4d • General discussion
Working and starting your business
Launching a plumbing business while keeping your full‑time job is realistic if you start small, stay organized, and plan your exit carefully.
Clarify your starting point
Begin by getting clear on your current situation so you don’t overextend yourself.
• Decide whether you’re fully licensed or still working under someone else’s license, and what that means for the work you can legally take on.
• Choose your focus: small residential service calls, emergency work, or construction/new builds, and match it to your skills and tools.
• Be honest about how many evenings and weekend hours you can work without burning out or risking your performance at your day job.
Only promise what you can complete outside your normal work hours, then build from there.
Set up the business foundation
You can put the “shell” of your business in place before you start chasing lots of jobs.
• Choose a business name, register it, and obtain the required local business licenses.
• Make sure you meet any contractor and trade licensing requirements in your area before advertising.
• Get appropriate insurance (at minimum general liability, and more if your jurisdiction requires it).
• Open a separate business bank account and track all income and expenses from day one.
This protects you personally and keeps you compliant while you test and grow the business part‑time.
Start with a narrow service offering
Because your time is limited, specialization helps you stay in control.
• Focus on work that fits evenings and weekends: minor leaks, fixture replacements, small repairs, water heater swaps, and simple drain clearing.
• Avoid large remodels or new‑build jobs that require you to be on site all day or coordinate with many other trades.
• Create a simple, clear price list for common jobs so quoting takes seconds and not hours.
A tight, well‑defined menu makes it easier to say “yes” to profitable, quick jobs and “no” to time‑sucking work.
Build a realistic part‑time schedule
You want momentum without sacrificing your health or your reputation at your full‑time job.
• Decide on fixed work windows, such as weeknights 6–9 PM and Saturdays, and stick to them.
• Be upfront with customers that you operate mainly after hours, and frame this as extra convenience for them.
• Use a simple system (calendar + invoicing app) to book jobs, send quotes, and collect payments efficiently.
Many people run their trade business evenings and weekends for several months to build a customer base before leaving their job.
Find your first customers on a small budget
At the beginning, you don’t need big advertising spend; you need visibility and trust.
• Set up a basic online presence: a simple website or at least a business profile with your services, area, and hours.
• Let friends, family, and coworkers know what kind of jobs you’re taking and when you’re available.
• After each successful job, ask for a review and permission to use photos of the work in your portfolio.
• Focus on a tight service radius near your home to reduce travel time and squeeze more work into limited hours.
A few repeat clients—like landlords or small property managers—can keep your evenings and weekends consistently booked.
Create a simple written plan
Even a one‑page plan will keep you from drifting and help you juggle both roles.
Include:
• Your ideal customer and the specific services you’ll offer at first.
• Your pricing strategy and clear income targets (for example, “X side‑income per month by month six”).
• A list of startup costs (tools, vehicle upgrades, licensing, insurance, marketing) and how you’ll fund them.
• Milestones for the first 6–12 months, such as number of repeat customers or monthly revenue goals.
Writing this down helps you say no to work that doesn’t fit your goals and yes to what moves you forward.
Plan your transition out of full‑time work
Decide in advance what “ready to quit” looks like so you don’t make a rushed decision.
• Set a minimum monthly income from the business you want to hit for several consecutive months.
• Track how often you’re turning down good jobs because you’re stuck at your day job.
• Build a cash cushion to cover several months of personal and business expenses.
When you’re consistently hitting your targets, turning away quality work, and have savings in place, you can move to part‑time or fully leave your job with much more confidence.
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Working and starting your business
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