cost of studio help

Kelly Burke Makuch · Post by **Kelly Burke Makuch** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 8:42 pm

What can I expect to pay a studio asst. that has experience? Thanks!

Marty · Post by **Marty** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 9:37 pm

More than you want to, less than you should. What's the unemployment rate in your area (I know, Kelly, I'm just making things difficult)? Can you offer flexibility in exchange for low wages? Can your work cover paying realistic wages or do you have to $0.05 and $0.10? Will this be on the books or under the table? If legit, figure it'll cost you about 30% more in costs (and time) to carry the payroll, and that's without benefits.

Kelly- how about looking for a high school student? Most of 'em around here don't want a job, maybe in the wilds of CT it's different. A mom with school-age kids? A retired someone? Look for someone who is handy, not necessarily experienced.

And if you steal Alyssa from me I'll never speak to you again, except to give you bad advice! (But we could share...)

Kelly Burke Makuch · Post by **Kelly Burke Makuch** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 12:42 pm

Marty, Thoust does not steal... only beg and borrow. Alyssa is afriend and soulmate. I would not put our friendship in harms way for a business venture.(either friendship) I do consider you a friend--Ouch!

This is a research question. If I pay a babysitter $8-10 an hr. and I, 14 yrs. past earned $14 hr. as pt. studio rat. for a sculptor-what is a rate I can expect in 2003. You realize I overpay for everything! I think my welding expenses have evidenced that.

Just want to be prepared for the interviews of the hopefully near future. My world rocks enough on it's own.---By the books yes--(the guilt)--Ct unemployment rate--We still get The Times and watch NY news---once a New Yorker..
Ct students... ha! If the job done doesn't improve the chances on a college app. they're not working.--We may live where it is more wild and we own a modest home----it's mc mansionville.... few kids with work ethic here.
The irony- we pay to have everything done for us around the home --from yardwork, housekeeping,carwashing,trash,restaurants,etc. to have more quality time with the children--in turn children have little work ethic--but may someday have great paying jobs to pay to have everything done for them---does that mean our efforts will be rewarded by being put into nursing homes? Probably! --I think I try to run my business more wisely and hire my own nurse thankyou!

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 4:09 pm

We start at $10 an hour until we see how fast and good they are.... then up from there. And sometimes out the door in a hurry....

Cheers,

Ms. Short Answer

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 11:33 am

Same here...$10/hr (no taxs or beni's) till they've proven themselves with quality work. Along with that I offer piece work for production in which if they are proficient, they can make up to $30/hr. The problem I have with the younger ones is to get them to show up and/or stay interested.

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 1:03 am

Philosophically, I always have liked quick raises. For instance, pay what it takes to get them to show up. Then if they prove worthy, give them a $0.25/hr. Sometimes that's the next day. I've had employees who got $1/hr in less than a month.

You must figure out the max you CAN pay, and still make money. And figure out what the IDEAL max pay person can do. Work backwards from there. Also Print it out and give it to the new guy.

Example:
You can sweep floors and take out trash $X
You can actually handle glass without dropping it $X+1
...
...
/...

Can make stuff so good I'm worried that you are the competition $X+15

Greg

Dani · Post by **Dani** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 11:21 am

LOL. That's a good approach. Write down the Perfect Employee description, then judge from there. Seems like a great way to communicate your expectations right up front and discern if you're getting results during the process. Most folks never start out with a good plan. That's why so many situations fail.

Cheers,

Dani

Judith Andre · Post by **Judith Andre** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:32 pm

There are some jobs that are considered too dangerous for people under a certain age to do. I would check it out before hiring.

Bev Brandt · Post by **Bev Brandt** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:35 pm

I've read this thread and the similar one over on CraftWeb and I have some opinions about getting good help, but not from a studio owner's perspective. So it may be different. My husband has experience getting and keeping good help in the $10 an hour range. He's real estate investor who buys very trashed fixer-uppers and fixes them for resale. He needs workers who have multiple skills. Plus we're in the middle of the U.S., so payscales may vary.

He pays $10 an hour and no benefits. Not great, my family couldn't live on it but it's better than fast-food around here. He's struggled to get and keep good help. It's taken 3 years to find a crew of 3 young guys in their very early 20s that will at least show up and will do just about anything he asks. They sometimes don't show up until noon, but they always show. They work a lot slower if he's not there, so he expects slowdowns if he's not around. And they want more money. But overall, they're worth the 3 years and the headaches with other, bad workers and these guys will end up getting more money eventually. (My husband bonuses them at the end of a project. An idea for a studio maybe - after a good production run.) And even these very young guys are talking about a need for health benefits.

I think that even at fairly low pay, you'll eventually separate the wheat from the chaff. Just make sure you pay your "wheat" well once you find them. And consider giving good workers benefits. I really, really like Greg's sliding pay scale idea. Start low and raise them for good work. Seems simple, but I think a lot of folks start too high and lose money with poor workers, or start too low and don't move up and lose good workers. That was my husband's experience. He even had an $8 an hour worker who cost him money because the guy simply didn't work. He joked that the guy should have been paying *him.*

Threads like these depress me, though. I'd love like all heck to be an assistant in a studio - but at $10 an hour and no benefits...we'd have to move to a cardboard shack in a park. (Well, the kids would probably love that!)

How do "older" adults with mortgages and salaries and children and health benefits get jobs as studio assistants? Or do they?