Hire Charges

[Ynot]

Hmmm..... ©....

Although Ynot has clarified things here (maybe the original poster should have done it in his first post :D

Maybe - but that would kill the art of conversation..... :) :D

ie get £ 100 for a job you should quote £ 200, or stay in, watch the telly and earn nothing.

However, I really do feel you've missed the point..........

The OP (Sure Paul will correct me if I'm wrong...) isn't building up a hire business. He isn't creating the kit specifically to hire it out alone.

As I see it, the intent is to make up the media server kit for use by local groups as and when it's needed, but rather than let them have the use for free (it's going to be a serious spend, to be honest) he wants to get something back to offset his outlay costs (whilst not charging users anything ridiculous). And the old adage oft-applies - if they're paying for kit, there's a pretty good chance it'll be looked after better than if it's a freebie!!

 

But haven't I already said all that...?

 

Oh yes - I have.... :s

 

In short - THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL VENTURE!!!

 

(No apologies for caps here, chaps)

[lightsource]

Aaah but Caps Lock Tony, (Sorry Ynot) (CLT, that almost makes you sound like a Radio 1 DJ :D )

Even the 'non profit' gear comes at a price, initial cost, upkeep, maintenance, repair, eventual replacement, insurance.....

 

You know what I mean.

 

Some of this should have been mentioned in the original post.

 

Not for profit, I assume also means " at the end of next year, I've covered every expense I've outlaid on the gear"

 

In all forms, Insurance included. :)

 

In short - THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL VENTURE!!!

 

that should have definitely been said in the original post...... big difference...

 

You appear to be shouting with regards to another persons post..... (the OP). Maybe the OP should have clarified the circumstances at the outset of this topic, then there wouldn't have been a problem.

 

Edited for Typo's

[paulears]

One good tip for doing this kind of thing where proper contracts are rare, not the norm, is make sure they understand they are getting a good deal and an operator free - BUT any damage is charged at replacement cost, not repair. As a small user, you cannot afford to have unreliable equipment as you won't have a spare in the store to replace it with. The group probably have insurance to cover damage or loss - certainly the local groups I used to deal with needed it. Consider radio mics as one area - cables wrenched out of connectors, broken or cracked covers over the display - even sockets pulled out of the packs (not too hard on Trantec packs as the lemo is stonger than the plastic case!). If they pull off the lemo, I could have soldered it back on, with a slightly shorter cable, but no - it goes in the duff box and they pay for a new one. Sometimes I would fix the odd one, but my time is often too precious. Rifle mics get trashed. At one point I had 4 just inside a circus ring, someone jumped off and landed both feet on one and snapped t in half. The price of a new one on the invoice was a shock. The amateur companies can manage to break almost anything - and if you are, as the OP is here, trying to service them, and build up a bit of useful kit, you do need to make sure they can cope with these extra costs. Some can't. Kids companies often cut corners on insurance and have no funds in the bank - hitting them with a hire charge of £100, and a replacement charge of £500 means they don't come back, and try to make you feel guilty for wiping out their profit.

 

Also beware of doing special deals for one 'favourite' company. The price you charge gets out, and often people on the 'committee' are the same on all the local amateur groups, and then you can't get your usual fee from another.

 

They don't mean to do this, but it happens, and then when you eventually say no to a show, you are accused of letting them down. One of my semi-regular venues have amateur shows in often, and expect me to 'look after them' because I always have.

 

If you see this as an extension to your hobby, and are happy spending your own money, there is no problem - you just need to e aware of the pitfalls.

[Guest lightnix]

THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL VENTURE!!!

I disagree. Money is being spent on a project and a basic business plan is being devised, by the OP, to at least recoup at least part of the outlay. There is, therefore, a fairly strong commercial aspect to this venture (even if the goal is not to make an enormous profit) and it should, therefore, be viewed along commercial lines.

 

The OP simply asked...

Is there a formula to work out a suggested hire charge of equipment? An accepted rule of thumb?

Should it just be a percentage of the cost?

...and I (for one) gave an answer on that basis. Sorry if it was wrong, maybe I should think a bit harder in future, before deciding whether I have anything worth contributing to a thread :) :D

 

...rather than let them have the use for free... he wants to get something back... (whilst not charging users anything ridiculous)...

And what do you define as "ridiculous"? :huh: Personally, I think it's "ridiculous" to expect people to supply goods and services at a loss; but that's just mercenary old me ;)

 

...if they're paying for kit, there's a pretty good chance it'll be looked after better than if it's a freebie!!

Possibly, although as Bobbsy pointed out...

...I've "been there"... renting some personal gear... at a less than commercial rate in an attempt to be fair. Alas, I was shocked at how quickly the "wear and tear" mounted up when the gear was in somebody else's hands and not being treated with an owner's level of TLC...

Paulears' last post was pretty bang on the nail, too.

 

The sad truth is that people don't look after kit so well these days and when they break it will often cast around for any reason as to why they shouldn't have to pay for it - even to the point of blaming you for hiring to them in the first place ("If you weren't happy with the job, why did you take it on?", type of thing) :D