Reply to: Ask for a bit more whilst being referenced and sc'd

[threaded]

Hi there fellow contractor's as a low level contractor I am starting work on a gov't contract, my friend who is currently working there is going through the same IT agency turns out he is almost 100pound ...

So what have you decided to do?

[threaded]

And a little bird tells me...

Oh, and what a coincidence: a little birdy (actually two) phoned me up yesterday evening and told me there's a big new project in the offing just off the A40 junction with the M5, and they're more than desperate for 75+ warm bodies.

Further more, apparently they've recently suffered severe attrition due to the HMRC slamming a good few contractors over the IR35 unfriendly contracts, so they've walked.

You often wonder whose side those monkeys at the HMRC are on (actually I think there're a good few at the HMRC that ought to be the ones getting a good probing, and that's not just my opinion). Whatever happened to the Welsh twins, did they retire or something?

threaded in "donuts" mode

[BrowneIssue]

AFAIK, catalist companies are on fixed margins.

That's what the client has always told me (as well as the agency).

The agency saying they take a fixed percentage and the agency actually taking a fixed percentage are two different things.

There have been stories over the years of contractors finding out the actual margin is wildly different...

[TheFaQQer]

Are you sure it is "fixed margin" and not "margin cap"?

AFAIK, catalist companies are on fixed margins.

That's what the client has always told me (as well as the agency).

[threaded]

All the SC roles that I've worked in have been on a fixed margin basis to the client, so there's no scope for getting more money from the agency.

Are you sure it is "fixed margin" and not "margin cap"?

[TheFaQQer]

All the SC roles that I've worked in have been on a fixed margin basis to the client, so there's no scope for getting more money from the agency.

You agreed the rate, you should stick to it at least until you can prove that you might actually be worth paying the agreed rate, never mind an inflated one.

[Board Game Geek]

you and your fellow 'contractors' (and I use the term loosely here) need to grow a pair...

I'd love to, but we've all seen what happened to the last 2 who decided to grow a pair...they got them chopped off.

[threaded]

The market does not set the prices. How much the client needs you sets the prices. I have to agree with thunderlizard - you and your fellow 'contractors' (and I use the term loosely here) need to grow a pair...

Agree with that, for SC'ed and especially DV'ed roles the pool isn't that large, and getting smaller, and if it weren't for the clients insisting on seeing markups the agents would be gouging even more than they currently do. I reckon agencies average 10-12% over their normal markup for secure roles. And for what? There's actually less work involved! So, I'd suggest that the contractor taking this position is only chopping off a little more of the fat for themself.

[ratewhore]

I'll have to disagree with that one.

The market sets the prices, and there is always someone willing to do the job cheaper.

The market does not set the prices. How much the client needs you sets the prices. I have to agree with thunderlizard - you and your fellow 'contractors' (and I use the term loosely here) need to grow a pair...

[Board Game Geek]

You're the supplier, you set the prices

I'll have to disagree with that one.

The market sets the prices, and there is always someone willing to do the job cheaper.

Eg, the 1st line support teams got all angtsy about a year ago on their daily rate. They were semi-technical staff. So the whole lot were "replaced" with "phone answerers" on half the daily rate of the original 1st line staff.

The last 2 contractors who asked about having a rate rise, since in the last 3 years, it has got more expensive to live, whereas our rate hasn't moved were told "There is the fecking door. Someone else will easily walk in the other way at your rate less 25%".

The trouble is. They are right.

[trsisko]

hello all thankyou for your responce's so far.....



Sorry when I am asking for a rate rise I am assuming that the IT agency is getting like 500-700pounds a day and i get my cut out of it, so I think its damn right out of order if tehy are making a mint out of me, I dont want to get money out of the client which i deam to be the bluechip company running the gov't department.

I would not risk that by all means, but honestly i just got this feeling about them that they have already screwed my mate out of almost 100pounds but yet I could get atleast 40-50pounds more a day.


I am going to ask and make a demand in a professional manner,

Good Evening

[oracleslave]

IHarare hooker.

Is that what you spend your millions of (zim) dollars on

[thunderlizard]

I don't know who I disagree with more here. Putting up the price you'd already quoted for no reason other than awkwardness might work in the short term, but your client will take an immediate dislike to you and start trying to replace you from day 1. They may be desperate, but desperate people are often unpredictable.

But no price rises in 3 years because the client "doesn't do" them? Grow some spuds man! You're the supplier, you set the prices. I bet half the contractors who look all meek and mild and supposedly keep their heads down have been secretly hiking their prices faster than a Harare hooker.

[Board Game Geek]

You may be cutting your nose off to spite you face.

Where I work, they "don't do" rate rises. Never had a rate raise in the last 3 years since I started.

A few contractors who did gently speak to the agency or the client direct have sort of "disappeared".

The rest of us keep our heads down and know what's good for us.

It pays the bills and gives some spare change for beer tokens, so it's better than the dole.

[threaded]

Think you the relationship between Master and Padawan is only to help them? Oh, this is what we let them believe, yes! But when the day comes that even old Yoda does not learn something from his students-then truly, he shall be a teacher no more.