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

 

[dick turpin]

wise words indeed ed,
I have been working in some very large and loaded houses, end of last year i finished a job large travetine, bull nose boarder dimond set 10*10 1 meter high all round the room then large format to the ceiling(8 ft high) i was called back there in jan to quote for large 900*600 35 m2 and fan shape mosaics on the floor 9 m2, the whole room needed to be plastered, gave the guy a number of a realy good plasterer i know, he used someone else whos mate was a tiler did the job for 700???????? how do you compete with that


thanks for all your words guys..........not selling my tools....no vultures pls lol

to answer your question tiler tom, i was a laboratory technicin doing chemical analysis.........7 yr.......not a geeeek though i have

cement chemistry

 

[IvegotsTILE]

Seems to be someone throwing in the towel every week on here at the moment:surrender: :sad_smile: ,I can totally understand though.I've only been going just under a year but I've had the odd crap month and I've got alot of outgoings each month.
Like Grumps said keep it up part time and it might work out in the long run

When you have as many tiling schools(I went to one before you say)with at least 10 new tilers coming out every week and many foreigners too the market soon becomes flooded,you've just got to make sure your better than the rest

 

[Alison]

Hi Dick,

Join the club, I also started in August last year but the work has been on and off, mostly off. So I have also been looking for full time work and have had a couple of interviews, as the bills are getting to high. So your not the only one, but after all the hard work it is a shame that it does not work out. Good luck on your job hunting. Alison

 

[DHTiling]

sorry to hear this alison...things will pick i,m sure......good luck all the same....

 

[GazTech]

Hi Dick,

Join the club, I also started in August last year but the work has been on and off, mostly off. So I have also been looking for full time work and have had a couple of interviews, as the bills are getting to high. So your not the only one, but after all the hard work it is a shame that it does not work out. Good luck on your job hunting. Alison

Best of luck to you Alison as well ....Gaz

 

[m.w.tiling]

I'm very quiet at the mo, wrst its been since i started 3 yrs ago. Just remember things can turn around very quickly, in the space of a few calls you could be sorted. Have you tried going round all the local bathroom and kitchen companies? I live in sth manchester , most firms have their own tilers but often still sub out work. One good job for them could lead to more regular stuff. Good luck mate, sure things will turn round.

 

[dick turpin]

Hi Alison, sorry to hear you to are in the same predicament, good luck in your job hunting......hang on to your tools though.

 

[rob hutchinson]

My advise is not to quit tiling in all together but maybe take some other sort of regular paid work to keep the wolves from the door and tile as & when the work comes in. Believe me when I say things will get better but it doesnt happen over night. I've been doing it for many years & like any trade there are good & bad times. Chin up mate!

 

[CLAYS TILES]

GOOD LUCK 4 THE FUTURE M8!

i'm still a newby myself, i do it along side another job!
bit slow at the moment but just done a quote & b4 i gave her the price i had the job & she wants me to do more later on !
my fingers are crossed twice over! beautiful house, 200 years old with new build on side of it!!:hurray:

 

[Gazzer]

GOOD LUCK 4 THE FUTURE M8!

i'm still a newby myself, i do it along side another job!
bit slow at the moment but just done a quote & b4 i gave her the price i had the job & she wants me to do more later on !
my fingers are crossed twice over! beautiful house, 200 years old :hurray:

And she wants you to do the tiling for the rustic look ?

 

[CLAYS TILES]

she felt sorry 4 me really! lol !!:stupid:

 

[dick turpin]

Hi rob, good advise, certainly dont want to give up for good i realy enjoy tiling, but as you say need to keep the wolves at bay.

A mate of mine is an escort. all rich women, they are looking for more male escorts and he gave me the number......trouble is the wife is not to keen due to the after hours services, understandable. he earns 500 quid a nite.
are you busy at the mo Rob?

 

[TONY]

SORRY TO HERE THAT DICK IAM FINDING IT HARD VERY SLOW ON THE TILING SIDE AT THE MINUTE BUT I HAVE THE PLASTERING SIDE TO, BUT THATS SLOW TO BUT GOOD LUCK AND DO IT PART TIME