Going it Alone...

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KRISW1888

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Hi guys, needing a bit of advice here. I started out doing the taping when I was 17 years old, worked alongside a couple of guys who showed me the ropes of taping, I learned both how to hand tape and machine tape. Quite enjoyed the taping only bad bit was the sanding down lol! As the years went passed I was taping and learning to plaster using multi finish, bonding coat etc. I now have about 5 or 6 years plastering experience behind me. I have done loads of plastering jobs for people and I have never had any problems, my old boss used to say I was a better plasterer than him :). I think its time to go and set up for myself go self employed. I am now 28 years old and I am 100% confident on working on my own. Although I don't have a driving licence I hope to be driving in the next month or 2 cause I've been taken lessons. Have my theory test this week actually. any advice on this please would be great ;). Cheers.
 
make sure you pass your test................... a wheelbarrow full of multi and tools is heavy :RpS_thumbup:
 
Cheers Ctplastering No dnt fancy runnin around with a wheelbarrow full of tools etc jesssop lol. Hope to be driving in the next month or 2. Looking forward to it to be honest. I get loads of work at the moment through word of mouth, but I get a licence and own business set up I could advertise more and travel a bit further.
 
Best way is how you are doing it , so you already have a bit of a customer base from the amount of weekend jobs etc that wernt through ur old boss , hard to start from scratch with out any contacts , and just hoping the phone will ring off advertising which does work but usually when your busy not when your on ur arse lol
 
Lol. Yes I get a lot of work m8, ive also got 3 landlords who phone me up with loads of jobs here and there, also theres a guy local who builds houses and does up existing houses and stuff. Obviously to much money but he gets me lots of work aswell. Can only give it a try and see how it goes, ive got 3 kids who need to be fed aswell and their gettin older askin for the bigger things lol be nice to give them it ;)
 
Like others have said .... make sure you have all the tools you need .... possibly get on a council trader scheme as it costs next to nothing and brings a lot of work (does for me anyway lol )... Possibly ring round builders etc and see if any interest

Only downside is when your quiet .... totally does my head in sat at home but im lucky I have no mortgage or kids ...

Just make sure you build up a decent sized cash flow so when you are quiet there's abit of breathing space

Good luck
 
Cheers adamd! :) aye nothin worse than having no work and being at home. If that happens ive seen me ended up doing the school run Lol! Would much rather be out the way workin and makin some money. Ive got all my plastering tools, tubbs, buckets, brushes, mixing paddles, got my own drill, trowels etc. Infact I got my new nela 14 inch trowel through the door this morning. Lookin forward to trying it out. As I say its the driving licence thats holding me back a bit. So hopefully get it blasted out the way and I can crack on ;)
 
Cheers guys ;) need to see the old man hes got all the contacts for a can plus he owes me a favour for skimming his living room lol
 
Is everybody else on here self employed? How did use start off and did use find it hard going or quite easy?
 
once you're up and running, got a gd cash flow, u'll never look back and will wonder y u hadn't done things sooner
 
Bit of advice, may sound obvious but work out what percentage of your weekly income is taken up by van costs, insurance etc. otherwise you may think you're earning enough but in reality it's getting gobbled up with costs.
 
imo ,it is better now ,then a few years back ,I feel there is more work out there ,don,t go in cheap ,when you start of ,your running a business ,do the best job every time ,that will lead to more work ,always work clean ,and be lucky mate :RpS_thumbup:
 
They say your only as good as your last job.

But I'd never look.back now. I'm a bit luckier than the other guys with me specialising in fibrous work so less competition. But if your good you will get work. Repeat work is the best I find as they know your work.is top draw and don't tend to try and haggle with you then.
 
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