Acceptable jobs for Niceic domestic installer certification

[DaveS79]

It might be worth asking the scheme of choice before you go paying out BC fees, I say this as there used to be a time frame with which a job should be registered for part p, so you may well be able to do a job and register it once scam has accepted your membership?? Don’t know if this has changed as out of that particular loop these days. 

Sharpend thanks for heads up. I phoned them today what they said was that they don't police notification so looks like it would be entirely up to me to notify. I would of course but ideally like you say can just do the job in my home ie the CU change get approved and then notify the job through them

 

[Andy™]

Sharpend thanks for heads up. I phoned them today what they said was that they don't police notification so looks like it would be entirely up to me to notify. I would of cause but ideally like you say can just do the job in my home ie the CU change get approved and then notify the job through them

technically, you should be getting LABC involved before the works starts because youre not registered. in reality, just carry on & notify once youve passed

 

[binky]

Sharpend thanks for heads up. I phoned them today what they said was that they don't police notification so looks like it would be entirely up to me to notify. I would of course but ideally like you say can just do the job in my home ie the CU change get approved and then notify the job through them

in that case save the money and notify after scheme enrolment.  :^O  They tend to be more interested in the cert numbers matching reality, calibration control of test gear and being able to demonstrate safe working procedures. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Firstly there are other CPS than the NICEIC , like Elecsa, Stroma and Napit.

All can give you information on what they find acceptable for the assessment, plus exams, insurances, tools, calibration, books etc.

I think you will struggle to get a small job like you outline accepted. And it's not notifiable in England

My advice would be to speak to each of the schemes and see what they say.

A fuseboard change and a new circuit seem to be common installations people show

Hope this helps

+1 reckon I agree with pretty much all of this...   :Salute

But I would also add...

Ask all of your "non-electrical" friends family, cousins, mates down the pub.. etc.. etc...

if any of them are aware of any names of the Electrical competent persons schemes....

It will give you a random, non-scientific straw-poll of how many members of Joe-public may have actually heard of NICEC/ELECSA/STROMA/NAPIT...etc..

Irrespective of cost, it is probably worth going with the name that you think more people know about...

Paying cheap for a relatively unknown brand may be less economically worth while than paying a bit more for a brand that may give you a bit more clout with public image.

Guinness   

 

[DaveS79]

+1 reckon I agree with pretty much all of this...   :Salute

But I would also add...

Ask all of your "non-electrical" friends family, cousins, mates down the pub.. etc.. etc...

if any of them are aware of any names of the Electrical competent persons schemes....

It will give you a random, non-scientific straw-poll of how many members of Joe-public may have actually heard of NICEC/ELECSA/STROMA/NAPIT...etc..

Irrespective of cost, it is probably worth going with the name that you think more people know about...

Paying cheap for a relatively unknown brand may be less economically worth while than paying a bit more for a brand that may give you a bit more clout with public image.

Guinness   

Thanks for input speciallocation. Your thinking is similar to mine. Unfortunately it seems like most people better acquainted with just NIC. Whenever I have spoke to builders in past or elsewhere for possibility of work it is NIC they have asked if have. Although begrudge paying bit extra it seems like better sell when touting for work. Plus they do have that 5 year thingy insurance thingy for cover repair of work/aswell as my own PL insurance of course so I suppose it all helps sell my work

 

[NozSpark]

I'm an Approved Contractor with the NIC... and probably get 100 times what it costs annually in turn over as a direct result of being with them

Some members of other schemes say that their scheme will phone companies etc on your behalf to argue the fact that they are no different to the NIC... I never have that issue,,, plus I get the phone calls from customer that only want NIC contractors when others won't even get that

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Thanks for input speciallocation. Your thinking is similar to mine. Unfortunately it seems like most people better acquainted with just NIC. Whenever I have spoke to builders in past or elsewhere for possibility of work it is NIC they have asked if have. Although begrudge paying bit extra it seems like better sell when touting for work. Plus they do have that 5 year thingy insurance thingy for cover repair of work/aswell as my own PL insurance of course so I suppose it all helps sell my work

I am with NIC for Domestic Part-P work..

Others don't like them...   :C

But so far personally I find the membership costs pay for themselves without to much hassle or aggro!

As or when the returns seem to be missing or below par -vs- the outgoings, then I may consider changing...……….

Its not happened yet!

Guinness

 

[DaveS79]

I'm an Approved Contractor with the NIC... and probably get 100 times what it costs annually in turn over as a direct result of being with them

Some members of other schemes say that their scheme will phone companies etc on your behalf to argue the fact that they are no different to the NIC... I never have that issue,,, plus I get the phone calls from customer that only want NIC contractors when others won't even get that

Thanks Noz 

Niciec does seem to be the most widely recognised so am going with them. Any advice with getting started out would be greatly appreciated. I'm going with domestic installer initially just because I think this will be easier to get registered as but am open and and a bit undecided on the preferred work I want to try to focus on for the longer term. Am a bit concerned focusing only on the domestic could be abit cut throat and wrangling and justifying price to customers continuously because they don't realise your overheads isn't something I wouldn't want to be doing all the time

I am with NIC for Domestic Part-P work..

Others don't like them...   :C

But so far personally I find the membership costs pay for themselves without to much hassle or aggro!

As or when the returns seem to be missing or below par -vs- the outgoings, then I may consider changing...……….

Its not happened yet!

Guinness

Let's hope that's the case for me too cheers mate

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Any advice with getting started out would be greatly appreciated. I'm going with domestic installer initially just because I think this will be easier to get registered as but am open and and a bit undecided on the preferred work I want to try to focus on for the longer term. Am a bit concerned focusing only on the domestic could be abit cut throat and wrangling and justifying price to customers continuously because they don't realise your overheads isn't something I wouldn't want to be doing all the time

When starting out you really do need to know exactly what customers you are aiming to reach... That is just basic good business principals..

e.g.  you don't go opening a shop then think.. ohh what shall I sell??  sweets/clothes/second-hand records/car spares/jewellery/pet food/E-cigarettes...….  

and you don't mix high quality top brand goods with cheap bargain basement unbranded stuff as the type of customers are very different categories...

each having different expectations and budgets.

Sometimes people make the mistake of branding all electrical work as the same service and product..  but its not. If you stop and think about say..

Building site work: first fixing a row of half dozen detached properties for a local builder...

Light commercial breakdown & maintenance: keeping a varied selection of 3-phase & single phase machines & tools, fixed & portable on a small industrial estate working as & when 24/7.

Domestic alterations#1: fitting new recessed downlights in the master bedroom, en-suit and kitchen in a big posh property with large gated driveway.

Domestic additions#2: running a new circuit down the back garden to the shed/workshop from a small two-bed terraced town house down a narrow side road with no off-street parking. 

Rural agricultural: putting the power in to a new milking parlour on a farm that is miles away from the nearest wholesaler.

Have a think about the types of materials, tools, protective clothing, size of vehicle needed to facilitate the work....
Unless you are absolutely top-notch at working out how many fixings & connectors etc.. you are going to need for each and every job,

You will have to carry are certain quantity of stock as well as your tools so the jobs don't grind to a halt...

But you don't want to be wasting fuel driving a heavy van full of industrial type fixings and cable if your doing domestic alterations and first-fixes for a local builder!

And you don't want to have to keep saying 'no' to urgent breakdowns on the widget-making machine,

because you have got to get the upstairs cables in on the new extension, before the plasters come and board the room tomorrow!

Or you can't go bowling into Mr & Mrs Poshnuts bedroom in your dirty boots/clothes from the factory breakdown or farm alterations..

Unless you are partnering up with some other guys who can assist with covering the different bases as and when,

It can be quite a tricky juggling task trying to be all things to everyone..

Plus you can end up with a lot of dead money tied up in stock and tools that are not earning you any regular income!

The old phrase 'Jack of all trades & Master of none' is sill true even within the various sectors of electrical work..

Only you know the area where you live, and how far and for how long you are prepared to travel to jobs...

and what distribution of homes/offices/factories/shops etc.. there are within your locality..

You need to suss out who are your target customers and who else is already out there doing the jobs that you are aiming to get?

Think of your tools & equipment as your employees, are they earning you money doing regular work for you?

Not many business like to have a member of staff who only works 4 times a year...

but be more pleased with a team working 3 and 4 days a week each even if they cant work every day!

You have also got to be aware of rouge, timewasting, uncommitted, late paying, mind changing, customers...

who will change the tune every time you speak to them.

If you are not careful you can end up spending lots of time jumping through their hoops for negligible return...

Its not normally lack of work that kills businesses its cash-flow..  keep all you accounts up to date,

don't overcommit on jobs unless you are 100% sure you will get your payments back on time.

:Salute

 

[DaveS79]

When starting out you really do need to know exactly what customers you are aiming to reach... That is just basic good business principals..

e.g.  you don't go opening a shop then think.. ohh what shall I sell??  sweets/clothes/second-hand records/car spares/jewellery/pet food/E-cigarettes...….  

and you don't mix high quality top brand goods with cheap bargain basement unbranded stuff as the type of customers are very different categories...

each having different expectations and budgets.

Sometimes people make the mistake of branding all electrical work as the same service and product..  but its not. If you stop and think about say..

Building site work: first fixing a row of half dozen detached properties for a local builder...

Light commercial breakdown & maintenance: keeping a varied selection of 3-phase & single phase machines & tools, fixed & portable on a small industrial estate working as & when 24/7.

Domestic alterations#1: fitting new recessed downlights in the master bedroom, en-suit and kitchen in a big posh property with large gated driveway.

Domestic additions#2: running a new circuit down the back garden to the shed/workshop from a small two-bed terraced town house down a narrow side road with no off-street parking. 

Rural agricultural: putting the power in to a new milking parlour on a farm that is miles away from the nearest wholesaler.

Have a think about the types of materials, tools, protective clothing, size of vehicle needed to facilitate the work....
Unless you are absolutely top-notch at working out how many fixings & connectors etc.. you are going to need for each and every job,

You will have to carry are certain quantity of stock as well as your tools so the jobs don't grind to a halt...

But you don't want to be wasting fuel driving a heavy van full of industrial type fixings and cable if your doing domestic alterations and first-fixes for a local builder!

And you don't want to have to keep saying 'no' to urgent breakdowns on the widget-making machine,

because you have got to get the upstairs cables in on the new extension, before the plasters come and board the room tomorrow!

Or you can't go bowling into Mr & Mrs Poshnuts bedroom in your dirty boots/clothes from the factory breakdown or farm alterations..

Unless you are partnering up with some other guys who can assist with covering the different bases as and when,

It can be quite a tricky juggling task trying to be all things to everyone..

Plus you can end up with a lot of dead money tied up in stock and tools that are not earning you any regular income!

The old phrase 'Jack of all trades & Master of none' is sill true even within the various sectors of electrical work..

Only you know the area where you live, and how far and for how long you are prepared to travel to jobs...

and what distribution of homes/offices/factories/shops etc.. there are within your locality..

You need to suss out who are your target customers and who else is already out there doing the jobs that you are aiming to get?

Think of your tools & equipment as your employees, are they earning you money doing regular work for you?

Not many business like to have a member of staff who only works 4 times a year...

but be more pleased with a team working 3 and 4 days a week each even if they cant work every day!

You have also got to be aware of rouge, timewasting, uncommitted, late paying, mind changing, customers...

who will change the tune every time you speak to them.

If you are not careful you can end up spending lots of time jumping through their hoops for negligible return...

Its not normally lack of work that kills businesses its cash-flow..  keep all you accounts up to date,

don't overcommit on jobs unless you are 100% sure you will get your payments back on time.

:Salute

Thanks again speciallocation for taking so much thought with advice. Good to see on screen the questions I know I need to answer for myself....and some of my concerns. Getting together quite a detailed plan with way forward. Not putting all my eggs in the one basket with a single builder or landlord is safer I think. I also think best bet of ticking over is to focus on domestic primarily at first but at same time even though may be desperate for calls try not to be a bottom feeder...my selling point is your getting a insured qualified professional electrician and you get what you pay for. Clarity on charges before take on job and a chip and pin payment on site or small invoice period where impractical. I hear you loudly on cash flow need to keep this as regular as possible. Also think if aiming primarily at domestic I can at same time try to get some small business call out work, eicr's that sort of stuff. I live near Canary Wharf so can't exactly say I don't have aload of businesses can approach with that. Hopefully the domestic with this sort of stuff can compliment each other. I imagine with offices/businesses it should be easier getting paid appropriate rates also. In terms of tools and experience better set up for this type of work aswell. Plus like said turning up to people's houses covered in muck with van full of swa from industrial job wouldn't work to well 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Just to expand the general concept of starting a business a bit further...

Go and google a few big name business see how they got started...

Say..  Tesco's....  Amazon...  Virgin....  as a random sample..

They are ALL 'multi-service' type providers today..

BUT..

How did they start??

Offering a narrow core-product/service..

or offering a wide range of services??

It is generally much easier to start-up aiming for a specific field..

get that up and running then add extras on later.

Or...  Start walking..  then build up to running when you can do the walking in your sleep.

The fundamental rules are still the same for ALL business start-ups!

Guinness