Plumber starting out. any advice on scheduling?

I am still part time and work full time for another plumbing company. I work m-thurs full time and friday,sat,sun on my own jobs. I struggle to handle the phone calls during the work day. I usually do call backs at lunch.

I am busy 1 week and have nothing the next. When I go full time I am worried I will work 7 days a week for 2 weeks of the month and then sit for 2 weeks. The work comes in randomly(atleast right now).

Some of the builders Ive told that Im part time(i give them a lower price to hold them) and others I just tell them im busy until friday, or I do estimates at night and weekends. They dont like it..I dont think ive lost one because of it yet.

Any advice on how to handle scheduling when I get busier?

[ajonline]

I think you know how i feel about working for builders, but i can understand your situation? I would recomend you try and do some marketing and advertising and stay put working for your present employer untill your sure you can at least work enough hours on your own to stay afloat?

It will all come in time just be patient and stay focused on what you want too achieve! As far as scheduling I think just be honest with people and if you are runinng late give them a call. They will understand. When you see the calls coming in where you can make a go of it! Take a chance and go for it!

Mak.

[ntarifi dubai]

Here's a general bit of advice for anyone regarding scheduling - never tell a customer "I'm open, what works for you?". Always suggest a time. If you appear to be a little too available people will draw conclusions like "you are not busy - therefore you must not be good".

When you tell a customer you can do it on a Friday at 10am for example they still can ask to switch to whatever works for them - but you just look better.

In your particular situation you might want to try to balance out your scheduling. Plumbing (as I understand it) generally has two types of needs - urgent stuff to fix and new/remodeling construction. The non-urgent ones I would tend to spread out over your non-busy periods - but only if you can do this and keep your customers happy.

[Pin Point]

Save up some money before you go into this fulltime.

When you do go fulltime, use your down time to find people to introduce yourself to - use it for sales, not for playing computer games! In a business, work usually comes in randomly for several years until you are truly established.

Consider not telling them you are part-time as you get closer to going fulltime. A good tradesman is busy. You call back, give quotes, schedule work, etc. when you have time on your schedule. They don't need to know that you are busy with your day job.

You may want to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant to take your calls for you while you are at the day job. You can educate this person on your business and have them schedule things for you. It can be a cost effective way to put up a professional front in this awkward beginning stage.

I was in your situation until several months ago. I had my wife answer the phone while I was at the corporate job. I don't think anyone knew that I was doing it part-time. But, in my business most people liked the fact that I was available evenings and weekends when they were home from work. Business picked up for several reasons when I switched to full-time. Part of it was because I was able to be much more responsive. Now, I'm using a Virtual Assistant to answer my phone while I'm busy doing jobs or talking to customers.

I actually carry the phone with me every minute im not working my full time job(nights/weekends). Durring full time work hours I leave it in the van and check it regularly. I try to be very responsive. I dont want to lose 1 person right now.

The problem Im having with contractors is they call today and want you tomarrow....or monday morning....and im not available until fridays. I have only told the contractors im part time when i have no choice. I have also lowered my prices for these people to hold them. Each one is different. Some are full price, some are partial profit and one is close to cost(only did 1 job and planning to raise it to partial profit zone next job)(very large remodeler, extremely important!)

I have enough money saved to live on for 5-6 months with out working at all. I also have all my tools/stock paid for. The only thing i owe on is $250 for work van. I dont want to touch the savings $$ so I want to build up 10-20k in the next couple of months and either go full time in the middle of summer or wait until next spring if things dont pick up..They are picking up for me lately though..we will see if the trend continues. so far it is.

What are you waiting for then? Nobody wants to touch the savings - but, that's what it's there for!

It sounds like you have reached the point that your growth will be very difficult until you become full-time. At some point, you have to make the jump.

[Pin Point]

Steve B - I agree with you, except that the market may be a little tooooooo slow right now to make the jump. That does seem to be an issue here.

[pagebuzz]

Huggytree if you are going to make the jump, make sure you have everything in order. Such as a line of credit or a loan. Once you leave your full-time job you'll have trouble applying for loans because you don't have a steady source of income. Most banks require you to have operated your business for 2 years before they can consider that income. You might have enough to live off for 5-6 months, but what if it takes 12-18 months to turn enough of a profit to survive off. Also, you might need the line of credit to fund a large job or to purchase new equipment. What about health insurance? I'm assuming you have insurance through your current employer. Have you considered what you'll do for health insurance once you leave? Just a few things to think about.

I dont have enough work to go full time now. I have only 6 hours of work planned for this coming 3 day weekend and it doesnt look like I will get anymore. I wont go full time until i get 20 hours or more for a month or 2 and start turning down work...i may even work nights and get the hours up to 30 hours a week. I have done work for a number of contractors recently, but have only gotten repeat business from one. Its too soon to see if I am going to hold on to any of them. The most important one just told me I did a good job. I have gone all out for him. I need 5-8 more remodelers like him to go full time.

I dont need any loans. All i have is a $250 per month truck payment. All the equipment and a fully stocked vehicle is all paid for. All the tools are brand new and have warranties. When I go full time My company will join the union and I have my health insurance through them. Same insurance I currently have. I am charging for it already now.

I will wait to take the jump until i am 95% sure I will atleast make the same as I currently do. I need 30 hours a week to do it. If it takes 2 years to be profitable I will sell the truck and not do it. If i have a customer base and I am turning down work before i quit my day job I expect to atleast break even within 2 months.

When I am getting ready to go I will book myself up ahead of time, so I will have a full workload from day 1...atleast thats the plan. I dont have the experience running the company id like to have yet.

My boss dropped off a plan at my house on the front seat of his work van this monday. It just so happened I was at a job with MY work van at the same time. I would have been caught. It was just LUCK i wasnt. He never comes over to my house. 3 times in 5 years and he always tells me. PURE LUCK.....and I havent been going to church the past few weeks...