starting on my own

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beddy

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i've been plastering for 6 years working for a bloke who, when he was younger was well known in the area. now he's close to retiring and his eyes are going and he's losing interest in the job, and we've lost a couple of jobs because of it. i'm unsure wether to stay with him and get his clients when he finishes, or venture out on my own. i know it will be slow to start with but do you reckon its better to do that or stay with him on a not very good wage? considering theres not much work about at the minute. i'd love to go on my own but its a big step.
 
it sounds like he has been good to you so why dont you speak to him about taking on the work and giving him a small % of the jobs. In other words, he still runs things and yu sub off him.
 
u need a few ££££ behind you 2 go alone takes a long time to set up properly, need to plan it never rush it. how u wanna look wot van u want,all gota match to give a professional appearance i think.

i spent 8 months planning my style and image ect pays off as your allways changing it a bit so best to get it right first time round.
 
he has been good to me, but at the same time he's starting to take the piss a little bit. little things like i'm doing more and more of the work, and getting no more money. i know its his company so he should make money off me. but theres a limit. i've been thinking about it for a while and i've got some money behind me and my folks said they'd lend me any money i need and no rush for it back. but i just think, i'm saving for a house and could do with some nice money but if its gonna be slow to start with, then is it better to be on an average wage consistantly? we're a bit short of work at the minute so i might use this as an excuse to start doing my own little foreigners and move on from there.
 
dont really get what youll do with youre money mate ?.......pay people to give you jobs ???....stick with youre old gaffers connections and make more of youre own
 
the money is for a van and drill thats all i need. i keep thinking its worth staying with him. but then i speak to the people we work for and they say they will come to me when he retires anyway. he's starting to cut corners aswell and that really gets to me. like i said we've lost a couple of domestic jobs because he's losing interest and i just think that when that customer needs a plasterer again. they won't think of me because they weren't happy last time. he obviously isn't bothered because he's made his money and is just seeing his time out. but i've got 40 odd years to go.
 
oasis said:
u need a few ££££ behind you 2 go alone takes a long time to set up properly, need to plan it never rush it. how u wanna look wot van u want,all gota match to give a professional appearance i think.

i spent 8 months planning my style and image ect pays off as your allways changing it a bit so best to get it right first time round.
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Sorry but I don't agree, you can get started with very little money if you don't throw it about. When I started on my own I drove an old beat up ex-BT van and didn't have printed T-shirts. I won all my work because people either knew the standard of my work or I could send them to look at the last job. A nice van and image doesn't count for as much as quality and knowledge ( and you know I'm not having a dig there don't you ).
Steve I bet that a lot of your current bosses clients know who it is that does the best work now and would probably follow you if you went alone. Perhaps you should find a way of broaching the subject with your guv as to whether you could become a junior partner, he will almost certainly be aware of the fact that you are starting to carry him in the work stakes if not in the running of the business. It could be win win for both of you, he doesn't lose you and you get to be part of an up and running business. Whatever you decide good luck.
 
you havent got a choice mate its no different .........you earn the money rather than someone chipping 50p a metre of you
 
cheers andy, one of the jobs we did was for another spread we know. he said that the customer was happy with mine but it was the gaffers that he wasnt best pleased about. i agree with you about the image thing, while a new van and printed t shirts gives off a nice proffesional image, it doesnt make you a good spread. i think if i let him know i'm considering leaving then he will realise that i'm serious and reconsider the situation.
 
start doing your own jobs at weekends and evenings and when youve got too much on to carry on working with him give him the choice to put your money up or go on your own, get a van and tools anyway coz you will be worth a bit more to him and start advertising.
 
thinking about it, your right simply. i know that all he will say is theres not a lot of work about at the minute so he needs to keep the prices down. hence no payrise for me. i think ill try and do more weekend and evening work like flynnman said and try and get in with a couple of builders on my own. then i can take the jump if i've got enough regular work. i know that once i get going i'll be fine and itll be the best thing i did. its just that first step is a big one!
 
also contact other spreads in your area and ask them if they can pass anywork your way if they cant do it, where you fom anyway
 
coventry mate, i think i'm the only one on her who is! at the minute i only know a couple of spreads and they're quite quiet at the minute. but i'll have a nose through the yellow pages tomorrow.
 
steve i'd have a bit more confidence in yourself ......dont take work on for shitty prices mate ........unless youre desperate and do a good job ...............same day different s**t but hopefully youll have a few more quid ;)
 
never said it makes you a good spread but makes you look more employable if u went 4 a job interview you want turn up in rags, but then i think its all down to personality.

i won a job 2 day she said i looked the best i was tidy nice van flyer kit and was very confidant were the older guy turned up in a car and looked miserable as sin and gave a cheaper quote.. jobs mine :)
 
oasis said:
never said it makes you a good spread but makes you look more employable if u went 4 a job interview you want turn up in rags, but then i think its all down to personality.

i won a job 2 day she said i looked the best i was tidy nice van flyer kit and was very confidant were the older guy turned up in a car and looked miserable as sin and gave a cheaper quote.. jobs mine :)
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You liar Oasis I was nowhere near Cheltenham ;)
 
Steve i think the best bet for you is to try and get some kind of partenship going with him,he will need money in his retirement and by using his conatcts u will get work,well what little work there is.
If hes an approachable guy,tell him you need more dosh and that youll gladly take the work from him and pay a %,to him.tell him you think you can modernise the business and get him more custom.
If you gotta start out on your own where you gonna get the work from?????????
I been in this game for 20 years and im surviving but having to cut back on the luxuries in life and im 100% sure if i wasnt multitrade and had to rely soley on plastering id be on the dole.This is something ive never done in my life and dont wish to do.
if you gotta start advertising to get work paying for insurance and buying equiptment paying for labour at times whilst waiting for the cheques to clear and the insurance companyies to pay you etc etc ...having the sufficient cash flow to purchase materials etc its gonna be hard at the minute.
the banks wont give you any overdraft faccilites so it will be hard.
HSBC bank cut my overdraft from £7500 to £2500 overnight last year without warning for no good reason,luckily i had some rainy day money and used it and survived but it could ahve finnished me.
Reputation doesnt seem to count for as much nowadays as price,its wrong but its true.
It hard out there mate,be greatfull you gotta job.
If you need a little extra work im working in hinkley on a full house reskim and ceiling overboard job which isn't to far from cov and i might need some help might be able to give ya some weekend work if you interested?
 
thanks for that advice skimmin, i know i'm lucky to have a job its just starting to sink in that he's making alot of money out of me and then giving me the bullshit that theres not alot of money in the jobs. yeah definately give me a shout if you need a hand. i don't claim to be the best spread around but i do a good job and work hard as i like to take pride in my work so i won't let you down.
 
I worked for a spread for 3 years, done me NVQ's and he was paying me £60 quid a day. He would give me an address to go to and I would be there on me jack, render, re skims ,screed etc. I was working nights and weekends and making more money, so I ask for a pay rise and he said no. So I went to work for myself, never looked back. Nearly allways in the pub for 12 on a Friday.

One thing I would say is that I allways bought tools every week so it was a smooth transition. All i had to get was a van, which I got from EBay.
 
Ive been spreading for a long time on and off and i have only just gone on my own.I bought a cheap van and had my own tools.Work is coming in slowly but be carefull with pricing. i think theres a fine line with being expensive or cheap because joe public no that everyone is struggling so they get a lot of quotes in.I find i get jobs by going in at cash prices,do one or two and try and bump it up on a few in between.If you are to confident and go in high you will get outpriced on quotes and it will be hard to get going so juggle it about a bit.good luck.
 
just a quick update, i've been trying a few building companies for work, so far no luck but i'm not gonna give up. i've got a few of my own jobs coming in and i've given my cards to a couple of plasterers who work on their own and they've both said they could do with a hand on alot of their work. fingers crossed.
 
get a quotation package made up a mini brochure with pictures of jobs and letters of recomends and copies of any qualifications and put your qoutes in this folder/brochure it looks good and you can bet it will stand out big time
 
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