2004-12-07 - 2:28 a.m.
Even if it fake it's brilliant.
Add The Be Good Tanyas to your list of groups you really should give a listen too.
I spent all day writing up my bid for an enormous cabinet job, it�s not really even a bid since I�ve pretty much got the deal already, but they do want to know how much this will cost.
I can�t think of anything in the world harder than pricing your own work correctly. 1stt of all it is just about impossible to find out what other people in your league are charging, it�s like some unspoken rule, you just don�t ask. There are a couple of woodworking forums that I subscribe to, and I�ve gotten a bit of help there.
People like to come up with all kinds of formulas and things of that nature, but when you are staring at a blank line on a page that ends in �Labor� and you have to decide what to write in there, formulas just don�t make sense anymore. Materials are easy, cost + tax = price. Sometimes with a delivery fee. Labor? Well let�s see, I�m pretty sure it will take me about this long to build this cabinet, (if nothing goes wrong) I�ve built similar cabinets and I know how long that took me, but did it take me that long because I didn�t know what I was doing and now I can do it in half the time? If I do get it done in half the time I think it will take, should I refund the money? I don�t usually charge extra when it takes longer than expected�
The worst is when you really sweat a bid because it seem really high to you (and remember the only way to make it lower is to cut your labor cost) Only to have the customer accept the bid immediately, and happily write you out a check. You walk away from those wondering �did I just turn in the lowest bid?� Ideally you want them to look at it with deep consideration, then say let me get back to you, and then a day or so later say, �It�s a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I�m impressed enough with your work that I�ve decided to accept your bid.� I call that the perfect bid. (it�s never happened to me by the way)
I know the answers to all these questions, but I still think about them every time I make out a estimate.
I know a lot of woodworks that hate this part of it as much as I do. Most of us wish we could just build the stuff, and have someone else handle the money end of things.
Just another part of working for yourself.
Justus
