JIB industrial spark to domestic installer

[TEZ0263]

Hi, Ive been working on industrial and comercial sites for almost 10 years - warehouses, hotels, hospitals etc etc. I'm currently looking at maybe switching over and becoming a domestic installer and working for myself. Now due to always working for somone else as an employee, Im finding thought of being my own boss slightly daunting and I'll admit that making that step over is feeling like a bigger deal than it maybe should. Can anyone offer and advice - good, bad or ugly??

Cheers

T

 

[Octopus]

Yup, peruse the numerous threads in this section. There's heaps of advice.

 

[davek]

Hi tez I have recently just start working for myself as a domestic installer, I am slowly getting work pricing is my weakness as I have never had do any pricing previously where in lancs are you.

regards
Dave

 

[Corpy76]

Going by the threads on hear the path to domestic installer is easy!

step1 forget everything you know about electrics
step2 Bin all your certificates
step3 Go on a 5 week how to be a sparks course
step4 join a scam
step5 get your van to say domestic installer all over it.
step6 And most importantly ask some stupid questions on the DIY section or better still the screw fix forum.

Thats it your ready to go!

Good luck

 

[TEZ0263]

Going by the threads on hear the path to domestic installer is easy!

step1 forget everything you know about electrics
step2 Bin all your certificates
step3 Go on a 5 week how to be a sparks course
step4 join a scam
step5 get your van to say domestic installer all over it.
step6 And most importantly ask some stupid questions on the DIY section or better still the screw fix forum.

Thats it your ready to go!

Good luck

Cheers for the heads up Now Im not going to claim to know it all, because I don't, but Im better than the above:yes:

 

[cossie400]

IMO forget about domestics!

Despite it being a ball ache, you'll never make as much money as if you would doing commercial/industrial.

To many Electrical Trainee bringing the price down to make a decent wage in domestics. stick to what you know and rake it in mate.

But ultimately it's your decision and all the best to you.

 

[telectrix]

cossie hit nail on head. it's dog eat dog.every job you quote, you'll probably get undercut. customers want cheap, not quality. stick at what you know. steady wage.

 

[Corpy76]

Cheers for the heads up Now Im not going to claim to know it all, because I don't, but Im better than the above:yes:

Sorry mate not trying to take the mick! It's just that my work load is about 90% domestic so I would consider my self a "domestic sparks". That sometime appears to be a lower form of sparks on these threads. If that's the case why go downhill!

 

[TEZ0263]

Sorry mate not trying to take the mick! It's just that my work load is about 90% domestic so I would consider my self a "domestic sparks". That sometime appears to be a lower form of sparks on these threads. If that's the case why go downhill!

No offense taken

 

[telectrix]

going from industrial to domestic is a slippery downhill slope. next stop below is a plumber.

 

[Darkwood]

why swap your Bentley for a Lada ... you alone know your circumstances but the domestic market is saturated with ill qualified short course wonders thus its been driving prices down... you have experience in a sector of the industry many domestics won't touch and there is a black hole shortage of skilled Electrical Engineers out their ...this would be my personal path (in fact it is and what i went solo to do) ... Im now repairing and upgrading machines and im travelling a 150mile radius and already own under.... its very hardwork and forget about the social life you have become accustomed to but rewards soon make up for it.

 

[Des 56]

Along with working for yourself comes the worries about work creation and insecurities of running your own business
The road may be a hard slog,most work comes by word of mouth,which takes time to build

If you take this path,don't limit yourself to domestic,there are many small factory units that are opportunity and where most of the instant installers tend to avoid like the plague

The benefits of working for yourself are the freedom to choose your work structure,there is no overlord standing at your shoulder and you are not in a position where some idiot or plonker can dictate to you as if you were a child or a number

These are the real benefits and they certainly outweigh all or any negatives

 

[TEZ0263]

The benefits of working for yourself are the freedom to choose your work structure,there is no overlord standing at your shoulder and you are not in a position where some idiot or plonker can dictate to you as if you were a child or a number

You have hit the nail on the head there des, this is one of the biggest draws for me.

 

[flyingsausage]

You will never be one of the domestic installer monkey's - you will be a spark that does domestic.

 

[R.J.C.]

It isn't all bad being a domestic installer. I'm an industrial spark with a part p ticket and an awful lot of my work comes from fixing dodgy work done by cheap 5 week wonders. While these courses are available there is always a steady stream of work putting it right. Works for me.

 

[Plonker 3]

It isn't all bad being a domestic installer. I'm an industrial spark with a part p ticket and an awful lot of my work comes from fixing dodgy work done by cheap 5 week wonders. While these courses are available there is always a steady stream of work putting it right. Works for me.

A what? Please dont tell me that this makes you competant to do domestic work? Its this sort of thing which the scams do to make people like yourself feel like a worthy sparks in this sector. Did you not feel capable of doing this work before you got your "ticket"?

 

[R.J.C.]

A what? Please dont tell me that this makes you competant to do domestic work? Its this sort of thing which the scams do to make people like yourself feel like a worthy sparks in this sector. Did you not feel capable of doing this work before you got your "ticket"?

You may have mis-understood but thats ok- I haven't been as clear as I could have been. You are quite correct in suggesting that isn't just the "ticket" that makes me or any other spark competent to do domestic work. Its the 5 year apprenticeship and the following 20 years experience working as a J.I.B. spark for a variety of large and small firms both on the books and as a sub-contractor in wide range of industrial, commercial and domestic applications. It took me years to become competent whereas these days sparks can do it in 5 minutes. Even the apprenticeship and the college systems have all been fast-tracked and while there are some good young installers that I've worked with, there are many who have little idea in what is expected of them and even less inclination to work at all.

 

[Guest77]

You may have mis-understood but thats ok- I haven't been as clear as I could have been. You are quite correct in suggesting that isn't just the "ticket" that makes me or any other spark competent to do domestic work. Its the 5 year apprenticeship and the following 20 years experience working as a J.I.B. spark for a variety of large and small firms both on the books and as a sub-contractor in wide range of industrial, commercial and domestic applications. It took me years to become competent whereas these days sparks can do it in 5 minutes. Even the apprenticeship and the college systems have all been fast-tracked and while there are some good young installers that I've worked with, there are many who have little idea in what is expected of them and even less inclination to work at all.

What Diilb was suggesting is the fact a Part P ticket isn't worth as much as toilet roll regarding competance, it just means you have read the building Regulation part p and understand it, you can download the building reg on line for free and read it sat in your armchair, it doesn't mean jack ****.

 

[R.J.C.]

What Diilb was suggesting is the fact a Part P ticket isn't worth as much as toilet roll regarding competance, it just means you have read the building Regulation part p and understand it, you can download the building reg on line for free and read it sat in your armchair, it doesn't mean jack ****.

I agree. My assessor wasn't even bothered whether I'd read the part p just as long as I had downloaded a copy.

 

[7029 dave]

Stay where you are fella, dom is an mugs game.!! Everybody is sh...it scared to touch it.All because of, not going to say it.