Mike AndesFounder, Augusta Lawn Care and Homeworks · Founder of Homeworks and Augusta Lawn Care

FULL VIDEO ⬆️ No Money in The Winter

19 Jan 2024 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:44

A short transcript excerpt from a YouTube video ("FULL VIDEO ⬆️ No Money in The Winter") where an unnamed business owner describes paying employees for 10 weeks during a slow winter—costing about $30,000—and Mike Andes recommends reallocating that money to increase pay for the nine-month active season staff. Andes argues higher hourly pay (about $7 more/hour) and reallocating hours can retain staff and change winter losses (speaker reports moving from $70,000 in the hole to roughly break-even).

Chapters

You're going to tell me that I'm super stupid. I pay them for 10 weeks when we have nothing on the books because it keeps employees around. We still have a seasonal part of winter that I still got to pay bills when there's no money coming in. Now you've taken 10 weeks, which is $30,000 in payroll, and I have no revenue coming in.
So let's take that 30 grand, not do that, and give it to the people who show up for the nine months of the year. Guess what? We'll be able to pay them more. $7 more per hour. If you can pay so much more than all the competition, they will come back. This is what you say, hey, we're going in the winter season. I will divvy up hours as much as I possibly can. I can guarantee you're coming back at same pay everything. Some guys just want to work 20 to 30 hours. I switched from that and went from $70,000 in the hole during the winter months to being able to at least break even during the winter months.