Do Tradesmen Actually Want The Work Anyway?

Jaynne

warwicktiger wrote: »

Then I have to pay tax and NI on any left over profit.

I work for myself and while the other stuff about admin costs, vehicle fuel etc are valid EVERYONE has to pay tax and NI. Its not like someone on £20k takes home get £1.66k into their bank every month.

I think what people tend to fail to realise is that as a self employed person its really very hard when busy to fill up your day with things that pay. Even if you are totally oversubscribed when you take in the admin time, responding to emails or queries time and visiting potential clients you are lucky to fill two thirds of your day with actual paying work.

That £40/hr work basically equates to a £20-30k job depending on how efficient and busy you are. Not bad but they are a skilled tradesman after all with little to no job security.

That said its a pain in the !!!! when people don't get back to you. Had an electrician round to quote on some work, he told me he wasn't at all busy I said that's great because I wanted it done quick and it was relatively simple. He took a week and a half to get back to me by which time the job was booked. Plenty of other trades never get back to you.

tired_dad

For a small job try local paper adding the back.

I have has widely varying figures for replacing some fencing.

juliebunny

Eek, I've upset the traders on here - not intended!

The 2 fencing companies I contacted last week STILL haven't responded though, so does that mean they are really good because they don't need the work??!!

The company that did reply was quite a few months ago that they provided their quote - I really couldn't afford it at the time, I genuinely did not realise how expensive the job would be. This is my first house and everything has come as a bit of a surprise to me, with some things needing saving up for (well, it's hard to survive with a family on £30 per day greatgimpo)

Are they going to get miffy at me if I ring them up a long time after they came out to do the quote, if I now wish to go ahead with the work??

Jaynne

I've never had a problem with calling someone a few months after getting a quote saying I want to go ahead. People are usually happy to get a job and for the quote time not to have been wasted.