Self employed electrician

Poxybandit

Hey everyone this is my first post here but tought it would get a more honest response then if I posted on Facebook. Iv been qualified since 2013 and working with in the BMS industry since being qualified. I have always loved the work but In the past few years it’s become an unmercifully toxic place to work to the point it actually kills me to get up and go to work in the morning. Iv been thinking of going out on my own for a few years but have been honestly terrified to do it. Am I mad to even consider it in these times or is there work there if I look. I just can’t face into another 7-8 years working in a job I now detest even if a raise is offered at this point I don’t think any money is worth it. Any advice would be hugely appreciated thanks

Buddy Bubs

Loads and loads of work. My best friend is an electrician working for himself and he's impossible to get to do anything he's always booked up. Does 5 full days and a half day every Saturday he's very busy. Leinster area, he doesn't go into dublin either.

kramer1

Poxybandit wrote: »

Hey everyone this is my first post here but tought it would get a more honest response then if I posted on Facebook. Iv been qualified since 2013 and working with in the BMS industry since being qualified. I have always loved the work but In the past few years it’s become an unmercifully toxic place to work to the point it actually kills me to get up and go to work in the morning. Iv been thinking of going out on my own for a few years but have been honestly terrified to do it. Am I mad to even consider it in these times or is there work there if I look. I just can’t face into another 7-8 years working in a job I now detest even if a raise is offered at this point I don’t think any money is worth it. Any advice would be hugely appreciated thanks

Can only speak for domestic, but loads of work out there. The money s good if you’re prepared to put in serious hours and there’s a lot of messing around with paperwork, dealing with Reci, insurance, vans etc.
It gets pretty all consuming, like any small business .
Always thought bms would be great work, grass is always greener I suppose

EHP

Loads of work out there but need to look after the business side also, a good accountant is necessary not always easy to find. Don't be afraid to charge enough for your hours remember your time is your biggest asset. When working out how much you need to charge per hour if you are doing private work and not on site all day everyday you'll be lucky to average 6 billable hours a day. If you supply materials you are entitled to a mark up at least 20 percent but more if possible. Set up with a good invoice software straight away such as invoice2go or Zoho. These allow you to invoice the customer on site and they will automatically send reminders for overdue payments. Get a card machine such as sum up or similar. You should make your living Monday to Friday 8 to 5 if you work Saturdays that should be a bonus, if you find you have to work extra hours to make a living you need to charge more. Personally I don't chase new builds as I find that's a race to the bottom more money to be made from service and maintenance work. If you do start on your own I would suggest if you're subbing €35 to €40 per hour and direct for customer €40 to €50 per hour starting off also a minimum charge for the first hour or call out charge of €70 to €80, if you are asked to travel for service work over half an hour from your door I would also charge travel. All prices above are ex vat. If you want it go for it you can always go back as payee if it doesn't suit you.

kramer1

And stay away from kitchen rewrites, loads of extras they don’t want to pay for, badly organised and they always run out of money.

tweek84

kramer1 wrote: »

And stay away from kitchen rewrites, loads of extras they don’t want to pay for, badly organised and they always run out of money.

Ah the kitchen fitters look after all that wiring :D