Quote Originally Posted by blue matt View Post
that is the problem, people just starting out, they feel they have to price low to get work

I see it all the time, people starting out in whatever business, as people know i am a ex-carpenter / foreman / site agent who now earns maybe 60% of my income from window cleaning ( i still project manage building jobs for people )

2 recent examples

window cleaning, a company quote for a job to do, they ask the company how much i charge, Company boss decides to have a bit of a laugh, the job is £450, he tell them " £150 ", they come back to him with a £120 quote 120 quid, it takes me a day and a bit, maybe 10 hours, so this company are happy with £12 a hour, its just not enough, but could well have driven the price down so much that it wasnt worth doing

Building, someone i know has started out doing groundwork and landscape gardening, i had a job that needed a patio doing after a extension was built, guy says " if you buy the materials I will charge you day rates , now i was expecting £200 - £250 a day for him and his labourer, Nope £150 a day, i told him he needs to charge more, his response was " oh i used to earn £100 a day working for someone, so I am happy with that and £50 for the lad ", i then explained holiday pay, days when you cannot work, ill or rain, fuel and van costs, tool costs, the guy still invoiced me for £150 a day
The lad on 50 probably signs on and gets cash.

No way can someone earn £250 (max) a week and be paying tax.

Also, as shit as it is 100 a day is 80 after tax and 400 a week on a 5 day week.