Carrying Out And Certifing Own Work

[Jase1985]

Hi All,

Just signed up on the search for some info.

I'm a time served, apprentice trained electrician with 15 years experience. I worked on the books until recently, I am now self employed subcontracting to an electrical company but wish to work completely independent. I would like to know of any tips you could kindly supply to build a client base and your experience of the initial plunge into self employment. 

If possible can you please explain what I should do with regards to certifying my work? I'm currently using the ICertifi app and would like to know if it is necessary to register with the NIC or similar?

Your views and inputs would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks chaps.

 

[Evans Electric]

Greetings  Jase  & welcome to the Forum .    Stay with us , this is the best one .

I agree with your thoughts of going independent but you may need to do a little subbying to survive. 

So, if you are going to do a lot of domestic , extensions with builers , new builds etc , unfortunately you need to register so you can sign off your own work with Local Building Control  .  If you don't , it will cost you about £400  per job for the LBC to certify your jobs  and all sensible builders will look for a registered sparks.     ( Same as the the Gas Safe thing ) 

This would be the Domestic Installer nonsense with NICEIC  /  ELECSA  /  NAPPITT /  STROMA  etc .         STROMA is the cheapest by the way , about half what the others charge .   Average is around £400  per year.  STROMA about  £240  I think.   We can elaberate on all that if you want .

If you are going for commercial / industrial work   you could either not bother with registering but to be honest you will find the NICEIC  Full Approval , or whatever they call it ,the best option .  

There are many threads on here on this subject but things change so thats OK .

I don't know anything about Cert Apps  I just have a book of them from ELECSA.    You are supposed to test & cert everything you do .

Advice on building a client base ..........OK .... the law of the universe is ... its who you know & who knows you ..that keeps you working .  

Don't waste money on mainstream advertising , like Yellow Yodelling Pages  or whatever they're called .

If you want to be doing domestic extensions ,  kitchen / bathroom refurbs ...you need to introduce yourself to your local builders.     If find a sensible  one who pays you on time ,     clutch him to your bosom and never let him go ....he is a rarity to be cherished!!!

Best local advertising , in my opinion , is the sides of your van .   Don't have it plastered with a load of bumph ...just    Jase 1985...  Electrical Contractor

......Leeds   ( to show you are local )   then phone number .     Could put  Industrial / Commercial . Domestic if thats what you do .   But the message its giving is .  Here I am  ..I'm a Sparks ....I'm  based in Leeds .....  I do Ind / Comm/ Dom  .... heres my number.

Another useful local thing is a website called Streetlife  which is local to wherever you live ,  Joe public asking for trusted builders . plumbers/ sparks , well worth a look .

If you join a Part P assessing outfit  ( as above)  they include you on the register of installers , which people look up online  for their nearest sparks.

So best if you tell us what type of work you're looking for ...and tomorrow the guys on here be offering their excellent advice .

I've been in the trade for about 200 years and take it from me ....its who you know & who knows you that matters . 

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

We used to have the vans signwritten. In 10 years never had 1 single job from this but had phone calls all the time from salesmen trying to flog us stuff. We still put a 1m square advertising board outside jobs we are there for more than a day and (as far as I am aware) never had response from that. Its 100% recommendations that keeps us busy.

 

[Murdoch]

Tips on building a client base:

1. Be polite.

2. Be good at time keeping

3. Keep to commitments

4. Have decent business cards with your address, land line and mobile numbers

5. Have a website which clearly includes 4. above

6. Invest in logo'ed shirts, sweat shirts and fleece etc

7. Use local wholesalers and get known

8. Buddy "up" with complimentary "trades"

9. Of you are going to do domestic and do notifiable work then join Stroma (£288 per year) -

10. Make sure you provide certificates with your invoices

11. Don't commit yourself to just a couple of builders

12. And what the others above have said!

Good luck

 

[Essex1]

Welcome. The guys above have all given great advice here. Don't expect it overnight however. You will hit peaks and troughs just don't panic.

We do not advertise at all and 100% of our new enquirers is through word of mouth and recommendations.

Communications is the key I think. People love to be kept up to date on info no matter how silly you think the info is.

 

[davetheglitz]

We all have different methods to get where we want (all jobs by recommend) - what's worked for me is local advertising (remember you're advertising as an Electrician - not who you are), looking after little old ladies (LOL jobs as I call them - biggest gossips ever so don't upset them!), leaflet drops (don't big yourself up and offer a service - an amateurish self produced leaflet works better than a glossy artistic one - it's the message that counts) and fair pricing - if a job goes well and I finish under time I charge to my hourly rate. If you get a reputation as an honest trader, communicate well, keep people informed and do the business I think you can get there! Good luck!

 

[binky]

We used to have the vans signwritten. In 10 years never had 1 single job from this but had phone calls all the time from salesmen trying to flog us stuff. We still put a 1m square advertising board outside jobs we are there for more than a day and (as far as I am aware) never had response from that. Its 100% recommendations that keeps us busy.

I've had quite  few jobs off the signwriting, but the vans are more about building brand awareness - when people google 'sparky' and see your name come up, it registers with them as a name they have seen driving around for years, so you are more likely to get a call.

 

[Essex1]

I've had quite  few jobs off the signwriting, but the vans are more about building brand awareness - when people google 'sparky' and see your name come up, it registers with them as a name they have seen driving around for years, so you are more likely to get a call.

Couldn't agree more. We work in a specialist field and no one is going to call us out the blue for a job. It is about looking the part and hopefully giving the impression that you care about your image. If someone turns up in a beaten up old van what does that tell the customer?

 

[Sidewinder]

Essex,

I find it hard to believe that I agree with you again!

Something is well amiss with the Universe I think!!!

In all seriousness though, yes brand awareness & image are important.

I have no branded workwear, nor van, but, my van is tidy and respectable.

I have "work" polo shirts that I wear all the time, so I do "kind" of have a "uniform".

The reason for this is that I do specialist stuff for other electrical contractors, and other specialist companies, so, their customer does not know that I am a contractor.

They like it that way, so fine.

Plus, no one knows what's in the van that way, so less tempting for the less desirables to investigate I hope.

If I'm travelling doing consultancy so don't need tools, I use a car anyway.

 

[Essex1]

People are gonna start to talk?

 

[Sidewinder]

I am always being talked about anyway, nothing good ever comes of it!

 

[Rob_the_rich]

My van is un-signed too, doesn't stop undesirables trying to get in, but I think there are less of them without the signage being an advert. If you do subbing work, an unsigned van is a plus.

polo/sweat shirts with your name (& scam logo?) embroidered is a good investment I think. Not a good idea down the pub though

 

[Sidewinder]

No point in Scam logo's for me >70% of my work is nowt to do with the scams, and it would only get the 70% asking what I was doing as a "scam" contractor working on their kit as it is nowt to do with said "scam" IYKWIM.

 

[Andy™]

polo/sweat shirts with your name (& scam logo?) embroidered is a good investment I think. Not a good idea down the pub though

i wouldnt be advertising any scams on shirts etc. the most they got was a small sticker on the back of the van but that was removed a long time ago. not that i have a scam to advertise at the moment anyway...

 

[steptoe]

its like spot the 5w in the wholesalers, most anyone with a polo shirt and a scam on it,  :slap

 

[Essex1]

you cannot blame people for using the schemes as much as the schemes ues them.

 

[kerching]

its like spot the 5w in the wholesalers, most anyone with a polo shirt and a scam on it,  :slap

And why do they all turn up wearing a fully loaded toolbelt?

FFS i cannot even drive with a neon in my pocket without risking it stabbing an 'asset'

Just saying

 

[thebight]

Sparky Facts has loads of useful information on starting out. Perhaps start here and then use the links down the left to look further:

http://www.sparkyfacts.co.uk/Business_Marketing_for_electricians.php

 

[Spaldingsparks]

Starting on your own find a business studies course! do some prep loads of good sparks start up as subies last a few months nearly go bust and end up subbing to others in an unmarked van, 

if you want a business that's going to be employing sparks you need to put in a lot of hard graft before you start

1, you should be fully trained with experience and guts

2, you need all the right equipment computer, tools, test meters, van, insurances, accountant, wholesalers accounts, health and safety advice,

3,local Contacts

4, profit, profit, profit,

ie charge the going rate not your wage rate plus a bit! find out what the local Decent firm doing  for example domestic and ask their day work rates charge the same.  

yes charge the same! they are still in business because they charge correctly. 

your costs will be more than theirs per man employed ie YOU! they can share their costs amongst there staff 1 van 2 men test equipment etc (think about it) 

5, spend at least 15%of your time working on your business not in it. 

remember most builders use Sparkys to fund their works don't spend all your time chasing money dump bad payers ASAP

good luck

all electrical companys large and small had to start up and most by 1 or 2 sparks doing what you are.