SMALL time FAB shop, hourly rates?

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I know it will vary from region to region but I'm pretty curious of how other small time fab shops set their rates.  For my internet order stuff, which is the bulk of what i do, the price is the price since the product is the same.  I'm always a little stumped when figuring out how to charge walk-in work and odd jobs as opposed to production type work.  Do most folks just guestimate the job and pick a number or set a clear hourly rate?
Reply:Check other shops in your area and set accordingly. Not all jobs have to be shop rate.Miller Dynasty Dx 200Miller bobcat 250Esab Miniarc 161
Reply:Check out amazon or similar for a book on running a small contractor's business.  I found one a few years ago that walked me through how to figure your billing rate. I put in a link below. In brief,Overhead+profit/hours worked = hourly billing rateFiguring your overhead costs is the hard part, especially if you're working a business part time.  You can compare what you figure for your hourly rate to what your local competition is doing.  But realize, your costs and there's are completely different.  If you rate is way below the market, double check your figuring to make sure you didn't leave out anything.  This is an area were a book on running a contractor's business can help; by pointing out the various expenses you're likely to need to account for.  If you're estimated rate is way above the market, figure out why?  Are you spending money on things you shouldn't?  Are you asking for more profit than your competitors?  Or are you offering a service that should command a higher price?  Lastly, should you be in the business at all?  If there's no place to cut and zero profit left in your price you're working for free or even losing money on every job. Knowing how your rate is calculated will help you figure out where you might be able to cut out costs.  If you pluck a number out of thin air, you have no basis for making any decisions.http://www.amazon.com/Running-Succes...cting+businessI very much like this post on another forum as well:http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/pr...uccess-122452/Last edited by A_DAB_will_do; 05-15-2015 at 08:18 AM.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:One last thought, remember when running a small business doing the actual work is the easy part of the job.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector