I dont know what you do for your day time job but can you run this in your spare time to start ? is the overhead much ? wish you was a bit closer .
I'm drive heavy plant diggers ect I'm looking at about £65 plus power and water per week so not to much
Have you thought about doing work at customer's homes. It seems to be a growing thing where people like you with skills go to the customer. I needed a small welding job on my van and the nice welding chap did the work on my driveway for cash, and he has no premises. He said he does anything metal and even makes and repairs gates and all sorts of welding work. Low overheads, cash in hand. Another neighbour needed a small dent and paint repair on his car, chap came round with a tent and did the job for cash on his driveway. My son needed some electrical work on his T25 including wiring a fuel pump and relay, chap came round, did it for cash. Same chap found a wiring fault in my mgb. Another nice cash job. Gardeners, house cleaners, window cleaners, painters and decorators, jet washing driveways and so on. It does seem a better option to provide a mobile service for small jobs, premises means you have to earn the money to pay for the rent and stuff before you begin to earn for yourself. Also you may pick up other business when you are doing the job. A neighbour had a car with failed mot due to rusted engine mount, he called out the same chap who did my welding. Do some business cards, Name, mobile number, what services you provide etc.
so can you do a bit of both oooer to start ? Its hard when you have a regular reasonably good income , you also have home n family to cover .
An age ago I was self employed for nearly twenty years, nothing special, just transporting people to and from UK airports.. I put an advert in the local paper and as I had a much nicer car than the competitors I decided to charge just a couple of quid per trip more. In the first week I had four bookings so I dropped my price to compete.. The next week I had 22 bookings and they grew and grew. I couldn't live on a four booking week but I made a good living on a 22+ bookings a week.. I did make a profit even though I dropped my price. Adverts can be free nowadays. Internet/google/facebook page with details of what you have done so far. Starting off as a mobile restoration specialist maybe? Oh.. And you need to add £20 to your bills.. You'll have to become a sponser
I know wot you mean but I think I could give it go to see how I get on but if it starts to effect family the I nock it on the head or give up day job and go for it
In my recent experience just get a workshop open the doors put a bus in it and people come out of nowhere wanting work done, in the space of two weeks at my new place I've had 3 serious enquirers to do work on busses for people, I don't know these people they don't know me , trouble is I've got enough on for about 3 months of my own. Go for it if you want it , with your skill you'll be inundated soon.
It's a courageous decision. Spare time and holidays?? Will they exist? Can you come home from a day's work and relax or will you be doing the books and fretting about the business? Will you take on too much and not be able to cope? What if you fall ill? I'm not trying to put you off, it can be very rewarding but it's not for the faint hearted snd I don't want you to go in with your eyes closed.
Yes I agree with everything you said but and again but I used to work for myself and I miss it my be that's why I miss it I you know wot I mean
Yeh you just need to keep your backside covered and have a bit of clout behind you . Overheads are the things you need to way up . If your not tied into a long lease then , like flakey says it probably wont take you that long to get going . Getting people that pay is the bit you need to monitor and dont let anyone owe you more than you can afford to loose .
When finished (not long).. You could subsidise this new business by renting out your bus for a few weeks a year ?
Whats the worst thing if you try it and its no good? Wouldn't you just go back to to driving diggers, is it hard to get work doing it?
Was you doing similar stuff before , how long ago ? I worked for myself for 30 years if your good at what you do and most of all reliable you wont be out of work , just dont start off in debt or putting yourself under too much pressure . If i was in the dragons den i dont know why (just gut i suppose )id back you . So ad on here , you have a ready made set of debt collectors on here . Any way i know a few digger drivers who are minted
I had a small company repairing paint damage to higher cars so not really the same but close I'd start small and see how it goes and like you said barney iv got you lot behind me
i was going to start a simular thing in france and maybe do a few buses up just to keep the pennies rolling in but since the workshop was attached to the house I got "mick" "mick" "mick" every five minutes ,so decided to change plan... I make sure I have plenty of jobs if the work get's thin ,self employement is ace...
