Also have a wander around areas with private landlords, and get some phone numbers and tout yourself to them. Chances are you can undercut their existing plumbers and they won't be too worried about your experience. Landlords often want someone cheap, or available immediately. Agency's probably have subcontractors but private landlords are likely to have a few people they use, and often aren't bound to a particular firm.

Don't be worried about becoming self employed for a while. As someone said elsewhere contacts aren't essential, they're beneficial. Don't leaflet people so much as get your name and number into places where people go (business cards or leaflets in cafes, shops etc) so that when people need a plumber they know where to go.

Also stay in contact with people you did your course with as they're your first contacts. As self employed you can also tout yourself around other companies and sites, as a 'stand in' who can subcontract at short notice for a few days if their guy is sick, on leave etc.

Also Gumtree (the UK craigslist) and even facebook can prove useful. A lot of people won't think about a plumber until they need a plumber.

Also make sure people in your area and people you know have your business card - and that you're available faster than anyone else. Whilst insurance companies will have their own people, when there's water pissing out everywhere, people want someone who can be there and stop it in five minutes not an hour.

The trick to self employment in this kind of business is that people will only be interested when they need your services.

Also, as self employed, your less of a liability to employ as a contractor. Firms are still prone to preference to experience, but if they can easily let you go if you don't work out, they'll be more attracted to you.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

You are all saying do this and that, I have done it all
my company is in the Thomson local, I have three website

I am also on every free advertising board on the internet like freeindex.com, type my name or my company name on the internet I come up everywhere yellow pages.com is to expensive to advertise on

I have walked miles posting leaflet's and business cards

I have worked for many very bad Landlords who's houses or flats have plaster falling off black damp walls and they want a botched job done on it and pay peanuts for it
Granted work was a little better when I lived in Orpington Chesterfield Close could be the area I live now getting me down different class of customer around this parts

Also when u have a wife moaning two jobs a month no good get a proper job don't help lol

Merritt Maintenance services or CM Plumbing Services

I thought you weren't getting work, as you employers were saying you don't have experience? But here you saying you had work. Put that down, pad it out a bit, and you can very quickly 'accumilate' three years experience.

Blind flyering never works, nor do I think being in 'directories' for many services, because who uses the Thompsons directory any more.

You might find that there is some good local competition as well - if your not getting work, using the same methods you were getting work with.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

No I am not getting calls, I get work of mybuilder.com or rated people.com if and when I can, but it cost a lot of money to get work of these sites

Cost of rated and mybulider plus diesel, liability insurance

As I don't get calls and have to pay to get work the wife wants me to give up and get a proper job

just gave them my details [Link]

Nuts & bolts of it
Used to be a Tool Setter / Manager working 18hr shifts
I collapsed whilst installing a tool wacked my head on a concrete floor and ended up having severely bad epilepsy for five years struck of work and can never go back to being a tool setter again.

So become a plumber, so when companies see I have had epilepsy first thing they say will you have one in a customers house whilst working

Then you don't get the job and I have to tell employers I had epilepsy because with epilepsy you never ever know if it will come back pills only help control it not take it away for good