posted
I work about 45 to 50 hours a week, Monday- Friday, No weekends (but maybe 3 Saturdays a year)
How about you?
-------------------- Phil Steffen, 29 Van Rensselaer St City of Saratoga Springs DPW Saratoga Springs NY 12866 Posts: 563 | From: beautiful Saratoga Springs NY | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
Well, I'm at the studio about 60 hours a week. You would have to define "work" for me to come up with an accurate answer. Does the time spent here typing constitute work?
Actually, when looking back over records I find that only about 50% of my time is engaged in any type of productive labor. The rest is spent on the phone, going here and there, and looking up stuff on the internet. It's part of the business, but not what I would call work. Most is necessary and the rest is fun.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Like Ray my first thought is how do you define work. I easily spend 60 or more hours per week out in the shop. But the line between work and play is blurred. If its a nice day I'll take a break and ride the John Deere mower around the yard, or walk down and get the mail.
It only 'feels' like work when I'm under a deadline and the project at hand HAS to be done.
Having employees keeps my hours more regular, but its not unusual for me to continue long after they are gone... FOR THE FUN OF IT!
In reality I 'RETIRED' from normal work about 28 years ago... the last time I 'worked' for someone else.
What I do now beats working for a living any day!
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
to work or not to work, that is the question. I'm here 60+ hrs a week, most saturdays and 1/2 sundays because of the other business I have here. Actual work is closer to 30, rest like dan and raymond said, just piddling around enjoying the shop and toys. (of course I don't think many shops have toys like Dan's)
-------------------- Michael A Latham Tee's Me Shirt & Sign 16462 Jefferson Davis Highway Colonial Heights Va. 804-835-3299 signdogopie@aol.com Posts: 379 | From: Colonial Heights, Virginia | Registered: Feb 2004
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Does the time that I'm out at the beach, yet mulling over work related ideas in the back of my head count as work too?
Or how about the time that I spend with hobbies, which might ultimately end up incorporated into a business somehow regardless of how much I try to avoid it - does that count as work?
If all that stuff does count as work, well I'd say I'm working every waking minute although I may not recognize it as work!
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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That's sign biz hours tho' - (depending on jobs going on/weather etc. Often work 12 hour days in summer)
I would like clarification on housekeeping, washing, cooking and lawn & vehicle care, kid time. Does this count as criteria for your work hours?? If so, it would simply be easier to give you the number of hours I sleep: 30-35 hours week.
Who has a wife/husband/employee/etc., who does most or all these non-sign things to help you??
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 816 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
counting all the billing & letterville breaks within the work day I'm well into the 60+ catagory for sure, probably averaging closer to 70 hrs a wk. at the shop, but I have to agree with Dan, I haven't "worked" the way that word used to feel since my last employment 10 years ago.
posted
Up until about a year ago....I worked 50 to 70 hours a week at my day job and another 20 or 30 at my shop at home.
Now that I'm on my own it is really hard to say. Seems like a lot of time spent on the job is behind the scenes with bookwork, on the phone, cleaning up, bank, post office, etc...which is okay. I've picked up more work doing these tasks, and it's all a necessary part of doing business. I do spend more time checking this board, but I consider it as a learning tool.
I'm not spread nearly as thin as I used to be, but I would say usually 40 to 50 hours, but sometimes 10 or 15 when it's slow. As long as the bills get paid and we're happy....that's the main thing.
I am always telling my wife that I don't get paid till the job is done. I try to do what it takes as quickly as possible to get to that point, so I can move on to another job.
-------------------- Ace Graphics & Printing Camdenton, MO. USA
posted
I'm like si...semi-retired, except I still work 40 hours a week. Compared to before when I worked 60 or more hours a week, this is semi-retired. Plus I had 6 weeks vacation last year...Whoooooo!!!!! It took 30 years in the sign business, but I'm finally working like a "normal" person. Gonna phase out slowly, but never completely. I'm 51 and in good health, so why push it.
posted
I'm not quite as old as Bill and Si....and not as young as Duncan.
So I work somewhere in between them...Probably an average of 20 hrs/week.... But when I am working, I am working hard!
Any work is hard work at age 60!!!!!
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
My formula, one I aquired from Chester Cunningham, is that for every hour billed, you've worked two. Work in my world is defined as any action related directly or indirectly to making a living, is work, period. Be it time running errands,(errand boys consider it a job); figuring out an estimate,(estimating is a job too); cleaning out the shop,(do we even have to go here?); my point is; it's all related to the final line and that is making money to have time and things to play with.
Worktimes in shops went on the average; 12-14 hours a day, Mon-Fri.; Sat till noon, unless out of town doing shows.(which pretty well take up entire weekend, time wise). We used to schedule alot of work-trucks on weekends too, so rules about weekends were not cast in concrete.
Nowdays, semi-retired, I still knock out 10/12 hour days. But!! remember, I consider almost all actions "work".
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he is always doing both..."
-Mike Neuman
I ran across this quote a few years ago, and have made panels 3 times, one to my youngest son, another to my nephew....the third one is recently, almost finished.
not always happening, but mostly...
John
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
y goal is to work half days... you know, twelve hours...
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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