Successfull or not?? - Tile Advice

[Dan]

What's with the word censors Dan?

Just trying to keep the forum clean mate.

 

[Dirrty]

What a great thread, and honest answers. I have been looking at this site for ages as tiling is my next business move, after researching for the last few months. I haven't even been on a course yet ( I can't tile), so wasn't going to post until I had started trading, but couldn't resist throwing my tuppence worth in to this thread. I built a conservatory business from scratch and sold it. Then did the same with a chain of carpet shops ( although I had converted them to laminate flooring when I sold, (caught the start of that trend and rode it!). Then built a fitted kitchen company in six years to four showrooms, a warehouse and a turnover of £4million a year, before selling out. I then had a tyre company and lost £100,000 when it failed......whoops! (can't win them all.....philosophical about it.....but ouch it really hurt lol). Now for tiling......

I have to learn the trade and practise it for a while, because that's how I do things, but my goal is to have tilers working for me and eventually to open tiling showrooms. Maybe I will do it and maybe not.....but to make this post relevant to this thread.....IF YOU DON'T AT LEAST TRY, YOU WILL MOST CERTAINLY NOT SUCCEED! So anyone trying to achieve their goals should be encouraged and applauded, and I think that this is what happens on this site, from what I have seen, ( although nothing wrong with bringing people down to earth with a reality check sometimes, which also happens on here lol).

I have to agree with the comments about success having more to do with marketing and personality. When I opened the first kitchen showroom, it was in a small village, with 3 other companies already trading, and all established. Six years later we had outgrown them ALL. It was all about service, and asking the customers what they wanted, then delivering.....consistently. In any business some will succeed and some will not......I don't see tiling as being any different.

So good luck to anyone trying to make it......and to those that don't......try again.

Can't believe I just typed all that.......I need to go and lie down now in a dark room somewhere.......with my headache!

Jimmy

 

[DHTiling]

thanks for that jimmy...good luck in your next adventure.....dave..

 

[GazTech]

What a great thread, and honest answers. I have been looking at this site for ages as tiling is my next business move, after researching for the last few months. I haven't even been on a course yet ( I can't tile), so wasn't going to post until I had started trading, but couldn't resist throwing my tuppence worth in to this thread. I built a conservatory business from scratch and sold it. Then did the same with a chain of carpet shops ( although I had converted them to laminate flooring when I sold, (caught the start of that trend and rode it!). Then built a fitted kitchen company in six years to four showrooms, a warehouse and a turnover of £4million a year, before selling out. I then had a tyre company and lost £100,000 when it failed......whoops! (can't win them all.....philosophical about it.....but ouch it really hurt lol). Now for tiling......

I have to learn the trade and practise it for a while, because that's how I do things, but my goal is to have tilers working for me and eventually to open tiling showrooms. Maybe I will do it and maybe not.....but to make this post relevant to this thread.....IF YOU DON'T AT LEAST TRY, YOU WILL MOST CERTAINLY NOT SUCCEED! So anyone trying to achieve their goals should be encouraged and applauded, and I think that this is what happens on this site, from what I have seen, ( although nothing wrong with bringing people down to earth with a reality check sometimes, which also happens on here lol).

I have to agree with the comments about success having more to do with marketing and personality. When I opened the first kitchen showroom, it was in a small village, with 3 other companies already trading, and all established. Six years later we had outgrown them ALL. It was all about service, and asking the customers what they wanted, then delivering.....consistently. In any business some will succeed and some will not......I don't see tiling as being any different.

So good luck to anyone trying to make it......and to those that don't......try again.

Can't believe I just typed all that.......I need to go and lie down now in a dark room somewhere.......with my headache!

Jimmy

better to regret something you have done...than something you have not ...gr8 post and bob on Jimmy:wink_smile:

 

[Dan]

I'm just bumping some of the tiling course & tiling training related threads. Ignore them if they're not current threads for you. They will drop back off the list in a week or so, and I don't do this much.