Days we work a year

[Guest]

Hello everyone. This is a subject that's been through the mill a bit and it's to do with earnings from tree work. I was thinking yesterday about the number of days in the year I actually earn money. This came about from a customer who was taken aback by the amount I needed to charge. As it was works been a bit quiet and I charged him £140 to cut down an Apple tree which I knew wasn't enough as soon as I said it, but he was very much from the keen homesteader brigade, and as I say works been quiet - should've been £200. Anyway he thought I'd be there all day. I work on my own for the most part ( this isn't a post about working practices) just doing trees for mainly private domestic, so just me, truck and chipper, with a bit of freelance climbing for a bit of variety. Annual costs around £10000. Given that there are now jobs on the books around £30000+ with all the benefits associated being employed (I'm not getting into pros and cons of tax S/E to PAYE as we all pay it to one degree or another), I think it's not unreasonable to want to come out with £35000 - £40000 to spend on sweets (and tax). So aiming around £50000 before costs.

I aim to work an 8hr day (though often nearer 10 loading/ unloading, travel). So if I was stricter with myself I'd work 4 days where I'm earning the money and 1 day dicking about with admin, quoting dropping stuff off, picking stuff up etc. So including weekends I don't earn money for 3 days a week @ 52 weeks that's 156 days. That's 209 earning days p/a. If working like for like with PAYE I also don't have any income for another 28 days holiday and bank holidays. Down to181 days. There's probably 11 days in the year that get written off by bad weather, injury, customers cancelling last minute, people not paying, machinery failure, work going quiet etc etc. So realistically I earn money for 170 days a year. So to earn £50000 equates to £294 a day. This is pretty much where I'm at with my rates ( expensive to some apparently - too cheap to some no doubt, but it works for me here in the sticks)- obviously I tailor it a bit to the job before shooting myself in the foot by blurting out too low a price.

Just thought it was an interesting exercise to realise I work less than half a year!

[eggsarascal]

If I worked that much I'd be wore right up, cue, Mr johnson, @aspenarb.

[monkeybusiness]

Gives a good indication as to what employees cost too!...

[aspenarb]

7 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

If I worked that much I'd be wore right up, cue, Mr johnson, @aspenarb.

Too early for me `z. There would need to be two categories, employed and self employed. Most self employed dont switch off even when they are not at work, its a different mindset.

 

Bob

[jose]

18 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

If I worked that much I'd be wore right up, cue, Mr johnson, @aspenarb.

am i the only one that doesnt understand what hes saying here?

[aspenarb]

38 minutes ago, jose said:

am i the only one that doesnt understand what hes saying here?

 

No, `z doesn't know what he`s saying either, probably been on the sauce.

 

Bob

[Stubby]

20 hours ago, Calamity Wayne said:

Hello everyone. This is a subject that's been through the mill a bit and it's to do with earnings from tree work. I was thinking yesterday about the number of days in the year I actually earn money. This came about from a customer who was taken aback by the amount I needed to charge. As it was works been a bit quiet and I charged him £140 to cut down an Apple tree which I knew wasn't enough as soon as I said it, but he was very much from the keen homesteader brigade, and as I say works been quiet - should've been £200. Anyway he thought I'd be there all day. I work on my own for the most part ( this isn't a post about working practices) just doing trees for mainly private domestic, so just me, truck and chipper, with a bit of freelance climbing for a bit of variety. Annual costs around £10000. Given that there are now jobs on the books around £30000+ with all the benefits associated being employed (I'm not getting into pros and cons of tax S/E to PAYE as we all pay it to one degree or another), I think it's not unreasonable to want to come out with £35000 - £40000 to spend on sweets (and tax). So aiming around £50000 before costs.

I aim to work an 8hr day (though often nearer 10 loading/ unloading, travel). So if I was stricter with myself I'd work 4 days where I'm earning the money and 1 day dicking about with admin, quoting dropping stuff off, picking stuff up etc. So including weekends I don't earn money for 3 days a week @ 52 weeks that's 156 days. That's 209 earning days p/a. If working like for like with PAYE I also don't have any income for another 28 days holiday and bank holidays. Down to181 days. There's probably 11 days in the year that get written off by bad weather, injury, customers cancelling last minute, people not paying, machinery failure, work going quiet etc etc. So realistically I earn money for 170 days a year. So to earn £50000 equates to £294 a day. This is pretty much where I'm at with my rates ( expensive to some apparently - too cheap to some no doubt, but it works for me here in the sticks)- obviously I tailor it a bit to the job before shooting myself in the foot by blurting out too low a price.

Just thought it was an interesting exercise to realise I work less than half a year!

Blimey ! What a twat I have been .  Will i get 2 birthdays a year ?

[eggsarascal]

Just now, aspenarb said:

 

No, `z doesn't know what he`s saying either, probably been on the sauce.

 

Bob

No b0D, Egg knows exactly what he's saying. I've not tied myself with a load of expensive machinanry that's on finance, I choose when and who I work for because I've only got myself to look out to, that said if the right job comes along I'll be there before the lads on the books tommorow morning.

[Haironyourchest]

When you say "Cut down an apple tree" do you have pics? How long did it take? What level of post-fell processing? 

[David Cropper]

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

Blimey ! What a twat I have been .  Will i get 2 birthdays a year ?

Two birthdays a year? Bloody Hell Stubby,  how old do you want to be?