By the middle of last year, Mr. Ringel had started paying himself a regular salary.
Mr. Ringel spent the money on formally incorporating the business, as City Works New York Inc.
Marc Ringel says that he was "really scared" when he first started his flooring company in July 2007.
Before he struck out on his own, Mr. Ringel, who is now 32, had never been able to build up savings.
Within days, Mr. Ringel had signed three jobs for the independent contractor, most of them referred from Mr. Ringel's clients at the other flooring company.
Mr. Ringel had to act fast to get his own firm up and running while it was still a busy season for repairs and renovations.
Mr. Ringel set up a phone line, with a voicemail system that left callers thinking that they had dialed a fully staffed company, he says.
"I could see fundamental differences in our philosophies, " Mr. Ringel recalls.
The good reviews attracted new clients, and Mr. Ringel made a point to be present at the jobs, to increase his understanding of the business, he says.
So, Mr. RIngel says, he approached a licensed and insured freelance contractor and asked to solicit work for him, in exchange for a cut of the profits.
To push him through the season, Mr. Ringel decided to try for free advertising, encouraging the public to rate Floor Works, on sites like StreetEasy.com, UrbanDigs.com and AngiesList.com.
"The pitfall was that a big influx of money can make you think, 'Oh, I'm rich now, ' but that's when you need to be careful, " Mr. Ringel says.
At the time, sales were booming, and Mr. Ringel thought the company had the potential to soar even higher, if it implemented systems and processes that would better organize and dispatch the contractors.
Mr. Ringel's career jump wasn't easy, but for others who strive to do the same, he suggests having the safety net of a secure job, the way he did when he was making the transition.
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