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hitachi capital are leasing company for bg vans and sell off the vans at bca car auctions up and down the country, if you want to miss out the middle man???
 
I think you'd be absolutely barmy to leave a stable job on that money. I'm self employed and have been for 2 years but I am carrying on my dads business which has been established 20 years and that I have been working with for 7 years.
He previously worked for british gas for 28 years and after I finnish my gas nvq level 3 around May I'm sure I'll apply for british gas.
Reasons being:
EXPENSES! Ok so for one I contribute 240 pounds a month into a personal pension fund, thats probably only to retire on 12k a year if I'm lucky. Working for british gas I wouldn't have to invest so much.
Advertising. Our website has a great google ranking but we spend around 250 a month on advertising in the local papers, which do bring in a lot of work, as does the website but the competition is very high.
I need a new van if I carry on my dads business after the summer, oh and obviously have to pay for insurance and expenses on top of that.
He's 65 so I will also have to hire an apprentice soon, there goes another 400 a month plus I'll need employers liability insurance on top of our public liability.
I have built up all my tools and qualifications now which cost around 3k altogether in the last year. I only got a cheap van for 800 quid and my next one would only be between 3-5k.
STRESS! Long working hours, being self employed is not a 9-5 job it feels more like an 8-8 job minimum, as after I've finnished my main work for the day I have to do break downs, estimates, invoices, research etc. So that means I don't have much time for sport and going to the gym which I love.
I'm saving up for a mortgage, I need 2-3 years of good accounts before I'll get one self employed and can only borrow 4-5 times my average net profit, first year was 8 grand, second year around 15 and I'm sure it will be more like 20-30 once my dad retires. But if I got a 30k job for BG I could borrow 150 grand once I had the deposit.
When work dries up and I have rent and bills to pay and a holiday booked, what do u do, put more into advertising, do leaflet drops, all you can do.

Ok yep being your own boss can be extremely rewarding and flexible, if an important personal issue come I can always attend to that rather than being told when I can and can't work, I can earn a good weeks wage in just a few days then make time for the weekend (except in winter)
More than anything I'm really proud of how we've built the business up, I built and written our website myself, oh thats another cost, plus I want a professional logo designed, then that needs to go on van, clothes, adverts etc. But anyway the business makes me feel great most of the time and is very rewarding, I can potentially earn more money self employed and the trade is an exciting one to be in with renewables and super efficiency systems etc but to me there are more important things in life if you are already earning 40-50k like you claim. Thanks for reading sorry it's long, I just can't make my mind up what to do and I've thought about it almost every day the last few months.
www.ainsdalegas.co.uk
 
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I've had this same dilemma for a while but every one I know who works for BG hates it and I mean hates it, if you can put up with your TSM breathing down your neck all the time and constant pressure to work faster not to mention all the glove wearing nonsense then go for it but the grass isn't always greener.
 
Got to agree with the ace . Couldnt wait to get away from BG for all the reasons he said. Most of the SMs really think they are one step away from being God.
 
on that wage its not greener, tho you should have enough capital to get a strong start as forking out for parts can run into the hundreds
 
I have heard if you work for BG you have to sign to stay with them for a number of years is this correct?
 
The grass aint green when the van breaks down and you wait 3hrs for the AA and pay 350ÂŁ to get it fixed.
Sitting in a cold van dont earn money.
What a crap day!!!!!!
 
Being self employed always comes with grief which have all been mentioned, but nothings beats being your own man, choosing how you work, and setting your own standards.

I don't earn 50K a year...yet, but I'm working hard to get there and reckon in a few years I'll be there.

Been running my business for three years and took a salary of about ÂŁ30K last year, but put at least ÂŁ5K back into the business maybe more, training, tools etc.

I often work an 8 hour day, spend a couple of hours with the wife and kids then do paper work till 11pm, but I'm proud of the business, and aspire to bigger things. Surely that IS greener grass than working for THE MAN, even if the money isn't as good.
 
totally agree with you dannypipe

having just recently started quite enjoying it already doing my own work at my own pace and helping people out, more satisfiying than working on a building site making a company thousands and you get pennies !! I was told off someone in our office that every plumber for the company was expected to earn the company ÂŁ2300 a week !
 
ÂŁ2300 quid a week, probably true....which is staggering, but the big firms shaft everyone, the staff and the customer.
 
Hi guys,

I am currently working for Bg and have been for the last 7 years. Like most BG engineers I am not happy with usually stuff already mentioned on this site. It has now got to the stage were i am considering going it alone.

But is the grass really greener on the other side?

I earn a decent wage usually between 40-50k a year + all the other benifits for working for a firm. But what am i likely to earn working for myself and going as a contractor to firms like BG.

I know it a bit like asking how long is a piece of string.

I have just left BG i know what you mean about the pressure.
I was an engineer but for the last 4 years i was on sales selling boilers and central heating (earning about 70k).
Things were changing too much for me and i didnt feel like i could stay any more.
Things are quite hard and getting work is not easy so if you need to earn a good wage then if i was you i would stay at BG.
Hope this helps.
 
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where do i sign up well benifit of being S/E is you can always refuse jobs i suppose but then you have to find jobs to replace those at least with BG you have your work given to you on a plate given a van etc regular wage paid hol sick etc 40 to 50 k plus those i know where i would stay
 
where do i sign up well benifit of being S/E is you can always refuse jobs i suppose but then you have to find jobs to replace those at least with BG you have your work given to you on a plate given a van etc regular wage paid hol sick etc 40 to 50 k plus those i know where i would stay
Working as an Engineer for BG would be great if it was not for the constant pressure to make sales targets by pushing magnetic filters, boiler/system upgrades, powerflushes and energy. They are constantly on you back.

Last I heard the basic pay for a technical engineer was circa ÂŁ30K.
 
at the end of the day i always say my health comes before my wealth thats why im away from the high pressure big companies. i agree about the pressure people sitting behind desks never ever have face the customer on the day problems i may take home a lot less now but quality of life is 100% higher and im home when i need to be Leave the dark side become a jedi and fight the evil of the empire
 
Working as an Engineer for BG would be great if it was not for the constant pressure to make sales targets by pushing magnetic filters, boiler/system upgrades, powerflushes and energy. They are constantly on you back.

Last I heard the basic pay for a technical engineer was circa ÂŁ30K.

I liked the selling side of it as an engineer what i didnt like was when you were 2 mins more on a job they would phone you to ask you where you are. Also about 4 oclock they would send you 3 jobs down when they knew you finished at 5. Then when you phoned the office they would not take the jobs back from you
 
The selling side of british gas ie engineers going out to jobs and condeming appliances that are ok is disgusting, i have done many a job where they say we can not get parts, but we will sell you a new boiler, goes on all the time, they must be on some sort of commision.
I liked the selling side of it as an engineer what i didnt like was when you were 2 mins more on a job they would phone you to ask you where you are. Also about 4 oclock they would send you 3 jobs down when they knew you finished at 5. Then when you phoned the office they would not take the jobs back from you
 
To Heating-eng....had a look on your web said ! Is not much of a cheap heating at all for Leads,I THINK
It looks like a copy of BG price list to me !
 
The selling side of british gas ie engineers going out to jobs and condeming appliances that are ok is disgusting, i have done many a job where they say we can not get parts, but we will sell you a new boiler, goes on all the time, they must be on some sort of commision.
I would agree with that. I would very rarely cut off any appliance to be honest but we did have a lot of rubbish on contract that really did need changing and in my opinion i always gave the best advice.
 
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working for brittish gas doing installs is a complete waste of time they are supposed to supply you with all materials but there are always fittings missing and never enough supplied to do the job so this means fittings from the van.
The managers are arrogant think they know best and wont back down fromm you had one trying to tell me a pipework arrangement I done was not correct he would not back down I drew it out on a piece of paper for him and when he realised I was right tried to walk away and not even say sorry to me I told him he was a prat and I would not be back this was few years back and get calls all the time from all these agencies who I tell I would rather work in mcdonalds than for those leeches.
 
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To Heating-eng....had a look on your web said ! Is not much of a cheap heating at all for Leads,I THINK
It looks like a copy of BG price list to me !

It,s my first attempt at building a website and it,s not perfect.
I am also new to working for myself so i don,t really know what is cheap and what is not cheap.
That,s why i joined here to get help from all you guys.
I am already getting work from it so it is doing ok for me at the moment.
Thanks for the input.
 
working for brittish gas doing installs is a complete waste of time they are supposed to supply you with all materials but there are always fittings missing and never enough supplied to do the job so this means fittings from the van.
The managers are arrogant think they know best and wont back down fromm you had one trying to tell me a pipework arrangement I done was not correct he would not back down I drew it out on a piece of paper for him and when he realised I was right tried to walk away and not even say sorry to me I told him he was a a******e and I would not be back this was few years back and get calls all the time from all these agencies who I tell I would rather work in mcdonalds than for those leeches.

I know have you feel because we had lots of contractors on our area and none of them seemed to be happy.
 
most of my jobs are coming from customers coming out from BG ,as to expansive and bg want 800 to power flush plus 300 for magnaclean and 3000 to fit glow worm or ideal combi-combi boiler change and gas upgrade ! one customer i had it had gas leak on gas hob isolating valve and they quoted him 800 for new gas run ! took me 10min to fined gas leak and all i did is tight up the loosen nut (dont know how it got loosen up ) but hey chrged the man 50 and he gave me 20 as tip :)
 
the over the top set up they got is terrible also ,,,,stuff like risk assesment forms to blow your nose forms to fill in if your removing pipes with the old horse hair stuff cant remember what its called.
P.P.E. YOUR REQUIRED TO WEAR THE CUSTOMER THINKS THey have sent some nut job to install there boiler.
Then you get the managers who think they know it all done there tiime as a gas fitter dont understand plumbing systems but think they do
 
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