From taxi drivers to foremen: how I got into the construction business through my migrant client

The Bird of Happiness exists and you can catch it by the tail! Even when there is no education, connections and money. Our interlocutor Dmitry was a taxi driver, and now he is a builder-businessman with a good income. How he did it - read on. Do not forget to like and subscribe to the channel - it's interesting with us!

A little bit about yourself

I am 34 years old, I live in a provincial town with a population of 600 thousand people. I have no education. I didn’t graduate from college for family reasons - I got married. Then his wife gave birth and had to forget about studying.

All my life, so to speak, I have been interrupted by odd jobs: I traded in the market; he worked as a utility worker in a cemetery, a loader, a packer; went to the northern watch. He changed about a dozen unskilled professions and did not achieve success anywhere.

The last job is a taxi driver. I got a job here, pecking at advertising income of 70 thousand per month. Of course, I did not earn that kind of money there, but only quietly ruined the car. In a good month, if there was no renovation, I had half of what I had promised. For a young man, this is a failure!

The thirtieth anniversary was approaching. With such prospects, hands were discouraged, despair was felt. I cannot say that I am a fool or lazy. Not. I love to work, but somehow it turned out that I did not meet normal people on my way. Everyone tried to throw me or cheat me. But this turned out to be an advantage in the end. I'll tell you about this further.

Shame is the best motivator

Working in a taxi finished me off mentally. For a year of such work, I began to be ashamed of my occupation, shied away from my acquaintances on orders. All the same, we have strange customs in Russia: a taxi driver who sometimes earns more than his client feels as if he were spit upon. Whom they are taking - master; whoever is carrying is a cab. A stereotype you can't do anything about!

The profession, shameful and shameful by the standards of people, did its job - once I decided to break out of all this once and for all and, apparently, the universe heard me. Once I took the order and the client hired me for the whole day. He paid for the fuel, gave 3 thousand rubles from above, and we went on his business.

Customer Savior

This client turned out to be a builder and a finisher rolled into one. He built private houses; completed the decoration of the premises; built fences; conducted an electrician, plumbing; installed heating. In general, a jack of all trades. To my surprise, he was a self-taught builder. This fact gave me hope.

Upon completion of the order, I left him a business card and asked him to call not only as a taxi driver, but also if there would be a part-time job on a construction site. To my delight, he called two days later and offered some work. It was necessary to take him to order to a village 45 kilometers away, work there as a helper and deliver him back.

He paid 4500 rubles for all this. For me it was a fairy tale - for that kind of money I had to wind kilometers for three days. An inner voice told me then - this is your chance, grab with your hands and feet!

I forgot to say why my new client rode a taxi wastefully: he was not a citizen of the Russian Federation and lived here with his family in an illegal position. It was dangerous for him to move around the city on foot - they could be raked.

He had his own team of neighbors, one of whom had a car. But the day before, his workers received a payment and together went into another binge. He decided to part with them and then I just turned up.

By the way, I am a teetotaler: with my beggarly income, drinking is very expensive. And I never set a bad example for children.

Well, the prices at the construction site! First day of work and shock

At this rural site, it was necessary to install gutters and ebbs on a plinth. There was no need to carry the material - it was in place. In the car I loaded a tool, two ladders and went on my first order as a self-taught construction worker apprentice. It sounded funny.

We finished the work late at night. The customer paid off, I received the promised and five hundred rubles from above. As we drove back, I asked my new employer: "How much did you raise on this order?" “For editing twenty and five of them I gave to you” - I received such an answer. My eyes almost bulged out in surprise. On this trip, I asked for a permanent job.

Two seasons of practice

For the next two years I worked as a builder and driver part-time on the terms that transportation was on me, and I get 40% of the cost of the work. The money came out quite well on this - at least at least 60 thousand a month I earned. We worked mostly together, as members of one brigade. Assistants were hired for large objects.

During this time, I have mastered a welding machine and all kinds of electric and gas-powered tools; learned to lay bricks and blocks; knit the frame under the foundation and concreting; became an electrician and plumber; well mastered roofing, plaster, drywall, finishing. It was then that I felt that it was mine!

Free swimming

But everything does not happen as in a fairy tale. Once my employer and friend said that he needed to go home for an indefinite period. It was about family problems: the children grew up, and it was impossible to get them to school without documents. He had to leave in order to return later legally.

He handed over the clients to me. His condition was 15% of the cost of the work, which I had to transfer to his card. He gave me the tools and equipment. For two years we have been collecting the black cash register - 150 thousand have accumulated. He took the money, and I took the tool. On that and decided.

My first independent order was a metal profile fence. It was necessary to fence off a plot of 8 acres, put a gate and a gate. It is 120 meters along the perimeter. The cost of the work is 75 thousand rubles. To do it, I took two helpers. Everything went on as usual.

For two years we have delivered more than a dozen kilometers of different fences - from chain-link to forging. I had enough experience. And in general - we focused on fences - the work is fast, easy and profitable. By the way, now corrugated fences are one of my specialties.

What now

Three years have passed, but my friend has not been able to return. Clients from him have disappeared, but sometimes I send him money from my orders. Now I have applied for an individual entrepreneur and legally work for myself.

I have no problems with orders. I mentioned above that before they always tried to throw me, to deceive me. I look like a simpleton: if on the street - a losh. Yes, I'm thin, small, bespectacled, quiet. In general, I do not evoke a sense of danger in people. But in dealing with clients, this has become an advantage.

The fact is that people like me trust. And I have over 70% conversion on orders. That is, out of ten, seven orders are guaranteed to be mine. At the same time, the prices for my services are not low!

In most cases, my clients do not disappear without a trace and bring new customers from among friends, acquaintances, and relatives. There were months when, due to the blockage of work, I was filming ads with Avito - I simply could not find people for all objects. I got a good teacher at one time!

Now I have three brigades, which I load 100% with work. Some specialize in houses, some in fences, others in decoration. I myself only deal with orders and, if necessary, help on sites. When there is a lot of work, I negotiate with other teams. My earnings are now in the region of 150-300 thousand per month. But this is just the beginning.

Do you think one in a hundred is so lucky or everyone can succeed? Write in the comments!

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