This might tank, but hey its business!

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jaylectricity said:
I didn't save up enough money to do everything the right way. I went from doing small side jobs and working for a guy to doing larger jobs after quitting working for the guy. I really should have saved up enough to get a van with lettering and commercial plates and an advertising budget.




Different sized ladders, an invoice book, a place to keep business cards and of course advertising. I'm still struggling with the advertising because I've been riding along the edge and afraid to risk cash flow on something that might get no return. This is mostly due to some of the money I've thrown away on advertising.
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I Know what you are saying, but you have to keep your business name out there.I hate when i chose a bad ad venue.
 
I wish I had charged a lot more for some of the jobs Ive done. Flat rate pricing is the way to go if you do a lot of residental work. And I now know what my real cost of doing buisness is. And its not unusual for me to tack on a lot more to a price cause of the 2 Mercedes in the driveway. My motto is the right price is whatever they are willing to pay. Why do work for 3000 when they are expecting to pay a lot more say 4500-5000. In many cases you would be suprised. if it wasnt for this forum I think it would have taken me longer to get up the "Hutz pa" to charge more. A lotta more
 
tonyou812 said:
I wish I had charged a lot more for some of the jobs Ive done. Flat rate pricing is the way to go if you do a lot of residental work. And I now know what my real cost of doing buisness is. And its not unusual for me to tack on a lot more to a price cause of the 2 Mercedes in the driveway. My motto is the right price is whatever they are willing to pay. Why do work for 3000 when they are expecting to pay a lot more say 4500-5000. In many cases you would be suprised. if it wasnt for this forum I think it would have taken me longer to get up the "Hutz pa" to charge more. A lotta more
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So how do you find out what they are willing to spend,do you just ask them?Do you ask them what there budget is?
 
cadpoint said:
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This is a two part question with potentially endless and various answers.
:roll:
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Before starting your business what are some things you missed or didn?t do ?

After six months to a year, what did you find out that you couldn?t do with out, unforeseen, learned or copied and integrated into your line of business or course of work?
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I'd like to thank everyone that answered and everyone that read as well.

I'm drawing a pay check, I need to refresh on Business 101... I have alot of the books that have been talked about here, and more...
Thanks for the cander... It's just job, I just have to "get to it" !
 
I went from layed off/unemployed to doing a few jobs here and there and in a very short time was way too busy to look for a job! This forum has been a tremendous help to me. I have been able to tap into what collectively is thousands of years of experience of the best and brightest in our field.
 
zappy said:
So how do you find out what they are willing to spend,do you just ask them?Do you ask them what there budget is?
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I guess you can say its being a good salesman. I usually try to feel them out a bit. I listen to what they want, what kind of time frame they have, and I almost always ask if they have had anyone else by to give them an estimate. And I can honestly say that 35-40 percent of the time they will acually tell me some of the quotes. At this point I usuall try to sell them on more items or upgrades. And sometimes they bite on it.I figure if I am going to be there for half/ three quarters of a day I might as well try to make a day of it. I guess it comes from my early years of waiting tables. I would always try to get my check average up, if you do then your tip or profit will usually follow.

Like I said earlier I think demographics has a huge role in it. Why is it that gas stations charge one price in one town and another price in the town over?

A few weeks ago I went to look at a service change and it was a pretty straight forward one but before I knew it the guy was bitching ,that one guy(EC) wanted 5500 and another wanted 4600. And I could tell he was looking at me for a reaction, but I didnt flinch. I just said yea thats not terrible (meanwhile in my head I was thinking 2700-2850) I think we could probably do it for 3255. And the guy smiled and said "oh man that would be great.
And this wasnt the first time, so this got me thinking that the best price is what ever they are willing to pay. I know what I need to make on a job so i can make a nice profit but some people are willing to pay more.

I mean if I go to a normal house say a small cape coder and I see they have 3 kids and the mother is a stay home mom, naturally i wont go for the homerun Ill just get what I need to get. But I still try to upsell.
 
I miss having a chance to watch tv. Since starting a business it is probally turned on 1 every 2 weeks. I also have no time to work around my own house.
 
This might tank, but hey its business!

In electrical field since getting out of the Marine Corps in 1972.
Started in business for myself in 1974 with someone as my qualified man.
Took the test a year later and got my license.
By then I was prepared and can't recall any thing that I would change except one, because I listened to others and did it right.
The only thing I regret I did was taking out a phone book yellow page add.
I have found out that word of mouth works best and has always kept me busy.
Guess I was lucky but I love what I do.
Of course over the years you have to buy allot of tools that you don't have to start with but everyone should know that. I didn't have allot of money to go and buy everything I needed at once.
Semper Fi Buddy
 
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