Good wage for a groundie/Inexperienced climber?

[Yorkshireman]

the subs i use are starting their own business and hassle me for work when they have nothing but if i phone them and try to get them in when i want they um and ah and only do it if it fits in with them. i would pay more if they returned the 'favor' of helping me out when i need it but they don't

 

Time for you stop phoning them

then I think my friend

 

stuff em !

it can be a hard lesson to learn but, there are no friends when it comes to business 'obviously'

[Tom D]

the subs i use are starting their own business and hassle me for work when they have nothing but if i phone them and try to get them in when i want they um and ah and only do it if it fits in with them. i would pay more if they returned the 'favor' of helping me out when i need it but they don't

 

Thats why I ended up taking someone on full time. The sad fact is that whilst tree work can be as skilled and complex a job as you want to make it (just look at all the debates / information on here ) , In reality its pretty easy and any muppet can do it ( badly ). As long as there are lots of guys wanting to play with chainsaws the money in this job will be poor. I think Andy has a good point about other trades keeping their prices up even in the hard times but it does'nt seem to happen in the arb world. I know that when I first started out I was way too cheap, now I am dearer but the temptation to cut prices is still there and must be resisted.

 

I read in a small business advice thing that undercharging is one of ther most common causes of small business faliure. I have never worked through a recession / downturn so i dont know whats coming but I suspect higher wages are not likely when I am getting phone calls from guys and companys looking for work all the time.

[Andy Collins]

having been on both sides of the fence, I can see the issues raised by both sides of the argument. At the end of the day, if the workforce are struggling to earn a living, pay their rent/mortgage, fill their car up with fuel and so on, they are never going to be happy in their work. Cost of living is getting higher, not lower, so naturally they are going to want more money. Of course, the bosses costs are also escalating, and he needs to keep an firm hand on those, or else they will spiral out of control. Labour is, and always has been, an expensive business cost. Now I dont know how each individual business is run, but I do know from what I've seen over the years is each company seems to carry a certain % of dead wood, those who do little for the company. Prune this out, and in turn encourage those who are good by paying out a little more.

be fair to yourself, and fair to the workforce.

[conkers]

If you are taking costs of buying equipment in this price then Yes i expect you are on £100 a day , but in time when all is paid for you will have £x,000`s of equipment you can then sell

 

 

Your costs follow you into retirement.

 

Chippers, trucks, kit in time is worth nothing and all has to be replaced or face expensive repairs.

 

That is exactly the problem. Some tree companies are only planning a couple of years ahead and then cannot afford the upkeep.

On under 300 a day for two skilled men and equipment your not a buisness- you are a busy charity:sad:

[Dean Lofthouse]

This week i won three jobs where i was 20-30 quid cheaper.

 

Then i lost one job as i was 40 quid to high

 

My prices are as low as i will work for and to be beaten i know another firm is going to be working hard for little cash.

 

 

I never know what previous quotes are.

 

How are you finding out what other quotes are or have been. If you are quizzing your customers, they may be finding it offensive.

 

I also know all the other tree surgeons round here but never quiz them as to what prices they have quoted for jobs I have quoted on.

 

If for instance a builder quoted and didn't get the job, then rung me to find out how far out he was, I would think he was a right cheeky mare and if he asked me what I'd been quoted off others while he was quoting, I'd put him in the cowboy category.

 

Not saying you are doing this by all means, but you must be doing one of them to find out what other quotes were.

[skyhuck]

I disagree Dean.

 

I think that if you don't win the job it is quite acceptable to ask the customer, in a polite manner, if they would mind telling you what the winning price was. After all you have given of your time to look at the job!

 

Simple say you wish to evaluate your costs and have an idea of market values.

 

And if I win a job I tend to wait for an opportune moment during the job to ask what other prices they had and find out how much I won it by.

[Tom D]

I disagree Dean.

 

I think that if you don't win the job it is quite acceptable to ask the customer, in a polite manner, if they would mind telling you what the winning price was. After all you have given of your time to look at the job!

 

.

 

 

I always do, how else do you know if your pricing is right? I find most people are happy to tell, in fact If they say they have other quotes then I like to know who is quoting, it just gives you an edge sometimes.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I think it's very unprofessional to ask prices, your business should reflect your costings not someone elses.

 

Are your prices governed by someone elses overheads ??

 

You as a professional should be able to work out prices for yourself not rely onfollow my leader with someone elses.

 

That is probably one of the reasons prices are being driven low, each lowering prices to match the next.

 

I have never asked anyones price or asked a customer. If I'm getting too much work I'm too cheap, if I'm quoting loads and getting none, I'm too dear,

 

Hardly rocket science guys

[Yorkshireman]

II have never asked anyones price or asked a customer. If I'm getting too much work I'm too cheap, if I'm quoting loads and getting none, I'm too dear,

 

Hardly rocket science guys

 

Wot he said !!!

[Mozza]

Some good replys on this, Cheers.

 

I reckon im worth top whack for a groundie whos climbing needs work, Just gotta find someone who'll pay me it now!!