Employed/Self Employed?

[amo]

Self employed is the way to go. Be your own boss. Downside costly to get started, no holiday/ sick pay, and no constant work. Once you have the client base you're laughing.

 

[jjjinx]

Got made redundant in 2005 from an office job, did my 2330 lvl 2&3, 2391 & regs 17th during 2006 - 2007. Started working for a guy in 2007 for free (i'm 44yrs old now) to get started & then got paid 3 days a week while I worked 5 days. Eventually got to being paid 5 days @ 16k per year. Just got a rise to 17.5k but getting fed up with long hours for little money (no O/T pay but expected to work). I've been buying tools, van, software basically everything I need to do my own work & getting jobs in the evening & weekends. I'm the only employee & the boss does unrelated work because he gets better money than doing domestic, so I kinda look after it all (certs, invoices, data base entry, stock purchase) except major quoting & accounting. I get on really well with the letting agency & 99% of all the customers we work for and if I leave.... well no one will be there to pick up the slack, but at the same time, I get on well with my boss & wouldn't want to burn any bridges.... but I can't live on that salary forever. I'm thinking of going part time & doing Fridays & Sat's of my own work till I have enough to go alone. Talked to a book keeper recently to set up my own Ltd Company in the future and all that this will entail. I'm hoping I'll be able to earn a better wage?

 

[brightspark11]

I liked the idea of being my own boss, and after being made redundant retrained as a domestic installer. setting up the business was a real thrill and I enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately it is very difficult to get started. The customers that I did work for have mostly given me repeat business so I know I do a good job. After six months I ran out of credit and was forced to take paid employment in a factory and now I work only part time as a domestic installer. I renewed my part p registration and continued the business part time into a second year because I was asked to do a 3 bedroomed house rewire for a colleague. The job fell through and now I am running the business at a loss. I am only continuing because almost all the costs (insurance, van part p registration) are paid for a year in advance. Next april when the bills for renewals arrive for my third year I will almost certainly stop trading.

 

[robelee]

Hi All, just signed up!

I've been self-employed since 1976 and can honestly say I've had a great working life. I served a 5yr apprenticeship with South Eastern Electricity Board. Wasn't kept on after completing my apprenticeship and it was probably a good thing as it turned out. My first 'proper' job was working at the Tower of London installing flood lighting around the White Tower - incredibly fascinating place to work. Other places were The Royal Mint, National Gallery, Various London Hospitals and Ministry of Defence establishments.

Stayed there for 2 years and then I had probably the most boring job - Street Lighting Electrician. Only lasted 6 months and then ended up working for a small Father and Son business in Wimbledon - fantastic people to work for! Great hours too, 9 till 5 unheard of! and good money to boot:yesnod:

One day sad to say we fell out over something really trivial and I quit. Rushed up the road to a Teacher Training College where we used to do a lot of work and informed the Chief of Works I was now SELF-EMPLOYED. The college kept supplying me with work on quite a regular basis and I slowly built up a customer base as I went along. I should say I was still living at home with parents so wasn't pressurised with too many financial commitments.

Anyway all the years later still doing it. I don't do so much any more - just job around - dodgy knees!!!

Looking back I wouldn't have changed a thing - life's been good. Good luck to all of you who take the plunge.

Rob

 

[Essexboy7]

Welcome mate.

A 5 year apprenticeship is a great start in life that no youngster is lucky enough to get now.All the industry seems to want is blokes who have done 6 months at night school who can throw a load of twin and earth in rough as you like for crap money.You come from an era where being a spark meant something

 

[mannex]

Hie guys i am a self employed domestic electrician, i started towards the end of last year and am looking for advice. business is very slow to pick up, at the moment i am just relying on rated people which is proving to be expensive. is there anything i can do to get noticed by customers apart from leaflet drops i am doing. your help is most appreciated thaknx

 

[Octopus]

Hie guys i am a self employed domestic electrician, i started towards the end of last year and am looking for advice. business is very slow to pick up, at the moment i am just relying on rated people which is proving to be expensive. is there anything i can do to get noticed by customers apart from leaflet drops i am doing. your help is most appreciated thaknx

Success at self employment is down to developing a good reputation and word of mouth referals. You don't give any idea of where you are in the UK - so its anyones guess how best to advise you what to do next.

Try perusing the business threads as this has been done to death on here.

 

[stimpy]

Got made redundant in 2005 from an office job, did my 2330 lvl 2&3, 2391 & regs 17th during 2006 - 2007. Started working for a guy in 2007 for free (i'm 44yrs old now) to get started & then got paid 3 days a week while I worked 5 days. Eventually got to being paid 5 days @ 16k per year. Just got a rise to 17.5k but getting fed up with long hours for little money (no O/T pay but expected to work). I've been buying tools, van, software basically everything I need to do my own work & getting jobs in the evening & weekends. I'm the only employee & the boss does unrelated work because he gets better money than doing domestic, so I kinda look after it all (certs, invoices, data base entry, stock purchase) except major quoting & accounting. I get on really well with the letting agency & 99% of all the customers we work for and if I leave.... well no one will be there to pick up the slack, but at the same time, I get on well with my boss & wouldn't want to burn any bridges.... but I can't live on that salary forever. I'm thinking of going part time & doing Fridays & Sat's of my own work till I have enough to go alone. Talked to a book keeper recently to set up my own Ltd Company in the future and all that this will entail. I'm hoping I'll be able to earn a better wage?

Good on you for putting that commitment in. But shame about the situation, if I was you I'd talk to your boss about this mate, he'd be a fool not to up your wage.

 

[Jimmy Moore]

Hi Guys - just reading all the threads here - Not sure if this may be useful or not but I was a self employed Electrician and you can find all the available Electrician jobs in the UK on

https://www.hardhatjobs.co.uk/

- Good to have all whats out there in one place!!

 

[callan]

Made redundant early 2007. Did agency site work for a while. Picked up regular sparks work with a kitchen fitter friend of a friend. Registered with ELECSA. Self employed ever since. Mostly domestic/ light commercial work in the Thames Valley area. Can't see me going back to a PAYE job but never say never. Over the past seven years work has steadily picked up. Mostly word of mouth and some selected leaflet drops are a good way to start. A professional looking web site also helps. Links to a facebook page, google+, twitter etc should be an integral part of your website as social media, so I am told, is the way to pull in the customers. So far I am not so sure.

 

[happydundee]

I think the main thing about being self employed is having a good client list. I worked for a large electrical contractor, but was the only engineer doing the offshore work. Spoke to a few clients about leaving and they all said they would continue to use me.

Took the plunge in 2005 and have never looked back. I have built up a good client list and work too many hours. You have to keep clients happy. I don't do domestic, and only work for oil/marine companies. Mainly offshore, but do a bit of industrial for them also.

I actually don't do much electrical work now as I have found fibre and data comms more profitable. As a Ltd Company I do all roles, but wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Paul D B Elex]

I'm employed solely working on new builds, money isn't the best at the moment £12.40p/h employed or £16p/h self-employed.....

still registered self-employed you just never what's around the corner

 

[shanky887614]

I'm employed solely working on new builds, money isn't the best at the moment £12.40p/h employed or £16p/h self-employed.....

still registered self-employed you just never what's around the corner

thats better than what ive been offered when i get my gold card....

 

[jjjinx]

Got made redundant in 2005 from an office job, did my 2330 lvl 2&3, 2391 & regs 17th during 2006 - 2007. Started working for a guy in 2007 for free (i'm 44yrs old now) to get started & then got paid 3 days a week while I worked 5 days. Eventually got to being paid 5 days @ 16k per year. Just got a rise to 17.5k but getting fed up with long hours for little money (no O/T pay but expected to work). I've been buying tools, van, software basically everything I need to do my own work & getting jobs in the evening & weekends. I'm the only employee & the boss does unrelated work because he gets better money than doing domestic, so I kinda look after it all (certs, invoices, data base entry, stock purchase) except major quoting & accounting. I get on really well with the letting agency & 99% of all the customers we work for and if I leave.... well no one will be there to pick up the slack, but at the same time, I get on well with my boss & wouldn't want to burn any bridges.... but I can't live on that salary forever. I'm thinking of going part time & doing Fridays & Sat's of my own work till I have enough to go alone. Talked to a book keeper recently to set up my own Ltd Company in the future and all that this will entail. I'm hoping I'll be able to earn a better wage?

well took the plunge & started my Ltd company 5th April. It's going well very busy but the moneys not coming quick enough. Just had enough to pay myself for the first time lol. Very strange! Next month should be better, so far a rolling 2 weeks worth of jobs.

Ive been looked after & I hope it continues.

 

[joel89]

Employed as a Maintenance Electrician working on big 3 phase forging machines !