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What actually makes a trade business valuable?

This week, Pete and Keiran dive into the conversations every self-employed tradesperson ends up having—from building a loyal customer base and winning repeat work to quoting jobs, marking up materials and planning for the future of your business. If you're a plumber, gas engineer, electrician, builder, carpenter or any other tradesperson running your own business, there's plenty to take away from this one.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why repeat customers are the biggest asset in a trade business
• How service reminders can help keep your diary full
• Should you charge for quotes or provide estimates?
• How much should you really mark up materials?
• The difference between building a job... and building a business
• Preparing your trade business for the future
• Real trade stories and comments from the Off The Job community
• Boiler servicing, plumbing chat and plenty of honest opinions from Pete and Keiran

The lads also discuss why so many tradespeople spend their careers chasing the next job instead of creating a business with long-term value, inspired by the recent conversation with Richard from London Basement Pumps about building a business that's worth selling.

👇 Join the conversation:
Do you charge for quotes? What's your markup on materials? And what's one thing you've done that's brought you more repeat customers?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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Most people know Kevin Brown as The Prestige Painter, but decorating wasn't where his career started.

After leaving professional football and building a successful career with the Volkswagen Group, Kevin made the decision to start again and retrain as a painter & decorator at 30 years old. What followed wasn't just another decorating business, it was a completely different way of thinking about marketing, pricing, customer service and building a personal brand.

Pete and Keiran sit down with Kevin to unpack the journey, from launching his business with a simple Facebook marketing campaign to becoming a recognised name in the painting and decorating industry and working alongside some of the biggest decorating brands in the UK.

Expect plenty of honest conversations about:

• Starting a trade later in life
• Building a successful painting & decorating business
• Marketing that actually wins work
• Pricing decorating jobs with confidence
• Creating repeat customers through great service
• The power of personal branding and social media
• Decorating products, tools and industry trends
• Life as a self-employed tradesperson

Whether you're a painter & decorator looking to grow your business, or you're a plumber, electrician, gas engineer, carpenter or builder wanting to attract more customers and stand out from the competition, there's plenty of practical advice you can take from this episode.

👇 Question for the comments:
If you had to start your trade business from scratch tomorrow, what's the first thing you'd do differently?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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Nobody teaches you how to run a trade business… until now.

This week on Off The Job, Pete and Keiran are joined by Gio, who shares the business lessons every self-employed tradesperson should know. From pricing jobs and understanding your numbers to finding more work, building repeat business and creating systems that actually help your business grow, this episode is packed with practical advice for anyone in the construction industry.
 
In this episode we cover:
How to start and grow a successful trade business
The biggest mistakes self-employed tradespeople make
Why most tradespeople struggle with business, not the trade itself
Pricing jobs properly and knowing your numbers
Winning more work without relying on cheap leads
Google Business Profile, reviews and getting found online
Building repeat customers and long-term relationships
Business structure, organisation and customer service
Marketing your trade business the right way
Practical advice for plumbers, electricians, gas engineers, builders, carpenters, decorators and every self-employed tradesperson
 
Whether you're just starting out, thinking about going self-employed or already running your own trade business, this episode is full of practical tips, real experiences and honest conversations that could help you avoid costly mistakes and build a stronger business.
 
👇 Let us know in the comments:
What's the biggest business lesson you've learned since going self-employed?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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From old boilers and rising costs to air conditioning, heatwaves and the future of the trade industry... this week's Off The Job Overtime covers it all.

Pete and Keiran are back for another honest conversation about what's really happening across the UK trades. From debating whether it's worth repairing old boilers anymore, to discussing why so many self-employed tradespeople feel it's getting harder to make money, this episode is packed with opinions, real experiences and plenty of tradie banter.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why Pete says he's stopped repairing old boilers
• When it's better to replace a boiler instead of fixing it
• Why tradespeople are finding it harder to make a profit
• The rising cost of vans, tools and running a trade business
• Air conditioning installs and whether they're the next big opportunity for plumbers and heating engineers
• The hottest trades to get into over the next 20 years
• Who's responsible for deep joist notches when replacing pipework?
• England's Club World Cup performance, Trade Wars 2026 and plenty of off-topic conversations along the way

Whether you're a plumber, gas engineer, heating engineer, electrician, builder, carpenter, painter & decorator or running your own trade business, there's plenty to get involved with in this episode.

👇 Join the conversation in the comments:
Would you keep repairing a 25-year-old boiler, or would you recommend a replacement?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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How do you turn £20,000 into a £30 million builders' merchant business?

This week on Off The Job, Pete and Keiran sit down with Shane Watts, who shares the journey of building one of the UK's leading independent builders' merchants. From the early risks and business decisions to the challenges of growing a company in the construction industry, this episode is packed with lessons for anyone working in the trades.

In this episode we cover:

• Building a £30 million builders' merchant business
• Starting with just £20,000
• Growing a successful trade business
• The biggest mistakes self-employed tradespeople make
• What builders' merchants really think about tradespeople
• How the construction industry has changed
• Business growth, leadership and hiring the right people
• AI, technology and the future of the trade industry
• Advice for anyone looking to start or scale a business

Whether you're a plumber, gas engineer, electrician, builder, carpenter, roofer, painter & decorator or running your own construction business, this episode is full of practical advice, honest conversations and real business lessons from someone who's spent years in the trade industry.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
If you had £20,000 to start a business today, what trade would you choose?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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Is £450 to change a basin waste a fair price… or has the trade gone too far?

This week on Off The Job Overtime, Pete and Keiran dive into one of the biggest debates affecting the trade industry right now: call-out charges, pricing jobs and where you draw the line between charging your worth and looking after your customers. After hearing about a homeowner being charged £450 for a simple plumbing repair, the conversation quickly turns into a debate every self-employed tradesperson will have an opinion on.

Along the way, the lads also chat about:

• Fair call-out charges for plumbers, gas engineers and tradespeople
• Should you charge elderly customers less?
• The true value of a tradesperson's time
• Pricing jobs with confidence
• Customer service vs making a profit
• Stories and opinions sent in by the Off The Job community
• Running, work-life balance and switching off outside of work
• Plenty of tradie banter and honest conversations

Whether you're a plumber, gas engineer, electrician, builder, carpenter, roofer, painter & decorator or running your own trade business, this episode is guaranteed to get you thinking and probably arguing in the comments too.

👇 We want to hear from you:

Would you charge £450 for that job, or was it too much? What's your standard call-out charge?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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This week on Off The Job Overtime, Pete and Keiran are back discussing one of the biggest talking points in the gas industry right now – the latest IGEM update and why it's dividing gas engineers across the UK. If you're a domestic or commercial gas engineer, this is one conversation you won't want to miss.

The lads also look back at InstallerSHOW 2026, share their favourite moments from the event, talk about the woodworking, painting and decorating halls, and discuss what's next for Off The Job as Trade Wars gets underway.

In this episode:

• The latest IGEM gas update explained
• Gas engineer reactions and industry opinions
• Domestic vs commercial gas engineering
• InstallerSHOW 2026 highlights
• Trade Wars preparations
• Site work vs domestic work – which is better?
• Gas engineering, plumbing and heating discussions
• Formula 1, football and life outside the tools
• Your comments, opinions and trade debates
• Plenty of Off The Job banter along the way

Whether you're a gas engineer, plumber, heating engineer, apprentice or self-employed tradesperson, this episode is packed with industry discussions, honest opinions and the conversations that tradespeople are already having on site and online.

👇 Let us know in the comments:
What's your opinion on the new IGEM update? Has it changed the way you'll work?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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In this episode of Off The Job Overtime, the lads catch up on everything from busy weeks on the tools and growing social media opportunities to AI-powered call handling for tradespeople, personal bests in running, and the realities of self-employment.

They also share hilarious AI phone call recordings, discuss leaving rugby, balancing work and content creation, social media, boxing, and the importance of staying safe in today's world. It's a relaxed, unfiltered conversation packed with laughs, honest chat, and plenty of trade banter.

In this episode:

•  AI answering service prank calls 
•  Life as a self-employed plumber 
•  Growing a trades business 
•  Running 5K & 10K personal bests 
•  Leaving rugby behind 
•  Social media for tradespeople 
•  Boxing & Misfits discussion 
•  Funny stories from the week 
•  Installer Show chat 
•  Listener updates and community discussion

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

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This week on Off The Job Overtime, Pete and Keiran tackle a question that seems to be coming up more and more across the trades...


Why is work so quiet right now?
 
The lads discuss the current state of the plumbing, heating, electrical and construction industries, whether self-employed tradespeople are feeling the pinch, and the challenges that come with running a trade business in 2026.
 
The conversation also covers:
Why some trades are experiencing quieter periods
Self-employed life in the UK
Tax changes affecting tradespeople
The reality of running a plumbing or heating business
Tool theft and criminals facing court
InstallerSHOW 2026
Trade Wars preparations
Social media in the trades
Trade industry community spirit
General trade banter and stories from the week
 
As always, it's a mix of industry discussion, real experiences from life on the tools, and plenty of Off The Job chaos along the way.
 
Whether you're a plumber, gas engineer, electrician, builder, apprentice or self-employed tradesperson, this episode is packed with relatable conversations and opinions from the trade community.

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

🔗 Follow us on Socials
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This week on Off The Job, Pete and Keiran are joined by Wilson Milton – carpet fitter, comedian, content creator, and one of the fastest-growing personalities in the trades.
 
In less than a year, Wilson went from posting videos from his van to building an audience of over 140,000 followers across social media. But as he explains in this episode, going viral isn't quite as glamorous as people think.
 
Wilson shares how a single video kickstarted his growth, the reality of creating content every day, balancing comedy with life on the tools, and why being yourself is still the best strategy for social media success.
 
In this episode:
How Wilson gained 140,000+ followers in under a year
Going viral on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook
The reality of social media growth
Comedy, stand-up and life as a carpet fitter
Why authenticity beats trends
Creating content for the trades
Social media pressure and burnout
Trade humour and industry stereotypes
Going from fitting carpets to performing comedy gigs
Advice for anyone starting content creation
 
Wilson also opens up about the challenges that come with a growing audience, how social media has changed his life, and why chasing followers isn't always the answer.
Whether you're a plumber, gas engineer, electrician, builder, carpenter, carpet fitter or someone trying to grow an audience online, there's plenty to take away from this conversation.
 
👇 Let us know in the comments:
What's the funniest trade stereotype you've heard?

📣 Sponsored by Flexigas – the flexible gas pipe specialists: https://flexigas.com/
💥 Powered by Ridgeline – seamless copper tubes built for the trade: https://ridgelinetubes.com/

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PODCAST OFFER
Get 30% OFF your Yearly Subscription to Gas Certificate App!
Use code: POD30 at checkout

📲 Download the Gas Certificate App now
https://onelink.to/hbv69u

⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.

🔗 Follow us on Socials
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offthejobpodcastuk
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offthejobpodcastuk