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My husband and I are in our first year of business. We have been doing all the deliveries ourselves so far. But everytime we finish a delivery day, we ask ourselves... How can one person do this himself? I am curious, how many of you are going solo versus getting and extra set of hands to help. Also, if you hire a delivery guy to do all your deliveries, how much do you pay?

Thanks,
Leslie

I go solo...Once you get a routine down it isnt so bad..

i have been solo for 2 years now and am sick of this 500 pound unit the rest are not bad so i have somebody now to help me

My partner and I alternate week ends, so you can consider it a solo gig. We have 4 units. We plan to add some so not sure how long solo will last.

I'm solo with everything unless my big slide goes out...which isn't often. When it does get rented...it is a two person job picking it up. I can normally handle set up by myself.

SOLO BUT, I AM GOING TO GET SOME DRIVERS TO START HANDLING MOST OF IT FOR ME.

I am solo on deliveries most of the time. I have 4 untis. My wife helps out with all of my paper work. And of course my boys help with bouncer quality control. So its kind of a family thing

single woman solo...my son helps out occasionally, but it's all up to me in the end!

Solo Here also. My three sons help out but most time they cause most work.

If you get a system down, it isn't too bad.

My husband and I both do set ups but quite often we are each alone. At first our 15X15 castle gave me a hard time. Now I've got it dialed in. Look for short cuts. Drop the rolled unit in the right direction so you don't have to move it again. Park the trailer on level surface if possible. My handcart also makes a pull or push cart, so it only takes 2 trips now (the 1st with tarp, stakes, blower, cord while pushing the hand cart. The 2nd trip is just the jump with the upright handcart). No matter how cold it is outside, I get a good sweat. Just wait till summer. My 8 year old son is a big help. One thing is for sure, this isn't a cake walk job. People who think it is an easy buck haven't tried it.

I am 55 years young and offer to split profit if my 2 sons in law want to help..their choice, but no help, no money.
bouncem

Welcome to the forum, bouncem!

Family isn't the best place to turn when it comes to a moonwalk biz, it seems! We've scared off several high school/college students as well who weren't up for the work involved.

We've got several delivery people but they aren't always available/reliable, so often David is on his own for setups.

I did 2 minisldes and 2 moonwalks yesterday by myself and I am vey tired today.

We have help but they aren't always the most reliable. Since they only work on the weekends and the fact that we can't pay them a whole lot makes it hard for me to attract good, reliable help.

I just did my first weekend, two jobs solo.
With only one unit I can handle it myself but I wonder what will happen when I need 3 or 4 (or hopefully more). Don't think I can do more than 2-3 a day without killing myself.
The worst part for me was the heat.
I'm sure it will get easier as I get better at it.

When you say:

"We have help but they aren't always the most reliable. Since they only work on the weekends and the fact that we can't pay them a whole lot makes it hard for me to attract good, reliable help."

How much do you pay your part time help? Would it be worth the help to pay a little more?

AJ

setups for four or five by yourself units is not to hard unless you are doing only a few hour rental or you have parks mixed in cause you don't have the flexibility to drop off early and pick up late

as far a delivery people i have just hired somebody to help me but he also works in our indoor inflatable fun center

so he is an employee and on my insurance to drive my company vechicle sp? we pay him a hourly rate inside and pay him 15.00 per drop-off and 15.00 pick-up so 30.00 per total job

some people pay less than that but i have done it by myself for a long time and know what it in-tails and i would not do it for 20.00 for somebody else and i wont ask him to

he is a great asset and a very great employee so i want to keep him on and even thinking of making him a shift leader for the bounce room at our facilty

I'm solo got 3 bouncer, 1 dunk tank, spin art unit and a couple of games. My 4 year old comes along, use this time as a father son bonding time. he likes helping me out. I do all the heavy work just get a routine down and you'll be fine

Jumping Joe

My husband does all of the deliveries by himself. We have 4 moonwalks and 1 slide. Saturdays are usually completely booked and Sundays are half booked. We started the business in the off season so he was able to get practice on just 1 or 2 units at a time. He was able to come up with a routine that works great for him. He can load our trailer with all 5 units and equipment within 20 minutes. It used to take him almost an hour just to load and secure 1 unit. I have been really impressed with how fast his deliveries have gotten as well. We only serve a 15 mile radius from our location and in the beginning it would take him about an hour and a half to do one delivery or pick up. Now if he only has one he is usually back within 45 minutes.

Kudos to [b:a9e00cc295]Lifeoftheparty[/b:a9e00cc295] for doing this on her own, I am really impressed to see that.

<!--QuoteBegin-awesome.moonwalks+May 22 2004, 05:44 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(awesome.moonwalks &#064; May 22 2004, 05:44 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Kudos to [b:ed5c708339]Lifeoftheparty[/b:ed5c708339] for doing this on her own, I am really impressed to see that.&nbsp; <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Go Heidi! Go Heidi! You da man!

We have been in business for four years, and for the first two and half, I handled all the pickups and deliveries. Once you reach that 4-5 unit inventory, you need to start considering some additional help. Most of us work full time and do this in our spare time. It got to the point where I looked forward to going to work on Monday, that way I could get some rest.
Now we have sixteen units along with two or three of each concession equipment, we have four people working for us. It was hard crossing over from delivering all the units to allowing another individual to do it, but you got to do it so that you can continue to grow as a company. Not to mention, have a life also.
Now that I work part time at my other job, my goal in the company is to grow it.
I try to work all the high profile, festivals, and charity events. I also tend to do the deliveries that are farther out. My main job now is more of a manager/ customer representative, along with filling in on open routes (due to a driver being sick, etc.).
Overall, the point I have learned is that when you are doing all the deliveries yourself, you control everything directly. Once you hire additional help, that brings in new challenges, and rewards. The key is in finding the right person, the person who has the same work ethics, customer attitudes, etc as you have. My philosophy is that if you want that person(s), then you must pay them above average. Like the old saying, you get what you pay for. My labor costs run high (minimum &#036;40.00/stop), but I know I have the right people representing the company.
Ok, now I am done rumbling.

WoW! Thanks Awesome Moonwalks and David! I woke up this morning feeling very sore, tired (and sick of the rain!) after a looooong day yesterday! And the question sets in "why did I decide to do this again???" I am supposed to take a moonwalk, sno-cone machine and games to my own church picnic today, and there's more rain. I dodged it back and forth most of the day yesterday and had wonderful customers that kept the mud out of the moonwalks, but whew! I am beat!

So, beyond my rambling, thanks for lifting my spirits with the compliment! This is very tough work, but happy customers are a big payoff! And I have to confess...my son does come along to help on the weekends he is not with his dad. Unfortunately, this was not one of them!

Off to a wet church picnic!!!!

Heidi

Heidi,

Props to you girl. After yesterday, 3 rentals, one was a grand opening for a used car lot, so we had games and fun foods as well, but I was dead beat at the end of the day. This after Friday night at an elementary school carnival, and birthday party.

I don't think I could bring myself to do any rentals had they been scheduled for today. To dothis on your own, you deserve a huge round of applause. That goes for everyone else that does this by themsleves.

<!--QuoteBegin-David+May 22 2004, 07:48 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David &#064; May 22 2004, 07:48 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-awesome.moonwalks+May 22 2004, 05:44 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(awesome.moonwalks &#064; May 22 2004, 05:44 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Kudos to [b:14253a3286]Lifeoftheparty[/b:14253a3286] for doing this on her own, I am really impressed to see that. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Go Heidi! Go Heidi! You da man! <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My applause to you Heidi! My husband works full-time second shift so he is not always around. I can set-up but I was hoping to be able to pick up by myself too. I have not mastered the roll yet. It seem I get to that one spot and can't get it over. I am hoping with a little more practice and getting more in shape I will get it! I have no problem with the dolly or moving or lifting the unit I just can't get over that one spot in the roll. I have 2- 15 x 15 mod houses!

Ok Michelle, I am right there with you! It's that one spot on the roll on the 15x15 mod. house! I almost got it today, but didn't even have the energy left for that final push (now I sound like I am having another kid!)

So, I know we don't like the F-word on the forum (Free that is you guys!). but the church thing I did today was for free (my church, end of the year Sunday School picnic). They put out a free will basket and I did make some cash to cover the snow cone supplies and a bit more, but I got 2 bookings and alot more flyers handed out because of it. So a little sweat, and a moonwalk that would have been unused today anyways paid off!

Now I need to go take a nap!

Thanks for all of the encouragement and support! One man show or not, we all deserve a

Come on girls, we can do it. Wear tennis shoes with good leverage and use your leg muscles to push that last roll over. I also sit on the roll after every turn to squish it down more. So basically start the first role as small as possible, sit on it, one more roll, sit on it, one more roll pushing with the legs, sit on it, then the last roll and the most work,grab from under while pushing with the legs....success. yeah.

<!--QuoteBegin-lifeotheparty+May 23 2004, 03:22 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lifeotheparty &#064; May 23 2004, 03:22 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->So, I know we don't like the F-word on the forum (Free that is you guys!). but the church thing I did today was for free (my church, end of the year Sunday School picnic). They put out a free will basket and I did make some cash to cover the snow cone supplies and a bit more, but I got 2 bookings and alot more flyers handed out because of it. So a little sweat, and a moonwalk that would have been unused today anyways paid off!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I have always found that when you do a freebie something always come back and helps you out, I consider it as advertising a little PR doesn't hurt.

LOL Placer Jump- that sounds like and aerobics routine!

I can do the indoor and the 13', but the 15' still kicks my butt. I have to have someone help me push it over that middle hump and when I get back, David laughs at the roll, unrolls it and does it over.

It's kind of like men doing the laundry- do it wrong enough times and you don't have to do it anymore...

<!--QuoteBegin-Hullaballoo+May 24 2004, 08:11 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hullaballoo &#064; May 24 2004, 08:11 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->It's kind of like men doing the laundry- do it wrong enough times and you don't have to do it anymore... <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's why everyone in our family wears PINK everyday!

[b:f9e128a734]OK ladies...[/b:f9e128a734]when I saw there were several of you doing deliveries by yourself, I decided to help my husband clean the moonwalks this week. I did my first set-up and take down roll all by myself today. I have to say, using all of the tips posted on this topic (like use your legs facing backwards for the last roll). It wasn't as bad as I expected. I thought that I was going to have to ask for help, but I didn't.

I was pregnant when we first started the business, so this is the first time that I have felt strong enough to even try. I am going to help my husband with cleanings until I feel confident enough for a delivery. Then, I think I am going to take over Sundays, which is our lighter delivery day. :kicking:

I will sleep like a baby tonight!

My fear in doing deliveries alone (as a woman), is that I will get there, and there will be a big hill or obstacle. Does anyone have any advice as to how to handle this when it happens? I really don't think I can scout out all of our delivery locations, and customers don't always have the same opinion as to what an obstacle is. (had to add the icon, my daughter insisted!)