I’m a plumber by training. I had very little experience in construction and renovation work when I started as a handyman. I’m a homeowner and I’ve worked on my own house and have a lifelong passion for tinkering, but that’s about it. Switching felt quite intimidating for multiple reasons, and a major one was that exact worry that “what if I don’t know how to do something?”
But the internet is full of information. You figure it out once and then you get slightly better each time you do it. Nothing I do (besides plumbing) is critical in the sense that if I mess something up I can’t just fix it or do it again. You start learning really fast once you actually start. I’ve had extremely satisfied customers and the business has been profitable since the first month. It took me about a year to build the customer base that now keeps me pretty much fully employed all the time.
I also took a pay cut when I went self-employed, and it was 100% worth it. I highly recommend giving it a shot if you truly feel like it’s something you’d be into. The trades are full of toxic people with bad attitudes. It’s so easy to stand out in a good way by just being a nice, honest person who does good work and isn’t greedy. Someone who does it just for money has to work twice as hard compared to someone who has a passion for it.
It’s funny you mention the Internet in that way because it’s literally why I got a smartphone in the first place. I started with HVAC and wanted the ability to look up stuff I wasn’t sure about, but hated being on call all the time and not having a schedule so I stopped doing it. As far as the attitude goes, I noticed that in my short time doing HVAC as well. I ended up being the preferred tech people would request because of how I treat people, so that could transfer pretty well.
In regards to “being greedy” how do you determine your pricing? I’ve never known how to value my time in that way. I feel like I’d be too nice and severely undercharge for everything lol
I charge 60€/hr for plumbing and 50€/hr for everything else. VAT included.
I looked at what others in similar fields are charging, but really I just pulled those numbers out of my ass. I can always adjust my prices later. I went with what felt right.
When it comes to greed, I wasn’t so much referring to the hourly rate but rather all the extra stuff people like to pile onto the invoice. If you say you charge 50€/hr but then add travel fees, starting prices, profit on supplies and all that, it tends to leave a bad taste even if it’s not that much money. It makes people feel tricked.
Sure, many of those things I could charge for, but I don’t want to. My hourly rate is set so I don’t need to sneak in additional expenses. I genuinely try to be fair and offer the kind of service I’d want to use myself but in the end I’m honestly just winging it. Self-employment doesn’t run in the family, so I have no one to model after - I’m just going off vibes.
I’m a plumber by training. I had very little experience in construction and renovation work when I started as a handyman. I’m a homeowner and I’ve worked on my own house and have a lifelong passion for tinkering, but that’s about it. Switching felt quite intimidating for multiple reasons, and a major one was that exact worry that “what if I don’t know how to do something?”
But the internet is full of information. You figure it out once and then you get slightly better each time you do it. Nothing I do (besides plumbing) is critical in the sense that if I mess something up I can’t just fix it or do it again. You start learning really fast once you actually start. I’ve had extremely satisfied customers and the business has been profitable since the first month. It took me about a year to build the customer base that now keeps me pretty much fully employed all the time.
I also took a pay cut when I went self-employed, and it was 100% worth it. I highly recommend giving it a shot if you truly feel like it’s something you’d be into. The trades are full of toxic people with bad attitudes. It’s so easy to stand out in a good way by just being a nice, honest person who does good work and isn’t greedy. Someone who does it just for money has to work twice as hard compared to someone who has a passion for it.
It’s funny you mention the Internet in that way because it’s literally why I got a smartphone in the first place. I started with HVAC and wanted the ability to look up stuff I wasn’t sure about, but hated being on call all the time and not having a schedule so I stopped doing it. As far as the attitude goes, I noticed that in my short time doing HVAC as well. I ended up being the preferred tech people would request because of how I treat people, so that could transfer pretty well.
In regards to “being greedy” how do you determine your pricing? I’ve never known how to value my time in that way. I feel like I’d be too nice and severely undercharge for everything lol
I charge 60€/hr for plumbing and 50€/hr for everything else. VAT included.
I looked at what others in similar fields are charging, but really I just pulled those numbers out of my ass. I can always adjust my prices later. I went with what felt right.
When it comes to greed, I wasn’t so much referring to the hourly rate but rather all the extra stuff people like to pile onto the invoice. If you say you charge 50€/hr but then add travel fees, starting prices, profit on supplies and all that, it tends to leave a bad taste even if it’s not that much money. It makes people feel tricked.
Sure, many of those things I could charge for, but I don’t want to. My hourly rate is set so I don’t need to sneak in additional expenses. I genuinely try to be fair and offer the kind of service I’d want to use myself but in the end I’m honestly just winging it. Self-employment doesn’t run in the family, so I have no one to model after - I’m just going off vibes.
Thanks for the info! I appreciate the insight
Yep money is nice, but a peaceful mostly stress free life where you have control over how much or how little you go to work is worth a lot.