Ecommerce how much am i worth and Pay

[Cpt Anom]

Hi all, im after a little advice and thoughts if possible.

I started working for a company 6 years ago that was selling a little on ebay with a anual turnover about 200+k my job role was to photoshop images onto white backgrounds and upload new stock to ebay and a website.and carry out normal IT Tasks. There where 3 people working including myself.

After a few years with growth. I implemented a inventory management system called linnworks to help up us move forward and to maintain our stock. Along with this i designed a new website and worked along side a 3rd party comany to code a new website. I then intergrated ebay and our magento site to our linnworks inventory management system and intregrated Royal mail and other courier services to suit our needs. Along with with working with them to get the best prices and applying this to the selling channels.

by doing this we grew and was able to buy more stock in and then as you can imagine snow ball affect. 2 new employess totaling 5 now with a estamated turnover of 800+k over the next 3 years.

please take in mind all processes and ecommerce roles are done by myself only.

I currently now have intergrated Amazon along side ebay and magento with linnworks.
i am responsiable for:

Editing images -Photoshop

Upload new stock- CSV (bulk) or single listings

Uploading to all selling chanels EBay Amazon Magento

Dealing with couriers and price amendments and applying the changes to selling channels

SEO

Google adds / facebook adds etc

Creating and designing Leaflets and adverts for mags etc

E-mail campaigns -HTML

Monthly newsletters -HTML

Day to day IT services network issues printer issues etc

New stratergies and keeping upto date with the latest google updates along with selling channels.

Google shopping

Dealing with customers /phone orders

Dealing with overseas suppliers.

google webmaster /analytics / reporting


these are just some of my tasks that i carry out.

my question is i get paid 21k a year the business i work for just turned over 1.4 m
with a profit of 400k

For the work im doing and results im achieving is 21k sound about correct?

thank you for taking the time to read my post any feedback will be much appricated.

thanks again

 

[finleydesign]

If you really want to find out how much you are worth, hand your notice in, then you will find out

But also your looking at this all wrong, I assume you put no money in to this, I assume you got paid every month and got a salary, so you took no risk and all you have done is your job to which you got paid for

As I say the true way to find out what you are worth, resign, either they can get anyone to do your job or they will pay you what they think you are worth, but throwing around a list of chores you needed to do a job isn't "worth" in my eyes

 

[Toby Willows]

As above, ask for a pay rise and if you don’t get it leave.

We only have one side of the story. I’m pretty sure your employer did something as well!

 

[Mr D]

Presumably you are on more money now than when you started?
Your employer recognises you doing your job by paying you.

You can ask for a pay rise - then what if they say no?
Will you leave and apply for other jobs? Will you stay and apply for other jobs? Anywhere else you will start at some entry level position or do you have the skills to start above entry level?

There's insufficient info to say whether you should be paid £21k or not.

The company started you doing pretty basic work and over time gave you a few added responsibilities. Their turnover and profit are irrelevant.

Before you ask for a pay rise, come up with some stuff (and write it down) as to why you should be paid more money. Prove to them your value.
Don't issue an ultimatum - such as pay me £25k or I walk - as its easy for them (and cheaper) to let you walk.

 

[James Rae]

If you are NOT happy with the way things are, it's always better to discuss with anyone you feel can improve your level of happiness... after reading your post we can only make suggestions based on only having one side of the situation.

I am aware that within the various organisations I assist currently, the guys (and gals just in case you think I am being gender specific), are paid from £15 per hour + monthly performance bonuses for the level of specific skills you have described.

f you offer your employer the opportunity to raise your salary to a specific sum or you will eave and seek another role, where you will hope to receive a higher reward package. Your employer will have to balance the cost of finding a replacement.

REMEMBER: Everyone is Expendable, Nobody is Irreplaceable.

 

[Cpt Anom]

your both looked at this completly wrong. im not asking for a Pay Rise. Im asking if this is the correct salary on average for this syle of job... and tried to give you a ruff overview.

so not quite a list of pointless chores as being made out as i said it was an overview on what i do...

 

[ddmcmullan]

I suppose it depends how good you are at it all.

Absolute ballpark I would say anyone who is proficient with CSV's, online marketing and ERP systems with 3+ years experience has to be worth absolute minimum 25k but anything upto 50k depending on how good you are at it all.

21k is what you pay someone who answers the phone, not someone who has a key strategic role in the business.

Where are you based out of interest?

 

[Toby Willows]

your both looked at this completly wrong. im not asking for a Pay Rise. Im asking if this is the correct salary on average for this syle of job... and tried to give you a ruff overview.

so not quite a list of pointless chores as being made out as i said it was an overview on what i do...

You are getting responses from employers, so no we are not looking at it completely wrong but from the opposite side of the table. We are giving you opinions based on what you have posted. If you don’t like the replies try a employee forum.

 

[Mr D]

your both looked at this completly wrong. im not asking for a Pay Rise. Im asking if this is the correct salary on average for this syle of job... and tried to give you a ruff overview.

so not quite a list of pointless chores as being made out as i said it was an overview on what i do...

And correct salary on average is subject to a lot of variables.
A lot of jobs you start at a set wage and get pay rises every year - the job changes over time but you don't have a reshuffle of pay levels at the company so over time your wage becomes starting salary plus multiple years of standard pay rises.
The way to get higher pay in those organisations is get promoted. Then you will be on a higher basic pay plus over time multiple pay rises.

At the peak of my old company I'd have probably paid just above minimum wage for that range of work. Pretty basic work in my experience in ecommerce.

 

[Cpt Anom]

thankyou James for your reply . I am happy at my current work. But as you can appreciate saying yes to everything that is asked of me and saying yes i can do that there has to be line drawn somewhere based on ability and pay.

It is difficult for my employer as they are not very computer ilaterate and think things can be done by a click of a button (dug my own grave) as they orginal started selling a few things on the market and they are also a friend of the family. i left my prev job to help them.

thanks again for your repky very positive.

 

[Prime81]

If the business has grown because of you there are other things you could ask for. Maybe a small percentage of the increased profits if you meet an agreed target like some managers or estate agents get if the business reaches a certain level. It really depends if the business gained and increased profits are down to you. Like others have said we only have one side of the story but its something to thonk about.

 

[Cpt Anom]

ddmcmullan - thanks for your reply.

i have 6+ years ERP, + microsoft certified in all office services. i.e excel.

i also want to add there is no one in the organisation that can implement or would know how to implement new changes. They only know how to use the software and hardware that i put in place and teach them to use. there is only 5 members of staff i may add so i cant realy get premoted to anything 2 x packers, admin, myself.

but again thanks for all your replies it is much apricated a mixture in responses regarding to ability and value. Maybe this is due to a lack of understanding compared to a data inputter and key role player.

but besides the above. the question was aimed at abilities and experience and and pay scale should these be placed in. Not my self moaning about my job lol. It may of come out like that but not my intention

so in a nutshell

Minium - 50k

 

[Toby Willows]

i also want to add there is no one in the organisation that can implement or would know how to implement new changes.

That may be true.

BUT, there are very many thousands of people not in your organisation that could.

 

[finleydesign]

your both looked at this completly wrong. im not asking for a Pay Rise.

Seriously???, yes you are doing exactly that, otherwise you wouldn't be asking nor providing your daily routine on you deem is a huge list that your £21K is maybe not your worth

Are you saying that if you got hit by a bus then this company wouldn't survive, that's your worth I'm afraid, unless you bring a set of unique skills to the table then your worth is very little and companies will pay you as much as your worth, so if you want to know your worth it's either £21K or resign, but don't be part of the entitled generation, no one owes you a job or career, earn it, shouldn't have to ask what your worth, it's purely subjective

 

[Cpt Anom]

im sure there isnt. maybe a few but not thousands in my town

maybe able to work remotley for some parts of the job. but would need to work onsite and have a good understanding of the automotive industry too being mail order and with a walkin counter with EPOS system....

 

[finleydesign]

im sure there isnt. maybe a few but not thousands in my town

maybe able to work remotley for some parts of the job. but would need to work onsite and have a good understanding of the automotive industry too being mail order and with a walkin counter with EPOS system....

Please excuse the bluntness, but you keep showing the real problem, get your head out your own butt and take a look around, if you really believe your the only person that is running this company then i'm afraid in my eyes, as an Employer your worth is reducing rapidly

Why aren't you doing your own business?

 

[Toby Willows]

im sure there isnt. maybe a few but not thousands in my town

maybe able to work remotley for some parts of the job. but would need to work onsite and have a good understanding of the automotive industry too being mail order and with a walkin counter with EPOS system....

I think you’ve overestimated your skills and worth. I could be wrong, but your side of the business doesn’t appear to be onsite necessary. I know a chap who does something almost identical for a multinational retailer and he works from home.

Maybe have a look at job websites and see what others are paying for your service (and be realistic).

 

[Mr D]

im sure there isnt. maybe a few but not thousands in my town

maybe able to work remotley for some parts of the job. but would need to work onsite and have a good understanding of the automotive industry too being mail order and with a walkin counter with EPOS system....

How much of your role is actually requiring you to be in the office?
Much of the list you gave in your initial post I could do on my laptop from home. I know because I have worked from home doing a lot of that back when we weren't in the warehouse every day.
So potentially hundreds of thousands who could do your job?

Or the company could save money by employing 2 part timers to replace you. One in the workplace and one remote worker doing stuff not requiring physical contact.

There are often multiple solutions to a problem. Not necessarily nice solutions.
And few staff are irreplaceable.

Seriously you would get a rather different response if you asked on forums that were not for business owners. Some of us have had staff, some of us have been staff. Some of us have worn multiple hats and done your job along with half dozen other jobs in the business.

 

[Cpt Anom]

No i completly understand its great feedback and makes me think what direction to take.

I have toyed with the idea before as there is nothing stoping me. not even cash flow (had a relative pass away )

Check competition on the niche i have chosen and buy it in from china (alibba) and tiawan source suppliers

Design a website and company name with logo etc. source a domain name along with hosting provider.

Seo / White Hat/ link building etc

Upload stock from the supplier if possible via a csv along with margins. if not avliable take photos and amend my self.

Upload to a ERP system with supplier info ,weight bin location etc.

Create a brand on amazon to escape the need for barcodes EAN numbers and sell it on the high traffic selling channels and add there feed to the prices so i dont shoot myself in the foot.

secure and arrange a tarrif prices with shipping couriers and packaging material.

Make sure the prices are competitive ( no need to worry as overheads are low)

check best selling items from compet etc

when a customer buys from one of the selling chanels send them a automated personalised thankyou email with there invoice attached telling them they will get a discount on there next purchase when they visit my main website with all linkable content.

Newsletters. target times.

Promotional content (conversion) facebook adds google adds ppc

anylise and then amend.

Boom had a epiphany

or go work in a Retail shop ..aparebtly same pay grade decisions desisions.

 

[Mr D]

No i completly understand its great feedback and makes me think what direction to take.

I have toyed with the idea before as there is nothing stoping me. not even cash flow (had a relative pass away )

Check competition on the niche i have chosen and buy it in from china (alibba) and tiawan source suppliers

Design a website and company name with logo etc. source a domain name along with hosting provider.

Seo / White Hat/ link building etc

Upload stock from the supplier if possible via a csv along with margins. if not avliable take photos and amend my self.

Upload to a ERP system with supplier info ,weight bin location etc.

Create a brand on amazon to escape the need for barcodes EAN numbers and sell it on the high traffic selling channels and add there feed to the prices so i dont shoot myself in the foot.

secure and arrange a tarrif prices with shipping couriers and packaging material.

Make sure the prices are competitive ( no need to worry as overheads are low)

check best selling items from compet etc

when a customer buys from one of the selling chanels send them a automated personalised thankyou email with there invoice attached telling them they will get a discount on there next purchase when they visit my main website with all linkable content.

Newsletters. target times.

Promotional content (conversion) facebook adds google adds ppc

anylise and then amend.

Boom had a epiphany

or go work in a Retail shop ..aparebtly same pay grade decisions desisions.

Yes, you will long for the high pay and short hours of your job....if you run a business.
But the rewards can be great. Some of which are not subject to tax - your skills grow, you learn more and you can decide about what to do any one hour, any day.

You have some of the skills needed. You can gain more. Worth looking at trade fairs (most are free).

 

[finleydesign]

or go work in a Retail shop ..aparebtly same pay grade decisions desisions.

But you would make £400,000 for yourself, so start your own business, there's no risk involved

 

[antropy]

Im asking if this is the correct salary on average for this syle of job... and tried to give you a ruff overview.

Everyone above has missed the obvious thing that I have always done to work out a fair salary when I was an employee and now I'm an employer.

And that thing is the same thing you always do to determine the price of anything ...

Compare the market, in this case on job sites like www.jobsite.co.uk

Simply work out what job title and job description most closely matches yours, then search for those jobs in your local area. Make sure the jobs are roughly equivalent in terms of hours worked, responsibilities, benefits etc. and then add them to a spreadsheet and take an average of the salaries.

If those jobs show a range of salaries depending on experience then work out where you fall in terms of their experience requirements and that will tell you what sort of salary you could expect from that company. Be honest and realistic with yourself or your findings will have no value.

That's the answer to your question and it's what I do when it comes to employee pay review time, as far as I'm concerned it's the only fair way to do it.

 

[finleydesign]

Everyone above has missed the obvious thing that I have always done to work out a fair salary when I was an employee and now I'm an employer.

Nope don't agree at all, your talking about valuing a position you will be offering, not someone's worth, what employer constantly searches the job market to see what the average pay is and then amends the employees pay accordingly!!!, you pay each member what they are worth to the company and nothing more, simple business

If he did a search and got the same as someone else had mentioned between £25k and £50K how does he valuate his worth, it still comes back to the same answer, he is worth what he's paid

 

[antropy]

Nope don't agree at all, your talking about valuing a position you will be offering, not someone's worth, what employer constantly searches the job market to see what the average pay is and then amends the employees pay accordingly!!!, you pay each member what they are worth to the company and nothing more, simple business

Well obviously that's the upper limit on it, but if you don't pay the market rates, you'll lose the staff member to a competitor. If the market rates are above what that person is worth to the business, then let them leave.

If he did a search and got the same as someone else had mentioned between £25k and £50K how does he valuate his worth, it still comes back to the same answer, he is worth what he's paid

Well I've explained that above.

How many permanent UK staff do you have then? It seems you have several UK offices ...

 

[finleydesign]

Well obviously that's the upper limit on it, but if you don't pay the market rates, you'll lose the staff member to a competitor. If the market rates are above what that person is worth to the business, then let them leave.

I didn't set those numbers! but aren't you saying exactly our point, he's worth what he's worth, there isn't a set pay, the OP asked what he was worth, but he's only worth what he's worth to the business, not what a search says others are being paid or offered, every company will be different and this isn't a new job, the OP is trying to claim he's worth more, however doesn't want any risk just the reward

Stalker! I pay my staff what they are worth

 

[antropy]

I didn't set those numbers! but aren't you saying exactly our point, he's worth what he's worth, there isn't a set pay, the OP asked what he was worth, but he's only worth what he's worth to the business, not what a search says others are being paid or offered, every company will be different and this isn't a new job, the OP is trying to claim he's worth more, however doesn't want any risk just the reward

You're not really making any sense. What he's worth in the marketplace may be different to what he's worth to that business. If a business wants to keep its staff it should pay fairly, and close to market rates. Someone may be worth less to a business than they are worth in the market and in that case if they want more money they should leave.

Stalker! I pay my staff what they are worth

But strangely there aren't any photos of your offices or staff - do you actually have multiple offices and staff?

 

[Mr D]

You're not really making any sense. What he's worth in the marketplace may be different to what he's worth to that business. If a business wants to keep its staff it should pay fairly, and close to market rates. Someone may be worth less to a business than they are worth in the market and in that case if they want more money they should leave.

True.
What a small business can afford to pay for a set of skills and what a big business in a nearby city can pay for the same skills can be quite different.
At one point I was on just short of £20k doing a job that in a city would pay £50k. Travel time was 15 minutes each way, travel time to the city job 2 hours each way.
Exact same job, exact same duties - the city job had much greater chance for advancement.
Money does not matter that much to everyone. Not travelling 4 hours a day is an advantage in its own right.

 

[antropy]

At one point I was on just short of £20k doing a job that in a city would pay £50k. Travel time was 15 minutes each way, travel time to the city job 2 hours each way.

Exactly that, that's why I would only compare relatively local jobs and certainly not ones that included "London weighting".

I spent a fair amount of time as a contractor working in London and during those times I woke up very early, went to work, got home at night very late, had time for dinner then back to bed to do it all again. All fun and games but not something I'd want to do for many years on end.

 

[Cpt Anom]

Everyone above has missed the obvious thing that I have always done to work out a fair salary when I was an employee and now I'm an employer.

Thanks antropy for you reply and understanding my question. You have cleared things up for me and has helped me to have a better understanding. it is much appreciated.

 

[Mr D]

Exactly that, that's why I would only compare relatively local jobs and certainly not ones that included "London weighting".

I spent a fair amount of time as a contractor working in London and during those times I woke up very early, went to work, got home at night very late, had time for dinner then back to bed to do it all again. All fun and games but not something I'd want to do for many years on end.

Plenty of employers have a city weighting - not usually within a company but between them.
Working in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow I could apply for a lot more jobs paying higher salaries than rural Staffordshire, the distant elements of Lancashire or working on the outer isles of this great island chain.
That's despite living costs often being higher outside the cities.

Of course it helped that there are a lot more jobs in cities, lot more companies set themelves up in bigger cities.
London of course has both high housing costs and sheer size. I go there just for jobs, not to work.

 

[lesliedocherty]

£21k for all of that is low, we pay basic shop staff £16 just to stand on sales floor.

£30k minimum for that kind of job, easy, move up to Glasgow and i'll pay that for what you do all day long.

 

[Mr D]

£21k for all of that is low, we pay basic shop staff £16 just to stand on sales floor.

£30k minimum for that kind of job, easy, move up to Glasgow and i'll pay that for what you do all day long.

Wow, £16 to stand on sales floor.
What do you pay them when they are doing stuff to make you money?

Now if you paid £16k you'd be paying under adult over 25 minimum wage for a full time worker if doing 40 hour week. A number of large employers (Tesco, Morrisons, Amazon) pay their staff a fair bit more than minimum wage - and get the work out of them.

 

[lesliedocherty]

£16k is nothing, you get £15,500 for 38 hours on minimum wage these days

 

[dan19900]

30k+. Maybe 40k if you've really done as well as you've said.

 

[lesliedocherty]

30k+. Maybe 40k if you've really done as well as you've said.

100% Agree, £21k for what he does is criminal, the will need to pay twice that to replace you.

 

[Mr D]

100% Agree, £21k for what he does is criminal, the will need to pay twice that to replace you.

Does not look like that from where I'm sat.

Then again if we all offered the same wage for the same work then life would be boring.

 

[antropy]

Thanks antropy for you reply and understanding my question. You have cleared things up for me and has helped me to have a better understanding. it is much appreciated.

Very glad that was helpful.

Also quite funny that @finleydesign was giving it the biggen (lol) about business and how to work out salaries and he seems to list 4 UK office locations on his website but he doesn't actually have any photos of his offices or team members on the website which is the first thing creative agencies usually do?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Well £20k or there abouts is a crap wage in London but a great wage in the Outer Hebrides so wages vary a lot depending on where you work as well as the local competition for the job.

It does seem from your first post you control a lot of the companies activities and therefore deserve a cut of the profits, maybe a small percentage of the shares or a directorship, but the real question is why don't you start up on your own with the knowledge you have, Being friends of the family should not effect your ability to follow your own path or limit your earning potential

Noting a massive list of what you do or have done is silly most will be most probably just small jobs done once every few months at most its what you spend time on week in week out that counts

 

[antropy]

why don't you start up on your own with the knowledge you have

Because as an IT person I'm betting the OP thinks they do everything in the business because they don't even understand 1/2 of the things the owners actually do. All the businessesy, non-technical things that have to happen for it to be successful.

"Seeing as I do everything around here, I could do this without them" may be true but is usually a massive underestimation of what they actually do. They probably do things that you don't even know need to be done.

 

[chalkie99]

i don't know whether to laugh or cry..............

The OP details his job including:

Creating and designing Leaflets and adverts for mags etc

and goodness what else, yet cannot write even a simple post (any of them) which is not littered with mistakes. I would expect anyone handling these tasks to have at least a basic grasp of written English before I employed them at all.