Advertising and still no work

[tysfoot]

Cant believe it. im in yell.com the and the book. in local rag and all these advertise my website. also posted 500 business cards. im fully set up, complete tool kit, escort van and still no work

Im losing hundreds of pounds a week and its doing my head in.

If it carries on like this im gonna have to get a full time job cos im not bringing any money home.

are there people in the same boat as me.

I know it takes time to set up but i was hoping to be earning easily 350 a week after tax by now.
Is this job possible to earn 25grand a year after tax or is that just a silly figure


At the moment is more stress than whats its worth

[mna78]

Similar situation here, lots of advertising done but only been going 3 weeks.

- Local paper (3 weeks) = No calls
- Yell, Thompson local, Google local (2 weeks) = No calls
- Local trade mags/website (3 weeks) = No calls
- Business cards to all local Estate Agents = No calls
- Leaflets (only 150 dropped) = 1 call and 1 job
- Gumtree (put up 4 adds) = 1 call and waiting on quote
- Ratedpeople (approx 8 quotes) = 2 confirmed jobs lined up n the next couple of months

I keep telling myself it takes time to build up, but registered with a job agency today for short term temp work back in my original career (Finance) to bring in some $$$

Keep looking on Jobcentreplus site also for work as it does come up occassionally but you normally need a CSCS card, which I passed last week to give myself more options.

Just printed off a load more leaflets and am charging my ipod up ready to pound the streets and I had 1 job off of that and its better than watching daytime TV or stressing!

[Raja]

Originally Posted by tysfoot

Cant believe it. im in yell.com the and the book. in local rag and all these advertise my website. also posted 500 business cards. im fully set up, complete tool kit, escort van and still no work

Im losing hundreds of pounds a week and its doing my head in.

If it carries on like this im gonna have to get a full time job cos im not bringing any money home.

are there people in the same boat as me.

I know it takes time to set up but i was hoping to be earning easily 350 a week after tax by now.
Is this job possible to earn 25grand a year after tax or is that just a silly figure


At the moment is more stress than whats its worth

I More than most will now how u feel as i was in the same boat

I cut my losses and unbelievable losses they were and called it a day
But do not for 1 second follow my routeas we are both very different with different responsibilites.

Look back at my threads and look where i have gone wrong and do NOT follow.

Stick with it. I know that is rich comin from a man who threw the trowel in but i was at the game 6 years.

As like you have spent thousands on advertising aswell it is heart breaking. Yell.com Yellow pages etc. etc.

Really do feel for u really do.

I am sure u have many commitments and responsibilites to adhere to try and get ur self a full time job and do it part time on weekends until things pick up maybe.

Hope things get better for u mate.

All the best Raja

This time of year is notoriously bad, just hold on a little longer and from april it'll be mad. If you've got spare time get yourself a website built with some of the free software out there and make sure you write blog post or articles on their about your work and upload some photos. Then any cards or flyers have the web address on them and especially the van.

I find people are always on my site, especially any tile showrooms after I've dropped in with some cards.

If you've still got time get some seconds from the local tile show and practice some techniques, shapes, curves etc and make some patterns, cheaply fix them to some plasterboard and grout them. Photo and upload. Then chuck away, practice makes perfect.

Good luck!

[tysfoot]

cheers mate, just completed my website its www.newlooktiling.co.uk whats your website.

i know it will pick up, it has to, its just a question of when and how much ore can i go without a call or a job with the amount of advertising im doing.

it is heartbreaking when things dont go your way but iam positive when i get my first job of the year im not gonna be able to finish it from keep on getting calls for quoteing.

You wait ages for one bus then two come at once

[DEN]

Thats the spirit tysfoot oh and by the way nice website!!

[wetdec]

Ye nice site


The only thing I can say to you is dig out every tile supplier in your area and call to see them. When you have introduced yourself and had a chat have a look around, no showroom is perfect there are always things to be done. You wont get paid but volunteer to help out, there may not be much to do but you will have an opportunity to mix with and chat with the staff and customers if they are about.

At the time I was flat out tiling I was taking work from 4 tru stores I had tiled every display in each of them the last store I did was 150m2 (not paid) but I could pick and choose jobs.

Its all about getting your face out there m8 it will come

[geordieboy]

Hi i am in the same boat. Advertising but nothing coming in only getting tiling work of a mate who is just starting out him self so its just the odd job . got made redundent from my full time job at the end of jan and money becoming a bit tight i have signed on with a few agencys just to try and get a bit money coming back in but am gonna sick at it and hopefully in will work out .

[LM Ceramics]

believe me tysfoot alot of the tilers new to self employed are in the same boat im startin to get a bit frustrated ive handin out loads of cards to tile shops kitchen, bathroom conservatory companies rung loads of builders and so far nothin from any of them the only work im gettin now is off rated people where you have to pay for quotes and usually ur competing with 2 other quotes im hopin it will pick up soon for all of us

keep at it m8 grit ur teeth work will come eventually

[NW tiler]

I started out at the end of January. To date I've had work form;

Local paper - 1 job from about 10 quotes!
Business card drops - 2 jobs and one referral
Friends and family - 5 jobs

I've registered with rated people but I'm a little wary of their fees, not accepted a quote from them yet, still waiting for a job closer to home.

With regrads to the calls from the local paper, about 2 a week, I don't know where I'm going wrong. I'm confident enough to talk about the tiling, giving advice etc, my prices are competative, maybe I'm too honest when I tell them how long I will take!

Still pounding the streets posting my business cards as this appears to be the best worker ( and cheapest) for me.

I've got work over the next three weeks but nothing after that, my a*se is starting to twitch as my redunadancy money has run out!

[K.M.D dan]

Stick at it mate, I hardley had any calls from my ad in the local rag for the first couple of months then after tbhat it picked up get on average 5 calls a week now. Think people ring the ads that they have seen regular over a period of time,

[sean384]

Tysfoot,
have you tried writing letters to builders, plumbers and property developers etc etc, reason I ask... I did wrote about 25 ish in all gave it a week then follwed them all by phone and got in with 2 local builders who are putting plenty my way. Just a thought if you havent given it a try. But hang on in there it will come!!