In this guest blog, heating engineer Wayne Bettess recommends some simple but effective ways that tradespeople can increase their business knowledge.

Hey, my name’s Wayne Bettess. I’e been in the heating industry for over 18 years and ran a business for well over 12 years. I also run a community called Off The Tools, which provides business support and guidance to other companies in the industry to help them achieve more.

I’m going to be writing one for Installer, focussing on ways heating, plumbing and electrical engineers can improve their businesses and lives. Here is part one:

Build a business, not a job!

What do I mean, I hear you ask? Well, in brief, what I mean is that for the vast majority of you reading this, you would have spent at least 2-5 years learning your craft to become a competent tradesperson.

If we’re honest, we’re all learning every day when out in the field.

Unfortunately, most will not put that same effort and dedication into learning how to run a business. Fundamentally, this is why so many people, in reality, have a job rather than a real company.

To build a business, firstly, you must learn about business. Yes, you could wing it, learn the hard way, and hope to improve over time, but I urge you to consider how much you’d learn, if you started to dedicate some time each week to increasing your knowledge.

This simple act or habit could be as easy as listening to audiobooks or podcasts, reading a book, or, better still, getting a business coach to help support your learning and growth. Imagine the knowledge you’d gain from spending 1-2 hours a week dedicated to learning something new. Like managing people, understanding your numbers, marketing and growth strategies, the list could go on!

With the internet, we all have access to all the information, guidance, and support we could ever need. Sadly, so many do not leverage it and end up overworked, stressed, and unable to manage it all.

Sadly, when I started my first business, I fell into the common trap that being good at my trade was all I needed to focus my attention on. At first, it was fine; the work was flowing in, and so was the money. Looking back, this proved to be the first big mistake I made. I presumed that I didn’t need to understand the business side; that’s what my accountant was there for right? As long as the work flowed in, it would be all right. Wrong!

I would encourage you to start gaining essential knowledge right now. You’ve already started by reading this article. There are many great resources out there, and it can be a bit daunting getting started, but below are a few great things you could get started with:

Podcasts

• Off The Tools Podcast
• The Home Service Expert Podcast
• Jocko Podcast
• Paul Mort Talks Sh*t

Books

• Profit First
• Rich Dad Poor Dad
• Emyth Revisited
• Traction
• The Pumpkin Plan

The best way to start is to leverage your time, so I recommend getting started with audiobooks or podcasts. Instead of listening to the radio, stick on the podcast or audiobook and away you go!

If you are a bit more interested in growing a real business, head over to our Off The Tools community here – https://bit.ly/offthetoolsuk or book a free 30-minute discovery call with me directly – www.OfftheTools.co.uk.