Setting up my own pat testing business

AK75

Hi

I have worked as a portable appliance tester for the last four years.
I am considering setting up on my own. What would I need to do to get started regarding insurance and certificates and stuff.

I know this is a pretty vague question but any knowledge would be very helpful.

Savvy_Sue

If you are still with your current employer doing this, your first step would be to look at your contract of employment and see if there's a clause in there about not working in the same field after leaving them: they may well not be impressed.

I am not sure what 'qualifications' one needs in order to set up as a PA tester, my understanding was that anyone could carry out the tests with minimal training as long as they had the right equipment (not cheap) properly set up (ditto) - but it's a long time since one of my colleagues came back from a H&S course and suggested that to me.

Insurance: you'd need public liability.

I don't want to be pessimistic, but I can't help thinking that this isn't necessarily an easy business to make a living from immediately. You may have to cover a wide area; you'll need quite a high volume; as well as testing you also need to fix as far as possible. Are you sure the demand is there in your area? I just googled PA Testing Warrington and there's quite a few pages came up.

Premier_2

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

If you are still with your current employer doing this, your first step would be to look at your contract of employment and see if there's a clause in there about not working in the same field after leaving them: they may well not be impressed. ...

I don't think employers are allowed to include such terms.

Terms preventing people from earning a living by preventing them pursing other employment in their field of expertise after leaving the initial employer is considered unfair and enforcible as I understand.

Of course the current employer may not be pleased and could take action if the OP was still employed by them (conflict of interest, etc) but not after they have left.
Similarly, there may be a clause preventing an employee leaving within a period of time unless they pay for the training the employer provided ... but that had to be made clear upfront and would usually apply for any reason the employee left, not just if leaving to follow the same career elsewhere.

Savvy_Sue

Premier wrote: »

I don't think employers are allowed to include such terms.

Terms preventing people from earning a living by preventing them pursing other employment in their field of expertise after leaving the initial employer is considered unfair and enforcible as I understand.

Of course the current employer may not be pleased and could take action if the OP was still employed by them (conflict of interest, etc) but not after they have left.

If the clause is too restrictive then it's probably unenforceable, but I don't think it's too difficult to have something which restricts people from stealing the client list and setting up on their own in the immediate vicinity. And even if it is ultimately unenforceable, the hassle of trying to stop the employer enforcing it may cause serious problems in the early days of running a new business: so I still say to look at the current contract of employment!

Might be worth looking at threads on the Employment board about that issue.

Premier wrote: »

Similarly, there may be a clause preventing an employee leaving within a period of time unless they pay for the training the employer provided ... but that had to be made clear upfront and would usually apply for any reason the employee left, not just if leaving to follow the same career elsewhere.

Very true. And an equally good reason to look at the contract.

Premier_2

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

If the clause is too restrictive then it's probably unenforceable, but I don't think it's too difficult to have something which restricts people from stealing the client list and setting up on their own in the immediate vicinity...

Agreed. An employer probably can prevent unauthorised use of their own client list. But I think they will otherwise have problems preventing anyone setting up in competition in their neighbourhood.

Also agreed that any competitor is unlikely to be the most helpful towards any other direct competitor, and as a newcomer you are probably on softer ground than a more established business ... but that is true of any business.

zax47

AK75, are you sure you can make a living at this? There are many who have tried & failed purely down to a saturated market and ridiculously cheap prices. What would make you different to your competitors, who may have established businesses and charge as little as 50-75p per item tested? The days of charging £3-4 per item are long gone thank to our Eastern European friends "muddying the puddle".

Many of us electricians offer the service, but we certainly wouldn't make enough to do just PAT testing!

How does your employer currently gain business? Can you do the same?, Can you do it as well as them? Why would people use you and not someone else? Lots to ask yourself. PAT testing is all about volume and even then you can work all day for !!!!!! all nett return - say in a Uni hall of residence.