Handyman prices

[dennis]

Having been a computer hardware and software designer for 30 years you wouldn't want to hear my opinion of computers in a public newsgroup.

I bet he was useless at other things too.

[PeterC]

Even checking won't always work. A mate worked on the throttle of a Lightning, it crashed in to th Gulf (pilot OK). He and his sergeant were on a charge automatically. The part was correct, the 2 locking nuts had been checked, the threaded rod had a taper on it - too small to be obvious but enough for the nuts to slacken. Loctite was used thereafter.

[Owain]

A partnership would be VATted as a single business entity. And each partner would be jointly and severally liable ...

Owain

[Kevin Poole]

That would be Ricky Cooper - an amazing chap who unfortunately passed away in November 2006. They must have had someone like him at Crewe, or they'd never have built any cars - there are so many errors in the Parts Books.

True

[The Medway Handyman]

Agreed, some of the local population are very dense :-)

Medway Towns population is 249,488 in 192.03 km²

Liverpool population 435,500 in 111.84 km2

According to Wikipedia anyway.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Great ;-) Sadly I can't remember his name - even if I ever knew it. You're talking about JB on York Road? This was some 40 years ago. But he was a font of all knowledge in helping me maintain that old Bentley - and giving advice about how to keep costs reasonable. I'm sure the bosses wouldn't have liked that. I needed new brakes - drums on the S1 - and RR only supplied new shoes. At a price which made you wince. He suggested going to a Ferodo depot in Shepherds bush and buying the linings only and riveting them to the old shoes myself. Doing the job for 1/10th of the cost of new shoes.

Strange how you remember some things when sometimes your own name is a problem. ;-)

[Owain]

I stopped being surprised at the depths of stupidity in the populatioon a long time ago, but remain perplexed by its frequent occurrence.

But not much call for dekhin' if you live in a hoigh roise.

Owain

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Plowman (News)" saying something like:

The pure in heart have no fear of the taxman.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Plowman (News)" saying something like:

Then you find out other things - like RR used shoes and pads fitted to a much more common pleb car or van and thus a fraction of the price. Just an example - RR would charge an arm and two legs for a slushbox for the Shadow - a GM400 box fitted to millions of yanktanks and costing peanuts to overhaul with parts bought from the States.

Effing nerve of the bastards.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The linings were a unique part number, IIRC. And the shoes used an interesting friction self adjusting mechanism - so again I'd think unique.

Dunno. Mine had a 4 speed GM Hydramatic - but with a mechanical servo added for the brakes so again unique. Many of the internal parts could well have been common to other cars, though. But despite a vast mileage it still worked just fine so I never found out.

But at least everything seem to be designed to be overhauled if needed. Unlike so many things on modern cars.

Well, most makers charge what the market will stand. ;-)

[dennis]

No different to other car manufacturers then.. you find the same item with different part numbers to fit different cars at different prices in most main dealers. You just need someone that knows to tell you which to buy. ;-)

[neverwas]

They do if their books are dirty!

But it'd not just be HMRC who might have problems with the "NOT partners, subbies, or any other thing but associates." Whose name would be on the unified bill (and so get the repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations)? To whom does the customer go if there is a problem with the work? If the customer's house burns down whose insurance policy covers the defence? And so on.

What I think you are proposing is sometimes called a 'joint venture'. And it is often presented as an association which stops short of a partnership. Many turn out to be partnerships if examined (eg when creditors come looking for money) [1]. The exceptions are usually where the people involved are already carrying on separate businesses and agree to work together on a particular project but don't agree to share profits/losses.

The fundamental problem is that two people in business together and sharing profits are treated in law as a partnership whether or not they want to be partners - as many a pair of (former) mates-working-together have discovered. But at least in Dave's case there wouldn't be capital assets to be argued over if it all ended in tears.

___ [1] HMRC think so too. Their guidance on VAT registration includes: "If you and another person intend to work together on a business or project as a joint venture, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) may consider this as a partnership. This would be a new and separate person for VAT registration purposes. The joint venture may have to register for VAT if its turnover is above the relevant threshold."

[Mark]

It also depends on your competition. If there are enough people willing to undercut your prices you may find it difficult to find work. This could be happening in liverpool.

[Mark]

Isn't there a way around this if customers pay him the work he does?

[tony sayer]

In article , Mark scribeth thus

What!, work and Liverpool?, no way wack;!..

[The Medway Handyman]

Yerbut people who work cheap can only undercut you until their diary is full, then they are unable to do so. Its a classic small business mistake. Busy fools.

Apart from which, markets consist of segments, some of whom would rather pay a higher price for what they consider to be a better service.

I had this conversation recently with the manager of a local community centre, owned by a housing association. They wanted a cheaper rate, but they also needed references (I'm Trading Standards Accredited), a CRB check (I already have one), £1M Public Liability (I have £2M).

They wanted someone with the correct access equipment, the necessary warning signs, they liked the idea of uniformed staff, a proper booking system, itemised invoices etc.

I explained that I could provide exactly what they wanted except the lower rate, because doing it right costs money. I got the work.

[Mark]

Indeed. However, many people just want cheap. I looked into doing some self-employed work in my local area and there were so many others doing the same at rock bottom prices I decided not to do so. YMMV, of course.

Good. I would imagine a community centre would be more interested in doing things right than Mrs Smith of Acacia Crescent though.

If enough people did not want things cheap then the market would not be flooded in cheap chinese crap products IMHO.

[The Medway Handyman]

Agreed the larger proprotion proprortion of the market may want cheap, but a proportion will pay. As long as the cachement area is large enough & contains enough of those people it will work.

There is a big difference between supplying a product & supplying a service, especially if you are a one man band. Being cheap sells more product with little increase in overhead or staff. However, once you are booked for the week you can't take on any more work no matter how cheap you are.

As I say, markets are divided into segments. Thats why we have BMW and Hyundi, Waitrose & Netto, Armani & Matalan.

If Mrs Smith is elderly she is highly likely to want someone uniformed & Trading Standards accredited who she can trust.

[YAPH]

I've never had anyone ask me about a uniform. I'm not sure how it would be a deciding factor, except in the case of a few companies who either make an advertising point of it or are known for it.

As I'm not Trading Standards accredited I don't know how much of a factor that is. Do you get business directly through some TS register, and if so do you get much work that way? And do you get a better class of customer (or at least, a less-worse class!)? (I have a slight suspicion that the sort of people who rely on such directories are more likely to be unreasonably picky and troublesome to work for.)

Or do you just use your TS-accreditation in your advertising? And if so do you get any sense from customers how much of a factor it is in their decision to choose you? And again, are they the sort of customers you want?!

[The Medway Handyman]

Its a brand image thing really. People don't ask about uniforms, it wouldn't really occur to them. But they are impressed by them and like them a lot. "I could see you were a professional from the way you are dressed" is a common comment. Why do Gritish Bas et al insist their staff are uniformed?

Bearing in mind that embroidered corporate clothing is wholly & exclusively for business use, is 100% tax deductible and actually cheaper than being non uniformed.

Older people & lone females like it a lot & often comment on it. They are reassured that you are who you say you are. Commercial clients like it as well, better than a strange scruffy oik wandering around their premises.

Medway Council TS operate a 'Fair Trader' scheme and list you on their Fair Trader website

lists the benefits and shows what happens if the client clicks through.

I get a lot of business via the councils website. Council employees make it their first port of call and the elderly use it a lot. Costs £100 a year, well worth it, very cheap advertising.

The clients I get from the FT site tend to be less price conscious & willing to pay what I ask. Not noticed any especially picky trend, they mainly want someone they can trust. Everyone has seen Rogue Traders. Trust is the thing.

I use the FT logo on everything; van, web site, flyers, adverts etc. It certainly makes a big difference " I chose you because you are a Fair Trader" is a common comment.

So its a twofold benefit, it attracts the sort of client I want and it reinforces the sale if the client has found me elsewhere.

Reading Council don't seem to offer such a scheme, maybe you should suggest it.