Getting Started as a Freelance Electrician

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2 Mar. 2021. Getting started as a freelance electrician could be a great way to become self sufficient, be your own boss, and have more control over your schedule and the jobs you do. However, knowing how to get started is crucial if you’re going to avoid the same pitfalls and mishaps as other people. Here are some pointers on getting started that any startup freelance electrician should find useful:

Work with an experienced electrician first

You might want to get out there on your own right away once qualified, but the best thing you can do is bide your time and work with an experienced electrician first. This will help you to see how the job is done up close without actually taking on much responsibility of your own yet. They can show you the ropes, give you some great pointers, and give you the confidence to avoid many of the pitfalls and mistakes that other people make.

Ask yourself the right questions

Asking yourself the right questions is essential. This way, you can ensure you have a proper plan in place and that you’re not going to fall at the first hurdle. For example:

• How will you get new customers?
• How will you cope during quiet periods?
• Do you have enough money to set up?
• How will you get by without paid holiday, sick pay, and other benefits?
• Can you work well on your own?
• What insurance do you need?
• Will you be able to manage cash flow?
• How will you handle your tax responsibilities?

Consider the disadvantages

Of course, you should also consider the disadvantages of becoming a freelance electrician vs getting a job with an established company. First, you’ll need to make sure you can afford the startup costs, or you at least know where you’re going to get your hands on the funds you need. Then, you need to make sure you have some customers, and that you have ways to acquire more as you go along. You may need to deal with inconsistent income, so being able to handle your cash flow is important. Not only that, ensuring you can handle the admin side of things is key. If you can’t work for whatever reason, you won’t be getting paid, either. Make sure you’re ok with all of this before you proceed.

It’s also completely up to you to protect yourself as a freelance electrician. This means finding the right electricians insurance cover and knowing how to keep yourself and others safe as you work.

Marketing yourself

Marketing yourself isn’t easy, but you need to take it seriously if you’re going to become a freelance electrician. You’ll need to research the average pricing for similar services in your area, and price yourself according to that. Knowing your worth is key, but you don’t want to put people off either.

A website with real customer reviews and testimonies can go such a long way to helping you gain clients – as can social media pages. Social proof is a great way to keep people coming to you. Both online and offline advertisements can be a good way to get the word out there that you’re starting up and taking on clients.

Getting started might be the hardest thing you decide to do, but it’ll be so worth it.

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