Self employed or not this is the question?

[GrannySmiff]

Hi all,

I am currently doing

2330 lvl 2-3
2382 17th edition
2377 PAT
2391 Inspection
and the one and only Partly proficient (part p)

Now all of this will not be in the bag until about September this year, I am lucky enough to be getting some very good domestic experience so much so that I now feel I could go self employed myself.

So there lies the question bearing in mind obviously the current climate, would you recommend I set up and throw everything into the domestic self employed market or what I was originally going to do go and work commercial/industrial with some big firm.

I live in Cambridge and think I could get work self employed but am a bit nervous about just getting patchy work for a long period of time.

Opinions welcome.

Thanks,

James.

 

[Sintra]

That's a hard call mate.

Commercial and industrial experience is invaluble and going for that option you are guaranteed a wage every week.

I personally work for a firm and wouldn't have it any other way as I have already been down the self employed route in the past.

 

[bugsy]

How much do like a gamble?
If your employed at the moment stick with your employer but ask if you can become a subbie, get UTR sorted and start advertising doing the work weekends / evenings if after a period of time you feel you can go it aloneand make enough to support yourself take the plunge
But don't forget to register with NIC-EIC Nappit or ECA , sort out your P/L and buy a van.

 

[GrannySmiff]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, not a popular question though, I guess its been asked plenty of times before.

I still have quite a while to decide anyway so maybe nearer crunch time I will have more of an idea, I think if I could get in with a good commercial company I would like that but from what everybody seems to be saying is jobs are sparse and I will be up against more experienced sparks.

Cheers.

 

[Johno]

I did my apprenticeship with a firm doing commercial/industrial and the experience was great, but the majority of the work was away. So when I got qualified and confident I went on my own, mainly doing domestic, and I rarely work more than 10 miles away. It has definately worked for me, it helps if you don't have mortgages, etc to pay while you are getting established though.

 

[eddielarge]

BAD POINTS with self employed

there is a big outlay each week , ins ,van phone etc. charging £160 a day wont cover it so you need to start charging more to cover over heads

GOOD POINTS



LESS TO TAX MAN .. i almost fall over when i find out what cardies pay in tax

 

[cbw]

You know my views on this.....Go self employed!!!!

I will help in any way I can!

As previously mentioned, it would be good to get things rolling now, look into local papers, regional news letters, start buying a few tools etc.

I have yet again turned down a load more work, you know I would put this your way come September...........

As long as you go in the loft, your younger than me!!!!

 

[Jason Smith]

Self employed wages run from 0 per week, £200 a week, to 2k per week. after a period of time when its all built up. Trick is to finish every job you do, and keep a back list of customers that have needs, that you can call in to avoid the 0 earnings per week. If you are not stressed by having to earn loads every week without fail to pay van leases, big mortgages etc, then its the way to go- now do I have to be up in the morning, no, well not till eight anyway as got two small jobs to do, weekend off- yes, unless the phone rings. Monday, ah- dossing around the suppliers getting bits for start of rewire tuesday- WORK FOR A FIRM, er no- had 20 years of that !!

 

[Jason Smith]

You know my views on this.....Go self employed!!!!

I will help in any way I can!

As long as you go in the loft, your younger than me!!!!

View attachment 1084

I see you are short of a full head of hair like wot I am. The problem is that when about to make contact with a blunt obstacle, called a rafter, one does not get a warning of impending contact from your hair, as like me, you have none. therfore lack of duck usually ends up in a scab and spots of blood on tissue (nicked bog roll ) problem can be solved by purchasing a baseball cap, which has a hard insert inside. about a tenner. You wear it peak facing backwards, and this allows head torch to be straped to it. Any more dents in my swede and I swear they will refuse to heal. still problem solved now.

 

[cbw]

Thats GS....I have even less hair and the scars on the bonce to prove it!!!!!!!

I have one of those hard baseball caps.....never worn it,too vain, however in the loft that sounds like a great idea, also wont have the little white patch where the head torch was!!!!!!

 

[GrannySmiff]

Corr who is that dashing chap scrambling around in the loft,

Still unsure of what to do though, if I go self employed would I be able to sub contract my self out in a comercial/industrial sense aswell as domestic as I will have the quals for it and seems a shame to not use all the knowledge I am learning, e.g. power factor correction.