How did you start off?

[mikebidd]

Well still no work for me and after 8 week off no solid cash coming into the house and the wife moaning im going to give up for abit and get my self down to the jobcenter in the morning (iv only ever been once and walked straight back out)

But Just for the lads just starting off how did the blokes that are doing well start off? After you finished your course or left school or last proffesion??

I stupidily thought that id finish my course and a job wouldnt be too hard to find
I also sold my car to get the cash for course tools and to keep bills at bay till i had an income athough if id have sponged off society for 6 months id have got it free..... lol


SO how did you start off??

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

mike realy sorry to hear this, i hate it when guys realy try hard like you and then get no where!!!, dont sell your tools, keep them for when it gets better mate,all the best with getting a job!!and please keep posting on here mate, i like your posts

[mikebidd]

I wont sell my tools mate they are all cleaned and sat in garage, And ill keep posting on site my laptop only goes on here and ebay lol.

[united]

Good luck Mike

Where have you been looking for jobs?

Have you got your number in all the free listing places (yell, thompson local, Google)

What advertising have you tried?

Have you rang around all the local trades to see if you can get any work that way?

Have you thought about offering you services for free to any local shops? For example if you go in local kitchen showrooms and say you will tile a display for free if they put some of your cards on the display it might help to get your name about

Hope things pick up for you mate

[mikebidd]

To be really honust mate i dont want to go straight into working on my own i dont think im good enought for that just yet. I dont want some one to pay me with there hard earned cash and not be 1000% happy with it. Id have liked to work for some one else for free for abit but cant afford to do that now.

I had my own website done. Cards made etc. Just looking on job secnter web page....... not looking to healthy lol.

[mikebidd]

Ant way lads enough bout me how did you start off? it will come in handy too some one?

[united]

I Understand what you mean but If you do work for yourself just think that you are better than a lot of people out there as you have this forum behind you, just take you time when doing jobs and make sure your happy with it. I would say I take a lot longer than most to do a job but that's because I like you am still new to the industry so I make sure I take my time to get things right.

[mikethetile]

I know where your at mike

ive priced six jobs today all from people ive done jobs for before

if I was relying on finding work cold I would have nothing

I go on the yougov site daily looking for temp work, not a sausage

we are badly hit in our area and theres not much we can do but keep going

get your cscs card and register with all the agencies, even multi drop driving jobs

keep your kit and website going as things will improve and when they do you can work your own jobs in around the temp work untill you have enough to keep going

sometimes in life we have to take a step backwards to go two steps forward, put your family first and get temp work, it is only temporary not for life

[united]

sometimes in life we have to take a step backwards to go two steps forward

This is so true Mike well said!

[TF Ed]

mikebidd

dont worry!! just get any kind of job that supports your tiling.
try working of an evening or a couple of nights...maybe taxi driving, (they use satnavs now!!) that way, its less demanding on the body...
try getting another part time day job for say 3-4 days aweek in tescos, pizza places or something
then leave yourself a couple of days free to tile as and when the work comes in...when the tiling builds up, reduce the 1 of the evening jobs and then 1 of the day jobs... do it gradually...

do some cheap advertising that is consisitant!!!!
ie 2 lines in the paper everyweek permanently can be more productive than a big hit once a month!! just say.......mikebidd tiling specialists - free quotes & the tel no!!
you are really saying everything in those 2 lines when you stop and think about it and the word specialist is much better than professional imo

do the leaflet drops too BUT target sold houses, the council list of approved planning applications, kitchen shops, bathroom shops, tiles shops, estate agents, newsagent windows....its better to drop 100 leaflets in a target market, than dropping 5000 randomly...its more accurate, so therefore more likely to work...maths & science dont lie l,,,,lol

this is what i call efficient no nonsence advertising and it works mate, trust me it works!!!!! you always seem to get the work when you arnt looking for it, its because you dont act desperate, you think rational..the fear takes over when theirs no work and thats blurs your vision

get your mind really focused on the fact you are going to make this work..if you really want to do it, you'll find the way...if in your heart its not what you want, then sub conciously, you'll look for way to pack in..its jsut how the mind works
theres a recession still but, people want tiling work. just be determined and do anything you can to keep your self positive...

ed

[albyshellshear]

I like you Mike am new to pro tiling although ive been tiling for years, it sounds to me you lack confidence try going around the family asking for small jobs to boost you confidence, or advertise locally for splashbacks bathroom spruce ups regrouts ect do it part time to start as your reputation builds so will your confidence and your business, good luck matey ....Alby

[mikebidd]

Cheers lads.

Because off my dyspraxia and adhd and the rest off um lol. If any one else has these and thinking about tiling The only thing i struggled with was grouting when you clean grout off with a wet sponge i was taught to do it in a X hand movement. Couldnt do it and it stressed me out but i can get round it lol

If i dont like somthing i wont do it no matter what the consiquences. I did imprezas before this but found myself on a slippery path so jacked it. Tiling i like because i like the stepping back and looking at it when iv done. I like the feeling you get off that.

So far i ripped my kitchen out and re did that splashback all the way round the kitchen i used 9 sq mters off tiles that looks well. And my bathroom complete from floor to cieiling. and my W/C. iv run out off things to tile in my house.

I then did a job through a friend off a shower cubicle a big one and half way up the walls. I listened to the alchie joiner who wouldnt stregthen the shower cubicle outside walls (soi wouldnt tile them) and i did the wall around. Which 3 tiles looked horundouse as he wouldnt take toilet or sink off. I ended up getting the boot as i wouldnt tile the shower outside walls. I havent tiled any thing since.

I Cant do any driving job due to accidently over taking a police car as silly speeds on my old R1 (my fault)

Ill do any job that doesnt involve me sitting in an office or having to write anything. Cash is cash even if i have to clean toilets for it lol

[faithhealer]

Mike mate I hope you find something , you have always impressed with your enthusiasm. do you do face book and twitter etc. don't just look at tiling I have done all sorts of 'handy man 'jobs when things were quiet
keep posting mike

[whitebeam]

Sometimes it's not what you know, but it's who you know

[mikebidd]

I have a bit off a rant!

Went to jobcenter today i walked in and it was empty except for a group off people that work there huddled into a corner.

So started using there touch point things walked over and asked if sum one could give me a hand. "no we are all busy" Um no ur not ur gossiping in a corner.

So i wondered off and tried a second time. Still no luck so i approached some one else and asked if they could give me a hand. There immediate response was to give me an application to sign on. I said i wanted a job not to sign on. And they just tried talking me into signing on! it would have taken 2 minutes to point me in right direction.

They did take 2 seconds till register me as unemployed when it came to have you any learning disabilltys i said yes Adhd "whats that" was the response And im meant to be the thick one lol

I can see why there are so many people signing on instead off working. Attitude offpeople that woked there was very poor.

Im not completly thick i can do anything with my hands i just scratch my head like a caveman when it comes to touchscreens and things like that. The only thing i struggle with in tiling is measuring trim to be mitred.

[jay]

don't give up you never know whats around the corner hope you find work and do keep posting your alright in my books if you weren't so far away id give you some work that's for sure take care

[mikethetile]

Mike

they were right to make you sign on, the government has set up rapid response

you are entitled to any training you need to get into work, this includes cv writing and help with job searches

now sit down as your going to get a talking too

my son has adhd and it causes him all kinds of problems so we have to have these chats from time to time

first off

your not thick, far from it, all your life people laugh at you and call you stupid, dont believe a word of it ...............your not stupid

your problem is the way your brains wired, its too quick

thats why you cant concentrate on one thing at a time, so your doing one thing and thinking about what you have got to do next

when you read something your brain has decide what a word is before you have finished reading it and you are also reading ahead at the same time which confuses things further

slow down and reread

theres no problem with your posts on here

your a bright lad mike and willing to work, dont let anything get in your way

you can tile which is more than a lot of people can

just remember that

also you will never meet your last idiot so ignore their nonsense and remember you have a very quick mind

[united]

Well said Mike

Great post.

Mikebidd - As Mike has said above take the help and support the job centre can offer, I know from experience that the people who work on the desks are in one word pathetic but there is help available so don't let them put you off.

[Tommy_S]

i was in the same boat a few months ago mate, ended up going down the job center and going through the motions(they are a useless lot). after a week or so being signed up with them i got a call about a bit of temp painting a decorating up town...£5.50 ph and a 2 hour comute everyday, not to mention £47 a week on the trains.
anyway going backwards and forwards on the trains i had a couple of people ask me if i took on privates just through seeing the gear i was carrying... so i thought there must be something in this... 12pm that day i went and found a little print shop and got some t shirts and sweatshirts printed with my tiling trading name and number, i had 12 calls over the next couple of weeks and got 8 of them.... just goes to show something can come of nothing...and its largly thanks to the job center.

[mikethetile]

rock on tommy

[PGM Tiling Solutions]

Some great posts, tips and advice here guys which I am absorbing all of the time! I will be in a similar situation to Mikebidd around this time next year as I will be leaving the RAF after 22 years (admittedly I will have a half decent pension from day one to make things slightly easier!) and have decided to give tiling and plastering a go.

I did a 4 week course at Diamond last year (can't praise the place enough) with the intention of doing some jobs for friends and family etc to gain experience between now and leaving the RAF. I have done a couple of jobs which have turned out well and I really enjoy this line of work.
I am also doing a plastering course at college and have just replastered my front room at home and replaced the old floor with natural wood flooring.

Currently I commute between Oxford and Cornwall at weekends so the amount of work that I could look to take on at the moment is very limited.
My plan is to start advertising in the usual places after Christmas and hopefully I will be able to start doing tiling or plastering jobs at weekends etc in the final few months of my time in the RAF. If all goes well the intention is to go self employed as there are very few tilers that advertise where I live and I know a lot of guys from the other trades so I am already starting to network etc!

Good luck Mikebidd and I hope things pick up for you.

Thanks again to everyone else who has contributed to the post.

Cheers

Paul

[diamondtiling]

Mike if you are entitled to help from the state then take it, it might help with the mortgage or rent and will give you a few quid each week to relieve the stress of the situation you are in, in other words it will give you a breathing space.
No one should feel too proud to ask for a little help from time to time and as you will not be one of the thousands of people that are just scrounging then you can hold your head up high. You have paid into a system that is there to support you, I for one would never pass an ignorant comment about a man like you claiming some sort of benefit. You are on here looking for help and you are in the job centre looking for work, you do as much as you can mate so you are entitled.
You never know what the next day will bring so keep your head up and be proud of yourself, if this brings a little less stress into your family life then it can only be for the best.

You will get the work Mike because you want to find it. Keep us informed mate.

[davy_G]

Hi Mike,
Sorry to read of your situation, but you are blatently honest of your situation and thats the first step in getting out of it. What you want is to generate your own work tiling. But it is slow and takes a long time to be booked up well infront at good rates as alot of the time served tilers on here are. Aston made and excellent point about taking any work to keep money coming in, taxi or delivery driving. Shift work etc.

I will tell you about me starting off tiling as that is what you initially asked. I did a 4 week course that gave me the basic skills and confidence to price and complete work. Initially i was terribly slow and had to work long hours for a poor hourly rate. But in fairness to the customer a quicker tiler would have been making reasonable money. So at the start you bust yourself for not much return and you eat into any drawings by needing to buy better tools etc like lazers, feins etc.
I was relatively lucky that i had alot of contacts to both ask questions off and to give me work once they seen the quality of my work. And there is the crux it takes you to do quality work and people to know you and want you to complete their jobs. This takes time and every job is a potential reference for yourself. Never cut corners. Now i choose whom i work for and what jobs i do. Nice situation to be in.
Used to be i would only tile, then i started prep work, lifting tiles, refitting etc, it all comes with experience but the best way to learn is to meet the challenge and go and do it for yourself.
You seem to have the right attitude and i really hope you get the breaks to make a success of it.

Best wishes,
Dave at Ravara Tiling.

[dick turpin]

If you can do some tiling in your house, then get some folks in for quotes. ie, consevatory, I did get a few jobs from one comany this way, and still get jobs from them. Stick at it, its very tough sometimes very stressful but you will be rewarded for you hard work, just takes a time. I started a fabout 3 years ago (and the first 6 months were hellish), but had to give up due to a pretty bad shoulder injury, I havnt been tiling full time for about 2 years now and seem to get more calls now for tiling than when i started. Some of this is due to folks pining your buisness card on the fridge or cork board and not using it for a few years. This has happened to me. Also i get calls now from previous customers. I have a job this weekend from an old work mate havnt seen him for a few years. Its funny how life works out but dont expect miracles. Keep your tools nice and shiny, if you want it enough then you will need them again someday. Good Luck