Discuss Fairly making money by sub-contracting - New Business Startup in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

After reading your last post my 'manhood response' would be you have delusions of grandeur. I'm starting to believe this is nothing more than a wind up.
It does take some believing tower you are right. I think the main point to come out of the last comment, is that we live in the real world and this guy lives in a cyber one.
 
...It's going to take a little more than ÂŁ50 on Google adwords to get it off the ground even. That is why I said you have delusions of grandeur - you seem to have the blinkers on and still can't take on board what seasoned sparks are telling you, that a) decent sparks don't need your service and b) customers won't (for long) pay for services from not-so-decent-sparks.
That ÂŁ50 is just a teaser. I know I need more and I know how to spend less. This business is not for everyone. Not every taxi men/women jumped on the Uber band wagon. Not everyone shops on eBay, not everyone processes their card through Paypal and believe me, not everyone do their searches through Google. Im not here to get everyone but rather listen to everyone.
 
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That ÂŁ50 is just a teaser. I know I need more and I know how to spend less. This business is not for everyone. Not every taxi men/women jumped on the Uber band wagon. Not everyone shops on eBay, not everyone processes their card through Paypal and believe me, not everyone do their searches through Google. Im not here to get everyone but rather listen to everyone.

Blinkers on. What you've essentially proposed is an umbrella company. A customer uses the app, your guys go scope the work, give a price, and you get a subby involved.

So riddle me this. Why do you need the app? What's the issue with a customer phoning/emailing you saying "hey can you come give a price for this?"

If you're going to go an price the work before involving a subby, I don't see what the point of this all singing website/app is, except that it utilises your skills in something that you're possibly good at to create a link to something that you're not so good at. You're fixing a problem that quite frankly doesn't exist.

We're going round in circles here, do what you want, but you came here looking for feedback, and I sincerely hope you take it on board otherwise you'll end up like those on Dragon's Den that remortgage their house 5 times and still have nothing to show for it.

"But I will have something to show for it, you'll see when I get 'the picture' up"
 
Here is my question, how do subbies get their work? Noticed I said subbies. I assume something like: Dave phones his mate and say "jim here's a job sheet, do this work for me". Is that similar?
 
Ahhh the customer may have more than one quotes so I'm eliminating just to have my quote.

I would think that your customer will have more quotes, based on people coming round and viewing the job, then giving accurate quotes. You on the other hand is giving the customer a very rough estimate.
For example: customer wants a re-wire. 1 quote is ÂŁ3,500, another is ÂŁ3,300. Your estimate is ÂŁ2,000 to ÂŁ3,000 (or maybe ÂŁ3,000 to ÂŁ4,000) with a possible ÂŁ1,000 on top. Why would anyone agree to your estimate?
 
I would think that your customer will have more quotes, based on people coming round and viewing the job, then giving accurate quotes. You on the other hand is giving the customer a very rough estimate.
For example: customer wants a re-wire. 1 quote is ÂŁ3,500, another is ÂŁ3,300. Your estimate is ÂŁ2,000 to ÂŁ3,000 (or maybe ÂŁ3,000 to ÂŁ4,000) with a possible ÂŁ1,000 on top. Why would anyone agree to your estimate?

So realisticly a rough quote is a waste of time and an in person quote is preferred?
 
Here's a question for you that might be better understood and help the point sink:

I'm setting up a business and need a website. How much will it cost?

I like you hightower.. You come across a hell of a lot better than me..
 
So realisticly a rough quote is a waste of time and an in person quote is preferred?

Again, hightower would probably put this better but all I can say is: In this posts case, yes, a persons quote will be a lot better than your app quote......
 
So realisticly a rough quote is a waste of time and an in person quote is preferred?

All you are doing here with statements like that and many others in this thread is convincing your potential target audience that you don't have the first idea about what we do or what you are doing.
 
Again, hightower would probably put this better but all I can say is

Ha, you make me out to compare with Shakespeare, so I'll leave with this appropriate quote:

"Your brain is as dry as the remainder biscuit after voyage"

Seriously OP, think carefully before you spent another minute on this project.
 
Ha, you make me out to compare with Shakespeare, so I'll leave with this appropriate quote:

"Your brain is as dry as the remainder biscuit after voyage"

Seriously OP, think carefully before you spent another minute on this project.

haha. ive had quite a few slaggings off about my wonderful brain, and the way it thinks, but it has never been put so quaintly before.. :)
 
Here's a question for you that might be better understood and help the point sink:

I'm setting up a business and need a website. How much will it cost?

Easy. Ask customer these first:

  • What is the business
  • What are your targeted audience
  • Are your selling products/services or just displaying static content
  • Budget

So I still dont understand what are you trying to get across. If I have a web development business and someone asks that question, my website would extract those information already.

All you are doing here with statements like that and many others in this thread is convincing your potential target audience that you don't have the first idea about what we do or what you are doing.

All Im doing is finding a solution to a problem. Now what is that problem you may ask? A process where constant work is available eliminating confusion of what a customer wants. It seems to be tough in this electrical business. I'll find a way.
 
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All Im doing is finding a solution to a problem. Now what is that problem you may ask? A process where constant work is available eliminating confusion of what a customer wants. It seems to be tough in this electrical business. I'll find a way.

And there lies your problem, this problem doesn't exist. All you are looking to do is take a large percentage someone else's hard earned money in exchange for passing on details.
For the amount you propose asking for, any electrician could easily increase their business through existing and established promotional methods.
Your business model offers nothing that any electrician or electrical firm could not do for themselves.
 
Again, its good that you have a positive attitude towards this (blinkered though it may be) but it just can't compete against someone going round, seeing what is actually involved in the job and then quoting. You have to be living on cloud cuckoo land to think it will. You will end up losing money cause your quotes are either too small (then the good electricians will quit and you will end up with muppets doing the job) or you quote will be too high and you won't get the job.
 
... All you are looking to do is take a large percentage someone else's hard earned money ...

And here we have someone that has their eyes fixed, glued and hammered down on the 10% - 15% where I've said to erase that for a bit.

If I'm correct, I think the business model reflects an umbrella company. hmmmmm....
 

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