Where's all the work gone?

[PC Electrics]

After an absence of 5 weeks for an operation, my Apprentice returns tomorrow. Trouble is that there is no work in diary for this week. First time in 6 years self employed this has happened. Never sat down on a Sunday afternoon before with a blank diary in front of me.

Plumber I know (and who I get a fair bit of work from) has been virtually idle for last 3 weeks.

Builder I get work from is movng away from the area soon. He's turning work away, so the knock on is that none of that is coming my way.

Phone had better start ringing soon!!

 

[husky2013]

We hadn't had any work for nearly 6 weeks, not even a phone call, over the past 2 weeks we have had 2 weekends worth of work and a 3ph install pencilled in for the 22nd June, we seem to have a few weeks slump then we r busy,

It will pick up mate

Try a few different advertising mediums, at moment we are offering a free electrical safety visual inspection! Perhaps leaflets try vista print. 1000 glossy printed leaflets inc delivery I paid

 

[Manator]

I always have blank dates normally around April when end of year accounts and all the financial leaders have had the requests for funding.

Its never an idle time though, we look at market strategies, where we can improve our services and anything else that we can think of to improve how we operate. Perfect timing for further training courses and catching up on any legislative guidelines we have missed.

 

[batty]

Phone has certainly got quiet at the minute. I do have a few ongoing jobs and a few that need finishing but it certainly quiet times. I never advertise as I get enough work from word of mouth and regular customers. It is worrying though.

 

[steptoe]

since going SE again at the beginning of the year I was quiet for the first couple of weeks, post xmas I suppose,

just getting busier and busier since, Im turning work away, mostly the small one off jobs that I know wont lead to anything else.

completely snowed for the next few weeks,

I do a bit of subbing though, (thats regular money), but that has got a lot lighter this past month, its mainly my own work that is getting more and more.

something will come up, its just a matter of being able to hang in there long enough PC.

 

[PC Electrics]

Thanks Streety. I've been thinking about leafleting our estate with an offer for changing smokes. The houses are between 12 and 17 years old (about 350 or so) and so all the original smokes are past their 10 year change date now.

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Phone has certainly got quiet at the minute. I do have a few ongoing jobs and a few that need finishing but it certainly quiet times. I never advertise as I get enough work from word of mouth and regular customers. It is worrying though.

Same here. Haven't advertised in about 18 or so months now. But thinking about an ad in this weeks 'Flash' though.

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I always have blank dates normally around April when end of year accounts and all the financial leaders have had the requests for funding.Its never an idle time though, we look at market strategies, where we can improve our services and anything else that we can think of to improve how we operate. Perfect timing for further training courses and catching up on any legislative guidelines we have missed.

Yes, I've known about the Honeywell one for a while, and have just discovered the Aico scheme. I've applied to Aico and think I'll do the same for Honeywell. Neither is new teritory, but you can claim "Trained Installer" status and use it in advertising (or just bigging yourself up). As they're free, can't do any harm and might help from a 'kudos' perspective.

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Never known it this quiet. It's even made me think about applying to go back to LRJ - they're advertising right across the company and I've even seen my old job advertised at a salary I could only have dreamed of when I was there in the 90s.

I'd go in as a contractor if I only had myself to consider, but I'm an employer now!

 

[Sidewinder]

PC,

Go for JLR mate you know you should.

I'm sure your apprentice will understand, unfortunately you have to look after No. 1.

If the jobs were down here I'd be applying myself, hence why I went for the NG job a few months ago.

 

[Evans Electric]

As I keep posting ,ad nauseum , my phone hardly rings . A local ELECSAite I know is much the same now.

However the sparks who I've worked with for years ,after a spell of living off his savings ,has picked up again , with a local Bathroom/Kitchen/Bedroom fitting business.

These are hard times . I too wonder whether PC should look out for No.1 a little more , I know JLR are booming at the moment .

Strangely my wholesaler reckons they are hitting their monthly sales targets . Couple of Asian guys have been spending big , seem to be doing a lot of Asian type banquetting / wedding type places , that can't go on for ever though.

Blige !!! There was a time when I was their best customer !!! Not anymore I'm not .

 

[ProDave]

Feast and Famine for me.

Last week I only worked 2 days. Well it was a bank holiday and had one nice day sailing.

I've got 2 new builds, both approaching second fix, and I just know they are both going to be ready at the same time. I'm doing my best to encourage one of them to get ready for some work this week, as I know the other will be ready next week.

But apart from those two, nothing on the horizon.

Oh and an Office PA testing tomorrow (yawn)

Still had a nice 14 day B&B booking today, so that takes the pressure off having to do too much sparkying.

 

[Evans Electric]

Feast and Famine for me.Last week I only worked 2 days. Well it was a bank holiday and had one nice day sailing.

I've got 2 new builds, both approaching second fix, and I just know they are both going to be ready at the same time. I'm doing my best to encourage one of them to get ready for some work this week, as I know the other will be ready next week.

But apart from those two, nothing on the horizon.

Oh and an Office PA testing tomorrow (yawn)

Still had a nice 14 day B&B booking today, so that takes the pressure off having to do too much sparkying.

I worked 1 day last week .

 

[M107]

The work here has slowed up, even my wholesaler said footfall through the door is down.

My phone did ring this morning at 07:30

"Morning your brother is our nextdoor neighbour & said to call you as our electric went off last night & hasnt come back on, we thought it was a power cut but everybody else in the road has power"

Ok are you on a mobile phone?

"yes"

Go outside your front door to the meter box to the left of the front door.

Now open the meter box door if you need a key get lazy boy next door out of bed.

"I have a key .......Meter box is open"

Now open the little box that says Memera & push the red switch up.

"Excellent its all back on....I owe you a beer or two"

Would have been a 30 mile round trip if I'd have gone and done it.

 

[ProDave]

The work here has slowed up, even my wholesaler said footfall through the door is down.My phone did ring this morning at 07:30

"Morning your brother is our nextdoor neighbour & said to call you as our electric went off last night & hasnt come back on, we thought it was a power cut but everybody else in the road has power"

Ok are you on a mobile phone?

"yes"

Go outside your front door to the meter box to the left of the front door.

Now open the meter box door if you need a key get lazy boy next door out of bed.

"I have a key .......Meter box is open"

Now open the little box that says Memera & push the red switch up.

"Excellent its all back on....I owe you a beer or two"

Would have been a 30 mile round trip if I'd have gone and done it.

Reminds me of the time an old lady phoned me "all my lights are not working"

Not wishing to leave a disabled, old lady alone in a dark house I went after I finished work that day.

The fault was 3 blown bulbs in the kitchen, and the fuse in the FCU feeding the conservatory lights had blown. : headbang

Everything else was working. It would have waited until I was next round that way, rather than wasting a 40 mile round trip. Last time I let her call wolf.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Things are quieter than normal but recently had quite enough to stop me twiddling me thumbs...

Last week 2 & 1/2 days "earning work" 1/2 day quote visiting, 2 days Bank holiday...

The week before that it was 30+ hours spread over a five days,

couple of 6hr days, a couple of 8 hour days and couple of hours on the other day...

Before that had a short bust of quick half day fixes, faulty showers etc..

Generally Mix of brand new customers and old faithful re-visits to previous customers..

So TBH Looking over the past month I am not complaining at the moment..

Obviously I have know things busier and would always welcome a bit more work...

But in the current climate overall things are good from my perspective...

I have at least 4 days work lined up this week..

PLUS my one daughter who is down at Southampton UNI..

while Skyping her tonight she just happened to slip out the question...

Oh dad can you come and fetch me back home one of the days this week???

{she is now board cuz her flat mates have all gone home this weekend!! :| }

So I have got to jiggle a few bookings around and slot in a Taxi run down to Southampton and back as well!!!

:C

 

[Steve3948]

Same, my boy's at Leicester Uni and want's to come home Friday for the summer, I've told him it might have to be Sunday.

 

[MKS]

Been luckily busy past few months, I always find the slow tiwmes is a chance to spend with family and that bit of work you havebeen putting off. Put a quote for smallish job really did not want so over priced but got anyway, must have been my English/Aussie accent that swung it lol

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Been luckily busy past few months, I always find the slow totiwmes is a chance to spend with family and that bit of work you havebeen putting off. Put a quote for smallish job really did not want so over priced but got anyway, must have been my English/Aussie accent that swung it lol

 

[paul b b]

Need to do some jobs for assessment. wife says friend of hers needs a fuse board change and a shower circuit in...I think great will pay for the assessment only she told them I would do it for free!!! And supply everything at cost so I will be out of pocket on fuel now...not happy

 

[M107]

I can beat that; I did a job for my assessment told the customer it was for my assessment so would do a slightly cheaper deal. Day before assessment I get a call "ever so sorry mate but I've got to go abroad for work tonight, so will not be here for your assessment".

Just aswel my brother-inlaw was available, meant I had to take my assessor on a trip to Reading.

 

[Theorysparky]

I went social house bashing as it was that bad,,kicked off that to a refurb job,,,,, garage conversion,, cu change,,

possible 15-20 properties requiring mains smokes and thats it

as for leaflet dropping,,,,,did 1000 a month ago glossy type not tacky not a call

terraced houses,,semi's ,detached all types nout

previous 1000 last year i got one phone call from a builder from out of town.......

3 refurbs 3 cu changes and lighting rewire in the summer.... overall a waste of time !!!

 

[husky2013]

we are quite lucky with our assesment job as its at my parents house, both of which will be somewhere in the med on a boat at the time of assessment.

otherwise most of our other jobs are about an hour away from our house.

 

[Jono Pashley]

This maintainence firm are keeping me busy but its not all electrical lot of small plumbing and general jobs get its keeping the cogs turning so will go with it til other work picks up.