Working to pay someone to come and do work!

[hoff135]

Anyone else have a farm and contracting business(or any other business) find themselves with so much work they have to bring people in to do work on the farm because they don't have time?

Its not all bad as sitting in a digger or tractor is easier than digging strainer holes but I seem to be getting that busy off farm that I don't have the time to get to jobs needing done at home!

There are only so many hours in the day and already work 365 days a year so unless I was to completely knacker myself you just can't get through it all. Got a mate coming into do fencing soon and I don't grudge him the work or paying him but I could just do the job myself if I wasn't so busy else where.

Not really sure what I'm asking, as I'm not sure there is a solution. Have raised my contracting rates a bit this last couple of years to make sure it pays to go off and do work. Just wonder how others dealt with this?

 

[Highland Mule]

Anyone else have a farm and contracting business(or any other business) find themselves with so much work they have to bring people in to do work on the farm because they don't have time?

Its not all bad as sitting in a digger or tractor is easier than digging strainer holes but I seem to be getting that busy off farm that I don't have the time to get to jobs needing done at home!

There are only so many hours in the day and already work 365 days a year so unless I was to completely knacker myself you just can't get through it all. Got a mate coming into do fencing soon and I don't grudge him the work or paying him but I could just do the job myself if I wasn't so busy else where.

Not really sure what I'm asking, as I'm not sure there is a solution. Have raised my contracting rates a bit this last couple of years to make sure it pays to go off and do work. Just wonder how others dealt with this?

Yes. The solution is to pick the jobs you want to do and pay for the jobs you don’t. Just make sure your rate is enough to cover the difference after tax and all that - no point in saving a fiver to spend a tenner.

 

[honeyend]

I think anyone who works has to decide if they make more working, and paying someone to do work for them, or trying to fit in DIY. You contract out the mundane stuff and hopefully pay a lower rate, and do the stuff that you can charge more, or is skill dependant yourself. Someone who does a lot of fencing should do a better job, it only falls down when you pay someone, and you end up redoing it. I think you have to accept very rarely does someone take the same all round care when working for someone else, and you often end clearing up after them, or they break things and do not own up, then you go to use equipment and its bust.

 

[Grassman]

Been there. Done that. The killer is if you are paying more to get something done than you are earning yourself. Whilst I was trying to build up my own farm to be viable it was frustrating when you havn't the time to do what needs doing or the money to pay someone!

 

[kiwi pom]

As long as the contracting business is actually paying for itself and isn't propped up by the farm, there's nothing wrong with having staff or contractors to help.
Is sitting on a tractor getting in the way of running the farm efficiently though? Not getting the most out of stock or missing a spray on your crops, those types of things.
Might be better to put someone on a tractor and mange the farm yourself?
Perhaps you need an employee.

 

[yellow belly]

I took the view 45 years ago it was more profitable to sit on a bigger tractor sprayer combine
still have a team of 4 at harvest as we had as we had then

 

[DrWazzock]

That’s why I do my own spanner work. No point getting somebody in on £50 an hour while I’m earning £5 an hour.

 

[ARW]

I’m no farmer but I find we are always out of the yard and our own jobs just never get done. The only time I get is if we are staffed up on big jobs I can get some jobs done at home but then most of the machinery I need are at work!
i end up paying more wages and hiring machines to do my own work when I can
I do think that if you need to get the work done you can’t be afraid to pay somebody

 

[Drillman]

I’m no farmer but I find we are always out of the yard and our own jobs just never get done. The only time I get is if we are staffed up on big jobs I can get some jobs done at home but then most of the machinery I need are at work!
i end up paying more wages and hiring machines to do my own work when I can
I do think that if you need to get the work done you can’t be afraid to pay somebody

Some jobs it’s not worth getting tackled up for and better left to those who specialise in that area.

I do a bit of contracting but also get contractors in for various jobs, working on the theory if I can’t do it well get someone else in who can.

 

[hoff135]

Thanks for replies. Glad I'm not alone haha. I guess in fairness getting my mate in with the fencing gear while I go off and do something else more enjoyable/easier is a good idea even though one might only pay the other at least I'm not knocking my pan in.

I've other things though like doing up an old ruin of a house over the next 10 years or so. Was hoping to do bits in my "spare time" starting with pointing the outside stone walls but does not look like there's any chance of getting near it so probably going to get a builder in. Not sure what they are going to charge, probably do it quicker but suspect I'd do it myself cheaper but never mind.

 

[micthwic]

Trouble is, you are paying tax on what you earn plus the tax for the person who is working for you.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Trouble is, you are paying tax on what you earn plus the tax for the person who is working for you.

Just beat me to it, it's good if you can avoid tax at least in one direction, if you can barter your way out of it then even better. We have tenants locally that will happily lend a hand or 6, and we just give them meat & veg or a bit of rent back . But as you said if it all went through the books then the only winner is the taxman

 

[som farmer]

Just beat me to it, it's good if you can avoid tax at least in one direction, if you can barter your way out of it then even better. We have tenants locally that will happily lend a hand or 6, and we just give them meat & veg or a bit of rent back . But as you said if it all went through the books then the only winner is the taxman

we do quite a bit of 'calves, for contracting work', the lagoon will be emptied this w/end, all paid for, everyone happy, but you need to keep an eye on what calves he's had, and what work we have had done. He pays good money, for the calves, 4/6 weeks old, and he knows they are sound, worth a lot to him, and it works.
At the end of the day, there's two answers, what pays best, or what you like doing best.

 

[hoff135]

Trouble is, you are paying tax on what you earn plus the tax for the person who is working for you.

If I have someone in doing work would I not be claiming their cost against tax? (At least for work for the business)

 

[Highland Mule]

If I have someone in doing work would I not be claiming their cost against tax? (At least for work for the business)

Yep. No need to account for two lots of tax. To account for my tax and NI etc., I work on the basis that I’m “worth” half my work charge rate to my own farm - if it costs less than that to get someone else in (and isn’t enjoyable to do), I am happy to contract it out.