How do we make this job pay?

[trev]

posters in this thread mentioned that a house rewire would take abt 2 weeks, some years ago i used to rewire council houses(on a price) , and always completed 2 propertys per week, (5 days)inc plastering chases and making good
these were all occupied btw

I completely agree ayjay and have done exactly the same job and if we couldn't keep that pace up we would have been off the job only difference was we had plasterers following us

 

[ipf]

And we seem to be forgetting the TIME it takes to do all of these things. Invoicing, going out to see jobs, the time it takes to do tax returns if you want to do them yourself, this is all time you have to account for. Time is money!!
Also the day it takes for the assesment, again the time it takes to prepare for an assesment. The time on the phone negotiating cheaper prices for materials. Someone has to pay for it? Unless you like working into the evenings for free.

I really cannot understand anyone not wanting to make a little on materials, its just outrageous. Again, the cut you make helps towards the time it takes for you to work out what you need, the time it takes to order it, and as mentioned, any returns that have to be dealt with. You don't walk into a shop or indeed a wholesaler and expect them to be selling you materials at no profit?

Luckily with the discounts we get on materials, we usually invoice materials out for less than trade price. You should see the smile on my face when a clueless customer requests that my materials are at trade prices thinking they are negotiating a good deal!

Oh and the bank charges, theres only so many times you can change accounts, and eventually you end up paying bank charges. I had to put £2200 cash in the other day for the van I sold, I got charged nearly £13 for the transaction!!!

These days we're working on overdraft all the time, waiting for payment.:juggle2: That's where the bank charges come into play. Were you really charged for putting money in? Can't comprehend how anyone could get by without a cut for mats

 

[roukel01]

Luckily, I've never used a business overdraft. But yes, £13 quid for giving them some cash!!!!

 

[dingledong]

i dont put anything on for materials maybe round the price up to the nearest pound . i charge for what i do

 

[ipf]

Luckily, I've never used a business overdraft. But yes, £13 quid for giving them some cash!!!!

Hope it stays that way for you, good luck. It isn't the Yorkshire Bank is it? Did a restaurant job in York last year- took over 6 months for final payment. There were some problems with the job, none electrical, but we still had to wait.

 

[morph]

I don't understand how it costs you £5000 per year, this is my breakdown - £400 elecsa
£75 public liability insurance
£100 calibration
no bank charges (look for a new business account)
£400 mot,tax and insurance of van
I do my own tax return online which costs nothing
As for the price list you gave of parts for the rewire with 47 downlights (fire rated), 44 double sockets, and 100m 2.5 and 1.5mm T&E I could get all that for around £800, why commission on parts!!??
garages charge £50 per hour because of theyre business premises and theyre jobs tend to take less time. how many callouts have you had where you've spent an hour finding a fault and putting it right and charged less than £50. But a rewire is different £50 per hour would make it prohibitively expensive. Im not being argumentative but its important to cut costs wherever possible to keep competitive, try doing your tax return yourself , look for a new parts supplier and negotiate deals - if you want 47 downlights ask for a discount or phone around the wholesalers are having a tough time to, so they should give you a decent discount to get the order.

£400 for tax mot and insurance?
do you actually have a proper traders insurance? my insurance is nearly £40o Alone and i have 8 years NCD, tax is £200 mot is £50 and do you never have repairs?

 

[needasparks]

No income tax, no VAT..............I can feel a song coming on. Come on Del altogether now.....

 

[morph]

we've cut prices at the store

 

[ipf]

No income tax, no VAT..............I can feel a song coming on. Come on Del altogether now.....

Push bike, shoulder bag and ladder

 

[morph]

has the sparks got a cse in art though ?

 

[ipf]

has the sparks got a cse in art though ?

Maybe an RCD in sheds ?

 

[morph]

Maybe an RCD in sheds ?

nice ;-)

 

[hyperloop]

Hi Murdoch,
1,First I dont change van very often and do any running repairs myself
2,In my experience yes, its more economical to do it myself
3,I havnt had to advertise once in last 14 months (first couple of years I did though)
4)PPE costs very little
5)Elecsa is not much more than £400
6)good tools dont need replacing often if looked after
And yes I do quotes and other paperwork in the evenings - all these things give me an edge, so dont knock it!

 

[JD6400]

I don't understand how it costs you £5000 per year, this is my breakdown - £400 elecsa
£75 public liability insurance
£100 calibration
no bank charges (look for a new business account)
£400 mot,tax and insurance of van
I do my own tax return online which costs nothing
As for the price list you gave of parts for the rewire with 47 downlights (fire rated), 44 double sockets, and 100m 2.5 and 1.5mm T&E I could get all that for around £800, why commission on parts!!??
garages charge £50 per hour because of theyre business premises and theyre jobs tend to take less time. how many call outs have you had where you've spent an hour finding a fault and putting it right and charged less than £50. But a rewire is different £50 per hour would make it prohibitively expensive. Im not being argumentative but its important to cut costs wherever possible to keep competitive, try doing your tax return yourself , look for a new parts supplier and negotiate deals - if you want 47 downlights ask for a discount or phone around the wholesalers are having a tough time to, so they should give you a decent discount to get the order.

Why commission on parts !
I take it you do not give any warranty's on your work then !!??
How else are you going to cover the cost ?
And as for doing your own vat return and not using a accountant just wait for that inspection !
One of our lads did it himself and they had him on the first year , openly said he would have been passed over if he had a accountant ! Easy target !!!!
If you can do it for as little as you possibly can then hats of to you , but i go to work to enable me to spend less time at work in the end , do it for nowt and work 18 hour's day 7 day's a week for the rest of your life feel free , been there done that , seen the light now though thanks !

 

[needasparks]

It does seem like the middle ground sparks is becoming a thing of the past like i said on another post, most small works always goes to the bloke with the oldest van. Before long it will only be one man bands and big players left out there which means companies lay off forcing more to start up on their own.
I guess this rings bells to the older guys about in the seventies when materials where high and labour was cheap, bit of da vu jay rodders.

 

[roukel01]

Hi Murdoch,
1,First I dont change van very often and do any running repairs myself
2,In my experience yes, its more economical to do it myself
3,I havnt had to advertise once in last 14 months (first couple of years I did though)
4)PPE costs very little
5)Elecsa is not much more than £400
6)good tools dont need replacing often if looked after
And yes I do quotes and other paperwork in the evenings - all these things give me an edge, so dont knock it!

But its not an edge is it? You're working more for less. Bad bad business.

Hows that saying go? Work to live and not live to work??

 

[ipf]

It does seem like the middle ground sparks is becoming a thing of the past like i said on another post, most small works always goes to the bloke with the oldest van. Before long it will only be one man bands and big players left out there which means companies lay off forcing more to start up on their own.
I guess this rings bells to the older guys about in the seventies when materials where high and labour was cheap, bit of da vu jay rodders.

Spot on Needa. 'Ah yes I remember it well'
'Avez vous une cuppa'- that's off the telly too , and a lot will remember who said it.

 

[hyperloop]

Why commission on parts !
I take it you do not give any warranty's on your work then !!??
How else are you going to cover the cost ?
And as for doing your own vat return and not using a accountant just wait for that inspection !
One of our lads did it himself and they had him on the first year , openly said he would have been passed over if he had a accountant ! Easy target !!!!
If you can do it for as little as you possibly can then hats of to you , but i go to work to enable me to spend less time at work in the end , do it for nowt and work 18 hour's day 7 day's a week for the rest of your life feel free , been there done that , seen the light now though thanks !

-Well good luck to you, but my message wasnt to you who have it all sewn up I was replying to the guy who's struggling to make a living

 

[JD6400]

Sewn up ? I am still working , so maybe i must have missed a stitch or two !
I just don't see why we need to work for nothing in this day of age ?

 

[hyperloop]

But its not an edge is it? You're working more for less. Bad bad business.

Hows that saying go? Work to live and not live to work??

The thread was started by a guy who can't understand how he's getting undercut all the time, and how is doing quotes and other admin' in the evening "bad business" - quite the opposite old chap, means I dont have to take time out of my working day when I can be earning, so yes it does give me an edge. How is it that that doesnt make sense to you? and if you dont want to do extra hours / evenings dont moan about struggling to earning a living.