Advertising and still no work

[K.M.D dan]

Stick at it mate, I hardley had any calls from my ad in the local rag for the first couple of months then after tbhat it picked up get on average 5 calls a week now. Think people ring the ads that they have seen regular over a period of time,

 

[sean384]

Tysfoot,
have you tried writing letters to builders, plumbers and property developers etc etc, reason I ask... I did wrote about 25 ish in all gave it a week then follwed them all by phone and got in with 2 local builders who are putting plenty my way. Just a thought if you havent given it a try. But hang on in there it will come!!

 

[Daz]

Hang in there fella!

I started my business at the beginning of this year. I have been fortunate to find plenty of work, although, some of it is not well paid!

I have had many twitchy moments but have been fortunate to receive calls from tile shop recommendations where their customers have been let down by other tilers and the job needed doing quickly (maybe I was a last resort??). Regardless of how desperate I am for a job I tend to advise the customer that "....it must be your lucky day! I am supposed to be starting a job next (insert your choice of day) but the builder did not lay the screed in time so it is not dry enough for me to tile onto, so I have a window ......". Fix the price and away you go.

Sometimes it is better to go low and guarantee some money rather than hold out and have no money.

Two "urgent" jobs that I have received recently have both led to further work, sometimes you just have to get your foot in the door.

I have, also, thrown work over the fence to local builders, plumbers, chippy's, sparky's and plasterers, even though I could have sorted it myself as a means of networking and that has resulted in further work coming my way as a means of payback. Do a good job and the other trades will always use you again - it all helps.

There's a saying that you create your own luck, keep believing in yourself and tell everyone that you meet that you are a top notch tiler and you will get where you want to be sooner than you realise.

Good luck!

 

[Woody123]

Tysfoot

Im in the same boat too. However i am only doing it on a weekend to start with which is a safer bet but dont know if im resticting myself. I have dropped loads of business cards into all the local tile shops and kitchen, conservatory shops but no calls yet. Also some shops i go in seem to be very sarcastic and i have been a bit put off by this. especially CTD who didn't really seem that intreseted in me opening a trade account and said as soon as ive bough a million pounds worth of supply's in a year then they will start handing my cards out!! Im probably taking it abit seriously like and maybe's it was just me and didn't sell myself too well to them. Hopefully calls will start coming through shortly. I think im gonna do what one guy said in another post (sorry can't remember your name now that im writing this!) and practice some tecniques on some plasterboard or ply and take photo's. thought that was a good idea.

When you drop cards off in shops do you people tend to have portfolio's with you of work you have done in the past? Its just i have only done 1 so far so its a bit of a catch 22!

 

[IvegotsTILE]

Wow theres becoming more and more posts like this on the forum,it just proves that the market is becoming saturated I suppose.

I've been going nearly a year now and there have been a few tough times where I've just managed to pay the bills but I'm starting to do quite well now I've been about a bit.

The only way you'll get jobs from tile shops like Topps and other tile shops is:

1. Get on really well with the staff,I mean in the respect that they like you,you have the same humour as them,support the same football team,bring them bacon butties when you go in in the morning.
2.You buy alot of materials from them,go in there every other day.
3.They hear off their customers that your work is very good.
4.You bribe them,thats right you get a job that earns you £400 from one of the salesmen,you bung him £20 the next time your in.Cheaqper than advertising.

There's about 15 cards on the counter,but they only give out the same 3 when people ask for a good tiler(including mine).They only invited 3 of us out on the Christmas doo,The other tilers might be very good but I guess the staff get on better with us.Most likely for the reasons above.

Find 2 plumbers,2 plasterers and 2 builders then when customers ask if you know anyone that can do more work for them pass on there details and tell them to mention your name.Even if they just get someone phoning for a quote they'll appreciate it and send work your way.

As long as you can pay the bills hang in there,if your not earning enough to pay the bills then maybe you should start looking for another source of income to tide you bye.

Don't go down the route of borrowing money to get bye hoping things will get better because you'll end up in alot of debt.

Keep smiling

 

[Raja]

Wow theres becoming more and more posts like this on the forum,it just proves that the market is becoming saturated I suppose.

I've been going nearly a year now and there have been a few tough times where I've just managed to pay the bills but I'm starting to do quite well now I've been about a bit.

The only way you'll get jobs from tile shops like Topps and other tile shops is:

1. Get on really well with the staff,I mean in the respect that they like you,you have the same humour as them,support the same football team,bring them bacon butties when you go in in the morning.
2.You buy alot of materials from them,go in there every other day.
3.They hear off their customers that your work is very good.
4.You bribe them,thats right you get a job that earns you £400 from one of the salesmen,you bung him £20 the next time your in.Cheaqper than advertising.

There's about 15 cards on the counter,but they only give out the same 3 when people ask for a good tiler(including mine).They only invited 3 of us out on the Christmas doo,The other tilers might be very good but I guess the staff get on better with us.Most likely for the reasons above.

Find 2 plumbers,2 plasterers and 2 builders then when customers ask if you know anyone that can do more work for them pass on there details and tell them to mention your name.Even if they just get someone phoning for a quote they'll appreciate it and send work your way.

As long as you can pay the bills hang in there,if your not earning enough to pay the bills then maybe you should start looking for another source of income to tide you bye.

Don't go down the route of borrowing money to get bye hoping things will get better because you'll end up in alot of debt.

Keep smiling

VERY GOOD POST SIMON

 

[chris.tiling]

Make yourself know at all the local tile suppliers, sell yourself to them, give them business cards and they will help. Also speak to local builders and plumbers. Put cards up in supermarkets etc. I have also picked up 2 jobs in last month from a flier in my dentist's waiting room. Good luck and stick with it. dont sit at home worrying about it ...get out and do the leg work now and it will pay off in the end

 

[garhum]

Most of the tiling training centres quote you silly yearly earnings but with ppl working on the dole and even eastern european workers doing the same job its very difficult, try going to kitchen/ bathroom showrooms and putting your cards there even tiling centres, if still no joy go to builders in your area offering your services even kitchen fitters it might cos you a few beers hope it goes well for u

 

[busyalready]

Hi

Don't give up yet, although I am aware that finances often force the issue. It's hard to start up a new business and there is always a period of waiting and worrying and hoping things will pick up. I did the Course at North East Tiling in January 2007 although I had done a bit of tiling over the previous 10 years, even some paid work for family and friends. When I started up my business, I posted leaflets and got business cards printed and also went in the thomson local directory. I got very little work through this and have found that I now get all my work through recommendation. I live in a town with a population of around 65000 and it has taken about 9 months for me to get what I would call regular work and I have done some pretty crappy little jobs as well but it's all part of a steep learning curve. I am now booked up till the end of April and frequently have to turn jobs down. The problem is people are frightened to take a risk and that is the problem when you are starting out but for every good job you do you will get work off of the back of it and eventually word gets around that you are professional, do a good job and that's what people want. Incidentally, I am a female tiler and I think, the only one in my area.

 

[airbornewildy]

Im from oldham same as you mate did run pegasus home improvements was busy most of the summer then hit a wall around september did all sorts including tiling which was the dominant work .... i threw the towel in after bout 7 months as i have a mortgage to pay etc etc and i now drive hgvs... its hard mate if you are finacially stable ten stick at it !!

i was thinkin of starting again just doining tiling instead of anything and everything. !! think round our area there aint alot of money anyway ! try drops further a field .. i found all work came from the roch observer ! oldham chron is a waste of space if you look closely at the ads of someof the tradies on there thier mobile no. changes every few months !! to me theyre cowboys or always loosing phones :mad2: mmmmmmmmmmm !! anyway good look mukka !