Work Anxiety

[chirpychippy]

May I ask a question please, mostly to the SE people on this site. I am still relatively new to SE, I have been fortunate with work in the 7 months since being SE but I have a constant underlying anxiety about where the next job is coming from, which in turn causes stress on top of normal stresses.

Don't get me wrong I do enjoy being SE but the stress is something I really haven't learnt how to deal with. Does this stress lesson as one becomes more established and conversant. Or does one need to find a way to stop thinking about work.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Norcon]

Or does one need to find a way to stop thinking about work

That's basically it.
Getting stoned on a bottle of whiskey will soon take your mind off work!

 

[gregers]

Or does one need to find a way to stop thinking about work.

Any help would be appreciated.[/quote]

trouble is,you end up chasing all the work your offered without taking any time off at all.this is ok if you only look after your own d.ick,but when you have a young family to contend with tempers can start to fray.i know it did with me when i was S.E.

 

[noseall]

You never really completely stop thinking about work when you are self employed.
Unfortunately the daily grind is not limited by the clock and you find yourself working long after the tools have been put away, i.e. pricing, accounts, billing etc.

I think the secret is to be as good a tradesman as you can and do as good a job as you can. This will ensure that you will get plenty of follow up work and mean no come-backs to old jobs.

There is nothing more satisfying than a full order book whereby you have months of work booked in. I'm lucky in the sense that if I have say 3 extensions booked in then I can practically have the year filled.

You also need to be outgoing and confident and not afraid to blow your own trumpet. I have secured some jobs before even pricing by simply gaining the trust and confidence of the customer. Not by being pushy or giving it "me, me me", but by saying all the things they wish to hear.

I tell all my customers they can have the names and addresses of every single job i have done in the last ten years and visit them at random, should they mention references.

 

[GavThePlumber]

Think of the millions of workers up and down the country, sat at a desk 9 to 5 everyday, on PAYE while the boss reams them dry and office politics bleed their souls, that is a life not worth living.

 

[bennyhedgehog]

Even if you are PAYE these days it doesn't mean much in terms of job security. At least being SE you can, to some extent, be the master of your own destiny instead of pandering to some tosspot line managers' ego!

 

[dreadnoughtheating]

It has taken 7 years to get to the point where the only adverts i place are in a church Parish magazine... too many wasted pounds on yell.com/. phone book/ local newspaper(chipwrapper...).

As said do the best job possible, and word spreads. Charge accordingly, and you really can pick which jobs appeal, and avoid ones which do not.

Positivity feeds upon itself, and generates repetitive customer /recomendations etc.

DH

 

[JohnD]

You also have to decide on some holidays, book them well in advance, and take them.

If you wait for a good time, it will never come. When you're busy, you won't want to lose work. When you're not, you won't feel you can spare the money. When you peg out, you won't be saying "I wish I'd spent more time at work" and your wife and family will not have fond memories of all the time you spent away from them.

Don't spend all the money as soon as it comes in.

 

[matz]

You also need to be outgoing and confident and not afraid to blow your own trumpet. I have secured some jobs before even pricing by simply gaining the trust and confidence of the customer. Not by being pushy or giving it "me, me me", but by saying all the things they wish to hear.

I tell all my customers they can have the names and addresses of every single job i have done in the last ten years and visit them at random, should they mention references.

as above and also dreadnoughts post.

I know its a trite thing to say but you need to get to the stage where you ooze confidence. The customer will pick up on it and you will be unstoppable.

To put this into context, I have been a self employed trade 30 odd years and its only during the last 5 that things have come together. I turn down 30% of the work that comes my way, dont worry at all about how much work I have - it always seems to come in! You do though need very strong and defined marketing though usually via an adequate website with good local presence also good customer facing skills - they are lots of trades that are brilliant at their trade but rubbish with their communication.

Above all as well, you need to be excellent at what you do...

There is no magic path to the above, it just kind of evolves and you suddenly find yourself there!

 

[pimplumb21]

I'd say make an effort to network with other tradies as often people will enquire after plumber while getting plastering done etc. Having loads of plumber mates when you're a plumber might be good socially but not when it comes to work.

I have a plumbers' merchant business and recommend a fair few of my SE customers onto others. Get to know people like those at local Post Office and shops - sounds menial but a vast majority of my trade is through word of mouth. Means I never get anything done quickly if I nip out at lunch but v good for business!

 

[chirpychippy]

Thank you for your replies and sorry it has taken me so long to reply, "the last post" I am going to try and be a bit more pro active in the networking department. I am not concerned about whether my work is good enough or not because from feed back and my own assurances I know it is.

I am learning, when I was employed I always felt the need to rush my work and it never seemed to matter how fast I was, my to**er of a boss was never happy. I am learning now that I don't need to rush i take my time, its a lot less stressful. Organisation is my week point, this needs working on. Living and learning. Thank you.