A liitle advice about own business!

[hoppy]

Hi,

I know most guys on here who have there own businesses worked full time for a firm whilst building up a customer base, and then went on their own once they had enough work to do so!

My question is, how did you build up your customer bases and generate enough work to be able to go alone? I suppose what did you guys do to generate work, was it word of mouth or other advertising techniques?

After some advice as looking to start generating my own work and build up a customer base so I may be able to go alone at the end of next year. Starting to plan now for the future.

So all advice and help is much appreciated.

Thanks

Guys.

(been in the industry 2 years, have level 2 & 3, recently passed 17th, and am 2/3 of way through my NVQ, so still a trainee, an have a lot to learn, but I am very ambitious and would like to do my own thing!)

 

[Lurch]

Spent years doing loads of work at weekends and evenings, went self employed on the back of finding someone who wanted a sub contractor so between the 2 had plenty of work then to carry on. Sort of just made it up as I went along after that.

Was easier then though, no part p to contend with.

 

[sellers]

Best way is word of mouth, get some business cards and dish them out, it will soon start picking up.

Another tip, just go and do it, any customer who rings you up, go and do their job asap! Turn up on time and be clean and they'll have you back. The amount of times someone has rung me up and asked if I can do a job tomorrow at a certain time, i'll move almost any plans to do it, and while your there they'll tell you about the electrician they used to have who was hard to get hold of and would take days to come look at a job. Tada new customer.

 

[danny7299]

It all depends how much you need to earn and how dependent you are on an income.

If you got a 1500 to pay on a morgage per month you have to be sure that you can earn that so you will need a good customer base and a good income ... when I started I made sure I was covered for a year. and I aint looked back.

I also agree with sellers when your setting up you need to move haven and earth to go and be there on time and get the job done... and having a supportive wife helps! I would be bugged with out mine. She is very supportive and understands that when I get a phone call at 2:30am I got to go. We have also cut holidays short because of complications with customers.

But if you don

 

[ProDave]

I went self employed in one go, having taken voluntary redundancy.

Initially advertised in local newspaper and shop windows, plus of course my own website.

At first chance I got a box advert in yellow pages (the printed version) and that's now where 50% of my work comes from. (the other 50% being personal recomendations)

You can sign up for yell.com immediately, but that's expensive, so I only chose the free one line entry on that.

Once you are going, make contacts, get to know people. When you meet other trades on jobs, plumbers, builders, joiners etc, make sure you introduce yourself and give them some business cards. Reciprocate the favour and take their details so next time a customer asks "do you also know a good plumber..."

Get to know your local letting agents. I get quite a lot of PIR's and remedial work from them.

Don't shy away from small jobs. A lot of people don't want to go somewhere just to fix a broken light switch, but I have lost count of how many times a small job like that leads to a larger job later, either for the same person or a friend or relative of them.

Also, see if there are any start up grants. I got almost

 

[Riggy]

All good advice so far, I would add the following:

Think about your target market so that you can target your advertising. Sounds really high faluting but it's not. For example I live in a very rural area so targetted agricultural work. I printed flyers which my wife put under the windscreen wipers of vehicles at auction marts, she also left some on the counters at agricultural merchants etc. I then printed postcards and sent them to every farmer in my area listed in Yellow Pages.

The point made earlier about not turning down the small jobs is crucial. Also don't be surprised if the customer watches you like a hawk when you do the small job, it is very often tester, do it well and you will get the big job!

Finally don't wait for everything to be in place, in never will be - go for it!

 

[Pyro]

Agree with Riggy on being watched like a hawk on the small tester jobs. Don't let that put you off - use it to your advantage:

Use dust-sheets (clean ones) in the area(s) you are working in, clean-up where you have worked, don't leave the offcuts, scraps & bits of plaster that are the byproduct of your work for the customer to clean-up. The extra effort involved is not that much but well worthwhile. Domestic and shop/office/showroom commercial customers are particularly sharp on cleanliness. Having had recommendations based on cleanliness and neatness alone, I believe it is important.

Keeping a tidy and organised van is also good - it's surprising the number of people who think "neat van neat worker; untidy van untidy worker".

 

[hoppy]

Thanks Guys.

some great tips, really appreciate your help.

Craig