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Plazma

Plazma

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Alright lads, be gentle, i'm a trainee plasterer from Norfolk, starting it late in life due to recently being made redundant so all help and info will be much appreciated.

Speak soon,

Kirk.:RpS_thumbsup:
 
No that's not to late in the game to start plastering I know older people who started plastering so good look and don't panic
 
Cheers, I was in Security as a Mobile Patrol Officer for 5 yrs then left to go into Direct Sales as the Security Industry doesn't pay well, Sales was ok for a while but then the money stopped coming in (commision only) so had to call it a day, now fed up with looking for a 'normal' job i've decided to get a trade behind me and hopefully do well at it, so that's me :RpS_laugh:
 
Welcome along :RpS_thumbup:

Why choose to be become a plasterer? It's one of the most hands on and is dirtier than some of the other trades. I would have thought training as a plumber or spark would have been more appealing to the uninitiated :)
 
too old In my opinion,plumbing is better or electrics, you can get small jobs all the time, plastering is a young mans game. I have been trying to give it up for the last 20 yrs and I am 46 and almost 4 quarters..
 
Obviously not trying hard enough Johno ;-) You could have done an evening/wkend course to get out of plastering, I don't think i'm too old at all, i'm fit and healthy, fitter than most younguns tbh, I work hard and like to graft, done plenty of labouring before, takes longer to get qualified as a sparky/plumber too and the courses are far more expensive, thats why i've choosen plastering, I aint afraid of hard work ;-)
 
Plazma said:
Obviously not trying hard enough Johno ;-) You could have done an evening/wkend course to get out of plastering, I don't think i'm too old at all, i'm fit and healthy, fitter than most younguns tbh, I work hard and like to graft, done plenty of labouring before, takes longer to get qualified as a sparky/plumber too and the courses are far more expensive, thats why i've choosen plastering, I aint afraid of hard work ;-)
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Sorry , did not mean to be so down beat, but I reckon plastering has had it, too many at it, too many working cheaply, it will take you 5 yrs to call yourself a proper plasterer, My way out was developing properties and I have bought and sold since 2004 but the downturn knocked me off the perch, I hope it comes good again for all of us. I do believe money can be made easier elsewhere for you thats all.. Best of luck anyway
 
No worries fella it's always good hearing different opinions from tradesman, ideally I would like to be a Gas Engineer but that's a longer course and expensive too, may think about doing that when I start working.
 
Plazma follow your dreams you can be anything you wont to be it is only yourself what will stop you.

Now when you get to my age and punters start asking "Do you wont me to steady the steps while you go up them" :RpS_thumbsup:
 
Hi mate, welcome to the forum. Best of luck with the career change. Never too old or young to start something new. Let us know if we can help you in anyway
 
Thanks again fellas, i'm sure once I start my training the questions will start coming :RpS_lol:
 
Welcome Plazma.

It is hard and dirty. Seasonal as well. It is financially easy to get into hence why a lot of people come into the game. It also is very competitive and only the best with a track record can get decent rates. Others have to be cheap to survive. But this is why the plastering trade is screwed. No more apprentices from school. People pick it it up. Well it can't be that hard then if people can simply pick it up and skills that can be picked up without qualifications tend not to attract big money. It seems anyone can do it.

Now gas and electrics need qualifications and you can kill if you do your job wrong. They are expensive the courses. Big money to get in but then big money once you are in and in demand. Especially the gas.

Both gas and electricity are for the intelligent though but once you know what you are doing the job is a lot easier than plastering. You get well paid and can retire sooner. The job does not wear your joints out either. So you get out of it what you put into it.

I wanted to be a plumber just couldn't get an apprenticeship, lost out on one by seconds. I would have made a good plumber as well. Wouldn't be one now though, just gas. Sod mucking about with water.

Anyway Plazma, with determination and a good tutor you will make it. But you have been warned.
 
Thanks for your input fella, i'm very confident that i'm making the right choice, nothing can be worse than earning £7 an hour in security.

When I decide on doing something I give it my all and will perfect the art, nothing should be done half arsed.

My biggest worry is having enough money for advertising and a website !
 
Plazma,

Get a Facebook and Twitter account. They are both free is a great way of showcasing your company. Get all of your friends liking your page and the word will spread. Friends and friends of friends could potentially be your first customer base. And is a great way to start
 
Thats sound advice thanks, I have a FB account and know how to make a business page on there, I have just set my Twitter account up but that seems more confusing than FB what with all these #tags and what not, can you do a business page on Twitter too ?
 
Hi mate, Twitter is quite confusing. I have just recently set up our company page on it. The #tags you can ignore for a while to be honest. They are not that important, after a while you will understand them more. Main thing is to get following people you know and re tweet their tweets. That way their followers or friends will see you more.
 
Plazma said:
Thanks for your input fella, i'm very confident that i'm making the right choice, nothing can be worse than earning £7 an hour in security.

When I decide on doing something I give it my all and will perfect the art, nothing should be done half arsed.

My biggest worry is having enough money for advertising

Advertising need not be expensive m8, get you biz cards via vistaprint, always specials for newcomers, i had 500 biz cards for £9, do your own flyers a5size and del. yourself,put example prices on , people love ideas of price , put in brackets at bottom all prices subject to survey, couple of magnetic signs for your car and your missus if her has one, a-boards when working on jobs. Websites can be done for nowt on vista and say a £10 month hosting, but a friend of mine can sort you out cheaply. Take on other jobs if you feel competent, if skilled plasterers are struggling m8 then you will be lucky not too. Good luck.
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Plazma said:
Cheers fellas, i'm 36 mate.
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I love this forum, what makes me laugh is that I got ripped solid for being to old and told pretty much not to bother as I'm 35 !!

Just goes to show there are possitive people and negative people who would rather put off the fast teachers or newbies. If there's anything I have learnt from these threads is as an older person then your better of getting into general handyman maitainence maybe hit the rental estate agents if you can do a but of everything surely you would stand a better chance of getting regular work.

Good luck either way and don't be put off as I'm not!!
 
Hell go on a course then say he's got friends and family to practice on I'll put my house on it
 
spunky said:
Plasma how are you going to learn?
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He has a good question?

I was a 4 year apprentice.

I cannot see self teaching the way to go. How do you expect to get paid doing a job you don't know how to do in the first place? I was not taught that well as has told in a previous thread. Virtually left on my own and was told what was wrong rather than how to do it right first time but once i exhausted all the wrong ways there was only the right left. At least i got paid for getting it wrong.

Apart from 6 months with Albert Bailey the other 3 1/2 years was working with ignorant old codgers who didn't like youth.
 
Your right, however at 36 I'm pretty sure hes not going to be an apprentice my guess 6 week course at the most then onto doing small little jobs to get by.

Which I appreciate to you guys is a piss take to your trade however that's the way things are going with this day and age fast track everything, I have 2 good friends that did a 5 day course in plastering a few years back then picked and choosed jobs to there ability and now there doing quite well for themselves they've added fitting bathrooms and kitchens to there work load but still doing alright tfir themselves and seem to have regular work.

I know its not ideal, but such is the way of the trades
 
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