Gone really quiet

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s.p.t plastering

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Gone really quiet for me at the moment, got nothing booked in till first week in jan, and that's only a couple of days at the moment.....Tempted to jump on site but most of them be getting ready to close now would of thought....

Looks like a quiet christmas for me : (
 
same hear, i jumped on site 2 weeks ago, some traveling, prices are rock bottom so cant even take our labourer its shite. on a bett site their heads up their arse, brickies are shite too, needs must though mate
 
its mostly straightening n finishing and plastering over artex.skimming av done.hiv done wet cast but a wud not say i wis good at it.
 
Well do what beddy does in his spare time to get extra cash "s**t on people door steps"
Am also done for the year now and it's it's fecking cold.
 
I've been waiting for other trades for a week or so but been glad of the time off as had a very busy year. Start a house next Tuesday which will see me good for this year, and then January & Febuary are going to be manic.
 
TonyM said:
I've been waiting for other trades for a week or so but been glad of the time off as had a very busy year. Start a house next Tuesday which will see me good for this year, and then January & Febuary are going to be manic.
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likewise, weve had a busy year, and this year im only having 3 days off over christmas and 1, news years day, my full time lads finish on monday for 2 week, then jan and feb are manic for us, half a dozen render projects to start if weather allows.
 
owls said:
likewise, weve had a busy year, and this year im only having 3 days off over christmas and 1, news years day, my full time lads finish on monday for 2 week, then jan and feb are manic for us, half a dozen render projects to start if weather allows.
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So they'll be having at least six weeks off then
 
somefin will turn up mate, iv been sweatin this week but had a call for a price for hack off board and skim a 3 storery town house and tank the basement and had 3 or 4 other calls this week bout smaller jobs board few ceilings skim a few rooms, somefin always pops up at the last minute bud, just need keep your ears open and never hurts to fing afew connacts
 
I got nothing after new year yet, and not pricing anything so bit scary now, wont last more than a week into jan I wouldnt have thought!
 
For us who only do private work things will be harder in someways it's a different ball game to site work.
 
youve just got to get out and about there,
your running a business, so like any other business you have to have an edge over your competators, and be out to win business
get in with a few small to medium builders, in with a few other trades as they pass your name around, promote your self at any oportuntity.the principal is the same wether your a one man band or a decent size outfit.
theres work out there you just got to get your name about, it seldom comes to you.
 
im actually doin alright this year priced a 6 flat job and got it then priced a 4 flat job and got it then a 5 bed house and got it then a builder i work for took on a office block which i priced and got that aswell then ive got little jobs to try to fit in in between, i think this if the first year scince i went on my own ive had a busy christmas and new year fianlly feel like im getting somewhere
 
Spent all day driving about today just to meet C**** talking about bollix about financing jobs, dealt with one engineer and 2 Architects and a couple Bankers but got quite a bit of work out of it so all sweet.
 
owls said:
youve just got to get out and about there,
your running a business, so like any other business you have to have an edge over your competators, and be out to win business
get in with a few small to medium builders, in with a few other trades as they pass your name around, promote your self at any oportuntity.the principal is the same wether your a one man band or a decent size outfit.
theres work out there you just got to get your name about, it seldom comes to you.
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What's the best way of getting in with builders?

One of my good mates has started getting more into building rather than plastering as more money and easier to stay busy, and he's fully booked all next year, i'm trying to convince him to sub all his plastering work to me, but the gready f**k*r is still doing it himself....lol
 
If you want work off builders go to the pub more,thats where you will find them and get some buisness cards made.
 
i cnt remember how i got my name about i think i actually have one of them tiny free ads in the tompson local and the yellow pages and they do work i had 2 jobs off the tompson one last week not big jobs but they paid well and you know wat they say look after the pennys and the pounds look after them selves. i had some business cards made and to stay on the good side of the domestic clients i made up some "care packages" haha just a note telling them how long to leave the plaster for how to paint it mix ratios for mist coast and such forth 2 paint brushes a jr plastering pen and a selection of business cards of people i work for and know who are tippy top at thier jobs and of course my own.
oh and i usually say if you have any problems just give me a call if i cnt help you on the phone then ill pop down when i have a chance (as long as its not like an hour away.
i find this always goes a long way with domestic customers and they will always pass your name on, also you get a drink out of the person whos cards you left in the bag if they get a job off the back of it.
boom im in the game
 
Try networking, b.n.i worked for me, did it for 2 years, not done it for 2 years, but still ride of the contacts i made when i was there.Must admit, its a little G**, but its good for work.
 
although builders can be good top up work theyre mostly wankers and will only pay day rate. iv always found them hassle and have only ever worked for an individual for a yr or 2 before falling out. but thats just me. domestics pay well but are a chore. site pays sh1t but is easier. i always found the best way to keep going was be in with a couple of builders, i used to do bits for 3 plumbers, 2 kitchen fitters and 2 decorators. then my own domestic bits from word of mouth and i used to put my cards in the local newsagents. and then site work to top it up also. always kept me going at all times of the yr
 
nickelarse said:
although builders can be good top up work theyre mostly wankers and will only pay day rate. iv always found them hassle and have only ever worked for an individual for a yr or 2 before falling out. but thats just me. domestics pay well but are a chore. site pays sh1t but is easier. i always found the best way to keep going was be in with a couple of builders, i used to do bits for 3 plumbers, 2 kitchen fitters and 2 decorators. then my own domestic bits from word of mouth and i used to put my cards in the local newsagents. and then site work to top it up also. always kept me going at all times of the yr
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Eaxactly this..

I know loads of builders, and you never make many out of them, just day work, why i've never really bothered.

i've stopped pricing for one builder as i hardly get any jobs i price, found out after he was getting me to price say a kitchen reskim and putting like £400 on top of my price and then getting someone cheaper from the pub to do it, then ringing me up to put right..no wonder i was never getting jobs, putting 800 pound or so on top of my price on a render, i don't mind people making money off me, but as far as i'm concerned if someones making money off you they should pay you when u finish if a small job, not wait 30 days.....

And the jobs he did send my way he always wanted a drink out of it, how can you price in a drink on skimming an artex ceiling, lol...on a bigger job maybe!
 
s.p.t plastering said:
Eaxactly this..

I know loads of builders, and you never make many out of them, just day work, why i've never really bothered.

i've stopped pricing for one builder as i hardly get any jobs i price, found out after he was getting me to price say a kitchen reskim and putting like £400 on top of my price and then getting someone cheaper from the pub to do it, then ringing me up to put right..no wonder i was never getting jobs, putting 800 pound or so on top of my price on a render, i don't mind people making money off me, but as far as i'm concerned if someones making money off you they should pay you when u finish if a small job, not wait 30 days.....

And the jobs he did send my way he always wanted a drink out of it, how can you price in a drink on skimming an artex ceiling, lol...on a bigger job maybe!
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if your just plastering i suppose any wannabe can do it, i only do machine rendering and screeding so im geared up fot it,
and it all depends on the quality of outft your working for, if your aiming for jobing builders you will get nothing but hastle, the problem is anyone can call themselves a builder.
The best contact i got was for a developer that builds high end designer houses circa a million a pop,
so they are prepared to pay for quality, i get a couple of rendering projects a year out of them.
 
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