In article ,
Owain wrote:
Lobster wrote:
Do electricians command 300+ quid a day? Wow.

That's only £37 an hour, assuming an 8-hour day. Which of course does
not take into account -

- most electricians can't bill 8 hours a day, 5 days a week
- several weeks holiday a year
- time lost due to illness or accident
- time lost due to delayed other works on a project
- time lost going to the wholesalers for materials
- someone has to be paid (even if it's the opportunity cost of the wife
staying at home) to answer the phone and take messages
- someone has to be paid (even if ditto) to make up the bills, chase
payments, pay suppliers accounts, keep the books, send in the tax returns
- the van, telephone line, any advertising, has to be paid for every
week regardless of work done
- so does the public liability insurance, employee insurance if he has a
mate, national insurance contributions, insurance on the van, tools and
materials
- so does the pension, and if the wife isn't working, so does her pension

An employed electrician or plumber is probably on about £16 an hour
gross + bonuses. After all the business expenses above are taking into
account, the self-employed sparkie is probably on no more, possibly less.

Hmm. I'm a self employed sound engineer working in the 'glamour' world of
TV. And none I know of that I work with on the production crew - including
the director - get 37 quid an hour, labour only. And we all have the same
expenses as above as self employed.

Of course if you bring tools and transport into the equation I'm willing
to think that your figures are more meaningful. I charge extra for those.

But the sort of kit I'd need for even a minor TV shoot will cost about
20,000 quid without vehicle.

--
*If God dropped acid, would he see people?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.