Teaching Escrapping. What to charge?

Charge them what you feel your time is worth.

Your time should be worth alot if you're teaching a company how to make 100's or 1000's more $ per month, in one or 2 sittings.

I wouldn't do this cheap........Think of all the money he is going to make off of your knowledge....Interesting situation though.......I have tried to train several yards and they did learn but didn't seem to interested in the long run

Just know when you teach them they are NEVER going to allow you to profit by buying their stuff, so make it worth your while.

Offer to teach them on the terms that you get an extra $.XX per lb of everything you bring in for a certain ammount of time, lifetime, 10 yrs, 5 yrs and get it in writing, signed by the owner and notorised.

Originally Posted by AuburnEwaste

I wouldn't do it at all. You are training your new competition if you do.

Their not really competition because the people will bring stuff to the yard whether your around or not. They have the money for advertising, and location, possibly in the same place for eons.

If you train them then I don't foresee you getting anything from them unless it's the crap they don't want to break down. (HD's,floppys,CD/DVD's)
They'll keep the gravy. Unless you can pick up on the prices the "other" buyer was offering and up their offer.

I lost one of my small sellers cause they were poking around on Google and found Boardsort's prices. I can't compete with them and neither can you.

Having given this some thought since I originally posted, I say teach them for free or at minimal cost. Here's why:
1. They're going to learn with or without you.
2. If you refuse to teach them they'll think you're a jack hole and you will have destroyed a relationship.
3. If you charge an exorbitant amount you can expect the same results as number 2 above.
4. If you DO teach them for a reasonable amount, the owner will always remember you as "that great guy who taught us how to improve our profits!". It certainly can't hurt to have a yard feeling a sense of indebtedness to you.

You can never keep competition away. Sometimes they come from your own employees. My former crew chief bought himself a truck and opened a junk removal business. Do I feel betrayed? Somewhat. But I couldn't imagine a nicer guy to be out there competing with me. Would I prefer he was still my crew chief? Yep! But he is as honest as the day is long and would never steal my client list, he is developing his own.

Suck it up.

Look at it this way, he knows there is $$$ in ewaste so he has to get up to speed quickly. I doubt he is going to sell anything to you now that he this bit of knowledge. This is the only shot you have to make money off this guy. If you dont do it someone else will. Forget the barter since prices are going to fluctuate, and what happens in a few months from now if you are out of scrapping for one reason or another. If your going to school him he has to pay and pay well. Approach him with the fact that not only that you have the knowledge you also the people that he can sell to and not get screwed. That alone is worth alot of $$$. If you are asking for a dollar value, if its was me i would ask for 15k, that will cover your time to teach and putting him in contact with who to sell to. He will make that up in a matter of a couple of months.

Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

Having given this some thought since I originally posted, I say teach them for free or at minimal cost. Here's why:
1. They're going to learn with or without you.
2. If you refuse to teach them they'll think you're a jack hole and you will have destroyed a relationship.
3. If you charge an exorbitant amount you can expect the same results as number 2 above.
4. If you DO teach them for a reasonable amount, the owner will always remember you as "that great guy who taught us how to improve our profits!". It certainly can't hurt to have a yard feeling a sense of indebtedness to you.

You can never keep competition away. Sometimes they come from your own employees. My former crew chief bought himself a truck and opened a junk removal business. Do I feel betrayed? Somewhat. But I couldn't imagine a nicer guy to be out there competing with me. Would I prefer he was still my crew chief? Yep! But he is as honest as the day is long and would never steal my client list, he is developing his own.

Suck it up.

Well said, Burly. I have spent time with my local yard and e-waste. I made some good dollars for my time, and we are still on a great working relationship. They are still scared of buying for real so I still have my "IN" with them and can make some profit. In my dealings with them they now will buy my power supplies for electric motor price. Before that they would never touch them. I get some other leeway from them as well and the e-waste trade is still wide open with these guys. Your mileage may differ, but so far helping has been a great asset to me.