Ok folks....

[opie]

are your kids old enough to learn, help out and earn a bonus to their allowance?
(yes, check the IRS regs, But..) I'm minded to think there is a lot of leeway for parents/siblings training/paying family members in a small business scenario.
Might help to check with a CPA or some other labor regulations informed person.
KM (who is alas, none of the above..)

Family members are exempt from child labor laws and are also exempt from being considered employees, from what I understand.

However, and I feel the same way about my wife.......

My kids job is to be kids, not come work for me just like my wifes job is to take care if the house and keep the kids under control. So that's currently out of the question.

Some serious interest has presented itself as has some good advice which I plan to weigh accordingly.

Thank you to everyone for your support.

[Shug]

opie ..... do what YOU need to do.
I did the same with a BBQ biz years ago and the time got outta control.
Everyone wanted it but I was still performing my show and was trying to please everyone all the time. I burned out.......
Made me realize that in order to do a business right one needs to give it 100% of ones time, interest and business savvy. I loved the BBQ but was not ready to give it 100% so I made very little profit at the expense of doing some dang fine BBQ .....
Learned a lot and it was fun and I now know that it would be a biz I will return to when the time is right.
Then I concentrated on my show and I was free and happy. Folks still call me about BBQ .... I do about 10% of the requests ... on my time.
Shug

[trouthunter]

Hey guys,

I was just reading along out of curiosity. I have watched several videos containing Whoopie Slings, and I am also a self employed woodworker / carpenter. So the discussion of contracting out the labor or hiring an employee caught my attention.

Many small businesses like mine grow through a mix of employees and contract labor.
75% of the work I do is contract labor for someone else. I in turn have to find labor to get the work done, whether I use employees or contract labor is a judgement call.

Regardless of how I or anyone else gets the labor done, the quality of the work is dependent on one thing: How much skill and pride of craftsmanship the person doing the work has. It doesn't matter if you hire an employee or contract the work out, this will prove to be true. The difference between the two is that with contract labor you only pay for work that meets your quality standards. If you are supplying materials you will have a loss on any products that are rejected, with independent contractors you can let them purchase the materials from you, or your source. This is not true with employees.

As far as the laws are concerned, independent contractors should at least have their own liability insurance, and possibly workers compensation insurance depending on the laws of the state work is performed in.

You should have no problems abiding by the law if the contractor provides ALL their own tool, ALL their own work space, and the contractor is free to set and work ALL their own hours. The billing should state the contract price per piece and NEVER mention time or work hours in any way, shape, or form!!! You are only allowed to direct the work, stipulate the level of quality, and set time lines for completion or quotas. Everything agreed upon should ideally be in writing, lots of work is done by verbal agreement in my line of work but if you have problems you really need it in writing for third party resolution.

The contractor is required to submit a from W-9 to the parent company (Whoopie Slings) paying for the labor. Certificates for any insurance required must also be submitted. The parent company writes the contractor a check for units completed at the agreed upon intervals with nothing withheld (taxes etc.) then files a 1099 at the end of the year to the IRS and State declaring what was paid to the contractor throughout the past year. It is the contractors duty to pay his own taxes.

And then again you can also do the whole thing underground, cash money, you pay the taxes owed on income. Which is how it's been done for a long time in construction, and how almost all illegal workers get paid these days.

Sorry for taking up so much bandwidth! Hope that helps & verify anything I've said, I'm just a business owner, not a business attorney.

[opie]

Shug, sincerely, thank you for sharing.

Trout, thank you for the info.

There is a possible sale pending. I need to talk
with my wife prior to any concrete decision.

Thanks again to everyone. Regardless of what transpires, it's been my pleasure serving all my customers.

[Strapped-4-Cache]

Hi Opie,

You sound like you’ve reached a place in your home/business life that is similar to one reached by Tony Miller a few years ago. Tony runs the Heirloom Razor Strop Company and makes all of his products by hand. Each is a piece of art and takes a good bit of time to make. Even with outsourcing some of the piecework to some Amish locals he discovered that the demand for his products far outpaced what he could supply.

He eventually started making limited runs of his items for sale each month. When the supply ran out, it was gone until more was made. Yeah, for a shaving-gear junkie like me it was difficult to wait to purchase something I wanted, but everyone in the community supported his decision to put his family before his side business. It made it that much more special when you could actually get one of his products in hand.

It might be a good idea to contact him and discuss your situation. He may be able to provide some valuable insight. If nothing else he’s a great person to deal with. You can find out more about him through is website at thewellshavedgentleman.com.

Whatever you decide to do, I support your decision. I REALLY like your products and your pricing is great, but it isn't worth sacrificing your family life.

Just my $0.02.

- Mark (S-4-C)

[Dutch]

Opie good luck with whatever you decide. Things become different when your hobby becomes a job.

[millarky]

Opie,
Your product and service are beyond any praise I can dish up. If you decide to sell, good luck to you. If you decide to downsize, I will gladly wait weeks for any order I put in just like I'm still waiting for a BDWD tarp. Good things are worth waiting for.

[Perkolady]

Opie, you've done a lot for this hammock community. You've provided a great deal of information and help etc. leading to hours of tinkering fun for many a diyer! You've also provided a great service for those who want tinkering fun without doing it themselves.

I have a lot of respect for you for putting first things first.

All the very best to you, whatever the outcome of this ends up being.

[Gailainne]

Opie, you've done a lot for this hammock community. You've provided a great deal of information and help etc. leading to hours of tinkering fun for many a diyer! You've also provided a great service for those who want tinkering fun without doing it themselves.

I have a lot of respect for you for putting first things first.

All the very best to you, whatever the outcome of this ends up being.

Couldn't have said it better, nicely done

Opie the bridge suspension you made for me is awesome, once I get the hammock midge netting sorted I'll post some pics, if it wasn't for the bright colours you would think I was lying on a flying carpet

Regards

Stephen

[opie]

Thanks again for the support...

Im hoping, if the sale goes through, that Ill be able to still produce and test new products and hand them over to the new owner. I have a couple ideas for TRL extensions based on an inquiry a couple days ago that require no clips, hitches or biners. Same with some suspension extensions.