Hi everyone

Great site, love what you do!

I've been a sprinkler fitter for 5 years. Looking to jump ship and learn a new trade. I'm unqualified with the sprinklers and a long way off fully trained. Problems are out of work more than in, due to less new builds, etc. and most of work tends to be in London (200 miles), with a young family wanna be at home more.

I've chose tiling, seen it done on many a building site, i just like the idea of creating a product that people can look at and admire, rather than boxed out of view. And the fact that it opens my options to residential jobs, rather than just scarce new build projects.

With the family, mortgage, etc, funds for training are the main issue.
I've looked into many a short course to get me started, most out of reach money wise. I have been to see Construction Skills College in Stoke about there 10 day course (60 mile away) and Ashton School of Tiling & Plastering (5 day tiling, 5 day plastering)(10 mile away). Was impressed with both.

I would love to do a longer course but just not an option. What I hope to do is complete a short course, i'm looking at Ashton - its #250 cheaper and a lot closer, and I have a few tiling jobs lined up for family members bathrooms, kitchen floors,etc, to give me some good practice.

With the job climate, and being a newbie, i'm unlikely to find a perm tiling job (though any offers welcome!). So i reckon if i feel confident enough after the course and family jobs, try going it alone. On my side I have good small business accounts, vat, tax skills (done my dads for years) and also good sales skills (prev worked selling on doors a few year back).

Please shoot holes in my masterplan, any advice much appreciated!

Ant

your plan seems a good one mate,the only thing i would be worried about is bringing in continuity of clientel this may take a few years to build up even with the contacts you already have in the building game,and with a mortgage and family to support1
why don't youy try and keep your own job at the time being and do tiling at the weekend to build up a client base and see what kind of response you get after the first few months,it will be very hard maybe working 7 days a week but for a career such as tiling that you have already identified as rewarding as it is you will reep the benefits in a few years

good luck and all the best! put the time and effort in and you won't be dissapointed

Hi again Ant,

Thanks for the kind words regarding the forum. It's those comments that keep us all (and you soon enough) doing it.

I haven't heard of the other one, but Construction Skills College have plenty of really good feedback on here, and our other forums (plumbing & electrical). They sponsors the place, and help make it possible for us to keep going long-term.

Another option for you that may be closer is Tiling Courses and Tiling training From Chase Tiling Academy and Construction Assessment Group. They also do short courses and like Construction Skills College can provide an NVQ to you at a later date should you need it (and should it become forced for even domestic, which is something that gets discussion annually with worries from many who don't have the current 'grade').

Please take a look through the course feedback forum and have a read of plenty of the reviews.

One thing that I note, is when I compiled THIS list a few years ago is that I never listed the other training centre you mention. And I would have if I'd heard of it and it was reputable. So it's new, or something else.

"Cheaper" isn't always cheaper, especially when it concerns your income. And I've said many times that it's well worth travelling to a reputable training centre rather than walking to your local, if it isn't as reputable. I'd even consider staying over if your a guy that's used to it. Most can find you £25 a night b&b's, and I'm sure you can yourself too.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck. If you choose the other one, please leave feedback afterwards to help others in the future choose the right course for them.

Hi Ant,

First of all good luck. You don't necessary have to do a long training course, because you can't beat experience doing it yourself, at the end of the day. What I would do is check that your course covers as much of substrate preparation as possible, because this is absolutely crucial to a good looking job that you can do and be able to sleep at night knowing you have done it right. Secondly make sure your marketing skills are brushed up to get your name around for the domestic market, because if people don't know you are about, you won't get the work. Thirdly don't treat site work and domestic work the same way, because they are different animals, and you have to treat them as separate sides of your business. At the end of the day, practice, practice, practice

Good luck Ant whatever you go for, let us know how you go on

Thanks David

Gonna give it a go, and then look into NVQ 2 assessment 6-12 months down the line (does that sound reasonable to you?).

I'm hoping my experience in door sales gives me a bit of an edge. What i have thought of doing is knocking doors offering free quotes, i'd offer reduced prices being honest that i am still building my portfolio, but i will have photo's etc of my work to show punters. I was really good at door sales, selling housewares and also double glazing for a large company. I don't do the smart suit approach, more freindly, no pressure style. Worked for me. You knock on enough doors you eventually find someone thinking of getting their bathroom tiled, but haven't got round to getting any quotes yet. I used to get 2-3 people a week willing to pay thousands for windows, and you genuinely find people saying "I've been wanting my windows doing for a while". Sure it would be a little easier with tiling.

Anyone else find jobs this way, what do you think?

Cheers again

Ant

to be honest knocking on doors may look a bit desperate and knock your confidence more than help you!
i would exhaust all advertising avenues before going down that route such as dropping business cards of with -tile shops,plumbers merchants,diy stores,local shops,ads in local papers,phoning local kitchen/bathroom co's,contacting plumbers/joiners to see if they will work with you...etc

I have considered the knocker Ant as an alternative to leafleting but havent tried it

its how windowcleaners build a round so why not, problem is trading standards advise people not take trades off the doorstep due to the pikey drive thing. but i think a well presented portfolio with written testaments would be a different ball game, I may do it next year , too busy at the mo

people say that leafleting smacks of desperation and tbh I was getting desperate when I tried it in january this year

the job im on this week is off that leaflet drop and now they have experianced my work they have more for me

Yeah, Ashton tiling are new (around 6 mth). 2 time qualified time served tilers/ plasterers run it (Terry and Paul). They still work on sites now again as they are just starting out in the training. I met Paul today at their place. Really nice guy. They currently only do 5 day courses in plastering and tiling, but are still in the process of applying for 2 -6 week courses with accreditation similar to those offered by Chase, NETT, Construction Skills College, etc. I'm on a seriously low budget at the mo, no sprinkler work. Ashton Tiling do each 5 day course at #250 each (inc free bucket of hand tools. I visited Cons. Skills College a few week back and both are very similar in what they offer and . I seen the work their current trainees were doing. I've decided to go for Ashton and do both the tiling and plastering (includes rendering). Same booth set up. 1 simple wall, a door wall, 1 window wall and floor, different patterns, etc and happy to give as much advice during and after the course as needed. Can't grumble at that price and saves me a bit in fuel too.

I'll give it a go on behalf of Tilers Forum, and let everyone know how things go.

Cheers

Ant

Thanks for swift comments all.

Good to know someone else considered it Mike. I'll see how i go but i done the sales all before, before i got on sprinklers, i sold housewares, windows, alarms for about a few years. It worked for them, i'll see how it goes.

Ant

If anyone interested, Ashton School of Tiling And Plastering got a website up address same as the name.

Ant

sprinklers not much better in london mate, even argus and hall&kay are slowing up. got alot of sprinkler mate asking me if they can come labour for me. i made the switch 2/3 years ago and never looked back. good luck in the future. be slow for a while but it'll come good.

Hi and welcome

Good luck in your choice of career change

Hi Ant, how's the course going mate? You and Neil are a credit to the next generation of tilers, keep us posted, You are both on any of my jobs, any time