Martyn Leeds
TF
Ash, do you think it's worth getting a job, any job, doing something else first? Before starting to set yourself up as a tiler? Going self employed from nothing is a big commitment and is going to test you to the absolute limit. Earn, save some money, start tiling part-time, build up your reputation, upgrade your tools/vehicle, and then go self employed when you have more customers than time in the day...
At last, someone who's saying it how it is. GRR singing from the same songsheet as me.
No matter what the argument, the fact is, any job would help to put you in a better position to be able to prepare yourself for your tiling dream, saving up for tools, vans, insurance, marketing/advertising budgets etc..
Surely an agency job, doing days or weeks here and there is better than spending 24hrs a day on the internet based Tiling NVQ course. Full-time, part-time, temporary, weekends, whatever...
As for a van, we all started in whatever we had available, family cars, rusty old bangers, even borrowing the Mrs' car to do a quick job.
Glass half-full and all that still!