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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I've found a big gap in the job market for women?

66 replies

SayHelloDoris · 16/05/2017 22:25

Painting/decorating... Not even to a ridiculous level, just basic stuff.

Think good old Mrs Margaret wanting her new lounge painted but not keen on a male tradesman. She browses a bit of Internet search pop ups in her area and she stumbles upon a lady to do the job.

Is there not a gap in market for this? I know it's not legal (I think?) to advertise you are a woman painter/decorator, but surely it's fair obvious if you call yourself Sophie Painting PLC Blush

Could this be a possibility for me to consider if I want to earn a bit of extra cash? I'm a fab painter and very passionate about home decor.

OP posts:
Deux · 16/05/2017 23:01

The best plumber we've ever had was female. Such a joy to deal with her. Clear about her charges up front.

Even read instruction manual , contacted technical support at supplier as she had some questions . Crikey she even did her invoice on her iPad when she finished the job. Then rang up a week later to check everything was good .

If there was equivalent in all trades locally I would choose a female every time.

I used to use a female gardening company called Thornbirds.

Pigface1 · 16/05/2017 23:01

Perfectly legal and plenty of people do it already but I'm positive you could find a niche - there might not be any in your area?? There are also things like ladies-only taxi firms for example. Anyway - go for it!!

user1491572121 · 16/05/2017 23:02

Tava exactly. DH has worked on buildings which were still being put together...so alongside many other trades. He's gone into houses with MASSIVE stairwells and needed scaffolding....tiny filthy houses with grease dripping off the walls...he trained properly too.

I felt awful when I realised how much I'd underestimated how physically hard DH worked too...I'm a fit woman but no way could I work as hard as DH and his partner did. Painting ceilings for hours in a huge house almost killed me!

April229 · 16/05/2017 23:02

Go for it, I heard female machanics, plumbers and diy get much more work than men. Given these roles aren't police checked I would much rather a woman than man being let in the house if I was there alone.

51howdidthathappen · 16/05/2017 23:06

I'm a female decorator, have been for about 15 years.
Lots of halls/stairs/landings. Lots !

haveacupoftea · 16/05/2017 23:11

Oooh I'd love that. I hate having men in decorating, some of them can be so stand offish. Plus men always seem to leave things worse than when they started. This is not an I hate men thing but genuinely I leave my car to a male mechanic to get something minor done and it comes back with an ABS fault Confused or i got a man in to wire lights in and now we can't turn the upstairs landing light on at the same time as the hall light Hmm I can't imagine a woman leaving a job like that.

SoupDragon · 16/05/2017 23:21

I can't imagine a woman leaving a job like that.

Yeah, because all women are just one homogeneous group with no differences 🙄 I can't imagine they are any more or less reliable on the whole than men.

I am pretty good at DIY but no way is it of a professional standard, no way at all. That takes training, time and practice, sex is irrelevant.

I have considered flat pack furniture assembly though - I'm damn good at that!!

Closedenv · 16/05/2017 23:23

Used to be a female taxi firm in our area but she was often on holiday so gave up singling her number out.

Northernparent68 · 16/05/2017 23:24

This is all a bit sexist is not, imagine a thread where some one say they prefer male teachers, nurses or hairdressers, all hell would break loose

gillybeanz · 16/05/2017 23:26

Surely if old Margaret was old enough to be scared of tradesmen would she trawl the internet.
My mum was old margaret and wouldn't have had the a clue.

I'd hope the job was done to a ridiculous level, it's what you pay for and old Margaret wouldn't necessarily have painting and decorating on her radar.
You could market it for people of a nervous disposition, like driving instuctors do Grin

StrangeLookingParasite · 16/05/2017 23:32

There's a women's plumbers group called Stopcocks.

That's brilliant.

expatinscotland · 16/05/2017 23:34

But do they leave the loo in a state and tell you to make them cups of tea and coffee or work better if given meals Grin?

Bellabooboo · 16/05/2017 23:36

I was just thinking this today!!!!!

user1491572121 · 16/05/2017 23:43

The point is OP...it takes years to learn to do it to a proffessional standard. If you're willing to do an apprenticeship and course, then go for it.

If you think you can just set up and advertise...YABVU. You'd be what's known as a "tosher" in the trade. Just toshing it up with no idea.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 16/05/2017 23:46

Like PP have said, it's not a new concept, in fact I think some women went on Dragons' Den with a plan for a training college

I personally wouldn't be queueing up to employ someone because they are female but I guess some do.

PigletJohn · 17/05/2017 00:04

there's one in the House of Lords

To think I've found a big gap in the job market for women?
MadameSzyszkoBohush · 17/05/2017 00:09

In Australia (or maybe here as well) I think they call them lady tradies (sp?).

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 17/05/2017 00:16

Lady Garden Grin

Lady tradies Grin Grin

Can I please hire one of you to come and assemble our new gas BBQ? DH and I are too lazy pretty useless at DIY!

Goldfishjane · 17/05/2017 00:27

I used a firm like this once, think there were three covering the local area
I think there's a bigger gap in the market for women cab drivers myself.

EmNetta · 17/05/2017 00:44

I remember looking through a national agency for local tradespeople (needing more than one)and was disappointed not to find any females. It was about ten years ago, so maybe things have changed, but the only way I ever found females was by recommendation. I know women are not necessarily better at the job, but have never felt unsafe while alone in the house with one.

CheesyCrust · 17/05/2017 02:51

The sexism is disgusting. If your USP is that you're a woman and that's why people want you to work for them then that's pure sexism. I just want to confirm this because I'm a little confused:

If you're held back because you're a woman then it's sexism and the patriarchy and all that nonsense. If you get ahead because you're a woman then it's fine.

Before you call Deborah Meaden, give this a watch.

KnittedBlanketHoles · 17/05/2017 03:46

It's not sexism to want a woman in your house over a man, it's reality- men are much more dangerous for women.

EachandEveryone · 17/05/2017 03:59

Don't you need to do an apprenticeship first? I'm sure there's much more to it then it looks there has to be for £400 a pop for a small hallway. I've just had my bedroom done and two of them did a perfect job in 7 hours so I didn't mind paying the £300 but imagine the graft if you are on your own? How quick could you do it?

user1490142285 · 17/05/2017 04:27

In the 80s or 90s there was an organisation called Women in Manual Trades. They sold a directory of tradeswomen, I guess it was a membership thing. Each listing told you what qualifications the person had, the services they provided etc. It was the age of Silver Moon and Spare Rib, it was that kind of thing.

I guess they didn't make the transition online though, I can't find a website.

CheesyCrust · 17/05/2017 04:47

KnittedBlanketHoles

Yes. Men are dangerous rapists! Get to fuck with your BS. I genuinely pity women like you.

Of course it's sexist to chose someone based entirely on their sex. It seems to me to be a perfect example of sexism.

Please keep your opinions to yourself as actual misogynists use opinions like yours to beat us 'normal' people with.