help please LOL

[4x4]

Hello everyone, hope you are all busy in these difficult times!

this is my 1st post and you have probably seen this posted a thousand times before and probably quite bored with it but here I go,
I am going to be made redundant from my job as printer for 20 years in a few weeks time and have been worried sick about what to do next,

Anyway i am quite handy around the house ie. layed laminate floors, fitted a high quality Kitchen, fitted Ornate coving,
and done a fair bit of Tiling which has always come out very well and I have really enjoyed it!,

friends visiting have asked me to do work them and I've always said no as I have never been confident enough just as a DIY'er, as it must really put
the pressure on when someone is going to pay you for your services!

But now I am staring unemployment in the face I am thinking of doing a 4 week (20 day) course in tiling with a view to go self employed,
I do realise that a 4 week course will not make me Pro but perhaps it will give me the confidence I need to give it a go with small residential jobs

Could I be cheeky enough to ask if anyone knows if the tiling trade is very slow in the Herts area at the moment?

now I know you will need a crystal ball to answer this LOL butafter my course If I market myself welldo you think I could hope on getting 1 job
in my first month, 2 jobs in my second month, with a slow progression to perhaps a reasonable'ish amount of work after 12 months, assuming of course that I was any good,
or am I wasting my time in this current climate?

many thanks for your time
all replies will be greatly appreciated
Dave

 

[DHTiling]

Hello dave and welcome...........It varies up and down the country as to how busy peeps are... but good luck which ever way you go.

 

[White Room]

Hi and welcome

 

[david campbell]

:welcome:to the forum
tiling like all other trades is suffering at the moment,some area's seem to be suffering worse than others,but most well-known and established tilers are still keeping busy,this is really the name of the game-getting yourself recognised for producing good work!
for anybody starting up it can be a long time before you make good contacts,maybe doing the course at the moment with the intention of doing jobs for family and friends to start building up a customer base would be the best way to go,i doubt very much that you will be snowed under with work in just a few months of completing a course!

whatever you chose good luck anyway and have a look through here-
Tiling Courses - tilersforums.com | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Dave - I would have thought that a member from the Herts area may have had some input to help you with you enquiry about the local situation!
National the building industry is slow and this can knock on to the Tiling side as well - however the refurbishment side is still busy so if you concerntrate on the domestic you may pick up some work.
What I liked about your post was you were not over ambitious with the amount of work you hoped to pick up in the first few months - and also the jobs you have done you really enjoyed!
I've said it before - this is the best job in the world - and time flies when your doing it.
What you need is the confidence - you have to convince the customer you are going to do the best job and then its up to you to deliver!
Choose your course carefully (look at the training courses on the forum) and go for it - you will never be wasting your time on something you enjoy!
After 20 years in printing, the redundancy should help you along the way so the pressure should not be on at the start.
Good luck ,keep in touch and ask away with all your questions.

 

[steveamare]

How about getting some experience by offering to help an established tiler - you might be able to find someone that needs a hand with mixing up adhesives, doing some of the cuts, grouting, cleaning up etc. It would give you a chance to learn from a pro and earn a few quid as well. Progress from there on to actually laying some tiles under the supervision of the pro and ..... away you go. Just a thought.

 

[faithhealer]

Hi dave, i know the feeling well. Fortunately, (although it didn't feel like that at the time) I started when times were better. My Advice would be to do the course, (you will learn the correct way and just as importantly the right prep work. It will be scary, but so is being sat at home. please pm if you want any other questions answered from someone who has been there and done it (I hope)

 

[4x4]

I'd just like to say thanks for all your messages so far,
what a great helpful bunch you are!
I feel a whole lot better already after reading your replies as I have been feeling a bit down lately,
I will stay in touch as I already have a load of questions bubbling but I will see if my course can answer them first,
thanks again guys :8:

 

[White Room]

Whereabouts in Herts do you come from

 

[Daz]

Hi, welcome and good luck!

If you are confident, polite and want your business to succeed, then it will!
You will be able to pick up as much work as you want if you are prepared to apply the leg work. What you are more likely to find is that you will have to price jobs at the "market" rate and being a "novice" and potentially slow will mean that your earnings are not as high as you may wish.

It won't take long until your business grows but you will have to be realistic and work bloody hard and long hours. .