MaxManwell Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Do you dislike business owners ? I dislike them a lot the way they turn people into commodities. They're sickening people really. At the same time I do respect those business owners that reward employees when business is going well. Most of them are not working hard at all, they're sitting ontop of entrenched dynasties. The hard working business owners hardly ever see a dime. One of my old friends back when I was in college ran his own businesses and scarcely made more than the average wage but got a nice bonus after selling so it realistically put him on 70k per year ! Link to post Share on other sites
Davey McG Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I have actually turned down a job recently because at the interview I discovered my boss was the owner. I don't have a problem with people running their businesses, but in the past when I've worked for someone who owns their own company it has never been a positive experience for several reasons: Nepotism Like a previous post, there was a large problem with Nepotism. The Boss's daughter liked decorating and did art, so when she'd come back from university the boss naturally had me taking orders from this student. Problem was, she didn't know anything about web standards and kept telling me to use nicer, more obscure fonts or use more flash animations. Unrealistic work expectations Many business owners with employees expect their staff to have the same dedication to the company as they do. They don't understand that as employers are on a fixed wage they won't want to work weekends or work large amounts of unpaid overtime when it is only the business owner who will gain from financially from our efforts. I was told I had an attitude problem when my boss, at the last minute, decides we need a new mini-site and I'd have to get it done over the weekend. I asked if I would be paid overtime for this and was told I didn't deserve it and should just get on with it. Reluctance to pay After deciding to work for myself I got a job with a few of small companies that were run by their owners (should have learnt). I made sure that I had explained everything and would take 50% up front. I often found that they didn't feel like paying the 2nd half on completion and would come up with excuses or try to get more features. One even made it very clear to me that this was the case. I dealt with these and got my money in the end, but it was a total headache and sometimes I was payed months late. Never a problem with larger companies. Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Every business is owned by someone.. Being an owner isn't all peaches and cream.. We have to make payroll.. put up our properties for loans.. we have to be on the hook for millions some times just so people can be guaranteed a paycheck... We don't always get vacations... If the business fails we lose more than an income.. we lose our homes.. cars.. income and anything that we had to collateralize to make that business a real thing.. We don't lose it over time.. it all happens at once.. We are the ones that take the risk so we have the most to lose and or gain. Until recently I hadn't taken a vacation in almost 5 years.. my company was growing and I never seemed to be able to get away.. there was always something that came up or an employee that needed time off so I covered their position.. If you don't like business owners then I would suggest working for yourself.. but that would then make you a business owner Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I am a business owner (loosely defined since I'm self employed) and generally like and respect other business owners. The key for myself is building quality relationships with those owners who share a similar philosophy about life as I do. They generally have disparate business goals from my own (I have no desire to "make it" or become anything more than financially independent) but we agree on big things like ethics, responsibility and giving back to society. I don't "dislike" business owners for long, since, when I do identify such types, I quickly move to sever relations with them and they become non-entities to me. That list, after 20+ years in business, is exceedingly short, perhaps an indicator of my personal datapoint regarding the OP. I work in an industry where customers are net x-days and work is never/rarely paid for in advance, so having good instincts about one's customers (in my case overwhelmingly other businesses) is paramount. Relevant to comments in the OP, I know a few business owners personally who go way out of their way to help employees, including giving them their personal time and skills to help with the employee's personal lives and circumstances. IMO, employees are a human asset to the business and they need and want effective and supportive leadership. IME, with small businesses, the most effective "boss" or "owner" is one who can both communicate company vision and leadership, as well as get in right next to the "lowest" employee and work along with them, showing no job on the property is insignificant or commoditized. One opinion of many Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 They are sheisters. Also, many business owners do not have education. Education is something i respect very highly of. It's awesome if you own a business, but get the degree to go with it. Link to post Share on other sites
a4a Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 They are sheisters. Also, many business owners do not have education. Education is something i respect very highly of. It's awesome if you own a business, but get the degree to go with it. Goodness - Such outright hatred. Jealous people? I don't have a degree in accounting but hell I do the business taxes and books, I don't have a degree in law but I do the contracts, I don't have a degree in marketing but I do the marketing. So far without a degree in those fields - business is a' boomin' even in this crap ass economy. Drive, brains, and logic can be much greater assets to a business than a degree- why is it I see so many people with business degrees working out of their field in manual labor or working for someone else with a salary cap. I know plenty of people without degrees that have successful well ran businesses. Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 They are sheisters. Also, many business owners do not have education. Education is something i respect very highly of. It's awesome if you own a business, but get the degree to go with it. I have known some unethically business owners before.. that being said I've also had some unethical employees thruout the years have to get fired for either stealing or stealing company resources and some other unethical issues. In my business there isn't a degree that goes with it.... 30 years ago the industry I'm in wasn't around and the few business that took up this field were the forefront business's that helped create and shape it. Today there are degrees that you can get to work here.. such as a graphic art degree or a degree in 3d animation but truthfully the artists here that came from the old days before computers are much better at it and they have no degree... Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Goodness - Such outright hatred. Jealous people? I don't have a degree in accounting but hell I do the business taxes and books, I don't have a degree in law but I do the contracts, I don't have a degree in marketing but I do the marketing. So far without a degree in those fields - business is a' boomin' even in this crap ass economy. Drive, brains, and logic can be much greater assets to a business than a degree- why is it I see so many people with business degrees working out of their field in manual labor or working for someone else with a salary cap. I know plenty of people without degrees that have successful well ran businesses. agreed- and while I have no doubt your business is successful, possibly there is chance you'd be more successful if you had an education and learned some things you didn't know before? There is always room for improvement and knowledge. Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Goodness - Such outright hatred. Jealous people? I think there are 2 different viewpoints here.. the viewpoint of the employee who doesn't know anything about running a business and from their viewpoint they view things thru their own filter.. and rightfully so.. it isn't up to them to run a company so they only have the information from their experience.. then there is the other viewpoint.. for the owners or people that work for themselves who only view it thru their same filter.. It just depends on with side of the fence you are on Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 agreed- and while I have no doubt your business is successful, possibly there is chance you'd be more successful if you had an education and learned some things you didn't know before? There is always room for improvement and knowledge. Have you ever run your own business ? Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I have known some unethically business owners before.. that being said I've also had some unethical employees thruout the years have to get fired for either stealing or stealing company resources and some other unethical issues. In my business there isn't a degree that goes with it.... 30 years ago the industry I'm in wasn't around and the few business that took up this field were the forefront business's that helped create and shape it. Today there are degrees that you can get to work here.. such as a graphic art degree or a degree in 3d animation but truthfully the artists here that came from the old days before computers are much better at it and they have no degree... Agree, but that's with anything though- can't miss what you never had, so-to-speak. Furthermore, now a lot of fields are requiring degrees...whether or not you are actually qualified. My job for example...are there uneducated people out there who could do my job better than I can? Probably. But the bottom line is, if you don't ahve a degree, they don't want to know you. That could depend on the field. It's very competitive out there. Having the degree sets you apart from the ones that don't. It's not a matter than uneducated people are not smart, on the contrary a lot of them are, it's that you have more opportunities in most fields with a degree. Link to post Share on other sites
a4a Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I have known some unethically business owners before.. that being said I've also had some unethical employees thruout the years have to get fired for either stealing or stealing company resources and some other unethical issues. In my business there isn't a degree that goes with it.... 30 years ago the industry I'm in wasn't around and the few business that took up this field were the forefront business's that helped create and shape it. Today there are degrees that you can get to work here.. such as a graphic art degree or a degree in 3d animation but truthfully the artists here that came from the old days before computers are much better at it and they have no degree... Art my friend is a chair for a large "design school" - many of the students that are enrolling are losers!! The school has to cut it's standards to keep enrollments. You give a bad mark to a student and they want to sue the school. Compliance. The state she is in is paying for many of these students to get a degree. People entering the field that lost their jobs in manufacturing. Some of them take a whole semester just to learn how to save a file properly. The student is never wrong because they want tuition money. They don't show up for classes and then actually threaten to sue the school if they fail the class. Sad..... graduates being turned out that did not earn their degree but merely paid for it. Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Have you ever run your own business ? No...getting there...but as of yet, no. I need to educate myself more by going to school first (grad school) in the area and learn more about it before i can fully commit to doing it all. None of us have all the answers- if we did, there would not be any schools. Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 None of us have all the answers- if we did, there would not be any schools. By the way.. Bill Gates quit college and has no degree... that man has changed the world without a degree Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 By the way.. Bill Gates quit college and has no degree... that man has changed the world without a degree there is always more than could have been done... Link to post Share on other sites
a4a Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I think there are 2 different viewpoints here.. the viewpoint of the employee who doesn't know anything about running a business and from their viewpoint they view things thru their own filter.. and rightfully so.. it isn't up to them to run a company so they only have the information from their experience.. then there is the other viewpoint.. for the owners or people that work for themselves who only view it thru their same filter.. It just depends on with side of the fence you are on I have been on both ....... Kitchen Chicken BTW their business is toast.... worse than toast, not even a crumb left. You have good owners, good bosses, and good employees. A good employee is worth their weight in gold and should be treated as such. I hate that word employee... On the flip side I have worked with and for what I consider mentally ill employers.... seious screws loose. Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 By the way.. Bill Gates quit college and has no degree... that man has changed the world without a degree maybe he doesn't have a degree but he's a quitter. You cna't just give up on things that are hard or that you don't like. God didn't intend to make life easy for us. Link to post Share on other sites
a4a Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 maybe he doesn't have a degree but he's a quitter. You cna't just give up on things that are hard or that you don't like. God didn't intend to make life easy for us. :lmao: Bill Gates is a quitter........ :lmao: Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Agree, but that's with anything though- can't miss what you never had, so-to-speak. Furthermore, now a lot of fields are requiring degrees...whether or not you are actually qualified. My job for example...are there uneducated people out there who could do my job better than I can? Probably. But the bottom line is, if you don't ahve a degree, they don't want to know you. That could depend on the field. It's very competitive out there. Having the degree sets you apart from the ones that don't. It's not a matter than uneducated people are not smart, on the contrary a lot of them are, it's that you have more opportunities in most fields with a degree. for whatever it is worth LoveStruck.. my boy will be going to college and not working here. Not that this place wouldn't be good for him but my options have always been limited to this industry and to doing this type of work.. I could never get a job in a corporate company... heck I don't even have a resume.. I want my boy to have more options available to him than I had.. now if he goes to college then comes back after a few years and works here then at least he will always have a fallback plan... Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 maybe he doesn't have a degree but he's a quitter. You cna't just give up on things that are hard or that you don't like. God didn't intend to make life easy for us. He changed the world.. look at it... I know you don't understand computers and software from yesteryear but without bill gates and his vision and drive you and I would not be typing and having a conversation. He only gave up on his degree.. he didn't quit in his vision to have and run a software company.. Link to post Share on other sites
Ariadne Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 for whatever it is worth LoveStruck.. my boy will be going to college and not working here.... The three months old baby? Or you have a son from a previous marriage? Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 for whatever it is worth LoveStruck.. my boy will be going to college and not working here. Not that this place wouldn't be good for him but my options have always been limited to this industry and to doing this type of work.. I could never get a job in a corporate company... heck I don't even have a resume.. I want my boy to have more options available to him than I had.. now if he goes to college then comes back after a few years and works here then at least he will always have a fallback plan... My concern is that people who do not have a degree and own a business are not 100% certain their business will succeed. Since 1/2 of all businesses fail in the first year anyway, at least if your business does fail and you ahve a degree there are other avenues you can go in to get a job...at least working for someone else for a while. If you don't have the degree, I imagine you would be completely stuck. Link to post Share on other sites
Art_Critic Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The three months old baby? Or you have a son from a previous marriage? He is 3 months old Ariadne In 18 years when is college age is when I was speaking about... My company will be around in 18 years.. Like I said in an earlier post.. we are finishing our 30th year in business this month. Link to post Share on other sites
lovestruck818 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 He changed the world.. look at it... I know you don't understand computers and software from yesteryear but without bill gates and his vision and drive you and I would not be typing and having a conversation. He only gave up on his degree.. he didn't quit in his vision to have and run a software company.. you're right...but once a quitter, always a quitter they say. Do you know the reason he gave up on his degree by any chance? It's just not a good quality to be known as someone who gives up when it gets tough or when there comes something you don't like. Yeah there is no doubt he changed the world...but some people (not me) could argue he didn't change it positively. I think he did, but I am sure there are a handful of people who think otherwise. Suppose you were a recruiter for a company and someone came into you for an interview and you asked them why they didn't go to college and they say to you..."I quit b/c it was hard" or "b/c I didn't like it." What kind of feeling woudl you get from that? I would not look at that person in a positive light. Link to post Share on other sites
a4a Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 for whatever it is worth LoveStruck.. my boy will be going to college and not working here. Not that this place wouldn't be good for him but my options have always been limited to this industry and to doing this type of work.. I could never get a job in a corporate company... heck I don't even have a resume.. I want my boy to have more options available to him than I had.. now if he goes to college then comes back after a few years and works here then at least he will always have a fallback plan... Art when your kid turns 18ish and is ready to go to college he will think you are a retard anyway.... he won't want anything to do with your business until he gets older. Parents are total moronic idiots until the kid his mid 20's to 30's or needs help with a down payment on a home. Not a bad idea to give him a parttime summer job in his early teens. Even if it is just sweeping up once a week. Teach him to earn his own spending money. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts