tough decision

[dick turpin]

Hi all, i have an interveiw later today as i am pondering on locking the van for good. I know this is a hard time of year with people hanging onto thier cash.
I am still a newbie too tiling, started in august after doing a month course at pts,
even though my reserch was very thourgh into all the pro and cons, and competition ect, my marketing has been very full on with regards to ads, plumbers plasterers ect i keep getting knock back after knock back.
one thing is that where i live people are working for 50-90 quid a day.
the one thing that you cant by or train is speed. it only comes with time. jobs that these other guys can do for that money may take them a few days-where as it would take me a few days more, this is why they can do the work for such little amounts of money.

I have had one full bathroom this year, the customer was very pleased with the job, i have had 6 quotes in but turned down on all but one, had a promise of 3 bathrooms from a pumber, day before starting he phoned to say his mate is doing them..........good luck to all newbies, one thing i found was a lot of tilers in the villages that dont advertise......they dont need to because they get all there work from local builders whom they are good pals.breaking into these circles is very difficult. dont want to put any one of, but it is very hard going, with a mortgage one kid and another on the way.

Thats all folk........keep smiling and marketing :furious3:

 

[grumpygrouter]

Sorry to hear that you considering hanging up your trowels, Dick. It can take a while to get a reputation built up and that can be hard if you have a bit of a price squeeze in your area.

Would you not consider doing it part time for a while to see if you can build a rep? Once you get a reputation, work seems to follow on.

I personally, have only been in the game just short of a year, and I am now just starting to get referrals. I have another business that I run side by side so I know it can be done. Consider the part time thing for a while, it would be a shame to waste the investment in training and tools after such a short time.

There is always loads of help available on here.

Grumpy

 

[dick turpin]

Sorry to hear that you considering hanging up your trowels, Dick. It can take a while to get a reputation built up and that can be hard if you have a bit of a price squeeze in your area.

Would you not consider doing it part time for a while to see if you can build a rep? Once you get a reputation, work seems to follow on.

I personally, have only been in the game just short of a year, and I am now just starting to get referrals. I have another business that I run side by side so I know it can be done. Consider the part time thing for a while, it would be a shame to wate the investment in training and tools after such a short time.

There is always loads of help available on here.

Grumpy

I would not want to hang the tools up for good, one of the problems im finding is jobs are being priced on a day rate no mater what the job, tile size. or job sizem2
so the experienced, and much faster tilers can put in realy caheap quotes. I have read a lot of good advise on these forums, but need to earn cash @ the mo, my wife doesnt liek the idea of me doing escort work lol so i need a proper job for the time, certainly dont want to retire from the tools.....tough call

 

[grumpygrouter]

Good to hear that you may go part time. Good luck with getting regular employed income.

Grumpy

 

[dick turpin]

cheers Grumpy

How are other newbies finding the tiling game?

 

[grumpygrouter]

Bit hard to tell really, some make a go of it, some don't. You may find you get more responses from other newbies later.

Grumpy

 

[enduro]

I only do it part time, i have been tiling for two years im turning work away at the moment, it does take a while and its not going to land in your lap, start something like window cleaning, gardening for a few days a week untill it picks up.

 

[tiler tom]

Window cleaning could be a problem as the rounds are boxed off and it is the wrong time of year for gardening.
Dick turpin what was your source of income before you turned to tiling ?
I fully understand the problems you have encountered likewise been very quiet over January and didn't get any response from 4 Quotes last week and they were all reasonable prices. Another thing is I noticed over the last year an increase in buisness cards in my local tile shop by 2 fold.
Put simply if you are not bringing in enough to live then a choice has to be made to move on. Keep what experience and Knowledge you have for a bit of part time if you gain another income.

 

[DHTiling]

good luck for the furture dick.T....what ever you decide to do.......

 

[GazTech]

You have my best wishes also....Gaz

 

[Fekin]

Aye, good luck Dick

 

[Raja]

Hi all, i have an interveiw later today as i am pondering on locking the van for good. I know this is a hard time of year with people hanging onto thier cash.
I am still a newbie too tiling, started in august after doing a month course at pts,
even though my reserch was very thourgh into all the pro and cons, and competition ect, my marketing has been very full on with regards to ads, plumbers plasterers ect i keep getting knock back after knock back.
one thing is that where i live people are working for 50-90 quid a day.
the one thing that you cant by or train is speed. it only comes with time. jobs that these other guys can do for that money may take them a few days-where as it would take me a few days more, this is why they can do the work for such little amounts of money.

I have had one full bathroom this year, the customer was very pleased with the job, i have had 6 quotes in but turned down on all but one, had a promise of 3 bathrooms from a pumber, day before starting he phoned to say his mate is doing them..........good luck to all newbies, one thing i found was a lot of tilers in the villages that dont advertise......they dont need to because they get all there work from local builders whom they are good pals.breaking into these circles is very difficult. dont want to put any one of, but it is very hard going, with a mortgage one kid and another on the way.

Thats all folk........keep smiling and marketing :furious3:

Am very sorry to hear that mate know exactly how you feel after 6 years of tiling am considering locking the van up for good too. I have had alot of set backs my self but will say to to what a wise man said to me not long ago STICK WITH IT but supose i have less responsibilties than u with kid and mortgage. Take care pal all the best in which ever route u take

 

[simonb43]

Sorry to hear that you're packing it in full time, but if fully understand your reasons. There are simply too many tilers now, and everyone has different requirements with regards to earnings. Good luck for the future.

 

[tiler burden]

hi dick turpin

your marketing is not working mate , thats all....aim at the people with money!!

i disagree with getting in with plasterers and plumbers, they usually want to make money on you! thats wholesale, you need to get into the high end of the market, the porcelinosa's etc etc ...people with money want, quality, trust. dont try and catch every fish in the sea mate, it wont work.

get a job for now, get some regular dependable money coming in, then look at how you advertise, where you advertise. visit the high end bathroom and tile shops. put professional window displays in the best areas. look at how audi, jon lewis, etc advertise and word. less is more...then, after a few months when the scare of the credit crunch has settled down and summer is here, you'll pick up and take off from there!!

business is actually quite simple, we all just forget the basic principles some times. if your heart isnt in it, then i would get out for the sake of your health , sanity and family but if you get a buzz out of hard work, calculated risks and a bit of that fighting spirit then carry on but be intelligent. it wont happen over night but it will happen if you follow the laws of marketing and business..

know you product
know your customer
know you territory

so, get a job, go part time for now and take your time and find out where the money is!!

best of luck mate and whatever you decide, it will be the right decision, no lloking back ;0)

ed

 

[devonmark]

hi dick turpin

your marketing is not working mate , thats all....aim at the people with money!!

i disagree with getting in with plasterers and plumbers, they usually want to make money on you! thats wholesale, you need to get into the high end of the market, the porcelinosa's etc etc ...people with money want, quality, trust. dont try and catch every fish in the sea mate, it wont work.

get a job for now, get some regular dependable money coming in, then look at how you advertise, where you advertise. visit the high end bathroom and tile shops. put professional window displays in the best areas. look at how audi, jon lewis, etc advertise and word. less is more...then, after a few months when the scare of the credit crunch has settled down and summer is here, you'll pick up and take off from there!!

business is actually quite simple, we all just forget the basic principles some times. if your heart isnt in it, then i would get out for the sake of your health , sanity and family but if you get a buzz out of hard work, calculated risks and a bit of that fighting spirit then carry on but be intelligent. it wont happen over night but it will happen if you follow the laws of marketing and business..

know you product
know your customer
know you territory

so, get a job, go part time for now and take your time and find out where the money is!!

best of luck mate and whatever you decide, it will be the right decision, no lloking back ;0)

ed

Wise words Ed mate..Mark