[easy clean]

 
went to do a church today that i quoted for about 3-4 months ago, thing is that i subbed the insides out to 2 blokes and they wanted £150 cash for it, i agreed as i thought the job was a good one.

anyway i cracked on with the outside and these were rotten and i mean rotten, not cleaned for about 10 years! it's prob the hardest i'v ever worked, i was absolutely shagged after. took me about 3 hours flat out.

just got home to print invoice and am gutted that i priced this job for a mere £231, yes £231. i've paid out 150, leaving 81 but i've gotta pay tax on full 231, i'll prob end up with about 30 quid, GUTTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

any suggestions?

[johnny_h]

i suggest you crack open a beer 

[Paul Coleman]

went to do a church today that i quoted for about 3-4 months ago, thing is that i subbed the insides out to 2 blokes and they wanted £150 cash for it, i agreed as i thought the job was a good one.

anyway i cracked on with the outside and these were rotten and i mean rotten, not cleaned for about 10 years! it's prob the hardest i'v ever worked, i was absolutely shagged after. took me about 3 hours flat out.

just got home to print invoice and am gutted that i priced this job for a mere £231, yes £231. i've paid out 150, leaving 81 but i've gotta pay tax on full 231, i'll prob end up with about 30 quid, GUTTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

any suggestions?

Try The Samaritans.
All I can say really is that every one of us has screwed up at some point.  I think it's important to learn from it rather than beat ourselves up about it.  I did a job once (quite early on) and I totally misjudged it.  Ended up taking about £20 for 3 hours work.  The guy was astonished when I cancelled the job before I made a second visit.

[Feen]

Did a builders clean. Quoted £40 for small place. Took me 4 hours Asked back for next one (it's a farm conversion). Two this time. Quoted £130. Guys face was a picture. Took me 6 hours and my wife 4 hours. The hourly rate is creeping up There are another 5 to do. Will I learn my lesson?? Hoping for a contract at the end of it, but I have screwed up here so far.

[eddie d]

we hav all done it but dont always admit it .

[Mike_G]

If they have it done again you will be laughing now that it is cleaned up.

[alanwilson]

did a very large car showroom near Braehead outside with wfp, inside trad on a pole.

Reckoned about 3 hrs work.

wrong, took me a day and half - for £120.

[Bonzer]

thing is that i subbed the insides out to 2 blokes and they wanted £150 cash for it

i've gotta pay tax on full 231, i'll prob end up with about 30 quid, GUTTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

any suggestions?

You won't have to pay tax on the full amount if you get your subbies to invoice you for their £150 (which they should anyway). You can set their invoice against your tax.

[NWH]

He paid them in cash,do you think the subbies will want there names mentioned.

[Helen]

your joking he wants it done every six months, the blokes who done the inside said to me after, "now i've done it for £150 what did you charge?", when i told him he nearly collasped

we both messed up with that, he said he'd want 150 to do it next time cos of all the hassle he had. he reckoned it ahould've been 5-600, talk about rub salt in the wound

Yeah we've all been there one way or another, but it makes you learn fast

Lesson learnt do not pay subbies in cash, on invoice basis only
if they only accept cash, do not use them. Did you actually see their insurance details when you agreed this?
You made £81.00 so this equates to £27.00 per hour, not the best rate, but certainly not the worst around!

So lets get it right for next time....

1) are you able to do the whole job yourself and how long would it take one person to do, if only one day then £231.00 is ok. At that rate to take 1.5 days is alright

2) If you have to use a subbie again, can you not use someone different? You can then agree new terms!

3)Look for a subbie that will do it allfor perhaps £180-£190, that way you still earn against it whilst you are out earning elsewhere

[Roy Harding]

thing is that i subbed the insides out to 2 blokes and they wanted £150 cash for it

i've gotta pay tax on full 231, i'll prob end up with about 30 quid, GUTTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

any suggestions?

You won't have to pay tax on the full amount if you get your subbies to invoice you for their £150 (which they should anyway). You can set their invoice against your tax.

Thats what I was thinking, casual wages get them to invoice you.


Roy

[simon knight]

Reckon you'll struggle to get a receipt from your subbies. I think you just put this one down to experience mate.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

I wouldn't have given them the job if they aren't going to give you a receipt.  You should still be able to get a receipt as they are expecting to do the job again for £150 in six months.  Just ask them, or fill out an invoice and get them to sign it.  As bonzer said you won't have to pay tax on the £150.

Simon.

[simon knight]

There's no way they're going to give a receipt...why do you think they wanted cash in the first place?

[carl stanton]

i keep screwing up prices, and i have been doing it for 13+ years  just to soft on people and worry to much

[L.J.Thorpe]

if you sub out you always need to get an invoice but that is so easy to say afterwards i bet every one on here has made at least one big cock up like this before i know i have and more than once. out of interest what is everyones worst hourly rate on a mis quoted job mine is £52 on my first buildclean 2 yrs ago took 11hrs thats a huge £4.72 an hour (plus 30 min round trip so in reality was £4.52 and thats topline)

[windowwashers]

 my lowest ever was under £3 an hour big job under priced it big time, they must have been laughing at me.