looking for any tips and advice (starting up)

[james-92]

so i've been to college and studied pluming on an NVQ level 1 & 2 apprenticeship course about 2 years ago, i finished the 2 years of college but toward the end the guy i was working for started working for someone else and therefore i was left jobless and couldn't qualify for the full NVQ but i gained a technical certificate and all the bits that go with it.
i have done a fair few jobs, bathrooms & various pipework since then but i have no van and its really just a weekend/evening thing around my full time job but i really want to make a go of it, i still live at my parents so i don't have many outgoings as for now i'm just after experience and so on, my plans at the mo are just to buy a van (my mx5 isn't much use), get it stickered up, put up a few adverts, business cards and what not. so i'm just after some advice and what to look out for or ways to go about insurances, tax and just general stuff really.
any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Whl4852]

Just remember you don't need the most expensive van, the most expensive tools. Just start small, contact agencies, builders, everyone. Get your name known locally. Do a couple of loss leaders for a few old people and the word will go out quicker than ever. Insurance is a must, go on comparison sites but always ring up, join ing a good trade body, ie ciphe. You don't have to notify the Hmrc straight away for a unique tax payer reference number, work around your current job, only take the plunge when you are fighting work off.

I now work for somebody, but was self employed for nine years, working in commercial drainage. Hope this helps!

 

[james-92]

this is the stuff i wanna hear, i have an adequate set of tools there's nothing i don't have that i couldn't do without, gonna aim to spend under 500 on a van just want something that's not a total rust bucket and looks professional. how would a trade body benefit me? is it just liability insurance i'd need? yeah i'm working as a trainee for a scaffolding firm and i know i'll be getting laid off soon which is my drive to do it and want to be as ready as i can

 

[Whl4852]

Well I joined the CIPHE as a trainee for about £22 a year. It managed to reduce my public liability insurance and it also saved me quite a fair bit of money on training courses at Worcester Bosch.

Anybody who tells you it's no use it talking rubbish, yesterday I booked a course that was meant to be 340 and got it for 280, so it has paid for itself.

I put an advert up on a church Noticeboard, whilst still working for somebody else, got two small tiling jobs out of it, one leaking toilet and a saniflo installation out of it, maybe just luck?

Also I advertise on gum tree (I pay to bump it up sometimes) had a couple of small jobs out of it and have had a lot of time waster.

I advertised with home base and sainsburys, both costing me a small fortune, don't ever fall for this scam, trust me, learn from my mistakes! Wish you the best of luck!

 

[TimeServed]

So you completed 50% of college, and now you work as a scaffolder and you've done a fair few plumbing jobs on the side. You now want to try and give it a go running your own plumbing firm?
This make no sense to me. Best advice would be to find an employer and go back and finish your college NVQ's. This way you will get a wage every week, complete your NVQ'S and gain valuable experience, only then should you start to consider starting up on your own IMO.

 

[Whl4852]

So you completed 50% of college, and now you work as a scaffolder and you've done a fair few plumbing jobs on the side. You now want to try and give it a go running your own plumbing firm?
This make no sense to me. Best advice would be to find an employer and go back and finish your college NVQ's. This way you will get a wage every week, complete your NVQ'S and gain valuable experience, only then should you start to consider starting up on your own IMO.

Running your own plumbing firm?

I advised him what he would need if he registered as self employed, I worked for agencies at first. Was hardly a big firm.

If the guy wants to try who are we to judge?

We are on here to give help and advice. On the other hand I do agree completing the nvq whilst working for somebody else would be most beneficial.

 

[TimeServed]

I did give advice, sound advice. No offence was intended.

 

[Whyme]

All i can add is start with small jobs, dont say yes to jobs your not comfortable with or beyond you and good luck .

 

[james-92]

i accept what timeserved was saying but finding an employer here seems to be pretty difficult & as far as i can see i haven't got anything to loose, would also like to look into evening to school to gain qualifications? and yeah i'd only take on jobs that i'm confident i can complete, definitely don't want to be looking silly or damaging someones home