Help!: how to get regular work?

[Thatch]

Hi all

Can anyone offer me any advice on the best way to get regular work.

My situation is this: (i'll try and keep this brief) Got laid off from my job (after 17yrs) in January (newspaper printer), done a tiling course in march this year, got my NVQ tiling qualification, CSCS card etc and start my own self employed business. Had a fairly regular but slow influx of work but not constant....eg, One week of work then a week or so where it dried up.....you get the picture?

I have several adverts in circulation and business cards/website etc but to date i have received about 4 phone calls since june. The work i have undertaken has been from Rated People (where you have to pay for the lead) or from friends or friends of friends. I'm now at the stage where my redundancy money is running out (fast) and to be honest getting a bit worried as struggling to make ends meet.....I'm living day to day at the moment so if anyone can offer me advice i would be very much appreciated. I do understand that in this current economical climate this are tough but surely there is work out there, i'm just at a loss as to how to find it.

Thanks in advance!!

Chris

[Dave]

Hi Chris..

How can you do a course and get NVQ and cscs in the same year.. it should be 3 yrs experience before you can gain NVQ evidence..etc..?

[Tomtiler]

just keep doing what you are doing also try give some tile companys a fone see if they are looking for any subbys hope things pik up for u

[Thatch]

I have previous experience in tiling but not as a full time professional job if ya get me drift. It was offered on my tiling course and was recommended to take the cscs test which i done.

[Dan]

Hi Chris,

It's tough at the moment for many area's. I'd try to get your website showing for some near-by areas but not the ones you're currently ranking for perhaps. So if you're aiming for area A, B and C right now, aim for C, D and E or something. (Perhaps a poor example there ha)

You done any leaflet drops at all?

Do you find you get most of the jobs you 'quote' for?

[Thatch]

just keep doing what you are doing also try give some tile companys a fone see if they are looking for any subbys hope things pik up for u

Thanks Tomtiler....i will try that!

[Thatch]

Hi Chris,

It's tough at the moment for many area's. I'd try to get your website showing for some near-by areas but not the ones you're currently ranking for perhaps. So if you're aiming for area A, B and C right now, aim for C, D and E or something. (Perhaps a poor example there ha)

You done any leaflet drops at all?



Do you find you get most of the jobs you 'quote' for?

I've done no leaflet drops at all but business cards in shops and through letterboxes etc.....i've had 1 success with that so far. I will be creating my own leaflet as money is tight as I have spent a lot on advertising so far! I always estimate for my jobs, but pre warn my customers that substrate prep is charged at a daily rate! Is this the way to go?

[Dave]

I have previous experience in tiling but not as a full time professional job if ya get me drift. It was offered on my tiling course and was recommended to take the cscs test which i done.

All i am asking is which route did you take to gain an NVQ2..?

Was it OSAT or do the NVQ courses but you need 3 yrs tiling to gain this..

[Thatch]

All i am asking is which route did you take to gain an NVQ2..?

Was it OSAT or do the NVQ courses but you need 3 yrs tiling to gain this..

It was an NVQ2 qualification.....it was offered as the course centre had government funding for it, so naturally i took it. Wasn't aware there was 3 year experience needed. I am aware that under the new EU law that NVQ is a must or at least will be in order to to be able to work. This is the reason i took the assessment. Anyway, back to my original point....any advice, Dave?

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

mail shot ,local bathroom/kitchen fitter's, builder's, put trade card's in local cafe's,shop's, pub's, give a card to everyone you meet!!,even get the yellow pages out and think who would use a tiler,hope some of this help's mate and good luck with your search

[Thatch]

mail shot ,local bathroom/kitchen fitter's, builder's, put trade card's in local cafe's,shop's, pub's, give a card to everyone you meet!!,even get the yellow pages out and think who would use a tiler,hope some of this help's mate and good luck with your search

Thanks mate....looks like i'll be doing a lot of walking/driving tomorrow! lol. Worth it though hopefully.

[py rookie]

same as above get your cscs card,and go and walk into sites,and ask the site manger who is doing the tiling,see if you can be subby,it worked for me

[Thatch]

Aah Ive not tried that....what's the pay like on sites? Just curious.

[Dave]

Please don't discuss prices for work etc in the open forums..

[peteablard]

I always suggest this as it's always worked for me if I've been quiet, Check the job centre website, a lot af agencies advertise on there. Not always the best paid jobs but better than nothing

[impish]

Mail shots, posting business cards, websites etc are all "passive" methods of promoting yourself and your services.

I'll get flamed for saying this no doubt, but it doesn't matter nearly AS MUCH how good you are or how much experience you have IF YOU KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
You know the old saying: it's not WHAT you know; it's WHO you know. It's one of life's great truths.

People buy people. I know pretty well in the first few minutes of meeting a potential client if I will get the job or not. Price is only a small factor (usually).

I would suggest you check your professional image and your personal image to make sure they are as good as you can get them, then get face-to-face with people who can put work your way. Tile shops are your number one source and of course the watering hole is always busy, so what are you going to do to stand out as different and make the shop want to promote you over the others? Be better.
You can only prove that you are better once you get the initial chance. Getting that chance can be tough so you have to make them "believe" you are better in order to get that chance.
They will "believe" you are possibly better if you are smart, confident, articulate, well presented and professional. (let's be honest, many aren't)
Ask for the chance. I seriously believe that you've got to verbally ask.
It doesn't matter how good your cards / van / website looks if you don't get that first chance to start building a good reputation.

Find some good tile shops and ask to arrange a 5 minute appointment with the manager. Go prepared, looking the part and ask for a chance.

Other good sources are busy plumbers with good reputations. Established reputable kitchen companies.
Anywhere which already has a tiler/s is the kind of place you want to target - don't disregard them or write them off. Eventually one will be having problems or get let down.
Keep chipping away but make sure it's as much face to face contact with the decision makers as you can.

[suave]

All i am asking is which route did you take to gain an NVQ2..?

Was it OSAT or do the NVQ courses but you need 3 yrs tiling to gain this..

dave i have nvq/svq after my college course,because it wasnt a real life environment,its a intermediate level and not level 2,and you need to do a on site assesment in order to gain level 2,i believe this assesment is the only way to gain it

[Wingn]

Agree with impish, it's all about who you know. Plenty of very mediocre tilers who are kept busy all year round because they have plenty of good contacts.

[impish]

And there are plenty of very good tilers who stay busy because of who they know - combined with a good rep!