NETT Darren

The thing is here it is how good a businessman you are, if you think you are going to make a good living on your tiling skills alone you will be wrong, the people who succeed are the ones with the business brains, the personallitys and the willing to achieve, there is loads of money out there in the world you just have to find a way of getting it and that comes with making the right contacts and correct marketing, part of my course is drumming the business acumen into people, trouble is some people dont listen too much to that part and think the tiling is still the most important, the tiling is the last skill you need, getting the business is the one you need to master first, without that you aint doing no tiling. Dan has just posted about marketing, worth a look, I do tell people that you can make really good money out there but i dont portray it as been paradise out there, nobody is going to stuff money in your pockets as you walk past them, gotta build up the reputation over a few years and befriend the right people, some people make it work for them, some don't, thats unfortunate, i try my best to give the advice, thats all i can do, its up to yourself after that. Like Gazza says whatever you need to do , you do it if its going to make the dosh

Tiling Courses by North East Tiling Training
Tiling Tools by North East Tiling Training

GazTech

Which Topps is this Andy ?

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten"

scrubmuncher

I agree entirely with all of what you have said and I find that people skills are the only way to make money in self employment of any kind. I think alot of people doing these courses are expecting too much from it though. Almost a ticket into a trade when its anything but, surely alot of people who enter the course are looking for a helping hand, a quick fix to a life in the trade and expect that from it. On the other hand I think if you were looking for a skill to pocket extra money at the weekends, it could set you up nicely. I can only comment on what I hear and read about new tilers and experiences trying to get a leg up and the strugglers seem to outweigh the guys who fullfill the expectations. Just looking at the amount of brand new tools that go up for sale tells me people are jumpin the gun. Any idea on the actual success rate? I'd be interested to know. Yet probably impossible to answer as just as many will be in it for the experience, not a life changing experince in business.

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..

Plastering & Tiling Solutions.

SW.Tiling

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

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..

Plastering & Tiling Solutions.

Unregistered

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

PJackson

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!

James Hardie Account Manager - M62 Corridor

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

Grumpy


Balancing Act Accounting
Turnover is Vanity, Profit is Sanity, Cash is reality!

NETT 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.

Tiling Courses by North East Tiling Training
Tiling Tools by North East Tiling Training