Successfull or not?? - Tile Advice

[devonmark]

The success rate of new businesses still trading after 3yrs is only 5%, that means a 95% failure (good at maths me), this is nothing to do with the trade skills, it's all to do with the business side of things..

 

[CJ]

So Dev..........wots the success/failure rate of a tiler who has never done a course?

Money is not the be all and end all.
I have never been trained in tiling, its something I sort of picked up. I started out doing the family and friends jobs and then.....when I was working part time in another job, I needed to boost my income to survive. I started part time tiling. I throughly enjoyed the work, and after 5 years of doing this........I moved to the other end of the country:icon9:

I did a couple of years working for different firms, and then NEEDED to get back into tiling. So I made the decision to go full time tiling........................That was nearl 4 years ago now..........and although I am busy and have never really had to worry about the work coming in....(word of mouth is the BEST advert) I obviously need to make a living out of it, but I actually do it cos I enjoy it. As I said..........its not all about the money.........there is nothing better than doing a good job that I am happy with, as well as the customer, and getting paid for it.

I'll never own a big flash car or a 6 bed house................but I'm happy doing wot I do.










Just read that back................jeez, did I say all that

 

[faithhealer]

I did the NETT course 18 mths ago after a lifetime in engineering and never looked back. Will never make a fortune but happy as a pig in Sh
effield!
'People skills' and s'trings to your bow' were the phrases that stood out for me. Did a plumbing course to get myself the basic qualifications (a bit pricey though) and got friendly with a few local tradesmen. I always tell customers if I can't do it I know a man who can. I am not the fastest tiler by a long way, spend too much time gabbing to the customer but 75% of my work load is 'recomendation'. Do a good job, be friendly, and treat their house like it was your own. Nothing a customer likes more is when you whip your 'Henry' out!!
Happy Tiling

 

[devonmark]

CJ...I wasn't on about tiling..the stats are for all new businesses in whatever area they are starting up in..

 

[Unregistered]

1st year i booked 16k and this year on course for booking £34k. Yes you can earn a nice living out of it and all that with time to spare.

Last year i worked a total of 5.5 months and still earned that and thus far only worked just over 3 months and netted £13k.

Be reday for crap months tho. This month £3k, July only £300, that is hard when your starting out!!!

So how did you manage to make such a success out of it. Good contacts in the trade before staring out??

 

[PJackson]

1st year i booked 16k and this year on course for booking £34k. Yes you can earn a nice living out of it and all that with time to spare.

Last year i worked a total of 5.5 months and still earned that and thus far only worked just over 3 months and netted £13k.

Be reday for crap months tho. This month £3k, July only £300, that is hard when your starting out!!!

So how did you manage to make such a success out of it. Good contacts in the trade before staring out??

 

[Holohana]

I wouldnt call it that much of a success but a living!

Ive done a mixture or advertising with Yellow Pages and Yell.com, thats where most comes from. Letters to all builders in the area also plumbers and kitchen companies etc.

Ive got cards in all the tile shops and have good relationships with a couple of them.

Id say 30-40%% or my earnings have come from commercial stuff where i had contacts but thats only a few weeks of the year.

Still find it hard when the phone isnt ringing and no work lined up but then it does in the nick of time and alls well, bit nervy tho and not how i want to continue so more focused marketing is required!

I keep looking at more marketing then i get a ruck of jobs and couldnt cope with anymore so hang fire.

Currently got it coming oot of my erse and hate having to turn it down or turn customers off by a long lead time!

 

[grumpygrouter]

There are people out there that have a natural talent for making money (Branson for instance) and there are those that don't. Some people love being self employed and some people could never get passed having a "proper job" and could never work for themselves. What the entrepreneurs have in common though is the vision to spot an opportunity when they see it and, IMO, the most important thing of all, is the DRIVE to see it through. More often than not they will come out winners, but not always, but you can be sure of one thing, if they do "lose" at one thing they will find something else that they will come through as a winner with. Planet Hollywood being a perfect example. Guy went bust TWICE and has now just opened his first hotel in Vegas.

Not much relevance to tiling I know but you get my drift?

Grumpy

 

[UKTT Darren]

Spot on, I seen the documentary about that guy, hes just spent 600 million after going bust twice on that hotel, business skills is what you need all the way.

 

[IvegotsTILE]

I went on the NETT course and can honesstly say Darren says it how it is,no buls**t.He tells you what its possible to make but tells you bluntly that its down to you how much you make.
I lost over £30,000 in my last venture which I worked 6 days a week in for 3 years.I put the work into it but it just didn't work out.I'm not moping about it,within a week of my shop closing I was on the course and learning a new trade and buying all the tools I needed with the money I still had left.That was 4 months ago,I was only getting the odd job at first earning roughly £200 a week on average but now I have regular work and earn about £700 a week for 3 or 4 days work.I can guarentee within 2 more months I'll be earning at least a grand a week because I won't be worrying about taking days off to look after my son on school holidays and I'll be alot quicker hopefully(I'm a slow bas***d at the moment,make sure the works good first,speed will soon come).
I personally think I'm a bit cheap with my quotes so that'll soon stop.I have quite a good business brain so how I see me progressing is in another 6 months I'll be quicker,my prices will be going up to a good rate instead of a reasonable one,I'll be taking on an apprentice to help with all the things that slow me down plus after a while once he's capable I'll be sending him out on his own jobs(for me) and we'll each have an apprentice.
I want in 5 years time to be finding the work for a bunch of good tilers that'll work for me.I think you have to set yourself goals to aim at and once you've achieved a certain goal you raise the bar and go for a bigger goal.
I want a flash car and a big house and believe you me I'll bloody get them.

Dont go thinking I'm a cocky young git with no respect,I'm just hard working and very driven:wink_smile:

 

[grumpygrouter]

I went on the NETT course and can honesstly say Darren says it how it is,no buls**t.He tells you what its possible to make but tells you bluntly that its down to you how much you make.
I lost over £30,000 in my last venture which I worked 6 days a week in for 3 years.I put the work into it but it just didn't work out.I'm not moping about it,within a week of my shop closing I was on the course and learning a new trade and buying all the tools I needed with the money I still had left.That was 4 months ago,I was only getting the odd job at first earning roughly £200 a week on average but now I have regular work and earn about £700 a week for 3 or 4 days work.I can guarentee within 2 more months I'll be earning at least a grand a week because I won't be worrying about taking days off to look after my son on school holidays and I'll be alot quicker hopefully(I'm a slow bas***d at the moment,make sure the works good first,speed will soon come).
I personally think I'm a bit cheap with my quotes so that'll soon stop.I have quite a good business brain so how I see me progressing is in another 6 months I'll be quicker,my prices will be going up to a good rate instead of a reasonable one,I'll be taking on an apprentice to help with all the things that slow me down plus after a while once he's capable I'll be sending him out on his own jobs(for me) and we'll each have an apprentice.
I want in 5 years time to be finding the work for a bunch of good tilers that'll work for me.I think you have to set yourself goals to aim at and once you've achieved a certain goal you raise the bar and go for a bigger goal.
I want a flash car and a big house and believe you me I'll bloody get them.

Dont go thinking I'm a cocky young git with no respect,I'm just hard working and very driven:wink_smile:

Exactly what I was talking about in my previous post. Go for it, and good luck.:thumbs_up:

 

[IvegotsTILE]

cheers grumps mate:thumbs_up:

 

[Falcone]

I have a few questions I'm hoping can be answered. (considering a course soon.) thanks in advance

1) How important are getting NVQ's and a CSCS card? I have read about these but am unsure how important they really are.

2) Is it easy to get a grant or would it be better to save up for my course etc. (approx £1000 for course and tools)

3) I hear a lot of people only want time served tilers is there any truth in this? I've read all the positive feedback on the NETT course and it just baffles me that you can get taught everything in 5 days when theres folk out there that need to do it for 5 years before they are qualified.

Again, thanks in advance. :wink_smile:

 

[DHTiling]

nvq,s and cscs cards are what you will need if you intend to do site work or similar....

4/5 days wont teach you everything there is to know but it will teach you the basics and the rest will come with experiance...and this forum is here to help aswell....dave...

 

[Falcone]

cheers dh, Just trying to get to know everything before I book my course. Time to save up me thins. should have enough cash by January so will more than likely book with NETT then. thanks...