We NEED Change!
I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and I tell young kids DO NOT GET INTO THIS INDUSTRY . . . Why? Because the flooring installation industry is lacking. We are a hardworking group that doesn’t get compensated for all the abuse we put ourselves through. Flooring is TOUGH on your body, to the point a lot of other tradesman have told me that they couldn’t imagine having to do this full time. Not only is it super hard on the body, where are the compensation and benefits like other trades? Flooring doesn’t require schooling or certifications so that means we’re not worth as much? Give me a break. The people who actually take their time to educate themselves are constantly underbid by someone who is looking to cut a corner to make a quick buck.
We. Need. Change!
I was once told that I wasn’t liked by one of the flooring stores because I am “Trying to change the industry” and they thought it was an insult. This is one of the best compliments I’ve ever had, and I hope one day our name sticks out as one of the few who actually help the industry. What kind of change is needed? LOTS. Let’s just start out with the basics.
Most of the flooring contractors around the area subcontract their labor out. By doing so they avoid the costly expenses of having employees. Does it work? The short answer, not all the time. The government has processes in place that need to be followed and I see far too many “independent contractors” working for just one contractor. The problem here is that they SHOULD be considered an employee.
The second step in this is that the “independent contractor” then hires his own guys and pays them on a 1099 as a, you guessed it, another 1099 “independent contractor” doing work for just that one person.
This is where people get all butthurt when I call them out and say “it’s legal, it’s how we’ve always done it”
We have to pull it together and realize that it’s not how it should be. I started as a 1099 “employee” when I was 12 years old. The problem with this is that most people DO think that it’s ok. It’s time to educate these people. This is one of the biggest problems that I see and it’s because this leads people to not pay their fair share of taxes. When they don’t pay their taxes they don’t have to “worry” about raising their prices because well, they’re not paying their taxes.
There’s far too many flooring business owners who are GREAT at flooring installation, but lack the business knowledge to run it. This is one of the main reasons we lack the benefits other trades have. When you can’t even classify employees right, how is it possible to establish a benefits package? How can we as an industry compete and get new young talent, when a factory can start someone out at $14-$16 an hour and have a benefits package of paid vacation, retirement, health, dental and life insurance right from the start? We. NEED. Change!
Look. We are ALL in this together, and without us all doing SOMETHING we aren’t going to be able to attract the talent to lead the flooring installation industry in the future. Just. Do. SOMETHING.
Start out small. Do you have guys who should be employees but you pay them on a 1099? Switch them over to a w2. Why? It’s the right thing to do.
Do you already pay your employees on a w2? Look into what benefits you can offer to them, maybe start with a paid vacation?
We all need to come together and push for the future, because times are changing and it’s time for us to adapt. Raise your prices, pay your taxes, and pay your guys the way they should be paid. Let’s start making a change!
Feel free to comment below.
For direct questions or comments email daniel@preferredflooringmi.com