business on the up

[dcelectrical]

wanted to let people know that there is still hope out there,
without wanting to blow my own trumpet i constantly try to turn every meeting into a business lead,
i have very recently taken on a new client who is starting to put work our way

i met them at a property while doing a bit of a favour for an old client (in his 80's and cant get up to the second floor flat he rents out) i carded them and used my natural charm and the resultant is a nice increase in business
to start it means doing more for a little less in that we are travelling greater distances between jobs and things always take a bit longer at first.

i hope this comes across in the correct way, i am basically trying to offer all jobbing sparks a glimmer of light in the long uphill tunnel we face.

 

[Jay Sparks]

I am pleased for you mate. It is very hard out there at the min for all trades. I am struggling abit but I hope I can turn the corner soon as I dont fancy going paye. My cousin is a gas safe engineer and plumber and he is really busy at the min but he has spent nearly 5 grand on advertising.........I could not spend that much which is probably why Im quiet. But I dont like the thought of having to pay back nearly £400 p/m just on advertising if im not guarenteed the work. I hate being in debt. My cousin has debt collecters after him!!!!! Thats not for me.
Im building my business up slowly but surely. A bit of subby work here and there keeps me going though.

Jay

 

[dcelectrical]

where are you from jay and what make of sparks are you

 

[Jay Sparks]

where are you from jay and what make of sparks are you

I am from Bradford and I am a Scott make!!!lol. I have NVQ 3, 17th and 2391. I have jib gold card. As I am a sole trader I do mainly domestic and small commercial. But when I do subby work, I do all sorts. The last subby job I did was last year, a 4 month contract doing a 3 phase office refurb. Total strip out of old containment and wireing and installation of new stuff including Air con uints, floor boxs, new 3 phase DBs etc. I will admit, I dont have owt to do with heavy industrial, motors etc but before I became a sparky, I used to be a panel wirer for a few years.


Jay

 

[dcelectrical]

thats how small the world can be made, i have a friend in alwoodley who happens to own a few chemists, he swears that the next refurb he has i am going up to make it work. so watch this space.
all my work is word of mouth, not sure i see any value in advertising for sparks,

 

[Arnold Layne]

dcelectrical, thanks for sharing your positive news in these dark times. I too was very pleased to read your post and you have offered us all some hope amid all the negativity we face. Thank you and good luck.

 

[Jay Sparks]

thats how small the world can be made, i have a friend in alwoodley who happens to own a few chemists, he swears that the next refurb he has i am going up to make it work. so watch this space.
all my work is word of mouth, not sure i see any value in advertising for sparks,

I am getting a few more customers by word of mouth. The excisting ones are also getting in touch to do this and that. Im just about paying the bills. I always want to save what I earn, just incase I dont earn owt the next month. Thats the only down side. If I was a paye, I would spend my wage knowing I was getting paid the next week etc.

 

[dcelectrical]

every year i have to be torn kicking and screaming to a holiday destination, last year it was cornwall and the wife threated to put me on a train back home if i rang my guys once more to check on work, even when work is going well you wonder when it is all going to end, its a funny old existance, i always tell the customers, busy but could be busyier

 

[dcelectrical]

where are you from arnold, if i pass i could wave
(have this dream that when you see anothers sparks van you could just toot the horn to say helooo)

dcelectrical, thanks for sharing your positive news in these dark times. I too was very pleased to read your post and you have offered us all some hope amid all the negativity we face. Thank you and good luck.

 

[Arnold Layne]

London mate, if I see you passing I'll give you a wave. Totally agree about seeing another sparks van!

 

[dcelectrical]

north east south west, its a big little place

 

[Arnold Layne]

Agree and I cover the lot, I work the construction sites, wherever they are!

 

[dcelectrical]

i used to work site but i went soft and got into maint and domestic, can just about lift my hard hat now.

 

[chrisg1979]

Tis good to hear positive news!
I'm PAYE atm but I've also set up my own business to run in the background due to the growing number of work offers I've been getting on the side.
I've wanted to go self employed for a while but the security of being employed has always held me back, especially with mouths to feed etc.
Hopefully this is a step in the right direction, got my scam assessment in April, plenty of colleagues are doing work and not signing off but if I'm going to make a go of it then got to do it properly.
Nice to hear some positive news for a change, don't think for one moment its going to be easy, but nice to know some people are doing ok!