• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Compensation for weekend work?

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Early days, we were open 7 to 5, Monday through Friday and Saturday from 8 til 1 o'clock. Personally, I didn't mind, made money to keep everyone happy and still had plenty of time to give to the family. Worked many evenings to make sure we built a good customer base. Kept everyone happy on all fronts.

As time went on, gradually 7 went to 8 then to 8:30, but always 5, although I still worked many evenings to catch up. Stopped the Saturday hours in 2000. Figured by appointment was good enough..... and they paid for it.

Today, I try to keep it to a minimum, as now that we have a good customer base, it's easier to do. Worked a handful of Saturdays in the last 5 years.

My dad worked shift work. Seemed like he was either working or sleeping. Saw less of him, then my family did of me.

As you get older and more established, it seems like you can set your hours and demand better pay and overtime pay. You say it and walk away. Let them chase you..... if you have the work. That's the whole idea of weeding out your p!ssy customers and settling for the good ones.

Good luck. If you can afford it (meaning you don't need the work), then charge out the wazoo and don't look back. They'll either cave or come back next Tuesday. If ya ain't gonna get paid for your time, then do something ya like not getting paid at doing..... like fishing or being with the family..... or just watching an old movie with a cold beverage in your hand. Ahhh, that's the ticket.
 

DerbyCitySignGuy

New Member
I agree on the arbitrary construct, but just like we must sleep every night in order for our bodies to refresh/rebuild, we need time for our body and mind to get away from work and do other things that matter.

Those who ignore "time" usually pay for it with health problems...

Joking aside, I totally agree with you. I think a lot of the European and Scandinavian countries have the right idea. We tend to work ourselves nearly to death in the Americas for various degrees of reward. Working 50, 60, 70, 80+ hours a week is insane and isn't healthy, yet here we are. I will say that I get a certain amount of satisfaction in working, especially when it comes to actual manual labor, but that doesn't change the fact that we should be striving to work LESS hours every week.

It's pretty clear that there are far more benefits to working less (including increased productivity, which seems counterintuitive until you stop and think about it) and taking more time off, but for some reason we're stuck in "our way" of doing things. Maybe the following generations will figure it out.
 

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
Time is an arbitrary construct of man. Don't be beholden to any clock or calendar.

WRITE YOUR OWN DESTINY.

Unless, of course, you want to work and play with others. Language is also an arbitrary construct, do you propose a babblesque existence as well as a timeless one?
 

EffectiveCause

Premium Subscriber
Personally I'd charge double for the labor. When I was younger I didn't mind working 80+ hours a week because that's what was needed to pay the bills. But now I can work 40 hours a week and make just as much. And with 5 kids and 1 on the way weekends are precious family time that I don't feel last as long as they should anyways. I don't mind sacrificing the occasional weekend for a customer I know really needs something done, but it's going to cost.
 

Solventinkjet

DIY Printer Fixing Guide
I always find it interesting when people are proud about working 7 days a week. You only get one life. I work so I can afford to live my life not the other way around.
 

Johnny Best

Active Member
All work and no play, as the rock gets pushed up the hill
saturdayfun.jpg
 
Last edited:

TimToad

Active Member
Your competitor is way ahead of you. Surfing during the day? Never works weekends? You are pushing rocks up hills? Who do you want to be? I want to be surfing and not working weekends and not pushing rocks up hills...

Actually not if you knew as much as we do about the full picture. I'll take our superior reputation for reliability, timely responsiveness and most likely better profitability with less debt load over the long haul. The phrase pushing the rock up the hill is just a euphemism for having a decent work ethic, not necessarily being a slave to something or doing anything for less than what its worth.

We're doing great financially, work a reasonable schedule despite our midwestern upbringing which typically defines people by how hard and long they work, our reputation is excellent and we "want to be" known for doing great work at fair prices while being highly relied upon by our clients while also doing plenty of good deeds within our community.
 

TimToad

Active Member
I always find it interesting when people are proud about working 7 days a week. You only get one life. I work so I can afford to live my life not the other way around.

I've read every post in this thread and can't find a reference to anyone working seven days a week, being proud of doing so or struggling with their work/life balance.

Just more grist for the mill of misperception about others who folks know little about.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Perhaps he said it with tongue in cheek, as many have said, they'd basically do what it takes to keep customers and/or work going out. I would presume it makes more sense, than your euphemism for having a decent work ethic. I've never heard anyone say that pushing rocks relates to a good work ethic, but more as to doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Why is it, when Colin put you in your place, you apologized and kissed butt to make up saying you weren't given full information, but player gets beat up and then you offer up lots more information afterwards ??

You toad, back-pedal so much, it ain't even funny. Double standards is your MO. You think the rest of us here, other than your posse, don't see through this crock ??

Again, here you are..... railroading still someone else's thread. :sleepin:
 

Andy D

Active Member
It just seemed odd that he views his time as valuable, but not mine.
Not really, it's the customers job to want a great product, pay very little for it, and get it on their time line...
It's your job to set them straight, too many business's allow their customers to run their sign shop.

To answer your question directly, years ago I worked for a sign company that only did national accounts, so because there wasn't
a conflict of interest, I ran a small sign shop out of my house on the weekends. My rule of thumb was $250 in my pocket profit per day
I gave up.
So in your case, regardless of what I was charging for the vinyl and labor for doing it thru the week, I would add $300-$400 to it and buy some cool gadget with the money.
 
Last edited:

gabagoo

New Member
Like Gino said, in the early days I used to work many more hours than now, trying to get established. My mindset now is I don't mind coming in the odd Saturday morning during the winter months or rainy days as I have a horrible habit of not sleeping much past 6am. I feel that it can make the following week a little less stressful to get certain jobs out of the way and Saturdays are different. No phone calls and I can work at my leisure with no interuptions. I don't generally charge more for weekend work for my regular clients but I don't think I would be so nice to new clients.
I also slip out the odd afternoon at 1 pm during the summer to go golfing and just forward the phone to the cell and tell people I'm out on an install.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
I used to put a value on my Saturdays of $400. I wasn't going to do anything on a Saturday if I didn't pocket $200 for a morning or $400 for the day. That figure was what I figured I was spending per day taking the family on vacation. You want me to give up a day with the family now, you're paying for a vacation day with them later.
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
I used to put a value on my Saturdays of $400. I wasn't going to do anything on a Saturday if I didn't pocket $200 for a morning or $400 for the day. That figure was what I figured I was spending per day taking the family on vacation. You want me to give up a day with the family now, you're paying for a vacation day with them later.

$1000 for me... Rare that someone wants to pay that much but some have.
 

Geet Faulkner

New Member
You've been at this plenty long enough to know the answer to that one. I base it on how much we value the client, how much work they send our way each year, how much of a PITA they are during our interactions.

25-50% does not seem out of line.

Now about those banker hours you're working. It's really hard to empathize with your dilemma when you're not even open for 8 hours on a daily basis. Your client be looking at that also.
well said!!!
in the end we run our businesses the way we want to.
 

Terry01

New Member
Bought an XC540 here yesterday (Saturday). Ink carts were damaged from a workshop shift. Ripped an old FJ that I had laying in the yard apart. 3 hours later I did a test print with it after changing out the parts and flushing the heads..Perfect.. Paid $150 for the XC. the FC was retired years ago..will sell it and have a month off..Weekend work is hard..
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
Bought an XC540 here yesterday (Saturday). Ink carts were damaged from a workshop shift. Ripped an old FJ that I had laying in the yard apart. 3 hours later I did a test print with it after changing out the parts and flushing the heads..Perfect.. Paid $150 for the XC. the FC was retired years ago..will sell it and have a month off..Weekend work is hard..

You just couldn't wait till Monday huh?
 
Top