Rate cut

[AtW]

Apparantly this Indian supplier gets people for half the cost my old agency supplies at.

half the price

[_V_]

half the price

Plenty quickness.

[Moscow Mule]

money-grabbing and mercenary,

Ever worked for HBOS? In a town hall meeting a couple of years ago, Martin (REDACTED) welcomed all the permies to the room, then greeted the "money-grabbing mercenary scum".

It was the first time I'd ever heard the phrase, but it seems to be coming up a lot more recently...

[Jubber]

Plenty quickness.

There are "ten of 'em living in a one bed flat opposite the office" apparantly.

*please note the quotation marks

[d000hg]

Some of you are thinking like permies. You run a business, it's supply and demand, you take the rough with the smooth.
In my contracting career I was never slow in reducing rates myself in slow periods to keep working. The point about contracting is not your rate, but to avoid the bench and keep working - that's how you build up your stash.

I'm surprised I have to make this post.

I agree. Refusing to reduce rates smacks of pride to me. Just because someone was willing to pay you £400/day once doesn't mean you are worth £400/day.
Companies are having to cut costs and reduce prices to get custom, why shouldn't contractors think the same way?

[_V_]

I agree. Refusing to reduce rates smacks of pride to me. Just because someone was willing to pay you £400/day once doesn't mean you are worth £400/day.
Companies are having to cut costs and reduce prices to get custom, why shouldn't contractors think the same way?

No problem with that AS LONG AS they see nothing wrong with me demanding a 20% rate increase mid-contract during a boom when their profits are good, without thinking for a minute that this is not a business like way to act.

I think you'll find your average client doesn't like it when the glove is on the other foot.

[Jubber]

I agree. Refusing to reduce rates smacks of pride to me. Just because someone was willing to pay you £400/day once doesn't mean you are worth £400/day.
Companies are having to cut costs and reduce prices to get custom, why shouldn't contractors think the same way?

Yep - if I want work I have to adjust. I always have done. I've mentioned it before but the best rate I was ever on was back in the Telecom boom. If I expected that rate for evermore I would be on the bench for a long long time.

Onwards !!

[AtW]

they see nothing wrong with me demanding a 20% rate increase

Companies don't increase prices during boom time (at least not that visibly) - effectively the way it works is that during boom you get normal price and good sales, but during bad times you have to cut costs and prices - those prices then get fixed until next bust.

[_V_]

Companies don't increase prices during boom time (at least not that visibly) - effectively the way it works is that during boom you get normal price and good sales, but during bad times you have to cut costs and prices - those prices then get fixed until next bust.

Hence most contractors are on less now that they were 10 yrs ago.

(Except SallyAnne for some reason)

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I love the way, that during a boom time for IT Contractors, anyone daring to put up their rates mid-contract is deemed unprofessional, money-grabbing and mercenary, but during a downturn, it is good business sense and ethical for clients to slash rates mid contract.

Michael Moore makes this point - funny how top managers get richer and everyone else gets shafted