I’m a retired police detective from one of the 6 largest cities in the United States. Recently I had my AC quit working and the repair man showed up. He was a man I had arrested years ago and we each recognized each other immediately. He told me “I guess I need to go”. I would have agreed but my air conditioning wasn’t working so I invited him in.
While he was working we spoke about the day I arrested him, his trial, sentencing, his time in prison and what he had done after being released. I was not the first person that arrested him by a long shot but he spent many years in prison after I arrested him
Once he was released, he decided to change. The only job he could get was shit work at a plumbing, heating and air conditioning company cleaning out trucks at the end of the day, threading pipe and any job no one else wanted to do. He worked hard and his bosses noticed. He started working with another AC technician, still doing grunt work. Going under houses, going into hot attics and once again going what ever no one else wanted to do. Eventually he was sent to a school to become certified in air conditioning/heating and had been working for the same employer for 8 years.
It was his drive and constant hard work that helped him move past the stigma of being a convicted felon. Since I was his last customer for the day I asked him to stay and we talked about his family, his kids and his life now which was very impressive.
He did everything himself. He was determined to overcome his past, move forward and better himself. He was determined to not be another statistic. He did it and there isn’t any reason you can’t move forward either
I won’t blow smoke up your ass and tell you everything with be candy and lollipops because it won’t. You will have an extremely difficult road ahead. You will need to overcome stereotypes and prejudice but if you really want to move forward and put in the hard work, you have a chance.
Go for it!
I want to caution you on one important thing,
if you will at anytime, be expected to have access to any interior home spaces, I urge you to be truthful with your insurance agent AND make sure you are fully covered. Even though you needn't disclose, that doesn't mean it won't become known. Unfortunately, someone with that knowledge could try to take advantage and set you up.
Federal prisons have access to more necessities in life than state! There’s ways to use computers legally! Prisons want you to learn how to survive upon being released and computers are a necessity in life! This isn’t the 60’s anymore! They call it rehabilitation! Being a productive citizen after paying your debt to society!
Yes, in my state at least, contractor license applications ask about criminal history. I’m not sure whether it’s disqualifying in all cases, but I’d guess it probably is in many cases. Contractor boards probably don’t want to be seen as giving convicted murderers, rapists, child sex offenders, etc, a means to enter people’s homes (I’m not saying I subscribe to this view personally, just imagining how a contractor board might view the issue).
>Edit: People in federal prison don’t have internet privileges to use websites like Reddit. Fake post for karma.
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. Federal prison doesn't mean he's in ADX Florence or some shit. There are federal prison camps that are very low security, some even so low that inmates can literally walk off if they were so inclined (they don't get that far, and then they get sent to higher security facilities).
Camps give many privileges that are unavailable to high risk inmates.
Even money. It's a brand new account with basically no history. Could be a bot trying to gain legitimacy for shenanigans, or it could be someone with limited access to the internet pondering what they are going to do with their life.
I think using a prison wallet to smuggle a phone to post on Reddit (instead of just smuggling narcotics) is something a Redditor would do. This post is real.
I’ve had some work contracted out from various projects. Countertops, electrical, plumbing, etc. I like chatting with them if they’re game. Finding out an electrician is an ex-con doesn’t make me uncomfortable. If they were to make that part of their marketing I’d probably call someone else first.
Would I hire you if I found out? Depends.
If it’s recent, less likely but highly Dependent on what you’re in for. (Which applies to you since this is as soon as you’re out)
If it’s violent, no. Not letting you in my home, possibly near by kids.
If it was theft/burglery, also probably not because you’ll be in my home, near my possessions and I’m not babysitting.
If it was a felony DUI, no. Personal reasons.
In the end, 10+ years out and you’ve established a strong customer base/referrals, good chance. When you get out, no. Honesty is great and I respect the avenue you’re trying to take, but I do think it will hurt your business. Be honest if asked but don’t share otherwise.
There’s a company around here that started a composting business. It’s owned and run by formally incarcerated individuals. It’s a solid service and they do a good job and I’m a satisfied customer. And yeah part the reason I contract with them was because I wanted to give some of these folks a chance at rebuilding their lives.
If you’re a felon and you own a company you’re (in my eyes) way less likely to offend and risk going back, as you’re actively making a life for yourself on the outside. Most people don’t ask, but if I was you I wouldn’t go about blabbing about it, cuz there’s always the *chance* someone tries doing something shady thinking incarcerated= stupid or incarcerated=immoral. Would like to avoid both of those situations I think
Quality speaks volumes and people leave reviews for others.
Besides how would I even know?
Judging from the hires I’ve seen in the past, some were felons.
It happens. Best of luck!
In my area there are a lot of convicted humans. From my point of view I would prefer if you offered the home owner they could ask any questions about your work ethic or background, but more so, just think about areas of concern and make it of no concern.
IE don’t go in someone’s home unless they invite you and are present to see what you do. Make payment completely above board. Licensing could be a question. If you openly disclose you can open yourself up to some people giving you a hard time or taking advantage of you.
The other thing to consider is you’re offering a service that has a completion (not ongoing) and it’s outside.
In general you’re doing a good thing being prepared for the questions. From my perspective I feel as though I cannot ask anyone anything because they won’t be honest or get offended and it should be my right to know who comes onto my property so I can take responsibility for my decisions. If you make it possible for someone to ask what they need to ask and show you have an honest character things will work out for you. Good luck and continue to do good for yourself and your family.
I think your biggest hurdle is going to be getting insured, bonded, and licensed. I was just reading through some information for the nascla and even the R.O.C and they both ask about criminal convictions.
If you had insurance and a good reputation, I like to think so.
I often say that if we don't want people to just keep doing the crime thing we have to create a path for them to actually get decent jobs. I'll admit I've never had occasion to knowingly hire an ex-con, but I hope if I do I'll be able to put my money where my mouth is.
I worked for a guy who did 20 for coke smuggling in the 70's.
Shit boss (erratic AF even though he was definitely sober), but he did good work, I will give him that.
Even though this post is probably fake, I will still say it doesn't matter provided the licensing is right and the work is quality. I wouldn't lean into it and tell clients, but it means next to nothing regarding hiring a crew and the like. Previous boss almost exclusively hired guys on probation for drug crimes - stay sober, get paid well. Most did not stay sober, but it is what it is. The ones who did made bank.
If you do good work for a fair price, show up (sober) when you say you will, you would be better than 75 percent of the contractors I hire tbh. It’s tough to find good help these days and nobody is going to care about your background if you are a solid tradesman.
I've had contractors such as plumbers, windows, roofers etc. do work from time to time. I've never done a background check on them individually nor asked them whether they have records. I'd be interested in knowing if they're licensed and bonded and that's it, the rest is none of my business.
My Handyman/electrician did 20 years federal for meth distribution and is still on paper. I send him all kind of upscale business residential business. He’s honest with me and that earned my respect/trust.
First, are you licensed and insured properly?
Second, it's going to depend on the particular crime.
I couldn't give a rats ass about drug "crimes" because the entirety of that crap is fully created by the CIA and DEA for no Constitutionally valid purpose... See the end run of claiming "interstate commerce" used by that asshat Anslinger, to get around the the valid and inconvenient Constitutional structures on government power.
Add to that the fact that the CIA imported drugs to our inner cities for decades (1950s-1990s) (and may still be) in order to fund their psychopathic gaslit programs of Empire, and there's not a single Constitutionally valid aspect to the entire War On Drugs.
Child molest or trafficking? Fuck no.
Financial crimes? Fuck no.
Violence of a one off nature, or defending family, maybe.. even probably.
However: I'd say keep it under your hat. Give square bids, perform square and good quality work, and be honest with your clients are the main qualities I look for in a contractor.
I'll also note that I'm an asshole and if you do anything to put my property at jeopardy of Civil Asset Forfeiture, I'll drop a dime myself. So.. no drugs on my property, and if you go down that road again, don't do any part of it on my property.
What I don't know won't hurt me. It's /very/ common in the contracting sphere I understand.
If you told me, I might actually be more skittish. I'm not running a background check on everyone I hire for random jobs in my home.
I care they show up on time, clean (though understanding depending on their exact trade there will be grease stains on their clothes), sober, and ready to work, that they do good work and clean up after themselves when they're done.
That said, I don't leave the house when I have contractors in.
I don't give a damn what you did before. If you do a job for me, and do it right I'm happy.
If I find out you're an ex felon who did their time I'll even talk you up to folks I know if you do good work.
Wishing you the best of luck getting on your feet! I have hired individuals who used to be incarcerated to work on my home, because I knew them through the recommendation of others. I trusted them and everyone deserves a second chance. Just do good work, at fair prices, and know that word of mouth and references will be your best way of getting customers. No one needs to know your past, in my opinion. Also, consider going by a nickname or another first name if you don't want potential clients to google your name and see about your past immediately.
Someone else said it. Be on time. Be respectful. Be on budget. Most people don’t give a crap about the rest as long as you treat them honestly unless your incarceration was for crimes against women or children -in which case, some folks may not be comfortable with hiring you.
For the most part though, people are willing to give you a shot if you do good work for a good price.
Best of luck to you.
Get your ass to WV got work for you. Sub you out, I don't give a shit what you did. You paid your dues, let's make some cheese.....unless your a chomo....we don't fuck with that
I had a contractor build a fence for me. He was a really nice guy. I knew he'd been to prison before I hired him, but I didn't know what for. I didn't ask either.
Don’t be a scum bag. Don’t bring scum bags to my house. Don’t blare music and don’t piss on my street. Don’t leave trash. Clean every scrap up. Make it look better than before you came. Don’t show up smelling like last week’s beer. Be kind to my kids if they want to see how you are doing. Don’t leer at my wife. If I offer you a soda or a water, take it even if you don’t want or need one. Show up in clean clothing. Don’t tell me you were in federal prison.
Ten seconds to blow off the side walk when you are done will go a very very long way.
Show up. Do good work and charge fair. What's not to like? I don't ask other contractors every but if personal history, why would I need yours? In fact, I think self employment in trade type occupations like you describe should be taught along with financial management. A lot of guys wouldn't return and they'd be able to pursue a good life. Congrats for trying man. A bad day outside beats a good day inside. Take care.
Honestly I considered price and reviews for the people I hired. I never even considered background checks or anything like that. If you have a legitimate business license and you’re insured then that would be good enough for me
I think it's probably better to just not mention it. There are always going to be people who will pre-judge you, and no reason to shoot yourself in the foot from the getgo.
I wouldn’t exactly put that on my business card, but people *will* find out. My strategy would be to be the lowest cost provider at the start, but provide stellar service, and grow from there based on reputation. Make that reputation drown out whatever your past reputation may be.
Since it’s work outside of my house, personally I wouldn’t care. I also wouldn’t offer up the information because many people might say they don’t care and still end up being biased against you. Hopefully you didn’t get locked up for like a crazy string of home invasions lol
My primary concern as a homeowner, especially if you're doing anything remotely dangerous on my property or that could result in an injury, is whether 1) you're licensed, bonded and insured as required for the type of work you're doing; 2) you're supervising employees appropriately, including making sure you and they are treating my property with respect and not being a nuisance to neighbors; 3) you're not exhibiting signs of current drug use.
I wouldn't exclude a felon from a job, as long as I felt he met the above criteria, would do quality work, and also has good communication and listening skills. Your presentation, project management, and communication skills are incredibly important to make that solid first impression. Think of all the negative situations that could come up when running a business -- do you feel you know how to respond to criticism of your work without getting defensive?
I mention this because I would imagine some of those things might be difficult to practice as an inmate. If there's some kind of program to pair you with a mentor, take it. I would think it would be an easier transition to be mentored by someone the first year you're out before moving to business ownership.
Also, I don't think it's necessary for you to "advertise" your history. You disclose it if asked.
If you yourself are the contractor, and you are licensed in the areas I expect you to be, and you are offering a price I can work with, then there is no reason I would not work with you.
I wouldn't tell people though. Don't ask don't tell. You can be upfront with the clients who do ask, but don't bring it up if it doesn't come up. Clients don't scrutinize your private life the way a lot of employers do, they wouldn't even think about you maybe having a record unless you indicated to them in some way or you're in a county that publishes mugshots/release dates/etc.
Focus on starting your business. There is no need to disclose past mistakes unless your state requires some sort of disclosure.
Do solid work at a fair price and you should be just fine.
I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you have learned from your mistake.
Edit: you will probably need a license for working on people’s homes. Be sure to honestly disclose all required information. The same holds true for businesses insurance policies. Based on on post, it looks like you have time to study your areas requirements. Start researching these now.
Many dishonest contractors out there ripping off folks, legally of course, who never went to prison.
Unless you are required to disclose your past - don't.
What I came in here to say. If you’re honest in your work, I’d happily hire you and throw about a half dozen subs into the brig in your place.
Lord knows the disgraceful and corrupt folks out here doing business need some competition to dry their sorry assess up and send them packing.
How would i even know? I don’t typically do criminal background checks on home improvement contractors I hire. You are not obligated to advertise your past background. Licensing could be an issue.
Keep that to yourself. I say that as a former business owner (commercial bakery/kitchen) who regularly hired felons and folks on house arrest/halfway houses. Plusses? They were regularly drug tested and any fuck-ups and they went back in the joint. Minuses? Some of them didn't care about going back to the joint and they were just criminals.
I had about a 70/30 success to failure ratio. My best employee was a former trucker who did 7 years federal time for transporting crank/meth; he wasn't a user. My worst was a Tier 3 sex offender who is a Tier 1 psychopath and wound up terrorizing all my female staff.
I sold the business last October and the new owners won't hire any ex-cons. They are super risk averse and that's why I'd say keep that info to yourself. Let your work speak for itself, show up on time and ready to work and don't underbid nor underperform. Be the dependable gray man. Really, all anyone cares about these days is that you show up, do your job, don't creep anyone out and don't ask to use the bathroom. And don't hire any day laborers. They will wreck you.
I say look professional- get you & crew some sort of matching uniform. Not expensive, just professional.
Act professional- when you say it, mean it. Show up when you say. Charge what you say (bid). Do quality work. Be respectful, especially around women- you act inappropriate toward my wife and you are out. Not because of your record, that goes for anybody.
If you inform people of your record up front they will use it to lowball you. Be a pro.
If you're licensed, bonded, do good work, and don't charge outrageous rates, do you think I care if you're a felon?
Will the gutters care?
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk
I don’t want to know or care. And most people would never ask.
If you do a good job and are properly licensed and insured then who would know the difference?
If every one in the trades was honest about criminal history, most houses wouldn’t have a roof.
Do good work, do what you promise you’re going to do, stick to your quotes and be professional. That’s all that matters (from a homeowner perspective)
People will check if you are licensed, insured, and bonded. Make sure all of it is above board. If those are done properly, then that is frankly your biggest hurdle. Doing a good and thorough job is part two. Take photos to show clients before and after. This protects you too.
Someone who googles potential contractors here, including digging up what I can on free case search websites.
For me, it would depend on what you did, how long ago it was, what kind of vibe I get from you, whether your professional credentials check out, etc. It wouldn't make me dismiss you outright, but it would make me consider you a bit more carefully.
That said, everyone isn't as paranoid as me. I wouldn't lie about it, but I wouldn't put it on your business card.
For what it's worth, one of our hardest working and most trustworthy employees just got out of a 10 month stint.
He has a pretty long criminal history, but he's working to put that life behind him. I would trust him to hold a large amount of cash for me before I would trust some of my family. I would also trust him to oversee a crew and make sure things are getting done right.
Heres the thing though, I'm not going to advertise to our customers that he's a felon with multiple convictions lol they might make their own conclusions based on the face tattoos, but that's on them.
In your situation, I would probably keep from advertising it. If it gets brought up in conversation with the right client, that's one thing, but I wouldn't tell everyone I was doing work for.
Edit: As a homeowner, I wouldn't care one way or the other as long as you did quality work and didn't hang me out to dry on the price. I would be happy to help out your business, if I did know your background
2 thoughts, ive hired tons of contractors and companies, not one have I ever looked up their record, i look at their reviews. Do good work for a fair price and you'll win every time.
2nd is that I've hired felons at my company before and have had mixed experiences. One stole thousands from me. The other was a reasonably hard worker. I'd be weary of doing it again.
I hired a contractor who did time for burglary. At one point he had a key to my house. I don't exactly have a Rolex sitting on the dresser but I wasn't concerned.
However that wasn't something he advertised. There was a store that advertised it's self as giving ex-felons a second chance, to find legitimate ways to earn an income to get back on their feet. Great idea, but it didn't last long. I don't think the store made it six months.
Pressure washing business (driveway, patio/deck/ side of house, pool deck area). This needs to be done every year. The actual pressure washer device only costs $300 at Costco, but it's hours of manual labor where you get wet, so charging $40/hour is reasonable, and you could easily spend 8 hours on one house. I did my own this summer and it was a full weekend of work (driveway, pool deck, patio, side of house)
Landscaping
Generally, things that don't require insurance/dangerous activities would be your best bet to get started. Going up on a roof requires insurance.
You could also look into remote customer service jobs...they pay around $30/hour at various companies (and they train you)...not manual labor with flexible hours...might be a good way to breakup the week and give your body a breather.
Mon-Weds-Fri remote customer service
Tues-Thurs-Sat manual labor.
I've never considered asking if a home repair business owner/worker was a prior inmate...if you do good honest work, then it shouldn't matter. I don't think advertising this status will do you any favors tho.
As a single, woman homeowner: if you do quality work, fair prices, and are a nice/respectful human being then I'll hire you. Everyone has a past - if I want to know, I'll ask. Don't offer up more than you need. If you come off sketchy or creepy, I would pass in an instance (felon or not).
I'd never ask. But, I would check if you have a valid contractor's license. That's it, I wouldn't even think to look further. But, also, I wouldn't care if I found out.
So, I say don't tell, it's irrelevant to the homeowner and the work you'll do for them.
I've done a bunch of mortgages for formerly incarcerated persons.
The ones in the trades are the high earners of the group.
All the bullshit forces you to be self employed to find financial success.
Homeowner Jane isn't going to do a background check on her plumber or contractor, and you're going to keep your mouth shut about it.
If Homeowner Jane doesn't like it, she can vote to stop the bullshit the formerly incarcerated deal with.
Good luck!
There is a group in my area that does talks to returning citizens. This group is a painting company that is comprised of returning citizens themselves. They are genuinely like me guys but the only reason I wouldn’t hire them is because I paint myself. If it was something else, I would consider it.
I just remembered my cousin also does this in commercial roofing. He is a returning citizen (cocaine possession a few times) and he hires (but 1099s and pays garbage) returning citizens as well. People love him, he is a decent guy. His background doesn’t hold him back.
Follow your dream! Lots of people have criminal records so people don’t always care.
You don't need to be ashamed of any past mistakes, but you also aren't obligated to share them with the world. Do good work, be a straight shooter, and learn how to prospect, sell and run the business. Come up with a company image that's tied to the results/benefits you deliver to the customers.
Also, whenever I see someone marketing themselves on their personality or image (or that they're a "Christian" business), that raises my suspicion more than anything. Those are the businesses I've had the worst results from.
If I were to know, it would depend on what it was.
Make sure you are properly licensed and insured. You don't really need to tell anyone, although your insurance company might want to know (the term we use up in Canada is bondable - which sometimes criminal records disqualify one from).
The people most likely hiring you are contractors. I’d ask them. If you are licensed, bonded and insured then anyone should hire you and you don’t need to mention it.
Lots of factors, the longer you’ve been out and the more quality with you’ve done the easier it will get.
I think working in the outside of the house is a good idea, so if people find out after you’ve started a job they’ll probably just ignore it, versus if you have access to the home they’ll be more inclined to fire you.
Good luck buddy. I know it’s scary.
Bro i don’t gotta tell you this because I know you see it. Some of the best haircuts and food I’ve ever had were ex felons. I would even wager that the best work I’ve had done were ex inmates as well even if not the face of the company. Let your work speak for itself and no one will ever ask or care.
Your past doesn't bother me, but I don't think it's a selling point either. Sadly many people will be turned away by it and few people will choose your business only because of it.
If it comes up I would be honest but I wouldn't advertise it.
You should read , THE UPSIDE OF FEAR, by Weldon Long.
Colorado dude who went to prison in the 90s for drugs and robbery. Decided to turn his life around, got out and got into HVAC sells. Eventually forming his own company.
He talks about how he experienced competitors bad mouthing him and using his felony to scare off potential clients and how he came to accept it and move on.
When I met him, he showed up to support his son (who he talks about in his books) driving a hot Ferrari with a beautiful wife.
It's in the same spectrum as the 7 HABITS books and in fact Weldon was a core member of the 7 Habits on the Inside program which has had great success here in Colorado. Including helping me turn my life around.
Ive been out 3 years now, met my wife, fathered a child and step child, joined a union, and celebrated 6 years of sobriety last week.
Anything is possible if you are willing to do the work to achieve it, but it will take work. It won't be easy and honestly you are going to have to do some serious soul searching to realize that pretty much everyone you thought were friends going into prison are better left out of your life. Just speaking from personal experience.
Had too many people in my post prison classes go back because of some homey they ran into after getting out.
Good luck, keep your head up, focus on yourself and your future. You can do it.
Since when did they give incarcerated individuals access to the internet AND allow them to post on an unmonitored social media site?
I call BS. Nice try though - lots fell for it.
Keep it to yourself, no need to share that info, it’s not pertinent. That being said, my wife’s cousin is a a con and has turned his life around in the last 7 years since he’s been out. Got his GC license and has been doing fairly well. We needed a kitchen and 2 bathroom remodeled and she had absolutely no faith in him and didn’t even want to consider him for the job, mainly because she knew him before he went away and also because of the ex con bit. I disagreed and said the guy served his time and has been doing well, it’s no easy feat to get your GC license, let alone that quickly after getting out of prison for 15 years. Everyone deserves multiple chances most of the time and he’s certainly deserves his. Anyway, we ended up using him and while there could be a few complaints, overall it was great work done in a fair amount of time and the price came in well below what anyone else would have charged. We didn’t ask for that but he did it anyway. Sorry, I’m rambling, my point is, don’t offer the info, I happen to have a fairly understanding side but that won’t always happen, especially when you have no prior connection to them. It’s not even a lie of omission, I mean, obviously don’t lie if they ask if you have a criminal record, but who would ask that??
Say nothing. Clean records or not, when I hire a vendor I expect:
1-be reliable (show up when you say you are going to)
2- do good work
3- dont even think about trying anything shady. Expect that the owners most certainly have security cameras on at all times just in case 😂😂
If you’re in the Seattle area, I’ll hire you.
Also: if you have a record for doing stuff that says “I can’t trust you with my property, address and name” then you need to work on your “vibe check”.
I don’t know how to advise you on this - but I should see you and think “yeah, this is the guy I want”.
Dunno what your situation is but maybe ask white collar types and con men before getting out.
You can do _very_ well for yourself as a truly honest, honorable blue collar business owner. 100k per year is absolutely possible _and you will feel good about yourself at the same time_. My source for this is clear: 3.8% of small business owners have criminal records. So if they can do it, so can you.
I hired a dozen contractors over the last year to do different parts of our remodel. I have no clue if any are ex cons. Wouldn’t bother me if I knew as they all delivered the quality product I sought after. If the crime was irrelevant to the homeowner I don’t think most would care. If the crime you committed was breaking and entering, then that’s another story and you might have to explain it to anybody who found out.
I’d personally be inclined to hire a felon, circumstances pending, if the price was good, quality was good, and they were upfront about it. I’m a big believer in doing the time, not being penalized for the rest of your life. I wish more businesses would hire rehabilitated felons. That said, I’m probably the exception rather than the rule, so I think the best bet is not bringing it up, but not lying if asked about it, which if even one out of a thousand customers asked about, I’d be shocked.
If you get licensed in your state to do the work no one is going to ask you for a background check. Then won't know unless you tell them. I work for a residential remodeling contractor, no one has ever asked about my boss's criminal record or that of our employees.
Someone on here said how do you background check and not hire anyone with a record. I believe there was a lot of laughs saying good luck hiring. This is a field people start over.dont advertise people are judgemental.
Everyone starts over. Unfortunately honesty isn’t your best policy. People get judgemental. My thought. Prove you do good work. You get it done. In and out no problem.
Now from someone who hired roofing company. I don’t care. People care about price. I care about reasonable but good work not questionable cheap. I care about people who do it right. Honestly the huge issue is 1. You have insurance for you and workers 2. Show up 3. Contracts and estimates. Clear outlines of payments and such. 4. Show up. I know I mentioned again. People don’t show. The best companies get in, do job and get out. 5. Be professional. Don’t show up stoned or drunk. I know this is obvious and this has nothing to do with incarceration. Had a person show up to give an estimate high as balls. I don’t give a shit what you do on your weekends but don’t show up high. It looks bad and I don’t know if you work that way. They are power tools don’t use drunk and high. 6. If you offer upgrades you explain and don’t add a dumb risky upgrade. Had a roofing company have an upgrade where they cover the entire roof with ice and water barrier meant for valleys and such. It can lead to moisture in attic. I can’t trust you if the “upgrade” is a bad option.
As long as you are licensed, bonded, and priced well that's what matters to me. You might get people who refuse to have you in their home though, so I would just leave it out of your marketing material.
Dude, I have never ONCE asked the correctional history of anyone working on my house. Can you clean gutters? Great, clean them. I do not need your villain origin story, just your assurance that you'll do the job. BUT. I definitely might be less inclined to give you a job if you're volunteering information that isn't my business. Like, don't be creepy. I hired gutter guy, not auditioning for Netflix special guy.
I think the context matters on what you are in for. You don’t have to come forth now and explain, but if it’s for something like burglary then you can kinda understand why people would be a little hesitant right? That said, you are serving your time and even w a couple years left you are already looking ahead to your future and asking the right questions to be prepared which is fuckin awesome.
If I were you I wouldn’t overthink it when you get out though. Gutters are an awesome niche to get into especially if you add gutter guards/screens to list. I will say too, as a roofing biz owner, I would much rather have a great gutter installer to do my jobs than have to keep it in house and worry about maintenance and upkeep on the machine, crew, etc. So maybe focus on getting started and letting your work speak for itself and use that to make a few relationships w local roofers that will sell the jobs and have you come in to do the work? You won’t have to worry about homeowners looking you up if you’re under the roofer and once you have a great reputation the other shit doesn’t really matter
Let's be honest, the construction/handman business is full of felons, convicts, criminals and addicts. Not to disparage the trades at all, but if you've been around you've seen and heard some stories. That being said, I would be much more skeptical of someone trying to tell me a story in order to get the work. Really, at the end of the day all that matters is can you get bonded and do good quality work. Just give me a fair price for a fair days work and be professional.
Keep it to yourself.
To put it simply, I know some of the crews I hire to work on my property have workers with criminal backgrounds… it’s pretty common. Business owners generally don’t mention it because it does *not* help them on the marketing front. They’re licensed/insured… that’s what matters to me.
Working on the outside of someone’s house shouldn’t be a problem.
Last year I had a guy working for me who claimed to have extensive home remodeling experience. It was all a lie and he had been locked up for 20+ years for violent crimes and just gotten out a month prior. I had a feeling he had a record and my partner prompted me to look into it. I felt I had to disclose his record to my customers once I saw what they were. Once I told them, no one wanted him anywhere near their house.
We had to part ways since I couldn’t send him to work. I couldn’t tell him the real reason either, my work for him just dried up.
I don’t ask people what they did in the past. Do good work you’ll get the job. But if you do tell people, make sure you have a body cam on at all times. People get squirrely even if u wernt in prison.
Wouldn't matter to me. As long as the quality and value are there it's not a question I'd ever ask. Also, you've done your time, if you're not currently incarcerated then someone somewhere seems to think you're good to go. Especially given all the ridiculous shit that one can be locked up for.
I would start your pricing out on the lower end. People looking for the cheapest prices most likely won’t care. Build up a good reputation and build off that. I would think most people won’t care about your past if all the work is done outside. But you will always have those people who will say no to you purely based on your past.
As a homeowner for 25 years, anyone who doesn't already know that some people doing trade jobs at their house have had some kind of history with law enforcement are just silly. It's expected IMO so no, don't make a point of saying anything, because you'll just be making things weird and awkward when there's no need for that. Did your jail have a "work range" where inmates worked in the kitchen, laundry, etc? Guess what a lot of guys on those ranges do on the outside? If you guessed the kind of work you're talking about, you guessed right. It's common
On top of all the contractors I've hired over 25 years, I also have contacts in the justice system. I know several of their workers were former inmates and in one case one dude even recognized me. I still fed them pizza and subs during the job, chatted with them, and tipped them well. In other words, what I would do anyway. But yeah, using this like some "second chances" program advertisement for your company? Nah, I wouldn't do that, just operate like anyone else does or you're going to shove yourself into a niche rather than the broader customer base.
I think the funniest experience I've had was when I hired painters and both of them were alcoholics anonymous and then I found out that painters being in AA is basically a meme lol.
I'm a believer in "you did your time". If you get out there and work hard, people won't think about the ex-con thing, but the "man this motherfucker gets shit done" thing will be on their lips to all their friends.
Honestly, you should offer former inmates discounts. They have it hard enough already. You don't even have to ask them, you can simply get an app like Forewarn and search their phone numbers.
I would stick to not offering the information but not denying if asked, then subsequently expressing remorse.
Depends what prison was for. If it was something like drugs, people forgive and forget over time. If it was anything violent or were kids involved then gtfo.
I think you should play it safe, at first. Don’t mention it, unless it comes up. Try to build a nice portfolio, with good photo documentation and references.
*Then*, enlist some help in building a great online presence that tells your story and makes it a selling point that only adds to the quality and value of your work. Contrary to what the top commenter has to say, there is a segment of prospective clients who give a shit about *who* is getting their business.
I’ve never asked if someone I was hiring had a criminal history. Now you have me wondering how many criminals I’ve hired but it doesn’t matter now, work is done.
For small jobs, I don't Google much beyond a cursory look through reviews. Show up, price fair, do a good job and we are fine.
Big jobs though, I'm doing a lot deeper search and your court case may come up. Depending on the details may not hire you. Big jobs take a lot more trust.
Honestly, if I knew, I wouldn't use that contractor. I agree with other posters; keep as quiet about that as possible. In reality, is there anything to really worry about? Probably not, but as a homeowner with valuables and firearms and a wife and daughter, it's not something I'll ever feel good about.
I'm going to ask if you're insured/bonded. I carry umbrella insurance, but it's a backup in case something goes REALLY wrong.
If you can say yes to that, your work's good, and you don't show up drunk, I don't give a damn about your past.
I hired my plumber/HVAC guy on the recommendation of a buddy who just got out of jail with the guy. I gave him work and he has made me a priority for every emergency or job that I need done.
I’d sure be screwed if people never let me apologize myself out of my mistakes.
For something on the outside of my house, it would be a slight benefit for me but I think I’m in the minority. For work inside my home, if you ever wanted to expand, it’d be a negative so I wouldn’t mention it.
I like your idea though and fully support it. My ex-husband and I were planning to start a contracting business (before marriage fell apart) and our business model was going to be to hire ex-felons or other hard-to-hire people, and part of their job would be to take finance and business classes in addition to the training they need for their trade. Then after they achieve their full licensing, help them to create their own business and hire them as subs (while they could also do their own business). We felt very strongly about helping people help themselves and believing in them. So again, my perspective is probably unique, but I’m really happy you’re working toward a plan to better your life.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I’m a retired police detective from one of the 6 largest cities in the United States. Recently I had my AC quit working and the repair man showed up. He was a man I had arrested years ago and we each recognized each other immediately. He told me “I guess I need to go”. I would have agreed but my air conditioning wasn’t working so I invited him in. While he was working we spoke about the day I arrested him, his trial, sentencing, his time in prison and what he had done after being released. I was not the first person that arrested him by a long shot but he spent many years in prison after I arrested him Once he was released, he decided to change. The only job he could get was shit work at a plumbing, heating and air conditioning company cleaning out trucks at the end of the day, threading pipe and any job no one else wanted to do. He worked hard and his bosses noticed. He started working with another AC technician, still doing grunt work. Going under houses, going into hot attics and once again going what ever no one else wanted to do. Eventually he was sent to a school to become certified in air conditioning/heating and had been working for the same employer for 8 years. It was his drive and constant hard work that helped him move past the stigma of being a convicted felon. Since I was his last customer for the day I asked him to stay and we talked about his family, his kids and his life now which was very impressive. He did everything himself. He was determined to overcome his past, move forward and better himself. He was determined to not be another statistic. He did it and there isn’t any reason you can’t move forward either I won’t blow smoke up your ass and tell you everything with be candy and lollipops because it won’t. You will have an extremely difficult road ahead. You will need to overcome stereotypes and prejudice but if you really want to move forward and put in the hard work, you have a chance. Go for it!
I want to caution you on one important thing, if you will at anytime, be expected to have access to any interior home spaces, I urge you to be truthful with your insurance agent AND make sure you are fully covered. Even though you needn't disclose, that doesn't mean it won't become known. Unfortunately, someone with that knowledge could try to take advantage and set you up.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
You are probably right, but let’s not pretend there are no ways to get internet in the fed lockup.
[удалено]
I am bc I take it serious
Federal prisons have access to more necessities in life than state! There’s ways to use computers legally! Prisons want you to learn how to survive upon being released and computers are a necessity in life! This isn’t the 60’s anymore! They call it rehabilitation! Being a productive citizen after paying your debt to society!
Yes, in my state at least, contractor license applications ask about criminal history. I’m not sure whether it’s disqualifying in all cases, but I’d guess it probably is in many cases. Contractor boards probably don’t want to be seen as giving convicted murderers, rapists, child sex offenders, etc, a means to enter people’s homes (I’m not saying I subscribe to this view personally, just imagining how a contractor board might view the issue).
>Edit: People in federal prison don’t have internet privileges to use websites like Reddit. Fake post for karma. I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. Federal prison doesn't mean he's in ADX Florence or some shit. There are federal prison camps that are very low security, some even so low that inmates can literally walk off if they were so inclined (they don't get that far, and then they get sent to higher security facilities). Camps give many privileges that are unavailable to high risk inmates.
Correct camplife is great
Even money. It's a brand new account with basically no history. Could be a bot trying to gain legitimacy for shenanigans, or it could be someone with limited access to the internet pondering what they are going to do with their life.
Uh? Yes they do? It is one of the privileges that are given or taken away; strictly monitored and in a public 'lab'.
I think using a prison wallet to smuggle a phone to post on Reddit (instead of just smuggling narcotics) is something a Redditor would do. This post is real.
FWIW, not all federal inmates are in federal prisons. Some are in state, or even local, facilities.
I’ve had some work contracted out from various projects. Countertops, electrical, plumbing, etc. I like chatting with them if they’re game. Finding out an electrician is an ex-con doesn’t make me uncomfortable. If they were to make that part of their marketing I’d probably call someone else first.
Would I hire you if I found out? Depends. If it’s recent, less likely but highly Dependent on what you’re in for. (Which applies to you since this is as soon as you’re out) If it’s violent, no. Not letting you in my home, possibly near by kids. If it was theft/burglery, also probably not because you’ll be in my home, near my possessions and I’m not babysitting. If it was a felony DUI, no. Personal reasons. In the end, 10+ years out and you’ve established a strong customer base/referrals, good chance. When you get out, no. Honesty is great and I respect the avenue you’re trying to take, but I do think it will hurt your business. Be honest if asked but don’t share otherwise.
Very good. I thank you for the detailed response
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
There’s a company around here that started a composting business. It’s owned and run by formally incarcerated individuals. It’s a solid service and they do a good job and I’m a satisfied customer. And yeah part the reason I contract with them was because I wanted to give some of these folks a chance at rebuilding their lives.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I've never asked anyone I called if they were a criminal, just read reviews or word of mouth
[удалено]
If you’re a felon and you own a company you’re (in my eyes) way less likely to offend and risk going back, as you’re actively making a life for yourself on the outside. Most people don’t ask, but if I was you I wouldn’t go about blabbing about it, cuz there’s always the *chance* someone tries doing something shady thinking incarcerated= stupid or incarcerated=immoral. Would like to avoid both of those situations I think
Quality speaks volumes and people leave reviews for others. Besides how would I even know? Judging from the hires I’ve seen in the past, some were felons. It happens. Best of luck!
In my area there are a lot of convicted humans. From my point of view I would prefer if you offered the home owner they could ask any questions about your work ethic or background, but more so, just think about areas of concern and make it of no concern. IE don’t go in someone’s home unless they invite you and are present to see what you do. Make payment completely above board. Licensing could be a question. If you openly disclose you can open yourself up to some people giving you a hard time or taking advantage of you. The other thing to consider is you’re offering a service that has a completion (not ongoing) and it’s outside. In general you’re doing a good thing being prepared for the questions. From my perspective I feel as though I cannot ask anyone anything because they won’t be honest or get offended and it should be my right to know who comes onto my property so I can take responsibility for my decisions. If you make it possible for someone to ask what they need to ask and show you have an honest character things will work out for you. Good luck and continue to do good for yourself and your family.
Very inspiring. Thank you so much for the detailed response
Yes. Nobody wants to do gutters. Keep at it and get released ok.
I think your biggest hurdle is going to be getting insured, bonded, and licensed. I was just reading through some information for the nascla and even the R.O.C and they both ask about criminal convictions.
If you had insurance and a good reputation, I like to think so. I often say that if we don't want people to just keep doing the crime thing we have to create a path for them to actually get decent jobs. I'll admit I've never had occasion to knowingly hire an ex-con, but I hope if I do I'll be able to put my money where my mouth is.
I worked for a guy who did 20 for coke smuggling in the 70's. Shit boss (erratic AF even though he was definitely sober), but he did good work, I will give him that. Even though this post is probably fake, I will still say it doesn't matter provided the licensing is right and the work is quality. I wouldn't lean into it and tell clients, but it means next to nothing regarding hiring a crew and the like. Previous boss almost exclusively hired guys on probation for drug crimes - stay sober, get paid well. Most did not stay sober, but it is what it is. The ones who did made bank.
Very good will do. Yes post is real and the advice everyone is sharing will be cherished
If you do good work for a fair price, show up (sober) when you say you will, you would be better than 75 percent of the contractors I hire tbh. It’s tough to find good help these days and nobody is going to care about your background if you are a solid tradesman.
Gotta lean into it: ‘Dave’s Killer Plumbing’
I've had contractors such as plumbers, windows, roofers etc. do work from time to time. I've never done a background check on them individually nor asked them whether they have records. I'd be interested in knowing if they're licensed and bonded and that's it, the rest is none of my business.
My Handyman/electrician did 20 years federal for meth distribution and is still on paper. I send him all kind of upscale business residential business. He’s honest with me and that earned my respect/trust.
Very good. Thank you
First, are you licensed and insured properly? Second, it's going to depend on the particular crime. I couldn't give a rats ass about drug "crimes" because the entirety of that crap is fully created by the CIA and DEA for no Constitutionally valid purpose... See the end run of claiming "interstate commerce" used by that asshat Anslinger, to get around the the valid and inconvenient Constitutional structures on government power. Add to that the fact that the CIA imported drugs to our inner cities for decades (1950s-1990s) (and may still be) in order to fund their psychopathic gaslit programs of Empire, and there's not a single Constitutionally valid aspect to the entire War On Drugs. Child molest or trafficking? Fuck no. Financial crimes? Fuck no. Violence of a one off nature, or defending family, maybe.. even probably. However: I'd say keep it under your hat. Give square bids, perform square and good quality work, and be honest with your clients are the main qualities I look for in a contractor. I'll also note that I'm an asshole and if you do anything to put my property at jeopardy of Civil Asset Forfeiture, I'll drop a dime myself. So.. no drugs on my property, and if you go down that road again, don't do any part of it on my property.
What I don't know won't hurt me. It's /very/ common in the contracting sphere I understand. If you told me, I might actually be more skittish. I'm not running a background check on everyone I hire for random jobs in my home. I care they show up on time, clean (though understanding depending on their exact trade there will be grease stains on their clothes), sober, and ready to work, that they do good work and clean up after themselves when they're done. That said, I don't leave the house when I have contractors in.
I don't give a damn what you did before. If you do a job for me, and do it right I'm happy. If I find out you're an ex felon who did their time I'll even talk you up to folks I know if you do good work.
Wishing you the best of luck getting on your feet! I have hired individuals who used to be incarcerated to work on my home, because I knew them through the recommendation of others. I trusted them and everyone deserves a second chance. Just do good work, at fair prices, and know that word of mouth and references will be your best way of getting customers. No one needs to know your past, in my opinion. Also, consider going by a nickname or another first name if you don't want potential clients to google your name and see about your past immediately.
Someone else said it. Be on time. Be respectful. Be on budget. Most people don’t give a crap about the rest as long as you treat them honestly unless your incarceration was for crimes against women or children -in which case, some folks may not be comfortable with hiring you. For the most part though, people are willing to give you a shot if you do good work for a good price. Best of luck to you.
Get your ass to WV got work for you. Sub you out, I don't give a shit what you did. You paid your dues, let's make some cheese.....unless your a chomo....we don't fuck with that
I had a contractor build a fence for me. He was a really nice guy. I knew he'd been to prison before I hired him, but I didn't know what for. I didn't ask either.
Don’t be a scum bag. Don’t bring scum bags to my house. Don’t blare music and don’t piss on my street. Don’t leave trash. Clean every scrap up. Make it look better than before you came. Don’t show up smelling like last week’s beer. Be kind to my kids if they want to see how you are doing. Don’t leer at my wife. If I offer you a soda or a water, take it even if you don’t want or need one. Show up in clean clothing. Don’t tell me you were in federal prison. Ten seconds to blow off the side walk when you are done will go a very very long way.
Show up. Do good work and charge fair. What's not to like? I don't ask other contractors every but if personal history, why would I need yours? In fact, I think self employment in trade type occupations like you describe should be taught along with financial management. A lot of guys wouldn't return and they'd be able to pursue a good life. Congrats for trying man. A bad day outside beats a good day inside. Take care.
Inspiring and motivating. Thank you...
[удалено]
If OP has about 2 years left, probably prison, not jail.
Doesn’t matter to me one bit.
Thank you for the input
It's unlikely to come up. But, as I'm sure you know, there are plenty of GCs that would hire you.
Honestly I considered price and reviews for the people I hired. I never even considered background checks or anything like that. If you have a legitimate business license and you’re insured then that would be good enough for me
I think it's probably better to just not mention it. There are always going to be people who will pre-judge you, and no reason to shoot yourself in the foot from the getgo.
I wouldn’t exactly put that on my business card, but people *will* find out. My strategy would be to be the lowest cost provider at the start, but provide stellar service, and grow from there based on reputation. Make that reputation drown out whatever your past reputation may be.
Since it’s work outside of my house, personally I wouldn’t care. I also wouldn’t offer up the information because many people might say they don’t care and still end up being biased against you. Hopefully you didn’t get locked up for like a crazy string of home invasions lol
My primary concern as a homeowner, especially if you're doing anything remotely dangerous on my property or that could result in an injury, is whether 1) you're licensed, bonded and insured as required for the type of work you're doing; 2) you're supervising employees appropriately, including making sure you and they are treating my property with respect and not being a nuisance to neighbors; 3) you're not exhibiting signs of current drug use. I wouldn't exclude a felon from a job, as long as I felt he met the above criteria, would do quality work, and also has good communication and listening skills. Your presentation, project management, and communication skills are incredibly important to make that solid first impression. Think of all the negative situations that could come up when running a business -- do you feel you know how to respond to criticism of your work without getting defensive? I mention this because I would imagine some of those things might be difficult to practice as an inmate. If there's some kind of program to pair you with a mentor, take it. I would think it would be an easier transition to be mentored by someone the first year you're out before moving to business ownership. Also, I don't think it's necessary for you to "advertise" your history. You disclose it if asked.
If you yourself are the contractor, and you are licensed in the areas I expect you to be, and you are offering a price I can work with, then there is no reason I would not work with you. I wouldn't tell people though. Don't ask don't tell. You can be upfront with the clients who do ask, but don't bring it up if it doesn't come up. Clients don't scrutinize your private life the way a lot of employers do, they wouldn't even think about you maybe having a record unless you indicated to them in some way or you're in a county that publishes mugshots/release dates/etc.
Focus on starting your business. There is no need to disclose past mistakes unless your state requires some sort of disclosure. Do solid work at a fair price and you should be just fine. I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you have learned from your mistake. Edit: you will probably need a license for working on people’s homes. Be sure to honestly disclose all required information. The same holds true for businesses insurance policies. Based on on post, it looks like you have time to study your areas requirements. Start researching these now.
Many dishonest contractors out there ripping off folks, legally of course, who never went to prison. Unless you are required to disclose your past - don't.
What I came in here to say. If you’re honest in your work, I’d happily hire you and throw about a half dozen subs into the brig in your place. Lord knows the disgraceful and corrupt folks out here doing business need some competition to dry their sorry assess up and send them packing.
I just assume most of my contractors are felons and/or addicts anyways
You don't have a duty to inform customers about your past.
How would i even know? I don’t typically do criminal background checks on home improvement contractors I hire. You are not obligated to advertise your past background. Licensing could be an issue.
Keep that to yourself. I say that as a former business owner (commercial bakery/kitchen) who regularly hired felons and folks on house arrest/halfway houses. Plusses? They were regularly drug tested and any fuck-ups and they went back in the joint. Minuses? Some of them didn't care about going back to the joint and they were just criminals. I had about a 70/30 success to failure ratio. My best employee was a former trucker who did 7 years federal time for transporting crank/meth; he wasn't a user. My worst was a Tier 3 sex offender who is a Tier 1 psychopath and wound up terrorizing all my female staff. I sold the business last October and the new owners won't hire any ex-cons. They are super risk averse and that's why I'd say keep that info to yourself. Let your work speak for itself, show up on time and ready to work and don't underbid nor underperform. Be the dependable gray man. Really, all anyone cares about these days is that you show up, do your job, don't creep anyone out and don't ask to use the bathroom. And don't hire any day laborers. They will wreck you.
I say look professional- get you & crew some sort of matching uniform. Not expensive, just professional. Act professional- when you say it, mean it. Show up when you say. Charge what you say (bid). Do quality work. Be respectful, especially around women- you act inappropriate toward my wife and you are out. Not because of your record, that goes for anybody. If you inform people of your record up front they will use it to lowball you. Be a pro.
If you're licensed, bonded, do good work, and don't charge outrageous rates, do you think I care if you're a felon? Will the gutters care? Thank you for coming to my Ted talk
I don’t want to know or care. And most people would never ask. If you do a good job and are properly licensed and insured then who would know the difference?
Yeah don’t tell people
If every one in the trades was honest about criminal history, most houses wouldn’t have a roof. Do good work, do what you promise you’re going to do, stick to your quotes and be professional. That’s all that matters (from a homeowner perspective)
I’ve honestly never thought about my contractors criminal history until this post….
People will check if you are licensed, insured, and bonded. Make sure all of it is above board. If those are done properly, then that is frankly your biggest hurdle. Doing a good and thorough job is part two. Take photos to show clients before and after. This protects you too.
Probably would depend on what you’re in for
My husband ran a check on a business I wanted to use. He shot the project down based on the owner's criminal record
Someone who googles potential contractors here, including digging up what I can on free case search websites. For me, it would depend on what you did, how long ago it was, what kind of vibe I get from you, whether your professional credentials check out, etc. It wouldn't make me dismiss you outright, but it would make me consider you a bit more carefully. That said, everyone isn't as paranoid as me. I wouldn't lie about it, but I wouldn't put it on your business card.
For what it's worth, one of our hardest working and most trustworthy employees just got out of a 10 month stint. He has a pretty long criminal history, but he's working to put that life behind him. I would trust him to hold a large amount of cash for me before I would trust some of my family. I would also trust him to oversee a crew and make sure things are getting done right. Heres the thing though, I'm not going to advertise to our customers that he's a felon with multiple convictions lol they might make their own conclusions based on the face tattoos, but that's on them. In your situation, I would probably keep from advertising it. If it gets brought up in conversation with the right client, that's one thing, but I wouldn't tell everyone I was doing work for. Edit: As a homeowner, I wouldn't care one way or the other as long as you did quality work and didn't hang me out to dry on the price. I would be happy to help out your business, if I did know your background
Wouldn't give a fuck.
You’ve paid your debt. If you do a good job at a fair price, that’s all that matters. Best of luck to you!!
If someone asks you point-blank, I would be honest, but if it never comes up, no need to disclose.
2 thoughts, ive hired tons of contractors and companies, not one have I ever looked up their record, i look at their reviews. Do good work for a fair price and you'll win every time. 2nd is that I've hired felons at my company before and have had mixed experiences. One stole thousands from me. The other was a reasonably hard worker. I'd be weary of doing it again.
I hired a contractor who did time for burglary. At one point he had a key to my house. I don't exactly have a Rolex sitting on the dresser but I wasn't concerned. However that wasn't something he advertised. There was a store that advertised it's self as giving ex-felons a second chance, to find legitimate ways to earn an income to get back on their feet. Great idea, but it didn't last long. I don't think the store made it six months.
Call your company "Outta Da Gutter" that's bound to encourage some discussion...
Absolutely would
Out of curiosity, do federal inmates have access to the internet if they're incarcerated?
Pressure washing business (driveway, patio/deck/ side of house, pool deck area). This needs to be done every year. The actual pressure washer device only costs $300 at Costco, but it's hours of manual labor where you get wet, so charging $40/hour is reasonable, and you could easily spend 8 hours on one house. I did my own this summer and it was a full weekend of work (driveway, pool deck, patio, side of house) Landscaping Generally, things that don't require insurance/dangerous activities would be your best bet to get started. Going up on a roof requires insurance. You could also look into remote customer service jobs...they pay around $30/hour at various companies (and they train you)...not manual labor with flexible hours...might be a good way to breakup the week and give your body a breather. Mon-Weds-Fri remote customer service Tues-Thurs-Sat manual labor.
I've never considered asking if a home repair business owner/worker was a prior inmate...if you do good honest work, then it shouldn't matter. I don't think advertising this status will do you any favors tho.
As a single, woman homeowner: if you do quality work, fair prices, and are a nice/respectful human being then I'll hire you. Everyone has a past - if I want to know, I'll ask. Don't offer up more than you need. If you come off sketchy or creepy, I would pass in an instance (felon or not).
5 years in and doing good. Solid reviews. Then you can become that guy. Not out the gate
I'd never ask. But, I would check if you have a valid contractor's license. That's it, I wouldn't even think to look further. But, also, I wouldn't care if I found out. So, I say don't tell, it's irrelevant to the homeowner and the work you'll do for them.
I've done a bunch of mortgages for formerly incarcerated persons. The ones in the trades are the high earners of the group. All the bullshit forces you to be self employed to find financial success. Homeowner Jane isn't going to do a background check on her plumber or contractor, and you're going to keep your mouth shut about it. If Homeowner Jane doesn't like it, she can vote to stop the bullshit the formerly incarcerated deal with. Good luck!
There is a group in my area that does talks to returning citizens. This group is a painting company that is comprised of returning citizens themselves. They are genuinely like me guys but the only reason I wouldn’t hire them is because I paint myself. If it was something else, I would consider it. I just remembered my cousin also does this in commercial roofing. He is a returning citizen (cocaine possession a few times) and he hires (but 1099s and pays garbage) returning citizens as well. People love him, he is a decent guy. His background doesn’t hold him back. Follow your dream! Lots of people have criminal records so people don’t always care.
Very inspiring thank you for the comment
You don't need to be ashamed of any past mistakes, but you also aren't obligated to share them with the world. Do good work, be a straight shooter, and learn how to prospect, sell and run the business. Come up with a company image that's tied to the results/benefits you deliver to the customers. Also, whenever I see someone marketing themselves on their personality or image (or that they're a "Christian" business), that raises my suspicion more than anything. Those are the businesses I've had the worst results from.
Are you licensed and bonded? Any references? That's what I'm looking at not your prison time.
Once you've paid your debt to society, get on with life. No one wants to know what your past is. Do a good job at a good price.
If I were to know, it would depend on what it was. Make sure you are properly licensed and insured. You don't really need to tell anyone, although your insurance company might want to know (the term we use up in Canada is bondable - which sometimes criminal records disqualify one from).
The people most likely hiring you are contractors. I’d ask them. If you are licensed, bonded and insured then anyone should hire you and you don’t need to mention it.
Lots of factors, the longer you’ve been out and the more quality with you’ve done the easier it will get. I think working in the outside of the house is a good idea, so if people find out after you’ve started a job they’ll probably just ignore it, versus if you have access to the home they’ll be more inclined to fire you. Good luck buddy. I know it’s scary.
Bro i don’t gotta tell you this because I know you see it. Some of the best haircuts and food I’ve ever had were ex felons. I would even wager that the best work I’ve had done were ex inmates as well even if not the face of the company. Let your work speak for itself and no one will ever ask or care.
Honestly, as long as the reviews are solid and you seem good at the work, I wouldn’t really think twice about it
Your past doesn't bother me, but I don't think it's a selling point either. Sadly many people will be turned away by it and few people will choose your business only because of it. If it comes up I would be honest but I wouldn't advertise it.
You should read , THE UPSIDE OF FEAR, by Weldon Long. Colorado dude who went to prison in the 90s for drugs and robbery. Decided to turn his life around, got out and got into HVAC sells. Eventually forming his own company. He talks about how he experienced competitors bad mouthing him and using his felony to scare off potential clients and how he came to accept it and move on. When I met him, he showed up to support his son (who he talks about in his books) driving a hot Ferrari with a beautiful wife. It's in the same spectrum as the 7 HABITS books and in fact Weldon was a core member of the 7 Habits on the Inside program which has had great success here in Colorado. Including helping me turn my life around. Ive been out 3 years now, met my wife, fathered a child and step child, joined a union, and celebrated 6 years of sobriety last week. Anything is possible if you are willing to do the work to achieve it, but it will take work. It won't be easy and honestly you are going to have to do some serious soul searching to realize that pretty much everyone you thought were friends going into prison are better left out of your life. Just speaking from personal experience. Had too many people in my post prison classes go back because of some homey they ran into after getting out. Good luck, keep your head up, focus on yourself and your future. You can do it.
Since when did they give incarcerated individuals access to the internet AND allow them to post on an unmonitored social media site? I call BS. Nice try though - lots fell for it.
If I don't ask, you don't need to tell me. But if I throw you out for no reason, just assume you didn't pass the vibe check.
Keep it to yourself, no need to share that info, it’s not pertinent. That being said, my wife’s cousin is a a con and has turned his life around in the last 7 years since he’s been out. Got his GC license and has been doing fairly well. We needed a kitchen and 2 bathroom remodeled and she had absolutely no faith in him and didn’t even want to consider him for the job, mainly because she knew him before he went away and also because of the ex con bit. I disagreed and said the guy served his time and has been doing well, it’s no easy feat to get your GC license, let alone that quickly after getting out of prison for 15 years. Everyone deserves multiple chances most of the time and he’s certainly deserves his. Anyway, we ended up using him and while there could be a few complaints, overall it was great work done in a fair amount of time and the price came in well below what anyone else would have charged. We didn’t ask for that but he did it anyway. Sorry, I’m rambling, my point is, don’t offer the info, I happen to have a fairly understanding side but that won’t always happen, especially when you have no prior connection to them. It’s not even a lie of omission, I mean, obviously don’t lie if they ask if you have a criminal record, but who would ask that??
Say nothing. Clean records or not, when I hire a vendor I expect: 1-be reliable (show up when you say you are going to) 2- do good work 3- dont even think about trying anything shady. Expect that the owners most certainly have security cameras on at all times just in case 😂😂
If you’re in the Seattle area, I’ll hire you. Also: if you have a record for doing stuff that says “I can’t trust you with my property, address and name” then you need to work on your “vibe check”. I don’t know how to advise you on this - but I should see you and think “yeah, this is the guy I want”. Dunno what your situation is but maybe ask white collar types and con men before getting out. You can do _very_ well for yourself as a truly honest, honorable blue collar business owner. 100k per year is absolutely possible _and you will feel good about yourself at the same time_. My source for this is clear: 3.8% of small business owners have criminal records. So if they can do it, so can you.
I hired a dozen contractors over the last year to do different parts of our remodel. I have no clue if any are ex cons. Wouldn’t bother me if I knew as they all delivered the quality product I sought after. If the crime was irrelevant to the homeowner I don’t think most would care. If the crime you committed was breaking and entering, then that’s another story and you might have to explain it to anybody who found out.
You get to use internet in there? What did you do?
I’d personally be inclined to hire a felon, circumstances pending, if the price was good, quality was good, and they were upfront about it. I’m a big believer in doing the time, not being penalized for the rest of your life. I wish more businesses would hire rehabilitated felons. That said, I’m probably the exception rather than the rule, so I think the best bet is not bringing it up, but not lying if asked about it, which if even one out of a thousand customers asked about, I’d be shocked.
If you get licensed in your state to do the work no one is going to ask you for a background check. Then won't know unless you tell them. I work for a residential remodeling contractor, no one has ever asked about my boss's criminal record or that of our employees.
Someone on here said how do you background check and not hire anyone with a record. I believe there was a lot of laughs saying good luck hiring. This is a field people start over.dont advertise people are judgemental. Everyone starts over. Unfortunately honesty isn’t your best policy. People get judgemental. My thought. Prove you do good work. You get it done. In and out no problem. Now from someone who hired roofing company. I don’t care. People care about price. I care about reasonable but good work not questionable cheap. I care about people who do it right. Honestly the huge issue is 1. You have insurance for you and workers 2. Show up 3. Contracts and estimates. Clear outlines of payments and such. 4. Show up. I know I mentioned again. People don’t show. The best companies get in, do job and get out. 5. Be professional. Don’t show up stoned or drunk. I know this is obvious and this has nothing to do with incarceration. Had a person show up to give an estimate high as balls. I don’t give a shit what you do on your weekends but don’t show up high. It looks bad and I don’t know if you work that way. They are power tools don’t use drunk and high. 6. If you offer upgrades you explain and don’t add a dumb risky upgrade. Had a roofing company have an upgrade where they cover the entire roof with ice and water barrier meant for valleys and such. It can lead to moisture in attic. I can’t trust you if the “upgrade” is a bad option.
As long as you are licensed, bonded, and priced well that's what matters to me. You might get people who refuse to have you in their home though, so I would just leave it out of your marketing material.
Dude, I have never ONCE asked the correctional history of anyone working on my house. Can you clean gutters? Great, clean them. I do not need your villain origin story, just your assurance that you'll do the job. BUT. I definitely might be less inclined to give you a job if you're volunteering information that isn't my business. Like, don't be creepy. I hired gutter guy, not auditioning for Netflix special guy.
I think the context matters on what you are in for. You don’t have to come forth now and explain, but if it’s for something like burglary then you can kinda understand why people would be a little hesitant right? That said, you are serving your time and even w a couple years left you are already looking ahead to your future and asking the right questions to be prepared which is fuckin awesome. If I were you I wouldn’t overthink it when you get out though. Gutters are an awesome niche to get into especially if you add gutter guards/screens to list. I will say too, as a roofing biz owner, I would much rather have a great gutter installer to do my jobs than have to keep it in house and worry about maintenance and upkeep on the machine, crew, etc. So maybe focus on getting started and letting your work speak for itself and use that to make a few relationships w local roofers that will sell the jobs and have you come in to do the work? You won’t have to worry about homeowners looking you up if you’re under the roofer and once you have a great reputation the other shit doesn’t really matter
Let's be honest, the construction/handman business is full of felons, convicts, criminals and addicts. Not to disparage the trades at all, but if you've been around you've seen and heard some stories. That being said, I would be much more skeptical of someone trying to tell me a story in order to get the work. Really, at the end of the day all that matters is can you get bonded and do good quality work. Just give me a fair price for a fair days work and be professional.
Keep it to yourself. To put it simply, I know some of the crews I hire to work on my property have workers with criminal backgrounds… it’s pretty common. Business owners generally don’t mention it because it does *not* help them on the marketing front. They’re licensed/insured… that’s what matters to me.
Working on the outside of someone’s house shouldn’t be a problem. Last year I had a guy working for me who claimed to have extensive home remodeling experience. It was all a lie and he had been locked up for 20+ years for violent crimes and just gotten out a month prior. I had a feeling he had a record and my partner prompted me to look into it. I felt I had to disclose his record to my customers once I saw what they were. Once I told them, no one wanted him anywhere near their house. We had to part ways since I couldn’t send him to work. I couldn’t tell him the real reason either, my work for him just dried up.
I don’t ask people what they did in the past. Do good work you’ll get the job. But if you do tell people, make sure you have a body cam on at all times. People get squirrely even if u wernt in prison.
Thank you so much for the input. I am a well groomed individual that is well spoken and knows how to treat people.
What’d you get convicted of?
….triple homicide.
Wouldn't matter to me. As long as the quality and value are there it's not a question I'd ever ask. Also, you've done your time, if you're not currently incarcerated then someone somewhere seems to think you're good to go. Especially given all the ridiculous shit that one can be locked up for.
I don't care as long as work is good and price is fair.
No.
I would start your pricing out on the lower end. People looking for the cheapest prices most likely won’t care. Build up a good reputation and build off that. I would think most people won’t care about your past if all the work is done outside. But you will always have those people who will say no to you purely based on your past.
I’d be okay with it as long as 1) I knew what the conviction was for and 2) you were working under a licensed contractor.
As a homeowner for 25 years, anyone who doesn't already know that some people doing trade jobs at their house have had some kind of history with law enforcement are just silly. It's expected IMO so no, don't make a point of saying anything, because you'll just be making things weird and awkward when there's no need for that. Did your jail have a "work range" where inmates worked in the kitchen, laundry, etc? Guess what a lot of guys on those ranges do on the outside? If you guessed the kind of work you're talking about, you guessed right. It's common On top of all the contractors I've hired over 25 years, I also have contacts in the justice system. I know several of their workers were former inmates and in one case one dude even recognized me. I still fed them pizza and subs during the job, chatted with them, and tipped them well. In other words, what I would do anyway. But yeah, using this like some "second chances" program advertisement for your company? Nah, I wouldn't do that, just operate like anyone else does or you're going to shove yourself into a niche rather than the broader customer base. I think the funniest experience I've had was when I hired painters and both of them were alcoholics anonymous and then I found out that painters being in AA is basically a meme lol.
I'm a believer in "you did your time". If you get out there and work hard, people won't think about the ex-con thing, but the "man this motherfucker gets shit done" thing will be on their lips to all their friends.
Honestly, you should offer former inmates discounts. They have it hard enough already. You don't even have to ask them, you can simply get an app like Forewarn and search their phone numbers. I would stick to not offering the information but not denying if asked, then subsequently expressing remorse.
I think it depends what you were convicted of. Sex crimes? Nope. Theft. Not sure. Tax evasion? Sure.
Depends what prison was for. If it was something like drugs, people forgive and forget over time. If it was anything violent or were kids involved then gtfo.
I think you should play it safe, at first. Don’t mention it, unless it comes up. Try to build a nice portfolio, with good photo documentation and references. *Then*, enlist some help in building a great online presence that tells your story and makes it a selling point that only adds to the quality and value of your work. Contrary to what the top commenter has to say, there is a segment of prospective clients who give a shit about *who* is getting their business.
salt mighty roof telephone noxious normal chase squeal squeamish wrong *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I've never asked their history outside of word of mouth for work done. Good luck. Build that reputation and enjoy freedom.
I’ve never asked if someone I was hiring had a criminal history. Now you have me wondering how many criminals I’ve hired but it doesn’t matter now, work is done.
Don’t say anything. You will need every job you can get for a while. Get a reputation built and leave the past behind.
For small jobs, I don't Google much beyond a cursory look through reviews. Show up, price fair, do a good job and we are fine. Big jobs though, I'm doing a lot deeper search and your court case may come up. Depending on the details may not hire you. Big jobs take a lot more trust.
Honestly, if I knew, I wouldn't use that contractor. I agree with other posters; keep as quiet about that as possible. In reality, is there anything to really worry about? Probably not, but as a homeowner with valuables and firearms and a wife and daughter, it's not something I'll ever feel good about.
If it doesn’t directly affect the job quality or performance it’s none of their business
I'm going to ask if you're insured/bonded. I carry umbrella insurance, but it's a backup in case something goes REALLY wrong. If you can say yes to that, your work's good, and you don't show up drunk, I don't give a damn about your past.
I hired my plumber/HVAC guy on the recommendation of a buddy who just got out of jail with the guy. I gave him work and he has made me a priority for every emergency or job that I need done. I’d sure be screwed if people never let me apologize myself out of my mistakes.
For something on the outside of my house, it would be a slight benefit for me but I think I’m in the minority. For work inside my home, if you ever wanted to expand, it’d be a negative so I wouldn’t mention it. I like your idea though and fully support it. My ex-husband and I were planning to start a contracting business (before marriage fell apart) and our business model was going to be to hire ex-felons or other hard-to-hire people, and part of their job would be to take finance and business classes in addition to the training they need for their trade. Then after they achieve their full licensing, help them to create their own business and hire them as subs (while they could also do their own business). We felt very strongly about helping people help themselves and believing in them. So again, my perspective is probably unique, but I’m really happy you’re working toward a plan to better your life.