living off of "potential"

well, i said yes to the job after drilling him on the details.

at first, there won't be benefits, sick days or vacation days. so i tried to negotiate and see if he would pay a higher hourly wage to make up for it. he refused and said he wanted to start me at $12 and see how it works out, a "probationary" period. i can take sick days and vacation days but they will be unpaid for now.

however i was very persistent about benefits and how i need to be able to make enough money to support myself. he was understanding and is "very open to  negotiations as things get underway". he said that the company will not provide benefits, but in maybe 6 months or so we can negotiate a higher salary to cover the costs of benefits, or maybe get some paid vacation and sick. I guess it all depends on how well I negotiate. ;)

I wasn't going to accept the job, because the thought of having a "career" that lasts forever but doesn't have benefits makes me nervous. however, he told me straight up that as the company grows (he just got a bunch of new jobs from
wayne county and the city of detroit that will last years) he wants me to be his right-hand (wo)man, and he anticipates in 3 years, we will be so busy that we'll
have to hire a secretary to take over part of my job, while I get more into the consulting end of things. He kept saying that the "potential is unbelieveable" and
that he promises I'll make lots more money as I am taken under his wing.

Well, maybe I'm gullible but that's good enough for me. I'll give it a try. If I get offered the zoo job, I'll tell him I need a pay raise or benefits, or I am
walking. ;)

In the meantime, I need to figure out what is "business casual" for that conference in Grand Rapids. Fortunately, my everyday work outfit is jeans and anything I can get dirty while playing in the greenhouse. :)