Is the work picking up? Are you busy?

[Andy Allen]

very busy at the moment, might have to consider coming out of semi retirement :yikes:

Me too. I'm having to work on Friday's now...lol

 

[aphilp]

I'm happy to turn work down rather than bring in subby's Anne, reason being that customers contact me, and want/expect me ​to do the work for them, plus I'm happy with the flexibility of being a sole-trader without all the vat, cis etc issues that come with subbying work out.

I feel put down again for what I felt was a helpful suggestion for Brian. After 20 years as a sole trader, our company was formed and I decided to work full time in the business and deal with all the VAT, CIS issues etc. Our work is mainly high end and if customers want Greig, then they get Greig. However, when we have a job that needs additional tilers, then we use sole traders, on a sub-contract basis, who can carry out work to our high standards. Where our men have done work for new customers, repeat work can be for a tiler, who is not Greig. After 8 years, we are now undertaking high end contract work and are well established as a company. We are fortunate that there are so many good tilers in London, who choose to be sole traders, but want to work for us.

Best Wishes

Anne

 

[Dougs Third Go]

I feel put down again for what I felt was a helpful suggestion for Brian. After 20 years as a sole trader, our company was formed and I decided to work full time in the business and deal with all the VAT, CIS issues etc. Our work is mainly high end and if customers want Greig, then they get Greig. However, when we have a job that needs additional tilers, then we use sole traders, on a sub-contract basis, who can carry out work to our high standards. Where our men have done work for new customers, repeat work can be for a tiler, who is not Greig. After 8 years, we are now undertaking high end contract work and are well established as a company. We are fortunate that there are so many good tilers in London, who choose to be sole traders, but want to work for us.

Best Wishes

Anne

Anne, I certainly didn't mean to put you down, please don't think that I did.

 

[Ian]

There was no intention from me to put you down either Anne, I just believe that the reason my small business has become so successful is because of me and the work I do. To sub it out because there's too much of it, wouldn't be giving my customers what they want.

 

[aphilp]

There was no intention from me to put you down either Anne, I just believe that the reason my small business has become so successful is because of me and the work I do. To sub it out because there's too much of it, wouldn't be giving my customers what they want.

My suggestion was to help you grow from a small business into one, where you had another tiler working with you on site, in the first instance. If you can complete a six week job in three weeks, then you do not lose customers. It would also mean that you would have more time to spend with the family.

Anne

 

[Ian]

My suggestion was to help you grow from a small business into one, where you had another tiler working with you on site, in the first instance. If you can complete a six week job in three weeks, then you do not lose customers. It would also mean that you would have more time to spend with the family.

Anne

I think if I could find the right person that would be a good call, the problem in my experience is, all the good tilers are busy so aren't available to help out. I'd love to find a hardworking conscientious tiler who could help me grow my business, maybe one day I'll find him/her.

 

[aphilp]

There are tilers, with family commitments and mortgages to pay, who welcome the opportunity of tiling and getting paid on a Friday, without the hassle of quotes, paperwork and the grief over money. From my experience, our best tilers work for us because of the standard and spec of the work and good prices. I am going to post some photographs today of some of our recent work.

If you ever decide to grow your business, I will gladly give you some advice

Best Wishes

Anne

 

[Ian]

That's a very kind offer Anne. It's the next logical step to make, I just worry that by taking on the wrong person/people, I'll undo the last 7 years of reputation building. I need to give it some proper thought really.

 

[SCCB]

Yes I can agree on everones quotes/oppions as a sole trader my self it was difficult to keep exesting contacts and make new ones when there is only so many hours in the day. If only I could of coned myself. When I was on my YTS the fixer I was working with was always requested by previous custoners. After a couple of years of me working with him and learning the trade it wasn't long before I was excepted by the customers he had been working with.
This is the long road, and the potenctial for training someone up and then them leaving once they have some exteriance is of course not the end result you would want.
Also finding the right young person with the right attitude willingness to learn and learn from the bottom up is, well they are few and far between. But they are out there..
I teach them every year...

 

[Stef]

I've slowed down over the past few weeks, I've got 5 decent door steps to do & can't get to them for this weather.
Waiting on a plasterer for another job & waiting on other trades at 2 houses to finish before I can start my bit.
Been quite good though as it's given me the time to get other things sorted out, waiting on a new tenant going into our flat & getting my garden eventually sorted out so I'm not complaining.
Oh & got 2 days Salmon fishing up at Pitlochry at start of the week.

 

[dave l and l]

yeah pretty steady here too. got a few outdoors to do and a couple of bathrooms. been manic for ages so it will be good to be steady for a while. plus i finally got my boat back in the loch and its begining to fish a bit better now,
you fishing the tummel stef. two of my mates are fishing the cargill beat on the tay monday tues.well jealous

 

[Stef]

Yeah Dave was fishing the dam Monday Tuesday, Port na Craig start both days.
Plenty of fish but none for taking, they were just running straight through for the dam, 118 went past me the 2 days I was there.
Covered fish both days but no joy, it's good to just get away for a couple of days..


Almost 1600 have ran the dam now.

 

[dave l and l]

thats a pity ye never caught anything. especially with the amount of fish that are there, think the lomond system gets a about 1600 for the season, its been a very poor start,
nice bit of the world up up there, dona cycle race thing up there a few weeks ago..

 

[Peter]

My suggestion was to help you grow from a small business into one, where you had another tiler working with you on site, in the first instance. If you can complete a six week job in three weeks, then you do not lose customers. It would also mean that you would have more time to spend with the family.

Anne

Agree wholeheartedly. Best business decision I ever made was to start bringing another tiler to jobs with me. Why turn down work when you can do it all to the same high standard in a third of the time and make a few quid extra on your day rate.

 

[Andy Allen]

I've always found the good tilers want to much money. Or there earning a good wage running there own business. Its good to work with a fellow tiler on a one off large project. But getting one to commit full time is hard when work is plentiful. And then you run the risk of scrapping the bottom of the Barrow. .

 

[SCCB]

Has anyone considered taking on an apprentice, funding is available from TTA and CITB. The age limit is 16-24 for an apprentice and there is funding called age grant, the funding can be up to £10.000 for the employer if all the criteria is met for the candidate...Or has anyone hard any experience with apprenticeships good or bad ???