How to Save Labor Costs When Labor Is Hard To Find

Dozens of mid-April labor news reports like this one warn that rehiring labor this spring and summer will be harder than ever. The shortage is due in part to lingering fears of Covid exposure and additional circumstances that may delay returns to work. As a result, event company owners may find it harder to attract enough people to meet growing 2021 customer commitments.

Last month, we presented a blog that offered a dollars and cents scenario for purchasing a Tent OX Tent Installation System. This month, we talk about how that same system can reduce your labor needs. Permanently.

Second year payoff, and then some

Let’s say you are taking delivery of the $65,000 Tent OX Tent Installation System at the beginning of the 2021 season. By the end of the year, the example used in the blog shows a labor saving that is equal to about 75% of the Tent OX’s purchase price. Early in the 2022 season, the remaining labor saving costs needed to equal your $65,000 investment in Tent OX can probably be accrued in the first month or month and a half of the season.

But your investment won’t just net you a one-time savings in labor spending. As long as you use Tent OX, the savings will continue, and even accelerate.

When you reach the ROI point, your profit goes up

Once the initial cost of your Tent OX investment has been zeroed out by an equal amount of labor savings, the only costs associated with the Tent OX System will be fuel, maintenance and eventual repairs over its long life. The one additional worker you didn’t hire in 2021 equates to tens of thousands of dollars of labor savings for every year Tent OX remains a part of your crew.As a result:

  • Net profit for each job rises, and it remains higher for every installation job in which a Tent OX System accompanies your crew.
  • Fewer crew members are needed for each job. Companies tell us they can assign fewer members to a job in which the Tent OX is trailered to, (our customer success stories offer some examples). For instance, if you used to send six crew to put up a 60’-wide tent, perhaps you will now send three or four with a Tent OX System, and they will still tend to complete the job faster than before. The two or three crew members  you didn’t send can be assigned to another job, boosting your revenue potential.
  • Time on site falls by as much as 40%. One of the most common stories we hear from new customers is how much less time it takes for a Tent OX-equipped crew to put up a tent. Using the above 60’-wide tent as an example, a job that once took a total of 6 hours to finish – from first arrival to driving off the property – can be completed in a little more than 3 hours when using Tent OX to its full potential.  Further savings occur when the crew returns to take down the tent.
Transferring Bil-Jax® or other flooring from truck to tent is effortless with a Tent OX Tent Installation System

What labor-saving impact would Tent OX have in your company?

The labor-saving example shown above may not precisely reflect the labor savings your company will experience. But nearly all Tent OX customers report a similar uptick in labor savings. Large and small customers we talk to about their Tent OX experiences seem to agree on three things beyond labor savings that make owning a Tent OX a transformational business tool:

The #1 reason to buy a Tent OX is to save labor. It is increasingly hard to hire as many people as you need. Tent OX was designed by tent professionals to take over the 10 hardest parts of an installation, prime among them moving materials from truck to tent site, pounding stakes, pulling roof panels, pushing center poles and pulling stakes. That means you will need fewer crew members for each job, and they’ll complete each job sooner.

Tent OX makes employees happier. Putting up or taking down a tent will always be physically demanding. But if you buy a Tent OX, you’re adding a tireless, hydraulically powered machine to the crew that takes over several of the crew’s most strenuous tasks. The impact Tent OX exerts on crew morale and career longevity can be life changing. Veteran crew members who used to return home exhausted are less likely to quit their tenting career at an early age in favor of less demanding work. Seasonal workers who used to fade away after six weeks are more likely to stay the full season. So, while you are doing right by your employees, you will also retain more top talent.

Tent OX makes your crew more efficient. By mechanizing the most taxing and repetitive parts of the job, Tent OX releases the crew to do the things only humans can do. They can think more, contribute more and apply themselves with more vigor and precision to the remaining tasks.

If you want to learn more about what owning a Tent OX Tent Installation could look like for your business – from a profit and a people perspective – let’s talk! We know the tent and event rental industry because we have worked in it for decades as business owners, just like you. Reach out to our team today to arm yourself with information and set your business up for its most successful season yet!