Gaining new contacts

[gshtiling]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new on here and haven't really posted much.

I'v been tiling for a few years now and got a few contacts who I get fairly regular work from but things have sort of dried up at the minute and not really had much work on.

I know a few plumbers,a kitchen fitter and I do work for the local tile shop but them all seem to be quite.

So just wondered if anyone could offer me any advice on gaining new contacts/work etc?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated .

[hillhead]

Get a website and direct people to it through advertising.
This way you can show examples of your work and services etc.
Business cards etc too if you haven't already got em.

[AMtek]

flyers can work but on average only 0.5% return so you would need a lot of them! would be worth going round tile shops, kitchen and bathroom shops, conservatory fitters etc and ask for work, business cards/ flyers in tile shops, builder/ plumbers merchants etc get the phone book out, send a letter and a few business cards to plumbers, joiners, builders etc then phone round them a week later and ask them if they got your letter and would they be interested in using your services and in return you will pass work on to them. A website and talk to as many people as possible and let them know your a tiler. Phone round all the bigger insurance companies, let them know what you do and that you would be happy to do work on their behalf. Get your van/ car sign written. Think thats about all i can think of........

[AMtek]

oh and put together a good portfolio of jobs you have done with letters of recomendation from past customers, a copy of your liability insurance certificate and any other certificates etc you have so you can show potential customers the quality of your work and that you are fully qualified, experienced and insured

[gshtiling]

Cheers AMtek never really thought about any insurance work?good idea . Is it good work though or just endless problems? I did all the rest when I was first starting out but didn't really get any where with it,most of my contacts I'v made so far are from previous jobs that I'v picked up along the way.

Looks like the phone book will be coming out next week then because I'm getting sick of the phone not ringing and not much in the pipe line .

[AMtek]

I havn't tried contacting insurance companies myself but i have heard that there is work there though especially if you do other things aswell, bathrooms, kitchens etc. I would say that if your short of work it won't do any harm to pick up the phone! at least your doing something about the lack of work at the moment not just moaning that the phone isn't ringing