INTERVIEW
WITH ANDY CAM We had a chat with Andy Cam, the owner of CosyWarm Central Heating and Plumbing in Sheffield. He's been in the business for more than 40 years so he knows a thing or two!
HIP Magazine: How did you start out in the plumbing trade?
HIP: How does social media affect your business?
Andy Cam: When I left school I went into fibrous plastering, which I soon realised was not for me! Jobs were scarce and a recession was upon the UK. There was a 6-week course available where you could try out different trades. The last one of the last week was plumbing - it was then I realised that ‘I Love Plumbing’.
AC: This has been a game changer for me as it has helped elevate my business. Social media is key to keeping updated on new products and sharing ideas and tips. It creates a community of like-minded individuals who can learn from and support one another. Through Twitter and Instagram I have made some good friends, too. It’s also good for consumers when they want to check out the standard and services I offer. I’m just launching my YouTube channel - so watch this space!
HIP: What advice would you give someone just starting out? AC: Really listen to what is being asked of you. Ask questions - the more you ask, the more you will understand. The big one for me is to be punctual, whether that’s with your employer or at a customer’s property. HIP: What tool could you not do without? AC: My Knipex Cobra Grips. They are really versatile, hand-friendly and can be used on the smallest nut to the widest wastes and traps, so one pair does everything. HIP: What's changed during your career? AC: My hair colour! No seriously, when I first started out everything was manual and time consuming, like wiping lead joints! Now I am using my Rems mini press gun to make joints on copper pipe. And instead of getting tangled up in loads of wires coming from the electric tools, everything is now battery-operated – much easier.
HIP: What do you wish you knew more about? AC: Air source heat pumps, renewables and what the next generation of heating products is going to look like. HIP: What's your favourite thing about your job? AC: Helping people – solving problems and making my customers happy. I love a good boiler installation, but not so much the paperwork side of running a business.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED : People skills: how you talk and approach people makes a huge difference. Don’t over promise and under deliver!
HIP: What's been the biggest waste of money career wise? AC: From an expense point of view, years ago I did leaflet dropping in my local area. So many dropped and very little return in actual jobs. Today it’s totally different when marketing your business - social media is amazing and it’s free!
@CosyWarmPlumber @I_love_plumbing
I N T E RV I E W I S U M M E R 2021 I H IP
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