The moral of this tale of two plumbers: A desire to do the right thing does not grant us immunity to the laws of business.
I just got done reading this and everyone elses responses about fifteen minutes ago I wasn't going to post but i just feel I need to.
Work has been slow enough recently that I have been able to review my previous year's books with some scrutiny. In reflecting on last year I realize it was very busy and also I gave alot of freebees away because of what I thought at the time was being a "nice guy"
I gave away around the tune of 10 to 11 thousand this comprised of the following:
Helping 2 different GC's whom I consider freinds,
1 family member whom I was afraid to charge full price because he e-mailed me asking if my invoice would include a family discount,
Not charging full price or not charging at all on change orders on a large project that one of those two GC's had asked me to be soft on the change orders so he doesn't look like the bad guy.
With that being said just so you know all of these people have at on time or another complained to me about my rates and all of these people have the means to pay at full rates.
Now just so we are clear decisions that I have made regarding my business are of my own accord and results positive or negative I take responsibility for. I'm not here to be lugubrious but only to add to the discussion and give my perspective from learned experience.
After much contemplation and discussion with my wonderful wife I came to a realization, none of these gentlemen whom I have extended myself to have ever reciprocated any noticable generocity niether in the past or present.
I have decided to make a new personal policy. It starts with I do not need to impress anyone. Especially to get future work. If I choose to be generous with my gifts and talents it will be for those who need assistance or a break.
The next and most important part of this new personal policy is this. My wife and daughter are a gift from God, My skills as an electrician are a gift from God, The fact that i am in business for myself is a gift from God! For me to squander these gifts to just impress people, and be a nice guy in the eyes of those who do not share the same values as I is an offense to God, and an abdication of my office as husband and father to my family.
I have been a putz for long enough. I want you all to know that this forum is a great source of information and support that I deeply appreciate.
Your story is not the exception, it is common, and I remember spending many weekends helping EC's that went thru the same cycle you were thru, they all had family to support and were all good electricians, who let their heart guide their decisions, and ended up loosing both income, their family needed, and lost some time their family deserved, I would sit down and go over their books, if they had any, and review the way they did business, and many times, what I found was they had no plan or direction, and had a very difficult time asking for payment for anything, so my first step was, to give them a quick look at a well structured business, and show them the way to seek help from accounting professionals and but their business in a positive direction, and after many phone calls and a few visits, they would start to grow, it sounds like your in that growing stage.
You can do it, and you will make it a better business!
