Nico
43% of contractors at or below the break even point in their pricing. Some are good trades people but all are bad businessmen. You need to have a good business plan that includes a retirement strategy and remuneration that makes working for yourself a good deal. I know too many contractors that work for less than they earned working for someone else. If your prices are reflective of that plan then you gave the right price. The race to the lowest price is a race to poverty not independance and a comfortable retirement.
I have never seen an industry like the electrical trade where highly skilled and inteligent people constantly try to undercut themselves like we do. Very few electrical contractors work at selling more but most work to take the wire out of a house. Buy cheaper fixtures or lower quality outlets.
I once read of an electrical contractor that charged 275.00 an hour and had a personal income over 300k per year. He lost 75% of his customers and probably 80% of his headaches. He will have a very nice retirement and a few but happy customers. He is a good business man but he was not an electrician. He hired those.
The secret is get confident in your pricing and check it against your goals then stick to it.
A house can be minimally wired at 1 price and fully wired for all the contingencies and bells and whistles for 3 times as much. Which job is more likely to earn you a buck?
