Good Phone call

[Spud]

I had a phone call from a very up market tile shop today asking me if I specialize in fitting large format thin tiles ,they have just started selling them and will be recommending me to their customers for the 3mm and 3.5mm tiles they sell, I am very pleased and will be able to charge top rates as they are at the luxury end of the market

 

[peteablard]

Nice one, good start to the year!

 

[Bubblecraft]

Nice one Gary. Are they Porcelthin tiles?

 

[Dan]

Well done Gary. These the porcelthin stuff? Or are a few firms doing them now?

Nice to have such a call so early in the year! Hope they keep coming for you matey.

 

[DHTiling]

And the cream always rises to the top , well done mate.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Good news Gary.

 

[Ian]

How's everyone else doing work wise?

 

[jonnyc]

not good at all or me in jan/feb and this is the first time i have experienced this in 28 years.
i cant put this down to a down turn although there has been for all of us last 4 years .
i think for me it is just when my regular contractors are ready which depends on when houses get sold.
i am not complaining because some tiling friends of mine have been really lean on work front last few years and i have been lucky and could get them yo help me out.
now its my turn and you have to take rough with smooth.
come august i will need to double my workforce and that will create a problem

 

[jonnyc]

I had a phone call from a very up market tile shop today asking me if I specialize in fitting large format thin tiles ,they have just started selling them and will be recommending me to their customers for the 3mm and 3.5mm tiles they sell, I am very pleased and will be able to charge top rates as they are at the luxury end of the market

thats a good result gary.
how did they know to call you as the specialist in this format !!
your name in this field must be spreading.

- - - Updated - - -

I had a phone call from a very up market tile shop today asking me if I specialize in fitting large format thin tiles ,they have just started selling them and will be recommending me to their customers for the 3mm and 3.5mm tiles they sell, I am very pleased and will be able to charge top rates as they are at the luxury end of the market

thats a good result gary.
how did they know to call you as the specialist in this format !!
your name in this field must be spreading.

 

[Ian]

Have you got some big jobs booked in for August then [MENTION=15118]jonnyc[/MENTION] ?

 

[Bubblecraft]

How's everyone else doing work wise?

Booked to mid march but seeing a kitchen this weekend for my last job I'm doing in march & if the price is right, it'll be added to that job & so will take me in to April

 

[DHTiling]

How's everyone else doing work wise?

Just about booked towards end of Feb..

 

[jonnyc]

Have you got some big jobs booked in for August then @jonnyc ?

well yes,based on having worked for these contractors for many years and having not changed my prices for 7 years i hope it is a given that i will get the work..there are a dozen new builds that will be between 50-100 man days each . the longer ones involve making double sets of stone stair cases , pool surround etcc.
these jobs are usually spread out over the year but for some reason , the time last new houses got sold all happened at same time hence the next generation coming out ground at similar times.
i have to say this has been a real wake up call for me .
i have been living in a bubble of comfort that i created but i never thought about this scenario.
what has happened now is that i have woken up and am now going back in to seek new client mode which is invigorating but it remains to be seen if i can pick up to levels of before.
i think not.

 

[Ian]

[MENTION=15118]jonnyc[/MENTION] getting new contacts in new areas is my tactic for this year, my usual sources seem to be sending less and less work my way. Had a really poor end to the year for 2012, I think I took my eye off the ball. Lots of people who I could usually rely on, let me down which took me by surprise a little.

 

[jonnyc]

@jonnyc getting new contacts in new areas is my tactic for this year, my usual sources seem to be sending less and less work my way. Had a really poor end to the year for 2012, I think I took my eye off the ball. Lots of people who I could usually rely on, let me down which took me by surprise a little.

well bri, i think we all want to be positive when we post on forum but sometimes we have to admit that things are tough.
i didnt want to say that i am struggling at the moment but am pleased that there is someone else who might be seemingly ok who is saying that it is tough.
things will improve and i can only thank my father who i put in charge of my accounts as a retired accountant. I let him decide my dividends and the best advice i ever had was to make sure your accounts even though they may be abbreviated show you to have some decent worth to your suppliers and potential clients and always pay your bills on time .