How To Start a Business as a Tiler

How To Start a Business as a Tiler

Tiling is a profession that’s been in high demand for several years. The pandemic prompted a boom in home improvement and extensions, with kitchens, bathrooms and patios all being remodelled. 

While it’s possible for a determined DIYer to tackle the job of tiling themselves, for the most part it’s a job that most people will prefer to leave to a professional. If you know what you’re doing and know how to make connections with people, then you can earn a respectable living in the trade.

So, how do you go about starting a business as a tiler?

Get Qualified

You’ll want to be able to demonstrate to clients that you’re a competent tiler. This might mean showing them all of the work you’ve done previously, relying on the recommendations of other tradespeople, or on word-of-mouth from satisfied clients.

Above all, however, you’ll want to get the necessary qualifications. There’s no special licence you need to work as a tiler (though you will need to be licenced for carrying waste, if you’re going to be dealing with the old building materials.)

Taking a course in tiling will, however, help you to avoid some of the common mistakes you might encounter when teaching yourself. The better you are at the job, and the more money you’ll be able to make. Undergoing formal training will help you to avoid some of the more costly mistakes you might make when you attempt to teach yourself.

Plan your business

Every good, successful business will start with a business plan. This is where you’ll layout all the costs involved with start-up and ongoing operations. Your business plan doesn’t need to be a flawless document – it just needs to express a few core pieces of information in a way that’s clear and concise. As the business progresses, and conditions in the market change, you’ll want to tweak your plan to reflect those changes. 

The most important investment you make will be tools. Go for quality, and you’ll save in the long-term. For example, a high-quality cordless angle grinder is a tool that’ll set you up for the long-term.

Decide the service and set the price

You should do your research, and find out exactly what your competitors are offering and how much they’re charging. If you determine that you’re offering a quality service, then you might set your prices to reflect that. It’s almost always a good idea to give your clients a detailed breakdown of how much you’re charging them for labour, materials and everything else.

Marketing

You’ll want to get the message out to your would-be customers. That means having a marketing plan. It should ideally have a digital component and a physical one. Make sure you have a presence on all the major social media sites, and that you get quality business cards printed.