Starting own business

[Roberts7286]

I just want to ask a very simple question to get a very simple answer. How many years experience did you gain (including your apprenticeship) before you started your own electrical business?

 

[Dustydazzler]

Roughly a year or so , but I went self employed and continued to sub to the same company who was training me and so I could also do my own jobs.
This was all agreed before hand with my then employer.
I was still actually just wrapping up at college at the same time just finishing my 2360 Pt2 so had a day off unpaid for that.
I was only around 22 or 23 at the time and still lived at home so it wasn't really a gamble for me back then.

 

[Roberts7286]

Roughly a year or so , but I went self employed and continued to sub to the same company who was training me and so I could also do my own jobs.
This was all agreed before hand with my then employer.
I was still actually just wrapping up at college at the same time just finishing my 2360 Pt2 so had a day off unpaid for that.
I was only around 22 or 23 at the time and still lived at home so it wasn't really a gamble for me back then.

Wow so not long at all. I'm 6 1/2 years in now including my training. Im considering subbying whilst I do my own stuff. Cheers for the reply

 

[Dustydazzler]

Wow so not long at all. I'm 6 1/2 years in now including my training. Im considering subbying whilst I do my own stuff. Cheers for the reply

I only went self employed because I had so many people asking me to do work for them. I ran this by my then employer who wanted me to stay in and sub for them for an agreed day rate.
Then I went about my own business as well.
It was fun times and one I look back at fondly...

 

[James]

I was 13 years in the making (including training etc.) at a company as a panelbuilder and maintenance electrician.
the last year I found tough as I had a new boss who was a complete --- hole.
so I handed my 1 week notice into the director

they realy didn't want me to go but I stood my ground and said no way.
eventualy we settled for,

1 weeks notice.
then self employed contractor for them 4 days a week for a month.
3 days for a month
2 days for a month
1 day for a month

now they call me back when desperate and I do a day here or there every 6 months

It was a good way to go, good terms and it gave me a transition period to ramp up my customer base whilst still having a regular income.

 

[Cbuk2k2]

I just want to ask a very simple question to get a very simple answer. How many years experience did you gain (including your apprenticeship) before you started your own electrical business?

18 months ish, never looked back.

 

[Roberts7286]

18 months ish, never looked back.

After your apprenticeship? How did you manage with such little experience if you came up against things you didn't know how to do? That's my biggest fear. I'm a good spark with good knowledge but I don't know it all and I'm afraid if I come up against something I've not done then I'm all on my own if I'm self employed.
[automerge]1569486620[/automerge]

I was 13 years in the making (including training etc.) at a company as a panelbuilder and maintenance electrician.
the last year I found tough as I had a new boss who was a complete --- hole.
so I handed my 1 week notice into the director

they realy didn't want me to go but I stood my ground and said no way.
eventualy we settled for,

1 weeks notice.
then self employed contractor for them 4 days a week for a month.
3 days for a month
2 days for a month
1 day for a month

now they call me back when desperate and I do a day here or there every 6 months

It was a good way to go, good terms and it gave me a transition period to ramp up my customer base whilst still having a regular income.

Sounds good. Thanks for the reply

 

[davesparks]

I was about 8 years from starting my apprenticeship to leaving that company to go self employed. They kept using me as a subcontractor for a while, didn't have much choice as I was the QS for their niceic registration.

 

[Cbuk2k2]

After your apprenticeship? How did you manage with such little experience if you came up against things you didn't know how to do? That's my biggest fear. I'm a good spark with good knowledge but I don't know it all and I'm afraid if I come up against something I've not done then I'm all on my own if I'm self employed.
[automerge]1569486620[/automerge]

Sounds good. Thanks for the reply

My apprenticeship was very much in at the deep end, as most of the guys here have said I did some subbing to my previous company and picked up clients over time. Not saying it’s the easiest route with hindsight, its not a cheap thing to do either. Initially at least you need to buy a lot of skills in, over time you work out what makes you money and what doesn’t.

 

[Dustydazzler]

There will always be things you don’t know , of haven’t come across before even after 10+ years in the tools.
But usually 99% of the time you can get round it or research it enough to get the job done.

 

[Cbuk2k2]

I think going self employed is like having kids or buying a first house. You never really feel ready to do it and its normal to be nervous but once you get on with it you wonder what all the fuss is about.

You know best how much you've learned during your training, if a mentor has done their job well the student should be pretty well up to speed after. It makes it difficult to say what the right number of years is.

 

[Dustydazzler]

The hardest thing I found was doing my first self assessment tax return

Give me a grotty dirty rewire anyday over doing the accounts

 

[Risteard]

I was about 8 years from starting my apprenticeship to leaving that company to go self employed. They kept using me as a subcontractor for a while, didn't have much choice as I was the QS for their niceic registration.

I didn't think a QS could be a subby. I thought it had to be an employee - and perhaps a full-time one at that.

 

[Roberts7286]

There will always be things you don’t know , of haven’t come across before even after 10+ years in the tools.
But usually 99% of the time you can get round it or research it enough to get the job done.

I guess so. Cheers

 

[Cbuk2k2]

The hardest thing I found was doing my first self assessment tax return

Give me a grotty dirty rewire anyday over doing the accounts

Agree there is a lot of stuff like accounts, websites/marketing, insurance, H&S, budgeting, quoting that you might not of had much involvement with in a craft role.

I took the hit and paid for a lot of it, I decided to focus on the bit I was good at and learn the other bits as quickly as I could. Even today I pay an accountant, it's just not worth the amount of time company, personal, VAT, payroll etc take for me to do.

@Roberts7286 don't be put off, there is good demand for skilled people. Its a lot more rewarding when its your empire your building and not someone else's.