rock bottom---NO WORK--

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emahler

Senior Member
tonyou812 said:
Jezz I wish I was doing work like that. Im small potatoes compared to some of you fellas.
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don't kid yourself...that job might cost the winning bidder $200,000 to complete...better off working for small potatoes at a profit, than large pumpkins at a loss...
 
peter d

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
emahler said:
don't kid yourself...that job might cost the winning bidder $200,000 to complete...better off working for small potatoes at a profit, than large pumpkins at a loss...
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I tend to agree. Taking on work at no profit or a loss just to keep guys going is a major bummer, but a necessity. I'd much rather be a one man show doing small jobs by myself. :roll:
 
bradleyelectric

bradleyelectric

Senior Member
Location
forest hill, md
electricmanscott said:
The fact that this is not a seasonal slowdown makes it even more important to take what you can get however you can get it.

If somebody calls me for a service change that I'd normally do for 2k and they tell me they have prices of say $1600 to $1800, you can bet your rear end I'm doing it for $1500.00 within a couple of days.

I know this bothers alot of you but in reality I don't really care. I'd rather charge the 2k but it just isn't going to happen.

Bear in mind I'm only one guy and every second I am not working is time that is not getting billed. I need to be working.
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What if you took this time not working to market yourself for higher paying work? Do you know how to? seriously.
 
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charlietuna

Senior Member
You must separate yourself from "bottom dwellers" it's as easy as that! The elctrical industry has many different facits--housing is one of them along with general service work--but it doesn't take much for anyone to compete directly with you -- own a van--a few boxes of romex -- a cell phone--a charge account--a wiggy--maybe even an amprobe!!! Step up one step--commercial or industrial -- now the romex doesn't help your competition -- the troubleshooting is somewhat harder--the customer is looking for licensed sub contractors -- he doesn't want a hack fiddling with his $500K press or a 1000 ton chiller !! Take the gas station trade--lots of underground--rigid pipe--threading crap--sealoff fittings --code issues -- the bottom dwellers don't want any part of that!! During the good times when money is flowing and profits are up is the time to distance your company away from these "bottom dwellers" by investing your company's time AND profits to move up another step away from them!! Believe me, if you take a job and work 50 hours a week to make up the difference in productivity--THEY WILL WORK 60 hours! And if you work 60, they will work 70 !! Thats just business! Crying about inspectors not inspecting, or shoddy workmanship will not get you that job back--that job is gone! The only "GOOD THING" is you might get called to fix all the installer's short cuts! But it's work!!! You have to do things others can't--thats pretty simple! Pick a certain aspect of our trade and specialize in it! Could be knitting mills -- look around the area you cover--maybe conveyer systems! Invest in specialized tools like data recorders or loggers and get in with the local engineers who can then recommend you for their next job.. You can't do much right now except get thin--look at every expense--you would be suprised how little you can get by on--but in all this spare time look around and target an electrical facit--there are plenty of them!!
 
bradleyelectric

bradleyelectric

Senior Member
Location
forest hill, md
Dnkldorf said:
How are they screwing up the market for everyone?

I never really understood this, who is everyone, and who speaks for them?

They found a way to make money, and you didn't.

Kudos to them.

You can't fault them, it's business and someone has to eat.
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I always crack up when this comes up. They got the job so they are making money. The low bidder always makes money. Maybe they aren't making money. Maybe they think they can push the labor some and can't. Maybe they don't have a good grasp on their true numbers and are loosing money.

Maybe they do a takeoff and just add 5% to it to cover overhead. Maybe they don't have a good grasp on how to determine what the job conditions will be ie higher ceilings in lobbys. Maybe they are in trouble and think they can push money to stay alive.

Just because someone is awarded the job for having the lowest price doesn't mean they are making money.
 
Dnkldorf

Dnkldorf

Senior Member
bradleyelectric said:
Just because someone is awarded the job for having the lowest price doesn't mean they are making money.
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What's the other side of that coin say?

He may be making a little less than he did yesterday, but who says he ain't making any?

I lost an electrical job to a HVAC company. His rate was $55/hr. to do electrical work.

I have no idea how he makes money off that, nor do I really care.

He wanted it more than me.
 
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hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Dnkldorf said:
Know your market.

If this is who you are competing against, I ask you why?

Why are your customers, also theirs?

FWIW, what you are explaining happens in every market, everywhere, from doctors to sandwich shop owners. It is a way of life in places.
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Thats why I work in Atlanta instead, make a whole lot more money, don't have to deal with as many hacks. You ask why I had to compete against them, apparently you have never done work outside the big city. Nobody has a $500k press there, The big chain stores bring in contractors from the big city, I know because we are one of them. Yes, know your market and know not to work in it if theres no money to be made.
 
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
hillbilly1 said:
....
We finally have inspections now, but the county comissoner has publicly said in the local newspaper that his inspectors would loosely enforce the code or be fired. This doesn't hurt everybody? I beg to differ.
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Are you thinking about a new career ? Are you registered to Vote ? :grin:
 
jrannis

jrannis

Senior Member
Location
Fort Lauderdale/ Miami
charlietuna said:
You must separate yourself from "bottom dwellers" it's as easy as that! The electrical industry has many different facets--housing is one of them along with general service work--but it doesn't take much for anyone to compete directly with you -- own a van--a few boxes of romex -- a cell phone--a charge account--a Wiggy--maybe even an amprobe!!! Step up one step--commercial or industrial -- now the romex doesn't help your competition -- the troubleshooting is somewhat harder--the customer is looking for licensed sub contractors -- he doesn't want a hack fiddling with his $500K press or a 1000 ton chiller !! Take the gas station trade--lots of underground--rigid pipe--threading crap--sealoff fittings --code issues -- the bottom dwellers don't want any part of that!! During the good times when money is flowing and profits are up is the time to distance your company away from these "bottom dwellers" by investing your company's time AND profits to move up another step away from them!! Believe me, if you take a job and work 50 hours a week to make up the difference in productivity--THEY WILL WORK 60 hours! And if you work 60, they will work 70 !! Thats just business! Crying about inspectors not inspecting, or shoddy workmanship will not get you that job back--that job is gone! The only "GOOD THING" is you might get called to fix all the installer's short cuts! But it's work!!! You have to do things others can't--thats pretty simple! Pick a certain aspect of our trade and specialize in it! Could be knitting mills -- look around the area you cover--maybe conveyor systems! Invest in specialized tools like data recorders or loggers and get in with the local engineers who can then recommend you for their next job.. You can't do much right now except get thin--look at every expense--you would be surprised how little you can get by on--but in all this spare time look around and target an electrical facet--there are plenty of them!!
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Good advice Charlie,
Many of us were not around during the hard times in the seventies and like me were spoiled by the growth in the 80s and 90s.
We never really saw thing when they were bad.
Its easy to get used to making 10 or 12 grand a month and then have to suddenly shift to 5 or 6 grand a month takes some getting used to.
Many people make it on less I'm sure.
 
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