Leads to keep the phones ringing are very expensive at first. Google sells leads. Eventually word of mouth lessens the need for buying leads. Also multiple positive reviews on Yelp help a lot to make a good image.

Then you win the job and figure out the equipment, material, and labor it will cost to get the job done with a profit.

Do this successfully over and over again and the cash will start piling up.

Another tradie cope thread.

Win the job and then figure out your costs?

Honestly, it's not as easy as you are making it out to be.

I have family who own a small general contracting business specializing in carpentry.

Some avg joe with no trade knowledge will not just create a successful trade business.

Most business owners have worked and pretty much mastered the trade for maybe a DECADE before they have the knowledge to start their own company.

Of course, this is for start-up low-capital small trade business owners.

Build in as much cushion as you can to stay competitive. Then figure out if there are other ways to make the job more profitable. There are logistical considerations to make when you have guys paid by the hour running all over the place in your trucks.

Yes two of my favorite books are "How to add maximum cushion to your job estimates without overshooting your competition in any industry" and "Making a job more profitable with no data to measure".

If you are serious, I can actually help you realize how little you know.

Why should anybody contract you for your services over another established competitors.

Keep in mind, depending on where you are, contracting businesses are HIGHLY competitive.

Are you going to be cheaper than the competitors, better service, etc...??

Every single tradie that I know who started his own business/contracting company does very well for themselves with an excellent quality of life. You basically pretty much work labor free with minimal effort for 100k+ a year by hiring 1 medium smart tradie and a bunch of low IQ tradies that you can make do literally all of the work for you while paying them minimally and they will never complain or look for a better job.

I operate a strict no-tradie policy at my current home, so for me to take advantage of this and become a tradie business owner, it would mean I'd have to buy a second property and live there, estranged from my family.

very small minded, as this would not work in competitive areas.

also you have NO idea what you are even talking about lol.

Unless you are talking about mowing lawns or cleaning pools...

Like 1 out of 1000 tradies actually go on to own their own company

Not very many do, just the ones with higher aspirations and goals. Also the ones who always striven to be the boss.

Not many have the discipline to save what is needed to start a successful trade business either.

Also, most union trade jobs pay very well (here they start at about $50/hr depending on trade, once you finish apprenticeship, and end up making 6 figures with good benefits.), and the workers will become comfortable with the pay.

Myron sig edit.

I know 3, two that own a plumbing companies, and another owns a general contracting/house remodeling company. All 3 have more free time than office workers/most business owners that make comparable money.

Everyone that I know that owns or works at landscaping companies is poverty as fuk and works a chitload during the summer. Clearly this applies to only skilled labor tradie companies.
This is true, that's why there are so many tradie workers you can use for your own company.

Buddy from high school is a master sparky.
I wanted to work for him but its just him and another dude. Not a bad gig i guess.


Owner of my company has 30 mil in his pockets i heard. We just finished one of our sites and probably made a mil netted 300k for 3, 4 months of work on that site. I know our boss makes 80 an hour fuareek.

This is exactly how it often works for contractors who specialise in the public sector, srs/lol.

There are is only a finite amount of tenders to be won so it's effectively a land grab. You win the contract at all costs then figure out later the costs. The worst part is contracts are often won just based on who offered to do it for the lowest amount. They're sometimes referred to as "suicide bids".

You have two options:

1) Somehow do the work on an amount lower than what you're being paid so you make a profit. This usually results in you fukking it up and you lose the contract anyway but contractors are never doubting themselves that they can indeed do the work (in case you were wondering why they keep on doing it lol).

2) Do it properly but lose money. Gain money back by pointing out different things that are wrong and need fixing and charge the client X amount to fix it.

My company I work for (in the office for a small to medium size contractor) specialise in picking up contracts other companies lose them from going with option 1. We charge them a proper rate to sort out the mess. Clients are fresh from being bitten by only considering cost instead of the standard so they're happy to pay.

Sometimes by the time the tender is back up, they still remember what happened last time they tried to get it done on the cheap and we easily renew it for another 5 years or whatever. Sometimes they don't and we lose it to another contractor. But then they'll bollocks it up and we win it back again.

The company I currently work for was started by an Ironworker with a welding rig. 45 years later it's a massive steel fabrication/erection firm that operates internationally and aims for over $2billion revenue annually

Name of company?

I don’t consider myself a tradie, either do any of the tradie business owners that I am friends with. Mechanically inclined would be a better descriptor.

Workers mostly consist of highschool dropouts with a good work ethic.

Lol what do u do?

I work on the sales floor in a busy residential real estate brokerage. I have been licensed and doing this for 3 years and am considering a change.

Not sure I want to post that here, but it’s the largest privately-owned steel company in Canada

Haha. You're going to confuse people who think you're serious.

op is right

because their is no maximum, you set it yourself by how hard you work

where as an office worker will only make X amount unless they get a promotion. and promotions themselves dont come unless someone else retires / moves up

In the US you just get a minority woman to figurehead the business so you don't have to underbid so much before submitting a flood of change orders that you'll cut corners on.

Insurance will cover most catastrophic collapses and deaths so no worries there.

No nude tool belt centerfold, no care

the scary part is, he was actually serious and believes its that easy lol.

The are other ways to gain wealth than climbing the corporate ladder, how shocking.