Working by yourself

[oscar21]

How many of you work on your own as opposed to with a helper/apprentice or partner or whatever, do you enjoy being on your lonesome or do you find it a pain in the arse. Me personally I have zero motivation or interest if I'm on a job by myself, things inevitably go wrong and you always need someone one else there, even if its to tug on a cable whilst you feed it in, it can save hours and make a difficult job easy, even though there might not be enough true work for two people for the day.

Saying that, I'm doing a lot of work at home structurally and I prefer to be on my own then, I find other people a hinderance to be honest but that's because I can plan things my way and I'm not reliant on deadlines or other trades doing things that mess my day up.

 

[James]

90% of my work is on my own.
however it is mostly industrial and if required a helping hand can normally be obtained.

 

[littlespark]

On my own.

i cant trust anyone else... and even non-electrical jobs, i prefer to do myself than get someone in.... even if it takes months.


There are a lot of tradesmen... plumbers and joiners... i have worked with who i wouldnt like anywhere near my house....

If theres a problem, and ive made it... then fine. hands up, get it sorted.... but when its someone else, for a tiddly little issue.... then you cant get hold of them again.


I understand the principles of avoiding "lone working"... but if the customer is there, or you've got your phone... if something happens... help isnt far away.

 

[brianmoooore]

I've always worked by myself. My wife has always said that I'm impossible to work with, and she may have a point. Seem to remember my father saying something similar, as well.
Having said that, I have, on occasions, worked for, and with, a few selected competent and experienced DIYers

 

[oscar21]

I really don't get how you do it by yourself. How can you turn up to say an occupied re-wire, maybe spend all day inching a bed across the room when two people could shift it in ten minutes, or you spend 3 hours trying to fish a cable under a floor when all it would take is one person at the other end to just help it along a bit and get it done in seconds. Do you not pull your hair out thinking how simple it could be.

That's without the social aspect, who wants to spend all day in a cold dark house in the middle of winter without seeing another soul all day. The only reason I like working at home by myself is because its my home, I can go to bed for an hour at 1PM if I choose or sit down and watch a bit of TV at lunch time. I don't mind working by myself if there are other trades on site as we all get along and they will help out as required. And lastly there is the deadline problem, everyone wants everything done yesterday and I'm well past working my knackers off to get things done ASAP to suit someone else.

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

If your working on your own,who do you send to Maccy's to get coffees

 

[7029 dave]

Lone working is ok you get used to it nobody else to blame but yourself if it goes shaped.

 

[littlespark]

pick and choose the jobs, being self employed.

That way, i dont end up shifting furniture.... in fact... if anything breakable needs moved, its on the customer to shift it.... not me.

 

[oscar21]

Doesnt answer the question though, you could never get used to using a see-saw by yourself for eg.

 

[brianmoooore]

Even when working on a site with "other trades", my 'standard' working day was 10am to 6pm. No heavy traffic to contend with, morning or evening, and I got more work done in that last one and a half hours than the previous three.

 

[oscar21]

pick and choose the jobs, being self employed.

That way, i dont end up shifting furniture.... in fact... if anything breakable needs moved, its on the customer to shift it.... not me.

That's what I do and have a business partner but he wants to "maximise profits" by doing separate jobs but he also thinks we should take every job because "that's our job" and quite frankly there's no chance of that happening my end.

Seems a tad bizarre to push this on me because I'm the QM, he hasn't even got the 18th yet.

 

[nicebutdim]

I've worked on my own for most of my life and preferred it that way. Over the last few years I've come to prefer working alongside someone else, but only if that someone else is interested in the work and competent or keen to learn.

 

[littlespark]

You are lucky if you find somebody that aligned with your way of working….

I just have to listen to the toe rags from the bigger companies standing at the wholesaler counter, complaining over nothing, moaning about this, that and the other…. Shows me I couldn’t work with them, or they work for me.

 

[7029 dave]

You are lucky if you find somebody that aligned with your way of working….

I just have to listen to the toe rags from the bigger companies standing at the wholesaler counter, complaining over nothing, moaning about this, that and the other…. Shows me I couldn’t work with them, or they work for me.

How many people have you mentored/ trained up.

 

[SparkySy]

I have no preference really, I am a firm believer that two blokes can get more done in a day than one bloke can do in two! It is really useful having an extra pair of hands.
If I'm working on my own I'm quite happy, get some music on and crack on with it!
Even when things don't go as planned I've always thought sod it what will be will be!

Always have had a get up and get on with it attitude whatever it is that I'm doing which definitely helps.

I'm a bit sad in that I love installing and making things and if I sit still for much longer than a cuppa and a cigarette I get board and restless!

 

[littlespark]

How many people have you mentored/ trained up.

over the years, working for companies, I’ve had the chance having apprentices… but they got moved around jobs to give them variation.


I CAN work with other people… I just choose not to.

 

[nicebutdim]

over the years, working for companies, I’ve had the chance having apprentices… but they got moved around jobs to give them variation.


I CAN work with other people… I just choose not to.

I guess much depends on the sort of work being carried out. If you're doing a lot of stuff that requires being in two places at the same time, then life becomes very difficult working alone and this could be why my thinking has shifted.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Doesnt answer the question though, you could never get used to using a see-saw by yourself for eg.

I prefer it by myself.
With regards a rewire, I will carry out a thorough pre works visit. From this you can tell the customer which items they have to move out of the way beforehand, I.e. big bed gets put on its side etc.
Saying that, a rewire is the one job I will get a labourer in for, mostly for chasing. However, it's peferfectly doable by yourself, just hard work.

You just get used to working by yourself, and I can think of only one time ever I actually HAD to have a second pair of hands, to move a NSH.

Play whatever radio station you want.
Walk around pondering for 30 mins without feeling silly.
Sing your heart out, without feeling silly.
Work late, stop early, turn up late, turn up early, it's up to you.

 

[nicebutdim]

Dragging 100m of 50mm 4 core off a reel might be somewhat tedious working single handed. Getting it though 50m of duct, then turning 90 degrees for a further 20m will bring you to the point of packing up and walking off site.

Pulling cable though trunking routed around other services, 30' off the ground, and at full stretch from a scissor lift isn't fun at the best of times.

Getting that extra cable through a 10m length of conduit while simultaneously feeding and pulling it is basically impossible.

A couple of recent rebuilds were knocked out by two of us in about a quarter of the time I could have done them alone.

My mind isn't changing, provided that extra pair of hands know what they're doing.

 

[ipf]

Dragging 100m of 50mm 4 core off a reel might be somewhat tedious working single handed. Getting it though 50m of duct, then turning 90 degrees for a further 20m will bring you to the point of packing up and walking off site.

Pulling cable though trunking routed around other services, 30' off the ground, and at full stretch from a scissor lift isn't fun at the best of times.

Getting that extra cable through a 10m length of conduit while simultaneously feeding and pulling it is basically impossible.

A couple of recent rebuilds were knocked out by two of us in about a quarter of the time I could have done them alone.

My mind isn't changing, provided that extra pair of hands know what they're doing.

2 x 240mm 4 core sub mains through a factory would be a challenge. It took four of us, through walls, above spray booths and 90 degree ups downs and rounds at different levels.
Jeez, making me feel sore. I've a bad back replacing a couple of 5ft fittings these days.

 

[LukeD]

Solo .Unless I need someone for "manual " work and thats not often. Its all about trust and the only time there seems to be issues are when other trades are working on the property . I tend to not like being around them as they have a different "attitude " to work and life than me !

 

[Teddy Lop]

I prefer it by myself.
With regards a rewire, I will carry out a thorough pre works visit. From this you can tell the customer which items they have to move out of the way beforehand, I.e. big bed gets put on its side etc.
Saying that, a rewire is the one job I will get a labourer in for, mostly for chasing. However, it's peferfectly doable by yourself, just hard work.

You just get used to working by yourself, and I can think of only one time ever I actually HAD to have a second pair of hands, to move a NSH.

Play whatever radio station you want.
Walk around pondering for 30 mins without feeling silly.
Sing your heart out, without feeling silly.
Work late, stop early, turn up late, turn up early, it's up to you.

^this.

I discovered recently I'm officially nuerodiverse. What we used to just call being an awkward ****. But Ive allways liked to do things my way and be in control of all elements.

Sometimes I'll get a grunt to do some chasing if I've got lots on but mostly I don't care for having to think or plan for two, and god alone knows how I'd manage any more paperwork, the idea of having someone in employment with rights and things is terrifying.

 

[westward10]

It all depends who you are working with. In the past 40 years I can think of two people who when I worked with we were like peas in a pod. We'd talk about the job then crack on with little debate whilst we were doing it because we knew how to second guess each other, we just flowed together.

 

[SparkySy]

^^^ I had an apprentice like that, he was a great lad worked really hard and listened well.
By the end of year 3 he was absolutely superb, we could get through jobs with great speed and efficiency.
One day he came in looking a bit down and said he had got another job with a big multinational company and that was that, I couldn't offer what they had so I lost him.
The next one lasted 2 days and then never came back!

 

[Dustydazzler]

99% on my own now for various reasons but mainly If I want to go home at lunch time I am happy to take the hit and not pay mself much that day. if I had someone with me I would need to pay them up for the full day. I have been on my own for so long now I don't think I could work any other way