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…