Am I the only one not doing much work at the moment?

Last job was a factory job last week.  Not worked since.

Up here, the lockdown rules say a tradesman may only enter a private dwelling for emergency work.  No restriction on commercial work.

But the phone is not ringing.  The plain fact is domestic, which is most of what I do, people simply do not want you in their houses even if it was allowed.  Even the letting agent maintenance jobs have dried up, it seems tenants would rather put up with something broken than have someone come and fix it.

I have one small summerhouse job to do when the weather improves, and a smoke alarm job but I doubt that classes as "urgent" and I suspect the customer does not want me anyway.

Is everyone else still busy or others in the same boat.

thank goodness the SEISS has been extended to the end of the financial year.

I'm dead in the water at the minute, I lost my job on the railway and went back working for myself, I've always had people ringing me up for jobs but now nothing, people seem to be hanging onto their cash, they don't know whats around the corner.I can't get any benefits either so it isn't good, it got to a point where I seriously began to struggle to afford to put fuel in my landrover. Fortunately a farmer friend who I have helped out a few times decided to return the favour and he fills my tank for free. The thing is when I was busy a tank of diesel would last a week, I filled it up just before Christmas and then again on Sunday, so it shows how little mileage I'm doing. I did have work planned, I had a couple of kitchens to fit and a bathroom to refurb, they were cancelled, you can't blame people really, it's pointless having a nice fitted kitchen if you can't pay the mortgage.

I'm ticking along at quite a happy level - I'm avoiding peoples houses, but have enough work in either emoty property or communal areas for maintenance to keep the bills paid. January does tned to be quiet anyway, as people are paying off Xmas, but a second lockdown can't be helping a it must be hitting finances, along with Brexit of course.

Have too much on my plate and planned, so my emails and phone being quieter is a good thing.

Got projects of various sizes until early May - plenty of gaps too - but thats how I like it

January is always quieter for me and no doubt people having to home school / work from home / keep people at a distance IS having an effect 

Jan is normally a bit quieter following the old "must get done for Christmas" jobs....

So while not rushing around chasing your own ar5e..

and maybe a bit quieter as customers evaluate their own personal circumstances, in relation to these current covid-lockdown-furlough days.. 

before committing to getting tradesmen in..

But certainly not dead by any measure..

Visited new customer yesterday..  quote accepted today..

Two more enquires from new customer today..

been doing jobs for existing customers last week..

As a side note.. its not really "phone ringing"..   more via internet/social media etc..

Think more people are tending to "Google" or ask on local social sites, for tradesmen nowadays..

so without some good inter-web presence you could be missing out on potential customers?

Down here not really had much problem with customers allowing you to work in their homes..

Plus I do have a printed Covid risk-assessment type document to agree with all potential customers before undertaking any work ..

Also a Covid work-practice page, set up on website, so customers can asses themselves any potential risks based around their personal knowledge of their circumstances..

Haven't yet done a comparison of January this year, to last year, or 2019,  but don't have any major worries at the moment.

Guinness