...........Firstly, Wallmart. Remember what it was like before Wallmart? All those mom and pop stores? Where are they today? The stores that have costs and overheads, just like every other business. The customers said "charge me less", and someone did...........
Keep in mind, low prices is WalMart's business model. When you see their ads on TV, what are they touting? Personal service? A wide variety? Knowledgeable staff? No......... it's all about low prices. Try asking the guy in hardware (God forbid there actually is someone working in that area!) how to hang a ceiling fan.
WalMart didn't just drop their prices because the customer demanded they do so. They adopted it as their business model. And they continually are finding ways to be more efficient, so they can lower prices even more. They call them Rollbacks.
WalMart didn't start out charging the 'going rate' for everything on their shelves. They didn't have droves of customers tromping through their doors demanding they lower their prices. WalMart did that all by themselves. They wanted to be the Low Price Leader from the git-go. And they succeeded at it.
Other companies are countering the
Low Price is King mentality. Ever see a Scheels ad lately? They show a person doing whatever sport they enjoy.... hunting, fishing, running, cycling... you name it. It ends up with "I'm Dave, and I work at Scheels". They're not promoting low prices, 'Rollback' or saving you money........... they're promoting
service & a
knowledgeable staff.
If you want to compete with WalMart Electric, you'll need to cut your rates. But not by simply giving your work away, or working for less..... find ways to lower your overhead. That's how WalMart does it.
Otherwise, stick to working for Scheels Electrical and learn to market the skill and professionalism you have to a customer base who will appreciate it.