starting out self employed

[andyskint]

johnm

thanks for getting back to me with your advice. I think i was suckered on that job. i originally asked the chap for £50 after having completed the job as i thought this was about standard. he looked at me gone out and then told me he only had £45 on him. I said that would do, and then asked him if he felt the price was fair as he had given me that look. He said he was expecting to pay about £30 so I gave him a tenner back. The inlet valve cost a little under £15 so I made my £20 for the work. He was quite suprised to get money back obviously and i spent the rest of the day wondering if I had done the right thing. Obviously not if i am really undercutting everyone else which i certainly don't want to do as i can see the problems with this. This was my first real job for someone i dont know, everything else has been for friends and family who i only charged the parts for. this is where my testimonials came from on my site. Do you have a list of prices that you would charge for different fairly standard jobs then? 😕

I like your site by the way, and can now see why mine is getting the comments it is. maybe i do need that web disigner...

 

[johnmcginty]

andyskint , don't wory about it you might get a referral from it and it happened to me too when i started out . Just do an hourly rate of £45 or whatever minimum job 1 hr and I have had that look from customers many a time though it just doesnt wash with me anymore. Every man and his dog has a reason it should be cheaper for them and many a folk will try it on too , if you tell them the price before you start ( labour) and then parts on top how can they complain ?

 

[Flanners]

Ive been in this job 10 years being trained by national award wining enginers and feel I can do my job with my eyes closed. There is nothing that I dont know about the domestic gas, heating, plumbing industry and what I dont know I find out.

Im also qualified in renewables (ground source, rainwater harvesting, solar etc)

However I am still doubting the possibility of starting on my own! Im sure ill do it but it needs to feel the right time.

Dont mean to make you feel daunted in any way just think you need some experience behind you to experience the 'mistakes' as this is where you will learn the most.

Good luck!!!...................oh and sort your website out!!

 

[Centralheatking]

This is really a question for Flanners

How do you qualify in Rainwater Harvesting ? -

Its a serious enquiry as I might want to follow suit

centralheatking