STARTING OFF

April 20, 2005

All I see on this website when I look at people who want to start up on there own or who are after Tinters to work for them is "EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE".

Can anyone tell me how you supposed to gain experience when no one will take you on without it and no one says its a good idea to start on your own.

I saw someone write you need to do at least 50 cars before you can go alone or say you have experience. Who knows fifty friends with different cars that you can practice on ???

Whats the solution ???????

tint_detective · April 20, 2005

Call your film supplier.

They have training programs avail.

that is the best way to give it a shot on your own.

If you have the capital to invest.

Otherwise start applying to be an apprentice at a reputible shop.

Good Luck!

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

April 20, 2005

Kind of like trying to get a loan when having no credit.

Tough call... suppose the answer lies in a shop owner who is willing to take chances... they are few and far between.

There's definitely a learning curve to this trade.... some master it as I did... that would be within 2-3 months as I remember, but that was in the old days where the expectations of the public were much lower than today's and no heat shrinking to be found.

To master the trade by today's standard I would think it would take me much, much longer... 50 cars may be just enough to get a light bulb moment or it can be enough to convince a person that tinting is not for them.

If you want what the professional installer has, you must be willing to go to any lengths to get it... you should also have a knack for this kind of thing or it's just not going to happen.

Not any words that can get you there any quicker, I'm sure... just the reality of this particular trade.

TintWizard · April 20, 2005

Kind of like trying to get a loan when having no credit.
Tough call... suppose the answer lies in a shop owner who is willing to take chances... they are few and far between.

There's definitely a learning curve to this trade.... some master it as I did... that would be within 2-3 months as I remember, but that was in the old days where the expectations of the public were much lower than today's and no heat shrinking to be found.

To master the trade by today's standard I would think it would take me much, much longer... 50 cars may be just enough to get a light bulb moment or it can be enough to convince a person that tinting is not for them.

If you want what the professional installer has, you must be willing to go to any lengths to get it... you should also have a knack for this kind of thing or it's just not going to happen.

Not any words that can get you there any quicker, I'm sure... just the reality of this particular trade.

[*]277024

:dunno Well said !

Mdog · April 20, 2005

I found a shop that was wanting to train somebody. I got lots of experience working with another tinter that knew what he was doing.

by the way I am still at that same shop 16 years later :dunno

April 20, 2005

I have done a course in Tinting and I have been tinting from a garage I built at home for the past 6 months, but at the moment its all outgoings and no proift.

My point was that people on this website seem to be from the "old school" and are not willing to give the rookies a try. How can we possibly keep this industry going if we are not going to breed new blood into it ?

it is an art and all you guys out there that have been doing this for years hats off to you but give the young up and coming people a try and stop asking for " at least 3 years experience " it would take a few months to bring someone in and train them with the basics. You will get your return from your investment. I tried everwhere to get someone to take me on but no one would so Im starting up alone.

April 20, 2005

the best thing you can do is go to work one summer for a shop as a gopher or a shop boy. you won't make any money, and it's a shiatty job. but it's the best experience you can get.

assuming you can find a good shop with decent tinters, you will learn more in a couple months than you can any other way.

as far as going out on your own---well, that's several years down the road. and not only will you have to be able to tint really well, you also have to have a good business head. that's the reason why 90% of the guys who go out on their own are closed within a year--they have no clue how to run a business.

I worked for someone else for 10 years befopre I opened my own business.

but this isn't what you want to hear, and you're going to do it like all the other hacks out there and go to step 163 when you need to be on step 2. if you want to make this a carrer, then you'll listen to the people on this board. if you're looking for a summer job making big bucks---then this is NOT the job for you.

April 20, 2005

I tried everwhere to get someone to take me on but no one would so Im starting up alone.

[*]277041

:dunno :dunno

Protint · April 20, 2005

I started out buying film from my girlfriends dad (now my father-inlaw) and doing my friends cars after school.

Her dad and her brothers gave me a few pointers to get started but time and practice is what it takes. I also have learned alot from other tinters that I have worked with or for.

TTS's advice about getting a job as a floor sweeper is a good one if you can afford it. Every shop kid that we have hired to answer phones, set up appointments and clean up at the end of the day has been offered the opportunity to learn the trade. Most unfortunantly don't have enough patience to stick with it.

April 20, 2005

So basically everyone is saying that if you are in a career at the moment and are looking to change and go into tinting then its not the game for you ???

Thats b******s. I am under no illusion that its going to take years to perfect and even then perfection is probably not possible, but I am 23 years old and Im not accepting that there is no way without sweeping some floors in the summer I can make a career out of this (no disrespect to lads that do that). Im not trying to get too far a head of myself. Im tinting friends and families cars at the minute and I am enjoying doing it and have done quiet a few cars and all pretty good jobs.