# I hate asking for the money.



## tham (Mar 12, 2012)

It's the part that sucks. I have a little job to bid. One of my mom's oldest friends. When you add up the hours it just sucks. Even at a cut rate.

This is the part I hate,
Tham


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Then do it for free...:whistling :laughing: :thumbup: :clap:


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

You mean you don't like turning in bids? That could be a problem for a contractor.

Or do you mean not doing things for free? If it is the latter, unless it is for immediate family or a guy on my crew I don't work for free.


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## Ninjaframer (May 28, 2011)

"never do something your good at for free"


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

If you worked in a factory for $10/hr, would you have a problem asking for your paycheck? It is what it is. You have to pay the rent.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

That's not entirely true, lol. Community stuff like the local VFD or non profit I'll do for free. I've done stuff for friends, they try to pay, I just tell them some beer and BBQ will be fine.

When I say friend I mean friend, not aqquantince.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

don't be apologetic when it's time to get paid:no:

i don't even know what you did but i can guarantee she could have to pay more to someone else that wouldn't do 1/2 as nice as you did

how do i know this?

i live and breathe


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## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

One of the most important aspects of successfully being in business is being comfortable talking about money.

One of the most important part of becoming comfortable talking money is being comfortable and confident with your number.

Work it out, take a deep breath and jump in. You will get there. :thumbsup:


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## Ninjaframer (May 28, 2011)

Jaws said:


> That's not entirely true, lol. Community stuff like the local VFD or non profit I'll do for free. I've done stuff for friends, they try to pay, I just tell them some beer and BBQ will be fine.
> 
> When I say friend I mean friend, not aqquantince.


I agree  I do a lot of service work with the church, VFD, etc. But if your in business you need to treat it like a business.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Jaws said:


> That's not entirely true, lol. Community stuff like the local VFD or non profit I'll do for free. I've done stuff for friends, they try to pay, I just tell them some beer and BBQ will be fine.
> 
> When I say friend I mean friend, not aqquantince.


I would like to be paid pennies on the dollar for what I have done for friends... but then again it was voluntary & most of the times paid back in spades...:thumbup:

There also have been other people I do not know that I have done favors for with out pay...

But once again, without asking, many favors have been repaid, in many ways...:thumbsup:


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

For me it depends on several things:

1) if I like the person

2) its a damn good start if they don't ask me to do it for free

3) if I have time

4) if I am trying to avoid doing free work for my wife at her house:laughing:


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Jaws said:


> For me it depends on several things:
> 
> 1) if I like the person
> 
> ...



One of the toughest people I have ever worked for....

She has an uncanny way of getting what she wants on my dime...:whistling:laughing:


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## Ninjaframer (May 28, 2011)

When working for my wife I demand to be paid up front.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Ninjaframer said:


> When working for my wife I demand to be paid up front.


In what form?....:whistling:laughing:

I can't stand working for my wife... she enforces completion dates & the liquidated damages clause to the tee...:laughing::laughing::no:


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Ninjaframer said:


> When working for my wife I demand to be paid up front.


 :whistling


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Ninjaframer said:


> When working for my wife I demand to be paid up front.


One can demand all they want....:whistling

Does it ever work???????...:laughing::laughing:


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

It can get very lonely when the wife ain't happy...


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## Ninjaframer (May 28, 2011)

griz said:


> One can demand all they want....:whistling
> 
> Does it ever work???????...:laughing::laughing:


So true  its more of a " I'll scratch your back if you scratch my...... " Well you get the idea


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## Ninjaframer (May 28, 2011)

Jaws said:


> It can get very lonely when the wife ain't happy...


Happy wife- happy life.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Jaws said:


> It can get very lonely when the wife ain't happy...


Now how the he!! would you know that?....:laughing::laughing::thumbup::whistling


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

tham said:


> It's the part that sucks. I have a little job to bid. One of my mom's oldest friends. When you add up the hours it just sucks. Even at a cut rate.
> 
> This is the part I hate,
> Tham


That is why I never ask for the money.

I state that this is how much is due me for services rendered and present the written invoice.

If they pay late I keep submitting the invoice until they pay.

Andy.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

My wife asked for a small stool. I told her I would get right on it. And she would likely see in in 2 months.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Leo G said:


> My wife asked for a small stool. I told her I would get right on it. And she would likely see in in 2 months.


How long ago was that?...:whistling:whistling


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Yesterday.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

It makes just as much sense to say a friend/customer should pay more because you are his friend as it does to say you should work for less. 

A close personal friend was my HVAC contractor for decades. He got all my work, no bid. The deal was, I made it clear, he charges me his regular rate. I was in business to make a living as was he. I would not take advantage of him because he was my friend. 

Personal stuff, we did each other favors all the time. No one ever kept track of that stuff.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

You are not asking them for money. You are asking them to pay for work you performed for them.

If you did nothing for them they that would be asking for money. All you are doing is getting compensated for your time. Don't ask, just write it all down on an invoice and hand it to them with a smile. As long as the work you did was good and what they asked why should you feel any guilt in getting compensated for your time.


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

Leo G said:


> My wife asked for a small stool. I told her I would get right on it. And i went to the bathroom with a newspaper and plastic bag.....


fixed it for ya:whistling :laughing: :no:


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## Gus Dering (Oct 14, 2008)

world llc said:


> fixed it for ya:whistling :laughing: :no:



:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

i was trying to come up with something sophisticated with ''stool'' and ''get right on it''...something cute but clever and world goes right for poop humor:whistling


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## CompleteW&D (May 28, 2011)

Can we nominate Tom to be the in house forum Jester? :jester:


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

Tom Struble said:


> i was trying to come up with something sophisticated with ''stool'' and ''get right on it''...something cute but clever and world goes right for poop humor:whistling


it was poop either way:whistling

the obvious one is to ask if his wife is a doctor....


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## FramingPro (Jan 31, 2010)

im sort of the same way.
i have a hard time asking for it. I may hint at times but ususally i am not straight up "gimme that ****"
when i price a job and reveal it to a customer im always a bit nervous about whether they will balk at it or not. but i am starting to realize that
my time is worth something and also that i should NOT feel guilty to make money in a fair way, eg. doing work


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

You mean you shouldn't feel guilty.


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

I will sometimes tell the HO that "the machine don't work without fuel", meaning give me the dough.

This week the neighbor where I'm working came over. Wants a slab poured in a garage he had built last year. I went and looked at it. Good framing job, but lousy poured foundation work.

He tells me the guy who did the foundation quoted him $2500. So I called my concrete guy, gave him the size, said I want rebar in the walls, heavy gage mesh, saw cut and sealed.

He comes back at $4700. I wrote that down and added 20%. 

Showed the numbers to the HO today. He said "geeze I didn't realize it would be so much". I simply replied "that's what it's going to cost to do a proper job".

He said "go ahead".......... See - people realy do know that it costs more to do things right. Or go ahead and hire the hack and see where you end up.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

I did some work for my wife's uncle. It was on a weekend, he cooked me a big ribeye steak and bought me lunch. He kept buggin me for what he owed. I said nothin we're good. The other day i got a wad of hundreds in the mail.:thumbup::clap::clap:


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

We should trade Inlaws Wyo.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

Didn't you spend the weekend huckin brush for the daddy-in-law.:laughing:


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## gc9 (Jul 3, 2012)

I guy from my company has the same problem and we did a project for his cousin he asked me to talk to him about the price. To be honest I understand that you might feel a bit uncomfortable but it is our job and we have to get paid for it.


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## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

FramingPro said:


> im sort of the same way.
> i have a hard time asking for it. I may hint at times but ususally i am not straight up "gimme that ****"
> when i price a job and reveal it to a customer im always a bit nervous about whether they will balk at it or not. but i am starting to realize that
> my time is worth something and also that i should NOT feel guilty to make money in a fair way, eg. doing work


 Practice, practice, practice. Read everything you can find on being sucessful. 
Become a confident collection pro. 
If you don't ask, it won't happen. People know this and will take every advantage if you let them.
Have your invoice ready, hand it to them first thing, get paid, then talk about the job. 
If you want to be paid, always talk it out in the beginning so there are no surprizes.


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## HollywoodFloors (Jun 29, 2012)

Good thread.... Its the part of the job that is most rewarding and yet can be the absolute worst!! Chasing money consumes me. The old "checks in the mail" is the best one. Yea, I have my solid contractors that say that and its in the mailbox the next day, then there's the guys every once in a while that hand that line out 2, then 3 times... they forgot, their secretary forgot, it was misplaced under a pile on their desk, blah, blah, blah....you guys know it out there. Then the chase is on! Anyway - if your work is legit, then so is gettin paid for it!! Good luck!:thumbup:


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