There seems to be a few people on here talking about unrealistic wages and things are quiet, it can only be yourself at fault, dont want to come accross as arrogant and put anyone down, but when your self employed YOU have to find the money, nobody said it was easy, most people think it will just come to them by dishing out a few cards. I get a lot of people through the doors who have never been self employed before and are used to a regular wage comming in, if you are employed all you have to do is turn up at work, do your job, go home and get paid at the end of the month.
The people who make it work very well in self employment are the people who have the commitment, passion and the desire to succeed and dont let anything get in the way of reaching that goal, A new business takes time, nobody is saying you are going to make 40 grand in the first year, but work at it and build your contacts up and you will achieve them wages later on.
The tiling skills is only a part of a self employed tiler which most people forget, you have to get the business first and thats where the first problem is, This is the process you need to be focusing on

1 MARKETING (This is all your advertising and building up contacts that will result in an enquiree)

2 SALES ( this is what people neglect, you have to convince the customer that you are the best person for the job, do this by selling yourself)

3 PERSONALITY ( You have to have one, No personality and you will go nowhere, you wont build up the contacts and you wont win the customer over, this can be linked to the sale pitch by reading the customers or contacts personality and trying to mirror theirs, you are more likely to get someone to buy from you if you are the same kind of person as they are)
Remember you are selling your tiling services

4 DOING THE JOB ( This only comes about when you have got the first 3 correct)

Other tradesmen is definatly the way to go and find as many as you can who will pass work your way.

Best of luck to you all and strive to be the best and the money will follow.

Regards
Darren

well said daz mate. hope this helps some newcomers to the trade to have that get up and go attitude.....

spot on darren, couldn't have put it better myself

Well said, a lot of new tilers think its a way out, to get lots of money without to much work, it takes around three years to get a business up and running with repeat work, you have to be the right sort of person, a working week is seven days if needed, 7am start until its finished. if that's not you go stacking shelves in a supermarket, but the rewards are there if your hungry enough.

probably a part of the 'sales' bit, but be nice!!!


imagine that you have someone in your home to do some work.........do you want

a. an arrogant geezer who you feel talks down to you? or

b. a happy bloke who is willing to help where possible?

its a small thing, but goes a long way

Aye.
Theres definatley more to it than just a small ad in the local rag.

While some people only do just that, I feel that for the majority it needs to be as the poster has said.
----
Heh, but once you win the job from the customer all you ever hear from then on is "can you judt do me a favour" lol

The answer to Fekin is yes I can do that for you (as long as it is not a day) sure I can put that toilet roll holder up for you. Takes 5 min and gets you remembered.

Originally Posted by tiler tom

The answer to Fekin is yes I can do that for you (as long as it is not a day) sure I can put that toilet roll holder up for you. Takes 5 min and gets you remembered.

per - sactly!!
be nice, smile, do what you can until they take the ****!!

Hi, I agree with all the items above, to make it, being self employed! It does not happen over night and not to forget about all the clients who make you wait months to get paid and on occations not at all. keep smiling. Jeff.

Great thread Darren, made this a sticky for all newcomers no read

Darren is spot on I've found that after putting myself about and starting to get the work in its my personality that gets me all my work.
Plenty of my customers bug the hell out of me(specially the ones with plenty of dosh)but I chat to them find out about there interests,family etc. until I find a common ground then I make sure that we get on like a house on fire,sod making me a cup of tea my customers make me bacon butties for my dinner and are happy for me to change the days I can start.
I make sure their very comfortable with me,every single one has let me work at their house unsupervised after probabaly being there for the first day.That makes them pass on my details to all their friends and family plus most have already called me back to do more tiling for them,don't get me wrong I also go out of my way for them,the kitchen splashback I was at on Friday I had to stop work to take the mother to pick up her kids from school because of the rain(now thats a favour)but it was all worth it cause she called today to get me to come round next week to tile her bathroom.
Promote yourself, get on with your customers like a house on fire and work your balls off(worked the last 10 days straight,plenty of 12 hour days) this is how you'll make your money and not be short of work.
Cheers Darren

really really appreciate this advice as someone who is just starting up. Most important thing to me in the world at the moment (making my new business work). Spent all my time since leaving school in the Army (14 years) so my social skills aint bad, think i am pleasent enough. Just crossing my fingers this works, have a wife and child to look after

penno

i did a friends bathroom the other week...the plumber who fitted it said i did a good job tiling it ....now he passes work on to me ...

so if i was you try and get in touch with plumbers they seem to have alot of tiling jobs that need doing
good luck mate

steve

I agree, personality is probably 'more' important than skills at the moment. It is hard to be confident at first when your a little shakey maybe constant self scrutiny, but once you can produce the banter to go with your 'over' confidence when looking at a job, you've won. I think the reason the banter is more important is because thiers no getting away from the fact that every bloke and his dog is giving it a go these days, we are over run with new tilers and if you dont have the banter to go with the skill your not gunna get any work.
I'm a quite quiet person in reality, but from 8 till 6 I pull on my trainers and turn into a different guy. I spent ages without work, going into showrooms all quiet and reserved, not really speaking to other tradesmen. Then I found this other person in myself handing my cards out to tradesmen at every chance I get, talking to every tradesman I meet, anywhere. Approaching showrooms with the attitude that I'm gunna do them a favour, not the other way around. Has worked for me. If your a quiet person you really need to find your other self to get noticed, beable to turn it on when needed.