Is Work slow for everyone?

[Spazz]

Hi all - How is work coming in for everyone?

I have only had one job in 2 months now.

Is anyone else this quiet?

Anyone got an idea on how to boost work?

I checked my Google Stats and in the last 5 days only 3 people have searched for an electrician in Pembrokeshire!
(1 of them used me)

However loads looking for Electrician Jobs

 

[oldtimer]

Yep here it has went quite but I got a call out today for an alarm problem customer said there was a power cut and everybody around her alarm was going off so even when it was peeing down i popped around the doors with a few flyers so seeds are planted see what happens. In other words sometimes you have to go to the work instead of it coming to you

 

[kingeri]

Marketing. Pure and simple. The more channels you use to put yourself out there the better. However, you will still likely be quiet - there are too many factor going against us now. The market is saturated with sparks (and wannabe sparks), plus the recession, lack of new housing being built - we're screwed right now.

 

[telectrix]

it's that bad, i'm considering re-training as a plumber. the only thing that puts me off is the mandatory lobotomy.

 

[oldtimer]

Marketing. Pure and simple. The more channels you use to put yourself out there the better. However, you will still likely be quiet - there are too many factor going against us now. The market is saturated with sparks (and wannabe sparks), plus the recession, lack of new housing being built - we're screwed right now.

Still not stopping the wannabees is it must be the backlash where people were quite happy to dodge away in their job all of a sudden they are paid of and its a sparkies life for me. the thing is what pilick gave them the impression that it was easy

 

[Spazz]

There are a load of houses being built in my area (5 different sites - over 300 in total) but all the electrical work has been contracted out already and when I asked the spark if there was any chance of helping he told me where to go!

 

[oldtimer]

There are a load of houses being built in my area (5 different sites - over 300 in total) but all the electrical work has been contracted out already and when I asked the spark if there was any chance of helping he told me where to go!

Nicholas I did not know you spoke Polish

 

[Spazz]

Nicholas I did not know you spoke Polish

Polish????

What you on about old timer?

 

[telectrix]

he meant the sparks on the housing job were probably polish

 

[Spazz]

No - it was local sparks - all British - no mates helping or anything - doing 1 site on his own - same on the other 4 sites as well.

Im in Pembrokeshire - all the sparks are working in the care homes!

 

[Plonker 3]

It seems as though folk are just going with whoever they know to do electrics at the moment. Had a friend of a friend ask me if I could certify a job for them the other day, mentioned its not allowed and he just said oh well I am not that bothered anyway.

 

[Swicade]

Not even close to being flat out but getting close to 2 days a week electrical work at the moment but thats only because i know afew small builders around where i live i've done work for the last few years. When not on electrical i've spent odd days helping the same builders out on thier (non electrics related) work just to keep some money coming in.

Seems to be at the moment the only way to keep some turnover coming in is to diversify abit and get my hands filthy mucking in with the builders (labouring to a certain extent). Pays not half as good obviously but it is leaving the door open to get the Electrical jobs done making alot better money on the extensions they build.

 

[richy3333]

Nicholas I did not know you spoke Polish

That quip sailed far over-head

 

[oldtimer]

That quip sailed far over-head

You should live here the airport was having a major refit and when I landed I thought I was in Warsaw airport

 

[DurhamSparky]

work been good so far this year! im now only 1-2 weeks booked up in advance as opposed to 5 weeks back in april/may

 

[Octopus]

I checked my Google Stats and in the last 5 days only 3 people have searched for an electrician in Pembrokeshire!
(1 of them used me)

Me thinks you've answered your own question.

Over reliance on the web is something newbies need to realise - I've had my website for over 2 years now but still don't much from it - however what my stats show me, is that many people look at my site using the website name as the search - i.e. they've seen on of my adverts or one of my cards.

That said I'm getting about 80% of my leads from repeat business or word of mouth.

We're in a recession, the building trade is on its knees, people aren't moving or extending much so WHAT do you expect?? PLUS training centres are kicking out many more wannabee sparkies every week

 

[StuSpiers]

Well I'm one up on you - I have had 2 decent jobs in the last 2 months.

The rest of my time I spend walking the beat delivering flyers/letters - but that has little to no results.

I only set this company up in april due to redundancy - however I have been self employed before - never known it as bad as it is currently.

 

[trev]

A mate of mine is signing on at the moment, he told me he went in the other day and the nearest sparky job was Maidstone and the rate was crap.
So, as the government claim that jobcentres are the first and best port of call for anyone looking for work, we can assume that no electrical company in the north east is taking anyone on.
I know this isn't necessarily true but it's an indication of how tough things are.

 

[baldelectrician]

My new business calls have dropped 76% in the last 2 years, I am still ticking over with repeat business and word of mouth

 

[kbl123]

i have found that there is work out there but mainly employed maintenance electricians. unfortunately the supply and demand aspect makes it difficult for the self employed/small firms. There are works going on and not just large sites but small works which come with small profit margins at best. That said, everyone not just builders look to cut costs and so will either use un-registered sparkies (competent or not) or squeeze the price. Its stinks out there at the mo but hopefully we'll get through it.