start up again ???? help

[markd]

hey folks

mark d here just tryin to get back in to the trade after having a motorbike crash which has layed me up for near 2 years i was self imployed before the crash and have all the tools i'll need they just migth need a bit of dusting haha but things were starting to slow down when i was last working and i know its alot slower now but its just hard to know just how slow things are going unless your at the job, so if anyone could let me know how things are going for them at the moment that would be a great help, is there much work moving at all??

and am i mad trying to start up again is there any point at the moment ???

thanks for your time

[faithhealer]

Hi mark, hard to say anything positive about the trade at the moment. getting loads of new members on here for one post asking for work but the good established lads are still booked up for a month or two at least. Good luck

[albyshellshear]

I am not a qualified tiler (yet) but have noticed a lot of movement on building sites in my area i hope this is a sign of a upturn it has got to start somewere and i think the building trade would be a good start.But saying that you are still hearing of redundacys every day it is funny that the people causing this resesion are saying its over maybe for them hey.

[mikethetile]

hiya mark

im pleased youve recovered enough to go back to work

things are pretty dire at the moment

theres a lot of chancers competing for work, take a look at carpys bathroom thread

with work short people are doing anything they can get at half the price

those that are long established with excellant reputations and contacts are getting booked up

those that started more recently are struggling to find work

its a slow painfull experiance

ive priced a lot of work recently and have a lot in the pipeline for later in the year but it doesnt help me now

my customers are spent out and want a price to budget for the work to be done

it doesnt help that im being undercut left right and centre

these days everyone can paint , tile and hang a door............not!!!

i had a good second half to last year and have savings so im sitting it out

[jamie B]

although I agree with the above (re.chancers!) there's still work out there for a decent tradesman..things you will notic ethe most tho' will be the amount of remedial work you pick up (thanks to the chancers!) and the prices!
I was talking to a site agent the other day who was telling me he's got tilers at £** per m2!!..dunno what the standard is like..but by anyones standards thats dirt cheap!..glad you've recovered, get stuck in there mate

[whitebeam]

I was getting £** m2 nearly 3 years ago, sounds like the site agent is relishing that price

[Dave]

NO prices in the public forums.

[Rich]

As Jammie B said, there is still work out there for good tilers. I havnt set foot on a site for well over a year. Im happy to say that Im keeping very busy but its all private sector for me, no more big building firms. Its been private customers or small local builders for about 12 months. Like I said Im lucky enough to be busy but you only have to look at the new members say hi section to see that theres not a lot of work to go around.
Unfortunatly I think the only way of knowing for sure is to try it, jump right in and hope you float

[jamie B]

NO prices in the public forums.

Doh! sorry..forgot where we were!

[whitebeam]

Same as