Business guides for UK tradespeople

Practical advice on finding work and building a trade business. Choose your trade to read its guide.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Painter

  Painting enquiries often start with a photograph of a tired room, but the real work is in the preparation.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Decorator

  Decorating customers are buying a finish as much as labour.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Roofer

  Roofing work is often urgent, but a photo of a leak does not reveal its cause.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Bricklayer

  Bricklaying leads range from a small garden wall to structural work on an extension.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Waller

  Dry stone walling is a specialist craft: show customers whether you rebuild boundaries, make new garden walls or repair agricultural walls.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Carpenter

  Carpentry work can mean hanging a door or altering a roof frame; the evidence and collaborators needed for each are different.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Joiner

  Joinery clients often need a made-to-measure component rather than an off-the-shelf fitting.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Plumber

  Plumbing customers need fast help with leaks, but planned bathroom and heating work needs a different conversation.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Electrician

  Electrical enquiries vary from a failed socket to a full rewire.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Carpet fitter

  A carpet fitting job depends on the subfloor, underlay and room shape as much as the visible carpet.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Cleaner

  A recurring domestic clean, an end-of-tenancy job and a builders' clean need different checklists and time allowances.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Window cleaner

  Window cleaning can become predictable repeat work, but only when the route, access and service frequency are clear.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Gardener

  Garden maintenance is seasonal and a first visit can be very different from a regular round.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Driveway contractor

  Driveway enquiries are won or lost on drainage, ground preparation and the written specification, not only a photograph of new paving.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Builder

  Building work spans many stages and trades.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Locksmith

  Locksmith customers often call under pressure after a lockout.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Removal company

  Removal customers are trusting you with the contents of a home.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Tree surgeon

  Tree work needs careful assessment before any cut.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Handyman

  A handyman business works best when customers know the limits of the service.

• How to Get Work as a Self-Employed Fabricator

  Metal fabrication enquiries can range from a decorative gate to a load-bearing support.