can I have your veiws on my pricing please, thanks

[lloyd1980]

Hi Guys I'd appreciate any advice you could give me!!

Ive just set up as self employed, got flyers sorted, business cards and letter heads sorted (they look very nice) got live website as well which I think is very nice Cu Connected Electrical contractors, domesitc and commercial electrician services based in Chester covering Cheshire, North Wales, Wirral
am about to aquire a van and am waiting for my NIC inspector to come down and see me for entry into domestic installer scheme. Ive hand delivered about 5000 flyers so far (my feet are killing) and have advert in 2 local papers coming out on thursday (weekly) i have 10% discounts for over 65's

Right id love some advice from you on what level I should be pricing at? I have put out 3 estimates so far.
one was CU change for OAP, so 10% discount applies - (just my luck!!!!), but the fella had bodged wiring himself splicing into shower cable with JB to feed his immersion, I priced for board change , gave him 2 options, cheaper split duel rcd with breakers and more pricy straight with rcbos rewiring 10mm shower feed and 2.5 immersion feed back to board. this including testing and inspecting i priced at £536.02

second was 2 outside lights (pir passive ray floods) straight brom board on own circuit, dead easy, one looped off other. 1 light at side 1 at back
priced 186.20 including testing of new circuit


my questios are these., ive never done it before so how long do people usually take to get back to you once you give them estimates? like i said i have no experience in this so dont know, is 2 weeks usual? within couple days? any help would be appreciated?
also what are your veiws on my pricing, im not vat registered so that helps,, but want to be competative? and dont want to lose work? I have bills to pay and the phones not ringing!!!! my --- is squeaking!!!

really thanks loads in advance guys

first CU would have 7 Ccts sorry

 

[acat]

You really need a business plan so I would suggest the small business advisory service its free and will give you all you need to know from marketing to taxation. You need to set your own prices to suit you. You will lose work thats a fact of life, no matter how low you go the cowboy will go lower.

Take the view that if you quote £30 per hour and I quote £15 per hour I have to work twice as hard as you to achieve the same money, how long am I going to be able to keep that up.

As for how long does it take for customers to get back to you the only real answer is how long is a piece of string. I worked in Folkestone then moved to Wales four weeks ago I had a call from someone in Folkestone wanting me to do work I had quoted for Ive been in wales 7 months.

Good luck

Chris

 

[lloyd1980]

thanks chris

I have a marketing plan, but it cant fully kick in untill im nic registered, this involves aproved contractor lists for franchises such as BK macdonalds pizza hut etc, car dealerships and the council list, i intend to go to the auctions to meet developers and a few other tactics, at the min though all i have is flyering and adverts in papers, im hammering that (as much as my feet can take) but was wondering if my pricing was a ballpark of whatever firms are charging,
It is hard competing with the cowboys though, sometimes impossible, it really frustrates me as when you do things legit and try and do the best job possible for customers and your reputation, it all costs money, time to do the job properly, testing paperwork, membership schemes, insurances, testkit etc etc and old ernie who does it out of his mondeo for cash is making a killing!!!!
I absolutly LOVE what I do and think we as sparks are under rated considering how technical and indepth all the electrical science gumph you need to understand to pass the 2330 along with the 2391 and the like, and yet a plasterer can make more?!!!!

sometimes think i should have done plastering, trowel, plaster, dust sheets, van, thats it.

think the hoops we have to jump through are ridiculous!
burn the cowboys and lets go back to some good old fashioned common sense!!!!!

 

[acat]

We all know how you feel mate but if the cowboy gets the job we will still get it later to clear the mess up thats how I look at it.

Take your CU change for example you need to go through everything that is not up to the 17th and include that in your quote not just the CU change as one that unit is changed everything in the house is down to you.


Chris

 

[lloyd1980]

thanks chris have adjusted thread

 

[pennywise]

Put on the quote that it is only valid for 30 days, you may get a call from someone 3 months later and the prices of cable and parts may have gone up or fuel etc. It also prompts them to get on with it.

 

[sparks72]

Hi Lloyd1980

I along with a milllion other electricians cover the areas you want to cover.
I tend to work mainly on large propertys, say 5 bedrooms plus & have got to know a lot of peolpe over the past 10 years on my own, I get a lot of work from an interior designer on the domestic side, good luck with your business, we might bump into each other along the way.

 

[cbw]

Just a quick point, the likes of yellow pages and thomson local will soon be closing to new adverts, may be worth a quick call!

 

[MarcT]

Hi Lloyd,

Have you thought of one of those breakfast clubs? I don't know if they are still going but it's a good way of meeting alot of business owners in a short time. Sadly most of this game is about who you know rather than how good you are, when you start off and eventually you can build on repeats.

there are quite a few threads which are a mine of information. best of luck mate.

 

[lloyd1980]

Hi Lloyd1980

I along with a milllion other electricians cover the areas you want to cover.
I tend to work mainly on large propertys, say 5 bedrooms plus & have got to know a lot of peolpe over the past 10 years on my own, I get a lot of work from an interior designer on the domestic side, good luck with your business, we might bump into each other along the way.

fingers crossed mate, I intend to expand into PV's and intelegent housing. you know that marvelous wireless pad that controls your house by touching the screen, opening doors, turning on water features, lights, heating sentertainment system etc, its radical stuff, and lots of wealthy people with big houses and money to burn here in cheshire, so keeping everything crossed!!

where are you based? im in chester and getting my first van friday ( ahhhhh bless i can here you all say) so quite excited about it, citroen berlingo, 54 plate white. itll do me for a bit

would like to thank all of you for the private messages offering advice, its really been helpfull and has reasured me.

all i need now is for the bloody phone to ring!!!!!
then again theres always flyering..........by the end of the week ill have covered 100 miles and have legs like a gladiator!!!!!

 

[sparks72]

fingers crossed mate, I intend to expand into PV's and intelegent housing. you know that marvelous wireless pad that controls your house by touching the screen, opening doors, turning on water features, lights, heating sentertainment system etc, its radical stuff, and lots of wealthy people with big houses and money to burn here in cheshire, so keeping everything crossed!!

where are you based? im in chester and getting my first van friday ( ahhhhh bless i can here you all say) so quite excited about it, citroen berlingo, 54 plate white. itll do me for a bit

would like to thank all of you for the private messages offering advice, its really been helpfull and has reasured me.

all i need now is for the bloody phone to ring!!!!!
then again theres always flyering..........by the end of the week ill have covered 100 miles and have legs like a gladiator!!!!!

Hi lloyd1980

I'm also based in Chester, are you from Chester yourself?
I'm hoping to retire from the industry by the time i'm 40 to be honest (2 years to go)
I've worked in every corner of the U.K & Europe doing all sorts on my electrical journey, time for a change I think, my knees & shoulders aren't what they used to be, it's a young mans game.

So you've bought the Berlingo, good vans, got one myself, got rid of the 06 Mitsubishi L200 a few months ago, fully loaded it did about 22 to the gallon! never again I tell ya, I was feeding it more than I fed myself

 

[martinxxxxxx]

DO not wait for the phone to ring,

I don't

Call them. Hi just wondering what you thougt of quote, u wont get better price etc

When do you need me , I am getting pretty booked up so thought I bette gt you booked in

Martin

 

[lloyd1980]

Hi lloyd1980

I'm also based in Chester, are you from Chester yourself?
I'm hoping to retire from the industry by the time i'm 40 to be honest (2 years to go)
I've worked in every corner of the U.K & Europe doing all sorts on my electrical journey, time for a change I think, my knees & shoulders aren't what they used to be, it's a young mans game.

So you've bought the Berlingo, good vans, got one myself, got rid of the 06 Mitsubishi L200 a few months ago, fully loaded it did about 22 to the gallon! never again I tell ya, I was feeding it more than I fed myself

I am in chester, although not from chester, im south wales originally, what firm are you? if you want to give me a call, we can work something out as in if im stuck and need a hand or have work i cant do as booked up ill call you and vice verca
PM me and ill, give you my contact dets.
you can never have enough contacts
cheers mate
check out the site , what do you thhink?

RU cbs electrical and I see you in J3 from time to time?

Cu Connected Electrical contractors, domesitc and commercial electrician services based in Chester covering Cheshire, North Wales, Wirral

 

[sparks72]

I am in chester, although not from chester, im south wales originally, what firm are you? if you want to give me a call, we can work something out as in if im stuck and need a hand or have work i cant do as booked up ill call you and vice verca
PM me and ill, give you my contact dets.
you can never have enough contacts
cheers mate
check out the site , what do you thhink?

RU cbs electrical and I see you in J3 from time to time?

Cu Connected Electrical contractors, domesitc and commercial electrician services based in Chester covering Cheshire, North Wales, Wirral

Hi lloyd1980,

I've just sent you a PM.