Tradesmen salaries

[Isetech]

As we all know from the old apprenticeship days, right from the start your salary was determined by your school grade. With only a standard 8 my starting salary (R80 per month) was way lower than a person with a matric.

Until you qualified, the matric appy always earned more than the fools with std 8, even though we sat in the same class learning the same stuff and at the end doing the same tests.

It it works like that in all types of employment, if you are a manager and dont have a degree, your salary will be a lot less. A manger with a degree could be earning as much as R50 000 more than the idiot doing the same job without the degree. Let the idiot go get the piece of paper (degree) the idiot (now the smart person) even though the position is exactly the same will double if not triple their salary the day the piece of paper is handed to HR.

Because of this, many parents who dont want their kids to battle like they did earning crap salaries have burnt the midnight oil to make sure their kids get a proper education (degree), has it improved their life, for some maybe, but in reality we now sit with hundreds of thousands people with degrees and no jobs for them.

We also sit with a world wide skills shortage, because nobody want to work 12 hours shift hard physical labour jobs busting their backside off for peanuts.

The right solution would be to improve the tradies salary, make it more attractive for youngsters to have to work in the crap conditions we are expected to work in.

You have some smart person who has never sweated a day at work, sitting in an air-conditioned office all day, writing a bunch of safety regulations for an industry he has never worked in, its a joke.

[Blurock]

True, but an apprentice should understand that he's being paid while learning. A college or university student has to pay for his studies and does not earn anything. Once qualified, and a registered artisan, you can start your own business and earn more than the degreed penpusher.

It is true that people with papers earn more. I've never had the opportunity to go to university and was screwed salary wise all the time. Internal courses and achievements mean very little as your formal education is held as an excuse to pay you less than the pretender with the degrees. When I made my MBA I was given a 30% increase, only to find that I am now on par with my peers. I resigned shortly after to start my own business and have never looked back. The guy in the mirror is a hard master, but at least he is fair.

[Isetech]

The one good thing about being self employed, if you have the confidence and realize your worth the sky is the limit.

To charge R10 000 per day and get the company you doing work and they cover your your accommodation isn't that much when you are involved in projects over R10 bar and the penalties are R100 k per day that the project is not completed.

To earn that kind of money you to have a reputation for getting the job done and be doing work that requires a certain level of expertise, expecting R50 a month for doing solar installations for example which can be done by DIYer, once you have completed 2 or 3 its just the same thing over and over, hence the quotes for R20k for a complete project including labour and a COC. Its just the electrical industry that is trying to get a piece of the action, hence the push to prevent green cards installers signing of the projects. Don't tell me the elctrical industry does a better job.

I suppose the electrical is lowest paid tradies because they dont really deserve much more than they get paid, you just have to look at the standard of work. It wont take long before electricians, alarm, CCTV, electric fence, gate and solar installers will be at same level. You just have to climb in the roof of any domestic installation to see why, you cant tell the difference between the alarm, camera and elctrical wires

[Dylboy]

Finding it very difficult at the moment, well for awhile. My quotes are always beaten when quoting for a prospective client.

The ones I get is through word of mouth. They also always ask can you do better and the answer is no as then something has to give.

What I have picked up on though is that there are now sparkies with an extra team or two. So they basically quote low to get it the work and a small amount of profit but do a sort of hit and run job. So the quality is low to try maximise profit. It's a numbers game for them now so having 2 teams with as many jobs as they can take on and get done quickly.

End of the day the price is driven low, the quality is then poor as well. So when I come along saying I will be a bit longer time frame and my price is more then I get the cold shoulder.

Look painting a broad brush but it's what I am picking up on.

I don't have big jobs or big clients so I am very much a domestic spark still. Getting the big fish takes time in the industry.

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[Isetech]

Someone asked me how things are going this week,

my response, as always, "banging it, cant handle all the work"

their response, "you lucky everyone seems to be battling, the economy is terrible at the moment"

To most it is, how do I know, because sales reps are calling, and prices are dropping even though there is no change in the exchange rate, the ques are shorter at the stores, suppliers are calling for payments the day after they send the statement (the balance is low).

It cant be, people are still buying sports cars (seems to be what people who think they need to show off their richness), its the people who have been taught to do things in a specific way, with a business plan where you have to stick to the rules and do things by the same book that everyone reads, with such a massive fail rate.

I looked it the mirror this morning and wondered how the F%^& I am doing it, it certainly cant be my attitude at the moment (as I am sure you have picked up by my content, at least its always real, not content posted by a make everyone feel good team) , it cant be the way I present myself to the world ( I look like shyte, people dont take fat people seriously), so why do I have so much work?

The best thing I did for my little business was get rid of negative customers and there been a few and yes they did impact my monthly turnover. It seemed liked a really bad idea at the time, I dropped customers who were 20-50K per month regulars, did my little operation close doors, no. I adjust accordingly, something most small business haven't learnt how to do.

You want to grow a business, its not about having the best business plan, being the best sparkie or having a trust fund that daddy left me, in fact the only thing my daddy left me, was the will to get up and prove to everyone I can do anything I set my mind to do, trust my word is worth more than any piece of paper and integrity and always finish what you start, no matter the financial consequences.

Last week I lost more than R20k because I committed to something and the obstacles proved to be more than I could handle, did I loose, certainly not. maybe in the short term, but over time it will be written off in the school fees.

[Blurock]

Agreed, don't chase for business, rather retain good customers.
Do business on your terms and never compromise on your values.

[Derlyn]

Agreed, don't chase for business, rather retain good customers.
Do business on your terms and never compromise on your values.

Agree 100%.

I find at least 40% start off being good customers, but as time goes by they expect more services for less money.

That's the time when your communication skills are put to the test.

It's a delicate business that has to be done in such a way that the client is not offended in any way, but understands your position and remains a good client.

Yep, sometimes easier said than done, but those who do not understand, in my book, get dropped before they become a liability.

[Isetech]

I watched a youtube video this morning that has really changed the way I think.

Andy Elliot, in all the car sales videos I have started and never finished, he comes across as an arrogant know it all who gets in your face and quite honestly if he tried to sell me a car, I would probably cut the call.

Then this morning a completely different video of his popped up in my feed, I started watching it, waiting for that amped steroid looking side of him come out and put me off completely, it didn't, in fact I watched it to the end.


Physical - fix you body

mental -your mind will follow

business - just comes naturally.

Best advice I have heard from any influences on youtube.

Be aware he has foul mouth, there are 2 things that stand out about many of these influences, they seem to have to show off the houses, the cars and many use foul language. there is a SA influences who talks money, he sounds ridiculous when he attempts to come across as this hard ass money person, but in fact he just sounds like and idiot with a foul mouth. I would sit and watch his content if he learnt to control his mouth, he seems to have some valuable content but its just sounds like he trying to be something that he is not. One of the things this lad talks about, be who you are dont ry copy others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYnD...el=AndyElliott

What he says is absolutely true, lead by example, get up in the morning and focus on your wellbeing. IF you are fat and look like you are 30 burgers without a toilet visit and your gut hangs over your belt, wearing size 44 and XXXL shirts, dont expect people to look up to you. I am just using the weight issue because I can relate, there are factors which affect your image (book cover)

You may think you are the top dog, but in reality what people are saying behind your back might surprise you.

If you pitch up to a site meeting and look like you have just eaten the entire buffet lunch before anyone else got a chance to eat, dont expect people to look up to you, chances are they get what they need from you and dont have anything good to say about you when you leave the room. It doesnt mean you have to be a pumped steroid junky, just look after yourself and be presentable.

It is the same for customers, I talk from experience, I have been the 130 plus kg wearing size 44 pants, hanging on a cigarette you dont have much self esteem, now you want to quote for a job or pitch up to site with empty coke bottles and chip packets laying around in the vehicle, really would you choose that company?

[Isetech]

Something to think about before you quote for the next project or go to work on Monday:

How much am I worth, be it the rate I charge my customer or wages I get paid every week.

This is how I see it, what value do I add to to the company or my employer, am I an i10 charging or a Toyota 4x4

Then you need to ask yourself, am I in the right working environment, , should I be working in the low end domestic market charging upmarket rates or the other way around.

When someone tells you, you are too expensive, could it be because they are looking for an i10 not a Toyota 4x4. If you working in the bottom end of the domestic market, charging Toyota 4x4 rates, then maybe you are too expensive and need to either suck it up or move to the higher end domestic market.

If I take out a thermal imager for an industrial thermal audit, R10k is just to take the camera out the bag. Just imagine quoting R10k to scan a low end domestic property, you not going to get any work.

To quote R10k to do a thermal audit on a 15 bar domestic property is petty cash. You get the idea.

This is how I work out the rates that I charge, being a Toyota 4x4 with big wheels, flat screen on the dash, with a snorkel, canopy with side doors, with ABS, cruise control, tow hitch, bull bar, roll bars, tinted windows, aircon and just about every other accessory, doesnt mean I can charge an old lady living in a one bedroom flat for in a middle class area, R1200 per hour to replace a bulkhead. Then it would be regarded as a rip off. not because I am not worth R1200, just because the rate is not suitable for the application.

So the next time someone says you are too expensive, take a step back and look at the application, if you are competing with the man in the bakkie dropping off teams or the cardboard electricians, maybe drive further up the road and step up a notch. Trust me just because a person drives a Land Rover, doesn't mean they are not going to whine about the rate, dirty marks you didnt clean around the switch and chances are they going to ask for a discount and take longer to pay. The other small percentage of good customers who just want the job done right at a reasonable rate are being looked after by the smart electrical contractors

It works the same for a person charging R450 per hour to work in an industrial environment, chances are you not qualified or skilled, dont have the correct safety equipment, haven't had all your staff medicals done, haven't completed all the safety induction courses, dont have the correct public liability cover and all the other stuff required.

We have a bunch of private contractors doing repairs on all our roads in our area at the moment, chances are they are being paid enough money to cover all the costs required to be considered for tenders in this day and age in SA, however you can see simple things like traffic management, they have no idea, a person with a flag, no signage, in the middle of the construction site, not the ends, more worried about social media on the phone than the traffic. There is a wood box with nothing inside, not even a hole in the ground, being used as the porta loo. Which just proves any thing goes.

The same goes for your wages, dont expect top dollar if you have just qualified as a domestic electrician , have no experience in that field or like to play your phone all day and do as little as possible just to get through the day,

If you work in the solar industry and complain the completion is charging so little, you can thank the people who are offering 3 day courses to qualify as and installer. I cant see any improvement anytime soon, or ever for that matter. I still get people calling me for a COC for solar installation that their neighbor helped them with. Its quick money for jam and chances of getting caught is so slim it's worth the risk.

[Blurock]

I have learnt that there is someting that everybody wants/expects in business: Price, Service and Quality. But you can have only two!
A Cheap price often accompanies poor quality and service. You never see the fly-by-night again.
You may have good service at a reasonable price, but the quality of materials are not the best.
If you want all three, good quality, service and price, be prepared to pay for it.

Have pride in your work or product. Don't lower your standards. The people who were bitten by the fly-by-night operator or bakkie brigade will eventually come round to ask for your service. Ask for referrals and accolades to add to your reputation.