Help!: Getting started

[Andy the tiler]

I have just completed an intensive course and got a starter set of tools from yorkshire tiling tools.Any advice on advertising etc. much appreciated.
Andy

[graham1708]

I do the local rag and sign written van. Also get some card in your local stores.

Good luck

[Thespanishtiler]

where you based?

is tiling your only source of income?

how much are you hoping to earn ?

[david campbell]

plumbers merchants and supermarkets are great for leaving your cards in.also leaflts in shop windows!

[whitebeam]

Just recently have been asked to leave some cards at a hire shop, know the guy who runs the place but they told me you would be surprised what people ask for when they are in the shop hiring

[bassman]

Word of mouth and recommendation is good. I have got a couple of jobs from a painter and decorator Friend of mine. Try speaking to few as they are in peoples houses who are having work done. A recommendation is a great way to get work. Its going to cost you a drink or two but will pay dividends.

[loaderman]

I am a newbie myself. At the moment I advertise in my local paper. Get 2 or 3 leads per week from advertising on their lowest package 6 nights per week (£58). The way I look at it is get 1 job and it's paid for. At the moment it's a necessary evil.

Also you can get a free insert on Yell.com although the tiler who taught me told me he never got a single job from it in over 3 years.

I have my cards on display in a few local tile merchants. I try visit a new one each week, have a chat, find out what they have on display, special offers etc. so I can advise customers where to go.

I am building up my purchases from Topps and hopefully there will be some reciprocal business to come in due course (did get one request from them but it was the day before I went on holiday!)

Until I have done enough jobs to get work from recommendations I will keep advertising and being proactive with the tile suppliers.

So far all my customers have been very happy with my work. I leave them a few of my cards in the hope of a referral.

Good luck

Stewart

[mikethetile]

make sure every job is the best you can do

take a vacuum cleaner and use it through the day

take plenty of dust sheets and sheet from the front door, lift everynight and vacuum

be punctual and polite, do a full day with short breaks

get the right reputation from day one and your phone will ring

treat every customer as if they are your priority and your business will grow

good luck

[Thespanishtiler]

I have a part time newbie tiler who has done 2 courses and he comes with me for a couple of days a week if i have a job that he can benifit from working on and his being there benifits me.

he approched me and offered to work for free just to gain the on the job experiance he is lacking.

his speed and confidence is now impoving and he now can be left to subcontract simple paid jobs for me.

we have done a couple of medium sized floors in porc, 1 bathroom and a couple of splashbacks together, next week he is doing a 12m2 bathroom walls job for me which i will check on each day.

in the long term i will have a good lad to call on when i need to and he is opening up a group of contacts to help grow his buissiness.

see if some one in your area will do the same for you

oh and if he nicks any clients i have told him he will get knee capped

[LM Ceramics]

well done spanishtiler i think thats the best someone can do for a trainee/course tiler instead of the course lads setting up straightaway i can imagine now he will be feeling more confident in working with you.

[Oli]

Business cards through letter boxes usually works well for me.

[Andy the tiler]

I,m based in a large town near belfast.I work full time in a builders yard come plumbers merchant come hire store which is obviously ideal.I have spoken to a few tilers and they said they would give me a shout if they could help me out. Hoping they werent just saying that! I,m now giving cards to joiners,plumbers et all to get my name out there and guys are remembering cause they ask me how its going when they come in. Maybe I,m being too impatient as I want to get tiling asap... Plus I hate working in a builders yard. I spoke to a tile merchant last weekend who agreed to do what he could for me but says things are very quiet. Working in a builders yard I know that things are no where near as busy as it should be. Its hard to say whether things are picking up yet,I hear both sides of the story.Some busy,some not.I,m on yell.com which I hear is crap,so I,m taking the advise and going for shop windows and local paper. I,ll try tile shops and get cards into tescos and asda.....evry little helps. Too ambitious for my own good.

[Thespanishtiler]

put your efforts into 'getting in' with the builders and plumbers and even if you hate your job dont jack it in untill it gets in the way of your tiling.

good luck

spanish

[Andy the tiler]

great advice mate, thank you for your support
Andy

[LM Ceramics]

agree with spanish tiler defintley dont jack your job in money is money i can imagine you will get bored but try the ideas some of the lads have said then when you do get a regular flow of work(and it might take ages) then tell your boss to stick his job

[faithhealer]

I,m based in a large town near belfast.I work full time in a builders yard come plumbers merchant come hire store which is obviously ideal.I have spoken to a few tilers and they said they would give me a shout if they could help me out. Hoping they werent just saying that! I,m now giving cards to joiners,plumbers et all to get my name out there and guys are remembering cause they ask me how its going when they come in. Maybe I,m being too impatient as I want to get tiling asap... Plus I hate working in a builders yard. I spoke to a tile merchant last weekend who agreed to do what he could for me but says things are very quiet. Working in a builders yard I know that things are no where near as busy as it should be. Its hard to say whether things are picking up yet,I hear both sides of the story.Some busy,some not.I,m on yell.com which I hear is crap,so I,m taking the advise and going for shop windows and local paper. I,ll try tile shops and get cards into tescos and asda.....evry little helps. Too ambitious for my own good.

lol,seriously, stick with the day job, tile as and when you get jobs