Yeah, there was a lot to address in that post - I guess my frustration just bubbling over....
I'm almost considering trying to offer a salary, or offering a higher pay that might allow them to get laid off in the winter and still do fine financially. The higher pay or salary would be a one or two year thing while I work to build a winter biz - part of my struggle last year was the chicken and the egg w/ winter work: I didn't want to chase after plowing contracts if I wasn't going to have any employees to push the snow, but I couldn't hire a year-round employee until I could promise winter work.
I cringe a little at the idea of having to build a second business (or third, I guess
) just to handle winter work, like buying woodworking tools and then investing in education, but at the same time I know I'm going to have to knuckle under at some point and do
something.
Were there any other winter businesses besides the oil rig driving that worked out?