Where to start

[OhmElectrical]

I'm full time and do like my job but thinking of starting working for myself.

I've got enough basic tools etc to cover most jobs and except part p have got all qualifications I need.

I have never officially worked in domestic side of things but have done the odd job for a friend "that he has then had certified"

I am confident in my ability as both domestic and industrial as an more familiar with three phase installations than that if domestic.

I also am reasonably confident on control systems basic plc, relay logic etc.

Where would I start looking for work do I advertise in local papers?
Look for agencies ?

Ideally i would like to try weekends and evenings on my own for 6-12 months to make sure I'm confident comfortable and above all safe to pay the morgage,

What kind if costs are incurred in starting up I have a axe big enough (estate) so just need sort out insurances and do people recommend joining a official group I.e. Nic etc

Thanks for any tips,

Completely lost at the minute bit of a ind field and some people on the web I have researched their input is less than useful

 

[ajmcl]

i am opposite to you i mostly do domestic but need 3 phase to complete nvq. yes best join competant scheme costs £400 -500. insurance min £2m. have to own own meter and calibrated. costs are high to start but bit of luck this outlay is soon repaid. working for yourself good and bad when work around can be well paid when no work isnt good. your approach is sensible getting a reputation before you jump. you will need 17th edition bs7671 ammendment 1 quals.
to be assessed do work at your house and a friend then have work to show assessor which needs done yearly.

 

[telectrix]

keep at you industrial job. domestic installers are 10 a penny. the market is saturated. the only way forward for a "proper" sparks is in the industrial sector as that is the only place where the is and will be, a skills shortage.

 

[ipf]

keep at you industrial job. domestic installers are 10 a penny. the market is saturated. the only way forward for a "proper" sparks is in the industrial sector as that is the only place where the is and will be, a skills shortage.

Dead right there, Tel. The big problem is when these DI's think they're above themselves adding a fused spur feeding a cooling pump for a 400v spot welder.

 

[Guest77]

I'm full time and do like my job but thinking of starting working for myself.

I've got enough basic tools etc to cover most jobs and except part p have got all qualifications I need.

I have never officially worked in domestic side of things but have done the odd job for a friend "that he has then had certified"

I am confident in my ability as both domestic and industrial as an more familiar with three phase installations than that if domestic.

I also am reasonably confident on control systems basic plc, relay logic etc.

Where would I start looking for work do I advertise in local papers?
Look for agencies ?

Ideally i would like to try weekends and evenings on my own for 6-12 months to make sure I'm confident comfortable and above all safe to pay the morgage,

What kind if costs are incurred in starting up I have a axe big enough (estate) so just need sort out insurances and do people recommend joining a official group I.e. Nic etc

Thanks for any tips,

Completely lost at the minute bit of a ind field and some people on the web I have researched their input is less than useful

Explain please

 

[telectrix]

think he means he's not joined scam. hope he don't think part p is a qualification. OP, we going to have to have a chat over a beer. thursday is looking good. will bell you.

 

[jimjimjim]

Grass is greener. IT AINT! If you don't like your current job, then at least stay in the sector.

Jim

 

[ajmcl]

not all di are hopeless i see lots lads onsite who might be good at work but aint so good at di and cant use testing meters.
ive gone as far as i can in domestic but i have all the technical quals i will need.once i finish logbook and i need 3 phase to do that then i want to do more commercial. its easy big up one sector of install but most industrial lads i speak to dont want help anyone get better

 

[OhmElectrical]

Grass is greener. IT AINT! If you don't like your current job, then at least stay in the sector.

Jim

That's the problem love my current job, and more importantly the guys, which I think is 90% of any job.
really just looking see how easy make a few extra quid on a weekend and if it went really well who knows???

 

[OhmElectrical]

Thanks for the feed back guys,
In all honesty I think is be silly to leave the job I'm in as it is well paid and all the guys and boses are great it is probably a pipe dream but a guy I know asked why I don't work for myself as he thinks I'd make good money,
I'm not so sure and with a new morgage can't afford take the risk I'll keep thinking about it though and thanks for all your input

 

[telectrix]

a few jobs for family and friends to see how it goes is first move. while keeping your day job.

 

[Knobhead]

Your need your bumps feeling if you swap industrial for domestic. A total waste of your skills and experience.

They can train a DI in 5 week, how long did it take to train you?

Don’t sell yourself short.

 

[davesparks]

Your need your bumps feeling if you swap industrial for domestic. A total waste of your skills and experience.

They can train a DI in 5 week, how long did it take to train you?

Don’t sell yourself short.

The only thing you can train in 5 weeks is a 5 week wonder! Calling them domestic installers is giving them far too much credit!

 

[Knobhead]

True, very true.

Hang on!
By saying that I’m implying a DI is slightly higher up the evolutionary scale to the amoeba that is a Electrical Trainee.
There again you can’t give credence to a non-entity.

I need a drink!

 

[dingledong]

If you go self-employed most of your work will become domestic I did industrial went on my own and it's just domestic with the odd industrial on which I struggle a bit now as I hardly do it

 

[OhmElectrical]

Ok thanks guys,
Think I'll leave it as I am then,
As I said just wondering on ppls opinions and experiences I know the grass is not always greener.

On a side issue would it be worth going through the set up etc for weekend work or just apply to an agency possibly.

I could do with some extra cash and was thinking a weekend it evenings might be an ideal opportunity but with insurances etc I think it could cost more than I make ?

 

[Redvanman]

keep at you industrial job. domestic installers are 10 a penny. the market is saturated. the only way forward for a "proper" sparks is in the industrial sector as that is the only place where the is and will be, a skills shortage.

Thats bull my friend

i only do domestic now after years of ind. work.

I find your remark as "proper " sparks insulting ,I have noticed on this forum they is a snobbery around domestic v ind sparks

Who said that being a domestic sparks is not a proper sparks, I have employed plenty of ind. sparks in the past who were rough as any thing and you couldn't put them into a domestic install so you could call them not proper sparks as they can't do both sides

 

[shanky887614]

Thats bull my friend

i only do domestic now after years of ind. work.

I find your remark as "proper " sparks insulting ,I have noticed on this forum they is a snobbery around domestic v ind sparks

Who said that being a domestic sparks is not a proper sparks, I have employed plenty of ind. sparks in the past who were rough as any thing and you couldn't put them into a domestic install so you could call them not proper sparks as they can't do both sides

the problem is industrial/commerical sparks are allowed to be rough but people are more fussy when they have to look at it every day.

The guy I was working with today hit he nail on the head, he was telling me as a whole our company is sh!t.

now I agree with certain things some of us are rough but I have seen a lot worse and tony will understand but we are supposed to be there better installers, thats why we are doing there training room



I

 

[telectrix]

Thats bull my friend

i only do domestic now after years of ind. work.

I find your remark as "proper " sparks insulting ,I have noticed on this forum they is a snobbery around domestic v ind sparks

Who said that being a domestic sparks is not a proper sparks, I have employed plenty of ind. sparks in the past who were rough as any thing and you couldn't put them into a domestic install so you could call them not proper sparks as they can't do both sides

i did not say that a domestic sparks was not a proper sparks. i meant that there are thousands of "domestic installers" who have never trained as electricians and the domestic market is flooded with so-called part p domestic installers to the point where customers have us by the short and curlies driving prices down to a point where you either cut corners or lose the job.

 

[Redvanman]

the only way forward for a "proper" sparks is in the industrial sector

This is the bit that bugged me

i personnally am not affected my the Electrical Trainee but I think that is the way that I present myself when I site visit plus the years of experience I have behind me
if a customer wants to use some one cheaper than me then they are not really my type of customer

Any way I believe we have kissed and made up, I enjoyed it even you didn't

 

[Guest77]

Whats wrong with the commercial sector tel? lol

 

[R G]

Theres loads of guys around who have done some industrial work when they worked for a company , then became self employed and only do domestic with the odd commercial job , these are fully qualified guys been doing it for years , these are proper sparks , just because they haven't done industrial for years and became tainted as domestic only doesn't make them any less than any other , thats whats happened to me and many other guys I know ..


As Dave sid you can't call a Electrical Trainee a domestic sparks ...nowhere near..

 

[telectrix]

Whats wrong with the commercial sector tel? lol

nothing, mate. was just trying to make the point that it will be the industrial sector that suffers worst from a skills shortage from the scarcity of apprenticeships and proper training.

 

[ipf]

Theres loads of guys around who have done some industrial work when they worked for a company , then became self employed and only do domestic with the odd commercial job , these are fully qualified guys been doing it for years , these are proper sparks , just because they haven't done industrial for years and became tainted as domestic only doesn't make them any less than any other , thats whats happened to me and many other guys I know ..


As Dave sid you can't call a Electrical Trainee a domestic sparks ...nowhere near..

Nothing wrong there, it's the 'fly by nights' who get away with it. Look at #4...that is simple work being carried out by people who are not trained to do it. In this case, anything for a cheap job. God.....they moved a 400v spot welder fed via 100amp MCCB, re ran the existing swa fixing it to a 14inch H girder with rows of 6'' cable ties fastened together right the way round the steel. Absolute shambles.......but it works, so who's bothered. I really fear for this trade.

 

[R G]

Its a problem we are all going to face , I had a large commercial job 4 years ago during the previous world cup in the West London area , some idiots had wired the ground floor ware house in T&E and had bits of plastic trunking with gaps of about 3ft and cables clipped to the walls around the upright columns , a complete mess with 3 phase rotary isolators wired with 2 x 2,5mm T&E pvc cables . this was 4 years ago , so these Electrical Trainee have already broken into this market , The customer produced an NIC cert that had been photocopied from an original..