The most profitable customers you’ll ever have are the ones you’ve already worked for. No quoting competition. No trust-building from scratch. No worrying about whether they’ll choose someone cheaper. They already know your work – you just have to stay front of mind. Most tradespeople do excellent work and then accidentally disappear. The customer thinks…
Most tradespeople set their hourly rate once – usually when they first went self-employed – and never revisit it. That rate was probably based on what a colleague charged, a rough sense of what felt fair, or what they thought customers would accept. Not on what they actually need to earn. This guide gives you…
UK homeowners are increasingly choosing local independent tradespeople over large national companies – and the reasons are practical, not sentimental. This matters for every self-employed tradesperson: understanding why customers choose you over a national operator tells you exactly what to emphasise in your marketing. The Trust Deficit of Large Companies Large trades companies and national…
Google reviews are the most powerful free marketing tool available to a tradesperson. More than a website. More than a Checkatrade profile. More than any paid advertisement. And the majority of tradespeople use them almost by accident – waiting passively for reviews to appear rather than actively building a review strategy. This guide covers why…
Understanding what UK homeowners are spending money on in 2026 is commercially valuable for any tradesperson – it tells you where demand is strongest, which services to promote, and where to focus your marketing. Here is what the data and market signals tell us. Energy Efficiency: The Biggest Growth Category Energy costs have permanently recalibrated…
“I got three quotes and yours was the most expensive.” If you’ve been trading for more than a few months, you’ve heard this. Probably more than once. Here’s what most tradespeople do when they hear it: apologise, lower the price, or both. Here’s what they should do: understand why it’s happening and fix the root…
Choosing between domestic, commercial, and industrial work is one of the most important strategic decisions for any trades business – and the right answer depends on your trade, qualifications, personal preferences, and how you want to grow. This guide breaks down the real differences across all three sectors. Domestic Work: High Volume, Strong Relationships, Competitive…
Two tradespeople. Same skill level. Same price. One wins the job, one doesn’t. The difference is almost always the quote. A professional, well-structured quote does several things at once: it signals that you’re organised and trustworthy, it sets clear expectations so there are no arguments later, and it gives the customer confidence to say yes….
The types of building work booming in the UK right now in 2026 cluster around three themes: energy transition, housing stock maintenance, and lifestyle improvements. Understanding which segments are growing fastest helps tradespeople position their services for maximum demand. Energy Transition Work: The Fastest-Growing Segment The shift away from fossil fuel heating and towards electric…
Most tradespeople who go self-employed wish they’d done it sooner. The ones who hesitate usually aren’t held back by skill – they’re held back by not knowing the practical steps. What do I register? What insurance do I need? When do I tell HMRC? What about VAT? This is the checklist that answers all of…