From course to Self Employment - Page 2 - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

**Fekin** · 16-07-2007

I did a 4 day course having never tiled before that and I found I did quite good "thankfully".
Since then I have done my kitchen in mosaics, bathroom in large tiles and now a long splash back all round my mums bathroom in 150x150mm, and every bit of tiling i have done so far including the course days have been on horribly uneven walls.

Now Im just about to get my flyers and bussy cards printed and start hitting the streets to get my name around, and see what happens.

**GazTech** · 16-07-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by alberttrotter1

Willbones,
Great thread,
As a newbie myself and 100% willing to do this full time, but as many other members will know and surely agree - Bills have to be paid. The way i'm looking at it, is that i'll stick to the security work for the time being and steadily take on jobs that i can fit in and gain experience. I'm currently not breaking my balls for work but i would like to wait until i am booked up at least 6 weeks in advance before sacking off the full time job.
I think i'm in a great position though because my wife is a physcologist and is getting some private work and she (being as great as she is) has suggested that with her extra money coming in, i will be able to give up the security job and concerntrate on the tiling.
Best of luck and remember "Slowly, slowly catchy monkey" a wise man once said.

Softly,Softly catchy monkey I think Albrt but very true,you will know when to take the plunge it will just feel right,I wish Albert,Fekin ,Will and anyone who wants to take control of their lives doing something they enjoy, as I myself once did and never regretted,just choose the moment when it arrives and the best of British

**wivers** · 16-07-2007

nop its definatley slowly slowly mate.

**IvegotsTILE** · 16-07-2007

I did the 4 day course at NETT and was fully self employed and working just as a tiler within a week,don't get me wrong I don't have work every day but what I do earn a day means I only have to work 2 days a week to cover all my bills and live.
Each person has different circumstances,all I can say is its about how much time and effort your prepared to put in.
With my course fees,accomadation,tools,business cards signwriting,t.shirts I must have spent in excess of £2500 so be prepared to have to shell out alot of dough and live on bread and water for a couple of months.
I'm very glad I did it but everyones different so think long and hard about it.

tjsmiler · 16-07-2007

Finnished the course on a friday..... was on my first job by the monday (proper job, none of this family and friends nonsense) diddn't have a clue what i was doing, blagged, bluffed and charmed my way through it, read loads and asked loads of questions on here. Took me 3 weeks to complete (1 small floor and a small splashback...................corses teach you **** loads eh!!!!!) in the end the job looked nice and was done proper and i was paid £700...... have not stopped since.

But like i keep saying to people asking about courses...it has nothing to do with the course and everything to do with you..... if you aint got work on, then you aint trying hard enough..... simple as that......... get out there, get stuck in and get on with it.

Do you think the men in the trenches in WW1 sat there saying hmmmm think i will try and hide when i go over the top and sneak my to the other side..... did they bollox, they got up and fecking steamed in as hard and as fast as they could........... and low and behold THEY won the war!!!!

And just for the record, i have a mortgage, a girlfriend, a 2 year old, 2 very big dogs, a car, a van and all the other stuff that comes with normal life. I'm doing good.....thanks 100% to me!!!!

Sorry if i seem angry but looking for a course to answer all your qestions or do everthing for you aint gonner happen, it wil show you the absolute bottom of the run basics and about half a percent of what is usefull to know about tiling. the rest is down to you and how much you want it.

Stop thinking about it and just do it. Good luck

TJ

BrhTiling · 17-07-2007

I can't agree 100% with your last post TJS. There are some well established tradesmen out there who are really struggling at the moment.

I feel the area you live in could have quite a big effect on your chances and I certainly feel a lot of courses don't give you the knowledge you need whilst at the time time simplifying the task of actually getting work coming in.

£1200 course + £200 local rag advert = 35k a year income... WOOOO, better quit my office job and leave those suckers to it... here comes a life of luxury, 3 day working weeks and being my own boss..

yeah right!

tjsmiler · 17-07-2007

Ok mate, i will agree with you on the front about some areas may provide more work than others...but i don't sit about on my arse waiting for the phone to ring........if i aint at work i'm calling every tradesman in my local paper (i do this EVERYTIME i aint working, and everytime i feel like a complete prat doing it) but it does get results.

I am also on the phone to ALL tile shops regardless how far away from me they are..... i have done jobs 70 miles from where i live (just explain to the customer and put an extra bit on top of the price, if they like you they will do it)

I go to B&Q, wicks, focus, homebase and any other DIY store i come accross i give my card to every person in the tile section and the bathroom section....oh my god it's shamefull but i have got many jobs from this one (ignor all this 'you look desperate crap that the courses tell you') just tell the people you talk to that for years you have traded as a sole tradder and your reputation is growing rapidily so now you are really trying to grow your company by promoting yourself....... everyone loves a small time person done good story, most people can't wait to give you a call to ask you to do quotes because it makes them feel good about themselves.

Cards through letter boxes goes without saying, i was doing this before i even completed my course!!

Phone up old customers just as a curtesy call to make sure everthing is ok with the work, they are so immpressed with this that the LEAST they do is tell all there mates what a great tradesman you are, and at best they say 'funny enough my neighbor was saying he might get his kitchen re-done soon i will pss your number over' bollox to that mate give me their number and i will call them.

I could go on and on and on with the things i do to make sure i'm in work, but i think you get the idea that i am very very hungry for this to work and am prepared to do whatever it takes.

BRH.... i absolutley and completely agree with you about courses, the bull**** they tell you about the 3 day week and £35k a year is bang out of order and that was the message behind my post.......if your gonna do it then you have to really go for it in order to acheive what they promote, you can't tickle the surface and expect £35k per year. my post was meant to be a slur to SOME (not all) all of them. It was not intended in anyway to upset newbies or people considering tiling as a carreer, i just think that someone needs to tell the truth that it's great if your prepared to graft and i REALLY MEAN GRAFT.if your not then you might be better off staying in your current job rather than risk your mortgage and stuff on the sales pitching of these training centres.

If any newbies wanna have a chat with me in private about about this then PM me... as you can see from BRH's post it aint just me who thinks these courses aint all they promise to be (some of them anyway)

TJ

DorsetLad · 17-07-2007

Excellent comments TJ & Brh.

I like the advice TJ. I am a newbie on here and one who will undertake a 2 or 3 week course when I finish my present job. Being a pessimist anyway, I always take claims like £35k+ pa with a pinch of salt. There are no guarantees in life, generally it is what you make it.

A proactive method of obtaining quotes and orders is the way to go, after all people are not going to come knocking if they don't know you're there.

best o' luck, not that you need it I'm sure
Si

faithhealer · 18-07-2007

Agree with all the above, here's my tip for newbies. Been at it just over a year now, not as knowledgeable as some of the lads on the site but steady away.
Every where I go I try to look after and leave their house as if it was my own. I've worked alongside some contractors who leave the house a bomb site and then I hear the customer complaining about them, will they get asked back??
Currently 60/75% of my workload is recommendation. Take your time newbies and work tidy!

GazLC81 · 18-07-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithhealer

Agree with all the above, here's my tip for newbies. Been at it just over a year now, not as knowledgeable as some of the lads on the site but steady away.
Every where I go I try to look after and leave their house as if it was my own. I've worked alongside some contractors who leave the house a bomb site and then I hear the customer complaining about them, will they get asked back??
Currently 60/75% of my workload is recommendation. Take your time newbies and work tidy!

Spot on that, I always leave myself 20mins at the end of each day to make the place tidy again, even if i will be back the next day to make more mess!

I did a job last week and they had a plasterer come in and what a mess he left, plaster all over the ceiling and skirting boards. all over the floor and he made a real balls of it too!
He even managed to get plaster on the top of the door so it wouldn't shut! Dipstick!

It was left to muggins `ere to sort it out as well! It took him an hour and a half and he charged £90!!!! I'm in the wrong trade!

Gaz

**IvegotsTILE** · 18-07-2007

I completely agree with TJ on the aspect of its all down to you and how much graft you put in.You can't be shy when trying to find work,you have to have alot of balls and cheek otherwise you won't get far.
I think its out of order if some of these courses are saying you can earn that sort of money straight away.I went on the NETT course and Darren takes his time to discuss the best ways to find work but he also makes it perfectly clear you have to get out there and make yourself known,the work won't find you at first its up to you to find it.

micko76 · 18-07-2007

tjsmiler
you are right, enough of mu humming and haaing, I am going for it. I am a hard working, consciencious worker. It is time to make this pay for me and my wife and not my damned bosses!