Bradly Lewis Home Maintenance INC   503-481-8872

Taxes and Fees I Pay

Out of $12,000 that I take home, I have to pay over $4000 to the Federal, State, County, City and other governments and law regulation government bodies. That's not a joke. Those are the real numbers.

If the bridge thing goes through, then I will have to pay a toll to drive to my house on Hayden Island. This will result in increased prices because I cannot print money or raise taxes on other people like the government can.

If you wonder why many of my "competitors" don't have licenses or insurance, it is because they often have a family and kids and cannot afford the taxes. So while I and other people obey laws and pay taxes, they do not.

Education

I learn more about my business by listening to customers: their needs and wants and also by thinking about ways to save them money through preventative maintenance. By trying different things and from years of experience, it improves my skills at finding out what solutions would probably work best for you.

How I Got Started

It's a long story, but here's the short version. My business started with washing windows and moved on to cleaning gutters and then removing moss from roofs. It has kept growing from there as I learned more of customer's needs.

It was the quickest way or only way I saw at the time to make a living. A previous employer told me that because I was hard-working and did a good job that I should go out and start my own business. After handing out flyers, I got my first job in less than 30 minutes. I do it now because I can make a living at it and I enjoy doing a good job for people. I love to see people smile when the work is done. I don't feel compelled to do unethical work or work with others who rip people off for fear of losing a job. There is tons of work to be done and lots of people wanting the work done.

Yes, I do now. At first I was doing it just to stay alive. It was a big change for me. It's also been very challenging. It gives me hope. It builds self-confidence and because I've taken on the responsibility it has been empowering. It builds valuable life skills. I don't have to worry about "losing my job" or running out of work. I have plenty of work and am able to freely tell people what the least expensive ways of maintaining there home are without fear of not having enough work. I get to share with people ways they can maintain their home and save money so they can enjoy their home that they've paid so much for. Being thanked by the customer and seeing them smile is awesome. Some people even mail me thank you cards. That's cool. I post them on my walls at home to encourage me when I'm feeling down.

Keeping track of accounting, budgeting. Disciplining myself to keep organized after finishing job when I'm tired, keeping truck clean and cleaned out. The physical work is invigorating and enjoyable. It's also hard to keep being so creative in making things I need. It's also a challenge to keep documenting things to build my knowledge and understanding of the work. Answering the phone is tough too. If I answer the phone, it's hard for me to turn down work even when I'm busy. This is probably from being poor from other jobs and learned behaviour of making money wherever possible. So now I just have to shut my phone off when I'm working and busy.