I find a nice way to deal with a client asking for extras is to say 'yes we can do that, would you like me to give you a quote it?'. It gently removes the expectation that you might do it for free, reinforces the fact that it is additional to the work already quoted, gives you time to think properly about a price and gives the client an easy non-adversarial way to immediately back out by saying something like 'oh actually, don't worry about it' (saving you the time of a pointless quote), all without explicitly having to say 'it'll cost you'.
Extras comment: I knew someone (not around now) a builder who mainly did loft conversions. I was the spark on the job. Customers were always asking for extras and customers were always surprised at the end of the week with an extras bill from the builder. The builder always said to me “ I don’t know why they are surprised? You go to a restaurant and ask for a dessert and a coffee after your meal. What do you expect the restaurant to knock that off the bill as it was an extra?
Good insight to be fair! I had a customer ask me to price more work up when I arrived to do the job I had initially quoted for. They started to complain when I handed my price in for the extras, then even had the audacity to say "you are already here, why can't you do the extras for the same price as the original quote". I told them I was no longer interested in dealing with them and left on a good note.
Working 7 days a week every week is a mugs game. Customers couldn't care less about your free time will ask you to give up your weekends and important family time for them. Would they do the same for you at weekends l often ponder.... Body NEEDS a rest day a week minimum it's hard graft..Many a marriage has had cracks appear for this very reason.. Working 7 days a week WILL cost you health in later years body pay the price and possibly a divorce which costs half everything you worked 7 days a week for. Imagine starting again in a crappy flat 50yr plus old. Paying own bills and the ex wife's kids bills AND yours !! All because you worked 7 days a week to help some one out that couldn't care less about you.. All because 7day a week man.. it's easy to get in to 7day ethic but hard to leave...
Same goes for working away. I quit a job in engineering just over a year ago. Onsite for weeks at a time, all expenses paid for good money. Looked around, only 2 of the guys over 50 were still married! Companies don't care about you either, you are only a commodity, a resource.
@@TheBrick2 Agreed the problem with working away is the wife gets used to you being away and looks forward to her own time again. It can start a chain of events very easily. Young single man's lifestyle. Leads to eat crap/ pub meals /stone or 2 more probably get frigging diabetes... Due to work away...plus drink far too much too spending money on weeknights that you would never spend at home..
Excellent advice. I am 62 and getting slower and haven't made a load of money but I absolutely love my work, just making stuff. I pick my jobs for interest and a challenge, don't do stress at all. Work hard when it feels right and chill out recognizing early in a day when it is just not happening and have time off. Luckily I have a few customers who have become friends and value me more fairly than I do myself. The result is I have enough, do work I am proud of and VERY content. :)
I like that Guy, you're about right my friend. The slower thing is a good one I do like being slow and people that have to borrow money for a job do like to see that one.
This is so true Roger. My father was a painter and decorator, a very good one, but he was absolutely useless on the business side. He never made much money and as you said would do all those little extras thinking the customer would be more appreciative and give more work down the line. They just took the piss basically.
Made that mistake also, there's a lot of a-holes out there taking advantage of people's good nature, but when they try it on too much I make excuses why I can't work for them, some know they've been knobs and offer to pay more, some find another builder and then ring up for me to put the job right after it's been buggered up. I don't touch those jobs ever.
As a p+d myself I can totally relate to your old man, part of the mindset of being In this kinda of trade and being good at it is wanting perfect results either with the finish or going the extra mile for customers that take the p, and what roger says is totally true you have to toughen up with customers especially if your in a finishing trade where we have to deal with all the crap left by the others
I think it’s a poor mindset us builders and decorators have, that’s been passed down generations that we should be grateful for the work and don’t value are self’s as we should.
Cheapskates I never bothered with.... When someone said somebody else or their estimate was cheaper.... I would say politely, well go with them then.... 6 months down the line I would get a phone call to go and sort out the crap that somebody else did!!... These people never seem to learn cowboys are always cheaper!!.... I never overcharged, but never undercut either!! I'm now retired, before I was 65!!... Now enjoying a relaxed, mortgage free, no worries about money "retirement"... Life is good!!.... I was a sparks, but adapted & diversified!!
Bloke I know after having sussed out the client, would say “ you can’t afford me.” They would then bend over backward to hire him and he would become ‘the goods of ostentation.’ I never had the cohunas to try it, worked a treat for him. Great vid Roger.
An old plasterer I knew told me he did the same. He was never out of work and had been all over the world on his holidays. When you are skint though it’s a risky game to play!
@@matthewotooleis thing is, this bloke did very ordinary work. Made some total botch ups that were invariably forgiven. I had to patch up some of his bodgey work on occasion, but he was a character, had oodles of charm ( rat with a gold tooth I thought) and it just made me very aware of how some punters are so very easily seduced by thinking they are getting a better job by paying well over the odds. Was quite depressing really. Not a game I could play.
@@rossmcleod7983 the difference with the fella I knew was- he WAS mustard. I seen him do twice as much as a fella half his age he had working with him, and he went home spotless. The painters and decorators loved him ‘cos he made it easy for them.
All very well saying you are charging ‘x’ amount per hour. That rate is for hours actually physical labour. I do around a third to a half of that again on pricing, contacting customers, answering a never ending list of questions, sorting out suppliers, doing quotes ad infinitum. Thats the stressful part, not the joinery side. If I am breathing and awake I am normally doing something connected to work. Personally, I cant wait to retire in a few years.
This man is my go to guy for almost everything in this industry. Been in the floor laying industry for 33 years but will always keep my ears open to learn something knew
That "while you are here, can you just do this 'little' job for me" is a real trap. Because tradesmen might want to be kind, and in some cases do the job for free. Like Roger says... it may only be a simple job. But, if the customer is not happy with their little freebie... guess who they want to call to rectify it for free?
Customers ask for a number of quotes because they have no other way of establishing a reasonable price for the job. It's awkward for the customers too as you know you are wasting the time of two good builders if you get three quotes. But how else do you establish a fair price for the job? An estimation service using photos and so on would be as useful for the customer as it is for the builder!
New technology could mean tombstones of the wealthy being connected to the Internet of Bodies by Bluetooth to enable avatar's to communicate on behalf of the deceased.
Great advice Roger.Also for subcontractors looking at growing their business remember "turnover vanity, profit sanity".You can have a great business with less stress by picking your clients and type of work.
Great video which I am watching instead of pricing these jobs in my diary under my I pad 😳. I’m not rich because I’m a bricky with no backbone who has been underselling myself for many years . Two people have both told me the same thing recently ( one being my accountant) “ Steve you have been making a lot of money over the years .... BUT , it’s been for other people “ 🥺.
You ain’t kidding buddy, the way stuff has gone up is ridiculous. I had a guy the other week expecting me to stand by a bathroom quote from over a year ago. You are doing well if you can stand by a quote from 2 months ago, the way things are going. Crazy. Don’t become a busy fool, you’re price is your price.
I couldn’t agree more!! The market has been dumbed down by disorganised, cash work, unprofessional wannabes!! Being self employed and running a business is a skill in itself!! And only few can do it.
I charge travelling to/from the site plus research and buying materials time. The latter might be on my computer rather than a store but it gets logged
Everything you have said is perfectly correct and I agree with but (there is always a BUT isn't there) In my working career I have worked on both sides of the fence, a wage slave, self-employed, and an employer. Over that time I came to the conclusion that the reason I was still poor was because all my working life I had three hands in my pocket, two where my own and the other was the state Tax collector and he comes in many guises. With one indisputable fact that the harder you worked and the more money you made the larger the hand became and the more it took.
Im Approaching the 20 year mark, didn't set out at the beginning to be rich as the type of work excited me more! However have only now just learnt to manage my time and price accordingly.
often considered over past couple years to change career path, mostly from an ingrained hatred towards doing brickwork i developed a few years back and usual labourers in there own little world making my work harder than needs be.
You are a great teacher mate, I am not even a builder or planning to build anything, but enjoy watching your videos so much. Thanks for sharing wonderful tips. 👍✅👌
Rodger hitting the nail bang on the top. Be greatful for what you've got and not what you have not.👍👍👍. It's not all about having loads of dosh. Plenty of millionaires in the cemetery.
Being friendly with customers always bites me on the arse.. I go cold inside when I hear those dreaded words.. "can you just" or "while you're here..." 😱😭
Or nearly as bad, when the client says "we don't know what we want, what do you think?".... Always made me cringe. I'm a good builder, but a rubbish designer lol!
I recently increased prices in my business (not building) and I'm now attracting a whole different set of customers, I'm not Rolex but there's a lot of truth in what Roger says here, applies any business.
I was guilty of always wanting to be busy. Every now and then a customer would say things like "I don't know how you do it for the money", or "you were the cheapest." I used to work seven days a week for months on end.
Reasons 2 and 3 sound good. For 1, we substituted figuring out how much we needed to charge to make what we needed/wanted to make. Then knowing the market and competition and tracking what we actually “spent” (time, materials, etc) let us decide whether we were realistic - and figure out what we might need to change. We NEVER negotiated on price. And we provided detailed statements of work that we stuck to - even if we got stuck. If a customer wanted to pay less we negotiated the statement of work so we would do less. Of course, there were loss leaders and investments, but we went in with eyes open. Also, a rough estimate sounds good, but that was frequently all our customers remembered. Even when we tried hard to set expectations up front. Thanks for the video.
Great advice there mate. I've been self employed for about twenty years now, look after your customers, word of mouth the best advertising on the planet. and yes, you must be firm, I don't listen to that "can you do any better on the price" crap anymore, most of my jobs are fairly similar when it comes to pricing, a cooker install is x amount a hob install is x amount a boiler supply and fit is x amount etc etc. no need to run yourself into the ground, you should be able to make a comfortable living working steady hours.
The biggest problem is trades not being upfront if they don't want a job. Some trades come and look at a job and you never hear from them again, instead of just saying there isn't enough in it for them they just ignore you.
When asked to do a one off out of the usual job, the guy with any sense says "sorry can't do it" Dopes like me immediately think "how am I going to do that?"
I am always asked to take on the odd jobs, over the years has meant I have learnt lots of skills in doing so. And to be able to do a variety of jobs has kept me busy.
Great video Roger, This explanation should be the opening pitch for every trades education, including us office bods. As you know, its actually about the value that you place on your self, which is something we all undervalue when starting out. As a 1980's time served Architectural Designer and Project Manager, I recall being "oh so" grateful to win projects only to realize the clients had "mugged us off". Only after the passing of a few years, and the addition of some kids, did I wake up to the reality. When you know what your doing, what ever your skill set, and are confident that you can deliver the goods, whether its a small extension design or a full commercial build, you can charge real money. Your clients will brag about you too at this point, because they know you cant be undersold.... Keep 'em coming.
Roger bisby you must never retire from our glorious industry, & I feel generations to come will miss out on your wisdom experience & all together straight shooting no nonsense rants. GOAT 🐐 your only selling the truth
I also know how uncomfortable it can be to do what feels like asking for more money, especially if you naturally like to help people. I've had a few mindset shifts that have helped me feel more comfortable doing this. One is that if you go out of business either due to finances or stress, you can't help anyone. Second is believing your time has a value, and working out what that value is. For me I got to that figure by working out how much money I wanted to take home, how much money I had to bill to do that (allowing for overheads, downtime, risk etc, and then divide by how many hours I want to work. It's not hard and fast and of course needs to be tolerated by the market but can help give you a sense of what a day or hour of your time is worth. Then keep track of how much you take home and see you need to adjust. I think it's very easy for 'nice' people to undervalue themselves.
A lot of guys are great tradesman but can't sell a glass of water in a desert and/or are a push over. So there's a lot of guys who need to hear this and get some business acumen.
Completely true I'm afraid. I don't think I would want to be young and start from scratch now. It must be nigh on impossible with all the huge amount of regulations and rules.
Thanks, perfect timing with this video.... Exactly what I needed after a less than perfect Monday. It's important to look objectively at your business, sometimes it's easy to loose perspective
Time, skill and effort. All comes down to how much you get paid in your work vs what someone is prepared to do work that you'd like to do. If it's a hobby or you want to develop a skill great but when you can hire a pro who can do a better job in a third of the time while you do overtime in your profession then what would you choose?
If you live in Britain the cost of living is so high the average working man has to struggle to get buy and is heading to a worst situation in British society
Wow roger, I'm really ahead of the game then, been rough quoting of photos, using google to look at frontage and parking situations for a few years and its really worked out good, i also ask for 50% deposit before ordering materials. If they are honest they pay up and shows me they have the money ready for the job and also i wont get stuck with materials if they back out. Kinda felt like you been watching me after seeing this lol
I would never pay a builder up front for materials - Got ripped off by a carpet fitter years ago with that trick. I will however pay over the phone the builder's merchant when the good are delivered to my address prior to the job commencing.
Another great from Roger and as previous said - please stand for parliament. A marketing director told me "work out where you business is coming from .... and why" He said few take that whole thing seriously. Just as you have said.
Being content with what you have helps too - pining over that Lambo does you no good - everything in its own good time. As regards travelling time, you don't get that from an employer - you have to be at work at 8am sharp, that's when the clock starts. If you take a job 2 hours away, then that is down to you - unless you are so good and no-one else can do it and the customer agrees to pay travelling time. Another time-saver is having all the kit you need in the van when turning up to do the job. Really useful video, thanks for sharing.
@@SkillBuilder like many of your videos they have a lovely frankness to them. This one is a bit of a gem as it’s not hooked on a tool but there’s still all the sage advice said with a slight knowing glint in the eye.
some of the best advice you could have took me over 20 years to realize all of this i would add that there are 1000's of good customers out there so do your best to avoid the bad ones. learn how to spot them (its not that hard there all the same) i usually do one small extra job for free but if they start to take the piss i say "why dont you have a good look around and make a list of all the little jobs you need done then i can work out a good price for you "
Spot on as usual. From Price's law, you're going to get (sqrt N) out of N builders standing out above their peers in having the minimum necessary combination of talents needed to get rich. Also, builders are going to differ in which area they want to be come rich in: money, social interaction, memories, job interest, development of competence etc.
the cheques in the post remember that one Roger, or i ll pay you next week defo....thats why i am a poor retired plumber, but i was always happy in what i did, all good sound advice, all the best Roger
It’s a worthwhile exercise to figure out your cost of doing business too. Many people will set their rates based on others locally and could be losing money for every hour they work. Sure roger has done a video on that too!
Good one Roger, My old Dutch Father-in-Law many years ago asked me who was the most expensive Tiler in Auckland NZ ? my home town.I said I didn’t know, He said we’ll it may as well be you ,someone has to be the most expensive.35 yrs later now and retiring in my 50’s
One thing that Roger missed out, was that when people complain they are not making enough money they must also be realistic and consider does their line of employment command the sort of money that they want? It is realistic to think that a plasterer is not going to be making the same sort of money as the mid-career/position professional. I am in the construction industry and I know the going rates for my region from everything from a labourer to a quantity surveyor, and I know when the various trades hit a glass ceiling. When I then hear them thinking they should be making more money I know where they sit on a pay ladder and can advise them that that's it pal, your at the peak. Next option to make more is to side shift or setup your own firm with some employees and charge them out with a margin for yourself, but then you cannot have the land with all business owners, you need workers, so the stark reality is that most people need to just accept that they are on and go with it.
Excellent presentation of well known economic concepts, I haven't seen anywhere else yet more approachable explained. This should be mandatory viewing for everyone that just finished their GCSE.
@AwakeNotWoke AwakeNotWoke Get your head out of the tinfoil mate, the only thing that the powers that be are suggesting is that you keep thinking that you can't achieve anything on your own and that you need those people in charge. Take charge of your own life and you will soon discover that there is plenty you can do, despite the obstacles and as soon you have enough FU money, you discover it is they who are afraid of you.
2024 here, Roger, sorry to be late! My father was a contract landscape gardener (gardens/walls/fences etc). He would always add 5% to each successive quote and would keep raising his price until he didn't get the work. He'd then peg back 5% with each lost quote. Quick to react to rising demand, and also realistic in a falling market. He passed away wealthy, bless him.
Wow! What a great piece of advice. I haven't been long in this business but one thing I did promise myself before I changed career, thanks to Covid I might add, was not to work weekends as they are family time. I am still trying to figure my costs but I am getting there. I don't want to be rich I just want to be happy and up to now it is working fine 😊. Thank you for the advice Roger!
Just done a rewire on a two bed property. It was lived in but they went out, parking was an issue but the main problem was the clutter! (That’s being nice) They then asked about further jobs, but I have added them onto the final invoice. It was hard enough without the little extras. Before I watched this, I’ve already said to myself and partner. That I’m adding £500 onto live in rewires going forward, but I’ll offer that as a saving if they go away for the week and move 80% of there stuff into storage. Great video Rodger 👍
I'm 55, after looking after my parents in their last years, I went to get a job and none wants to know. I have no pension or savings but I do have skills and a house! Am I going to give up - NO! Failure is not an option! I don't want to retire so I could easily spend the next 20 years working as its an adventure. Plus as the Chinese say "Do what you love and you'll never work another day." - BTW, if you read that and just read the last five words then the only victim in your life is you! Change the inside, become a child again, love everything and have FUN!!!
@@Me-zo8yc they have a full head of hair so it's not noticeable unless heavily predisposed but if they have male pattern baldness then it is happening, depending on sensitivity it starts to become noticeable usually by their mid twenties. The most solid thing you can do is take finasteride which stops the conversion of testosterone to DHT. It's normally prescribed for an enlarged prostate but a notable side effect is it minimises hairloss and in some cases regrows miniturized hair from MPB.. bare in mind, I'm not a doctor, I'm a filthy plumber, so always consult your GP before starting any medication, also I have to warn you that there are some reports of some horrible side effects from crushing natural DHT levels such as decreased sex drive, and permanent impotence however there is also a large body of evidence to suggest that this is not from the use of Finasteride and is purely psychosomatic.
I need to start giving rough quotes based on pictures. So many time wasters out there. Go look at a job, then spend time at home writing up a quote, only to never hear anything back. Not even a ‘thanks for your time’. Infuriates me.
I was doing a walkaround with a client when I spotted a load of materials in a spare room. Hmm, I thought. I asked the guy what was going on, and bold as brass, he admitted he was doing the job himself and wanted to know how much he'd be saving... I sent him an invoice for my hour, but pretty predictably he didn't settle it...
Honestley, you will not look back. Get some pictures, give them an of the cuff really rough ESTIMATE , nevr qoute. If they comeback saying it sounds about good, give them a better estimate. Might be more or less when you have a proper look, but man does it at least half the time wasters.
Hi Roger and team, firstly many thanks for your videos and great to hear you on Radio 2. Thanks to your videos I was able to take on my own house extension and did the entire build myself. I am a tradesman so all the internal stuff was a breeze but to know I've actually built the whole thing gives me enormous pride. Regards this video I'll just say I have a very good woman behind the scenes - my wife, who is my business admin, bookkeeper, advisor. She plays a vital role in us making good money. Tradesmen including myself are generally not so great at the admin side so help from your beloved is a bonus. Keep up the great work Roger and team
I have seen so many people over price a job and so many people under price a job. It's about getting the balance with time & expenses and if you do a quality job... like Rodger says... you will get business if you do it right. I did a business course many moons ago (35 years) and I didn't agree with the speaker. He suggested putting your prices really high and the business will roll in because people think they are getting quality. Experience has taught me by doing that your work will dry up. Give quality work at a good price. Thanks Rodger, great video.
5:29 - On the basis of time being so costly, I always wonder how this future of everyone driving electric vans and cars is going to work. I don't know how often builders etc have to stop for fuel, but Im pretty sure they arent gonna want to wait around at the services for vans to charge.
Hi Dave. Worse are all the company employees who are going to turn up three hours late for appointments because they have been sitting in a charging point queue. We won't be able to schedule anything
Brilliant - luv the intro & end :) Sage at his best ..the King of Independence............................Veblen (developed the Gucci bag theory (people will want it more if price increases) was an economist that is turning in his grave knowing that people named it after him) - needless to say he was a frugal guy.
Amazing video Roger, best vid I've seen on common sense economics for small business. As someone who just started out myself it makes a lot of sense. Great stuff mate keep going 👍 Cheers from Australia
@@SkillBuilder Thanks Roger. You've certainly got a lot of great experience I've already learned a lot from your vids mate and I'm sure plenty of others have too 👍 You're doing a fantastic job with all 👍 Cheers
You speak a lot of sense mate really enjoy watching your videos, I’m a carpenter, kitchen fitter, painter and decorator and basic plumbing, just wanted to know if you would ever count cash in-front of your customer
Hi Roger I so needed to hear that tonight I did a 3 hour job in London this morning but it took me 3 hours travelling it was to be a days work but I ended up condemning the boiler instead of repairing it Yes I need to charge 6 hours Thanks Roger
There are two sides to prosperity, maximising earning potential, and spending your earnings wisely. Don't buy things you don't need or really want. Don't spend lots on things that depreciate rapidly, vehicles are a good example, an older but tidy vehicle will cost you much less than brand new one, think of how many extra hours you'll have to work to cover the cost of the new one compared to the older one, which does exactly the same job, is the new one really worth that extra work for no real benefit? I've replaced loads of kitchens and bathrooms which were perfectly functional and looked very respectable, the customers actually borrowed money to replace these, just because they weren't the latest fashion. How much extra work did they have to do to cover the extra cost? How much extra leisure time did they give up just to appear fashionable? I'm now 58 and realise time is short, time is the only thing which cannot be replaced. Working like mad, running up the down escalator, if you like, just to keep up with the Jones's, is crazy. Quality leisure time to be able to spend as you wish is grossly underrated in these consumerism driven days.
I would be customer- I have to say Everyone needs to watch your channel and I hope all newly qualified builders watch your channel because you know your trade and make sense. Thank you for extending my knowledge. I’ll never bea builder but I can pass on information to my children.
That time management point, I take it that time spent at a merchants or getting a bacon roll shouldn't be charged to the customer? Just had some plumbing done and he popped out twice tfor about an hour in total o get bits that he should've had in my opinion, but charged me for that time away from the job. Am I right to think he's taken the mick?
@@jasonbaker4275 lol 9 hours to change a shower pump? I think you are underselling what was actually done surely ? "Just " changing a shower pump is a 60-90 min job
I find a nice way to deal with a client asking for extras is to say 'yes we can do that, would you like me to give you a quote it?'. It gently removes the expectation that you might do it for free, reinforces the fact that it is additional to the work already quoted, gives you time to think properly about a price and gives the client an easy non-adversarial way to immediately back out by saying something like 'oh actually, don't worry about it' (saving you the time of a pointless quote), all without explicitly having to say 'it'll cost you'.
Yeh I like that , nice way of doing things
Extras comment: I knew someone (not around now) a builder who mainly did loft conversions. I was the spark on the job. Customers were always asking for extras and customers were always surprised at the end of the week with an extras bill from the builder. The builder always said to me “ I don’t know why they are surprised? You go to a restaurant and ask for a dessert and a coffee after your meal. What do you expect the restaurant to knock that off the bill as it was an extra?
Good insight to be fair! I had a customer ask me to price more work up when I arrived to do the job I had initially quoted for. They started to complain when I handed my price in for the extras, then even had the audacity to say "you are already here, why can't you do the extras for the same price as the original quote". I told them I was no longer interested in dealing with them and left on a good note.
Working 7 days a week every week is a mugs game. Customers couldn't care less about your free time will ask you to give up your weekends and important family time for them. Would they do the same for you at weekends l often ponder....
Body NEEDS a rest day a week minimum it's hard graft..Many a marriage has had cracks appear for this very reason.. Working 7 days a week WILL cost you health in later years body pay the price and possibly a divorce which costs half everything you worked 7 days a week for.
Imagine starting again in a crappy flat 50yr plus old. Paying own bills and the ex wife's kids bills AND yours !!
All because you worked 7 days a week to help some one out that couldn't care less about you..
All because 7day a week man.. it's easy to get in to 7day ethic but hard to leave...
Very VERY wise words!
Well said
Same goes for working away. I quit a job in engineering just over a year ago. Onsite for weeks at a time, all expenses paid for good money. Looked around, only 2 of the guys over 50 were still married! Companies don't care about you either, you are only a commodity, a resource.
@@TheBrick2 Agreed the problem with working away is the wife gets used to you being away and looks forward to her own time again. It can start a chain of events very easily.
Young single man's lifestyle.
Leads to eat crap/ pub meals /stone or 2 more probably get frigging diabetes... Due to work away...plus drink far too much too spending money on weeknights that you would never spend at home..
You are 100% correct my friend
Excellent advice. I am 62 and getting slower and haven't made a load of money but I absolutely love my work, just making stuff. I pick my jobs for interest and a challenge, don't do stress at all. Work hard when it feels right and chill out recognizing early in a day when it is just not happening and have time off. Luckily I have a few customers who have become friends and value me more fairly than I do myself. The result is I have enough, do work I am proud of and VERY content. :)
Lucky man!
I like that Guy, you're about right my friend.
The slower thing is a good one I do like being slow and people that have to borrow money for a job do like to see that one.
This is so true Roger. My father was a painter and decorator, a very good one, but he was absolutely useless on the business side. He never made much money and as you said would do all those little extras thinking the customer would be more appreciative and give more work down the line. They just took the piss basically.
it's not true, the increasing supply of money is what keeps you poor !
Made that mistake also, there's a lot of a-holes out there taking advantage of people's good nature, but when they try it on too much I make excuses why I can't work for them, some know they've been knobs and offer to pay more, some find another builder and then ring up for me to put the job right after it's been buggered up. I don't touch those jobs ever.
As a p+d myself I can totally relate to your old man, part of the mindset of being In this kinda of trade and being good at it is wanting perfect results either with the finish or going the extra mile for customers that take the p, and what roger says is totally true you have to toughen up with customers especially if your in a finishing trade where we have to deal with all the crap left by the others
I think it’s a poor mindset us builders and decorators have, that’s been passed down generations that we should be grateful for the work and don’t value are self’s as we should.
@@davidwills6640 tbh that’s spot on my man
I’m poor because there’s a company called Festool!
🤣
Veblen Goods. Don't fall for that.
Cheapskates I never bothered with.... When someone said somebody else or their estimate was cheaper.... I would say politely, well go with them then.... 6 months down the line I would get a phone call to go and sort out the crap that somebody else did!!... These people never seem to learn cowboys are always cheaper!!.... I never overcharged, but never undercut either!! I'm now retired, before I was 65!!... Now enjoying a relaxed, mortgage free, no worries about money "retirement"... Life is good!!.... I was a sparks, but adapted & diversified!!
Bloke I know after having sussed out the client, would say “ you can’t afford me.” They would then bend over backward to hire him and he would become ‘the goods of ostentation.’ I never had the cohunas to try it, worked a treat for him. Great vid Roger.
An old plasterer I knew told me he did the same. He was never out of work and had been all over the world on his holidays. When you are skint though it’s a risky game to play!
@@matthewotooleis thing is, this bloke did very ordinary work. Made some total botch ups that were invariably forgiven. I had to patch up some of his bodgey work on occasion, but he was a character, had oodles of charm ( rat with a gold tooth I thought) and it just made me very aware of how some punters are so very easily seduced by thinking they are getting a better job by paying well over the odds. Was quite depressing really. Not a game I could play.
@@rossmcleod7983 the difference with the fella I knew was- he WAS mustard. I seen him do twice as much as a fella half his age he had working with him, and he went home spotless. The painters and decorators loved him ‘cos he made it easy for them.
I'd just say no probs mate I'll go elsewhere.
@ross if he was mustard, he was worth it then? And not trying his luck?
All very well saying you are charging ‘x’ amount per hour. That rate is for hours actually physical labour. I do around a third to a half of that again on pricing, contacting customers, answering a never ending list of questions, sorting out suppliers, doing quotes ad infinitum. Thats the stressful part, not the joinery side. If I am breathing and awake I am normally doing something connected to work. Personally, I cant wait to retire in a few years.
Only you get to see the invisible side of your job. Customers don't have a clue.
Toughen up is the best bit of advice in this
Made my money from the early 90’s till now, I’m 51 and I do 3 days a week, no weekends, love it
Roger needs to be trade and industry security, as well as prime minister
This man is my go to guy for almost everything in this industry. Been in the floor laying industry for 33 years but will always keep my ears open to learn something knew
Quite simply the best economics lesson I’ve ever heard!
It was pretty good.
I don’t the economics was great, but this is really excellent business advice for any small business, not just builders.
That "while you are here, can you just do this 'little' job for me" is a real trap. Because tradesmen might want to be kind, and in some cases do the job for free. Like Roger says... it may only be a simple job. But, if the customer is not happy with their little freebie... guess who they want to call to rectify it for free?
Same here did a freebie add on for customer he wasnt happy with result and reported me to trading standards
@@roymills2211 That's some bad luck right there.
Customers ask for a number of quotes because they have no other way of establishing a reasonable price for the job. It's awkward for the customers too as you know you are wasting the time of two good builders if you get three quotes.
But how else do you establish a fair price for the job?
An estimation service using photos and so on would be as useful for the customer as it is for the builder!
100% agreed
So very true how else are we went to find out if we've been quoted a fair price.
Read Spon's pricing schedules (book). It's what architects and surveyors are taught to use.
No point being the richest man in the graveyard.
It would be good to see that on a tombstone.
I’d rather try to be the richest man in the graveyard than be the poorest man on the street
Poverty kills quicker than Wealth.
New technology could mean tombstones of the wealthy being connected to the Internet of Bodies by Bluetooth to enable avatar's to communicate on behalf of the deceased.
@@davidbrian1556have you thought that comment through?
Well done Roger. Keep giving out the good advise. Get people thinking! Cheers
Great advice Roger.Also for subcontractors looking at growing their business remember "turnover vanity, profit sanity".You can have a great business with less stress by picking your clients and type of work.
Missing the last one... Cash is reality 😉
Great video which I am watching instead of pricing these jobs in my diary under my I pad 😳.
I’m not rich because I’m a bricky with no backbone who has been underselling myself for many years . Two people have both told me the same thing recently ( one being my accountant) “ Steve you have been making a lot of money over the years .... BUT , it’s been for other people “ 🥺.
So true! you are a dilligent guy and deserve to do well
@@SkillBuilder . Thanks very much Rog much appreciated 🙏🏽😁🧱👍🏽
I know why I'm poor ..3x2 in cork builders merchants were 6.95 last year now they are 16.50....
6mm ply was 8.00 now it's 24.99.....
true that mate ,Its all I've been hearing of late
You ain’t kidding buddy, the way stuff has gone up is ridiculous. I had a guy the other week expecting me to stand by a bathroom quote from over a year ago. You are doing well if you can stand by a quote from 2 months ago, the way things are going. Crazy. Don’t become a busy fool, you’re price is your price.
I always kept a good stock of 3x2... It's depleted and I'm struggling to restock. Only buying when I need it now 😭
Never seen anything like it. ONS says inflation is 2%.
I reckon some small contractors inflation rate might be 30-40%
Is it due to brexit? Covid? La k of lorry drivers? Less trees?
Another gem from Roger. Couldn't see the "quality" line on the lino/drawing :-) . Keep them coming Roger and the Squad that is Skill Builder.
I couldn’t agree more!! The market has been dumbed down by disorganised, cash work, unprofessional wannabes!! Being self employed and running a business is a skill in itself!! And only few can do it.
any idiot can connect pipes,
fortunately I've been a stone carver for over 38 years and now there are only a handful of us left in the UK. I can usually price a job and get it.
Rock and roll!
Remember boys, when booking a stone carver get those 12 quotes!
@@TheFool2cool good luck. They all live in different parts of the country. 😂
Watch out for those unqualified stoner carvers holding themselves out to customers at a lower rate than yours.
Not any more
I charge travelling to/from the site plus research and buying materials time. The latter might be on my computer rather than a store but it gets logged
Oh yeah, and as I charge by the hour (no job prices... Ever!!!) the "While you're here" requests aren't a problem unless I'm pushed for time
I must admit I’m guilty of doing extra jobs for free and they always asked after I’ve been paid
Everything you have said is perfectly correct and I agree with but (there is always a BUT isn't there) In my working career I have worked on both sides of the fence, a wage slave, self-employed, and an employer. Over that time I came to the conclusion that the reason I was still poor was because all my working life I had three hands in my pocket, two where my own and the other was the state Tax collector and he comes in many guises. With one indisputable fact that the harder you worked and the more money you made the larger the hand became and the more it took.
Thanks!
Thanks you Rajiv
Im Approaching the 20 year mark, didn't set out at the beginning to be rich as the type of work excited me more! However have only now just learnt to manage my time and price accordingly.
Being a bricklayer isn't worth the money, I quit a few years ago and became a delivery driver and I'm much happier
often considered over past couple years to change career path, mostly from an ingrained hatred towards doing brickwork i developed a few years back and usual labourers in there own little world making my work harder than needs be.
You are a great teacher mate, I am not even a builder or planning to build anything, but enjoy watching your videos so much. Thanks for sharing wonderful tips. 👍✅👌
Agree with you, so true!
thanks it is nice of you to say so
Outstanding, Roger. Just outstanding advice and clearly offered. Well done.
Rodger hitting the nail bang on the top. Be greatful for what you've got and not what you have not.👍👍👍. It's not all about having loads of dosh. Plenty of millionaires in the cemetery.
Being friendly with customers always bites me on the arse.. I go cold inside when I hear those dreaded words.. "can you just" or "while you're here..." 😱😭
Or nearly as bad, when the client says "we don't know what we want, what do you think?"....
Always made me cringe. I'm a good builder, but a rubbish designer lol!
@@handycrowd say nothing- if they don’t like it it’s your fault and you can’t blame the designer!
Or even worse “this is an easy one”.
Or the classic, I would do it but I ain't got the tools/time.
@@justicecase19 standard 😂
I recently increased prices in my business (not building) and I'm now attracting a whole different set of customers, I'm not Rolex but there's a lot of truth in what Roger says here, applies any business.
I was guilty of always wanting to be busy. Every now and then a customer would say things like "I don't know how you do it for the money", or "you were the cheapest." I used to work seven days a week for months on end.
Reasons 2 and 3 sound good. For 1, we substituted figuring out how much we needed to charge to make what we needed/wanted to make. Then knowing the market and competition and tracking what we actually “spent” (time, materials, etc) let us decide whether we were realistic - and figure out what we might need to change. We NEVER negotiated on price. And we provided detailed statements of work that we stuck to - even if we got stuck. If a customer wanted to pay less we negotiated the statement of work so we would do less. Of course, there were loss leaders and investments, but we went in with eyes open. Also, a rough estimate sounds good, but that was frequently all our customers remembered. Even when we tried hard to set expectations up front. Thanks for the video.
Great advice there mate. I've been self employed for about twenty years now, look after your customers, word of mouth the best advertising on the planet. and yes, you must be firm, I don't listen to that "can you do any better on the price" crap anymore, most of my jobs are fairly similar when it comes to pricing, a cooker install is x amount a hob install is x amount a boiler supply and fit is x amount etc etc. no need to run yourself into the ground, you should be able to make a comfortable living working steady hours.
The biggest problem is trades not being upfront if they don't want a job. Some trades come and look at a job and you never hear from them again, instead of just saying there isn't enough in it for them they just ignore you.
When asked to do a one off out of the usual job, the guy with any sense says "sorry can't do it" Dopes like me immediately think "how am I going to do that?"
I love those jobs! .... oh.... yes I'm poor....
I hear you buddy
I am always asked to take on the odd jobs, over the years has meant I have learnt lots of skills in doing so. And to be able to do a variety of jobs has kept me busy.
@@VanVenturingYep, that's how it goes. Doesn't leave much time to polish the Roller....The footman does it.
Great video Roger, This explanation should be the opening pitch for every trades education, including us office bods.
As you know, its actually about the value that you place on your self, which is something we all undervalue when starting out.
As a 1980's time served Architectural Designer and Project Manager, I recall being "oh so" grateful to win projects only to realize the clients had "mugged us off". Only after the passing of a few years, and the addition of some kids, did I wake up to the reality. When you know what your doing, what ever your skill set, and are confident that you can deliver the goods, whether its a small extension design or a full commercial build, you can charge real money. Your clients will brag about you too at this point, because they know you cant be undersold.... Keep 'em coming.
Roger bisby you must never retire from our glorious industry, & I feel generations to come will miss out on your wisdom experience & all together straight shooting no nonsense rants.
GOAT 🐐 your only selling the truth
Hi Roger. Your thoughts are universal and indeed ring true down under as well (NZ). Thanks.
Thank you for your work on UA-cam and I wish you all the best. It’s always a pleasure to listen your advices. You can be proud of yourself - good luck
I hate to say it, but I’m definitely in the “toughen up category”. Gotta be heard…thanks Roger.
Me too m8. Far too soft with people.
I also know how uncomfortable it can be to do what feels like asking for more money, especially if you naturally like to help people. I've had a few mindset shifts that have helped me feel more comfortable doing this. One is that if you go out of business either due to finances or stress, you can't help anyone. Second is believing your time has a value, and working out what that value is. For me I got to that figure by working out how much money I wanted to take home, how much money I had to bill to do that (allowing for overheads, downtime, risk etc, and then divide by how many hours I want to work. It's not hard and fast and of course needs to be tolerated by the market but can help give you a sense of what a day or hour of your time is worth. Then keep track of how much you take home and see you need to adjust. I think it's very easy for 'nice' people to undervalue themselves.
Estimates are free, consultations are not…
Great video SB. 👊🏻
Yup, that's an easy trap to get in. Then they get lower prices based on your ideas and ask for them to be matched.
A lot of guys are great tradesman but can't sell a glass of water in a desert and/or are a push over. So there's a lot of guys who need to hear this and get some business acumen.
That’s one of the best you tube videos I’ve ever seen for honest down to earth content.
Completely true I'm afraid.
I don't think I would want to be young and start from scratch now.
It must be nigh on impossible with all the huge amount of regulations and rules.
Thanks, perfect timing with this video.... Exactly what I needed after a less than perfect Monday. It's important to look objectively at your business, sometimes it's easy to loose perspective
Thanks
Thank you Dan
Time, skill and effort. All comes down to how much you get paid in your work vs what someone is prepared to do work that you'd like to do. If it's a hobby or you want to develop a skill great but when you can hire a pro who can do a better job in a third of the time while you do overtime in your profession then what would you choose?
That was some quality advice Roger. Thank you.
If you live in Britain the cost of living is so high the average working man has to struggle to get buy and is heading to a worst situation in British society
I’m poor because I’m not an architect.
People will always pay for quality. No matter what the job. Want extras, extra costs.
Always finish with “yeah, sure I can do the extra job at x”
Wow roger, I'm really ahead of the game then, been rough quoting of photos, using google to look at frontage and parking situations for a few years and its really worked out good, i also ask for 50% deposit before ordering materials. If they are honest they pay up and shows me they have the money ready for the job and also i wont get stuck with materials if they back out. Kinda felt like you been watching me after seeing this lol
I would never pay a builder up front for materials - Got ripped off by a carpet fitter years ago with that trick. I will however pay over the phone the builder's merchant when the good are delivered to my address prior to the job commencing.
@@keziasarah lol. Do it yourself then. I have 5 star ratings everywhere. You dont pay my merchant because theres a handling fee on top
@@needaman66another one who doesn't like the alternative opinion..his way or no way lol change your merchant..I didnt pay any additional fee.
Roger, do you know Gordon Lake, he grew up in Northampton Buildings, he'd be about 68 now, lovely fellow, worked at Mount Pleasant, sorting?
Another great from Roger and as previous said - please stand for parliament. A marketing director told me "work out where you business is coming from .... and why" He said few take that whole thing seriously. Just as you have said.
Being content with what you have helps too - pining over that Lambo does you no good - everything in its own good time. As regards travelling time, you don't get that from an employer - you have to be at work at 8am sharp, that's when the clock starts. If you take a job 2 hours away, then that is down to you - unless you are so good and no-one else can do it and the customer agrees to pay travelling time. Another time-saver is having all the kit you need in the van when turning up to do the job. Really useful video, thanks for sharing.
"How do I know you're poor? Well you're watching this channel". Priceless.
I was talking about this video not the channel. People see the title first
@@SkillBuilder like many of your videos they have a lovely frankness to them. This one is a bit of a gem as it’s not hooked on a tool but there’s still all the sage advice said with a slight knowing glint in the eye.
some of the best advice you could have took me over 20 years to realize all of this
i would add that there are 1000's of good customers out there so do your best to avoid the bad ones. learn how to spot them (its not that hard there all the same)
i usually do one small extra job for free but if they start to take the piss i say "why dont you have a good look around and make a list of all the little jobs you need done then i can work out a good price for you "
Spot on as usual. From Price's law, you're going to get (sqrt N) out of N builders standing out above their peers in having the minimum necessary combination of talents needed to get rich. Also, builders are going to differ in which area they want to be come rich in: money, social interaction, memories, job interest, development of competence etc.
This is genuinely one of the realest videos I've seen on UA-cam.
the cheques in the post remember that one Roger, or i ll pay you next week defo....thats why i am a poor retired plumber, but i was always happy in what i did, all good sound advice, all the best Roger
I wish the theory of increased price reduces demand. Fuel is expensive and yet demand for it is increasing, same with building supplies.
It’s a worthwhile exercise to figure out your cost of doing business too. Many people will set their rates based on others locally and could be losing money for every hour they work. Sure roger has done a video on that too!
I run an Architectural drawings business and these points all hold true to me as well, great no nonsense content Rodger👍
Non-fungible is the term you want for builders vs commodities! Great vid Roger. That ending, actually laughed out loud
I will look that up.
Great combination of common sense and philosophy there, Roger.
Enjoyed watching that.
Rule of delegation - only do what only you can do.
And being honest about what you can and can't do. Saves a lot of bull and gets respect.
Good one Roger, My old Dutch Father-in-Law many years ago asked me who was the most expensive Tiler in Auckland NZ ? my home town.I said I didn’t know, He said we’ll it may as well be you ,someone has to be the most expensive.35 yrs later now and retiring in my 50’s
You should come to north Devon, Full of people from the south east, but they don't want to pay £20 per hour
One thing that Roger missed out, was that when people complain they are not making enough money they must also be realistic and consider does their line of employment command the sort of money that they want? It is realistic to think that a plasterer is not going to be making the same sort of money as the mid-career/position professional. I am in the construction industry and I know the going rates for my region from everything from a labourer to a quantity surveyor, and I know when the various trades hit a glass ceiling. When I then hear them thinking they should be making more money I know where they sit on a pay ladder and can advise them that that's it pal, your at the peak. Next option to make more is to side shift or setup your own firm with some employees and charge them out with a margin for yourself, but then you cannot have the land with all business owners, you need workers, so the stark reality is that most people need to just accept that they are on and go with it.
Excellent presentation of well known economic concepts, I haven't seen anywhere else yet more approachable explained. This should be mandatory viewing for everyone that just finished their GCSE.
I’m making this part of my course for translators and interpreters. It’s 100% convertible. :)
@AwakeNotWoke AwakeNotWoke Get your head out of the tinfoil mate, the only thing that the powers that be are suggesting is that you keep thinking that you can't achieve anything on your own and that you need those people in charge. Take charge of your own life and you will soon discover that there is plenty you can do, despite the obstacles and as soon you have enough FU money, you discover it is they who are afraid of you.
2024 here, Roger, sorry to be late! My father was a contract landscape gardener (gardens/walls/fences etc). He would always add 5% to each successive quote and would keep raising his price until he didn't get the work. He'd then peg back 5% with each lost quote. Quick to react to rising demand, and also realistic in a falling market. He passed away wealthy, bless him.
Wow! What a great piece of advice. I haven't been long in this business but one thing I did promise myself before I changed career, thanks to Covid I might add, was not to work weekends as they are family time. I am still trying to figure my costs but I am getting there. I don't want to be rich I just want to be happy and up to now it is working fine 😊. Thank you for the advice Roger!
You are a National Treasure Rog,
Your video's are priceless- all I had to do was subscribe and press the like button. Thankyou mate.
Just done a rewire on a two bed property. It was lived in but they went out, parking was an issue but the main problem was the clutter! (That’s being nice)
They then asked about further jobs, but I have added them onto the final invoice. It was hard enough without the little extras.
Before I watched this, I’ve already said to myself and partner. That I’m adding £500 onto live in rewires going forward, but I’ll offer that as a saving if they go away for the week and move 80% of there stuff into storage.
Great video Rodger 👍
good advice ...i tried exactly what you said regarding prices, it definitely works , was told years ago if you get ever job you price your too cheap
Hi Roger great video I think we can all be guilty of the the items you covered keep up the good work buddy
A man who works for nothing is never unemployed! Nice video Roger - lots of information relevant even for non builders like me.
Thanks Roger. What a great advice. All your videos have helped me in some way or another over the years!! Keep up the good work.
Good video Roger! Be good if you could do more of these
Very sound advice Roger, nice one 👍
I'm 55, after looking after my parents in their last years, I went to get a job and none wants to know. I have no pension or savings but I do have skills and a house!
Am I going to give up - NO! Failure is not an option!
I don't want to retire so I could easily spend the next 20 years working as its an adventure. Plus as the Chinese say "Do what you love and you'll never work another day." - BTW, if you read that and just read the last five words then the only victim in your life is you! Change the inside, become a child again, love everything and have FUN!!!
As a man of a similar age, what's your secret to a full head of hair?.
A genetic lack of sensitivity to DHT on his scalp
I don't have a secret. Both of my sons have faired less well on that count and I feel guilty.
@@chester6343 Why aren't teenagers bald if it's caused by high DHT?
@@Me-zo8yc they have a full head of hair so it's not noticeable unless heavily predisposed but if they have male pattern baldness then it is happening, depending on sensitivity it starts to become noticeable usually by their mid twenties. The most solid thing you can do is take finasteride which stops the conversion of testosterone to DHT. It's normally prescribed for an enlarged prostate but a notable side effect is it minimises hairloss and in some cases regrows miniturized hair from MPB.. bare in mind, I'm not a doctor, I'm a filthy plumber, so always consult your GP before starting any medication, also I have to warn you that there are some reports of some horrible side effects from crushing natural DHT levels such as decreased sex drive, and permanent impotence however there is also a large body of evidence to suggest that this is not from the use of Finasteride and is purely psychosomatic.
@@SkillBuilder you can always blame the wife, "Not my genes!"
I need to start giving rough quotes based on pictures. So many time wasters out there. Go look at a job, then spend time at home writing up a quote, only to never hear anything back. Not even a ‘thanks for your time’. Infuriates me.
I was doing a walkaround with a client when I spotted a load of materials in a spare room. Hmm, I thought. I asked the guy what was going on, and bold as brass, he admitted he was doing the job himself and wanted to know how much he'd be saving...
I sent him an invoice for my hour, but pretty predictably he didn't settle it...
Honestley, you will not look back. Get some pictures, give them an of the cuff really rough ESTIMATE , nevr qoute. If they comeback saying it sounds about good, give them a better estimate. Might be more or less when you have a proper look, but man does it at least half the time wasters.
@handycrowd that’s crazy! I would have been jumping!
@@handycrowd the audacity of some people 🤬
Hi Roger and team, firstly many thanks for your videos and great to hear you on Radio 2. Thanks to your videos I was able to take on my own house extension and did the entire build myself. I am a tradesman so all the internal stuff was a breeze but to know I've actually built the whole thing gives me enormous pride. Regards this video I'll just say I have a very good woman behind the scenes - my wife, who is my business admin, bookkeeper, advisor. She plays a vital role in us making good money. Tradesmen including myself are generally not so great at the admin side so help from your beloved is a bonus. Keep up the great work Roger and team
I have seen so many people over price a job and so many people under price a job. It's about getting the balance with time & expenses and if you do a quality job... like Rodger says... you will get business if you do it right.
I did a business course many moons ago (35 years) and I didn't agree with the speaker. He suggested putting your prices really high and the business will roll in because people think they are getting quality. Experience has taught me by doing that your work will dry up. Give quality work at a good price.
Thanks Rodger, great video.
5:29 - On the basis of time being so costly, I always wonder how this future of everyone driving electric vans and cars is going to work. I don't know how often builders etc have to stop for fuel, but Im pretty sure they arent gonna want to wait around at the services for vans to charge.
Hi Dave.
Worse are all the company employees who are going to turn up three hours late for appointments because they have been sitting in a charging point queue. We won't be able to schedule anything
Brilliant - luv the intro & end :) Sage at his best ..the King of Independence............................Veblen (developed the Gucci bag theory (people will want it more if price increases) was an economist that is turning in his grave knowing that people named it after him) - needless to say he was a frugal guy.
Well said Roger! Recently I've increased my rates and no one has baulked at them at all my customers are fine with it.
If you're providing quality a 10% increase is barely noticed.
Amazing video Roger, best vid I've seen on common sense economics for small business. As someone who just started out myself it makes a lot of sense. Great stuff mate keep going 👍 Cheers from Australia
I hope you do well, if I were just starting out I like to think I would take my own advice, Sadly these are all mistakes I have made.
@@SkillBuilder Thanks Roger. You've certainly got a lot of great experience I've already learned a lot from your vids mate and I'm sure plenty of others have too 👍 You're doing a fantastic job with all 👍 Cheers
Great advice. Especially quoting 👍
You speak a lot of sense mate really enjoy watching your videos, I’m a carpenter, kitchen fitter, painter and decorator and basic plumbing, just wanted to know if you would ever count cash in-front of your customer
I usually weigh it. Seriously though I am terrible at counting cash, I lose concentration after the first three thousand.
Hi Roger I so needed to hear that tonight
I did a 3 hour job in London this morning but it took me 3 hours travelling it was to be a days work but I ended up condemning the boiler instead of repairing it
Yes I need to charge 6 hours
Thanks Roger
There are two sides to prosperity, maximising earning potential, and spending your earnings wisely. Don't buy things you don't need or really want. Don't spend lots on things that depreciate rapidly, vehicles are a good example, an older but tidy vehicle will cost you much less than brand new one, think of how many extra hours you'll have to work to cover the cost of the new one compared to the older one, which does exactly the same job, is the new one really worth that extra work for no real benefit?
I've replaced loads of kitchens and bathrooms which were perfectly functional and looked very respectable, the customers actually borrowed money to replace these, just because they weren't the latest fashion. How much extra work did they have to do to cover the extra cost? How much extra leisure time did they give up just to appear fashionable?
I'm now 58 and realise time is short, time is the only thing which cannot be replaced. Working like mad, running up the down escalator, if you like, just to keep up with the Jones's, is crazy. Quality leisure time to be able to spend as you wish is grossly underrated in these consumerism driven days.
I would be customer- I have to say Everyone needs to watch your channel and I hope all newly qualified builders watch your channel because you know your trade and make sense. Thank you for extending my knowledge. I’ll never bea builder but I can pass on information to my children.
That time management point, I take it that time spent at a merchants or getting a bacon roll shouldn't be charged to the customer? Just had some plumbing done and he popped out twice tfor about an hour in total o get bits that he should've had in my opinion, but charged me for that time away from the job. Am I right to think he's taken the mick?
Did he do a good job at a resonable price?
Did he charge you a £1 a mile to run the van as well and put 30% on the bits that he had in stoke just in case you needed them.
He did a good job but he estimated 5 hours and took 8 hours £90 per hour plus parts to change a shower pump.?
@@jasonbaker4275 lol 9 hours to change a shower pump? I think you are underselling what was actually done surely ? "Just " changing a shower pump is a 60-90 min job
No you’re right he had to disconnect old cylinder drain it to get at old pump. Then change some of the existing pipe work.