Being self employed and the coronavirus

[Mike Johnson]

Ok chaps, back to the Corona virus.

 

[happysteve]

Back to @happyhippydad 's original post:

I've had some jobs postponed - from older folk, or those with health issues - until it all blows over (so not outright cancelled), but most bookings still want to go ahead.

I've been phoning/emailing folk with bookings coming up, explaining I'm perfectly happy to postpone if they want. Where it's older clients, and the work is elective rather than a safety issue, I've been trying to put them off.

Enquiries are starting to dry up, and I have no problem with that, it's understandable.

I've been taking precautions when in peoples' homes: touching as little as possible (e.g. bannisters etc) and wiping down everything I do touch as I go or just before I leave. I no longer accept kind offers of tea/coffee.

As time goes on and the social pressure and/or "advice" to avoid "unnecessary" contact ramps up, I suspect I'll be doing safety-related works only.

But it worries me that folk will just try to do things themselves. A couple of times in the last week alone, when doing relatively simple jobs I've uncovered dangerous situations, whereby due to existing faults, they're down to one layer of protection (an earth connection) to avoid electrocution. It's about balancing and assessing the risks (shock/fire risk vs inadvertantly passing on a virus that could kill someone) and it's something I'm just going to have to deal with on a case-by-case basis (until the work runs out and I don't have to worry about it anymore).

Stay safe, folks

 

[buzzlightyear]

no one saw it coming

your wrong on that score ,those bloody airlines company's where still flying in out of china .

 

[SparkyChick]

Guys... Westward has already deleted political points scoring and I've just had to do the same. Keep it up and I'm sure one of us will close the thread.

Now is not the time or place for political arguments. This is a thread about how we are going to cope and what help/advice etc. is available, so grow the f' up and if you can't contribute to the actual topic, take yourself off to another thread.

 

[buzzlightyear]

i have just ordered a cattle prod so if I'm called out to a fault it will come handy ,stay back I said. lol. .

 

[SparkyChick]

If you want to discuss the virus or the politics of the situation... start a thread. Please keep this thread on topic! How many more times???

On the topic at hand...

My phone has gone a little quiet but I have got a bunch of quoted work that people are still wanting to do and a couple of bigger jobs one of which definitely needs doing (rewire for a couple who were supposed to be moving in this weekend). After that, I'm not sure what's happening. I'd like to hibernate but financially I just can't.

I've gradually been ramping up the protection and am now wiping everything down, wearing glove, glasses or goggles to stop me touching my eyes, respirator.

It's scary times and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really worried as there is a real possibility my hard work on building up my business could disappear down the pan.

 

[Mike Johnson]

You are not going to like this, you have put your earnings before everyone else's safety?

 

[andyb]

Now is not the time or place for political arguments. This is a thread about how we are going to cope and what help/advice etc. is available, so grow the f' up and if you can't contribute to the actual topic, take yourself off to another thread.
[/QUOTE]
SC, you deleted my post in reply to a political point made earlier, my post was reasonable and polite, yet you've kept the origional post defending this goverment.
All threads morph into diferent areass, you'd have to delete about 75% of posts in just about every thread if you struk to that rule.
And do you think it's reasonable to tell a forum member to 'grow te f' up'?

 

[davesparks]

I'm self employed and work primarily in the entertainment industry so have had a slight headstart on the work vanishing and it's pretty scary to be honest.
Luckily this week we had a job in a local school so I have done a full week's work, but now I'm scratching around for anything I can get.

I hope the government can find a way to help the self employed, I appreciate it is more of a challenge to support us as there aren't normally the systems in place to do so.

The other issue affecting me is that I rent privately, another thing it is very hard to provide government help for. The government know who all of the mortgage companies are and can contact them to arrange help for those with mortgages, there is no easy way for them to contact all of the private landlords or provide help to the tenants.

 

[buzzlightyear]

we are all in the same boat and we are all rowing in the wrong direction, this post is not going off topic, SC. stand back and say we will all pull togeather.

 

[SparkyChick]

SC, you deleted my post in reply to a political point made earlier, my post was reasonable and polite, yet you've kept the origional post defending this goverment.
All threads morph into diferent areass, you'd have to delete about 75% of posts in just about every thread if you struk to that rule.
And do you think it's reasonable to tell a forum member to 'grow te f' up'?

We're trying to keep the thread on topic as it's perhaps one of the most important threads of the day given what's going on. I don't think anyone has said you can't discuss the virus or the politics here on the forum, just try and keep this thread for it's intended purpose.

As for the f', sorry not necessarily directed at you personally, but I'm getting more than a little agitated these days by people who are trying to use what is a world wide catastrophe for political points scoring. Lets all just try and stay alive long enough to discuss the politics after the event.

 

[westward10]

we are all in the same boat and we are all rowing in the wrong direction, this post is not going off topic, SC. stand back and say we will all pull togeather.

It was going well off topic and multiple posts were deleted.

 

[SparkyChick]

Guys, created a new thread about the ethics of working during the outbreak, moving posts over to there. PLease keep this on topic.

New thread is here:-

Ethics of working during the corona virus pandemic

The truth of the matter is that unless you are responding to an emergency stay at home and isolate yourself and your family, you should only be leaving your isolation to buy food or to collect essential medication. In an ideal world, I'd love to stay home as I'm sure everyone else would, but...

www.electriciansforums.net

Please try and keep this thread on topic - i.e. about the help/information that's available for the self employed and small businesses. Thanks
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Thread re-opened now the discussion about the ethics is going in the new thread. Please try and keep this thread for updates/info about the help/information that's available for small businesses and the self-employed.

 

[ruston]

This may apply to some members who are concerned about mortgages and rent in the short term.

Complete ban on evictions and additional protection for renters

Government announces radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus.

www.gov.uk

 

[davesparks]

This may apply to some members who are concerned about mortgages and rent in the short term.

Complete ban on evictions and additional protection for renters

Government announces radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus.

www.gov.uk

Yes, it's not quite as good as it seems though.
They've banned evictions for 3 months, but after 3 months they can evict you if you failed to pay your rent during those 3 months.
They have urged landlords to be lenient and allow tenants to pay the missed rent once the crisis is over. So as work is slowly picking up again after this crisis those of us who rent will need to be earning more than ever to pay back the missed rent.
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I'm sure i'm not the only self employed person who has thought about this, supermarkets etc are on a bit of a recruitment drive, they need staff in all departments at the moment. The income would be enough to keep the wolf from the door,

It makes me wish id taken the opportunity to get an HGV licence a couple of years ago, i'd be happy to spend the next few weeks driving trucks of food around.

I couldn't do a public-facing job, not because I fear catching the disease but because I just don't have the temperament for it.