Just wondered how busy everyone is at the moment?

[HappyHippyDad]

I went quiet over the initial covid period but since then I have been steadily getting busier and busier and now have 2 months of work booked in which is the most I have ever had. Bear in mind I am a one man band, purely domestic, 2 months is a long time. In fact it's too long as if a regular customer rings up they have to wait 2 months.

Just wondering if it's just me or if others are more busy than usual at the moment, same as usual or less?

 

[mattg4321]

Busiest I’ve ever been.

Can’t get hold of the usual extra help we use when too busy as they are also so busy.

Shouldn’t moan when so many people are struggling, but it’s quite stressful being so busy too.

 

[SparkySy]

Likewise very very busy, it's like the whole country suddenly woke up all at once! Mainly commercial and agricultural for me although the domestic is starting to get busy for me as the nights draw in and everyone realizes their outside lights don't work anymore!

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Never been busier, I was looking at the accounts compared to last year in quickbooks and I am several thousand up on same time last year, despite paying myself more and forking out for a new van lease, with van being delivered in around 2 weeks, needed bigger one due to amount of stuff i got to carry.
Downside if this carries on I have to register for damn VAT within a few months as turnover has kept going up due to car chargers at nearly 1k a pop. got some customers to buy it themselves!!
I cant figure it out, as there is talk of recession etc but at same time customers keep ringing for stuff, so much so i am having to turn people away due to being so busy.
got loads of EICRS booked in, then some remedial work to carry out. Car chargers installs keep coming along and then the usual lights, sockets etc people want doing.
Commercial work in shops etc has largely stopped in Bath at the moment, domestic is booming. If there is a recession it hasnt affected people in Bath yet.

 

[littlespark]

Same here. Busiest I’ve been in 3 years. When lockdown hit I was actually looking for a PAYE job and had an interview. Kinda glad they turned me down now.
juggling several jobs a week. I still need to be flexible as other trades are... I can’t commit to a certain day unless the joiners been in first, for example.... and they never come the day they say.
Luckily got plenty little hour or two jobs I can fit in on a quiet day.

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Busy busy busy. Got a lot more call outs recently aswell. Just done my 2919 aswell, in the middle of doing the whole OLEV scheme application stuff ready to fully push car chargers aswell.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I would say less work now than before lockdown , certainly less than I would like. my usual customer who I did lots of maitenance work for went out of business as it Was mainly in hospitality settings so that has cost me a large amount of regular easy work. Which was a shame as we worked Really well together.

on the flip side my brother in law is a gardener and he is absolutely flat out 6 days a week sometimes 7. He even put his prices up 20% post lockdown and still turning work away.
He is pricing jobs crazy high and still winning them.
he reckons on a good day can clear 600 quid, which is ridiculous really when you think about it...
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I remember I was working doing new installation for a high end housing developer in 2006-2009 during the financial crash / recession and we never stopped. I was even working Saturdays for them to keep up infront of the dryliners.
it seems certain sectors feel less impact than others during a recession...
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I went quiet over the initial covid period but since then I have been steadily getting busier and busier and now have 2 months of work booked in which is the most I have ever had. Bear in mind I am a one man band, purely domestic, 2 months is a long time. In fact it's too long as if a regular customer rings up they have to wait 2 months.

Just wondering if it's just me or if others are more busy than usual at the moment, same as usual or less?

not really , I got a quote back in June for a new front door from a local glazing company and I’m still waiting for a fitting date

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Busy busy busy. Got a lot more call outs recently aswell. Just done my 2919 aswell, in the middle of doing the whole OLEV scheme application stuff ready to fully push car chargers aswell.

The OLEV process is now a lot easier, you dont actually need manufacturers approval anymore, just have to upload the usual insurance, scheme membership, course cert etc...
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I would say less work now than before lockdown , certainly less than I would like. my usual customer who I did lots of maitenance work for went out of business as it Was mainly in hospitality settings so that has cost me a large amount of regular easy work. Which was a shame as we worked Really well together.

on the flip side my brother in law is a gardener and he is absolutely flat out 6 days a week sometimes 7. He even put his prices up 20% post lockdown and still turning work away.
He is pricing jobs crazy high and still winning them.
he reckons on a good day can clear 600 quid, which is ridiculous really when you think about it...
[automerge]1601050007[/automerge]
I remember I was working doing new installation for a high end housing developer in 2006-2009 during the financial crash / recession and we never stopped. I was even working Saturdays for them to keep up infront of the dryliners.
it seems certain sectors feel less impact than others during a recession...
[automerge]1601051521[/automerge]

not really , I got a quote back in June for a new front door from a local glazing company and I’m still waiting for a fitting date

I have been working 6 days a week for the last 3 months just keeping up with work. got loads of quotes to write up aswell.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Well, almost everyone seems to be crazy busy. Perhaps a covid backlog.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Since this Chinese snot kicked in I have been bizzy making a vaccine made from whisky
water and gin and water, so I have been working in between hick hick.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Equally - 6 days a week, bookable hours well up on my target of 140/month.
The nature of the work has changed since Covid , have turned down around £45K of work in last 2 months, mental.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Good to read most are pretty busy , as much as Covid kicked our butts back in lockdown , there is still plenty of money being spent t it seems...
loads of big extensions , new driveways , building works going on in my area.
infact a few guys I have spoken to have all substantially increases their prices and Still very busy...
im speaking to a guy next week about taking on some of the work he is too busy to do himself...

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

The OLEV process is now a lot easier, you dont actually need manufacturers approval anymore, just have to upload the usual insurance, scheme membership, course cert etc...
[automerge]1601057592[/automerge]
I have been working 6 days a week for the last 3 months just keeping up with work. got loads of quotes to write up aswell.

Interesting, I passed the course 2 weeks ago and have been speaking to Rolec about partnering with them. I have purchased the Rolec tested which they require and just waiting on the Cert from C&G. We’re looking at really marketing the OLEV, not many near me have it and although it’s a ballach i think it will give us the edge.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Few days next week got a couple of jobs
Where they have no lights, some I have posted some candles in case I don't get there, I have now started putting my prices up.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I remember a sparky telling me just keep increasing your prices each month until you stop winning every job. When you only win about half your job quotes then you are about the right price...

 

[Baddegg]

Never been busier, took 14 phone calls/emails from Checkatrade yesterday......had to sack someone today though which hurt on a personal level and is also going to hurt business until I can replace ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

Never been busier, took 14 phone calls/emails from Checkatrade yesterday......had to sack someone today though which hurt on a personal level and is also going to hurt business until I can replace ?

did you fire yourself ...

 

[Baddegg]

did you fire yourself ...

I’ve considered it a few times ?....it’s just not a nice thing to do but how many chances do you give someone especially when it starts affecting a business you’ve invested years in....

 

[Darkwood]

Its gone mental my end, just bailed someone out at 1days notice to wire an air source heating install... I shouldn't be doing 14hr days at my age ?, I can't even spend it when I get home, ruddy 90mins left serving in the pub

 

[buzzlightyear]

Never been busier, took 14 phone calls/emails from Checkatrade yesterday......had to sack someone today though which hurt on a personal level and is also going to hurt business until I can replace

Was the wifey not pulling her weight. Lol.

 

[westward10]

We are playing catch up and not catching up.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Was the wifey not pulling her weight. Lol.

on a serious note , I used to get my younger brother to help me on jobs but he was so slow and disinterested it actually made the job take longer

never mix family & business

 

[Baddegg]

on a serious note , I used to get my younger brother to help me on jobs but he was so slow and disinterested it actually made the job take longer

never mix family & business

Just for the record I DONT take my wife to work.....the thought of it is giving me sweats and making me twitch!!

 

[buzzlightyear]

I glad the wifey takes all the calls from customers, I don't know how she juggles it chained to the sink and cooker she gets paid when she shops. Lol.
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on a serious note , I used to get my younger brother to help me on jobs but he was so slow and disinterested it actually made the job take longer

Answer move you big bum. Lol

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Well, almost everyone seems to be crazy busy. Perhaps a covid backlog.

Funnily enough after I posted earlier a customer emailed for a job I quoted for in late Feb, then covid struck and only now hear back to say I got the job doing all electrics to convert into HMO. Downside can't do it until end of November

 

[Grant1987]

Same here was really quiet after we went into lockdown in March/April bad times financially and then picked up testing contract and builders/ plumbers/ kitchen fitters work and ever since been working 6 days a week long hours most days with a lot of emergency calls. Wife and kids not happy which is not good but they appreciate the good times and Appreciate my hard work so we are fortunate to live without money stress which was the case earlier this year. Gotta take the rough with the smooth

 

[westward10]

Same here was really quiet after we went into lockdown in March/April bad times financially and then picked up testing contract and builders/ plumbers/ kitchen fitters work and ever since been working 6 days a week long hours most days with a lot of emergency calls. Wife and kids not happy which is not good but they appreciate the good times and Appreciate my hard work so we are fortunate to live without money stress which was the case earlier this year. Gotta take the rough with the smooth

You sure your wife and kids aren't happy

 

[Grant1987]

You sure your wife and kids aren't happy

? true they might be double bluffing me here and then I’m fobbing them off with cash to keep them sweet when I’m reality they may be milking it. ?
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? true they might be double bluffing me here and then I’m fobbing them off with cash to keep them sweet when I’m reality they may be milking it. ?

Thanks for pointing this out @westward10 ??
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? true they might be double bluffing me here and then I’m fobbing them off with cash to keep them sweet when I’m reality they may be milking it. ?
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Thanks for pointing this out @westward10 ??

I thought her shoe and clothes collection had gone up all I get is “I bought these ages ago you probably didn’t notice because your so busy” ??‍?

 

[Dustydazzler]

It will be interesting to see if the sudden flood of work continues into December and beyond...?
At the moment from what I can tell most people retained their jobs via the furlough scheme so no real mass unemployment yet.
but as the furlough is coming to an end it will be interesting to see what happens.
i know a few people who are twitchy as the furlough is wound down who haven’t gone back to work yet and still getting paid via the scheme.
my next door neighbour reckons he is actually better off at the moment on Furlough because he hadn’t got to keep paying for his train fare into London. He just had a new garage door fitted with the money he reckons he has saved by sitting at home Not working.
i can imagine similar stories up & down the country as people are spending their furlough wages etc...

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I think it's because no one is going on holiday so they decide to do up the house instead. Everyone's gardens are looking pretty so they're turning to their houses now.
The only gardens and houses looking tardy are the tradesmans ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

I think it's because no one is going on holiday so they decide to do up the house instead. Everyone's gardens are looking pretty so they're turning to their houses now.
The only gardens and houses looking tardy are the tradesmans ?

I have A large conifer hedge (about 5-6m long) I want cutting down & the stumps removed but the quotes I have received are eye watering

 

[DPG]

I think it's because no one is going on holiday so they decide to do up the house instead. Everyone's gardens are looking pretty so they're turning to their houses now.
The only gardens and houses looking tardy are the tradesmans ?

Tardy means late. Sorry

 

[Megawatt]

I went quiet over the initial covid period but since then I have been steadily getting busier and busier and now have 2 months of work booked in which is the most I have ever had. Bear in mind I am a one man band, purely domestic, 2 months is a long time. In fact it's too long as if a regular customer rings up they have to wait 2 months.

Just wondering if it's just me or if others are more busy than usual at the moment, same as usual or less?

@happyhippydad it seems like since the COVID started I can’t get caught up. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining but I’m getting old and it’s wearing me out. As you I have at least have 2 months booked up and the calls are still coming in. It looks like I’m going to have to hire a helper

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Tardy means late. Sorry

Oh dear! I've always thought it meant unkempt. Foolish me, I wonder how many times I've used it over the years and had strange glances that I didn't comprehend .

 

[DPG]

Oh dear! I've always thought it meant unkempt. Foolish me, I wonder how many times I've used it over the years and had strange glances that I didn't comprehend .

Amazing what you can learn on here!