The weather is making this week drag on so much more than usual. I’m totally done

Yeah, I could feel the draughts a whole room over 😭

Woof, I did originally think 600 would be a minimum but an hourly rate of 133 (or real billable rate of 250/hr) is probably on par with what many people running workshops for companies do. I will definitely have a think.

Fair points, I luckily don’t need to learn that much about the app myself as I use it a lot at my current workplace (I was approached precisely because I have experience with it). I was intending on keeping it fairly loose, just a few key points on a whiteboard and then demonstration and troubleshooting/answering questions. I could tie it in with another question they have which I said I didn’t know how to resolve with the current app but I could look into it and charge them for it…

…okay so uh full disclosure it’s actually my former workplace (minus very difficult people who are no longer there) that wants to engage me. Yes, my current bosses are amazingly ok with this idea lol. I think my ex colleagues asked me because they know I’m 100% familiar with their existing setup (I did most of it) and therefore how best to translate that to this app. I won’t actually create the setup for them, apparently they’re most of the way through it, but help them figure it out themselves.

They’re now part of a rather big org and gotten the green light from higher up, so they could afford a chunk, but I also don’t want to work that hard or set up high expectations! That said, everything is inflated these days. I shall have a look at what those pros are charging for similar services and adjust accordingly, great tip.

Aight so it looks like this whole workshop thing is going ahead but now I have no idea what to quote. All sorts of insecurities popping up. It’s a ~3 hr in person workshop with 50km return travel (30-40 mins each way) for about 3-4 professionals. It will be mostly hands on demonstration and troubleshooting, not much prep or materials required. I might need to look into a couple of the app’s functions I haven’t explored much but that would benefit my job as well so I wouldn’t count that time spent.

I’m thinking I should be compensated at least the equivalent of what I get paid for a whole day of regular work (inc. super), since I can’t do my regular job the entire day, and maybe a 25% loading. That’s 600 rounded up, no GST. Hopefully that seems fair?? I don’t feel like enough of a grown up to ask for this, but fuckit. I can try

E: ugh I forgot I’d need to pay 32% personal income tax on that. Or 15% if I chuck it in super… 600 is starting to sound very justifiable

Pretty yucky heading outside for a site visit just now, thankfully the rain’s not here yet…

I had too much coffee… several hours of indigestion and burping later, I’m still wired and tired, deep in rabbit holes over what constitutes an employee vs independent contractor for the purposes of superannuation guarantee… and how to word contracts so as not to hand over IP or be stuck in exclusivity classes…

I think that place should be fine without GST but I’ll definitely ask when I chat to my contact tomorrow. Need to ask if professional indemnity insurance is required because I ain’t doing it if so - I really don’t intend to do this for the broader industry, not worth paying monthly insurance…

And I’ve never used an accountant bar the one time years ago when I was on WHV tax rates for half the FY and needed help lodging. I don’t think I’ll earn enough from this one off event to warrant getting an accountant but… if they ask me an additional time, I might get an accountant to help. I do have a family friend who is a CA so I might ask their advice. Lots to think about to do it the right way! Wish I could do it for cashies lol.

That’s great. The client is definitely going to want an invoice that complies with all their business… accounting… thingos so I was worried I’d have to charge GST, but it looks like I don’t and just stating that will make it work nicely. Thanks!

That’s a pretty fast turnaround for going back to work! I used to do things like fly in on Monday morning after a holiday but need an increasing amount of time between flights and work these days. Hope you can fully recharge tonight and the rest of the week is chill. Really gonna need to tap on that stored sunlight with the weather forecast for this week.

Absolutely no apps involved, it’s just between me and another company I know at this point for some very specific skills. Pretty much like doing a favour and getting paid for it, except I have to issue an invoice and make it all official and shit.

Some of my colleagues reckon she wanted notoriety. What a way to do it though?? And sound like a total idiot on the stand…

Thanks heaps for the advice. Yes I’ve already run this one past my employers and they’re good (actually shockingly good considering the details).

Really don’t intend to do this more than as isolated one offs so I think I’ll find something free. Won’t earn 75k+ a year from it either but I’ll have a look into what services attract GST etc.

So the tax only gets paid at tax time, not progressively… That’s good, I might keep this extra income as a buffer and when it comes to June 2026 I’ll probably throw it into super to reduce marginal tax on it. If it works like that.

Thanks once again, personal experience is really helpful!

Does anyone here have tips about doing side gigs on an ABN? I created one for shits and giggles a couple of years ago but never used it. Now an opportunity might have come up where an org wants me to do a sort of training/workshop thing for a few employees. I intend for it to be a once off (maybe a second session at best) - set scope, hours, lump sum - but idk how I should be reporting all of this in terms of tax and what documents to generate and keep.

I guess my ABN should be on the quote and invoice… GST?! and do I issue a receipt… I will Google things after dinner but if anyone has any personal tips (esp anything that’s easy to overlook) I’d be very grateful.

E: now I’m getting truly lost in the weeds with personal services income and whatever. Geez. I’m glad most of my income is from a job at a company

That’s always a good fact to remind ourselves of during these dark times, I appreciate the positive energy

Happy birthday!!! I hope you can treat yourself to some game time at home at least. And the weather today has been gorgeous.

It’s a good film even if you know how it turns out. The NTSB is unreasonably villainish though, even the real life people involved disagreed vehemently with that bit

Not the most glamorous photo but I’m pretty happy with how this batch of red beans tastes - would’ve diced the celery and green pepper smaller but it was good enough considering how little space I have to work with in this wretched kitchen.

Making green rice in the rice cooker wasn’t a great idea, I’ve got green flecks everywhere to clean. But I got there in the end. Just waiting for the rice to rest and dinner is up!

Instead of jambalaya I decided to try red beans (with rice) - utilising the original recipe being something you can cook and cook for hours on a low flame. These beans have been on the stove for like 5 hours and I’m now adding them to the sauteed vegetables and spices and vegan chorizo for another 1-2 hours while I faff around with other shit, like making “green rice” with poblano chillies and some parsley but none of the oil, aromatics and other usual stuff. Let’s see if it can be done in the rice cooker.

Is it like an instant pot kinda thingo or more of a Thermomix? (gboard suggested “consultant” immediately after “Thermomix”, urgh…)

I sincerely hope the Olds use it but if not at least it sounds like it’ll come in handy for you. But yeah as Witch wisely advised you last week or so, hope it doesn’t turn into you stepping in for everything.

The olds in my life are rapidly embracing this sort of technology and, I might add, placing a premium on anything that isn’t too heavy to lift. I gotta look into some of them