A Couple Days Late, But Here It Is

March 18, 2016

Let’s just dive right in here, Mark and I have owned our maintenance business for almost a year now. There’s been a lot of paperwork along the way, and it’s been expensive to insure, bond and be properly licensed to do the scope of work that we do. But this past week has really put me through the ringer as far as paperwork and how much this paperwork will be costing us. In all honesty, if I wasn’t pregnant, I would have done some drinking once the girls were tucked in bed for the night. Now that we are employers, it really puts us in a whole other bracket. 

There are four different agencies that I’ve had to deal with this past week, and they’re all government run. IRS, Labor and Industries, Employment Security and the most perplexing one, DSHS (dept of social and health services). What I find strange about that is that by law, each employer is suppose to report to DSHS each employee that they hire.  I asked why I had to report to them, and was told it was a way to cross reference for people who are running from things such as child supports payments and alimony etc; I find it odd that that becomes my responsibility. Anyways, complex, annoying, extremely time consuming, and expensive can sum up this whole week. To top that all off, I’m almost positive I have 2 more government agencies to connect with before I’m fully up and running. 

On the flip side, this really is a good thing. The fact that we are to the point of needing hired hands, is almost an accomplishment within itself.  It’s definitely a feeling I’ve never felt before, being 100% responsible for another adult in a sense that we are putting food on their table. Honestly it kind of scares the shit out of me. For some financial perspective, if I hire someone at $14/hour, I’m really paying $20/hour after all the fee’s I have to pay as an employer. 

Major lessons learned this week:

1. Don’t put employees on the roof of a house, at least not any time soon.

2. Don’t forget to file your quarterly reports to L&I…you’ll get a bill for $9,300 like I did. 

Aside from the business duties, I have given myself a “day off”…whatever the hell that means. I have a house full of giggly girls as my eldest is having her first sleep over and I’m excited to surprise them later when I make a massive batch of rice crispy treats. They’ve requested tacos for dinner and I already wish it was dinner time so I could have my gigantic taco salad that I always make for myself.  In less than a week, we will know if we are having a boy or girl and as soon as I know that, I’m going to be springing to get both bedrooms ready.  I had a small latte today and it was WONDERFUL! 

I’m ending this note with some chill “Sights” by London Grammar.