(Not including referrals) How does a tiler find work?

[learningtotile]

I am worried about how to find work once I qualify as a tiler and gain some experience of course. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find work, obv I wont benefit from referrals so I am wondering if anyone has any good tips for finding jobs?

Thanks - Scott

 

[Dan]

Generally your shops are your friends. If you can prove you're good to a shop, they should send you a bit of work.

Then the usual, website, online free directories (yell, google listings, thompson, etc), business cards in shops and whatnot, leaflet drops in local area, local newspaper is worth a go it still works in some areas but you do tend to find 'jack of all trades' undercutting you in most areas so only give it a go once or twice and judge for yourself if it works.

 

[cam_low]

where are you based ? Are you going out on your own ? How old are you ?

 

[tobins tiling]

I am worried about how to find work once I qualify as a tiler and gain some experience of course. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find work, obv I wont benefit from referrals so I am wondering if anyone has any good tips for finding jobs?

Thanks - Scott

I take it you are in college training to be a tiler? If so if I was you I would go to your local tile shops ask the lads on the desk who are the descent tilers who come in and can you have there card take them home give them I call tell them you've been training to be a tiler your really keen to learn and have they got any work help you help them with, this shows a real willingness to work in my eyes that you've got off your backside to look round,or get a yellow pages and write letters to your local tilers because they should have an address.
I really think you need to learn a bit off an experienced tiler before doing your own jobs first, good luck finding work

 

[jonnyc]

scott ;
where are you based in london.
how old are you
what college are you doing your course at.
what course are you doing.
have you tried anything else before this course.

are you looking to :
1. go out on your own straight away.
2. get experience working as employee for a tiling company with view to going self employed when you feel you are experienced enough.
3. looking to get a permanent job with a tiling company.

I am interested in what you are doing and what your hopes are

 

[One Day]

Think about this: It's not so much what you know - but who you know.

That'll probably get me shouted at but it's true.

 

[Mr Tiler]

Think about this: It's not so much what you know - but who you know.

That'll probably get me shouted at but it's true.

that's true at succeeding in any thing... nobody can debate that

 

[Mr Tiler]

shame I don't have the best social skills lol more of a lone wolf doubt that will help me out in my chosen path

 

[learningtotile]

Hello All,

Firstly - I am so impressed at how active this forum is and all the replies - wow!

* I am in the TW postcode area S/W London.
* I am 25
* I am doing a fairly basic 4 week tiling course (About 1k in total)

I am looking go self-emp straightaway. I have already contacted local tilers and plan to work for free or a low wage for as long as it takes to gain some confidence. I am a graphic designer and work from home so I can support myself for as long as it takes.

I plan to, in theory, gain experience domestically but plan long term to bid on commercial projects, I.E gyms, hotels etc (Form a Ltd and have tilers working for me, more of a 3-5yr plan).

I went into my local tile showroom/trade counter and they said that their busy tilers are charging approx £** PM2.

So with that said, I am trying to gain domestic clients for bathrooms and kitchens.

Does the yellow pages hold any weight these days?

I WAS WONDERING..............

If,I, marketed myself with a website as a business rather than an individual then if I did get any work over the next 6 months while I am with my ''mentor'' tiler they could take the business and I would get a cut PLUS the experience?

Could that work?

 

[One Day]

shame I don't have the best social skills lol more of a lone wolf doubt that will help me out in my chosen path

Not necessarily! I "don't play well with others" :lol: but you only need to form a few close alliances and look after them... the rest follows.

 

[Dan]

Hello All,

Firstly - I am so impressed at how active this forum is and all the replies - wow!

* I am in the TW postcode area S/W London.
* I am 25
* I am doing a fairly basic 4 week tiling course (About 1k in total)

I am looking go self-emp straightaway. I have already contacted local tilers and plan to work for free or a low wage for as long as it takes to gain some confidence. I am a graphic designer and work from home so I can support myself for as long as it takes.

I plan to, in theory, gain experience domestically but plan long term to bid on commercial projects, I.E gyms, hotels etc (Form a Ltd and have tilers working for me, more of a 3-5yr plan).

I went into my local tile showroom/trade counter and they said that their busy tilers are charging approx £** PM2.

So with that said, I am trying to gain domestic clients for bathrooms and kitchens.

Does the yellow pages hold any weight these days?

I WAS WONDERING..............

If,I, marketed myself with a website as a business rather than an individual then if I did get any work over the next 6 months while I am with my ''mentor'' tiler they could take the business and I would get a cut PLUS the experience?

Could that work?

Yellow Pages: No. Not the paid bit anyway. Just take the free listings for the few people that do still use it.

Website: Sure, that's an awesome plan. Get the business in! - Sort out the jobs once the business is coming in. If you can pass work onto a tiler in return for a share of the profit and some experience I think you have an awesome business plan there.

 

[Mr Tiler]

Yellow Pages: No. Not the paid bit anyway. Just take the free listings for the few people that do still use it.

Website: Sure, that's an awesome plan. Get the business in! - Sort out the jobs once the business is coming in. If you can pass work onto a tiler in return for a share of the profit and some experience I think you have an awesome business plan there.

no dan... it doesn't work lol. I made a silly little ad up when I started out on yell free listings had 3 phone calls in one week for quotes and the guy I was doing the free work from didn't even want to know when I passed the work his way... I didn't want any money I just thought it would be a good thing from me to him and tbh I think he took it a little funny... he certainly did when he tried to cut a shower door down with a grinder! and then when he messed up the door instead of him leaving it for the scrap man I asked if I could have it.... never heard off him again haha!

 

[Dan]

I think it's the way you go about it and who you're passing the work onto.

I could imagine good tilers on here being willing to take on jobs for the sake of letting somebody shadow them for a few days. But perhaps only if they don't have enough work on themsleves already.

 

[jonnyc]

Well you look like you have a plan and have thought this through which is great.
i do however think that a 3-5 year plan after which employing others to work for you is wildly optimistic.
you are based very close to me and i am actually looking for a school leaver and someone of your age but I don't think you fit the criteria that I am after.
i have no doubt however that with the enthusiasm you have and the fact that you have come on this forum which is really an obvious move but still you did it and many others do not, marks you out as a man who is serious about getting on and will succeed.
Best of luck.

 

[The D]

You say when you are qualified. Can I ask what your plan isto get quailed??

 

[jonnyc]

Just gone back to the last part of your main post and it seems that you think you could bring in work by creating a web site and then giving your employer work and asking for a cut !!!
Confidence with youth backed up by a viable business plan is a fine attribute .
Just be sure that this is appreciated by the man that pays your wages before you leave to make your fortune.

 

[tobins tiling]

scott ;
where are you based in london.
how old are you
what college are you doing your course at.
what course are you doing.
have you tried anything else before this course.

are you looking to :
1. go out on your own straight away.
2. get experience working as employee for a tiling company with view to going self employed when you feel you are experienced enough.
3. looking to get a permanent job with a tiling company.

I am interested in what you are doing and what your hopes are

Sound like you've missed a chance right there to learn off a master of the trade it's chances like these that you've got to grab

 

[Martyn Leeds]

1) The 4 week course will just about teach you the basics to do your own bathroom. No way at all will it give you the skills to go out straight away and charge full whack for someone's dream bathroom

2) Whatever it is that the other blokes in the tile shop charge, I wouldn't take any notice. They've maybe been doing it 20 yrs, so I'd forget the big bucks. It might take you a week to do a 2 day job.

3) In 3-5yrs you will possibly be a decent tiler plodding through basic work - I very much doubt that you'll be winning the big contracts and employing a team of tilers.

4) Do the course, keep learning, learn more, do DIY jobs and family stuff... then in 6 months if you've still got big dreams, then come back on and ask for advice re business plans, marketing, etc


I might be wrong.
Glass half full and all that!

 

[Mr Tiler]

Sound like you've missed a chance right there to learn off a master of the trade it's chances like these that you've got to grab

hes a madman to have such an offer and not full out that questionair correctly! look through his website I am pretty sure you will learn more from him than a 4 week course matey.

 

[learningtotile]

I am doing a 4 week course. This is more out of a desire to learn rather than get qualified, I intend on getting ''qualified'' with experience...however long it takes.

 

[learningtotile]

1) The 4 week course will just about teach you the basics to do your own bathroom. No way at all will it give you the skills to go out straight away and charge full whack for someone's dream bathroom - I agree

2) Whatever it is that the other blokes in the tile shop charge, I wouldn't take any notice. They've maybe been doing it 20 yrs, so I'd forget the big bucks. It might take you a week to do a 2 day job. - I agree

3) In 3-5yrs you will possibly be a decent tiler plodding through basic work - I very much doubt that you'll be winning the big contracts and employing a team of tilers. - Could not disagree more!

4) Do the course, keep learning, learn more, do DIY jobs and family stuff... then in 6 months if you've still got big dreams, then come back on and ask for advice re business plans, marketing, etc - I might just do that!

 

[jonnyc]

ash its not about filling out a questionaire correctly to what i want.
it is what scott wants .
i respect his ambition .
he is at least up front about how he sees his way forward.
i will not say this will be easy but i dont know him.
I did what a lot of pro tilers would have told me i could not do , if i was on a forum like this 28 years ago.
tiling is a profession i guess but you dont have to be a brillaint tiler to make a living in the tiling world.
i knew i could never compete with the old schoool professionals when i started so i chose to do stuff that they probably werent interested in because they were earning good money doing what they knew best.
i was lucky that when terracotta and slate came in as new flooring in the kitchen i was there ,but i cannot claim that i was an expert.but neither was anyone else.
so i and many others got lucky at that point in time.
i would like to think that i have learnt a bit since but havent we all in this game to keep ahead

 

[Mr Tiler]

I know mate I was only joking... he had to be honest because if it was not what he wanted things would go sour pretty early on. but maybe in a few months he will see sense and regret such an offer. each to there own I don't want to sound like you guys but that is an opportunity that should of been taken he would benefit a lot more in the long run to go with you for a few years....hes just thinking about here and now but I know what I would do because training under someone like yourself jonny... I know I would be earning a half decent wage with you... and then a tone of money later on.

 

[charlie1]

To answer your question, you will find work initially by being cheaper than the rest. But it will be hard because you will also be slow, combined with low wages in comparison to other tilers who are fast and higher wages... So you see the curve you must learn. Ever job will not be worth the money but it certainly be worth the experience, in the end you will either sink or swim. Good luck

 

[RDTiling]

Very well put Charlie.

Although I've 'made money' on the jobs I've done (in that the bank balance is in positive figures) in comparison to those who have been doing it for years, it would probably be classed as a loss. It took me 3 full days to prep and tile as 5sqm floor as a first job.

Was it worth it? From an experience point of view damn tootin' it was and I enjoyed every minute of it.