30/08/2026
A few weeks ago I was told my labour rate was “excessive”!!!!
That did make me smile.
A labour rate is not profit.
It has to absorb the true cost of employment — wages, NI, pension, holiday entitlement, insurance, PPE, equipment, supervision, overheads and business risk.
What remains is margin. And margin is not profit until every cost of running that business has been paid.
Businesses need profit.
To invest.
To grow.
To employ people.
To carry risk.
And to still be there when the phone rings at the eleventh hour.
I understand my numbers.
I have a Business degree, an MBA, 35 years in corporate American medical devices and years of experience building my own successful company.
I understand cost, pricing, margin, profitability and value.
So being told my rate was “excessive” AFTER we had accommodated the changes, worked to their timeframe and got their project over the line was interesting.
Then came the Pay Less Notice.
Did I respond? No.
I contemplated it.
But my time was worth more than the argument and my commercial decision was worth more than the stress.
I value my customers and I ALWAYS make it work for them.
But business relationships are a two-way road.
So I made a very simple commercial decision.
I won’t work for that individual again.
I’ll happily continue working with the company and the people within it who value what we bring.
I value my business.
I know its value.
And most importantly, I value my staff.
Sometimes understanding business isn’t about fighting over the last invoice.
It’s knowing which customer is no longer worth the margin.
RANT OVER - tomorrow’s a new week 💜