Worked Independent on top of working at a garage full time. Worked Second shift Lead mechanic then during early hours(3am to noon) would work contractor duties. Had agreements to work on down machines local quarry group, also did welding and custom truck work out of my home by appointment or emergency. Had set up my business through a Legal Beagle to get it as right as possible, he aligned most everything taxes, fees, license, contractual agreements when needed where if a company would not sign a contract for price, hours available and agree to rates then deal was off. Wrote off most everything, he would actually dig thru my receipts at months ends to find what I missed.
In 1982 was working Full time garage tech $12.75/hour with health life and disability insurance as well access to suppliers lists for odd materials. On my Own time, my own truck and extra aligned tooling worked like a zombie, all hours where had to watch did not affect the benefits side. My minimum was two Hours at that point in time $40/hour with mileage if outside a ten mile circle of my house(5mi. radius). Time started as I left the house for emergencies and service calls. Shop I worked in was $35/hour but tagged mileage on for ANY service call and OT was anything after normal hours or if a mechanic was requested to stay longer than end of his shift.
Initially I bought and paid for parts to be reimbursed, as noted a few rubber payments and those get really deep into pockets QUICKLY where I would then give a list of what and where to buy The Client bought or had delivered what I requested and I was only there for labor or job did NOT get done. On first opening of business, State and County licenses in hand, tax number and all the forms required at hand(courtesy Legal beagle) I had THREE MONTHS backup house payment, utilities and food expenses put back, came Close a time or two awaiting some larger companies to pay as they would work 60-120 days receipts. Quarry was quickest pay, trucking firms were the Absolute SLOWEST, gave up on cars and small trucks early on as the clientele was looking for bargains not necessarily speed nor quality, that is where most of the rubber came from. I was actually paid up on house and my junker service trucks when my boon died off. Had a few months ebbed into almost nothing side work then it slid back on until moved to the Utility job and no longer had the taste for all the extra side work nor the time as at the Utility even mechanics got called in on Storm Duty.
Best year was 84, made close to $150k gross, not including working at garage full time, worst year was 86, early on was slow only grossed $34k in 11 months then in 87 got hurt and lost a number of clients from down time, 88 was some better 94 broke $100K again but never returned to high numbers ever again. Did NOT have a vacation for five years, a weekend or day her or there but never a full week, greedy and almost made myself sick doing that. After that warning took at least a week off every year.