This Might Be Why You're Poor

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?

I’m poor because there’s a company called Festool!

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...

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. :)

Made my money from the early 90’s till now, I’m 51 and I do 3 days a week, no weekends, love it

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.

Roger needs to be trade and industry security, as well as prime minister

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.

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.

Toughen up is the best bit of advice in this

Quite simply the best economics lesson I’ve ever heard!

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!

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?

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

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

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!!

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 “ 🥺.

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.

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.