I have decided to write about a personal, often uncomfortable, yet important subject. If you're hiring me to shear, the question "How much do you charge?" will come up at some point. If you've tried to do your homework and research the answer before asking me to shear, you'll find that I don't publicize it. I shear flocks of sheep ranging from one sheep up to several thousand. There is no one size fits all formula. I am constantly questioning myself and thinking about this subject, trying to come up with prices that are fair for both me and the customer. I say uncomfortable because it's my least favorite part of shearing, I wish it was the same for everyone and accepted by all.
I do address the issue on my website with the following explanation:
It always depends on how many sheep you
have and how far I have to travel. Generally, I am very reasonable. I
will negotiate; I don’t want price to be an issue. Tips are appreciated
but not expected.
Admittedly, this explanation is open-ended and is not at all specific. Maybe I can explain myself a little better in this blog.
First, I don't have a huge ego, but I do know that sheep shearing is a skilled profession. You should not expect me or anyone else to come shear your sheep for minimum wage. If you care about your sheep, you should want a service performed by an experienced professional. If your shearer is any good, other shepherds will also want them, which means he/she is in demand. Time constraints are one dictator of price. If you were to hire a professional from another field, say a plumber, you would expect to pay a certain amount just to get them to show up. Before they even open their tool box, I suspect you've already been billed for an hour of service. Also, choosing shearing as my only occupation means that this is not a part time job or hobby; I have bills to pay too! And when it comes to automobile expenses, it's not just my gas getting there. My truck is only 6 years old and already has 170,000 miles and will need to be replaced in the near future.
A unique thing about sheep shearing is that it is piece work. Historically throughout the world, shearers are paid per number sheep they shear. I've studied and have been paid rates in other parts of the country and world, and I understand that. But here in the northeast United States, the industry works a little differently. For one thing, there are no contractors. People in the northeast deal with the shearer directly and avoid the middle man. So when comparing rates you really should be looking at what a contractor charges the farmer (good luck finding that information!), not what the shearer is being paid. Also, I'll explain later why piece work is not always the fairest way to charge.
There is shearing competition in the northeast, but it's interesting. We are doing our own thing, but we don't want to upset each other. Maybe some do, but I for one don't go around undercutting my competitors. I don't need the work that bad. I know some guys over charge (and some may under charge) but I think most of us are in a ballpark range. When looking for a shearer, finding the one that charges the most does not guarantee you will get the best service. Conversely, finding the "cheapest" shearer doesn't mean you're necessarily getting a deal either. There are reasons why I want people to hire me, but price is not top of the list. I even have a friend who won't shear for someone if their first question on the phone is "How much do you charge?". A red flag goes up because he figures if all you care about is how much the service is costing you then you probably don't care for your sheep very well or take the time to prepare for me coming. That's not to say it is an unfair question or one you shouldn't ask. It's definitely a consideration because the "going rate" is a hard thing to pin down in the northeast.
I've seen some shearers advertising their rates, which I think is totally dumb. And here's why. At a new job, I have no idea what to expect. 10 sheep could take a 1/2 hour or it could take most of the day. I've stated it's piece work. But if your 3 sheep take me longer to shear than your neighbors 9, should you pay 1/3 of what your neighbor pays? The time it takes me depends on so many factors, including the kind of sheep, size of the sheep, condition of the sheep, set up time, your preparation (mostly having the sheep caught), the handling system, what other activities (worming, hoof trimming, skirting the wool etc) are being performed simultaneously, the number of qualified people that are helping, and so on. This is why I am hesitant when I quote a price. And when I do, I give a range.
In summary: I want to be reasonable. Fair to the customer, fair to competing shearers, and fair to myself. I haven't mentioned any number amounts yet...Like the plumber, I do have a minimum charge: $75, which usually applies to flocks of 4 or less. When there's less than about 20 sheep, I usually quote for the whole job, not a per head price. Like I previously explained, after the drive time and set up time, it doesn't take me any longer to do 10 sheep as it did to do 8.
And lastly, tips. Tips are great. More than anything they show me you really appreciate my service. But they are by no means necessary. A waitress expects a tip as a major part of her income, but I don't.
Maybe this was more confusing than helpful, I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have! In rereading it, it also seems like a defense...like I charge a lot and am trying to justify it. This really is not the case. Once I've shorn for someone for a while and established a relationship with them, I find it hard to raise my prices. I generally figure if I charge the "going rate" then my competitive advantage becomes my service and quality, and everyone is happy. That's my goal.
