We all love a bargain, every day at 12.15 on BBC1 there's a program called Bargain Hunt where 4 contestants are split into two teams and sent off into an antiques fair to buy something they can enter into an auction and make a profit from. I love this program but they rarely ever find a bargain and more often than not loose money.
That's life, we try to tell ourselves that something we bought is a bargain because it makes us feel great, to have purchased something for under its recommended price, or cheaper than someone else so its definitely a bargain.
The thing is, just like the contestants, its very hard to find a bargain. Lets take the WEDDING industry for example.
You search around for all the elements of your big day to try and find the right look, price, quantity and service but until the day has arrived your gambling on their word or the word of other people. I see so many people booking services that sound too good to be true.
I advise all WEDDING customers that if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Our wedding prices are carefully worked out so we have enough money to pay the people working on the job, the insurance, taxes and running of the business before we advertise the price. I am always sceptical when you see and service offered for £200 or £300, seems too round a number to be justifiable.
Another program I love to watch is Judge Rinder, I think her great and event though the program is intended as a light entertainment program it does give some great advice. Recently there have been two Photographers and a videographer on the program all being sued for not providing what they said they would. one of the photographers lost and has a judgement against him but the other photographer didn't this was due to a very comprehensive terms and conditions.
If you don't get a contract or something to act as an engagement to commence business then you need to ask why and where is it. Our Terms and Conditions are on our website for everyone to see and our contract is sent via email, the engagement is the return email you send. Doesn't take long.
But its not just the WEDDING industry that suffers, I work along side many other business owners all of whom are proud of what they do and provide a very high standard in their field. One sector is Podiatry which deals with foot problems. 6 years ago I knew nothing of this industry but now not only do I realise the importance of foot health I now also regularly attend clinic as I am a big guy and I am on my feet a lot.
One thing I have learnt from this industry is that you do get what you pay for, and people will pay the price because its a physical thing often pain or injury and as human beings we want this to go away as quickly as possible. If your foot hurts you want it fixing, and you wouldn't go somewhere that made you feel uncomfortable, there is a certain degree of expectation from a surgical environment, however this expectation costs money, you cant expect a sterile environment without a cost, the comfy chair you are sat in, another cost, even the waiting room chairs, another cost.
One last industry which also suffers from the "cheap and cheerful" is the speaking world. I have several clients who deliver a comprehensive and detailed talk on their chosen subjects, this is from years of learning and often doing the job they speak of themselves. These people can be classed as experts in their field and thus you should expect to pay them a fair price for their expertise, if your not paying a lot for the conference your attending then your probably not going to get the quality content your expecting.
My overall point is that unless your can see a value and work out that value then its probably not what it appears to be. A Photographer who will do your video and photos for a full day on £250 and has to travel 250 miles there and back to do it is probably not the quality you want or need. An average photographer will charge around £25 per hour to justify the cost it takes to run a legitimate business. 10am until 10pm is a 12 hour day, and a very long one too, just in wages this works out at £300 and that before the editing of the pictures which could be another two of three days of work. If you want the video too then its unlikely to be delivered in a timely manner as he or she will be working for free, this doesn't motivate anyone... would it motivate you?
So no matter what the product, service, industry, make sure the price your paying reflects the work involved, if your unsure what work it entails then ask before you book. We charge £37 per hour to film, with one operator, this has been calculated based on all the factors that is takes to run the business and cover our costs and overheads. We have been doing this for 8 years and over this time we have made some amazing relationships with both public and business alike. We are as transparent as we can be to ensure you know what your getting and when your getting it, we don't pay pennies to our operators to ensure they are happy to do the job and are putting their all into each and every moment.
If you have a business or event coming up them do send a message to see how Hartshead Productions can be of service and always be mindful of what you want and what it will entail, If you wouldn't do that amount of work for that payment, why would you expect someone else to do so.