In Perspective

[SpoiledMan]

So I was just thumbing through the paper and saw an ad for a new 2005 Gallardo. It shows a purchase for $1403.53 per month with $40,000 down. So I'm thinking that's not bad for a car like that and continue to read and see that I'd have it all paid for in just 144 payments!!



Just lets me know that the next time I see a guy in a Gallardo that he's done something really right in life!

 

[Scottwax]

My customer with the Rolls put down $100,000 and has a 5 year note for $228,000 on it! Good business man but not everyone would agree owning topless clubs is doing something right.

 

[SpoiledMan]

He knows how to run a business the right way.

 

[Accumulator]

Just lets me know that the next time I see a guy in a Gallardo that he's done something really right in life!

I dunno....I'm more impressed when somebody pays cash for something like that. To me that means they can *really* afford it. I'm weirdly debt-phobic anyhow, but I truly :rolleyes when somebody buys something as extravagant and unnecessary as a Lambo on credit. I know all about the "my money's making more than the interest on the payments" argument so maybe I'm just goofy on this

 

[stilez]

My Mercedes client pays cash for all of his. He currently has (4) $100k+ Mercedes and then 3 cars for his daughters and oh yeah, a 1957 T-Bird in pristine condition. I always found that mind blowing.





But yes, the amount of money out there mind boggles me sometimes.

 

[Intercooled]

But yes, the amount of money out there mind boggles me sometimes.

I sometimes wonder how hard ahve these people really worked? I'm sure some have worked extremely hard and deserve every penny. I believe in that! I am self employed and own an H2. Although not extremely expensive but does have an exotic touch to it. I have worked very hard for it!! But some of these big tycoons? Is it family money? Fake money? I look at alot of celebrities and notice that most have either family or have known someone in thier business. Most havn't come from the trenches!!

I guess that I work so damn hard sometimes that I get jealouse of those that have more. :angry

 

[the other pc]

"Working hard" is not directly related to anything but getting tired. There are too many other factors that must be included.



I'm not saying that successful people don't work hard, only that poor people work hard too and that working twice as hard won't necessarily get you twice as far. It's not a linear relationship.



It is not physically possible for Bill Gates to work a million times harder than Joe Blow. He's a billionaire but you aren't going to become a millionaire by working a thousand times less hard than Bill.





PC.

 

[imported_rfinkle21]

have you guys heard of Jerry Seinfeld's Porsche collection... TALK ABOUT EXCESS.



I have no problems with people buying expensive things, but I think it is possible to be wasteful when someone has something like 80+ cars.



He must employ 5-6 detailers full time ...lol

 

[stilez]

rfinkle2: I believe Arnold Schwarz..... has a full time detailer for his fleet. If I remember correctly, he uses makeup brushes for the vents and stuff but ended up having crappy towels.

 

[JeffM]

lol, "hey girly man, you missed a spot"

 

[JeffM]

And to throw this out, having been self-employed twice now, i ifnd it is more benificial to have other people making you the money while you are out looking for other ways for those people to make you more.



I tried doing it the "im going to work myself to death, to get rich" way, but all i got out of it was stress, and not much money.



Up north i was in a business where people wanted my skill and talent to do a job for them, not some goons who didnt care. I hired who i could to help, but i had to keep an eye on QC. Then after the work was done i had to make appointments, look at jobs, do paper work, goto get supplies ect...



Probably pretty similar to how quality pro detailers operate. It is great to be your own boss, ill never go back, but doing it this way, your income is limited and there isnt much chance of branching out or growing.



So, when i see quicky detail operations show up with some "goons" wiping off cars with bath towels, i understand why they exist. Its not entirely because of what people are willing to pay, its one way to operate a business.



I started my fist business when i was 25, and by the time i hit 28 i started to notice who had the biger bucks, and what they did every day. The ones with, what i would call serious money, didnt do any of the construction work, their job was running the business.



Everyone i knew who was out in the mud every day banging their own nails, laying their own tile ect.. had "normal" money.



What does everyone else think of my observation?

 

[Intercooled]

And to throw this out, having been self-employed twice now, i ifnd it is more benificial to have other people making you the money while you are out looking for other ways for those people to make you more.



I tried doing it the "im going to work myself to death, to get rich" way, but all i got out of it was stress, and not much money.



Up north i was in a business where people wanted my skill and talent to do a job for them, not some goons who didnt care. I hired who i could to help, but i had to keep an eye on QC. Then after the work was done i had to make appointments, look at jobs, do paper work, goto get supplies ect...



Probably pretty similar to how quality pro detailers operate. It is great to be your own boss, ill never go back, but doing it this way, your income is limited and there isnt much chance of branching out or growing.



So, when i see quicky detail operations show up with some "goons" wiping off cars with bath towels, i understand why they exist. Its not entirely because of what people are willing to pay, its one way to operate a business.



I started my fist business when i was 25, and by the time i hit 28 i started to notice who had the biger bucks, and what they did every day. The ones with, what i would call serious money, didnt do any of the construction work, their job was running the business.



Everyone i knew who was out in the mud every day banging their own nails, laying their own tile ect.. had "normal" money.



What does everyone else think of my observation?

Excellent observation.!!! I have hired a few over the past year. Hoping to be that guy who has people who make me the money while I run the show. All I did was go around baby sitting my workers. I fixed all thier screw ups and Qc wen way down. I had hoped for a more care free life style but all I got was way more stress. My latest employee is leaving tommorow and I'm going back to just me and a helper. I'm going to slow down a bit and enjoy the work more. Bring back some great QC and sleep well at night. I guess I dont have a personality to have a bunch of employees and let them do thier thing. I care too much about the finished product and worry alot about what goes on. I'm kind of at a turning a point in my business. I used to try and do every job and not dissapoint any customers. I feel now that I'm only going to take what I feel I wantto do at the price I want to get. LIke my wife says " your not superman, you cant be everywhere at once". All my hard work has made me very tired and i'm only 33. I could kind pf a sense a possible heart attack coming in years to come. I'm looking forward to slowing down a bit and just keeping it small. I guess sometimes I'm dissapointed in myslef that I'm not going to make it "big time" or maybe I gave up on having a big compnay. I think i expect alot out myslef and always fear failure. But I learned at the beginning from an old timer who used to always tell me "work smarter not harder"!!

 

[Accumulator]

I tried doing it the "im going to work myself to death, to get rich" way, but all i got out of it was stress, and not much money...

.. I learned at the beginning from an old timer who used to always tell me "work smarter not harder"!!

Yeah, my father always said "get paid for what you know, not for what you [physically] do". He did some hideously backbreaking labor as a kid during the depression and it motivated him to work his way through a lot of education and go white collar.

have you guys heard of Jerry Seinfeld's Porsche collection... TALK ABOUT EXCESS...

I was initially thinking "yeah, that's just acquiring for the sake of it" as in, some kind of measuring contest. But then I considered that many collectors I know have dozens/hundreds of [whatever they collect] and they appreciate every piece in their collections. As long as you have a way to properly take care of whatever you collect (yeah, with vehicles at some point you *would* need full time mechanics/detailers/etc.) then OK, it's your money, hope you enjoy yourself.

 

[JeffM]

I guess sometimes I'm dissapointed in myslef that I'm not going to make it "big time" or maybe I gave up on having a big compnay.

I have a new line, you may like it: Its smart to work your help hard.



I came to a realization a few years ago while i was working outside at -10.



You know who the best mason in the world is? ( Im a mason)



The one who makes the most money.



Everything else is cute, but its b.s.



I have shared my p.o.v. with some other people, in the trades, and they kinda agree but shake their head, i cant put out crappy work.



They didnt listen.



Crappy work wont get you rich, nor will being a perfectionist while you are loosing jobs. There is a middle road, and the lane is still quick, but not the Indy500.



I like to work backwards, from the end of the year to now, or Jan. 1st.



I say, for example, it isnt unreasonable for me to personally earn 60k as an employee, while my company also earns 50k.



Then i add everything up, add a % for missed stuff, and add the 110k ontop. Totally forget about 6-8 weeks of the year for rain days, problems with material, and holidays. That leaves about 10 months to make those numbers.



So lets say my total income has to be 500k to hit the 110k. 500k/10 months is 50k a month. 12,500 a week.



Now i gotta do what i gotta do. If thats a few jobs that get rushed, then they get rushed, its not a fashion show for me anymore.



This is just blabble, but i am trying to say, ya the business has to come first, but you have to come in a pretty darn close 2nd. If you can earn a comfortable++ living, have abilities to expand, have people do your work-doing quick details, then thats the nature of the business, and i at least wont hold it against ya

 

[Scottwax]

"Working hard" is not directly related to anything but getting tired. There are too many other factors that must be included.



I'm not saying that successful people don't work hard, only that poor people work hard too and that working twice as hard won't necessarily get you twice as far. It's not a linear relationship.



It is not physically possible for Bill Gates to work a million times harder than Joe Blow. He's a billionaire but you aren't going to become a millionaire by working a thousand times less hard than Bill.





PC.

Well, in a free market society, the marketplace determines what a job or business is worth. Everyone has to eat, right? And no one *needs* their car detailed but I make more working less hours detailing than I did in restaurant management.

 

[Intercooled]

Crappy work wont get you rich, nor will being a perfectionist while you are loosing jobs. There is a middle road, and the lane is still quick, but not the Indy500

I agree JBM. I know exactly where your coming from. I'm a plumber. Building a Picaso out of pipe wont make you rich nor does anyone notice or care. Doing decent quality work at a reasonable pace will work. But acquireing customers that are willing to pay for other variables like : cleanliness, being on time, curtious and pleasant will get you that extra money and make you more valuable than your competition. I'm going back to service work where I'm worth more to the people who need me! The big jobs sound great, but its always rush, rush , rush, and your bidding against others who will under-cut all day long.

 

[Spilchy]

I dunno....I'm more impressed when somebody pays cash for something like that. To me that means they can *really* afford it. I'm weirdly debt-phobic anyhow, but I truly :rolleyes when somebody buys something as extravagant and unnecessary as a Lambo on credit.

My parent's best friends of 45 years (like my second aunt and uncle) paid $16 million cash (I asked) for a pre-war, 6000 square foot duplex on Park Avenue in NY City in a historical landmark building - with an additional $3 million in EXPERT renovations and furnishings over 12 months.



It's beyond my ability to describe - 5 functioning fireplaces, insane woodwork, mantles, plaster work, painting, stenciling, faux finishing, marble work, 18 foot ceilings with renovated windows to match. The entire home is decorated in English and French antique furniture, some dating to the 16th century. The level of craftsmanship is jaw dropping. They have an audio / visual closet that requires it's own ventilation system it's so big and sophisticated (all hardwired throughout the premises in the original 90 year old plaster)



They have a full time staff of 5 including a driver that "details" their cars. I pointed out how bad a job it is and she wants me to detail all their cars over Thanksgiving when we visit with them at their summer home (no discounts!)



We're normal middle class and then it's like total high society when we go there. The beauty is that all that money has NEVER come in between 45 years of close friendship. But he accumulated all that money through YEARS of HARD, cut throat work and missing out on serious family time.

 

[Accumulator]

Spilchy- Those folks sound great and I bet their duplex is really something. Sounds like they are *not* the kind of people who have more money than taste. Hope they look back and think it's worth it and that their kids do too- sometimes that "at the sacrifice of family time" thing can be more of a big deal than all the money in the world. The way their affluence hasn't come between them and your folks says a lot about both couples.



Wonder if there's any way to get their driver up to speed on the detailing. I'm guessing that they have a Lincoln for their in-city car.



Heh heh this makes me think about the old adage that being wealthy isn't about being able to afford the limousine, it's about being able to afford the chauffeur A staff of five would make for some nice living....

 

[Intercooled]

Spilchy, What kinf of work did these people do for a living? just curious.

 

[Spilchy]

He is the managing director of the corporate restructuring and reorganization division of a particular private firm in Manhattan. Basically, bankrupt companies contact them (and pay them ZILLIONS) to help them either become solvent again or sell off their assetts in the most profitable way. He has dealings with some very large, well known comapnies. He is considered one of the country's leading experts in his field.



Accumulator, their chauffeur drives their black Mercedes S500 sedan with blacked out windows. He used a rotary and left buffer trails. A quick polishing with the PC and will take care of it :chuckle:



You know what's great about them - my grandmother died 3 weeks ago - She was an avid painter late in her life. They took one of her paintings and had it framed in one of those ornate, golden wood frames with her name, year of birth and year of death tag on the bottom. They have museum quality paintings that are shown throughout the country. My grandmother's painting is mixed in with them in their home in the same style frame with museum spot lights that are built in the ceiling. So you see famous artists and then my grandma's flower painting! She was very, very talented.It's really something special to see. I got a real good chuckle when I saw it over the Jewish holiday when we celebrated there.