Starting my own business

[Gc192004]

I am looking for advice. Im a fully qualified electrician with NVQ3. Ive 14 years experience and worked for the same company in that time. And now want to go it alone.
What other qualifiations are required for me to get the ball rolling.

 

[dazza1981]

I am looking for advice. Im a fully qualified electrician with NVQ3. Ive 14 years experience and worked for the same company in that time. And now want to go it alone.
What other qualifiations are required for me to get the ball rolling.

Hi mate there was a similar thread earlier.... best thing is to use the search bar and you will find exactly the answers your looking for

 

[MDJ]

I am looking for advice. Im a fully qualified electrician with NVQ3. Ive 14 years experience and worked for the same company in that time. And now want to go it alone.
What other qualifiations are required for me to get the ball rolling.

None, can you list all your qualifications to confirm though.

 

[trev]

I am looking for advice. Im a fully qualified electrician with NVQ3. Ive 14 years experience and worked for the same company in that time. And now want to go it alone.
What other qualifiations are required for me to get the ball rolling.

None, some basic book keeping/marketing etc courses might come in handy but if you're qualified you're good to go.

 

[besty2204]

it depends on what sector you want to work in really and if you want to self cert? theres a lot of bodies you can register with. NAPIT are fairly well recognised but the badge every1 wants to see is NIC EIC, if you only do domestic work u only have to do your "part p" so you can register as a NICEIC domestic installer, but the top dog/choice is to be a NICEIC registered which will require u to be fully qualified, 17th edition electrician with your C&G 2391 (which has recently been split into 2 courses).
hope that helps

 

[Darkwood]

What are you experienced in ... domestic, com' or industrial..

Ironically competence is all you require but to work in some segments of the industry you may need to show your overseen by a scheme provider which will require that you are up to the modern 17th amendments on paper. This will also help prove your competence if anything ever went wrong well unless you did something really stupid that is.

 

[Gc192004]

Am I not required to have 2391 inspection and testing

 

[Gc192004]

I've actually done a bit of everything and am now a foreman for whom I work for

 

[NickD]

None, some basic book keeping/marketing etc courses might come in handy.

Recommend 'Small Business Accounting' by Andy Lymer, ISBN 9781444100242.

 

[PEG]

Hi, qualifications,exams and certs aside....i have worked for myself,in one form or another since i was 10 years old and THIS is what you will need,not in order of importance; Patience,stamina,confidence,ability to assess a persons character in first 5 mins,investing in your job before yourself (equipment and knowledge before holidays and gadgets...) and another valuable asset is having like-minded pals in other trades you can drop on when stuck...ie: finding severed SWA at 4 pm,phone call at 4.30 pm, Mini-digger and pipe bedding there at 8 am the next morning. Also try to have a really great missus,and,when needed,growing a massive set of balls. I hope this is of assistance,as it's from the heart :willy_nilly:

 

[NickD]

That does somewhat depend on the assumption that the OP is not a woman. Although even then as of midnight yesterday that doesn't preclude her from having a really great missus.

 

[snowhead]

Electrical qualifications are secondary to the ability to run a Business.

You need a pile of cash to keep you going till you're in profit.
Also some of that cash will be lost to non payers and poor quoting on your behalf.
You need to be able to manage invoicing, pay suppliers, deal with HMRC and an accountant.
Plus obtaining all the H&S quals that some customers will expect to see proof of.
Waste transfer licences etc.
The list goes on.

 

[mechelec]

As a matter of interest why do you want to set up your own business ? Domestic house bashing seems to be flooded with electrical trainee and prices are pretty low. Maybe you are in a different sector ?

 

[MDJ]

Am I not required to have 2391 inspection and testing

No your not, if you are an electrician which you obviously are then you only need customers to become self employed. Now that said if you decide to join a scheme M8 then you may need a testing qualification, I know the NICEIC can assess the QS for competance on site if he has not got the 2391 or an equivilent qualification, and it is up to the inspecting engineer to assess the QS when a visit is due, you will need the right books, insurance and proof of competancy, the very best of luck to you in your Journey.

 

[NickD]

Electrical qualifications are secondary to the ability to run a Business.

You need a pile of cash to keep you going till you're in profit.
Also some of that cash will be lost to non payers and poor quoting on your behalf.
You need to be able to manage invoicing, pay suppliers, deal with HMRC and an accountant.
Plus obtaining all the H&S quals that some customers will expect to see proof of.
Waste transfer licences etc.
The list goes on.

You can potentially start up cheaply. Buy correct but basic tools and test kit. Shop around for best deals on calibration (if required) and insurance. Don't get a dedicated van, use a vehicle that doubles as one. Get a free to use invoicing package. If you don't actually need an accountant then read up how to do it and then do your own accounting (I recommend using a suitable personal finance app on a smartphone for recording the transactions). Consider stating in your T&C you don't dispose of waste, it's the client's responsibility. Etc.

 

[Gc192004]

It's more the initial qualifications I'm more concerned about as I didn't think I was able to pass work off without 2391

 

[trev]

Every spark should be able to test and certify. What you're probably talking about is notifying mate. If so, take a look at the various scam sites to find out what's needed qualification wise

 

[NickD]

It's more the initial qualifications I'm more concerned about as I didn't think I was able to pass work off without 2391

As already pointed out 2391 no longer exists and has been replaced by 2394 (for T&I of new work) and 2395 (for T&I of existing work).

If you are talking about being registered with a Part P body a la NICEIC NAPIT ELECSA etc. for domestic, then scheme providers will be happiest to pass you for Part P registration if you have those or the older equivalents. NAPIT raised a noncompliance against my registration until I'd fully completed my 2395 for example. How they'd handle a request for experience in lieu to be considered/assessed I do not know. If you are an experienced competent electrician 2394 and 2395 shouldn't give you much trouble - maybe do a week long course with 2394 three-part assessment at the end (practical, exam, online test), then just do the 2395 exam and practical without taking any separate course. Say £500 total. But what about your 2382 17th edition, they'll be looking for that too? I would give your favoured scheme provider a ring and ask them for guidance. Good luck.

 

[MDJ]

It's more the initial qualifications I'm more concerned about as I didn't think I was able to pass work off without 2391

As mentioned earlier M8 you can get by in the NICEIC DI scheme if you can prove testing and inspecting competance in front of the inspecting engineer, obviously as mentioned by Nick above you could take the 2394 and 2395 if you want a T&I qualification, I think most of the schemes insist on one, but the only way to be sure is to ring them for a chat,I don't think it will take much for you to get onto a scheme anyhow and wish all the best, being self employed can be tough but can also be very rewarding.

 

[NickD]

being self employed can be tough but can also be very rewarding.

I worked as a civil servant for 20 years before this. The number of idiots in middle management positions in the civil service is equalled only by the number of diversity and equality policies it has. It's soul destroying. I vowed the only idiot I would ever work for again is the one typing this.

 

[mechelec]

I worked as a civil servant for 20 years before this. The number of idiots in middle management positions in the civil service is equalled only by the number of diversity and equality policies it has. It's soul destroying. I vowed the only idiot I would ever work for again is the one typing this.

Dont forget you will be self employed but you will still be working for someone (customers)
and they can be the most demanding employers of all.

 

[NickD]

Dont forget you will be self employed but you will still be working for someone (customers)
and they can be the most demanding employers of all.

I know. I kicked over someone's cat litter tray the other day. They weren't happy.