PJackson

How many of you out there have made a genuine living out of becoming a self employed tiler after doing a 2 or 3 week course?.

Money isn’t all for me as I am looking to leave a very well paid profession, so the change is more important. Just need to know I can get enough work to feed myself ;-)

I am hoping it would take a year or maybe less to really get things moving.

On the subject of charging and rates etc, does a tiling course cover this in detail?

I am looking at going to Swindon for my training.

Thanks again
Pete

Dave

Tiling is a very lucrative trade and it really is just down to hard work and commitment to the job..it has its ups and downs but I've been tiling for nearly 18 yrs now and i wouldn't do any other job ....dave..

scrubmuncher

I know 4 or 5 lads who appeared from nowhere in the area who have done the short course at the Northeast place, (they said it was a good course, although maybe a bit misleading about how much work/money was to be made) 3 of them have gone back to their old jobs and the others are not making anything like a living up to now (maybe £2000 at most over the year), and are looking at other options, I dont think it was all they were led to believe. If I'm allowed my honest opinion on this, can the trade sustain the amount of tilers turning up? no it can't we've a huge number of very skilled tradesmen entering the county who are genuinely excellent at what they do, and cheaper, and a lot of quick turnout tiling courses going on, I genuinely wish every lad who gives it a go all the luck in the world but somethings gotta give. As it is in this area, even the old timers are getting ****ed off and selling up to make room for the £15 p/m brigade.
It doesnt effect me so much, I'm pretty well known with a few tradesmen around the area and I can move between my work in another field when one goes quiet or I need a change. If I didnt have another option, I wouldnt like to rely on it to feed my family, run my vehicles and holiday as I like to. I suppose if your good, and a bit lucky, dont mind digging deap in the first couple of year then you may make a go at it. I'd try and suss out what the demand is like in your area before relying on anything.
Good luck!!

GazTech

Like any other service proffession,it takes dedication and application to be good at it.The bottom line is to be true to your paying custom and befreind them if possible....the work will then be like a snowball down a mountain,gathering momentum as the years pass,how many people have worked for you in your house and you recommend them and have them back time and time again?

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

enduro

Very true scrubmuncher, i did a two week course 2 years ago, as i wanted a change from my tree surgery business i had, i was fed up with all the red tape, insurance, health and safety etc, so off i went down the yellow brick road to earn my fortune £40,000 a year we were told, all the other guys on my course fell for it hook line and sinker, yeah i thought and I'm father Christmas. two years on and i probably could earn a living tiling, but i had too continue doing tree work and landscaping to keep me going, so I'm going to continue doing both. I'm tiling four new houses at the moment, plus all the landscaping. Got a sports hall coming up to tile in Oct, so i always keep busy doing either job, OK you could call me a jack of all trades, but that was the only way i could to get my tiling up and running, so anybody coming into tiling think really hard about it, check out the competition in your area, it will take a couple of years of hardwork to get it up and running.

Holohana

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!!!

James Hardie Account Manager - M62 Corridor

GazTech

Fantastic post Endo mate..the point is the more strings to your bow,then the better opportunity you have to earn a living.Whoever coined the phrase "Jack of all trades and master of none" would have struggled to realise that my carpentry & joinery, plumbing,electrical,plastering,painting,decorating ,bricklaying,carpet fitting,roofing,concreteing,auto mechanical,and accountancy were not my chosen proffession.

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

enduro

luv it gaz, what about the weekend course in brain surgery, did you change your mind on this one!!!

devonmark

The answer to your question is absolutley yes....but it's down to the hard work that you have to put in, you cannot sit back and wait for the jobs to come to you, you have to go out and find the work, if you have a few days with no work...then on them days you should be out looking for work...putting yourself about.
Mark.

Plastering & Tiling Solutions.

GazTech

Thought about it,,but fatherhood knackered knees and alchoholism rather held me back lmfao

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

Dave

If you having probs giving up the big bad black drink gazza then these will help you...pmsl..lmao..faf.pp.........dave..Alcoholics Anonymous

enduro

And your on £40,000 a year working for topps, its a hard life....