Are you a new tiler, how are you finding it?

[davy_G]

Hi all,
Ive been tiling a few years and was busy right from the start. Still busy but slowing down.
So what I want to know is, considering it never ceases to amaze me the amount of new tilers saying Hi and coming through the course conveyor belt, how are you folks getting on in your new career?

Are you busy? How much work have you infront of you and most importantly are you making a living?

Oh, new tilers are very welcome, just wondering how you are all fairing?

[LM Ceramics]

im not really a new tiler i was an apprentice with a tiling firm i have been tiling on and off for 4 years but since i set up on my own january last year ive done pretty well been fairly busy throughout last year had my spells with no work had a terrible start to this year but im safely booked up for 4 weeks

[Frosty]

Hi Davey

Had a load of full bathrooms (walls and floors) last year and I didn't major on advertising for tiling!!!!
Previous clients I've done decorating or building work for know I do other works aswell, and they just enquire about the tiling or even pass my name on to friends and family.

Booked up with 2 kitchen refits and a bathroom at moment, so o.k. 'till begining of March.

I have noticed the volume of enquiries slowed down, but the size of projects has increased i.e. a week or two of work instead of a day here or there.

Hopefully it'll continue throughout the year.

[beanz]

Hi Davey, did my course in November, but haven't started up fully yet. Just doing bits n bobs while trying to get all my gear together. Got 3 bathroooms in the pipeline, but waiting for the nod, as all 3 are reluctant to spend the money at the moment.

[monkeycat]

Hi Davy,

Finished course last friday at PTS Warrington. Picking business cards up tomorrow and going to order some tools from tradetiler. got a family job (bathroom walls) lined up. As for the future, time will tell. Very nervy time as I'm putting a big chunk of a redundancy payout into it. I'm prepared to do the marketing legwork and all that but confidence is not great as I'm well aware that a 4 week course is not enough to prepare me for what is out there. I'm just hoping that I can get a few small, easy jobs early on. Fingers crossed!

[LM Ceramics]

Hi Davy,

Finished course last friday at PTS Warrington. Picking business cards up tomorrow and going to order some tools from tradetiler. got a family job (bathroom walls) lined up. As for the future, time will tell. Very nervy time as I'm putting a big chunk of a redundancy payout into it. I'm prepared to do the marketing legwork and all that but confidence is not great as I'm well aware that a 4 week course is not enough to prepare me for what is out there. I'm just hoping that I can get a few small, easy jobs early on. Fingers crossed!

risky time in setting up now but if your prepared to do the leg work then it could pay off my advice defintley start small and build yourself up its going to be a hard year

[monkeycat]

Seems to be more and more redundancies all the time now. Haven't tried getting another job since i got laid off but i bet its not easy. Sure I'm doing the right thing but its definitely going to be a hard year...

[beanz]

Very nervy time as I'm putting a big chunk of a redundancy payout into it.

confidence is not great as I'm well aware that a 4 week course is not enough to prepare me for what is out there.

Can relate to both these points. All my redundancy has gone into this, and like LM says, these are not good times to be starting out. I'm even playing with the idea of getting a part time job in the interim, just to tide me over...

[LM Ceramics]

then again if you have been made redundant what is there to loose nothing people will be struggling finding any job at the moment

[strummerman]

iam in the kitchen and bathroom fittin side its not much better there big diy stores av it pretty sown up at the mo

[davy_G]

Its the same with me guys. I used to have my diary 2 months in front, working 7 day weeks, and regularly turned away work form cold calls. Now ive 2ish weeks work most of the time, mostly from word of mouth recommendation and i get most weekends off. So although I enjoy the rest on Saturdays and Sundays...where will this all end up?
We need to kepp plodding away, keeping quality up and maximising our exposure to the market place!

[STINGRAY30]

hey dave,

doing my nvq at the min and have a couple of wee jobs at my own place to do and then maybe family and friends. hopefully do a good job and then get a wee bit of work then..


going to wreck my own place first!!!!

[python]

hi. I just finished my course at Nett a week ago. Just done the girlfriends kitchen floor yesterday. Porcelain with a brick effect. Not got any real work yet though