Being the Boss of “Us”

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by Albert Jackson, SCI #038
Cobb County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, Ret.
Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Ambassador (ret.); Owner, Jackson PTT&TS, LLC.
IPMBA Secretary

Last year I wrote about “Being the Boss of You.” We are a year older, wiser, and more accomplished, so now I am the boss of “Us.” Yes, that’s right, “Us.” Earlier this year, I reached the second rung on the ladder of growth when I hired my first part-time employee. Recardo is still an Ambassador with the Downtown Improvement District of Atlanta, and a fine young man who has brought growth to the company. I hope someday he will be the operator – if not the next owner – of the company. I made the decision that he needed to be vetted by my board of directors, who gave him a great review.

When I last wrote to you, I was running the business by myself. But success has brought about the need for a second person to help or be in a second place at the same time. This has brought about new challenges and demands that I did not previously expect or think of.

First, I had to adjust my pricing schedule to counteract the loss of profit to accommodate Recardo’s compensation. Those changes could not be too drastic, even if they did not completely level the profit margin at its previous point. I had not increased my prices since the start of the business in 2018, so even without the current level of inflation, the increase was already necessary.

Second, there was the decision as to what form the compensation was going to take. He had to either agree to being a Form 1099 employee and take care of his own tax burden, or I would have to establish a payroll tax account for him. We decided that the best arrangement for both parties was to increase his compensation level above minimum wage and let him report his earnings independently. But I did go farther and give him the same information and advice about tax liability that I have always given new officers coming out of the academy: if you have a 1099 job, or you get paid straight cash for extra-duty jobs, have a saving account for your taxes. Take 35 cents out of every dollar you get paid and set it aside in that savings account. Either pay estimated taxes quarterly to the IRS and your state or have that money ready to write a check to the IRS if your tax withholding doesn’t cover what you have made.

Next, I had to make sure that in the event of an injury, he would be covered via workers’ compensation so that he would not lose any pay or work if he could not attend his main employment. Along with this came the assurance that I would not schedule us at times that would interfere with his primary employment, especially since that employer is one of my accounts.

I made the decision early on that I could not fully duplicate my tool sets for him as Segway and TRIKKE Electric Vehicle tool kits have grown to five Craftsman cases of three sizes. So, I had to decide what “needed” to be duplicated in order for us to be in two different places at the same time, doing duplicate (or similar) work. It turned out that this was easier than we both thought. If we must be in two places simultaneously, I take the bicycle call, which requires more tools, and Recardo takes the TRIKKE call, which requires less tooling.

If you hire an employee in a skilled position, you are responsible for their training and experience. After all, they are representing you and your brand. For me, Recardo was an easy choice. He had expressed an interest in working with me last year, and he came with some knowledge of the equipment in place.

He gained this knowledge from me; I was his initial trainer when he joined the Ambassadors. His first week was spent solely with me learning to patrol on the bicycle, the Segway, and the TRIKKE Electric Vehicle. He has great mechanical skills and has caught on very well. In May, we were commissioned to refurbish all 20 of the Ambassadors’ patrol bicycles. He performed beautifully. He has also adjusted well to the TRIKKE Electric Vehicle, but we have already decided that a trip to the factory in California is in his future in 2024.

A year from now I hope to be able to report that he is doing all the work, and I am managing both him and the schedule. After all, that is what an employer does. That is the goal for next year. In 2025, I hope that we can start on our transition plan to Recardo “Being the Boss of Recardo.” I hope I will run into you at the next conference; let’s sit down and talk about your path to “Being the Boss of You.”

Albert joined the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office in 1980 and retired in 2008. He attended the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course in 2003. He joined the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, where he was a Security Cyclist for nine years. He was certified as SCI #038 at the 2018 IPMBA Conference in Saint Louis and completed the Maintenance Officer Certification Course at the 2019 Conference in Fort Worth. He is retired again and operating Jackson PTT&TS, LLC. He was elected to the IPMBA Board at the 2022 Conference, and currently serves as the Secretary. He can be reached at albert.jackson306@att.net.

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