New business start up; a few questions.

[ApacheTech]

Look now fella how many times do you want an answer, we have told you some Companies are charging 50p an item, we have told you large Electrical Contractors have cornered the market, we have told you a small business of 10 or less people will have between 15-30 items which will need testing, we have told you anyone can pat test, we have told you to forget specialising in it as the market is dead and you will have to work 18 hours a day 7 days a week to earn 30k after tax, what else do you want to know?

I've said many times now that I'm not looking to make 30k p/a from this. I'm not really looking to make much money at all from it. I've just asked some simple questions, and although I know how to answer Q5 now in every language since Latin, I still have to find a response that actually answers what I have asked for Q1. "12-30 but don't bother" is not an answer to the question I have asked. A number against each example. Is that really too difficult?

I suggest some primary research is in order, so ... go out to some of these businesses yourself and count them, you could say you were doing a survey, and if you find any correlation between a business type / market / size / blah blah and number of items please let we know.

Let you know? Are you joking? I can't even get a straight answer to the question from anyone on here, other than a miserly "12 - 30 but don't bother".

1. How many items, on average, would you expect a small business to have? I know this varies from business to business, but I'm just after a very bal park figure to use for my pricing strategies. For instance:

• Independent Retailer (Tech)

they don't give a damn or will have a retired sparky doing it for them for years in case they need it.

• Family Run Shop (General)]

they don't give a damn or will have a local sparky doing it for them for years in case they need it. you may get business in case he retires.

• Small Office

they don't give a damn or will have a company doing it for them in case they need it. dropping leaflets or business card may work...

• Used Car Lot/Breakers Yard

they properly don't care.

• Nursery
• Community Centre

those will have some big boys doing testing.

How hard would it be, just to put a number? A ball park figure, whether they care or not. It's not much to ask for. That's all I want. A number against each example. Is that really too difficult?

 

[Plonker 3]

I haven't read the whole thread, got a bit bored after the first few posts. But every business is completly different in what equipment they have that would require PAT, so how the hell do you expect a sparky to know?

 

[ApacheTech]

Ball. Park. Figures.

I'm asking, in a PAT Testing Forum, how many items disparate businesses, on average, would need testing. I ask here, because, being a forum dedicated to PAT Testing, it is frequented by people who may have tested appliances at such businesses and might be able to give me a broad figure, based on past experience. I appreciate that not everyone on this forum will have had this experience a priori; and I also appreciate that the current climate within the PAT Testing "industry", if you can call it that, is not conducive with start up companies. This is, however, a part of my due dilligence.

 

[Guest77]

I've said many times now that I'm not looking to make 30k p/a from this. I'm not really looking to make much money at all from it. I've just asked some simple questions, and although I know how to answer Q5 now in every language since Latin, I still have to find a response that actually answers what I have asked for Q1. "12-30 but don't bother" is not an answer to the question I have asked. A number against each example. Is that really too difficult?




Let you know? Are you joking? I can't even get a straight answer to the question from anyone on here, other than a miserly "12 - 30 but don't bother".



How hard would it be, just to put a number? A ball park figure, whether they care or not. It's not much to ask for. That's all I want. A number against each example. Is that really too difficult?

Gasp this really is getting silly now, you have had the answer several times yet still think you haven't, I'm outta here you will be pleased to hear, if anyone else helps you I will be suprised.

 

[trev]

Ball. Park. Figures.

How many items do I have in my home that could need testing?
How many items do I have in my lock up that could need testing?
How many items does my wood butcher mate Keith have that could need testing?
What about Vic Young Nissan Dealership?
What about McNulty's marine repair yard?
What about the Nissan Plant in Washington?
There's no bloody way of knowing without going direct and asking them!
What is a must have item for one business is something which will gather dust for another so they'll not bother buying it. You may as well guess.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I'm sure someone could formulate an equation to calculate the number of items that any one business would require testing.
Something akin to this maybe... :smilielol5:

The Drake equation is:

where:
N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which radio-communication might be possible (i.e. which are on our current past light cone);and
R[SUB]*[/SUB] = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy
f[SUB]p[/SUB] = the fraction of those stars that have planets
n[SUB]e[/SUB] = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets
f[SUB]l[/SUB] = the fraction of planets that could support life that actually develop life at some point
f[SUB]i[/SUB] = the fraction of planets with life that actually go on to develop intelligent life (civilizations)
f[SUB]c[/SUB] = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space
L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space[SUP][8][/SUP]

 

[trev]

Voluntarily deleted.

 

[oldAL]

sorry,
I know its an old thread,
but just reading this got me wound up,
as someone said,
OP asked a Q, didnt get the answer he wanted so kept asking the same Q.

Im a small business,
probably got about 70-80 items that need PAT, im a spark BTW,
so that includes everything from my cordless chargers, site radio, 230 stuff, 110 stuff, printer/pc/laptop/tablet etc etc etc in office,
my mate is also a small business, he is a brickie, [does a job writes a receipt in a book]
I dont think he has anything that needs PAT,
so its a stupid Q
btw, what is the difference between a small business and a micro enterprise and all this other gobbliedegook?

 

[ApacheTech]

Thank you for your response. I did mention taking average numbers. If your brickie friend has no need for PAT, then he is automatically written out of any further conversation. You have nearly three times the items quoted previously within this thread. I am aware of the severe variance within numbers of items; hence asking people who may have done hundreds of site visits, for average values.

A micro-enterprise is a company that employs between 0 - 9 members of staff. A small business is a company employing 10 - 250 members of staff. Medium businesses employ between 251 - 1000 members of staff, and a large business employs 1001+ members of staff.

 

[Guest77]

. I'm not really looking to make much money at all from it.

Well you will certainely get your way regarding this comment.

 

[oldAL]

Thank you for your response. I did mention taking average numbers. If your brickie friend has no need for PAT, then he is automatically written out of any further conversation. You have nearly three times the items quoted previously within this thread. I am aware of the severe variance within numbers of items; hence asking people who may have done hundreds of site visits, for average values.

A micro-enterprise is a company that employs between 0 - 9 members of staff. A small business is a company employing 10 - 250 members of staff. Medium businesses employ between 251 - 1000 members of staff, and a large business employs 1001+ members of staff.

how is he?
he is a small business, or, as you put it, a micro enterprise, I must tell him that he is now an enterprise, he will be pleased,
he is a part of the average,
so, my earlier comment still holds true,
its a stupid question, there is no average that can be relied upon,
do you only want an average of businesses that have more than 10 items?
or do you only want the answer that suits you?

 

[ApacheTech]

See, now you're just being silly. If he has no items for PAT, he is never going to be a prospective customer. I'm asking for a number to put on a sales forecast sheet. He is outside of that scope. If he had a cement mixer, or a power drill, then he'd be inside the scope, as he would be a potential customer. I thought that much, at least, would be obvious.

 

[oldAL]

he has a cement mixer,
and a radio, but I doubt the radio prob last more than a week at a time,
and the mixer runs on diesel,
how can you possibly discount him?
a business with 0 use for you is still a business,
if you were to do a mail drop would you tell the postman to only do the premises with items needing tested?

 

[davesparks]

It appears, from the OPs definitions, that I am involved in 3 micro-enterprises. Lucky me!

1- electrical work (who'd have thought it) and I have probably 12 items eligible for PAT. But I'll do them myself if needed.

2- stage lighting etc hire company, there we have over 1000 items eligible for PAT, but most of them won't just plug in to a standard PAT machine. And we do it all ourselves anyway, plus doing specialist PAT of such equipment for customers.

3- professional fireworks display company, probably around 20 items eligible for PAT. But access to the site is very restricted so you wouldn't be getting anywhere near it.
I do it myself there too.

So there you go, 3 micro-enterprises with very different quantities of electrical equipment to test.
So that's an average of 344 items per business (don't you just love statistics)

And all irrelevant I guess as the work wouldn't be coming your way anyway!

 

[Jason Howard]

It appears, from the OPs definitions, that I am involved in 3 micro-enterprises. Lucky me!

1- electrical work (who'd have thought it) and I have probably 12 items eligible for PAT. But I'll do them myself if needed.

2- stage lighting etc hire company, there we have over 1000 items eligible for PAT, but most of them won't just plug in to a standard PAT machine. And we do it all ourselves anyway, plus doing specialist PAT of such equipment for customers.

3- professional fireworks display company, probably around 20 items eligible for PAT. But access to the site is very restricted so you wouldn't be getting anywhere near it.
I do it myself there too.

So there you go, 3 micro-enterprises with very different quantities of electrical equipment to test.
So that's an average of 344 items per business (don't you just love statistics)

And all irrelevant I guess as the work wouldn't be coming your way anyway!

That's kind of a little bit too rude don't you think.

 

[kenuk]

Hi,

I'm currently writing up a business plan for a new company in the North West; the main disciplines I will be working in are Web Development; Software Development; Risk Based PAT Testing; Cyber Security Training; Social Engineering Awareness Training; and Computer Repairs and Maintenance.

Most of the work is contractual, however the Risk Based PAT Testing will be a source of regular income on a monthly basis, with a lot of seminar and freelance style work in-between. I'm not expecting to make a fortune from PAT Testing, but my ethos is:

"Providing Enterprise level services and support for small business and micro-enterprises".

​

I'm focussing mainly on small businesses, micro-enterprises and sole-traders because of the work and research I've carried out during my dissertation this year.

I have a couple of questions that I cannot find answers to online.

1. How many items, on average, would you expect a small business to have? I know this varies from business to business, but I'm just after a very bal park figure to use for my pricing strategies. For instance:

• Independent Retailer (Tech)
• Family Run Shop (General)
• Small Office
• Used Car Lot/Breakers Yard
• Nursery
• Community Centre

It would be nice to have a Light, Medium and Heavy average for the purposes of financial forecasting.

2. Is using the PAT Testing Distance Learning DVD going to be enough? I have a background in Electrics and Electronics; I have a firm knowledge of Electrical Theory and Electrical Engineering and I have an IET Accredited Honoues degree in Computing and Networking. I have also done some Level 3 Diplomas in Workplace Safety and Health, Project Management and Electrical Studies via ALISON online. Is it worth forking out for the C&G 2377 22 and 32, or should I start with the qualification from the Distance Learning DVD and take the course if I find myself in over my head?

3. Can you do a Electromechanical NVQ while PAT Testing, in order to diversify to be a full Electrician?

4. Is it possible to work towards professional registration with the IET through starting off in PAT Testing or working as an Electrician?

5. How saturated is the PAT Testing market at the moment? I know the changes made in 2012 have put some people off starting up or carrying on with PAT Testing. In my immediate vacinity, there doesn't seem to be anything, but I'm not sure about the North West. I'm looking, realistically, in a 25 mile radius of Chester.

6. Is much of the information you can find online still valid, after the changes made in 2012 to the CoP? There seems to be a lot more emphasis now on merging PAT Testing with traditional Risk Assessment; has there been a shift away from PAT Testing being within the remit of the Maintenance Dept. and more towards the Health and Safety Officer's remit? How has this affected our jobs as outsourced labour?

Thank you for any assistance you can give. Questions #1 and #2 are the greatest concern at this time.

How did you get on?