Concerned would be tiler!

[gordonu2]

Hi all, I'm in a dead end job and in desperate need of a career change not just for myself but for my wife. Someone mentioned tiling and it has been stuck in my head ever since, so I booked a tiling course in a couple of weeks time and been really excited of the prospect of working for myself as a tiler. But i have been reading a lot of posts on this forum and there is 1 that I found worrying. Somebody reckons that only 20-30% of people doing these courses actually become tilers. Could anybody give me any reassurances that the percentage is higher because I feel a bit down now.:huh2:

 

[DHTiling]

That figure will also include peeps who just do those courses for diy projects and have no intention of becoming a tile fixer..........It is up to the individual as to how much effort they put into making it work for them....

A good business plan goes a long way in this game.......

 

[Dean W]

I suppose the first question mate would be what course are you planning on doing as that could no doubt effect your potentail as a tiler.

 

[Varley]

Tiling courses will give you the knowledge you need to go out and tile to a good standard, it's adviseable to do a few jobs for friends and family first to find your feet and overcome problems you might encounter. A good tiling course will also give you good marketing strategies to help you get business. What they won't do is actually get the business in for you, and leaving a few tiling cards in a shop or popping in to kitchen or bathroom shops once in a while just won't do it. You have to get out there and really push yourself and sell yourself. You need to make contacts in other trades and pass each other work, this is how you will get regular work in. This all takes time to do so brace yourself for a slow start, but if you really push yourself, market yourself properly and make good contacts then you'll be fine mate.

 

[gordonu2]

I'm doing the 4 day course at NETT. And if everything goes ok i'll do the more advanced 4 day course. I'm planning to buy most of the tools when I get there so that I can get started as quickly as possible but still keep my job going for now. The only thing is my work are looking for redundancies so I could get a redundancy package,so not sure if I should take the plunge straight away or gradually build up the work.

 

[DHTiling]

I would do it gradually gordon......test the water before you jump in for a swim.......

 

[gordonu2]

Cheers for the advise, probably lots of sleepless nights to come.

 

[Varley]

Yip, that would be my advice too mate.

 

[poynton phil]

i did a 4 wk course at pts warrington, and they do give good tuition on how to tile, and start up your bussiness successfully. But theres a big world out there, with an increasing amount of tilers. So like dave says, its proberbly best to test the water and ease yourself in slowly, but good luck anyway

 

[ChaseTiling]

Gordon,

The key to business success is down to the individual. Like any business, it's dog eat dog and the best man wins. If you are good at your job and have great customer service skills combined with an excellent marketing strategy, you are going to win.

It all starts with getting the right training - make sure its an accredited training centre you go to, as contrary to certain individuals beleif - qualifications mean a lot these days 🙂

Good luck