I have heard that there were ways to terminate an employment without saying, "You are fired!"
I had this associate who was not only not producing, but he was causing some problems in the office. On top of it all, he drank a bit too much, though I did not catch him doing so on the job.
So what was I going to do?
It was said that you could transfer someone out. That would not work. Because I had no place to transfer him to.
You could make life in the office miserable for him. That would mean scheming, right?
Give him hints. What if he "doesn't get it?"
Send him off to some where on some assignments? Where to? And what kind of assignments? Selling real estate in Siberia? Did I have to pay the Fare?
Get someone to do this dirty job . . .
I wondered if any of that would work?
Bur then, I did not have employees.
He was an associate.
I told myself - Just tell him not to come into the office any more.
As Simple As That!
But I was a coward! I had never fired anyone before!
Mind you, he was physically bigger than I was. He was older than I. He was also a retired military man.
I knew that he would be totally humiliated and angry . . .
After agonizing over this problem for days, I decided I simply would tell him to find himself another Broker. I told him.
Of course, he was greatly upset and angry.
I was glad the office was so small that people were within ear shots of all this happening, and he decided to just leave the office without making a scene.
I got off easy!
I understand that now-a-days you cannot fire someone without proven cause or you would get sued. There was this thing about wrongful termination and there was the issue of Unemployment compensation .
But my associates were independent contractors! I guess this did not apply in my case.
I was glad the incident was over and I survived it.
Throughout the years, I had to do this letting go of someone from time to time. It never got any easier.
May be someone should have told me that I needed a course on the Fine Art Of Firing, that should have come under Learning How to Run A Business.
I was in that tiny office for less than two years, and my landlord told me that he was wanting the space back for himself.
I needed to find me an office space to rent!
A Rental!
This time, a commercial one!
Nothing was available, especially not any place for seventy-five dollars a month.
I decided to purchase a property since I intended to be in this business for a while.
Yes, by then I had learned that you could use other people's money to do business - Get a Loan!
Believe it or not, I did not know this simple fact before.
I found a place on a major thoroughfare for sell. The location was good. The price was right. It did need major renovation. I could make the office to suit me. That was exciting! So, I took the plunge.
Those days, women were not usually the principal borrowers for loans.
When I went to talk to the banker, I was asked to have my husband come in.
Well! Was that discrimination or what?
I told the loan officer that my husband was NOT the one needing the money for the business . . .
In the end, the owner of the property agreed to carry for me for a lesser interest rate and no hidden costs. He trusted me better than the banker!
Still, later, whenever I needed a mortgage for any rentals I purchased, my husband had to sign the papers as well as I did. It's still a man's world!
Of course, I worried about the mortgage payments.
But I was determined to make everything work.
When you are in a business, such as having a real estate office, you have no guarantee that you will make enough money to pay your bills every month. The bills come in regardless, sales or no sales. But then, taking Risk was one of the Given in Doing Business. Isn't it?
I never missed a payment.
I had my ups and owns throughout the years. But I always paid all the bills and paid into my retirement account even if it meant not paying myself.
Some years were not easy to say the least.
Feast or Famine!
It is the Real World!
Remodeling was definitely easier than firing somebody.
It was a whole lot more fun!
I took the risk. I was glad I did.
Everyday I was learning!
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