Mark could you repost Aline's list here thanks. I don't know how to host a word doc if it was a jpg i could host it with ECN but that isn't the Case

Doug, Here you go as a "single line diagram"
(Copy & Paste word docs)


Building Rent/Lease
Dispatcher
Property Taxes
Management Training
Office Training
Tangible Taxes
In-House Training
Building Insurance
Tech Training
Mfg. Training
Telephones
Training Equipment
Vehicle Maintenance
Travel
Utilities
Vehicles
Loans
Subscriptions
Inspections
Liability Insurance
Employee Insurance
Truck Racks
Toll Calls
Bonds
Pagers/Cell Phones
Ladders
Trips to Supply House
Safety Equipment
Radios
Licenses
Computer Maint.
Law Suits
Radio Maintenance
Printing
Software
Office Equipment
Vacation Pay
Copy Machine
Forms
Life Insurance
Holiday Pay
Uniforms
Accounting
Business Insurance
Workers Comp.
Trade Association
Wages
Salaries
Advertising
Tax Preparation
Stationary
Theft
Memberships
Fuel
Interest
Marketing
Pay Roll Taxes
Uncollected Money
Unbillable Hours
Commissions
Call Backs
Unemployment
30+ Day Receivables
Safety Training
Bonuses
Shortages
Equipment
Bad Checks
Inventory
Delivery
Christmas Party
Test Equipment
Dues
Replacement Parts
Parts Storage
Damages
Material Purchases
Tool Replacement
Truck Signs
Warehouse Space
Files
Company Tools
Bank Charges
Building Maintenance
Legal
Computers
Trash Removal
Incentives
Postage
Credit Card Sales
Drug Testing
Office Supplies
Uniform Maintenance
Retirement Plan
Retainers
Grounds Maintenance




[This message has been edited by electure (edited 12-29-2005).]

The Christmas Party is considered overhead?

This was the first year I had a Christmas party for employees. Yup My accountant says its overhead.

It sure is, part of your business expense, but even with that long list some hidden overhead costs were missed, like non-billed hours, cost to re-schedule or cancel jobs, re-staging costs, inventory tracking, truck stocking, and all those little things we tend to forget.

Do you guys actually track to that level of detail?? The way I have been attempting to set up my costs is very similar to this http://www.masterplumbers.com/utilities/costcalc/ link. Figure it in billable to nonbillable. Productive vs nonproductive. Productive is any labor and costs directly associated with that labor that can get allocated to billable time (T&M) or costed time (bid and contract work)I.E.:
wage
tax
work comp
liabilty if based on wage exposure
benifits

Then nonproductive would be all costs not directly associated with actual install whether bid or T&M. I.E.:
phones
vans
auto ins.
rent/mort
vacation & paid holiday
bonus
maintenance
tools
"free" estimates
bidding
owner's time
office
accountant

Figure how many billable hours you are likely to work throughout the year. For me I like to figure at least 1-1.5 hours per day per man nonproductive for stocking the truck, drive time etc. Then as the owner I am shooting for 24 hours productive billable time in the field per week and the rest administartive, meeting, selling etc. But all the productive billable hours have to cover all those overhead expenses plus the extra salary I need to live. I can't live off 24 hours a week. Take your total overhead and divide by billable hours. That is how much per hour over what wages cost you, that you need to charge to break even. Then add profit for growth (all healthy things grow)and you have your hourly rate.

I modified that calculator in a spreadsheet and it can be fun to play with the numbers. See how many more hours I have to work per week if an employee misses a day per week just to make for overhead. also to see how profit suffers if I only bill in 8 hours a week.

LK,

I still have your actuals report excel spreadsheet. In fact I took most of the format and modified a little to use it in a simpler (not necessarily better) way. I would love to see your system first hand.

now these other details like job conditions.... are these notes you put down at the bottom or do assign a dollar value to them in a report??

If you ever decide to put "A day at the Mill" on Ebay, I just might have put in a bid and take a fly out to NJ.

One expense that I seem to get a lot of is defective materials (breakers that don't work, etc). Then I have to run to wholesaler to get another one if I don't have it stocked in van. And while the wholesaler covers the cost of the defective goods, they don't cover the cost of troubleshooting and/or taking the time to get a replacement.

Just gonna bump this list.