Where do you find Tradesmen

I'm a bit curious as to where members find tradesmen
Or maybe just doing my own market research
The options are
1/Yellow Pages
2/Local newspaper
3/Word of mouth
4/Internet (bangitup.com/ Trade Select/ Service Central etc) (Which one)
(Have I missed any)

As an Electrician Living in East Vic things are a bit quiet here so I decided to look for possible jobs in eastern Melbourne suburbs

As I did have a free trial a few years ago with one of the INTERNET based job lead places and it did nothing for me I decided to look into another.

A add on Melbourne TV revealed another of these INTERNET/SMS based company's.
There web-site revealed a multitude of jobs that I would be willing to take on (even Though some where a few hours away) of course you have to be a member to see the details.

I filled out the registration form and got to the end and there was a problem submitting the form so I decided to ring them.

When I finally got to talk to someone he told me the jobs on the web-page where the ones that no-one had taken on (in others words no-one wanted to do) (Some of these sat there for over 5 days before someone took them on)
He then quoted me (well I thought he did) somewhere in the $450 region for membership (thought he said 3 Months) and it will cost me an extra $15 per job lead.

A bit expensive for the once in a while job when things are quiet But I have to do something the bills keep coming in

After a weeks pondering I geared up to drive to Melbourne a few days a week Bought a GPS to navigate to these areas I rang them back credit card in hand.

The guy went though his sales pitch and at the end said all this for $4500 a year plus the $15 job lead fee.

Picking myself up off the floor I asked what about the $450 he had mentioned a week ago.
No you must of heard wrong he replied.

So back to square one (even thou had a bit of work come in today)

I posted this thread last week and got no reply http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=62630

As you can understand my frustration I'm told there is a shortage of Electricians the the previous mentioned website indicated this yet I sat a home the last 2 weeks waiting for the phone to ring

So the Other question is-Is anyone using these services
Are they genuine etc etc
And where do Tradespeople on the forum get the majority of work

Word of mouth usually does it for me. That, and networking with subtrades. I've also collected the odd bit of work from non-building based internet sites where people get chatting.

Still, I've got 8-10 weeks from late January that is a bit empty - unusual compared to recent times... We need to stop helping out the DIY-ers. :rolleyes:

Cheers, Adam.

Nev why not post in the employment section on this forum.
I wish you were in Sydney could help solve my problem with electrics on my lathe.
That agency is making the dollars sitting on there fat behind's while you work yours off.
Ray

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Originally Posted by wheelinround

Nev why not post in the employment section on this forum.
Ray

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Yeah I had mentioned it on another memebers thread
But have posted it again
Thanks

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Originally Posted by nev25

I'm a bit curious as to where members find tradesmen

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NOWHERE, in my experience they either don't exist or are on the endangered species list :o

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Or maybe just doing my own market research
The options are

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1/Yellow Pages NO, a waste of money being spent amongst your competition.

2/Local newspaper Good potential

3/Word of mouth THE ABSOLUTE BEST advertising. GOOD tradesmen are hard to find. If your client realizes you are GOOD they will be VERY happy to pass on YOUR name because their friends ALSO have difficulty finding GOOD TRADESMEN.

4/Internet (bangitup.com/ Trade Select/ Service Central etc) No, Your potential client base is not necessarily up to speed with the internet to use it to find tradesmen. This WILL change in about 10 years as the younger generation buy homes etc.

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The guy went though his sales pitch and at the end said all this for $4500 a year plus the $15 job lead fee.

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What a ripp off :o

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As you can understand my frustration I'm told there is a shortage of Electricians the the previous mentioned website indicated this yet I sat a home the last 2 weeks waiting for the phone to ring

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If you are a clean and tidy worker that returns clients' phone calls and turns up at the stated time you WILL get clients :2tsup:

Send out your own flyers or letter drop. If you are sitting at home you may as well go out and deliver your own flyers/letters.

Geez Nev25 In our area Contractors look after contractors I remebeer when I was quiet I put the word out in the area to other sparks in their own business and before you knew it my phone was ringing constantly, do you know of any other sparks through Electrical wholesalers for instance their you go go to the local wholsalers in the area they always know of contarcators who are knocking back work simply because they are too busy and drop your cards at the front counter let em know your after for some work its not like your begging for work you will be glad you did and dont forget the lighting shop next to the wholesaler!

Good Luck mate

Believe me Nev when I say the guys who work at the Electrical Wholesalers know where all the work is they deal with it everyday beats newspapers and yellowpages hands down and the general public always come in asking them if they can recommend or if they know of electricians who need work!

you can put a classified ad on ebay for $19.95 per month

I don't know what it's like in Melbourne, but when I was after some work here, I'd pick up Mondays Herald and look in the tenders section for contracts on offer, then spend the day running around quoting jobs.

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Originally Posted by nev25

And where do Tradespeople on the forum get the majority of work

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Ive lived in Ballarat and know what its like not to be able to find work, you wont find work sitting there scratching your nuts.

Get yourself to Melbourne, ask around, look at the new estates, ask questions, Get off your esra......get out there, the work wont find you..:doh:

You could always move to Brisbane. Here electricians just name fees at random, think of a number, add some 000's...Apparently plumbers are charging $500 just to come out and have a look. Sparkies aren't far behind...

Here people do use the yellow pages and local papers, but it's because we're desperate to get anyone to come at any price. Anyone local with a reputation is booked out 12 months ahead. Many building tradies are stressing under the pressure of the work they are being offered. Some just don't answer their mobiles anymore.

So my advice is leave that cold grey miserable place and come to the light :D

Yellow pages mostly thats how I find them. Hard to get someone on short notice though.

Local paper - not the metropolitan. like to support local tradies and pick ones who live near me as my jobs are small so if it is any distance they don't come.

In WA it is hard, a friend bought a house and wanted some renos. had architects drawings ready when she moved in and building permits within the month and a builder on contract. The builder pulled out and she has had two other builders pull out because the job is not straitfrward and there is easier money to be had.

And the winner is... MrFixIt!!... now for the prize EVERYONE go back and read that post! the most accurate honest and to the point view of "tradesmen" Ive read recently... plumbers? no such thing got their tickets out of a wheeties packet the bloody lot of them... electricians? no such thing found their tickets in the dunny I reckon... carpenters? whats that? Cabinet makers? whosawhatsit? and as for mechanics YOU ARE KIDDING RIGHT?? a tradesman mechanic? :U:U:U yeah okay delusions of grandure there for sure... calling any of these idiots "tradesmen" is a bit like calling a gnat mans worst enemy in my book

As for gasfitters... if someone who calls themselves gasfitters can arrive at a house where the owners are complaining that there is gas smell coming from the box... then by friggin god there bloody well is a gas friggin leak dipstick!!... 3 so called gas fitters later and we STILL have a gas problem!! tradesmen my aunt shirls fanny!! :~ (I gots edited for an aussie ism?? strewth!)

But when there is no choice one must rely on the white pages or the local link for so called "tradies" pay the piper for work not done or for work incomplete and suck it up and do it yourself is the rule of the day... and most times its better to just suck it up and have a whirl yourself cause theres NO GUARENTEE that anyone coming even within a ticks fart of being a "tradesman" will arrive and ACTUALLY DO the job properly :~

shhhhh now watch all the OLD tradies who loved lived and breathed quality trade work in their fields come barrelling out and blow the crap outta us/me for saying that "tradies are mongrels without a bloody brain"... but then the days of a true QUALITY tradie are over they have retired or gone fishin and the dipsticks and mongrels have the bowl :doh:

ahem... apologize to any old tradies out there or any young ones who MAY take pride in their work... in otherwords the tradies I cant find :doh:

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Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

And the winner is... MrFixIt!!... now for the prize EVERYONE go back and read that post! the most accurate honest and to the point view of "tradesmen" Ive read recently... plumbers? no such thing got their tickets out of a wheeties packet the bloody lot of them... electricians? no such thing found their tickets in the dunny I reckon... carpenters? whats that? Cabinet makers? whosawhatsit? and as for mechanics YOU ARE KIDDING RIGHT?? a tradesman mechanic? :U:U:U yeah okay delusions of grandure there for sure... calling any of these idiots "tradesmen" is a bit like calling a gnat mans worst enemy in my book

As for gasfitters... if someone who calls themselves gasfitters can arrive at a house where the owners are complaining that there is gas smell coming from the box... then by friggin god there bloody well is a gas friggin leak dipstick!!... 3 so called gas fitters later and we STILL have a gas problem!! tradesmen my aunt shirls fanny!! :~ (I gots edited for an aussie ism?? strewth!)

But when there is no choice one must rely on the white pages or the local link for so called "tradies" pay the piper for work not done or for work incomplete and suck it up and do it yourself is the rule of the day... and most times its better to just suck it up and have a whirl yourself cause theres NO GUARENTEE that anyone coming even within a ticks fart of being a "tradesman" will arrive and ACTUALLY DO the job properly :~

shhhhh now watch all the OLD tradies who loved lived and breathed quality trade work in their fields come barrelling out and blow the crap outta us/me for saying that "tradies are mongrels without a bloody brain"... but then the days of a true QUALITY tradie are over they have retired or gone fishin and the dipsticks and mongrels have the bowl :doh:

ahem... apologize to any old tradies out there or any young ones who MAY take pride in their work... in otherwords the tradies I cant find :doh:

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Have you run out of medication