Thinking of going it alone!

Evening gents!

...so the time has come I'm 26 and thinking about going self employed,?
I have been involved in refrigeration since leaving school. My background is commercial and transport, I started out with a body building and van conversion company installing and progressed into service and repair, I then joined a carrier dealer and furthered my training, also worked for BG doing domestics for anyone who's interested, I've left home and worked in the South east of the UK and currently the Southwest,....

I know that everyday is a school day and will continue to be until I hang up the gauges but I feel confident enough to try it alone. I'm not looking to set up direct competition and I have my own direction in mind, what's it like out there for the one man band guys? My philosophy is that I ain't never seen a poor fridgie...I've also never seen a well slept fridgie...

P.S sorry for the infrequent posting but I have followed this forum over the years albeit different usernames and forgotten passwords haha

Great I would say providing you can stay self employed the problem being when ur in St Ives and you get a call in launceston and u have just started fitting a comp .....but when u start employing u spend most of the time sorting others some it suits some it don't if your skin is thick and u now how to chase bad debt no problem if u like a social life or a family leave it alone if I new what I new now I would have probable just stayed on me own and van no premises no staff don't get me wrong best thing I ever done finance wise and I got great staff but some things just niggle me ie bad payers you really have to be thick skinned stubborn as a mule and strong I just think in our trade its a 24 hr service and it can take its toll luckily devon Cornwall not to many sharks but they are here and follow ur nose if not give us a shout,,,,,,.be lucky ta Charlie

Good Luck, as you are on the journey when your mind is made up.
As per your furthering your training comment, you need to realise that this was all funded by the company you worked for as they tried to build the best employee to represent themselves they could.

If you take this ideal with you when you go it alone you will succeed. It is just harder to do on your own, you are the man/mate/HR/accounts/etc. etc.

There is a peak that one man can earn which is probably on average about £140k, good money out on your own working like a dog! Then comes the realisation you can not keep this pace up with out burning yourself out so you employ!!! Welcome to our world:mad:

As Charlie says his fondest memories are back when he was 1 man and a van with no overheads. I too was a single van man, started in Cornwall with summer peaks and quiet winters. Nothing used to beat sitting at the beach enjoying a pastie on my lunch hour.

I would say give it a go, it is not for everyone and many fail & a few succeed but you are young enough to get the notch in your belt and if you are a capable fridge you will always be able to go back into employment.

What you will learn is all Charlie says and the commercial awareness missing in so many of the guys out there!

hi guys great first response so thank you! what documents and legalities do i need to operate the business, i want to offer services to dawsongroup, blue cube and seven assett to start off with as these generete work on slow days, also what would you see as a good way to generate commercial customers? ive moved back to cornwall at the beginning of the year so its not like i have 'notoriety' in my area,

Good Luck Simon.
As a small business with smaller overheads you can make money where the bigger boys cannot.
I was only talking to someone the other day as to how they had walked away from one of the companies you list.

I also worked for a company who walked away from the same company.
But in fairness both companies are not small.

Please check out the payment terms, better still if you already work for these companies then you are better acquainted with them!
I lost my last business because although I had lots of work. NO One was paying me on time!
So don't extend yourself to far past that which you can afford to loose.
But good luck all the same.
I hope it goes well for you!
Your email implies that you are Cornish which is a big Bonus when working in Cornwall!:D

Born and Bred grizzly but without the strong down west accent (all those years in sussex)
yeah i have heard this before in both companies i worked for, one of the more popular cold store rental companies was notorious for paying late which is a bit daunting, i dont really want to canvass but i want to get the name out there

Rental companies full stop are slow payers it's the way they play,I don't work for any be careful some companies start paying on time then fall behind if you can afford to live without a lot of money until you build up a nest all well and good,I got good advise years ago from the boss where I was an apprentice,don't mortgage your overtime and I took that good advice!

Good luck to ya, takes a lot a currage.
I have been wanting to do it for years and always say "next summer".
But it never comes. ��

I worked many years ago for T H Wathes and the then MD, Mr Wathes himself once told us assembled minions
at a Christmas dinner, and it has always stuck in my mind and kept me sort of on the right track for well over 40 years in business.
He said " WE are not in business to look after peoples refrigeration equipment. WE are in business to make money"
Wise words and I hope it helps you and the best of luck.

Wathes became WR and they truly forgot they were there to make money. Was there till the end, poor old T H must have been spinning in his grave for what they did to his company, ended over 60 million in debt. You couldn't make it up. But best of luck to you simon, do what you are happy with and don't overdo it. Enjoy life, as someone once told me, this life isn't the trial run, so make the most of it.

True make the best of it,soon I undergo brain surgery to remove tumours guess that's going to be me out of the refrigeration business if I get through it feet up time for twelve months minimum.

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Originally Posted by cadwaladr

True make the best of it,soon I undergo brain surgery to remove tumours guess that's going to be me out of the refrigeration business if I get through it feet up time for twelve months minimum.

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fook me seriously that's *bad news

*can I have your record player?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by r.bartlett

fook me seriously that's *bad news

*can I have your record player?

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Yes it's not good but thinking positive is the way I approach it surgeon seems positive too,guess my Mrs is worried sick and my family the same the strange part about it is I feel 100 percent but if they are not removed soon then irreparable damage will result so hey ho keep smiling that's my belief!!!

Record player? You can have my satnav!!

They say **** happens to the good guys!
The good news I guess is from what you say, it would appear that you have been diagnosed early?
When you are in them mood to do so please keep us posted my friend.
PM me any time or use my email. If you wish?
Grizzly

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grizzly

They say **** happens to the good guys!
The good news I guess is from what you say, it would appear that you have been diagnosed early?
When you are in them mood to do so please keep us posted my friend.
PM me any time or use my email. If you wish?
Grizzly

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Thanks ;will keep you informed the neurosurgeon says I will be very tired for three months after the operation strange but with life with the grandchildren tires me out so no change there ha ha.