am supposed to work 8 hours a day? DON'T tell the boss! haha

I do, I have a directional boring company. This time of year it usually starts to slow down but this year its stopped, unless I want to do a job for nothing. I bid a job a couple months ago and I cut my price just to get the job and stay busy, that still didnt work, lost that job by almost 100,000. I will just stay home and trap this winter.

I am. 1 employee. 28 years.

Two businesses and no employees.

Fished the Bering, probably before you were born. You see the hard work, you don't see the boring part.

I am. One full time employee.

Self-employed Rancher/Tractor driver/fence builder...

Do none of them very well....

What does a directional boring company do? I'm thinking it has to do with pipelines or something.

seven years Electrical contractor. 2 employees at present. Grain farm (1500 acres) no employees, shared labor with relatives.

Paul, culvert trapping and running around talking to your friends at conventions while Mrs. Paul does all the work don't count! Ooops, can't believe I said that!

Yes, I put anything from gas lines to cable TV lines underground. Its drilling a tunnel instead of opening a trench.

I'll bet that takes some venture capitol to get started. Probably expensive equipment, huh?

Started a construction buisness building cell tower sites in 98 and averaged 10-15 employees year round. Sold the buisness in 2007. Now all my buisness is cash and no employees. Horse tradeing, breaking, and training, raise cows, and trap. Thinking of getting a real job if i can find part time or 3rd shift so i can finish my house quicker without borrowing....shane

been a carpenter for 10 years, no employees, also done like shane is thinking about, worked alot of 3rd shift jobs for extra $ and insurance. business is so slow, i haven't worked in a month. never been licensed or bonded, just sorta stayed under the radar.

We have two. Pay for our roof over our heads, and the ex-wife's over hers. :P

I have three separate businesses, and my wife has her own. I love the work, but the boss is a real jerk.

I've owned a landscaping business for the past 3 years and just branched out doing nuisance wildlife control. My company deals in landscape maintenance and installations, irrigation install and repair, water feature/ Koi Ponds, seasonal decorations (Halloween, Thankdgiving, Christmas, Easter ect.), fertilizer/weedcontrol/lawn pest control applications, as well as NWCO work that I am just getting off the ground. One part time employee and my dog is full time (she helps me on mole and vole jobs, and I can bring her to any house and she will find what I am looking for before I do when it comes to critters either inside or outside).

Very expensive to get started. I bought an existing business that came with a contract. The equipment bought new is outrageous, used is a little better but hard to find anything that hasnt been trashed. If employees had to pay for repairs they would sure take better care of stuff.

my job is coon control!!!
IW440

I was a self employed lineman for years. I would hire a local helper wherever I was. It got so being a small fish in a big pond I just couldn't make it anymore. Now I am a Registered Nurse in a hospital in mid Indiana. I miss working outside....I miss traveling.... but now my kids eat steady. I enjoy my work and when the kids grow up I'll be able to take temp assignments in far off places.....wouldn't trade my career now for nothing.... I only work three days a week... lots more time for trapping and hunting.

Artist, trapper, hunting guide, 29 years now. Trapper for 35.

I retired a few days ago. I don't think I'm going to like it!

Started my painting biz about 5&1/2 years ago. Had one employee for 3 years but haven't had to hire another since he left, work is too slow.

My parents were in business for 32 years, then retired. I went to college and was in a whole other profession. I left that profession for 10 years and left it to take over their business. 4 years of education shot to [Please excuse my language... I'm an idiot]! I have 14 employees.
I built a few subway franchises for a few years, but hated it and sold everything. Now back to the family business.
Insurance is a killer, though, as you guys know. My wife is a teacher, so she gets the insurance for the family. In the last 10 months, I ran a stick back through my eye and had to have emergency surgery at 2 a.m. 5 weeks later I shattered my knee. A few months later, my wife got breast cancer and had to to have several surgeries. Can you imagine going through all of that as a self employed person with no insurance???? We'd have lost everything.
Take care everybody. be careful out there.

I’ve have gotten to sorry to work for anyone else.

I trap full time and in my spare time I do computer repair, websites, security systems, and networking wiring. No Employees.

Ran my own tree service business for 3 1/2 years. Got tired of paying my own insurance and retirement so I went back into the water treatment field. Also have a deer processing business on the side.

I had a fence building and light hauling and clearing business for seven years. I started it when I was still working construction, doing it on the weekends. It started with a lawn service business, started doing fence and making more money, finally said the heck with the paving job, and went out on my own. I was 25, did without benefits to make more money, worked my butt of 7 days a week until hunting season started, and wasted most of my money I made! I started working for the state in 2006, maintaining their cattle, and I am glad I took that job when I did. I bought a new work truck in Jan. of 08, had one big fence job right after I got it, then the work dried up with our real estate bust. Now I get to spend alot more time with my son and doing other things I enjoy.

I am the wife and I run a concession stand I average about what I make working full time which I also do the wife has also started a business importing and selling jewelry

I have been self employed finishing drywall for 23 years and my wife has been working with me for 15 years.

The hubbie is dairy farmer, teat squeezer as he calls it. We have one guy that we hire every few months to do one or two milkings so we can get off the farm, but can't afford to hire him much more than that. I don't think I can count the cows as employees, but they do much of the work. Everybody works on the farm. Even our son who is 7 drove the tractor for his picking up hay this year. He can't reach the pedals so my husband set the speed and just taught him how to turn. I drive 2 hours a day back and forth to the daily job so we have a steady income and benifits.

tell her to get a JOB!!!!

i have a 9-5 job and also run a business that i employ between 5-8 people.
the biggest benefits working a straight 9-5 job are matching 401k, health ins. paid holidays/vacation and a paycheck for showing up.
the benefits of owning your own business can be the challenges you face, i enjoy being able to be help some folks with income, if you don't like what is going on you have the authority to change it and being directly involved in the community.

Self employed for over 25 yrs. No other job except taxidermy for 22 yrs (Ihad a beaver removal contract with the county rd. comm.for a year...does that count?) BCBS ins. is a REAL KILLER when your self employed, and the lack of retirement/pension will be a s.o.b. when I'm too broken down to work.
Can't beat the luxury of only working 1/2 days though! The only hard decission I face each day is JUST WHICH 12 HRS DO I WORK!!!!!

Self employed contractor, had two full time employees last year, and got by with a sub contractor this year. Now I teamed up with a buddy who is also self employed, we should have enough work to get us through the winter, and I should be able to hire on a couple employees again come spring.

I own a tree service.

Self-employed with family of 5 teenagers and I can shut down for 4 mths so I can enjoy a for feeling trapping season. Hopefully top out this season with a monster catch.,1500+

Started current businees in 93 and still going , but barely. I think government has about done away with legitamate small business 38 cents on the dollar for comp , with no claims in past 5 years is getting a bit out of hand.

I owned a custom cabinet shop for 5 yrs before shutting it down to go into the family business which is custom steel fabricating for mostly the mining and timber industries and we also build crane booms, handrails, and walkways for marine vessels. We are down to about 40 employees with the layoffs in the last year. Oh and I sell trapping supplies.

self-employed cage trap maker, been building them for close to 15 years and still don't know what I'm doing...... John

4 buisness 12 employees Jiffylube, Carwash, Landscape, and parking lot cleaning. 14-15 hrs daily plus an hour drive both ways. im not complaining but at times i question my sanity. working 8-5 5 days a week would be a vacation but i have a hard time dealing with big corporate politics. so off to work i go.

ADC trapper for about 30 years. Turned it over to the boy and semi retired now. Keep bees if that counts.

Been self employed sence February.

I take care of aquariums in doctors offices and places of business, and farm coral.

I am semi-self employed. I have a windshield repair business that I hope to grow to a full-time business. I also serve civil papers(not much fun but good money). These days you have to have more irons in the fire to keep the home fires burning.

Self employed here as well. Full time mink rancher. I also operated a trap supply store during trapping season and I am also a commisioned fur agent for wild and ranch fur for NAFA in the Atlantic provinces. In total we employ approx 10 full time employees and several seasonal/student employees. Self employment is the only way for me, it is way more work than I ever dreamed of but much more satisfing as well. I do work on the side for NAFA mostly just to get out and talk to the trappers and ranchers. Also helps keep me up to date on the fur markets and trends since I have very little time for trapping any more.

Im self employed. Started a lumber and millwork business with help from my parents outta high school. kept it going though college and all that good stuff.

have been going a tid over 5 years now. just and my dad work there. we have had some extra help come in when needed.

its pretty slow now, the building and economic growth are in the crapper.

Self employed Independent Financial Advisor. Used to work under a corporate logo but got tired of the mercenary attitude.

Just turned 30 last August. Been self employed since I was 21. Some days I wouldn't trade it for the world. Most days I feel like I'm carrying the world.

See sig below.

ol' dad

Self Employed 2 employees

Two businesses, one employee( seasonal )He goes on unemployment for the winter months while I am away trapping.

2 businesses w/ 50 employees total. Finally got the people on board or promoted to where I can trap for the entire season including out of state trips. Took 15 years and lots of carrying the world on my shoulders to get to that place and still make my salary while trapping. May be starting a 3rd business in Feb/Mar once I've had enough of the trapping.