Work & Life

[Raja]

Lately i have suffered many setbacks in the business and for some reason found that the light at the end of the tunnel is usually an express train.
I have never been ambicous probably only when i have tried to spell it lol. Went to college 2001 paid my £900 learned hard and came out to the world of tiling with an nvq level 2.
Always lived by 1 rule which limited me alot in coming years Specialised in small jobs always mailny kitchen splash backs and bathroom splash backs and small floors nice simple jobs loved doing them made me happy.
Lately found that as time went by people more and more often wanted big jobs doing which i believe i am not suited to do along with my partner. After christsmas had 9 cancellations for nice jobs i had booked and bought the materials for as i do not believe in buying as u go along.
At the minute the work seems to have died out and the 1 life line i have at the minute is the fact the the sheffield yellow pages and doncaster barnsley rotherham has been distributed an i have a very large advert in there keeping me ticking over with around 1 or 2 small jobs a week if i am lucky .
Have bored you with the life story Have come to a point where i just want to chuck the trowel in lol. It really sadens me becuse i have never chased the money and it has never been a controling factor in my life just like tiling kitchen splashbacks but seems the modern day customer wants an all rounder which i am not. What do you think i should do my partner has bills and motrgage to pay he is ready for the off carry on me little lone some or call it a day and go back into my other profession the security industry. The only thing i have to look forward to is my new bike high light of my life at the minute
1 man on this forum who i wil not name has been a rock to me adviced me all the way he is a true asset to this forum and the world itself. If it was not for him would have called it a day by now. Thank you again mr erm lol

 

[Dan]

Start taking on the bigger jobs. Always buy as you require. Never stock yourself, that's what the shop is there for. If you were a contractor so to speak with bigger jobs then buying bulk from a distributor would be the way to go but not for splash-backs and so on.

Have you not done your own bathroom or whatever?

I would honestly say - always do what you love doing - though if you need to chase a bit of money to do it then so be it.

That attitude has cost me a few quid and made me a few quid too but I would never change it.

And get your partner back in to it too!

 

[Raja]

Hi Dan thanks for your reply my attitude and often my downfall is i am very set in my ways and once make my mind up rarely change it.
I believe that i am not a plumber or plasterer and have never been and people ring up asking for a bit of this and a bit of the other and when my partner who deals with quotes turns round saying well sorry we cant plaster or fit baths that is when the job is gone up the smoke. Plumbing and Plastering are pet hates of mine i know alot of people have often said that plastering and tiling go hand in hand but i can tell you that it doesnt i could not plaster to save my life nor could i fit a bath or sink.
I am a quick leaner but deep down dont want to learn these new skills. I understand what you are saying about stocking up wont be buying any more. Am hoping MARCH will see the business in a new light with the www.
Although i could go round like many tilers, plasterers, do advertising thier services for everything under the sun i am only good at 2 things 1, kitchen splashbacks above worktops and small floors same with bathrooms.
Always remember what Whinston Churchill said "If you are going through hell keep going" so am riding the tide at present

 

[Gazzer]

If its any help or comfort to you , i think you will find this year has started off badly for a lot of tilers and the building trade in general. The word on site is that its going to be a tough year.
By selling yourself short and just doing smaller jobs, you are limiting yourself. I think you are capable of more than that. I switch from site work to small and large jobs....basically anything that will pay the bills. I know you have a partner but unless you have a large volume of work coming in i find that it rarely works out.
You say you could go back to security work? why not just to keep some money coming in.....as you say "Ride the tide"
Keep asking around anyone you know and those that you dont. The more people who know you are looking for work the better.
Honestly had i known you were that short (of work i mean) you could have done a day with me last weekend in Manchester, it wouldnt have been big money but i feel it may have lifted your spirit.
SR

 

[grumpygrouter]

Was speaking to an accounting client of mine yesterday, he runs a sawmill, he told me a friend of his is a builder and that January this year was the worst month he has had since starting business 18 years a go.

it is obviously a trned at the moment, and we just need to try and work thorugh it if we can.

Keep going Raja, I am sure it will turn around.

Grumpy

 

[Fekin]

I guess don't be supprised if work is very slow if you limit yourself to the smallest of jobs.

If you don't like tiling a full kitchen or bathroom, what do you say or do when a customer phones up asking for a quote on a full room tile ?

 

[Turkish]

I am not experienced in the tiling game by any means mate but I only do it part time and if i don`t get any work for weeks then so be it, my other job pays the bills and tiling earns extra. If things are that bad then why not consider just doing the tiling part time for a while until things pick up for you again? Hope this helps a bit and all the very best mate! Don`t throw your tools away! I gotta feeling you`ll always regret it if you did!

Turkish

 

[mz30]

In my experience limiting yourself to small job's is a big no-no,any tiler with experience will tell you that the small job's can be more of a pain than the big job's.

If lack of confidence is holding you back from doing larger job's i will tell you what i have told my apprentice's in the past "confidence come's with experience".
When i was serving my time i was told the same thing and even after i was qualified it was still a couple of years before i was confident to walk on to a job and know exactly what i was doing.

As has already been stated elswhere in this thread the building game is in a bit of a lull at the moment,and advertising may not bring the work you need,however try phoning companie's in your area at least that will only cost the price of a phone call.

I have alway's been lucky enough for work to fall into my lap,and as i have been in the game for many year's ,work is usually only a phone call away.

Stick with it and someday you will reap the benefit's

 

[Raja]

I guess don't be supprised if work is very slow if you limit yourself to the smallest of jobs.

If you don't like tiling a full kitchen or bathroom, what do you say or do when a customer phones up asking for a quote on a full room tile ?

If it a full room tiling ie just bathroom or kitchen would do it.
But if it involved tanking would say no can't do somthing i don't know how to.
It may have come across that i limit my self to the SMALLEST of jobs but i dont have done some full room tiling in the past But no tanking or anything like that. When a customer rings up and i have never had 1 in my 6 years of tiling say could you tile a full bathroom or kitchen without having to rip things out and fit new appliances that is where i lose out the demand is for all rounders somthing i am not.
This time last year i was doing really well and would have looked into going for a course at college for plumbing but as things are have decided against it.

 

[Raja]

Thank you for all those who have posted on the thread with words of encouragement greatly apreciated.