• Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
  • Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!

Rates

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #31
    I do think that depending on your particular skill and demand there is an opportunity to get higher rates by simply asking for them.

    I didn't know what rate to ask for when I left my permie job so starting around £300-400 seemed about right. Over time I've simply increased my rate a) because I can and b) because I think my experience makes me worth the higher rate.

    I do have the luxury of having almost all of my clients approach me (either via my website or leads from other developers) and I've only ever done two projects through an agency in the 6 years I've been running my business, one of which was only because I wasn't on my client's preferred supplier list. Most of my clients aren't big enough to have PSLs though.

    Upping my rate hasn't reduced the amount of work I get, but I'd say it has lead to better contracts overall. It also gives me a bit of room to negotiate on rate although I'm pretty firm on it. I did experiment with advertising my rate on my website for a while with mixed results - I got fewer enquiries but the ones I did get tended to be higher quality leads. Fewer "I've got an idea for a great new social networking app but I've only got £10k to spend" type emails. I've reverted to not publishing my rate as I prefer to discuss rates and billing after initial contact now.

    Now I'm living a 1 hour train journey away from central London, I'm also trying out charging a £25/day premium on my standard rate for on-site work. It doesn't completely cover my travel and subsistence costs but it roughly covers the additional cost since I moved outside of the M25. I work from home about 80% of the time anyway and I'm hoping it will result in fewer wasted days spent on-site sitting at a desk doing the same job I could be doing from home without the pointless 2 hour commute and extra expense.

    In short, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss fool's claims as bollocks, I think he/she might just be fortunate enough to work in a sector or have a skill set that is in high demand and was therefore able to chance asking for a higher rate and getting it. Obviously I can't comment on the wider IT contracting market as I only work in a small area of it and I'm not a bum on seat type of contractor doing gigs for big businesses/banks etc. where the market is probably different to mine.

    Comment


      #32
      Originally posted by TheCyclingProgrammer View Post
      I do think that depending on your particular skill and demand there is an opportunity to get higher rates by simply asking for them.

      I didn't know what rate to ask for when I left my permie job so starting around £300-400 seemed about right. Over time I've simply increased my rate a) because I can and b) because I think my experience makes me worth the higher rate.

      I do have the luxury of having almost all of my clients approach me (either via my website or leads from other developers) and I've only ever done two projects through an agency in the 6 years I've been running my business, one of which was only because I wasn't on my client's preferred supplier list. Most of my clients aren't big enough to have PSLs though.

      Upping my rate hasn't reduced the amount of work I get, but I'd say it has lead to better contracts overall. It also gives me a bit of room to negotiate on rate although I'm pretty firm on it. I did experiment with advertising my rate on my website for a while with mixed results - I got fewer enquiries but the ones I did get tended to be higher quality leads. Fewer "I've got an idea for a great new social networking app but I've only got £10k to spend" type emails. I've reverted to not publishing my rate as I prefer to discuss rates and billing after initial contact now.

      Now I'm living a 1 hour train journey away from central London, I'm also trying out charging a £25/day premium on my standard rate for on-site work. It doesn't completely cover my travel and subsistence costs but it roughly covers the additional cost since I moved outside of the M25. I work from home about 80% of the time anyway and I'm hoping it will result in fewer wasted days spent on-site sitting at a desk doing the same job I could be doing from home without the pointless 2 hour commute and extra expense.

      In short, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss fool's claims as bollocks, I think he/she might just be fortunate enough to work in a sector or have a skill set that is in high demand and was therefore able to chance asking for a higher rate and getting it. Obviously I can't comment on the wider IT contracting market as I only work in a small area of it and I'm not a bum on seat type of contractor doing gigs for big businesses/banks etc. where the market is probably different to mine.
      FWIW I wasn't dismissing it I just wondered what it was. It true contractor style I say good on him. He's obviously found a market for his skills and people who are prepared to pay for them.
      Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

      I preferred version 1!

      Comment


        #33
        I managed to more than double my day rate in the space of 2 gigs via contract extensions. The scope of the work I was doing was shifting, and taking on more responsibility. I was basically under selling myself at first, my value was noticed and when it came to extension time I set my stall out.

        I don't think i'd do it again like that, but thats because I would make sure my starting position was better!

        Comment


          #34
          Originally posted by Danglekt View Post
          I managed to more than double my day rate in the space of 2 gigs via contract extensions. The scope of the work I was doing was shifting, and taking on more responsibility. I was basically under selling myself at first, my value was noticed and when it came to extension time I set my stall out.

          I don't think i'd do it again like that, but thats because I would make sure my starting position was better!
          So you were a disguised permie? I'm guessing you declared yourself inside IR35 for those gigs?

          Comment


            #35
            Nope, the scope of the gig changed, I was originally in to develop project plans and the governance framework for a client, at the end of the gig when I'd delivered all the contracted objectives they realised they needed additional expertise to actually programme manage the delivery of the plan that I'd developed.

            I rescoped the support my company was providing, upping my day rate in the process to reflect the more complex contracted support they needed, and they chose for the sake of time to work with my company.

            There was no control, I worked from home when I liked, went about what needed to be done as I saw fit and subbed in other people for me on a number of occasions - so no - not inside IR35.

            When I used the phrase responsibility increasing, I mean I was supporting a broader portfolio to deliver against, not embedded seniority.

            Comment


              #36
              It is a bit depressing for new contractors like me to know that 15 years ago the rates were almost identical to the ones I'm getting now. That is an impressive amount of money back then!!
              It doesn't look as a promising future...

              Comment


                #37
                Originally posted by AnotherGuy View Post
                It is a bit depressing for new contractors like me to know that 15 years ago the rates were almost identical to the ones I'm getting now. That is an impressive amount of money back then!!
                It doesn't look as a promising future...
                Good old globalisation, outsourcing, inshoring and mass immigration took care of that!
                http://www.dotas-scandal.org LCAG Join Us

                Comment


                  #38
                  Originally posted by AnotherGuy View Post
                  It is a bit depressing for new contractors like me to know that 15 years ago the rates were almost identical to the ones I'm getting now. That is an impressive amount of money back then!!
                  It doesn't look as a promising future...
                  Hmm, yes and no I'd say, due to different market conditions and there's been a bit of a recession in between. But equally I don't think permie salaries are really much better, I was contracting in a firm in 1994 where the developers were grossing around 32k, I doubt it's much more than that now.

                  The future will be okay

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Originally posted by AnotherGuy View Post
                    It is a bit depressing for new contractors like me to know that 15 years ago the rates were almost identical to the ones I'm getting now. That is an impressive amount of money back then!!
                    It doesn't look as a promising future...
                    Not promising?? A lot of experienced contractors around here are thinking about moving into permiedom.

                    So thanks a lot for dumping those good paying permie jobs to let us lot jump into them. [emoji3]
                    "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
                    - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Originally posted by cojak View Post
                      Not promising?? A lot of experienced contractors around here are thinking about moving into permiedom.

                      So thanks a lot for dumping those good paying permie jobs to let us lot jump into them. [emoji3]
                      Not promising must be the understatement of the year. Its potentially only 6 months left and then the party is over. Oh well, it was fun as long as it lasted.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X