GOING IT ALONE!!

[petermillard]

I had a couple of Skype numbers (Skype-In??) for six months or so, just to try them out. I have to say, promoting one of these numbers alongside my mobile number, I think I had one call to the 'landline' vs all others to the mobile, so from my experience, the whole 'anyone working just from a mobile phone is dodgy' attitude just doesn't play out .

I don't disagree about a landline number giving an impression of 'permanence' or 'stability' but it's only an impression - this is the 21st Century; everybody has a mobile 'phone (my octogenarian parents have mobile phones) and using a mobile number rather than a landline as the main point of contact makes perfect sense when that person's job is to be out and about working in peoples homes i.e. not in an office or a workshop waiting for calls.

I put my 0800 number in play for my convenience, and everyone always asks for my direct mobile number - if only so they can text me.

Cheers, Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

Dan
Oo-er! I didn't know that!

Thanks for a bit more hinteresting heducation.

Cheers
Steve

 

[beech1948]

Mike,
You said
>>>.
M. HOME MAINTENANCE
07908363770

TRADITIONAL SKILLS, TRADITIONAL VALUES. GETTING THE JOB DONE RIGHT, FIRST TIME AND ON TIME!

 ALL TYPES OF CARPENTRY/CABINET MAKING/TIMBER FINISHING : Err what does this mean. Can you list better examples..door fitting, kitchens fitted, build-ins, bookcases, tables, etc etc
 DOOR AND LOCK REPLACEMENT
 FLAT PACK ASSEMBLY
 PAINTING AND DECORATING
 OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE : Can you be more specific
 INTERNAL RENOVATIONS : Can you be more specific
 FURNITURE/FLOORING RESTORATION

IF YOU WANT A PUNCTUAL AND PROFESSIONAL FAMILY RUN SERVICE, CALL US FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE.

VERY REASONABLE RATES. QUALITY WORK AND SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.
HOURS- 8 TIL LATE
<<<<<

I was thinking that often clients don't know what to call things, or imagine a technical name but don't know it. Being more explicit gives a couple of things:-
1) It look like you have more experience and skill than normal
2) You look more professional
3) You provide ideas of what people might consider to hire you for at £150+ per day

Good luck
Alan

 

[big soft moose]

Couple of other points

IF YOU WANT A PUNCTUAL AND PROFESSIONAL FAMILY RUN SERVICE, CALL US FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE.

My understanding was that it was just you - so how are you ar "family run service" - if it is just you i'd say "if you want a punctual and proffesional service, call me for quote"

VERY REASONABLE RATES. QUALITY WORK AND SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.

I'd be careful of putting that in writing - because it appears to mean that if I am not 100% satisfied I diont have to pay - andf some peopole are picky beggars who are never satisfied and will use this against you

you could just say "very reasonable rates and quality work guaranteed" but Imo it would be punchier to leave it at "call me for a quote"

also I would put the phone number at the end as in "call me for a quote on... "

 

[Steve Maskery]

Dibs - thank you.

 

[mike-reid]

ok then fellas

all of the points for the flyer have now been taken into consideration and have changed the draft copy, shall we say. i have expanded on the services available, fitted wardrobes, book cases, outdoors maintainence like fencing, gates, planter boxes and benches. When i get a 'shop set up i will then advertise furniture, but one step at a time i think.

times, satisfaction statement and grammer changes have also been corrected.

i am going to look into the landline number, but as pointed out, i am not going to be sat in the house waiting for it to ring (hopefully), so a possible 0800 divert number would be the best option.

I am struggling with the name change though. I know its not jumping off the page, but this is going to be a long term venture and I do hope it will be able to grow into a family business for me and my sons, hence using family initials.

i have a day off from the dreaded office today so will be putting it to full use, doing some leaflet drops and having them put up in local shops and builders/painters merchants.

Must also make more time for tool fettling and looking into how to set up as sole trader ot Ltd.

thank you all for the pointers and advice, it really is priceless!

 

[Dibs-h]

i am going to look into the landline number, but as pointed out, i am not going to be sat in the house waiting for it to ring (hopefully), so a possible 0800 divert number would be the best option.

I wouldn't do an 0800 nbr - it costs from mobiles and it costs you to receive. Most VOIP providers can give you any geographic nbr. Say for arguments most of the work you wanted was in Sheffield and you wanted to appear as if you were in Sheffield - they'd give you an Sheffield nbr as easily as they'd give you a Barnsley nbr. And for the same cost. Just let it run to answer machine - giving the caller the mobile nbr, should they wish to contact you immediately (sort of thing).

I do hope it will be able to grow into a family business for me and my sons, hence using family initials.

It's good to have aspirations and a long term plan - but who knows what your lads will want to do in 10-20yrs time. I would suggest you aim to make it grow and be profitable as possible. Anything else is a bonus. The one thing I would say to you is be mercenary with your thinking - there's no room here to be personal, etc. It's about getting the maximum return for your time & effort, whilst maintaining customer satisfaction, excedding expectations and encouraging repeat business - nothing less, nothing more.

I've met folk who've gone into business - not treating it seriously and getting all enamoured with the thought of "being in business", but when asked what their hourly costs are, they haven't had a clue and ended up going out of business.

I've met **** hot trademen and met **** hot businessfolk and not often the 2 in one.

HIH

Dibs

 

[Scrums]

Just a couple of more points/ideas.....

1) Name of the business - whether or not you intend to link it to a website straight away or possibly sometime in the future - decide on a name that you can get a .co.uk domain name for and buy it.....for instance your email addy won't end up as [email protected], which looks cheap and nasty for a business.

2) Business banking - looks so much better when the customer pays the business name rather than J.Bloggs.....and it can be free. Santander (was Abbey) do a free account and so do Alliance & Liecester (also part of Santander) I've tried both - Abbey/Santander were awful, whilst A&L are great, plus you do all your banking via a post office, they do charge though - but only if you don't bank £ 1k a month.

3) Consider, perhaps in the future taking Credit cards, a bit immoral in a way but I've managed to overcome my scruples and seen an increase in turnover. Cost for hire of GPRS terminal is about £1 a day, then card fees on top of that - but giving customers an alternative to cash/cheques, particularly when cheques are going out of fashion can pay dividends.

Chris.

 

[Orcamesh]

Good luck Mike on your new adventure, looks like you have had shed loads of advice already so I wont add as it seems unnecessary.

But as for company names beginning with A, how about :

(1) Accurate Woodworking (or Carpentry)

(2) Amazing Woodwork (or Carpentry)

(3) Absolute Woodworking Services

(4) ABC Woodwork

(5) Aspire (or Aspirational) - Woodworking Services

(6) Articulate Woodwork

I can come up with more, but feel free to use (if you can)...

If there is a town/village near you which begins with A then you could probably use that too.

You may need to check on Trademarks by doing a trademark search and if you want to become a limited company then you may need to check on company names already listed, but you probably already know this.

cheers
Steve

 

[wizer]

All Carpentry Services (Barnsley) Ltd

 

[Dibs-h]

3) Consider, perhaps in the future taking Credit cards, a bit immoral in a way but I've managed to overcome my scruples and seen an increase in turnover. Cost for hire of GPRS terminal is about £1 a day, then card fees on top of that - but giving customers an alternative to cash/cheques, particularly when cheques are going out of fashion can pay dividends.

Chris.

Not to mention you can pre-authorise credit cards at the beginning of a job for a customer with whom you've never dealt with before.

Dibs

 

[jlawrence]

For a landline number take a look at www.voiptalk.org, I've used them in the past and it worked well.
When looking to contract someone in for something I won't touch them if they only advertise a mobile number. However, I will 99% ring their mobile rather than landline - assuming they advertise both.
I suppose I see a landline number as a company having a physical presence (even if it's just a house) where as with a mobile you've next to no chance of tracing them.
I also won't contract someone who doesn't advertise their company/operating address.

I must say, "hubby for hire" sounded more like somekind of pimping service .

 

[BradNaylor]

3) Consider, perhaps in the future taking Credit cards, a bit immoral in a way but I've managed to overcome my scruples and seen an increase in turnover. Cost for hire of GPRS terminal is about £1 a day, then card fees on top of that - but giving customers an alternative to cash/cheques, particularly when cheques are going out of fashion can pay dividends.

Chris.

Not to mention you can pre-authorise credit cards at the beginning of a job for a customer with whom you've never dealt with before.

Dibs

I really wouldn't bother.

In twenty five years of dealing with the public I've never had a single case of anyone refusing to pay. After all, you know exactly where they live.

The only reasons I can think of for this happening are if you've done a lousy job, in which case they shouldn't be expected to pay, or if they are total scumbags, in which case you shouldn't be doing the work in the first place.

'Scumbags' inhabit all strata of society. The key is to identify them before agreeing to do any work for them!

As for cheques, most of my customers pay me by BACS

 

[TEO]

3) Consider, perhaps in the future taking Credit cards, a bit immoral in a way but I've managed to overcome my scruples and seen an increase in turnover. Cost for hire of GPRS terminal is about £1 a day, then card fees on top of that - but giving customers an alternative to cash/cheques, particularly when cheques are going out of fashion can pay dividends.

Chris.

Not to mention you can pre-authorise credit cards at the beginning of a job for a customer with whom you've never dealt with before.

Dibs

I really wouldn't bother.

In twenty five years of dealing with the public I've never had a single case of anyone refusing to pay. After all, you know exactly where they live.

The only reasons I can think of for this happening are if you've done a lousy job, in which case they shouldn't be expected to pay, or if they are total scumbags, in which case you shouldn't be doing the work in the first place.

'Scumbags' inhabit all strata of society. The key is to identify them before agreeing to do any work for them!

As for cheques, most of my customers pay me by BACS

It's not always as simple as that Brad,
I was subbing for a main contractor who went bust, the cabinets I'd fitted couldn't be removed, I couldn't get access and no point anyway as they wouldn't fit anywhere else. I'd done a few jobs for the guy before and he'd paid on the nail. I took some advice but basically it was just one of those things, his cash flow got stuffed by the banks withdrawing most of his overdraft. I had to just suck it up.
Nearly bankrupted me in the process and it's still rumbling through my finances two years later.
C'est la vie and sometime La vie really does a number on you.

 

[Dibs-h]

I really wouldn't bother.

In twenty five years of dealing with the public I've never had a single case of anyone refusing to pay. After all, you know exactly where they live.

The only reasons I can think of for this happening are if you've done a lousy job, in which case they shouldn't be expected to pay, or if they are total scumbags, in which case you shouldn't be doing the work in the first place.

'Scumbags' inhabit all strata of society. The key is to identify them before agreeing to do any work for them!

As for cheques, most of my customers pay me by BACS

I entirely understand what you mean Brad, but if you as a trader have a GPRS CC terminal and are using it. It is only another option at your disposal to be able to pre-authorise a credit card before work takes place.

Not only for perceived dodgy clients but for any or all of them. It's extremely common practise out there for deposits to be taken (what they mean is pre-authorise) on CC's, and I think it's not a bad idea to copy the rest of Industry sometimes. Business is business and I think good business practices are universal.

Dibs

 

[BradNaylor]

It's not always as simple as that Brad,
I was subbing for a main contractor who went bust, the cabinets I'd fitted couldn't be removed, I couldn't get access and no point anyway as they wouldn't fit anywhere else. I'd done a few jobs for the guy before and he'd paid on the nail. I took some advice but basically it was just one of those things, his cash flow got stuffed by the banks withdrawing most of his overdraft. I had to just suck it up.
Nearly bankrupted me in the process and it's still rumbling through my finances two years later.
C'est la vie and sometime La vie really does a number on you.

One of the many reasons why I don't subby for anyone. I only work with private clients who I like the look of!

Life's too short...

 

[Dibs-h]

One of the many reasons why I don't subby for anyone. I only work with private clients who I like the look of!

Life's too short...

I think that's the way to be - but in the early days, I think it's hard for someone (unless they're somehow overwhelmed with work early on) in the early days to be so selective.

 

[Shane]

All the best Mike, I was in this position in Nov 08 and it has been the best thing I have ever done, I wont pretend it hasn't been tough, but deffo worth it. I havn't got much to add though I'm afraid cos it's all been said previously.

I think that's the way to be - but in the early days, I think it's hard for someone (unless they're somehow overwhelmed with work early on) in the early days to be so selective.

I made sure very early on to have my tw*t radar dailed in properly, better to be at home for free than out working for free

 

[Mr Mike]

One of the many reasons why I don't subby for anyone. I only work with private clients who I like the look of!

Life's too short...

I second those sentiments entirely. You really learn to trust your instincts about people when working purely with private customers. Life really is too short to work for 'orrible people.....and when working, you need to be able to focus on your work, not worry about whether you're going to get paid or not. If i don't feel 100% about a customer, then I will politely decline the work or the offer to quote.

I've worked for interior designers in the past, and if anything, it made it absolutely clear to me that I prefer to work directly with the client.

I don't pay for advertising and I'm booked solidly through to late November at the moment. In the summer months it's mainly sash restoration and listed building work, in the autumn and winter months, mainly fitted furniture / alcove units.

Definitely don't price yourself too cheaply in the first few years as you will lose those first customers as regulars when you start to inch your prices up. If you have other customers to fill that vacuum then that's fine.

You will find pricing a headache too initially.....dont worry if you don't make as much as you would have liked to on some jobs......that does happen occasionally......the important thing is to leave the client satisfied.

 

[TrimTheKing]

WTF is it with all these pineapple's???