2 questions relating to Joinery...

[eldon]

@jimmy milnes any pointers Jim?

 

[Farmer_J]

A few family members set up there own landscaping/building companies. It’s all been word of mouth and social media. Join the community Facebook pages within a 50 mile radius, get his friends and family to join them too. When a question comes in like “can anyone recommend a joiner for this work xxxxxxx, or can anyone give me a quote for this……?” Get everyone to recommend him. Post a link to his Facebook trade page. This is what we did for family, their business has gone from strength to strength over the last 2/3 years and are easily turning over well into 6 figures now. One word of warning though, the quality of work must be good. Timekeeping and customer satisfaction paramount. It only takes a couple bad reviews and you start losing work.

 

[merlin]

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to reply; I've not had chance to read all the responses yet, but will after work & discuss with Charlie how we press on from here

.....and keep the suggestions & ideas coming, all appreciated

 

[baguio]

Wish he lived near me. I want to change the doors in my house. I can do it but professionals have the equipment and just do it better in half the time. I wish him well and suspect that in no time he will be very busy.

 

[Yorkie]

I wished the lad lived near me too. He could do all my doors and architraves. Not easy finding a tradesman one can trust in the house with the gun cabinets. We should have a directory of tradespeople that are FAC holders and could be trusted. I need a trustworthy, honest, landscaper in west yorks if anyone knows one.

Merlin.
I wish your son success. Once he gets established, he will never be short of work or money.

 

[merlin]

I wished the lad lived near me too. He could do all my doors and architraves. Not easy finding a tradesman one can trust in the house with the gun cabinets. We should have a directory of tradespeople that are FAC holders and could be trusted. I need a trustworthy, honest, landscaper in west yorks if anyone knows one.

Merlin.
I wish your son success. Once he gets established, he will never be short of work or money.

PM heading your way...

 

[NoIDeer]

Tell him to look at local businesses as well, I used to own a manufacturing business, we used a chippy to build stuff, partitions, shelving, racking, doors etc.

 

[Bowland blades]

Being a good tradesman and being a good buisnessman, marketeer , salesman etc are different things.
Its an uphill steep climb to be fair , one the majority do not make in the end ( though i hope he does ) . What i would recommend is firstly getting a base of regular trade customers , only then building you private clients because we are talking years not months to build recommendations / referrals.
Take a look at the successful guys with a long list of regular private clients and you will find most inherited a great deal of their work from a now retired ex-boss etc.
very best of luck but remember its years to build a one man band business suppling the genral public without a kick start of a client bank .

 

[Game1]

Jump on checkatrade for a year there chuck him plenty of work

 

[Red Dragon 2]

Think he went down the wrong road leaping straight into full time joinery, should have done part time first and built his reputation then gone full time. But good luck on his journey.

 

[countrryboy]

How long is he out his time??

 

[jimmy milnes]

Can't really add much to the above suggestions,
However id like to say that being self employed isn't all its cracked up to be.
Theres a lot of hrs involved that you're not getting a wage for, paperwork, driving around, estimates and the like,
Ive lost count of the times ive stood measuring up and been thinking, nowt going to come of this as this guys only git me here ti show willing to the Mrs and the jobs not going to happen.
Or the customer comes back 6 months later wanting you to honour a quote an gears gone up by loads.
Then theres the non payers, never mind the tv programmes of cowboy builders, they should make ones on cowboy customers.
Anyway best if luck to ya lad and hope it all works out for him.
Jimmy.