I have been collecting tile books for over 50 years. Growing up, I have always been fascinated with science and geometry, which became the precursor for my love of tile.
My career started as a helper, while going to college to become a wildlife biologist. It was a job at that point. Over time, I fell in love with the fact that I was creating a work of art in every room of a house, whether it was a bathtub surround, shower, floor or countertop. The homeowner and I may have been the only people that got to see these masterpieces, but that was the start.
I began my career without a mentor, so it was my hard work and determination to seek out knowledge. This was before the internet existed (I know; hard to imagine) so books, magazines, and anything tile I could get my hands on to learn – I was there.
I launched my business, began as an artisan and grew into a businessman. I had to get anything and everything I could to grow my knowledge or (lack thereof). I was 22 years old, competing with companies that had been in business decades, and trying to convince prospective clients why to choose me as the tile contractor instead of my competition. I joined the NTCA (best check I have written for my business). Fast forward a few years….
Our family was on a snow skiing vacation in Taos, N.M., and we had a day off. My wife and I went window shopping in town. She could tell the trinkets, and other sparkly things were boring me to death as we perused the different stores. She said, “Go do something that might interest you.”
Anyone that knows me knows how much I am in love with the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. In Taos there are no Cabela’s or Bass Pro stores, which would be my first choice for shopping, so I ventured into a bookstore. The first category was sports – not much interest; photography – not much interest, but I walked down an aisle and saw the word TILE. Lightbulb! I was in hog heaven. Books about building, tile, business construction, voila! Later, when I caught up with my wife, she asked what was in the big bag I was carrying. I told her, books. She looked at me like my hair was on fire. That is where my book library began.
In the early years, before the internet, I would get any magazine that mentioned tile. There was a total sum of three. Tile and Decorative Surfaces, resources from the Ceramic Tile Institute of America, and Tileletter. The books came from Barnes and Noble or used bookstores. That is the library story from the start.
This is the list of must-have books that I have acquired:
Markup and Profit
by Michael Stone
This is by far my number one book. It teaches you about business. Great information about understanding the mechanics of business and how to be profitable.
Profitable Sales
by Michael Stone
This book gives you information on running your business successfully. One important chapter talks about the customer getting three bids. We all think that we must be the lowest to get the job. This gives you the foresight to sell effectively and not on price. You could have the highest bid, but you are awarded the job because of knowing how to sell yourself and your company. This is a great tool to have.
The Complete Business Manual
by Charles Vander Kooi
I saw Vander Kooi speak at a seminar and he was the most dynamic speaker I have ever had the privilege of listening to. His content and delivery were so powerful that it gave me the tools to help a tile contractor save his business due to an employee gone bad.
Tilesetting Workbook
by California Department of Education
This a compilation of a boatload of techniques, descriptions, mathematics and plain common sense that were originally taught in a classroom. I am not sure what the course was titled but it is an encyclopedia of tile. It had multiple printings in 1975, 1981 and 1986. Seems like it might be outdated… but it is surprisingly not.
A Message to Garcia
by Elbert Hubbard
This is an easy read of 22 pages, but one of the most powerful books on delivering a message. This book may be – debatably – the second most published book in the world next to the Bible. I have been told that the Navy passes this book to every officer in the military. Great read!
Little Red Book of Selling
by Jeffery Gitomer
If you want a motivational selling digest, this is the book.
Nail Your Numbers
by David Gerstel
Another business encyclopedia on understanding how to price a job, how to understand and comprehend costs, knowing what to charge and just general business knowledge. This could be in the top three.
Winning Every Day
by Lou Holz
If you need motivation, read this book. He will have you fired up no matter what you do. He is the king of one-liners, but incredibly powerful.
The E-Myth Revisited
by Michael Gerber
This book takes you through the journey of becoming an entrepreneur. It is about real-life scenarios of transforming from employee to business owner.
The E-Myth Contractor
by Michael Gerber
Very easy read on your transformation from being a tradesman to becoming a business owner focusing on construction.
They Ask You Answer
by Marcus Sheridan
A lot of you know Wally Adamchik, of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting. I asked him ”How do you become the expert in your respective area – the contractor of choice?” This is the book he recommended. The content can be applied in today’s changing computer and AI environment. I have listened to the audible book three times to absorb as much info as I can and put it into action.
Start your business education with any of these books and watch the world of tile open up to you!
John Cox
John Cox is the owner and president of Cox Tile, Inc., of San Antonio, Texas. Cox is a lifetime Texas resident and has been in the tile industry since 1975. He launched Cox Tile in 1981 as a full-service, high-quality tile contracting company, and personally oversees all projects and work crews to ensure the quality of workmanship and complete customer satisfaction.
