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Since solar became the next big thing and everyone is getting on board, small businesses are growing at the same rate.
A few tips for the little guys going big, I talk from mexpereince, done this before.
1/ Pay the taxes that are due, if you make the money pay the taxes.
2/ Dont spend money that doesnt below to you, when you get those huge deposits, it doesnt mean you can go buy a new boat or bike or some toy that you have always wanted.
3/ Make sure you have the correct insurances in place, public liability, workmanship defect, etc.
4/ Dont make promises you cant keep, rather turn down the work.
5/ Dont take on more work than you can handle, then start job hoping, it will destroy your reputation.
6/ Manage the teams, make sure you on top of all the projects, even if you cant be on all the sites all the time make sure the customers are happy. Keep in contact with them, make sure they are happy with progress. Show face and communicate with the customer.
7/ Keep checking on the job, make sure the teams are doing what they are suppose to be doing to the standard your customers are use to.
8/ Manage the stock, in times like this the person with the stock wins, you dont want 50 unfinished projects waitng for spares. You will kill your profits having to keep returning to site to add bits as they arrive.
9/ Understand that these installation are not like simple electrical installations, where you fit a plug and walk away , these solar project require on going maintanance, firmaware upgrades, adjustments to the circuits.
10/ Make sure you have the technical support for all the components you install, contact details of the right person to speak. One thing I have learnt with technical support, unless you know who to speak to, you going to go around in circles and waste hours and hours trying to resolve silly little thing sthat could be resolved in a couple of minutes. The inverter lock on Sunday is a good example, it took 2 days to get hold of the right person and literally 3 seconds to genrate the code and tap $%^&*
Just because the numbers look great on paper, you going to burn if you dont add the correct markup, especially in the domestic market. Once the customer has that app on their phone, you will understand what I am talking about.
Nobody is talking about the challenges they are facing with these installations. I see it on the groups.
Electrical cantractors are out numbered 3 to 1 by solar installers with 10 years expereince, at the local electrical wholesalers, nobody really cares about regulations at the moment. Just becarful, things will start noramlising in a year or 2 and unless you are a hit and run operator, best you make sure you do your installation to the best of your ability, and conform with regualtions, otherwise it is going to catchup with you. Most of these hit and run operators will be gone within 5 years and the rest of us who are still around will have to clean up the mess. The worse part of cleaning up, people have already wasted the money and now expect it to be fixed for free, because they are already tied into a 25 year loan for product that might not even last 10 years.
If your quote is R280 000.00 and the bank approved installers quote is R180 000.00, rather focus on the next project, people are gonna get burnt, properly. Watch the gorups and forums, you will see what I am talking about.
If you believe you can install an 8 kva Sunsynk inverter with 2 x 5.1 kwh Sunsynk batteires and 10 panel on the roof for R180k, good luck. I would love to know where they ar egetting the equipment so cheap.
A few tips for the little guys going big, I talk from mexpereince, done this before.
1/ Pay the taxes that are due, if you make the money pay the taxes.
2/ Dont spend money that doesnt below to you, when you get those huge deposits, it doesnt mean you can go buy a new boat or bike or some toy that you have always wanted.
3/ Make sure you have the correct insurances in place, public liability, workmanship defect, etc.
4/ Dont make promises you cant keep, rather turn down the work.
5/ Dont take on more work than you can handle, then start job hoping, it will destroy your reputation.
6/ Manage the teams, make sure you on top of all the projects, even if you cant be on all the sites all the time make sure the customers are happy. Keep in contact with them, make sure they are happy with progress. Show face and communicate with the customer.
7/ Keep checking on the job, make sure the teams are doing what they are suppose to be doing to the standard your customers are use to.
8/ Manage the stock, in times like this the person with the stock wins, you dont want 50 unfinished projects waitng for spares. You will kill your profits having to keep returning to site to add bits as they arrive.
9/ Understand that these installation are not like simple electrical installations, where you fit a plug and walk away , these solar project require on going maintanance, firmaware upgrades, adjustments to the circuits.
10/ Make sure you have the technical support for all the components you install, contact details of the right person to speak. One thing I have learnt with technical support, unless you know who to speak to, you going to go around in circles and waste hours and hours trying to resolve silly little thing sthat could be resolved in a couple of minutes. The inverter lock on Sunday is a good example, it took 2 days to get hold of the right person and literally 3 seconds to genrate the code and tap $%^&*
Just because the numbers look great on paper, you going to burn if you dont add the correct markup, especially in the domestic market. Once the customer has that app on their phone, you will understand what I am talking about.
Nobody is talking about the challenges they are facing with these installations. I see it on the groups.
Electrical cantractors are out numbered 3 to 1 by solar installers with 10 years expereince, at the local electrical wholesalers, nobody really cares about regulations at the moment. Just becarful, things will start noramlising in a year or 2 and unless you are a hit and run operator, best you make sure you do your installation to the best of your ability, and conform with regualtions, otherwise it is going to catchup with you. Most of these hit and run operators will be gone within 5 years and the rest of us who are still around will have to clean up the mess. The worse part of cleaning up, people have already wasted the money and now expect it to be fixed for free, because they are already tied into a 25 year loan for product that might not even last 10 years.
If your quote is R280 000.00 and the bank approved installers quote is R180 000.00, rather focus on the next project, people are gonna get burnt, properly. Watch the gorups and forums, you will see what I am talking about.
If you believe you can install an 8 kva Sunsynk inverter with 2 x 5.1 kwh Sunsynk batteires and 10 panel on the roof for R180k, good luck. I would love to know where they ar egetting the equipment so cheap.