Doing electrics professionally

[Dave Liquorice]

Take note, actually doing the getting the hands dirty "job", is the easy bit. The hard bit is all the unpaid backroom stuff, like maintaining contacts, doing the books, placing adverts (and checking that they are actually producing enough work to justify their cost), etc

Yes, when I got made redundant 12 years ago one of the best things I did was go on "Starting up in business" course run by the local Business Link. ISTR that it was free as I was on the dole, but I think you could also attend if in employment for a nominal fee.

Very useful by covering various "company options (sole trader, partnership, ltd co etc), the legal requirements, insurance, record keeping, book keeping, tax and VAT etc etc

Hear, hear. I think a lot of people forget that you have considerable expenses when self employed. =A330/hr might seem very good to a wage slave but remember the Inland Revenue will want their cut each year, you have to pay for a vehical. True costs are at *least* 50p/mile, do a job 30 miles from home and your first hour is just paying for the vehicle to get you there and back not putting bread and butter in your families mouth.

How about pension contributions, private health care? permenant health insurance (if you are self employed you don't get company *or* statutary sick pay, where will the money come from if you have an accident and can't work for a couple of months)? Life insurance on your partner, if they have an accident and can't look after the kids and you have to stop work where does the money come from...

None of which are particulary major expenses in themselves, just a few tens of pounds/month but they all add up.

I love it, but then I've been fairly lucky in always getting a good rate such that 10 to 15 days/month average is more than enough to live comfortably. Lots of time home to do what I want and see the kids grow up etc. How ever in the last couple of years the work has started to dry up and cash flow is now a major headache. I feel the need to diversify, what where those sparky exams again ...

[sPoNiX]

Also, why did they pull down all that plasterboard when the cause was a leaky tap in the bathroom?

I know the ceiling would probably have needed replacement anyway but it seemed a poor method of diagnosing the problem!

Same here! Maybe it's something to do with IT?

I'd like to know the same. The woman on the programme seemed to walk into a plumbing job with no qualifications and was paid a decent amount as she kept her posh car and could still afford to splash out on expensive shoes!

That bloke only attended an evening course once a week and walked into a job after a few months!

sPoNiX

[Jeremy Collins]

The grass is always greener, m8!

Things I've found make my programming work more bearable:

1. Becoming self employed (not always an option for support staff, but see below). This might have the opposite effect for some people.
2. Taking up a decent amount of exercise (Taekowndo, tennis and 30 mile+ cycle rides).

Things you might want to consider:

1. Expand your IT knowledge by studying for, say, an MSCE in your spare time (your employer might help). Give yourself more options.
2. Travelling around to do *on-site* support work might satisfy your need to get out & about. Fixing problems with clients *can* be very rewarding. (Good for getting industry contacts, too). Probably linked with no. 1.
3. See if you can work from home a couple of days a week - all you need is a phone line, broadband and a PC, and I'm assuming you've already got at least two of those.

Good luck, whatever you do!

[StealthUK]

I'm not sure about electrical but plumbing courses are all filled up for the next 5 years where I am. The only courses still open are for apprentice plumbers working for established plumbing firms - normally friends or relatives will take these up.

[Dave Liquorice]

Strikes me that you are doing just support which I wouldn't call IT but "Customer Services" B-), al be it with a hint of technical knowledge.

IT to me (I'm not in the IT field at all) means on the software side systems programming/development and hardware, groveling about in false ceilings (hate that though) or building voids pulling in cables. Sat in a termination cupboard with a few hundred cable ends punching them down into the backs of patch panels etc etc. Building racks with routers, servers, UPS etc etc That is the design build and installation of IT solutions, integrated with other systems as required such as telephony etc.

The thing you have to ask is how much in savings does (did...) she have? Has she an income from elsewhere?

We all know that plumbing as, in water only, is not that difficult. If you want to do gas work then you have to get CORGI'd and that involves a bit more work, formal exams and learning, but the practical side is still not difficult. It also sounds as if these people were still employees rather than self employed, that makes a great difference.

[Rick Hughes]

What you need is to get yourself of a 16th edition course - Google around for a good deal and location. This will be the starter for you to obtain NICEIC. registration, you won't get it without attending the courses (or equiv training) and experience.

NICEIC. is necessary as then you can sign off safety certificates for leccy boards etc. The requirements to join are given on:

can of course crack on and sell your services with no qualifications or registration - there is no law against this, but legally if it goes wrong then you are in it up to your neck.

Another key thing you need is Public Liability Insurance .... not just for electrical, but simple stuff ... you put a drill through a water pipe, it soaks a ceiling, it collapses, frightens the dog, that runs and knocks over a ten thousand pound heirloom.

Rick

[G&M]

Although a bit of a 'character' the company owner looked quite sharp and I'm sure he sees her as being an asset in future for female clients - in fact he will charge extra for her to visit them - once she is fully trained. Thus I expect she might be getting paid a little better than the normal apprentice.

[ColinMcK]

snipped a lot..

I agree with everything said so far - until a year ago I was a computer contractor (engineering software) - - my business was fast dissapearing to India. I am amazed there are so many disgruntled software guys..

As I had done a huge amount of DIY over the years for myself and others, always doing a professional job, I decided to take the plunge. So I went on a 6 week (once a week) CORGI revision course, sat and passed my CORGI exams. I did feel for the guys that had been in the trade for 20+ years and failed..

So an advert in Thomson's local, now Yellow pages - and the card dispenser at Homebase (a lot of work comes from there). No work came from the BT 118 247 service.. I wish I hadn't blown so much cash on Yellow Pages as most of my work is by recommendation - I am having to turn away a lot of work, and now cringe when the phone rings (all day, every day!) the answering service weeds a lot out.

It's hard work - and I find the callout / short work doesn't pay - by the time you get to the job and back. An awful lot of time is wasted ie. this morning I had a call from someone that had bought a house, needed a quote for solicitors due to leaking waste pipe in kitchen. When I arrived it was then explained that not only the waste pipe was to be fixed (which I could do) but the solum needed pumped out.. Lime was mentioned to soak up the stinking soggy mess. Now this nice lady explained that all the other plumbers had said could fix pipe but not deal with the solum - why did she think I would be any different and why didn't she mention it on the phone? 1 hour of my time wasted.

Another huge time waste is quotations - I am now very selective about who I do quotes for - ie. gauge whether a job is likely to come off or not. Some people expect a bathroom suite supplied and fitted for £300!

I am finding the money is in bathrooms and kitchens. I do the complete job, tiling, plumbing and electrical - people really appreciate only having to deal with one person.

I would like to expand - but the difficulty is finding a multi-talented person that could turn their hand to anything - I don't think a lot exist. The whole business would then become different, sorting out other peoples problems, dealing with staff, etc. I wondered about a trainee / apprentice, but can't afford my own time to train them.

The other thing I find hard is working in isolation. I don't think many appreciate the comaradary in a work place until it is gone. Radio

2 helps!!

I don't have much of a social life, paper work, quotations, ordering in the evenings, etc. and my knee hurts like hell!!

Cheers Colin

[IMM]

Go to the local Chamber of Commerce. Some of them run courses on how to run and market your own business.

[IMM]

Corgi "revision" course? Had you done it before?

Plumbers, gas engineers and electricians suffer from Housemaids knee. Get kneepads. Some overalls have them built-in now.

[IMM]

Well, do you earn more money than IT?

[Dave Liquorice]

Where did you say you were based?

Useful titbit that the single point of contact for a whole job, done by one person, is a selling point. I much prefer to do "projects" rather than silly little one offs.

[ColinMcK]

No - as you may know, it is generally theory - so can be studied in your own time - the instructor did say you won't pass without studying. To gain entry to the exams you need to show that you are qualified or have extensive experience - I have the latter.

Have them! (the trousers)

[ColinMcK]

I would say no - but I was a contractor (55K turnover). I can earn 1K profit (not including overhead) in a week doing a bathroom - but that doesn't happen every week. I already had a Ltd company from IT contracting and pensions, insurances, etc were all in place ie. I am used to losing that part of profit.

I have had to add public liability insurance, van purchase and running.

The other benefit of multi-trade work is that you can justify any tooling you like - against the business

[ColinMcK]

West Lothian

[IMM]

What do they charge for that, and what does it allow you to work on.? There are different CORGI categories.

[rrh]

£75 an hour. That's what Pimlico Plumbers tried to charge me last year for fitting two new taps (supplied by me) to my bathroom basin. Now, if they had done it in an hour that wouldn't have been too bad. But it took two of them (wait for it) 11.5 man/hours in total - yes, just to fit two taps and associated drainage. OK the basin was in an awkward position and they had to cut a new hole in the wall because the new drain pipe didn't match the old. But by far the most time was spent lying on their backs trying to get at the fittings. I could hardly believe it. The final bill was pennies short of £900 - later reduced to a bargain £740 "on appeal".

I didn't call them in - I had just returned to the house after letting it for years and my managing agents did. I needed it done in a hurry. But it was an object lesson in what it can mean to be "professional": you struggle as much as the DIYer and end up doing no better a job (or a worse one) but you wear a nice uniform, talk very nicely and politely to the clients and drive a lovely shiny new van. Throw in some vastly expensive Central London premises to fund and there you go.

[sPoNiX]

Nope.

[Dave Liquorice]

At least it's the right end of the country, I'm just over the border on the North Pennines. Still quite a journey up though...

[BigWallop]

GEES A JOB MATE !!! If you can put up with a really ugly mug all day, I'll be your dog.