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Learning your trade is vastly different to learning how to run a successful business.
Future tradies are looking to business coaches, specialist partners, AI, social networks and adjacent industries to get ahead.
Future tradies are looking to business coaches, specialist partners, AI, social networks and adjacent industries to get ahead.
Video credit:
Human Electrical Design
- WNW (-4,a)
- ESE (-6,b)
A generation that’s grown up sharing their lives on social media, teaching themselves online and connecting digitally with peers is using crowdsourced knowledge to level up.
Gone are the hang-ups about tall poppy syndrome. When it comes to learning business skills, secrets are being revealed and challenges are seen as an opportunity for collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
Connecting with multiple external people a day for advice, as part of a virtual community is the new norm.
- WNW (4,c)
Those jumping ahead are looking to global business case studies and using tech like ChatGPT to free up their time, so they can get onto solving the real challenges.
Photo credit:
Human Electrical Design
FORCES
What is influencing this theme?
Role of Work
Reasons to get into the industry
The #1 reason tradespeople get into the industry is to work for themselves, but #2 is enjoying building things. There’s a big faction who love the hands-on work but don’t naturally lean into business admin.
Future Tradie Report 2024 survey, Oct-Nov 2023
Role of Work
Filling the knowledge gap
Business coaches, online courses, digital forums and other small business owners fill the business knowledge gap. On the whole, advice is sound but anecdotally some tradespeople get dud guidance.
‘Research exposes huge shift in what workers want from employer’, News.com, June 2023
Learn moreLegislative
Lack of info about new topics
Because there isn’t a lot of information on the practical impact of codes or new products and materials, tradies hunt out information for themselves, any way they can. This takes time and doesn't allow tradies to move as fast as they would like to.
Future Tradie Report 2024 survey, Oct-Nov 2023
insight
KNOWLEDGE
Future tradies are proud of helping others succeed and have an abundance mentality.
New generations are bucking traditional attitudes towards keeping success quiet.
They share success stories, providing knowledge to others, and take pride in helping others growing the industry as a whole. They won't do the work for them, but they will give them the guidance to get there.
Photo credit:
Bricks by Ty
Sharing expertise with others can mean supporting the competition, to grow the industry overall.
Cameron & Clarissa, who founded Human Electrical Design believe in sharing expertise as a means of growing the demand for their electrical services, even if it is with rivals. A bigger industry means more work for everyone.
Video credit:
Human Electrical Design
38
%
of surveyed tradies under 25 got into their trade because they wanted to build a business.
% of total respondents.
Future Tradie Report 2024 survey, Oct-Nov 2023
Success is fuelled by a culture of openness, sharing and outreach to experts.
Mitch Boerner sums it up. “Nobody's stealing anything from anybody, because you couldn't possibly do all the work on your own anyway.”
Photo credit:
Legendary Plumbers
Being Open To Sharing Information
spotlight
EVOBUILT
Robby knows that winning is easier if he learns from others, instead of making his own mistakes.
Because Evobuilt specialises in high quality boutique home builds, he is always looking for a better way of doing things—even if it means reaching out to new contacts via Instagram.
Reaching out to new contacts via Instagram gives him direct access to other professionals who have levelled-up their skills.
Video credit:
Evobuilt
“If I can help anyone build better, I'm going to show you exactly what I'm doing. The old school mentality of keeping everything to yourself is the wrong mentality. We need to work together as a collective.”
22
%
of surveyed tradies between 18-24 YO use YouTube to keep up with industry news, products and services.
This drops to 10% for tradies above 55 YO.
% of total respondents.
Future Tradie Report 2024 survey, Oct-Nov 2023
22% of Tradies, 18-24 YO
10% of Tradies 55+ YO
mindsets
How are future tradies responding?
Niche specialist
Building passionate networks
Tradespeople want to connect with experts in their field, even if they are in different time zones, states or countries. They contribute by helping others, creating a crowdsourced knowledge community.
Culture leader
Being a visible role model
They are the public face of knowledge-sharing and create helpful information for others to use. Sharing what they have learnt, as well as personal stories, gives individuals a boost and improves industry standards.
Business Optimiser
Business coaching as an exit plan
Successful tradies know how to help others operationalise, automate and shape up their business, so see coaching as a viable revenue stream or exit plan.
Opportunities
What can you do?
start doing
Support those leading the way to share knowledge
This could look like tradie lunch and learns, where experienced small business owners can share their how to's, challenges and values.
Also think about building a community around product experts who can help troubleshoot.
Plan For
Provide opportunities for professionals to connect
Networking events, targeted educational emails and trade-focussed co-working spaces help tradies learn and connect.
consider in future
Partner with service experts and platforms
Partners or new business divisions that offer marketing automation, business coaching, BIM files and even legal support could give customers a boost.
Think of ways you can create AI knowledge banks so trades can access information intuitively, too.
Start Doing
Be aware of online communities
Joining existing digital communities for research, and responding to queries with a specialist viewpoint to decode building codes helps others apply them.
Plan For
Provide 'travel without the training'
Consider virtual training programs such as webinars, 'AMA's (ask me anything), on-demand training and access to coaches, so tradespeople can get what they need without significant time commitments.
consider in future
Create platforms for cross-industry business leaders to connect
Knowledge sharing events where professionals from outside the trades share their stories and bring outside thinking in.
Online archives of case studies and even international networking programs can help expand leaders' perspectives.
Start Doing
Find your community online and get involved
Follow tradie content creators, join communities on Reddit and other platforms, and connect with others 1-1 on social networks, so they are there when you need them.
Plan For
Look outside of your immediate industry
Some key areas to learn about include scaling business, growing leads, key metrics to measure, and what types of partners others use to improve day-to-day business.
consider in future
Consider finding a business coach to keep you on track
Business coaches, marketing specialists, materials estimators and people specialists can all help you succeed. Ask around to get qualified recommendations before you commit to anyone.
Download the full report to explore all themes and mindsets for 2024.