neighbor wants to pay me for setting them up, how much?

[draczka2]

how does one come up with numbers for charging someone for services? how do you charge for water, salt, testing, additives, etc...? i know myself, i started with a budget and i'm sure they will have one as well. so i don't want to over charge but on the same hand i don't want to spend all my free time for nothing. please, if anyone can point me in the right direction please do.

 

[fedukeford]

id say charge 25-50 an hour, but if you have to use your own test/additives/others charge a little more

 

[kyle102565]

i'd charge 20 bucks an hr. make them buy the misc stuff, or just add the cost of misc. to your bill. run it like a business. you never know it may turn into something.

 

[robpsca]

get an idea of what they want, tank, style fowlr, reef, fish, type of LR, LS. equipment. ad it all up and get a total. then bump it up a tad. to include your time. include enough of a buffer to include the entire set up, maint during cycle, testing, water changes and such, until the unit is complete. Be sure to do a compatibility check on the inventory of critters to ensure success of the tank.
its a job. make a "bid" on the job. present it in a professional fashion,
most of all. have fun and enjoy!
Good Luck

 

[draczka2]

sounds good. thanks for all the input. this guy is a commercial insurance specialist,and his wife works for some firm. anyway they told me that there are others interested in getting a tank. they can see my display from the street, and when it's dark out and the lights are still on it really draws your attention. i'll be going to there house at 4 pm today to go over all of this with them. hopefully i can make the opening kick-off. thanks again everyone, and i'll keep you posted on what becomes of this.

 

[robpsca]

awesome! WTG> well keep our fingers crossed for ya! YOU CAN DO IT! GRIN

 

[draczka2]

well, they got scared away from saltwater.they want a freshwater tank though. it's the first tank they will have. i tried not to be partial to saltwater cause i want them to feel good about the new tank they are going to have. the budget they have just can't support a fowlr right now, but i'm sure i ayears time they will be calling again. the wife kepted referring to the little nemos she wanted so bad.

 

[robpsca]

awe! well atleast its showing them the knowledge you have. and when their ready. theyll give u a hollar for that.
lol "nemo" is an awesome fish

 

[hattrick58]

Depends. Is she (or he) cute?

 

[murph]

The basic formula is time and material.
Then depending on what state you are in you will have to incorporate and purchase insurance. Obtain a tax exempt number. Workman's comp. insurance or exempt number and then begin filing quarterly for your federal taxes. You will also have to pay a self employment tax which will be double your normal FICA contribution since there are no matching funds from an employer. Despite this large contribution, upon retirement you should expect no more than a 1 percent return on your money provided you live to be over 90. Sounds like a wise investment to me.
The initial shakedown from the insurance companies, lawyers, state and federal authorities will be around 2500 dollars. So charge her 2500 dollars

All I can say is I am glad this country has decided to make it easier on the small business man.

I think I just answered my own question of; Why does the LFS charge so much. Probably because the primary beneficiary of his labors are not himself.
Now all we have to do is vote Hillary in to office in a couple of years, raise taxes to the level that everyone basically becomes a ward of the state. She will then redistribute everyones wealth excluding hers and her friends and that way everything will be "fair".
I think I just wondered off into rant territory

 

[draczka2]

that is very depressing, thanks alot. lol i don't think uncle sam needs to know all of my doings, do you? a little extra cash for my reef tank is a good thing. it helps to keep that warm fuzzy feeling inside. not being greedy.

 

[mystic7]

If it was me, and it was an informal thing like your situation, I'd handle it one of two ways. I'd ask what their budget is and let them know what they can get for that amount, as you did. If they didn't have a budget I would charge twice the cost. If everything together cost $975.00 I would charge $1,950.00. The LFS here has complete setups that I would guess cost about 6 grand and they charge $11,999.00 "complete" which includes installation.

 

[murph]

Of course my post was somewhat tongue in cheek and if it were my neighbor I would probably do it at cost just to have another tank to fiddle with. Of course that brings in to the picture non profit organization laws

Seriously though; consider the poor guy who is trying to do it for a living. Working with large quantities of flimsily contained water in expensive homes and businesses probably means a grand for liability insurance each year alone and thats probably with a ten thousand dollar deductible.
I forget who said it or I would give a credit but the quote went something like this.
"A government large enough to provide you with everything you need is also a government large enough to take everything you have."

 

[rhomer]

I wouldn't charge them anything above and beyond the cost of initial setup. I would do everything how I would do it. I would save where it makes sense to save and spend where it makes sense. I would enjoy doing because it's fun and setting up a new system is fun.
BUUUTTTTT, I would charge them to do the up keep and maintenance. I would charge them to come over once a week to do cleaning and water changes. You will make a whole lot more money this way. This is how satelite systems are sold, razors, cell phones, open source software, etc...
Rob

 

[cowfishrule]

i agree- charge them only what the set up cost is- do not charge for time.
see how this goes, and if they are happy, and how it fits into your own time schedule-
if they have referrals, then consider starting it up as a bidness- but for a neighbor, i wouldnt charge them anything. tell them you are thinking of starting up a business and want to build clientel.

 

[murray bmf]

If it were my neighbor (and a good one) I would let them purchase everything and I would set it up. It would not cost me anything but my time. Neighbors fall into that weird "extended family, sort of" catagory. I'm always over at my neighbors (single mom) hooking up her stereo, connecting her tv, rebooting her computer, ect. On my block everyone jokes that I'm the "rent-a-husband" but If I have to work late and my kids need to be picked up, my neighbor does it. Sort of a give and take thing. I'm not sure what to do about the upkeep/maintenance. Tough call. I would be more inclined to offer help setting it up and teaching them to maintain it or suggest they pay someone else to do it. I do not go into business efforts with neighbors (same as family members) because of the possible ramifications if they go bad. But thats just me....