From Subcontract Work to 22 Direct Leads a Month
How James K., a NICEIC-registered electrician in Birmingham, escaped the subcontract grind and built a direct-to-homeowner business generating £6,800 in additional monthly revenue.
The Problem
James had been a qualified electrician for 12 years, but spent most of that time working for builders and contractors. The work was consistent but the pay was poor — he was earning £150-£180 per day while the builders charged customers £300+ for his time.
He had no online presence whatsoever. No website, no Google Business Profile, not even a Facebook page. When he tried to get direct work, he had nothing to show potential customers. His only option was word-of-mouth from friends and family.
The subcontract work was also feast or famine — busy when the builders were busy, nothing when they were not. James wanted stability and the higher margins that come with direct work, but had no idea how to get started.
He had heard about SEO and Google but assumed it was too expensive and complicated for a one-man band. He was wrong.
The Solution
Built a professional website from scratch with dedicated pages for rewires, EV chargers, consumer units, EICR testing, and general electrical work
Created and optimised Google Business Profile with NICEIC certification prominently displayed
Targeted Birmingham and surrounding areas: Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, and Walsall with location-specific pages
Set up automated review collection — SMS request sent after every completed job
Created content targeting high-value services: "house rewire cost Birmingham", "EV charger installation Birmingham"
Implemented missed call text-back so enquiries are never lost while James is on the tools
Keywords Now Ranking on Page 1
The Timeline
Week 1-2
Foundation & Strategy
Audit of existing online presence (non-existent). New website built with dedicated pages for rewires, EV chargers, consumer units, and EICR testing. Google Business Profile created from scratch.
Week 3-4
Local SEO Launch
Service area pages created for Birmingham, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, and Tamworth. Schema markup added. Review collection system activated.
Week 5-8
Ranking Improvements
First page 1 rankings achieved for "electrician Solihull". EV charger page started ranking. First direct enquiries coming in — 2-3 per week initially.
Week 9-12
Full Pipeline
Ranking on page 1 for 18 keywords including "rewire Birmingham" and "EV charger installer Birmingham". 22 enquiries per month. Stopped taking subcontract work entirely.
“I spent 12 years making money for builders. Now I make it for myself. TradesBooked built me a proper online presence and within 3 months I was getting more direct work than I could handle. I have not taken a subcontract job since week 10.”
— James K., Electrician, Birmingham
Enquiry Breakdown by Service
The ROI
Monthly investment
£297
Additional monthly revenue
£6,800
Previous daily rate (subcontract)
£150-£180
Current daily rate (direct)
£280-£350
Return on investment
22.9x
Ready to Escape the Subcontract Grind?
Book a free 20-minute call. We will show you exactly how many direct leads you are missing on Google each month.
Get My Free Audit