From Tradie to Business Owner: How to Shift Your Mindset

Here’s the thing. If you started life as a tradie (which seems likely) then you probably started life thinking like a tradie (or a builder — they are tradies too).

But if you now run a trade business (or a building business) you need to start thinking like a businessperson rather than a tradie. In short transform from tradie to business owner.

The way of thinking that got you successful as a tradie will hold you back as a business owner.

You’re not a tradie anymore – you’re the owner of a trade business.

You need to think and act differently. Your thinking habits were learned from the people who influenced you back in the day, but you can learn new ways of thinking that will help you succeed in business as well as in your trade.

Over 280,000 trade businesses operate in Australia, employing more than 600,000 people (ABS 2023). Running one takes more than tools and hard work.

(I’m a business coach for trades and builders. A big chunk of my coaching program is about helping you make these shifts so you get better results in your business – better profits, better work-life balance, better freedom and control of things.)

Let’s look at the changes you need to make and why.

From Detail to Big Picture

Successful tradespeople (and early-stage trade business owners) tend to focus on the detail. They’re used to getting measurements right, safety right – the details. If you don’t do that, as a tradesperson, things go wrong.

Successful business owners also look at the big picture. They know the detail is important but they don’t let themselves ignore the big picture – the goals, the plan of how to achieve them.

From Doing the Work to Building the Business

Successful tradespeople focus on the work – the jobs, making sure they and their (small) team do a good job.

Successful businesspeople focus on the business – building it, building systems to help it go well.

Business owners who delegate effectively grow 33% faster than those who don’t (Gallup). That’s not luck, it’s leverage.

From Busy to Making Time

Successful tradespeople tend to be busy and say “I don’t have time for that stuff – there’s too much going on.”

Successful businesspeople make time for that stuff because they’ve realised that’s what will make their business better.

(The tradies haven’t – yet.)

From Short-Term to Long-Term Thinking

Successful tradies tend to have a short time horizon. They think, worry about and plan things in the near future. If you ask them “How’s business?”, they’ll say things like “Pretty good – we’re booked out for 2 months.”

Successful businesspeople are taking a longer-term view. They’re making plans for 6-12 months away, taking on projects that will bear fruit down the track.

From Winging It to Knowing the Numbers

Successful tradies often wing the numbers.

Successful businesspeople know their numbers. Inside out. And use them to make decisions that make their numbers better.

Start with cashflow forecasting to get visibility

60% of business failures in Australia link to poor financial management (ASIC 2023).

From Word of Mouth to Marketing Systems

Successful tradespeople get business through word-of-mouth (because they do a good job and word gets around).

Successful businesspeople invest in marketing and don’t leave the flow of leads to chance.

From Doing It All to Building Systems

Successful tradespeople are closely involved in the jobs — on site, hands dirty, making sure the jobs go well.

Successful businesspeople are building systems so other people can do the jobs – well and successfully and with the businessperson’s support.

“Systems run the business. People run the systems.” (Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited)

From Chaos to Control

Successful tradespeople have it all in their head.

Successful businesspeople have it written down.

Successful tradespeople are running around, busy, doing things themselves, not quite in control.

Successful businesspeople are doing less, delegating more, in more control.

From Gut Feel to Smart Hiring

Successful tradies hire on gut feel and expect their people to perform (they’re pretty busy so they need to).

Successful businesspeople hire with system and discipline and invest in leading and managing their people so they can’t help but perform.

The Payoff

If you run a trade business and you’re thinking more like a tradesperson than a businessperson, you should probably work on that – it will pay dividends.

Remember, you can learn new ways of thinking. Your old habits are just that – habits.

Old habits die hard, but new ones are easy to build. You build them every day.

And the great thing about these new habits is that they help you build a business that will make you more money, give you a better work-life balance and free you from your bloody needy business.

If you want to talk to Jon about his business coaching programs  hit the button below now!