The Profit Series Part 1: Why Profit?
by Mike DraperProfit is not a dirty word. You need to understand what it is, what it means and why you need to make lots of it.
Is WSIB Ontario denying workers deaths?
by Alec CaldwellAccidental deaths of workers in Ontario remain roughly the same, year after year. Yet the WSIB’s claim payouts on injuries have plummeted, as the WSIB argues it has created a culture of safety. How can the deaths stay the same and the injuries plummet? Simple claims denial, says Sid Ryan.
Residential construction needs 129,000 new skilled workers over next decade
by Steve PayneWith modest growth in new housing, and with Canadian housing stock ageing, construction jobs will continue to shift to the renovation sector, the report says.
J.A.B.A. Construction, Saskatoon, in ‘white knight’ renovation rescue
by John BleasbyArmed with an insurance payout, Janice Braden of Saskatoon hired a local contractor to repair the damage to her home caused by ice dams on her roof. But a so-called contractor took off with her money. It has taken J.A.B.A Construction and TrustedSaskatoon.com, among others, to bail Braden out of her renovation nightmare.
Ontario WSIB’s $400,000-a-year CEO David Marshall gets another two years at the trough
by Steve PayneMarshall acknowledges that he won’t win any popularity contests. Certainly not among the estimated 80,000 owner-operator contractors who were previously exempt from WSIB, but who got roped into paying into it as part of a plan that earned Marshall a $400,000 bonus.
Reducing WSIB rates for self employed contractors in Ontario
by Alec CaldwellA private members bill that would reduce Ontario WSIB premiums for owners/operators passed first reading earlier this month.
The Rule of One Third: Are you making a minimum of 33 per cent gross margin?
by Steve PayneMarkup on direct job costs (labour and materials) to reach One Third gross margin (33 per cent) is 50 per cent.
When I do my quote, I always add 7.5 per cent extra for the "work permit" (WSIB)
by Steve Payne“In my case I do flooring and I have to pay $7.50 to WSIB for each $100 I make.”
WSIB denies OFL claim that it paid safety rebates to firms convicted of safety violations
by Steve PayneThe WSIB, accused of paying safety rebates – totalling in the millions – to safety violating firms, has defended itself in this press release
Opinion: Part 2 – Guilty – IBEW Union CLOSED Lorne's Electric
by Alec CaldwellUnion interference took down Lorne’s Electric and its owner, Eric Glahs. So who cares? Does IBEW care? Tell us what you think.
Opinion: Part 2 – Guilty – IBEW Union CLOSED Lorne’s Electric
by Alec CaldwellUnion interference took down Lorne’s Electric and its owner, Eric Glahs. So who cares? Does IBEW care? Tell us what you think.
I hire people, pay my taxes, collect HST, and yet I am treated like a criminal
by Steve Payne“My business is legal, I have over 25 years of experience in the Painting and Decorating business. I am not a weekend or part time contractor who works for cash only.”
I was fined for the same offence, by two different officers, within 10 minutes
by Steve PayneRemember the days when cops used to be out there to catch the bad guys and keep the streets safe? Now, are they nothing but tax collectors? Let us know what you think.
MTO: Contractor tried and convicted without a hearing!
by Alec CaldwellAlec Caldwell reports on a contractor who charged by an MTO cop for his truck having a “Toll Device Improperly Fixed.” The contractor says he had no real opportunity to dispute the charge, living almost 50 miles from the courthouse where he was tried and convicted in absentia. One hundred and ten bucks more into the Ontario government coffers.
How shallow an actual home inspection really is
by Steve Payne“I have found the inspections to be somewhat cursory in nature and, unless you are totally blind, for the most part a waste of money.”
We had no idea that we were required to be CVOR registered…
by Steve Payne“When I heard of needing log books (for my cube van)… I really sounded like it applied to big rig transport trucks, not a window company doing word-of-mouth in their local, small area…”
Ontario WSIB: Time to heat up their phone lines at their 'Fair Practices Commission'
by Alec CaldwellThe WSIB has a fair practices commission. Their president and CEO, I. David Marshall, is just a few months away from completing his 5-year term, with a $400,000 bonus very likely awaiting him on the way out. Are you, as a contractor, feeling fairly treated?
Ontario WSIB: Time to heat up their phone lines at their ‘Fair Practices Commission’
by Alec CaldwellThe WSIB has a fair practices commission. Their president and CEO, I. David Marshall, is just a few months away from completing his 5-year term, with a $400,000 bonus very likely awaiting him on the way out. Are you, as a contractor, feeling fairly treated?