I don't mean any disrespect, either... since I know a lot of people here have to hire people to care for loved ones while we're out --- but I can tell you that nothing loses me ( and those companies) faster than when professionals start complaining about having to pay a babysitter. It's not anybody's concern that you need to pay a babysitter or that you missed out on time with your family.
If you're going to try to make a point, leave the personal stuff out. If you have expenses involved with taking a job, then those are just that -- your expenses.
Never, ever just accept "their" travel and print" fees... you have to set that fee yourself, and it should be enough to cover the expenses, time and profit margin involved for the time you were out. You don't have to justify those fees to anyone but yourself.
Personally? If somebody doesn't show... I charge travel, print and wait fees. So let's say I traveled 30 minutes... for me that's probably going to be a 25-35 mile radius for which I charge about $40-50. Then the print fee ($25-$30) and $1 per minute that I waited on site, after 15 minutes. Oh, and late documents? If they are not to me within 4 hours of the appointment? That's an additional $50.00 fee. No, I'm not kidding. I, too, have certain obligations and my 4-hour window is essential for me to be able to do my job properly. There's no way I would have lost a dime on that appointment if it were me... because I would have made sure they knew my terms before I ever left.
Again, I'm not trying to upset anyone with anyone needing to hire at-home help. It's just that when you start complaining about it like that, you start to put yourself in a category where these companies think less of you... and they will assume that you are not a dedicated professional, despite your protestations otherwise. If you act like a frazzled mom upset about having to hire a sitter... then they're going to treat you like one because they're going to assume you're a SAHM who does notary work on the side for fun money. You don't want to give them any more fuel to think of you as anything less than what your are -- a professional independent contractor providing a service to them who deserves to be paid for her time and effort.
If these companies want to continue lowering their fees... they can do whatever they they want as far as I'm concerned. I have my fees and I don't deny that I'm expensive. But I guarantee fast, quality work. The companies who know that and respect that are the ones that call me, respect my time and pay me what I'm worth. I'm not interested is $65 price wars - primarily because it's just totally off my radar. |
