Search the forum,

Discuss Starting up on my own - Advice from those with experience building a customer base would be great in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

slp property maintenance

The struggles of starting up on my own! - Any advice from those with experience? on advertising, laws, documents needed etc. would be great.

I'm a time served heating engineer but my employer's lack of work has pushed me to the decision that id rather work as a domestic heating engineer + plumber than on building sites. i want to have enough work and customers to become self employed, before i get laid off by my current employer. Does anyone have any tips or advice on the best strategy for getting a good flow of work? It'll be interesting to hear what you guys think is the most popular advertising method.

I have ordered 1000 glossy postcard style flyers to post locally but i doubt they'll have a great return rate with work.

Any advice will be much appreciated, although ive been in the game for a good while and have 7+ years experience, i'm only 23 and dont have much experience in business and advertising, so everything feels quite daunting and overwhelming at the minute!

Thanks for taking the time to read - oh i also started my own facebook page - S.L.P Property Maintenance
does anyone get much work using a facebook page?
I'd be hugely grateful if any of you guys like or share my page too!

Thanks,
Sam
 
Going out on your own for the first time, go do a small business course.
Learn what you have to charge to cover all the hidden expenses.
 
Thanks for taking the time to read - oh i also started my own facebook page - S.L.P Property Maintenance
does anyone get much work using a facebook page?
[/QUOTE]

+1 to taking a 'starting your own business' course. Check with your local college. They often run in the evenings.

Keep on good terms with your existing employer. They may be able to pass leads your way or provide you with references.

I'm skeptical about the effectiveness of using Facebook to generate business and you should never put all your eggs in one basket. I think you also need a simple conventional website describing your business, giving a real adress and landline phone number, scheme registration details, etc. Some photos of your own work, quotes praising your work, the usual stuff that will persuade someone who doesn't know you that you're more than a cowboy with a mobile phone.

IMO your van will be an important way of gaining leads. Keep it clean, tidy and in good condition. Have your business and contact details clearly displayed on all sides.

Good luck
 
What's the group that you are part of ? are you in Parr Cornwall ? if so the South west is not one of the best areas to go SE , a lot of work can be seasonal , & you will need to cover more than one fuel type (Oil, LPG, Solid fuel) another down side to this area is what you can charge, Seems every other person is or wants to be a Plumber ! But you may be lucky ! But it wont happen overnight, & keep an eye on your spending, Don't be tempted to rush out and buy a Flash van, seen it happen time & time again, gone in 6 Mths and left with a load of debt, Wish you well & hope that you succeed .
 
My advice ... Be polite , use manners all the time , take care of customers property more than your own , dont even atempt to rip anybody off, watch your price mark-up on materials everybody has access to the net . Always turn up on time , if you cant make an appointment, ring .Dont have the "monk on"when they ring you at 10 oclock on a Sunday night . Listen to what the customer wants , eye contact all the time . Get most of that lot right and you are in with a chance ........Get ready to graft your arse off ....... one last thing , GOOD LUCK !!!
 
Also any bigger jobs take a materials / 50% deposit, least you will have something if they refuse to pay the end balance

And you will get a sense for the good customers try and keep these happy and coming back, there your bread and butter
 
Be organised, try to not let people down. know what your worth and don't be too cheap if possible. I'm still too cheap for certain customers and I find it hard to charge more now. Buy tools as you go along and don't spend in case you might need something, buy when you need it when it comes to specialist gear.

Get yourself listed online on as many free listing websites, get a website. Get cards made throw them at as many people as possible. Get them into staff rooms of people you know etc. Basically if you want it enough there's ways to make it work. At first it's hard and unless you get lucky you might be crying on the couch watching bargain hunt for a few weeks, but if your good and honest and know your job you'll be fine.
 
Try not to take on too much at once be realistic with the amount you can cope with see if you have anyone to call on or share some of the work load....and generally lots of the above info....best of luck..regards Turnpin:)
 
I started on my own two years ago, learning all the time about money management, pricing. The main thing is honesty and doing the job right. Once people can trust you and your work they will advertise for you by word of mouth. Build a vood relationship with other tradesmen e.g electricians,tilers and kitchen fitters etc. They can be a source of work.
I wish you every success in you new venture.
 
Once you are in a position to carry out work. Identify the area you wish to attracted clients. With say 30 flyers and dressed smartly in working cloths over a weekend, start knocking doors. Engaging householders with what you do. Those that show an interest get a flyer. Offer them some method to stick them inside a kitchen cupboard door or airing cupboard. I would be surprised if you do not pick up work immediately from the first 15 knocks. Good Luck
 
First of all you need to learn how to price right without losing so much money. You need get thick skinned.
You also need to start to accept things you normally wouldn't , that's pretty hard let me tell you. Sometimes, it's good to the extra mile to make a good living. If you feel the customer is not good, do not hesitate just walk away.

Get business cards ready, look smart and clean, be polite and always on time, keep customers in a loop, try to contact other sole traders they may have too many jobs so you can start creating a bond so he will transfer some good jobs to you.
Be thankful but DO NOT drop your business cards at the his customers, it may go well for quite a while but once you he will know , he won't use you anymore ( I would not ) ! That's one thing I really hate if people take an advantage and think they are smarter.

I hope it helps and enjoy your weekend as longs as you can :)
 
Set up on my own nearly 4 years ago now. It's had its quiet spells but last 2 years starting to see nice profits. I've made mistakes with advertising regarding the 'top of Google listings' with my website .. don't fall for it! I only advertise on yell.com now and get enough off there, the rest are returning customers or referrals. Nice looking website, blitz the free listings, yell.com, clean van, be polite and always leave the job tidy. Know your limits too, customers won't complain if you admit it's out of your skills, they'd appreciate it rather than you having a wack at it and messing up. Best of luck to you, it's hard work but all good fun :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Reply to Starting up on my own - Advice from those with experience building a customer base would be great in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Creating content since 2001. Untold Media.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock