Indeed - but as you have proved, you can differentiate yourself from the crowd with some careful positioning and marketing - skills many of them won't have.
Trouble is a lot of vulnerable folks who just want to "do something" get swept up with the them and suddenly find they have blown their life savings on something that will save them £70/year.
Not all social services offer them, there can be a waiting list or delay, and some elderly people would rather buy their own than have 'charity' from the council.
Owain
It is worth thinking of a plan if you became unable to do the manual work for any reason. Much as I hope that doesn't happen, sole traders are particularly vulnerable to this issue through injury or illness. Are you turning down enough work to take on another person? Quite understand if you've decided you just don't want the hassel.
This goes back the subject of your mail - what value are you adding for the markup? If the answer is none, then you open yourself up to be undercut.
In message , Andrew Gabriel writes
One area which prospers unaffected by recession is support for the elderly.
From a *handyman* POV this probably means installing grab rails, re-positioning wash basins/toilets etc.
Adult care services or a local equivalent may be interested to learn of your availability.
regards
Sorry Andrew, grey moment - don't understand that. No markup would mean a lower price, so I wouldn't be undercut?
People living in the new build barret boxes need storage but are reluctant to sacrifice garden space so find a shed (metal or wood) that provides a good combination of storage against footprint. Buy sheds direct from the manufacturer and install them.on prebuilt bases. You could also add value by allowing the user to specify shelving etc. Compile list of barrett box developements ...Print leaflets ...hire students to deliver.
Arthur
In message , Tim Lamb writes
Ding ding ...
wakes up
Several years ago, an ex-member of this group (pops his head in occasionally) gave me a stairlift for my father
I dropped it off, but live too far away to have been able to install it at the time - he did find someone eventually who was an ex- stannah (?) installer, but there are not many freelance stair lift installers around,
hardly rocket science (well not unless you install it incorrectly - "an
86 year old grandmother from Chatham became Britain's first astronaut yesterday ...")
Not a bad swap that Geoff.
Indeed - bit of fixing & wiring up. Wonder how to market the idea. I'm pursueing the Age Concern idea, I'll ask them.
He was old and worn out ...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "dennis@home" saying something like:
Ha. There's a huge stitch-up going on here with the prices of all the eco-bollox heating appliances. They can be bought and installed by a diy-er if he wants, but he'll pay the full price for them. The full price is extortionate and only worthwhile if the grant is got - in which case it has to be put in by an approved installer. Funnily enough, when I look at a typical pellet burner, say, I can't see where the full price is justified. The difference between the price I would think fair and the price being asked, is co-incidentally I'm sure, made up for by grant money. Iow, the makers and sellers are coining it in and the Govt are being royally ripped off by subsidising the difference.
I think he was referring to adding value rather as opposed to merely adding to the price.
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