35 years and never known it this bad

[Kentish Gary]

Evening all! I have just stumbled across this site! I have been a self employed tiler for 35 years, experienced in all aspects of the game. I have never known things so bad as they are at the moment. I am finding that builders or plumbers on a job before me and are jumping on the bandwagon to grab the tiling. I advertise and a local shop recommends me but even they are strugging. Anyone have any ideas how I can get more work? I am based in Kent.

[suave]

welcome!

[Sir Ramic]

View Profile: gary the tiler - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum
View Profile: garythetiler - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum

This could get confusing !!!!!

[hillhead]

Gary, trying times around for sure.
I'm finding builders can hardly even pay their own men never mind us tilers !
It's all down to reputation and contacts now i think.
Hopefully things pick up soon for ya.

[peteablard]

Hi and welcome along. I always advise checking the job centre website. It's what I always do when things are quiet. I rang up regarding a job that was on there and the company has kept me busy full time ever since.

[Dave]

Pick another user name plz.

Let me know and I will change it.


Oh and welcome.

[deanotile]

m8 as above hope it picks up for you

[kilty55]

welcome gary

[Dan]

Welcome aboard gary the tiler the third. We have a bit of an issue with user profiles with very similar usernames. If you could let us know a different username you'd like, your profile on the forum will load properly.

[Phil Hobson]

Hi Gary and

[Stewart]

Hi and welcome to the forum.


Created on iPhone.....

[Bri]

Welcome along to TF


Sent via Tapatalk for iPhone

[jay]

[timeless john]

Gary from Kent - After 35 years you must have a client list!
Go through your contacts with an update portfolio advising past customers of any new services you are now providing; regrouting, resealing, floor cleaning, 12 month follow up......etc.
It's back to basics or perhaps gentle reminders and a phone number to keep your name in their minds.
Good Luck and keep involved with the best Tilers Forum.

[dave l and l]

advertise a bit and patience.jan can be a bit slow anyway in my opinion. i used to be 6 weeks worth of work now i am booking on 2. just need to keep doing a good job and work will come,

[hutchinsons]

stay positive mate.. totally agree with john remind past clients..

[user123]

Gary, do you have an oline presence? Website? Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? FreeIndex? How do you show people what you can do?

[Bathfix Bob]

Gary, have you thought of propery developing on the side? If you have skills in other trades (plastering?) etc you could work on that on the qiuet days?

[Kentish Gary]

How do I alter my user name??!!

[andy allen]

pm dave with your new user name, and he will sort it for you..

[Alan M]

things will pick up.
id redo the company logo and visual presence. leave the name if its goood.
then do up a little company portfolio on 2-3 a4 sheet. include a small recap of the of the company. a small list of jobs done lately with a few pics. try to include one for every type of job you do.
include a business card .
send it to every past customer you can think of

[paul flight]

hi gary pm , me you phone number !! may be some projects coming up .

[whitebeam]

Hi and welcome...

[garythetiler]

hello Gary welcome to the forum ,beat you to the user name you like , all the best finding work ,garythetiler

[365drills]

Hey Gary and welcome to the forum. Its bad out there for everyone. I am just back from our local tile shop and they are thinking about jacking it in. Woman said that they make no money on tile sales because everyone demands a deal. So the only way they can exist is her husband and son fitting the tiles purchased from the shop. Last year they broke even not making a profit.

One of the tile training centres I go to fortnightly have dropped from 20 students each two weeks to 5 students every two weeks. And thats with last years bankrupcy of FIVE tile training centres.

Its going to be a tough year. Things to do that we are looking at.
1) Make sure your printing is good value. We just binned our local printer and placed an order with forum sponsor for 5000 leaflets from TMS for £175.
2) Make sure you look hard at all your outgoing expenses. Fuel. Food. Holidays. I have.
3) I now make my own sandwiches. I dont buy from shops. I take my own drinks rather than stop off at service stations.
4) I am reducing my mobile phone bill from £30 a month to £10 by binning the I-phone on Orange and getting a Nokia on O2 for £10 a month.
5) I walk a lot more. I go to the local pub on a Friday night.
6) Clothes. I have stopped spending on £40 shirts. I now have more simple clothes. I wear a uniform instead of clothes when out.
7) I am getting up an hour earlier and doing a bit more marketing. I get up at 6am instead of 7am and start my marketing work.
8) Make sure your online presence is up to date and sparkly. I do about an hour a night internet marketing.
9) Make sure that you can diversify. If plumbers are diversifying into your field. Then do the same. Better still is there someone you can team up with?
10 Make sure that you can do other things. Let me give you an example:

Last five years we have been resisting the urge to put our gear on the shopping channels. Some call it "housewives paradise.." and yet the feedback from other tile tool resellers is that it can be a useful route to market. I believed it damaged our brand (am I a snob) but now I think I will diversify and approach the shopping channels to make sure we have explored the route to market.

Its not a climb down. But in a hard recession I guess each of us has to look really deeply into what we have to do to make a living to make sure we are making the best of what we do.

Sorry to read you have to change your username but I guess "Gary the tiler" is a popular name and profession!

And good luck with the persistance in this business which I know is really hard.