advice wanted regarding a new career after tiling

[oldgit]

ive suffered for many years with bad knees and ankle afer having my leg badly broken at 18 years old.
my leg wouldnt set and broke several times over a 3 year period.
the leg was broke mid shin and after being reset a numbe of times was lefty short and bowed out.
this has meant that that the angle of bones to knees and ankle have been totally out of line causing uncorrectable damage.
surgeons have broke the leg and lengthened and straightened it over the past year i am still a way of just being able to get around.
the main reason for this was so i can have the knee replaced and some work done to the ankle.
once this is done i cant then kneel down for the purpose of tiling so i at 50 need a new career.
im just looking for some suggestions really, i realise im not going to be able to earn as i can tiling but i will be able to subsidise this by doing some simpler tiling jobs ie: splashbacks etc, i have a 10 year customer base from where i now live so although without advertising this will dwindle away i can find a method via very cheap and free advertising just toi be able to cherry pick a few jobs, but ideally i would want something that takes me away from fixing totally but really i dont have a clue, i have a limited amount of general building knowledge as my father was a builder.
i have been in tiling pretty much since leaving school so that more or less is all i know, although i have very little knowledge of the commercial scene as ive basically just done my own domestic stuff for around 20 years.
obviously there are plenty out of work now so that really limits what is available to me id just like some opinions if you guys have any.
thanks in advance.

OG.

 

[Ajax123]

Maybe go work for one of the adhesive guys or become a trainer for tilers

 

[oldgit]

Maybe go work for one of the adhesive guys or become a trainer for tilers

thanks ajax,
both possibilities i had thought of but although ive not really followed training for the past couple of years i would have thought things were a bit quiet on that front, i had a few years back even thought about starting out on my own with training but is the demand still there, i am in norfolk and there isnt to my knowledge any centres locally.
regarding the adhesive or even tool companies where the hell do you start other than writing to them all and not getting a reply as nothing available right now but for them to overlook you a month down the line.
do you think they want hands on sellers or sales people.
i know how to deal with the public in a selling my self to them way but selling goods is slightly different although i would definitely be interested in that field.
and i do have a good grasp of adhesives and grouts although i am a bit behind the newer stuff but its all much of the same thing rehashed i expect.

OG.

 

[prceramics]

as regards to training centers there is not that many around and when i trained at able at dartford people were traveling down from scotland we even had one lad from switzerland.

 

[kilty55]

hi,as ajax has suggested try your local tile shops to see if you could get a start...would you be able to do your forklift licence this may give you an advantage in getting jobs with most tile shops i would imagine.

also you could keep your main tiling running and find a local good tiler who may be willing to sub contract to you to keep some income coming in form that he could do the bigger jobs with you to help.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Have you thought about restoration?

 

[oldgit]

hi,as ajax has suggested try your local tile shops to see if you could get a start...would you be able to do your forklift licence this may give you an advantage in getting jobs with most tile shops i would imagine.

also you could keep your main tiling running and find a local good tiler who may be willing to sub contract to you to keep some income coming in form that he could do the bigger jobs with you to help.

thanks kilty,
to be honest i think i would be there starting at the low end and staying there, i would prefer something where hopefully i could move up the pay grade to some degree.
but then again beggars cant be choosers.
i could just continue advertising and try somehow to employ a tiler, finding one good enough but cheap enough to still make a profit might not be easy.

Have you thought about restoration?

thanks tony,
that would be something id be interested in learning but how would i go about that.
i am a very fussy finisher, which sometimes goes against me as i used too turn down jobs where punters were not willing for the the prep to be done right or using unsuitable or rubbish tiles expecting me to be harry potter.
i know of tilers that would just do it regardless but that is not how i like to work.
restoration would be something id enjoy and get the satisfaction from my work.

as regards to training centers there is not that many around and when i trained at able at dartford people were traveling down from scotland we even had one lad from switzerland.

thanks prceramics,
there is/was a training centre in norwich, it was i believe for plastering but he also done tiling, i think it recently went bust but i could be wrong.
i did email hem several times 2 or 3 years back with the intention of either working for him or going in with him but i never got a reply.
im just not sure the time is right to be starting training as a business although i am very interested in this because as ive stated im fussy and i know i could teach people to want to do it right rather than just being able to tile.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

For restoration you have the perfect background. You will need to decide on how deep you would want to get into it. You have those that just generally clean and repolish floors. This is a good starting point which a two day training course and a small investment in machinery around about £1500 which is easy recoverable within 2 jobs. What you will find with it though is that you are limited to what you can do, when people get to this stage they tend to look into Grinding and honing floors but your investment jumps to a starting point of around £10,000. This again will require you to carry out some training again but the learning process of it is never ending as every floor is different in the way you re-finish them what diamonds you use etc. But both are very rewarding and that does not just mean finacially.

 

[doug boardley]

local tile shops would be my suggestion, somebody with fixing experience will be respected more than a salesman imo.

 

[Fliselege]

In my quiet periods in UK I registered with 2 agencies, Montrose and Workmates and I was given work as a finishing foreman amongst other things, snagging and de-snagging, don't know if that's your sort of thing but apparently people like us have an eye for the job (probably angencies jabber but it was good for a while) Maybe forget the agencies and drop your C.V to as many big companies as you can. Sorry to hear you have to hang up the tools.

 

[oldgit]

For restoration you have the perfect background. You will need to decide on how deep you would want to get into it. You have those that just generally clean and repolish floors. This is a good starting point which a two day training course and a small investment in machinery around about £1500 which is easy recoverable within 2 jobs. What you will find with it though is that you are limited to what you can do, when people get to this stage they tend to look into Grinding and honing floors but your investment jumps to a starting point of around £10,000. This again will require you to carry out some training again but the learning process of it is never ending as every floor is different in the way you re-finish them what diamonds you use etc. But both are very rewarding and that does not just mean finacially.

sounds really interesting i will have a look further into this and see whats involved.

local tile shops would be my suggestion, somebody with fixing experience will be respected more than a salesman imo.

i agree doug anyone with experience will be more respected by the customers, the pitfall i see is there wouldnt be much room to better yourself within a small tile centre and a large tile centres i dont think could care less what you know as long as you do as your told, im not so sure some managers would really want someone under them that as forgot more than they know as there would always be that threat feeling, i could be wrong though.
im certainly not ruling it out but just not so sure im cut out for it at 50.

In my quiet periods in UK I registered with 2 agencies, Montrose and Workmates and I was given work as a finishing foreman amongst other things, snagging and de-snagging, don't know if that's your sort of thing but apparently people like us have an eye for the job (probably angencies jabber but it was good for a while) Maybe forget the agencies and drop your C.V to as many big companies as you can. Sorry to hear you have to hang up the tools.

thanks fliselege,
certainly worth considering but the whole house building industry is rubbish at the minute and many are laying off rather than taking on.


ive got some time to think things over and i will have a chat with some tile centres that i use and see what they think, they may even have some leads via the adhesive firms.
i will find it hard though as ive always since the age of 18 been my own boss or at least been in charge of my own destiny.

OG........

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

How about opening a fish and chip shop/sandwich shop , there is always money in food .

 

[Fliselege]

You had to mention fish and chips you nasty man. I miss fish and chips. Got the hump now. Roll on July

 

[peckers]

What ever you decide to do in career change, I wish you all the best and I hope that your leg makes a good recovery after all the operation's that you have had to go threw!

 

[Andy Allen]

wish you luck mate, i might be in the same boat soon as my knees are shot to pieces...


someone once told me, theres three things that will garantee you a living..

feed people

entertain people

and bury people

so im going to open a chip shop, with a disco in it, and a undertakers next door...

 

[oldgit]

thanks for all the replies i will report back when i have some news.
maybe even flog you some tiles :yikes:

OG

 

[swanman]

Good Luck

What ever you decide to do