opt in/out confusion

[Reccon]

That is fair enough, but that is also life. Agents are not paid to indulge contractors by being "nice" to them, they are paid to put bums on seats. Some rare agents are very good at indulging contractors and putting bums on seats. OK it pays to treat contractors professionally (rather than being nice), some do and some do not. The key though for contractors is to understand these harsh realities and use them to their own advantage without getting too bitter and twisted.

As for opting in or out, my own agency does not give a fig what a contractor chooses to do. I am not quite sure why an agent should necessarily be forthcoming about his margin, after all it is the client who is paying for it, not the contractor. In my case I am only ever forthcoming about my margin if it is very low and the contractor/client needs (in my opinion) to realise that I in a tense negotiation I am not profiteering excessivly.

If on the other hand a contractor asks what my margin is I will tell them.

Couldn't agree more mate - I am always more than happy to disclose the margin i am working at - at the end of the day if the contractor is happy with his / her rate and the client is happy with the end charge rate then what difference does it make how much is inbetween!

*Preparing myself for a barrage of "your taking more money from the contractor!"

[The Lone Gunman]

Couldn't agree more mate - I am always more than happy to disclose the margin i am working at - at the end of the day if the contractor is happy with his / her rate and the client is happy with the end charge rate then what difference does it make how much is inbetween!

*Preparing myself for a barrage of "your taking more money from the contractor!"

I dont mind that. I usualy ask for a rate I am happy with, but I worry that the agents mark up may price me out of the market.

I also think there is a moral point (I know this is about business) that the person doing all the work should be getting the money, you do hear stories of agents taking the piss.

What I would realy like is an agent who works similar to a football agent, one who does not have a contract with the client, but arranges for me to have a direct contract and I pay MY agent a percentage of my income as a consequence of that relationship.
The contract between me and my agent will be that he will find me work. Nothing more.
Anybody want to be my Mr 10% or what ever?

[Reccon]

thats a fair point - i and dodgy and i am sure many others know where to draw the line. I know my clients and know there situations (future projects, extensions to contracts etc) and from that I know that if i charge a massive margin then the chance of being extended or moved to another project is less. I have always charged what I consider a fair margin and worked at building a relationship with a client for future business........

Thats not to say others wont just charge as much as they can!!Suppose there is good and bad agents as well as good and bad contractors and good and bad in every industry..... just keep trying till you come across one!!

[DodgyAgent]

I dont mind that. I usualy ask for a rate I am happy with, but I worry that the agents mark up may price me out of the market.

I also think there is a moral point (I know this is about business) that the person doing all the work should be getting the money, you do hear stories of agents taking the piss.

What I would realy like is an agent who works similar to a football agent, one who does not have a contract with the client, but arranges for me to have a direct contract and I pay MY agent a percentage of my income as a consequence of that relationship.
The contract between me and my agent will be that he will find me work. Nothing more.
Anybody want to be my Mr 10% or what ever?

Two things here. You dont seem to understand that 90% of what an agent does actually yields no fees whatsoever.. who pays the agent for the fruitless running around?. When you say that you actually do the work, you completely misunderstand the dynamic of how contractors find their jobs. "Your" margin goes to pay the agencies for a lot of the work that does not yield fees. This is why it appears that agencies do little for their margin.

Secondly football agents have sole ownership of their client. Their client cannot go elsewhere for his work. Also employers can ONLY access that particular footballer through one agent. This of course renders the concept of prefeerred suppliers irrelevant.

The two relationships are so far apart that they do not bare any comparison whatsoever.

[The Lone Gunman]

Two things here. You dont seem to understand that 90% of what an agent does actually yields no fees whatsoever.. who pays the agent for the fruitless running around?. When you say that you actually do the work, you completely misunderstand the dynamic of how contractors find their jobs. "Your" margin goes to pay the agencies for a lot of the work that does not yield fees. This is why it appears that agencies do little for their margin.

Secondly football agents have sole ownership of their client. Their client cannot go elsewhere for his work. Also employers can ONLY access that particular footballer through one agent. This of course renders the concept of prefeerred suppliers irrelevant.

The two relationships are so far apart that they do not bare any comparison whatsoever.

It is not that I dont understand Dodgy. It is that I have a different viewpoint.
I look at it that if there were no agents then I would still find work, the client would still need me.
If there were no contractors or no clients then there would be no agents. The dynamic of how I find a job has been invented by agents for agents.
I dont care about all your unproductive running around, your inneficiancy or lack of ability should not be my problem.
I see your job as receiving a requirement from a client, advertising said requirement and submitting the responses to the client. Thats all. I also see you as a factoring agent for money although most agents dont pay till the client does so no factoring there.

I dont see why IT agents cant be like football agents. For a good agent I would cut an exclusive deal. If they were any good and had a good stable they would keep their prefered supplier status. Just imagine if you had the top 100 contractors in any given field on your books.

[insight14]

I also see you as a factoring agent for money although most agents dont pay till the client does so no factoring there.

Really? Thats not been my experience. Paying you before the client pays them is probably the biggest selling point you could make for having an agent in the relationship.

[The Lone Gunman]

Really? Thats not been my experience. Paying you before the client pays them is probably the biggest selling point you could make for having an agent in the relationship.

Sorry, was thinking of something else. Agents generaly do offer factoring services.