Category: Tiling News and Blog

Mobile card payments for tilers

Are you a wall and floor tiling tradesman working within the domestic market?

Most tiling tradesmen prefer to take cash or cheque for the job but are you missing out by not taking card payments?

With technology making massive leaps forward it has become affordable and available for sole traders and companies to take payments with a credit or debit card from their customers with a GPS card machine.

These GPS card machines can be used anywhere, it simply acts as a mobile payment machine like you see in shops bars and restaurants, customers simply complete the payment transaction by inserting their card in the machine and entering their details and the payment is then made and credited to your bank account.

Costs

Prices for mobile card machines can be from as little as £20 per month to rent the terminal plus a small percentage charge of the payment.

There are lots of providers out there that can offer mobile card facilities so looking around and comparing companies and services is advisable, tradesman could also esquire at their own bank to see what they can offer them.

Benefits

Taking payments from a credit or debit card can give your business a huge increase in revenue, consumers are so used to paying for goods now with these type of cards so are not fazed when it comes to paying for tradesman services in the same way.

Some people who don’t have the ready available cash can still employ the services of a tradesman and pay with their credit card, this means that the tradesman is getting paid for jobs where the customer might not of been in a position to pay had they only had a cash option.

Another benefit is that the money is paid directly into the tradesman€s bank therefore saving on downtime of having to visit the bank to deposit the cash.

UK Pro Tiling Training who teach fast track tiling courses advise all their students to take this route of accepting mobile card payments once they have started their businesses, it is one of the many ways that you can offer a better service to your customers and also increase your revenue and cash flow.

Anyone looking for professional tiling courses and fast track tiling training can contact UK Pro Tiling Training on 07960 286957.

Not only do we teach tiling we also give you an understanding how to start and run a full tiling business.

Case Study- Kevin Millward

Senior Aircraftsman Kevin Millward left the forces in 2008 and started civilian life as a crane driver, after a couple of years he decided that he wanted a career change. He decided to enrol on a course with UK PRO TILING TRAINING, the course covered full self employment start up knowledge plus Plastering, Tiling and Plumbing workshops so you can be confident to set your own business up and deal with your customers.

What’s happened after the training

Kevin has now finished the training and has set up self-employment now as a multi skilled tradesman and is regularly booked up for work, he is now looking at the next tax year where he goes back and further his trade knowledge and learn more skills to add to his business, Kevin quoted that the training is fast paced and straight to the point, the practical tiling courses are all very well structured and straight to the point for maximum learning, I would recommend UK Pro Training for anyone leaving the forces looking for trade skills, I came with no experience in any trade but the way the instruction is delivered you will pick things up in no time at all, I had a great social time on the course as well as it is all full of people in the same boat wanting to retrain for a new career, there was a good mix of characters on each of the trade courses making it a most enjoyable 5 weeks, a big thanks to all the tutors involved in my training who have given me a new direction in life after the forces.

10 Tips to do with TilingIf you have a tiling project to do or thinking of turning your DIY hobby interest into a
business then here are some important tips to help you along the way on your tiling projects, you can learn how to correctly tile on some of the good tiling training courses that are available which can fast track you into a professional, learn from tutors that have years of experience and the tricks of the trade.1 ToolsIf you are going to do a quality job make sure you have the correct tools, it makes life much easier and results in a better standard of work. Main tiling tools are;

• Dry Tile cutter
• Electric Tile cutter
• Nippers
• Wall and Floor Trowel
• Bucket trowel
• Spirit levels
• Mixing tubs
• Grout whisk
• Grout float

2 Measuring the jobWhen measuring up the job simply get a tape measure and multiply the length of the wall x the height of the wall, do this for all 4 walls and add the numbers together. If there is something that does not require tiles like a door or window then measure the length and height of these and subtract them from the total area. It is easier to do your calculations in metres as tiles are generally sold in this way. Make sure you add 10% onto the total for waste cuts.

3 Tile selectionIt is important for you to choose the correct tile for the job, make sure if you are doing the floor then the tiles say floor tiles on the box as
wall tiles fitted to the floor will crack as they are not strong enough.

4 Types of tileThere are many different types of tile, ceramic is the easiest and cheapest tile to use but doesn’t have the same effect as some of the more expensive types. Porcelain tiles are a bit more expensive than ceramic but are much harder wearing although they can be harder to cut. Natural stone tiles look good but generally are very expensive, marble, granite, quartz and limestone need extra care as sealers are required to stop grout stains and water fed electric tile cutters are needed to cut and shape this kind of tile

5 Setting outIt is important to set out your job prior to fixing, try and see where the tiles are going to end up by marking a pencil line where the tile will land, try and avoid starting on the floor or in the corner of the room as these are most likely to be out of square meaning your tiles will run off, start your first tile off the floor and using a level will guarantee that the tiles will stay level up the wall.

6 Background PreparationsIt is important to prime your backgrounds before fixing tiles, this will ensure that the correct bond can take place also make sure that there are no loose defects on the wall or floors

7 Adhesive selectionsIf you are tiling a floor then make sure you use powdered cement and NOT a tub ready mix adhesive. If the floor is wood then a flexi cement will be needed to bond to the wood and allow for slight expansion of the timber.

8 Sanitary wareWhen dealing with showers and baths it is wise to use a silicone sealant before you tile, apply the silicone in the joint between the bath/ shower and the wall. Once this is dry and tiled apply another bead of silicone to the edge where the tile meets the bath or shower tray.

9 Polishing up After grouting has been done, leave it to dry until it has gone powdery then you can use a soft microfiber cloth to buff up to a beautiful shine.

10 DisposalWhen you have finished be careful when disposing of excess waste tile as these will have very sharp edges. Any cement product should be allowed to harden then disposed of, do not pour cement products down drains as this will harden and block them up.

UK Pro Tiling Training offer quality professional fast track tiling courses whether it is for your own projects or a career change we have a course for you.

Marketing

The key to any successful business is marketing, here are some ways to get in the business

As you know by now that floors will be the most profitable jobs so concentrate on finding
these first, then go for the Kitchen splash backs with kitchen floors, trying to leave bathrooms as the last job you want to do.

When doing the below always make sure you ask for and are talking to the one that can make a decision to give you the business.

Floors

• Get yourself around all the conservatory suppliers including any window fitters that you can find and pitch your services, you need to make contact with as many tradesman as you can find. Ask who is the plasterer that finishes off the conservatory as he will be the last tradesman in contact with the owner, make sure he has your business cards do dish out
• Shop fitters, try and find these tradesman who are currently doing or going to refit out a shop, these shops will usually have tiles down on the floors
• Floor screeding service tradesman, again like above these tradesman do floors that maybe ready for tiling soon

Kitchens

• Kitchen shops are the first port of call here, get into every one you can find and pitch
  your services with cards and flyers.
• Kitchen fitters and joiners are the ones here, the customer will always ask them for a tiler after they have finished installing the kitchen.
• Electricians also rewire a lot of kitchen sockets and bathroom down lighters, tiling will always follow this service, so find those electricians, offer to take their card always and say you will also pass work onto them, this goes for every tradesman

Bathrooms

• Bathroom showrooms and plumbers merchants and also the actual plumbing tradesman is how you will get these jobs

Tile shops

Tile shops obviously sell loads of tiles and will be asked all the time to recommend a tiler, so it is really important that you get in with the sales and counter staff.

Ask them if they can pass on the next floor job or kitchen splash back that comes in, not so much the bathroom jobs.

• Church parish magazines (around £20), visit your local church and ask them if they
  do a monthly mag then ask them about advertising in it, there are a lot of people will trust you from this route as people that are church goes like other people the same
• Estate agents / Letting agents, These are always looking for handy men for the property developers on their books as well as the houses that are not selling due to the in need for updating
• Insurance companies will always be looking for tradesman to correct damaged properties, fires, floods etc, ring up the insurance companies and ask who to speak to about getting work sub contracted to you
• Checked and Vetted / Rated Tradesman etc, These work well, ring them up and ask them what and how they charge for getting referrals to customers
• Other tradesman, plumbers, electricians, decorators and plasterers
• Paper shops, Newspapers
• Vehicle sign essential, this is essential get a van and make sure it says what you do which is tiling services and your contact numbers
• Google, this is a powerful one now, it creates hot leads, first you need a website that will start to get good natural rankings in google, this will take time so you can jump the queue and go straight to the top with a PPC (pay per click ) campaign
• Make sure you offer credit card facilities, look for how you can process card payments with a mobile card machine.

If you get all these above in action you will have more work than you can handle

If you looking for a career change and want to learn tiling as well how to run a business then UK Pro Tiling Training is a one stop shop, learn how to be self employed with our fast track tiling courses.

Are you fed up with your day to day job?
Not making ends meet?
Are you interested and good at DIY?
Then why not turn your DIY skills into a new business with the help of UK Pro tiling
Training, we offer a full insight into running a tiling business on our fast track professional tiling courses.

Our Workshop

We take you right the way through a business start up program which teaches you how to keep accounts, find work, market yourself, price and measure customer jobs, we then teach you all the tricks of the tiling trade from our practical workshop where you will be fixing wall and floor tiles to a professional standard.

Our History
We have trained thousands of people from all over the UK over the last 11 years many who are now self employed running their own business.

Neil from Newcastle has just left our course and kindly left us a testimonial below.
Testimonial: Neil (Newcastle)
Great instructor and Great course

Just completed the uk pro tiling training 9 day tiling course and I have not been disappointed in the slightest every day has been a challenge but an enjoyable one. I have gone from never doing any DIY to being able to produce high quality work that paying customers would be very happy with and it is all down to (Darren) the instructor and his years of experience and teaching methods in my opinion this course is second to non and I couldn’t recommend this course enough. Thanks UK Pro Tiling training.

Anyone looking to become a professional tiler in the shortest possible time, contact UK Pro Tiling Training and enquire about our fast track tiling courses.

Construction Industry News November 2016
With the new build housing market gaining momentum and things picking up with the
construction trades such as plastering, Tiling, Plumbing, joinery, bricklaying and electrical on the building sites, the domestic market is also booming with people moving and remodelling their own homes.

Construction Trades right across the board in the domestic market are seeing a major upturn in business, trying to meet the demand of private customers needing work done on their home projects such as new bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories and extensions, they see it as putting value to their property as well as having the benefits of relaxing and enjoying their new modifications.

Construction Tiling courses

UK Pro Tiling Training is one of the companies that are doing well with people retraining

Gary Gregg who left Nissan in July 2009 retrained as a tradesman is one UK Pro Tiling Training many success stories after completing one of the 3 week fast track tiling courses after being made redundant from 17 years service at Nissan motor group, Gary who was helped by Job Center Plus rapid response to attended the course has never looked back since going self employed over a year ago.

Gary’s business Precision Finish undertakes all kinds of Tiling work in the domestic and commercial market throughout the North East to a high standard , he is constantly in demand due to the quality and professionalism of how he runs his business and regularly works 7 days a week to fit the jobs in.

Gary also now employs a range of sub – contractors to meet the demands of larger projects and his business seems to be going from strength to strength.

Now is the time to learn a new trade skill like Gary and become self employed, good quality tradesmen can earn up to £40K per year and have the benefits of being your own boss and not having to answer to anyone but yourself.

Choosing the right tile adhesive for the job

When it comes to choosing tile for your new project it is not a straight forward as it may seem, there are so many different types of tiles and adhesives to choose from let alone grouts etc

Types of Tile

There are many different types of tile with ceramic being the most popular, then there is Porcelain and all the natural stones such as Marble, Travertine, Terracotta, Slate, Limestone, Quartz and Granite.

Adhesives
The are different types of adhesive in tiling that suit different types of tile, knowing which ones to use is essential as failure is almost certain if the wrong one is selected.

Ready mixed tub adhesive
This type of adhesive comes in a plastic container and is ready to use straight from the pot however it has limitations,

This adhesive is usually only good for fixing ceramic tiles on a wall, it shouldn’t be used for installing porcelain or natural stone tile anywhere.

Standard Rapid Set Cement
This type of adhesive comes as a powder in a bag usually 20KG in weight, it is mixed by a mechanical mixer with water to produce the adhesives form. Rapid setting cement has about 20 minutes of working time from when mixed and 2 – 3 hours curing time.

This type of adhesive is for fixing ceramic tile only to a solid wall or floor

Rapid Set Multi Flex

This type of adhesive has a latex additive, which gives a slight flexible property to the adhesive, it also adds additional strength over the rapid set.

This multi flex adhesive is for installing tile over plywood surfaces that are subject to slight expansion and contraction, it is also used to fix porcelain and natural stone tiles which require more grip.

How to maximize your earnings as a tiler.

Self Employed
If you are self employed or thinking of going self employed as a wall and floor tiler then you need to start thinking about how to maximise you earnings.

Getting started on a wall and floor tiling course is a good start to a new self employed career as a tiler, however people fail to see that there is a lot more to running a tiling business than just having good tiling skills. To make a good profitable career out of tiling you need to become a master of running a business, which includes marketing and Sales.

If you attend a tiling course that doesn’t cover marketing and sales skills, you will find it really hard running your business once you leave the course. Questions to ask: who your trainer is, what is his self-employed experience, how successful has he been and does he cover in depth how to make money from tiling.

Tuition

You need to be taught by someone who has been there, done that etc.

Neglect your marketing and sales skills and you wont have any jobs to do unless its your own and that doesn’t pay.

Darren the owner of UK Pro Tiling Training will be tutoring you on all aspects of our tiling courses with over 30 years successful self employed experience and over 11 years personally delivering the actual tiling training program.

On all of UK Pro Tiling Training courses, you will receive a full professional understanding of how to tile practically and run a business like Ross pictured here but also knowledge on how to find work and implement sales into your tiling services.

Courses

We have developed an additional 1 day Maximizing Your Earnings course which goes very deep into the world of sales phycology, understand this and your earnings will rise very rapidly.

• Just Imagine if you won business from nearly every customer you quoted for.
• No more of the answer I will get back to you or I will think about it, then never to here from them again
• Just imagine how much money you could be loosing out on by not converting an estimate or quote for a job?

Sales phycology is very important if you are self employed (think of why there are top salesman earning mega money and bottom salesman earning nothing in the same company, they sell the same products at the same prices) the top salesmen have been taught and use the sales techniques below on their customers which gets them buying.

If you are running a tiling business then you will have to be a salesman before you are a tiler, Just think if you go to price up a job (which in fact you are going there to sell your services), no sale, no job, no money.

What you need to know

To Maximise your earnings, you will need to understand the following

• How important selling your services really is
• Sales triangle
• Prospecting
• NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
• Subliminal messaging
• Anchoring techniques
• The 5 key steps to success in self employment
• Ways of finding work, indirectly
• First Meetings with a potential customer
• Pitching your services
• Closing down a sale
• Facing objections when the customer says I’ll think about it
• Difference between the top and bottom sellers
• Judging people
• Understanding the market place
• Playing on words
• Problems with over selling and too much talk
• Motivation
• Jeckle and Hyde personalities
• Understanding your customers personality
• Mirroring and matching techniques
• The 3 Feet rule
• The Yes Close
• Reading body language
• Maximizing profits
• Establishing common ground with your customer
• Getting clients to like and trust you
• Introducing yourself
• Eye contact
• Who is the decision maker
• Flattery
• Linking sales
• The benefits and features
• Customer buying modes
• Tie downs
• Enthusiasm
• Nerve control
• Your goals
• Rules of reciprocation
• Embedding commands
• Understanding the conscious and sub conscious mind

Just Imagine how much more money you could make from extra sales and how long you could be booked up for, all you need is the know how.

UK Pro Tiling Training runs a 1 day course that can be bolted onto the tiling courses which they run, this essential knowledge can make the difference between earning lots and just getting by