just thinking of starting my own small business...

[StaticPhilly]

ok im not a business man, but at the moment i need a job and there arnt many to be fare...

So im thinking of maybe starting my own small company, making and fitting gates/fences. not sure if it would work but now the weather is turning i figure its the best time of year to give it ago.

My idea is simple, make the gates (i think its cheaper) and buy in fence panels and also offer the option of installation. Prices are simple, cost of timber/screws plus £30 for making and £20 for installation, ok these arnt set prices just what my aim would be, just so its more afordable, might get more custom if the price is right is my thinking. It takes me 2 hours to make a nice 6' gate using t&g so £15 an hour is my thinking for that.

anyway, im just wondering if its going to be as simple for me as getting a small workshop, sort my advertisments out, see what happens? im not sure yet, just thinking out load really, any thoughts would be welcome tho

cheers,
Phil

 

[DIYDANDY]

Sorry Static, but with those prices you would never make a living. T&G gates?

 

[StaticPhilly]

thanks for your opinion danny,

T&G, tongue and groove red wood, stained if wanted. it makes good quility gates over somthing like featherhedge style.

yea the prices i havnt really worked out, dont want to make a stupid amount just want to make enough to live off and cover my costs...

 

[diane1]

i need new gates.......and was quoted £700!!....i think it would be cheaper to have the space bricked up!!!....


so, staticphilly if u get your business up and running and fancy a trip to the seaside!.....let me know....

 

[Blasphemous]

Hi Static.

I think DIYDANDY is right with regard to your pricing. Yes you want to/have to be attractive to customers but to stay in business and keep your sanity, you also have to be profitable. Have you looked at your competitors and what they offer and their pricing structures?

It's great that you're thinking of ways to generate an income but you have to make sure that you don't get too drawn into your 'dream' (I don't mean that flippantly). Some people cannot work for themselves. There is just so much to do you won't believe it! BUT, if you're determined, you pitch at the right level of pricing (considering the factors above), you offer a service that is personal and people like doing business with you, then hopefully you'll do well.

I think you're spot in terms of this being the 'right time' to start such a business... it's VERY windy in Whitley Bay tonight! I hope our fence holds up!!!

Good luck with your venture mate and keep us posted won't you?

All the best,

Blas.

 

[wreckedit]

you really ought to talk to some business people because you have left out a whole host of tasks that take time and effort. If you where getting £15/hr making gates for someone else you'd be doing allright. But, you're not. For every gate I would think that you will be spending that amount of time selling it. People might also think that your prices are also indicative of a heap of junk, so beware.

 

[StaticPhilly]

@diane
£700??? that sounds expensive, love the seaside tho!

@blas & wreckedit
yea the prices im still working on,

a 6 foot gate @ 3 foot wide would cost around £35 for timber then i need the fixings on top of that, so lets call it £50 cost, if that, per gate.

i have checked locally what prices and they are from around 150 to 200 for this size gate. so im just trying to work out what i would charge, it would be the 150 at the highest, probally a bit lower to be honist...

 

[wreckedit]

Building gates for you is the easy bit. So, concentrate on advertising, marketing and selling otherwise you'll have a garden full of gates.

 

[Blasphemous]

Building gates for you is the easy bit. So, concentrate on advertising, marketing and selling otherwise you'll have a garden full of gates.

Hopefully he won't build ANY gates until he has a size to work to for a paying customer!

As I said earlier, there is so much to do you won't believe it and the 'advertising, marketing and selling' that wreckedit refers to not only needs doing but you can't do it for nothing! It needs to be factored into your pricing as well.

Don't expect to make ANY money in your first year. If you do GREAT, if you don't, it's probably down to the fact that you're establishing yourself and the things like advertising, marketing, tools, van, equipment, etc etc will eat up your revenue. Having bought tools, equipment, etc in your first trading year things will hopefully be slightly better in the following years but tools wear out, blades need replacing, fuel is only ever going to go up in price, you may be ill and not working some days, etc. Some of those points may not come about (such as getting ill), and hopefully they won't, but just being aware of them can help you deal with them when and if they do happen.

As has been said previously, if you got £15 and hour from a company to build/fit gates and fences then that would be ok but that £15 isn't the same when you're working for yourself. There WILL be quiet times! So £15 an hour averaged out starts looking less like a decent wage!

I don't know if you know how to write a Business Plan but it might be worth setting one out even if it's just there to make you think about things that might or might not happen or you might need. http://www.myownbusiness.org/s2/

Don't let all this put you off, we're just trying to show you the pit falls. Most of us have the Tee Shirt!!!!

 

[joe-90]

Quote, manufacture and installation would take a full day. To survive you'd need to charge at least £150 per job.

 

[lifesagasman]

Stick with it! Bill Gates made a fortune.

 

[wreckedit]

Hopefully he won't build ANY gates until he has a size to work to for a paying customer!

Yes, Blas, but making standard size examples to photograph to advertise and sell locally from a free classified ad website like gumtree would be a start.

 

[sooey]

But that was with windows.

 

[Blasphemous]

Hopefully he won't build ANY gates until he has a size to work to for a paying customer!

Yes, Blas, but making standard size examples to photograph to advertise and sell locally from a free classified ad website like gumtree would be a start.

Agreed mate but starting from nothing money will be tight. Personally I'd try and get some work from friends and family to start out and photograph those jobs.

 

[diane1]

@diane
£700??? that sounds expensive, love the seaside tho!


a 6 foot gate @ 3 foot wide

mine are much bigger than that!......
and need to withstand the Irish sea "breeze"....im only a couple of mins from the beach!....