Rate my business plan

[Harvest Fields]

I could get by on earning a grand and 1500 a month these days.

Completely achievable mate. Just do not pretend to be something you are not. Be honest and work hard. Most experience comes with time even from an apprenticeship.

 

[Riley]

It sounds to me like they are and it has always been the same on here. The OP just needs to realise that the approved and respected method on here and anywhere else will always be from an apprentice. However you only get out what you put in. If you are expecting to earn £50000.00 a year in your first 5 that will just not happen. It takes time, effort and a lot of sacrifice.

I just don’t want to see people waste their hard earned money on promises that can’t always be delivered.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I just don’t want to see people waste their hard earned money on promises that can’t always be delivered.

It has to be there choice. All we can do is advise. (The good and the bad) Yes it is hard. Yes they should be an apprentice first. (Some of us didn’t have that choice) but everything in this world is achievable. Dependant on the amount of time and effort put into it.

 

[Jamesjamie]

Completely achievable mate. Just do not pretend to be something you are not. Be honest and work hard. Most experience comes with time even from an apprenticeship.

The position I'm in is my passion is in domestic property. I find all aspects of of a house interesting! Am 90% through my latest project which I am also living in. Me and my handy man put a bathroom in the other week. I can do some stuff which is less skilled and have even on an old rental I used to have put in a bath before and tiled it and it worked out OK. But recently on this project I ripped out the old suite, took off the tiles and boarded the walls with plaster board and the floor with ply. My plasterer re skimmed the ceiling for me. Then my tiler came and did the walls, handy man fitted the suite and I finished off the painting . I love it. Find it great fun and very satisfying.

Yet I work in a completely different industry. It's chalk and cheese. I want to learn. A trade which can be my bread and butter to financially keep me ticking over and what I can also use on future projects. I think once I'm in the trade I will pick up loads of other transferable skills too. I just need to be doing something that interests me.

 

[Harvest Fields]

From handyman level to where you want to be achieving mate is a massive gap.

 

[Jamesjamie]

From handyman level to where you want to be achieving mate is a massive gap.

True. But I'm not gonna achieve anything continuing to put my efforts into something I've got no desire to do any more.

 

[Riley]

It’s good to have a positive attitude. I would say you’d be vastly better off taking a plumbing course in the first instance. Learn to solder learn to calculate pipe sizes, understand the science behind it then contemplate going further. Your intention to jump in with both feet and play at Gas man (no offence intended) seems more like a nice to have and a whim rather than recognising that what you are proposing is some people’s livelihood and that is the level of commitment and work involved to achieve the necessary skills. As I have said about 4 times now. There is nothing saying you cannot learn the skills but seriously look at getting PROPERLY trained. I worked with a guy who did a short course and they “taught him to solder” all they taught him was how to put two ends of 15mm pipe into a 15mm elbow, burn it to hell, dab it with solder then chuck it in a bucket of water to cool. Nothing in situ, no z dimensions, no measuring, no different materials steel etc but as far as they were concerned big tick next to “knows how to solder”

 

[rpm]

Has anybody got anything NEW to add to this thread? 😉

 

[Riley]

Has anybody got anything NEW to add to this thread? 😉

Doubtful some say it’s doable some say it’s not others are pragmatic and try and advise. There’s not really a right answer sadly

 

[rpm]

Edit

 

[rpm]

Has anybody got anything NEW to add to this thread? 😉

Doubtful some say it’s doable some say it’s not others are pragmatic and try and advise. There’s not really a right answer sadly

I rest my point your honour, nothing further to discuss.
Next!

 

[Riley]

To be honest you are quite right mate

 

[Harvest Fields]

To be honest you are quite right mate

Been saying myself also for ages. We should be eye openers but also supportive. It takes Grit to give up work and change careers.

 

[Jim09876]

Just do what ever you want mate! Just get stuck in and you will soon pick it all up. You will be sweet too with them rentals ticking you over...pull in a few gas checks here and there. Loads of folks fit boilers then get them signed off...Jesus...any gas cert could be signing off 10m John Guest gas pipe under floorboards!

Ooops dint see next 5 pages!

 

[Riley]

Just do what ever you want mate! Just get stuck in and you will soon pick it all up. You will be sweet too with them rentals ticking you over...pull in a few gas checks here and there. Loads of folks fit boilers then get them signed off...Jesus...any gas cert could be signing off 10m John Guest gas pipe under floorboards!

Ooops dint see next 5 pages!

Are you gas safe?? Doesn’t make it right or legal though. Please don’t make such flippant gas related comments in open forum

 

[Jim09876]

I am gas safe registered. Its true that, unless you have completed the full installation, any gas cert could be signing of unregistered, substandard or dangerous installs.

A boiler hung by a unregistered installer is at least visible to inspect correctly.

 

[Chuck]

A boiler hung by a unregistered installer is at least visible to inspect correctly.

A visual inspection won't tell you whether the fixings holding the boiler onto the wall are of the correct type for the wall and are sound.

 

[Riley]

Are you gas safe?? Doesn’t make it right or legal

I am gas safe registered. Its true that, unless you have completed the full installation, any gas cert could be signing of unregistered, substandard or dangerous installs.

A boiler hung by a unregistered installer is at least visible to inspect correctly.

Please see previous response

 

[Anwork]

Hi all. Am new to the forum. Some of what I will be discussing has been covered in previous threads but I feel my situation is a bit more unique.

I am an individual who has worked for the civil service for the past 20 years (am just shy of 40) and am looking for a career change. In my spare time I am also a property developer and over the past 15 year have done quite nicely off renovation and have a nice little property portfolio. I am now in the position where I only have to work part-time. However I hate my job and it has always been ambition to learn a trade which would earn me a living and also give me a skill which I could use when renovating / maintaining my houses.

Gas had always interested me. I have used for the past 10 years a local guy who pretty much does all property maintenance and have become friends with him. He does everything from fit bathrooms and kitchens to full central heating fittings and repair. However whilst he's fully competent he's never bothered doing his gas safe and does the bulk of the work and then his mate who is gas safe registered comes in and checks his work over and signs it off. He's done this for years and has fitted 3 boilers for me personally which were all signed off. I use a separate gas man for my landlord certs and services and he's always said the work my guy has done is good.

Recently I've been expressing to my maintenance guy that I am unhappy in my work and would like a change of career. I would also like to work for myself, be self employed and have the flexibility to work as and when I choose. I suggested gas as an option.

He suggested to me that I go and do the training and then we could potentially do some work together with him being experienced in fitting systems and me being gas safe to sign it all off. The plan would be for me to do an intensive course, get gas safe registration and get myself a van and tools. I'd would do servicing and landlord certs to fill my time and on bigger jobs we'd go together.

I am in a unique position that I only really need to earn around £1200 per month to tick over nicely so don't really need to be bringing in loads of work. My maintenance guy has also sorted it out for me to go and potentially work with his gas safe mate who is retiring within the next few years who is willing to let me go with him if I feel I need more experience at any point.

I have found a company on Birmingham called options skills. They run an 8 week intensive course and then put you with a gas safe engineer for a period of around 6 months to do your portfolio. You then come back to the test centre and do some more work before gas safe come out and check up on work you have completed. They have guaranteed that they will work with me until I am at the point that I can work independently on gas appliances. They said it will take approximately 8 months and they are involved in the whole process and guarantee you a local place with a gas safe engineer to complete the portfolio (which I have read can be an issue).

Everything seems to be in place for me to start the ball rolling and my path into the trade looks to be reasonable. But it's a big decision to quit my job and I am aware the risks are huge. The nagging feeling I have with these intensive courses are that they seem too good to be true. I am aware of the criticisms of them and that they leave you quite inexperienced and that employers won't touch you. However I am not looking for experience as this will be something I will get once I have got qualified. And I am not looking for employment as I plan to go self employed.

Given all the negative posts on intensive course on here, given my circumstances, on this occasion would doing a intensive course actually be a good idea?

Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to reply.

Hi Jamie can you send me a private message when you get a minute, many thanks

 

[Jon30]

Much depends on the team. Surround yourself with a good, reliable team, to which you are well disposed, and you will gain strength.