wires

I have been in the trade off and on since 1996 right out of highschool. I worked for the biggest electrical contractor in south jersey named Sawyer Electric until the owner closed up shop and retired.

Anyway i haven't worked with a company for a year and half now but do small residential side jobs. My funny question is id like to start a 1 man business but i lack having a truck and money is tight. That is the only thing holding me back i have the tools thats not an issue.

Have you ever seen an electrician pull up in a car? I actually seen contractors come out of cabs to job sites I can't finance my credit is not the best. I just don't want to send out bad vibes to customers that im a fly by night contractor that cant afford a truck. I've talked to people and they say they can care less what i drive as long as im qualified and know what im doing.

I just cant find a contractor to work with in my area that is hiring the economy is things up!

Chris Kennedy

I will ignore this and extend a welcome to the Forum.

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Bulldozers and Dirt

MDShunk

Being uncapitalized is probably the #1 reason contracting businesses fail. I'd suggest you look into methods of building business credit (not personal credit) and go to a 'buy here-pay here' car lot and get yourself some kind of van.

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One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.

LawnGuyLandSparky

As unfair as it sounds, someone who doesn't know you personally only has their impression and gut instinct to rely on when it comes to sizing you up.

Now ask yourself this - you're paying cash, and you call for 3 estimates for some plumbing work and contractor 1 shows up in a cab, contractor 2 shows up in a beater, and contractor 3 shows up in a 2004 Ford E-250. Who won't you be handing a down payment to?

480sparky

Getting around in a cab is not only going to be expensive, but inconvenient as all git-out.

Getting to and from the job site is one thing. What about your tools? And material? Planning on having all the material you need for the day is a job in itself. Getting them to the job site in a cab may not be feasable.

Need something on short notice? What would normally be a ½-hour jaunt to the hardware store now becomes a 2- or 3-hour adventure.

Without proper transportation, I think it's gonna be pert-near impossible to make of go of it, especially considering you're trying to make a go of it when there's thousands of others all across the country trying to do the exact same thing.

Also, good credit is a valuable tool to build a business with.













But all this notwithstanding, welcome to the forum!

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

wires

Why would you ignore this? I only do small jobs because i have a car not a van. I never needed a truck when they were provided for me and i was working for someone else. Also i said i've seen guys that hop out of cabs (not me) i drive a car.

480sparky

To know Chris is to love him. You just gotta know him. He's not much into resi wiring.

If you want to try to make it work, go right ahead. Just keep in mind you're starting far back in the pack, and you aren't riding the odds-on favorite.

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

JohnJ0906

Welcome!

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"One day at a Time"
All responses based on the '08 NEC
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wires

I have the experience, references of past jobs i have done, the tools of the trade, a few jobs lined up but the only thing i lack is a truck and im far behind the pack? Ok.. thanks for the welcome though

william1978

Welcome to the forum.

MDShunk

I understand that NJ is pretty strict on contractor licensing and insurance requirements. Don't they even require your license numbers on all the trucks (or car, in your case)? I can't help but to wonder how a fellow in your situation manages to comply with the applicable NJ laws in this regard.

__________________
One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.

480sparky

Stick a magnetic sign on the taxi?

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

TheRick

OK...but do you have a license, or how about insurance?

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Rick -

"fool-proof systems do not take into account the ingenuity of fools"

ce2two

Funny thing about naysayers....about 30 years ago a good friend of mines father told him he would never amount to sh t ....would never make it in this world ...he was dead wrong , to this day and the last 20 years he averages 500,000 dollars a year ( profit) by running his own company ,busting his ass in the process ... NEVER TELL A GUY IT CAN'T BE DONE ,THEY WILL SURPRISE YOU AND YOU WILL BE JEALOUS

TheRick

I will be the last one to discourage ANYONE from starting an Electrical Contracting business....provided they do it legally.

If your state requires a license to perform electrical work, and you are "trunk slamming" without one YOU ARE WRONG and I wil call you on it every time.

I invested the time and effort to get licensed, and bought liability insurance before I did my first job on my own. I have seen many un-licensed HACKS, and their shoddy work....but jealousy has never been the emotion I have felt.

If the OP is licensed, and insured to perform electrical work I say GO FOR IT. Save up some money as you start out and buy a van or truck as soon as you can afford it. However if he is not licensed, I say go find some work for a licensed electrician, do your time, LEARN, and get your license before starting off. No matter what kind of vehicle you are driving!

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Rick -

"fool-proof systems do not take into account the ingenuity of fools"

iaov

One of the fun things about doing resi and one of the biggest POA's of doing resi is it takes A Lot of equipment. And alot of parts. You just can't get enough stuff in a car to do very much. We also use a very derogatory term in this proffesion. Trunk slammer!! If you are operating out of your trunk it's a pretty good indication that you are minor league. With that said I will say "Welcome to the forum"!!

calimurray

Welcome!

When I first opened up my business I bought an old dodge conversion van covered in rust with a sun bleached pink interior, Ugliest van you ever saw, it only cost $500.00.

Then I went to the office store and bought some DIY magnets and made a company sign.

I feared the same pulling up to the job site in this beast, But most of my customers didn't seem to care, they were just happy I showed up.

You can do it though I started out with nothing and eventually was able to purchase a new van, just be careful without working capital it is not easy.

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If you look past your nose you might find what your looking for!

randomkiller

Exactly my questions. I think they were answered no with the term "side jobs".

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calimurray

I don't think the question was are you licensed or insured, he simply wanted to know if he could start with using his car and starting a business.

When I first started my business I did not have all my ducks in order either. I got insured first, went out did some jobs and used someone else's license if I needed to pull a permit, then took the test and received my own license.

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If you look past your nose you might find what your looking for!