Valuing ourselves

[Fenton Murray]

I hope you work 30 billable hours a week if you're working full time; that's $1950
Guys,
Something to consider. I don't think it a stretch to say we work 1 hour of unbilled time for each hour billed. Driving, scheduling, book keeping, ect. So 30 hours billed can mean a 60 hour week. Then, half our pay goes for retirement, insurance, vacation, sick leave, advertising, supplies, ect. My point is our pay is divided in half then in half again when compared to a employee with out those obligations. So, for us to have the same income as say a factory worker, we need 4 time the hourly pay. Their $25. per hour is equal to our $100. per hour. Do you keep 25% of your pay, I know I don't.
Fenton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Andersen 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:12 PM
  Subject: Re: Valuing ourselves


  Thanks, bud, for your reasoned reply...I'm just thinkin'....are you tuning pianos for less than $100? Hope not. Anyway, let's say you do four appointments a day, and each appointment averages $125, with pitch raises, little tweaks and whatnot. That's $500. Times four days a week equals $2000. Or---3 pianos a day @ $125=$375. Times a five-day workweek is $1875. Plus one tuning on Saturday
  makes a cool two grand. Is that way, way far off? Or---look at it another way. What's your hourly rate? I hope it's at least $65 an hour, and I hope you work 30 billable hours a week if you're working full time; that's $1950. Are those numbers too high for your area? What does the highest priced guy in your area get for a tuning and for an hourly rate? 
    Hey man, I still love ya and all. 
  Right back at ya, bubba.

    Don't think I'm mad atcha just 'cause I disagree. You gotta remember ... we're on the right coast and all. It's different. Cost of living is way different too.
  Completely understood; I'd love a correction if my figures are way off.



  Real life example and I'll quit. I just got back from my dentist to have a cavity filled. Cost was $58.00. Now, my dentist is on the low end, but a high end price might be a bit less than $100.00. What's it cost out your way? 
  For amalgam (mercury)---the cheapest---it's around $125.00 at a good dentist; for composite, which is not deadly poison---what a concept---and is actually chemically and electromagnetically neutral, which biological dentists think is crucial, is $175-200.
  Jus' tran ta heyup, y'all.....
  DA




  On Feb 13, 2008, at 10:03 AM, John Formsma wrote:


    On Feb 13, 2008 10:14 AM, David Andersen <david at davidandersenpianos.com> wrote:

      I've been an acolyte of Ed Foote in the business realm for about 10 years because he KNOWS what he's worth, and raises his rates EVERY SINGLE TIME he needs to, usually every 18 months. He's been in the top 1/2 of 1% of earners in this craft for 30 years.


    Agreed. He gives out top-notch advice about business pricing and business growth.


      GO TO THE HIGH END AND STAY THERE. Really. Quit bitching and complaining about competition and taxes and driving and cheap clients, and not enough money to go to conventions. If you're a highly trained, honest, professional craftsperson and you're not making $2,000 a week, it's you---you have a diminished perception of yourself and your worth, and other people are picking up on and responding to that.


    Disagree somewhat, David. I know it might be hard for you to imagine ... living in beautiful Cali and all ... but there are other places that are way different than California. <grin> And it's different when you live in a big city.


    Here in rural Mississippi, I think it would be quite difficult for a local piano tech to make that kind of money. Yes, it's possible. But who would want to work that much to earn that kind of money? A person would need to work 6+ days a week, and long hours every day to consistently earn that amount. There is so much more to life than money anyway. To me, it's just not worth that much input to get that much output.


      End of mad soliloquy. Out of breath. Must.....rest........





    -- 
    JF

    www.formsma.blogspot.com

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