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Hello,
I am have been seeking more permanent employment for a while, something part time to go along side my self employed job or something full time in the area I want to work in. I have had a few temp jobs over the last few months, and as you maybe be aware the job market is tough at the moment. I have been doing anything from unblocking drains to teaching/lecturing in art.
I met someone (lets call him Jim) who wants to set up a niche workshop a few times a week on my skillset, which sounds good, however they seem to think that I can be called upon to bring in clients and do the marketing. This may not seem like a big ask but after a bit of thought I was bringing in 10 clients per session at £15 and getting paid £40. Plus around 30 hours of unpaid marketing (making printed media, amending Jims website, leaflet dropping and poaching clients) I would not mind but Jim won’t give me any kind of contract. I already work in this area doing workshops and lease premises by the hour or visit the clients at home/work and I am struggling to see were Jim fits in other than he is prepared to lease the premises with his money and he has a business which could potentially be fruitful for bringing new people in. I know he can not run the workshops with out me as its quite a niche and I have worked at the top level in it for a few years with client names who are a big draw to the workshops.
We had a heated discussion after I was asked to manufacture in my ‘spare time’ 10 products (RRP £120 but can be made with materials for £20 each and approx 10 hours labour per item) as Jim wasn’t prepared to take a gamble on buying these 10 items at his cost. His response was I am greedy for wanting more money for the manufature time, he would get to keep them too once they are made as he paid for the raw materials. I told him his forecast of 10 clients 3 times a week was miles off the mark, we could expect 5 in total per week which is why I do this on a one to one basis as it is. His response was I need to be a better salesman and get more people in.
I then got an anonymous email off someone who said they had done similar with him before (different workshops) and he had misread the market and had he/she running around doing all kinds of tasks before getting paid (about 120 hours work).
As I am writing this out it is all making sense to just walk away, and I am looking at my dream job through rose tinted glasses, if there is a job there at all.
Any similar experiences? I cant help but thinking what if/you may never know…
3+ working weeks of labour for nowt? 😯
Only you can calculate whether you'd be better off building up your own operation independently.
I tend to think that if you're having serious misgivings this early, then walk away. Then again, I'm not as much of a risk-taker as I fancy myself to be.
martinhutch - Member
3+ working weeks of labour for nowt?Only you can calculate whether you'd be better off building up your own operation independently.
this has been a very useful post when the numbers are added up like that.
Thanks DD, I dont think this would work independanly or otherwise as its too niche, i think i have laready saturated the market.
sounds like you are being taken advantage of...can't see really where jim fits in,what does he contribute?
I'd take some positives. 'Jim' is showing you how you could make money from your skill set. If the business works better with him in it then suggest a fairer partnership with you both sharing the workload and rewards. If he is keen to just use you in a way that seems unfair then you could try doing the same thing without him. That said, I work freelance and I spend a lot of time working for free, it goes with the job IME. It all balances out over the year so it is worth it.
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And the reason this is funny is because it happens all the time. People expecting you to do a lot of speculative work for free, on the off-chance that something will come of it. It never does BTW.
I'd tell him to **** right off, personally
Jim, has a business that could potentially bring new clients in however as i have said before its not a particualry popular niche that i would be working with him in, and i think i have already saturated the area.
I am already freelance and dont mind doing pitches, samples etc as its part of the role but this one just doesnt add up.
binners that is a classic, i get almost 3 of those re-brand my company type deals a week... but no this ones going to be the next twitter/facebook