How to Start a Tile Business (25 Best Ways & Tips to Help)

You can surely learn how to start a Tile business by reading this article.

It explains how to get started and tips to help you not only start but also succeed with a Tile business.

 

Importance

If you are a homeowner, chances are you would tune in on Saturday morning or during the course of the day to various home improvement television broadcasts.

You would watch these talented individuals tear down walls, remodel bathrooms, transform drab bedrooms into beautiful and inviting places to unwind, etc.

In watching these presentations that remodel homes for individuals or improve the homes so that the homes could be flipped for a profit, you most likely came away with great admiration on a couple of fronts.

One of those areas of appreciation is what could be done with the right tools, some imagination, and the creative looking products on the market.

The other take away might be a deep appreciation for these artisans, the knowledge that they have, and the skills they exhibit in make these transformational changes within the home.

In particular were the remodeling efforts that added beauty when tile was used.

Areas of tiling included floors, bathrooms, backsplashes behind the stove, etc.

 

25 Best Ways & Tips to Help You Start a Tile Business

 

1. Know all about the Tiling Business

A tiling business is a specific product centered enterprise that concentrates on laying tiles on walls, countertops, floors, and other areas either in commercial buildings or in homes.

A full service tiling business will also concern itself with repairs.

 

2. Research

When considering starting a tiling business and you have the knowledge and practical experience of laying tile you would need to concentrate on the business aspect of the operation and conduct your research.

Specifically, you would want to understand what it takes to start and be successful with starting a tiling business, what is the various business steps involved, fully realizing the time and investment commitment of money, and all matters related to operating a business.

 

3. Budget

As an individual who knows about tiling you need to fully understand things like:

• The budgeting process in gathering the materials needed
• The time commitment to complete the job
• Purchasing of the needed materials
• Use of the specific tools required
• Presenting a completed job to obtain satisfaction of the customer
• Billing the customer for the job that has been performed

All of these components would go into comprising a budget which is a necessary financial tool to determine whether the business idea of a tiling company is feasible and will produce a profit for you as the business owner.

Therefore, the budget should contain the elements or expense line items of:

• Staffing
• Insurance
• Equipment repair
• Occupancy expenses
• Transportation costs
• And so forth

The other aspect of the budget is to determine what the revenue would be that you can generate per job and then compare the two sides of the ledger to ensure that there is profitability.

 

4. Competition

An additional factor that needs to be analyzed when starting to look at operating a tile business is the competition.

As part of this analysis you would want to discover how many tiling companies there are available to the consumer in your community, how successful this competition is, the tiling services that they provide, whether they specialize in certain style or types of tile, looking at reviews of customers who have used their service to see if there is satisfaction, and so forth.

If you are comfortable that you can meet or exceed the customers expectations of the current competition that is in operation then that is a good indicator that you can enter into the competitive field of offering tiling to customers.

 

5. Business Plan

Once the dynamics have been addressed it is then important to take the critical step of formulating a business plan.

A business plan is a roadmap for a business that clearly outlines and delineates how the company sees itself and how they will enter into the business playing field and through this plan have a clear and concise action strategy to be successful.

A business plan is a narrative that has a number of moving parts or components that comprise this plan of action.

Some of those components include:

• An executive summary
• How the company will be funded initially
• Marketing strategy
• Use of staff
• Conducting a spot analysis
• A marketing analysis
• And so forth

The business plan is not only for the benefit of you as the owner but also may be analyzed by individuals who are in a position of possibly lending you money for your enterprise.

 

6. Business Structure

A decision that needs to be made by you as the owner is how you will structure and file your company as a business entity.

The purpose of deciding upon a business structure will determine your liability, taxes that you pay, reports that will be filed, and so forth.

The legal structures that you can look at to register your company with various entities include:

• Limited Liability Company
• S Corp.
• Sole Proprietorship
• Etc.

 

7. Insurance

When working on the job and tiling a certain area of an individual’s house there is always a possibility that something may go wrong.

That is why, as a tiling company, you wanted to look into obtaining the appropriate insurance to cover your potential liability in the event that such a scenario occurs.

Therefore, it is important to speak to an insurance agent as to what they may recommend as it relates to insurance for your company and workers.

Types of insurance could include:

• General liability insurance
• Workmen’s Comp.
• Small business insurance
• Professional liability
• And more

 

8. Staff

Another aspect of your company that you will need to think through would be your staffing requirements.

Questions that you will need to ask include whether additional tiling workers will be hired, administrative staff, bookkeeping staff, individuals that will provide estimates, etc.

 

9. Accounting

Once the job has been done and completed to the customer’s satisfaction the accounting process then needs to be involved.

Through your accounting process invoices will be generated, reports will be provided, profit and loss statements will be available and income will be receipted.

To handle this aspect of the company you could hire an in-house bookkeeper or you could outsource this role to a freelancer.

If choosing to utilize a freelancer there are a number of websites that you can access, post the job availability, qualified individuals will bid on the job, and you can choose the individual to ensure that the accounting is completed accurately.

A freelancing website that you can access and post the job opening can be found at www.upwork.com.

 

10. Permits

To operate as a tiling company there are certain permits and licenses that need to be applied for and obtained.

Some of those permits and licenses could include:

• Business license
• Possibly AC 54 contractor’s license
• Possible zoning permit
• Sign permit
• Possible seller’s license
• Potential obtaining of occupational license
• And so forth.

As it relates to permits and licensing it is best to check with your state of residency to see what is required.

 

11. Website

Most companies that conduct business in their community have a presence on the Internet through their website.

When a potential customer is looking for a company that will do tiling they will enter into a search engine various words to try to find the companies that closely match what they are looking for.

Therefore, your website should utilize search engine optimization so that those words are anticipated and when the browser does a return on their search your company will populate their screen.

Your website should be graphically pleasing, possibly showing workers in the process of laying tile, photographs of jobs that you have completed, a link that talks about your company and philosophy of service, pros and cons of different types of tiling, perhaps a frequently asked questions page, contact page, and what distinguishes your company from others in the way that you handle a tiling job.

 

12. Phone and E-mail

Sometimes operating a successful business is about the small things.

It is also important to remember these smaller things that will distinguish you as a professional provider of tiling services.

Specifically, you should obtain a business phone as well as set up email utilizing the company’s extension.

 

13. Equipment

When starting your business it is important to conduct an inventory of the equipment that you currently have and whether you need other pieces of equipment to supplement your current inventory or whether you need to buy additional equipment for any staffing that you are bringing on.

This is an important consideration as there most likely will be significant costs associated with the purchase of this specialized equipment.

 

14. Location

Being in the tiling business the renting or the building of a facility may be called for.

By renting or building a facility this will provide you a place to securely store your valuable equipment, your inventory of different types of tile, perhaps parking your service vehicles in or around the facility, etc.

It is also important to remember that this facility with all of these valuable assets will also need to come under your insurance umbrella to protect against any misfortune.

 

15. Marketing

With your marketing plan you need to connect with customers and potential customers as to the service of tiling various rooms in the home and commercial businesses.

The days of simply advertising in the Yellow Pages or an occasional ad in a newspaper is not enough.

There needs to be full utilization of social media platforms, emails sent to consenting recipients YouTube presentations, etc.

 

16. Financing

To begin your enterprise you may need a loan or financing in order to purchase needed equipment, have inventory, vehicles, etc.

Certain specific ways of gaining financing can be through:

• Bank loans
• Utilizing your personal assets as collateral
• Support from family and friends
• Gaining financial support from partners
• Small business loan
• Crowdfunding
• An angel investor
• And other methods

 

17. Advantages

When considering the starting of a tile business it is best to go in wide-eyed and fully aware of the pros and cons of this business venture.

The advantages of starting a tile business will meet the demands of a market that utilizes tile products.

Additionally, an advantage of being in the tile industry is that there is low capital investment.

Also, inventory can be minimal but requires the finding of a supplier or vendor that can readily make the tile available as quickly as possible.

 

18. Disadvantages

The disadvantages of starting a tile business are that a significant amount of space is required to accommodate the showroom and the warehouse.

This could put a strain on your budget with today’s rents.

Also, a disadvantage could be the competition from large home improvement stores that often carry the tile that is needed by the customers and then subcontract that work out to independent contractors.

 

19. Profit

Your profit in the tiling business can basically be accomplished in two ways.

Taking on remodeling jobs in which you pull up the old tile and lay down new tile within the home or the business.

The other aspect of gaining profit would be any repair work that a customer may need at their place of business or facility.

Typically, what you can charge is what your market will bear and also is dependent upon the product, quality of the product chosen, and the size of the project.

Typically, a good rule of thumb is to anticipate that the first 2 to 3 years of your business operation will basically break even or gain a little profit.

However, there are some tile companies that report a profit of more than $50,000 for their first year of operation.

 

20. Types of Tiles

As a tile company owner with experience and knowledge you understand that there are many different types of tile.

Specifically those different types of tile include:

• Concrete
• Stone
• Brick
• Would
• Ceramic
• Metal

To minimize your company’s money being tied up in inventory it is best to have a small supply of each of these types of tiles on hand and the more expensive tile can be ordered as needed if the customer requests that specific tile to be laid in their place of business or their home.

 

21. Supplier

A critical component of the tile business is working with a supplier that can meet your needs so that you can obtain customer satisfaction.

It is best to conduct your research on what suppliers are available and the type of tile that you wish to carry and install.

Specific attention should be given, as it relates to the supplier, on how they manufacture the product, whether they have the production capability, the technology, appropriate licensing, meet delivery deadlines, have the quality tile available, and the quantity that you typically will need.

Once you have zeroed in on suppliers you then can work with them and negotiate the terms of the purchase of buying inventory.

 

22. Showroom

As part of your tiling business you may also wish to include a showroom that is part of your tiling installation component of your enterprise.

By offering a showroom you give the customer an opportunity to look at various types of tiles including different designs as well as what the tiles are made from.

By having a showroom this may help increase tile sales as the individual can see firsthand what is available and how the tiles will accentuate the home or business.

 

23. Charity

A meaningful way to promote your business is to give back to your community.

This can be accomplished by working with a charity that needs to have tiling work done with in their facility or perhaps the home of an underserved individual.

By offering your services at no charge or at a discount this will speak loudly to your community as well as other business leaders who take an interest in the charity’s activities.

This may foster additional job opportunities for you but above all this is an opportunity for you give back to your community.

 

24. Networking

Another way to promote your business of tiling in the community to fellow business leaders is through the process of networking.

Networking is connecting with other individuals which will provide the opportunity to share about your business as well as what their business may offer to you and to the community in which you both live.

Although you may not necessarily wish to attend social gatherings, being in attendance at new business openings, etc. is important for you as the business owner to attend to promote your business.

Just make sure that you take business cards.

 

25. Associations

Opportunities of promoting your business can be accomplished through a variety of activities and membership with associations.

Some of those associations that you may wish to join could include:

• The Chamber of Commerce,
• Builder’s Association
• Rotary
• Lions Club
• Soroptimist

 

Personal Story

Upon the occasion of my father’s passing away I had the opportunity to go back to the Midwest and attend the funeral.

The other opportunity that going back home afforded me was that I was able to reconnect and get reacquainted with family members that I hadn’t seen in a while.

One of those family members was my brother-in-law.

I always had an appreciation for him because he worked for an electric company and was very good with doing things around his home.

As for me, the extent of my tool use was the turning of an occasional screwdriver, using a hammer, and possibly a pair of pliers.

As we were sitting in his kitchen we were catching up and somehow it came up that my wife had purchased a drill for me and I had done some work around the home.

Jokingly and yet seriously he exclaimed out loud that who in their right mind would put a drill in my hands.

We laughed but it was true as I am not one for being a fixer upper around the home.

I guess that is why, even today, I appreciate and admire so much those individuals who have this knowledge and expertise as it relates to being handy with tools and doing wonderful creative things with their learned knowledge.

Other Interesting Articles To Consider:

• Starting a Virtual Reality Business
• Starting a Business of a Secured Party Creditor
• Starting a Business of Lending Money
• Dealing with Work From Home Blues

 

How to Start a Tile Business FAQs

 

What Does It Take to Become a Professional Tiler?

The process in becoming a professional tiler involves:

• Being a high school graduate
• Learn the tile trade
• Earn your certification as a tile installer
• Join a professional tile installer organization
• Work your craft

 

Is There a Demand in America for Professional Tillers?

Answer: According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics it is estimated that professional tiling trade will grow by 4% over the next decade.

 

You Can Do It

As a tiler you are well aware about the importance of calculations and measuring to make sure that the tiling job is done properly and is symmetric in nature.

This dedication and knowledge in the understanding of properly calculating a job will serve you well as you look into becoming a tile business owner.

 

Conclusion

All jobs that we are involved with require a certain knowledge and professionalism.

This is true whether you are sweeping a floor or you are sitting in a leather chair as a CEO.

The tiling industry is an important trade as it adds the finishing touch on a number of projects in homes and businesses including the tiling of walls and floors.

In adding the finishing touches on your tiler career will occur as you become the owner of a tiling business.

Your tiling experience and practical know-how will serve you well in this endeavor.