Electrical engineer or electrician

[ElectricalEngineerDave]

Hi all

ive been working as a maintenance engineer in an automated food factory for 10 years I competed a mechanical and a desperate electrical apprenticeship 

qualifications electrically city and guilds level 2 and 3 in electrical installation, test and inspection and 17th edition requirements 

I have done fair bit of electrical installation 3 phase industrial and also domestic in my home and for family 

I am daily fault finding on panels plcs servos, ac motors, sensors, pumps, thermocouples, temp controllers ect ect 

I have done a lot of panel building, control com RS , requiring ovens ect,

but I am pondering greatly if I would be better to get 18th edition do something like Napit or nic and just start working for myself 

Has anybody else got advice on how they started up? 
 

and being honest what salary circa could you really earn if you did a normal working week? I get around 40k as an employee and it’s stable but I hate working for somebody else 

thanks 

Electrical apprenticeship*

 

[Sharpend]

Well self employed is good but nothing is guaranteed. 
what about setting up self employed offering the services that you already know? 

 

[Murdoch]

Where are you in the UK?

location matters a lot and I would venture to suggest that on a basic of £40k, plus all the normal benefits including a pension you would struggle to get to that level from a start of zero. It could take you 4 - 5 years to get to this level, if ever

also google electrician in your area and see how many there are.

not trying to be negative, just realistic

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Hi,  welcome to the forum..   Guinness

good question..

often asked...

If you can work the search facility there will be a fair few similar posts on this topic..

But..  its Friday..  I'm happy, having a few  Guinness Guinness Guinness

so I will start typing..   (if it descends into gibberish I've had too-many..

So blame ProDave or Sidewinder..  as I am sure they are on rota to manage the forum Bar tonight?????    :C  )

Anyway...advice..?  

[ Background context:-  After being made redundant in 1998...

doing a few evening courses bringing electrical qualifications all up to date, (plus some Open University courses)...

and looking for other employment whilst on jobseekers allowance..

Finally took the plunge to Self Employment in Feb 1999 ]

During this period I bought a few books about running a business...

If you haven't done this yet, then personally I think it should be a pretty high priority..

Have a google there are loads out there...   

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=starting+self+employement&ref=nb_sb_noss

From my reading a key point I learnt was:-

"Being good a good tradesperson and being a good business manager are two distinctly different skills"

e.g. Consider 3 scenarios..

{1} Someone who is brilliant at the hands-on trade bits..  but rubbish at bookkeeping and managing a business.

{2} A rubbish tradespersons but top notch at sales, marketing and managing and running a business  

{3} A really good all-rounder at doing the work on schedule and in budget plus quite good a marketing themselves to gain new business.

The reality is that No3 is more likely to succeed than No2, Who is also more likely to succeed than No1.

Which is why many very good electricians don't manage to maintain a successful business..

But quite a few poor to mediocre electricians somehow keep rolling on year after year!

What you want to do is not impossible..

But be in no doubt that it is a long hard graft to get yourself established,

and as a general rule most small business start-ups will fail within the first 3 to 5 years..

So reality is, until you start hitting year 6, you are still in the touch & go could fail, if get over-confident stage...

As with a lot of things in the world of work...

Its Who-You-Know, not What-You-Know.....

Most small businesses start-up doing stuff for friends & family..

then word of mouth recommendation starts to add more 'friends-of-friends' to the pool..

Another bit of key advice I read was..

How long could you cope financially if you had no customers for a period of time..?

e.g. maybe due to Illness / Holidays / Personal family commitments / Downturn in general business  etc.. etc..

I read in multiple sources that having sufficient funds in reserve to cover 3months of zero income, 

is generally enough to tide most people through some of the toughest trading conditions..

flubber wubber dubber..

dilly dally doo-wag..

MORE BEER..

Homer Simpson...

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

Oops..

looks like that's it for now?

:slap

:coat

 

[binky]

"Being good a good tradesperson and being a good business manager are two distinctly different skills"

This is so true - I'm not so good at the business bit, and tend to wonder why I don't earn much sometimes  :shakehead . My trouble is I like people and tend to be over generous to them. I learn't a while ago that the best way to do business is to 'not like the customer' and work n the basis that unless I'm getting £x, it's not worth getting out of bed for. 

 

[Murdoch]

This is so true - I'm not so good at the business bit, and tend to wonder why I don't earn much sometimes  :shakehead . My trouble is I like people and tend to be over generous to them. I learn't a while ago that the best way to do business is to 'not like the customer' and work n the basis that unless I'm getting £x, it's not worth getting out of bed for. 

hit, nail and head to a degree

i never pick a fight over the odd cheap extra part or extra 15 minutes. I quote a price for the job and deliver - my goal each and every time is to get paid promptly and get recommendations

and on the very rare occasions I get a call back, I go at the earliest opportunity

 

[binky]

i never pick a fight over the odd cheap extra part or extra 15 minutes. I quote a price for the job and deliver - my goal each and every time is to get paid promptly and get recommendations

Neither do I and I get most of my work by recommendation these days. I try to keep prices mid range. I do know quite  a few contractors who work at the expensive end and yet seem to do well for themselves - not sure if they are good BS merchants or the fact that are usually available tomorrow works for them??