What Are We Worth?

JAARONC

What Do You Guys Think? Lately I've Been Bidding Out Painting Jobs And Charging What I Think I'm Worth. About 30% Of The Time The Home Owner Says That I'm Too High And I Dont Get The Job. Do You Think That Us As Professionals Should Charge What We Are Worth Or Charge Less So The Cash Flow Is Continuous.

Floorwizard

Find the clientel that will pay for better quality.
Why lower yourself to a penny pichers demands?

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PipeGuy

In a business transaction it's the buyer that ultimately establishes the price. Like Flor said, you gotta' find buyers that will pay more.

Crawdad

30% says you're too expensive? Sounds about right to me. If nobody says no, you're working too cheap.
Crawdad

justin savage

crawdad is right, if your getting every job you bid on your to cheap!target the high end clients and get paid accordingly. justin

nadonailer

I agree - keep your prices high and cater to top end clientel.... you'll work less hours and make more $$$.

noreast05

As I mentioned somewhere before this what we do. Make more and work less. Maybe we work less because some people think we are more expensive. I tell them why we are more expensive and if they don't like it then find the guy that will stoop to that level, it's not going to be me.

Teetorbilt

You have to sell quality and service. Hammer home that you get what you pay for.

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Donedat

You have to be able to pay your bills. Not only your personal bills but your business bills. If you don't charge enough to warrant having advertisement, a phone, a cell phone, a computer, an accountant and insurance and license etc., then you might as well quit and work for someone else.

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Pearce Services

If you match the lowest bids, and work slows down for everyone(which looks somewhat likely), you will have no choice but to either lower quality, or lose money. During the early 1990s, I chose to offer the same quality (Tile Work) and still stay price competitive. This decision ultimately put me out of business. It took 10 years to get back in.
I'm sure that if I maintained my pricing structure, and only work for the right customers, I would have survived. Hard lesson learned!

hammerwhipped

I run into the same situation. If I see the client really can't afford the job and I have some down time I would be willing to lower my price by a small bit. But if the client drives a mercedes and wants a lower price that's not the type of client I want anyways. Lowering my price will probab;y pis* some people off on this site but sometimes I do it out of respect that if you this person doesn't have the money but still is making the effor of maintaining their property it's worth helping them out a bit.

AtlanticWBConst

Before anyone else replies, just realize that this is an "older" thread (Nov. 2005).

....Post away....

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