Newly self-employed, need help pricing a job :)

[New Venture!]

I'll give you a quick hourly rate example. I do the safety test and inspection of the sound/lighting kit of a pretty well known band. For that they pay me £25 per hour, and that's for straightforward, almost no overheads work. 

How long does it take you to sink a back box? Terminate a double socket? As Evans says, break it down into smaller chunks and try to apply your previous experience to each step. 

 

[Manator]

An internet example of a new business.

I have a talent or skill that the world will benefit from. I am going to make a fortune.

OK so I will do the local market research to evaluate my skills and the benefits I could bring, to my local community and if needed far reached.

Reality, some Romanian is offering full house rewires for £850.

That is half of your monthly outgoings.

Are you able to compete? The answer is no.

The majority of electricians that I know are nice people, this does not necessary mean that they are good businessmen. If you need help in pricing, I would strongly suggest that you send your CV to jobsearch or similar, until you are ready to attack the big wild world.

 

[Essex1]

An internet example of a new business.

I have a talent or skill that the world will benefit from. I am going to make a fortune.

OK so I will do the local market research to evaluate my skills and the benefits I could bring, to my local community and if needed far reached.

Reality, some Romanian is offering full house rewires for £850.

That is half of your monthly outgoings.

Are you able to compete? The answer is no.

The majority of electricians that I know are nice people, this does not necessary mean that they are good businessmen. If you need help in pricing, I would strongly suggest that you send your CV to jobsearch or similar, until you are ready to attack the big wild world.

What does Romania have to do with anything

 

[Manator]

Nothing other than Romanian, Slovakian, Polish, or any other eastern European will work for less and send their money back home.

If you do not like my example show me one that disproves it.

 

[poni]

Employ the Romanian to do all your work and put 20% on top for yourself

 

[steptoe]

Employ the Romanian to do all your work and put 20% on top for yourself

Yep,

I actually have an English guy that does my occupied rewires for me for at almost half of what I charge,

Guess who does them? I just price them, supply materials, and invoice at the end

 

[Essex1]

Nothing other than Romanian, Slovakian, Polish, or any other eastern European will work for less and send their money back home.

If you do not like my example show me one that disproves it.

I know some English that work for less than other English, Scottish that work for less than the English and Welsh that work for less than the Scottish. 

They also tend to send their money home. Does this concern you as much?  Or does your mild racism only extend to Eastern Europeans?

 

[steptoe]

I'm not English, Scottish, or Welsh, (luckily,   ) 

I send my money home,

Does that bother anyone,? :C

 

[Essex1]

I'm not English,

I send my money home,

Does that bother anyone,? :C

Not me. @Manator on the other hand.........

 

[steptoe]

Not me. @Manator on the other hand.........

:slap

 

[Sharpend]

It's not the fact of how much cheaper it is, it's how much lower the standard of their work is that bothers me. 

 

[NozSpark]

I'm pretty sure that I've had similar to this before...

In my case I got a quote from a wholesaler with my markup included in the price.... once paid they then "return" all the items and then book them back out at my price to  me and I get a refund

 

[leesparkykent]

That list of material doesn't look very exhaustive for a full refit. What about things like klick roses, DB, tails, bonding, emergency packs for some of the 600x600 fittings, key switches, grid switches and so on. You need work out the materials down to the last screw and then price per point allowing sufficient time for 1st fix, 2nd fix, testing. You need to allow some mark up on materials to allow for time spent sourcing and collecting them. The percentage of mark up will have to rise if you are to be providing a warranty for the material. You need to add a mark up on your labour to allow for travel, fuel, wear and tear, insurances, scam registration, etc. Plus you don't want to be just doing the job for wages...I assume you want to make a profit at the end of it. With the tight hourly rate and list of material you've posted on here that doesn't look to be very big for a full refit I would be very careful as you may end up at a loss with regards to material and the hourly rate doesn't leave much for error either. Other thing is as its a refit your are going to have to contend with other trades so you have to allow for this due to them being in your way/running behind.

 

[Murdoch]

I should've been more specific I know haha. My overheads are negligable and I was planning on adding a bit on at the end to cover variable's and the fact that he's certainly the type to try knocking me down at some point 

Your overheads are negligible? Really , I don't believe you. Being SE costs money so either add reasonable mark up or up your hourly rate too compensate.

 

[poni]

if it's a refit what about the temporary supply and light's ,it's been a long time since I've done any shop work but that look's like a lot of sockets for a shop and what's the USB sockets needed for?

have you aloud enough 2.5 T&E with 50 600x600 lights that's a lot of floor area  

 

[poni]

Nothing other than Romanian, Slovakian, Polish, or any other eastern European will work for less and send their money back home.

If you do not like my example show me one that disproves it.

as long as they pay there tax here and pay for all for all the parts they use, I don't have a problem with them, it's the one's that work cash in hand and take the bit's they need form the job there are on I have a problem with

I'm not English either not that this should matter  

 

[kerching]

Are you VAT reg

is client VAT reg

are they expecting to reclaim the VAT

is your insurance cover large enough

temp works

plant hire if required

etc etc etc

most of the above has been said before!

if he wants no mark up then, if it was my client, he would be buying ALL materials, paying standing time, covering warranties, lighting design incl emergencies etc

my grandfather said.  "If you work for nothing then you get the right to choose who you work for"

see my signature for the price/quality/speed paradox

just.....wouldn't touch it with a faeces encrysted brush stave given the conditions stated

 

[Manator]

I know some English that work for less than other English, Scottish that work for less than the English and Welsh that work for less than the Scottish. 

They also tend to send their money home. Does this concern you as much?  Or does your mild racism only extend to Eastern Europeans?

I am not even mildly racist, I have many friends from other parts of the world and religions even extended family.

One of my past apprentices was Muslim, one of my best friends is Romanian. I have been many of their homes and enjoyed their company.

The example that I gave is one I have personally witnessed, it was very common a few years ago less so these days granted.

 

[Essex1]

I am not even mildly racist, I have many friends from other parts of the world and religions even extended family.

One of my past apprentices was Muslim, one of my best friends is Romanian. I have been many of their homes and enjoyed their company.

The example that I gave is one I have personally witnessed, it was very common a few years ago less so these days granted.

I believe you are not racist. However that was a racist comment. It was posited in a way as if only Eastern Europeans act this way. As we all know this is not the case and is the type of propaganda used by racist organisations to stir up hate. The Romanians do this, the Romanians do that. As if all the indigenous people of this country are all law abiding citizens. 

as long as they pay there tax here and pay for all for all the parts they use, I don't have a problem with them, it's the one's that work cash in hand and take the bit's they need form the job there are on I have a problem with

I'm not English either not that this should matter  

I have a problem with anyone that decides to work cash in hand and not pay taxes. Race, colour or creed does not factor in my decision making process. 

 

[Tony S]