wat is the best way to start out on your own

[benphillips]

i would do the ir test on each of those circuits and tat would tell me which one has the fault. i've worked 15 hours today, cant be arsed to use spell check. i understand tho making sure you do a good job at the right price will get more work. tey tell their friends and family then they tell their friends and family and so on. like food in a pub, a bad meal and you wont go back

ben

 

[Adam_151]

Aye,

Just to settle things, I'm not trying to be a c**t, and nor was ricicle, its just that a lot of short courses don't cover mcuh fault-finding and we were curious as to the approach you'd take if presented with such a situation...

 

[333rocky333]

i sure wouldnt do it at 9.40pm

Thats not a good start for a new business

An RCD cannot tell the time

If an RCD on a main goes off, they may want you there asap , whatever the time.
Help them when there desperate and they will hopefully remember and reccomend you.

I have faultfinded similar faults during the night manytimes.

 

[Spark123]

Yep, breakdowns don't only occur in day hours!!

 

[Click-Sure]

Thank goodness for powerpacks an low energy site-lights.

 

[benphillips]

i sure wouldnt do it at 9.40pm

Thats not a good start for a new business

one i havent started up yet so im still do my other job which is 15 hours a day. if i was in the business then course i would that came across wrong. i dont think i'd ever call a sparky out at that time mind

ben

 

[benphillips]

regarding the short courses there was a bloke who'd been doing it for 20 years and failed!!!! not knowing what current, volts are and the colour of cables.

 

[FingRinal]

People should expect to pay to get an electrician out at night. If there was a power cut, they could be without electricity until the morning so it's not a hardship if they wait, or pay extra for someone to come to them out of hours.

As for short courses. Well, it depends on the individual. Time served isn't a rite of passage like it once was. There are time served jokers and short course jokers. Experience isn't worth having if it's poor experience. What matters most is the individual; his ability to think, work, apply himself, go the extra step for quality etc.

It's 40% ability/knowledge and 60% attitude.

 

[scousespark]

i sure wouldnt do it at 9.40pm

Thats not a good start for a new business

one i havent started up yet so im still do my other job which is 15 hours a day. if i was in the business then course i would that came across wrong. i dont think i'd ever call a sparky out at that time mind

ben

The RCD thing is just an example. However the real point is that you are at step 1. You have the qualification, but not the experience. The best way to get that is working with an experienced spark.

You might not call a sparky, but your customers will. If you are driving down the M6 and your car breaks down at 9:40, you call the AA. To your customers, you are equivalent to the AA.

The one truth in all walks of life is it years to build a good reputation and seconds to destroy it. I would say that Fing has the percentages the wrong way round and that ability/knowledge is more important than attitude. There is nothing stopping you going one-man-up straight away, but it's a risky strategy.

 

[FingRinal]

Let me explain the 60:40 split.

The knoweldge is easily gained and so should be pretty much taken for granted. If you have to work too hard to understand simple maths and Ohm's Law you're in the wrong game.

Good experience and good skills can only be acquired by someone with a good attitutude. e.g. staying late to find the awkward faults; testing by the book when you're tired, cold, hungry and late for home, completing certs and paperwork diligently, asking why and getting to the bottom of it instead of turning a blind eye, installing correctly when the practical problems suggest it's easier to not do so etc. These are all things which those with poor attitudes don't do. As a result, they never attain good skills and good experience because they just give up. They will only ever be run-of-the-mill.

I've never come across someone with a great attitude who didn't surpass the level of more experienced guys within a relatively short space of time.

From your posts, Ben, you sound like someone with a good attitude. This will be your most important asset. You might start off behind others in some respects, but you will soon surpass them if you maintain a good attitude.

 

[Grinning Grandad]

Hi Ben,

After suffering a mid-life crisis I decided to take the plunge and 'train' to become an Electrician with the intention of setting up on my own. Did the courses, got the qualifications etc etc. No amount of courses will prepare you for going into peoples houses to do some actual work for money. If every house you go into is a 6' by 4' cubicle shape with a CU at head height on one wall and 2 sockets and two light switches on the other partition wall then these courses are great. The wiring isn't too much of a problem as long as you know the regs its the fault finding and house bashing that are the biggest problems. My first job was a re-wire at a relatives house but even under no pressure I still struggled. The partner of a work colleague of my ex-wife (phew!) is an electrician so I rang him for some advice. He came and had a look and helped me enormously. Since then, if I have no work, I work with him FOC as you can't buy the experience gained, also if I get my own job he will (if requested) come and help me by offering advice. He is also always available at the end of the phone.

IMO being able to call upon an experienced electrician for help and advice (or even work) is the most important step in setting up on your own. As for the mundane things, a weekly ad in the local free newspaper gets me a couple of small jobs a week for which I charge a low rate (too low says my wife) although one of these jobs has since led to a re-wire thanks to word of mouth.

This site is also a fantastic source of information should you have any queries, if its not answered already someone will answer it for you.

Good Luck, I can't wait for the time when every job I go to isn't preceeded by several visits to the toilet for a nervous PJD (pre job dump)

 

[stargazer]

I can't wait for the time when every job I go to isn't preceeded by several visits to the toilet for a nervous PJD (pre job dump)

Morrissey, does that happen before all your concerts?

 

[benphillips]

cheers for those replies guys. i can relate to do jobs for friends and family and feeling nervous, all of a sudden you have a responsibility, i've been a professional golfer for 7 years and never feel as nervous as my first job. i do like to do things right it feels like i cheat myself if i dont. as for the experience thats really what the question was about, should you really start of with someone else first, by all your replies that seems to be the way forward thankyou.

ben

 

[scousespark]

In reply to Fing, I'm talking in context. Having the right attitude is important, but it's important starting out to know your stuff. Ben has done a bit, but I would always suggest getting work with somebody in the game at first. Going into somebody's house, is more pressured than doing your own house.

Ben,
Look in your local paper and even the dreaded Yellow Pages and phone around and ask if any firms have any openings for you. With luck you'll find something. You can then think about working for yourself later. This is the route most sparks I know have gone down (except those happy sticking with a firm which is always an option).

 

[sparkybird]

Ben
I would also add that when you start out, do NOT be afraid to say no to a job if you don't feel confident. There is nothing worse than getting out of your depth and it could even be dangerous. I still don't take on jobs that I don't like the look of - it's just not worth it!

I was lucky in that, like Morrisey, I had a friendly spark to ask advice when things when t*ts up - it might be worth trying to find someone like this at the beginning.

Good luck with it all
SB