Why Most Trade Business Owners Are Leaving Work on the Table

If you're waiting for the phone to ring, you're already behind. In this episode, Mitch and Jason sit down fresh off the UpScale Live Tour across Australia and New Zealand to unpack one of the biggest differences they keep seeing between tradies who are growing fast and those who are stuck: cold outreach.

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026:

https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

They break down why most trade business owners avoid it (hint: it's the same reason you don't talk to strangers at the bar), what actually happens when you stay consistent with it, and why the first conversation was never supposed to get you the job anyway.

You'll also hear about the "ten before ten" challenge that one Gold Coast tradie used to land $700 worth of work in his very first week, and why the UpScale members' room looks so different from the room full of tradies who haven't started coaching yet.

In this episode Mitch and Jason cover:

• Why cold outreach feels uncomfortable and how to get over it fast
• Walk ins vs phone calls vs emails and which one actually works
• How often to follow up and when to back off
• What questions to ask during a discovery conversation to understand what really matters to your client
• Why pricing is rarely the reason you lose a job
• How to build a simple nurture sequence that keeps you front of mind without eating your whole week

Whether you're an electrician, plumber, carpenter, or any other trade business owner trying to build a steadier pipeline of work, this one is worth a listen.

Drop your "ten before ten" results in the comments. The UpScale team wants to hear how you go.

Hosted by Mitch Van Bergen (@mitchvan_ https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/) and Erina Roxx (@erinaroxx https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/)

🏃 Big news: this year the UpScale team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, a charity providing free mental health support to tradies and blue collar workers. If you want to cheer them on or chip in, you can find their fundraiser here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

Want to see the UpScale team live? Check out upcoming events at https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

In this solo episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Mitch Van shares the biggest lessons from the first half of the UpScale Live Tour across Australia and what trade business owners are really struggling with right now.

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026:

https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

From Sydney to Melbourne, Hobart to Newcastle, Mitch breaks down how business challenges can change depending on the location, but one thing stays the same. Too many tradies feel like they’re doing it alone.

This episode dives into:
• Why so many business owners never reach the freedom they started their business for
• The hard truth about getting off the tools
• Why hiring tradies takes more than just posting a job ad
• The difference between business owners who stay stuck and those who grow
• How community and accountability can completely change your business
• Why surrounding yourself with the right people matters in trade and construction

Mitch also shares insights from inside the UpScale community, including the launch of local business hubs across Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast where tradies are building real connections, sharing work, raising industry standards and helping each other grow.

If you’re a builder, electrician, plumber, landscaper, painter or trade business owner trying to scale your business, build a team and create more time and profit, this episode is packed with real talk and practical perspective.

Follow Mitch on Instagram:
@mitchvan_

Need help growing your trade business?

Follow us on Instagram for daily tips and strategies for tradies:
@upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist:
UpScale Coaching

Watch more business insights on YouTube:
UpScale YouTube Channel

Take the Tradie Quiz and see where your business stands:
Tradie Business Quiz

Hear real success stories from trade business owners:
UpScale Success Stories

Check out our 2026 live coaching events:
UpScale Live Events 2026

This year, the UpScale team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, supporting free mental health counselling for tradies, truckies and blue collar workers across Australia.

Support the cause here:
TIACS Gold Coast Marathon Fundraiser

You've looked at the schedule and it's quiet. What do you do right now to get work through the door today?

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026:

https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

That's exactly what this episode is about. We brought together four people for a Royal Rumble style debate — Team Black vs Team White — and gave them one challenge: come up with the best ways to get work fast, no fluff, no long-term strategies that take months to kick in. Just real, actionable things you can do today.

And they did not hold back.

Between the four of them, they packed this episode with more than 20 practical ways to fill your schedule when things go quiet. Some of them are obvious but rarely done consistently. Some of them are a little old school. And a couple of them are genuinely creative in a way that most trade businesses would never think to try.

Here's a taste of what gets covered:

Following up open quotes that are sitting in your pipeline right now, reaching out to past clients with a simple message, walking into local businesses and introducing yourself, running a targeted SMS or email campaign with real scarcity, sending your idle techs out to do some doorknocking with a simple script, turning on Google Ads during business hours with high intent keywords, posting on local Facebook community groups with photos and immediate availability, reaching out to tradie mates for overflow or subcontracting work, sharing client introductions across complementary trade businesses, posting on Facebook Marketplace as a free way to promote availability, following up leads that never got quoted and lost quotes that went to a cheaper competitor, printing door hangers and walking the streets, tracking installed assets in your job management system and calling clients when servicing is due, and offering a try before you buy voucher to cold outreach prospects you've been trying to land.

The conversation wraps up with something worth sitting with: most tradies will hear all of this, do one thing, and then stop. The ones who actually grow are the ones doing an unreasonable volume of activity consistently, whether they're busy or not. That's the real secret.

Pick two or three from this list and go do them today.

Also, the UpScale team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon this year to raise funds for TIACS, a free mental health service built for tradies and their families. If you want to get behind the cause, you can donate here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

From $20K months to a $111K record: Jarren shares exactly what changed in his business Fore Front Electrical after five months with Upscale Business Coaching.

In this episode, we sit down with Jarren Ganzer, a trade business owner who joined Upscale in January and hasn't looked back.

In February he did around $20K, March was $27K, and by April he'd cracked $111K in a single month. But the numbers are only part of the story.

Jarren opens up about what his business actually looked like before coaching — quoting on guesswork, no real systems, working hard with no clear plan, and telling himself he'd sort it out "next time." Sound familiar?

We get into the messy middle: the six months he spent knowing something needed to change but not pulling the trigger, the conversations he was avoiding with himself, and what finally made him commit — not just to coaching, but to his business as a whole.

We also talk about what the first 30 days of coaching actually looked like, why getting a job management system in place was a turning point, and how the community side of things surprised him more than anything else.

If you're a trade business owner still running on gut feel and long hours, hoping it'll sort itself out — this one's for you.

What's covered in this episode:

What Jarren's business looked like the week before joining Upscale, why he waited six months before pulling the trigger, the first thing coaching changed in how he ran day to day, which job management system he landed on and why it mattered, what's shifted at home for him, his partner Amy, and his son since the numbers started moving, the beliefs he had to drop to get to where he is today, and what he'd say to the version of himself sitting down for that first session in January.

A big shoutout to Jarren for being so open and honest — this is exactly the kind of conversation that helps other tradies know they're not alone.

Also, the UpScale team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon this year to raise funds for TIACS, a free mental health service for tradies and their families. If you want to support the cause, you can donate here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

Connect with UpScale Business Coaching:

Follow on Instagram for daily content: @upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast

Watch tips and insights on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube

Find out where your business stands with the Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories

Live Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Upscale Business Coaching Podcast — Episode Description

In this powerful episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Erina and Mitch V sit down with Ash from TIACS to have an honest conversation about mental health in the trade and construction industry.

TIACS, which stands for This Is A Conversation Starter, provides free mental health counselling for tradies, truckies, farmers and blue collar workers across Australia. Backed by the team behind TradeMutt, TIACS is helping break down the stigma around mental health with practical support that is free, confidential and built specifically for the blue collar industry.

In this episode, the team dives into:
• Why so many tradies struggle in silence
• The pressure trade business owners carry at work and at home
• Relationship stress, burnout and financial pressure in business
• Why asking for help still feels difficult for many men
• How TradeMutt started and the story behind the bright work shirts
• Practical ways to support your mates, staff and family when something feels off
• Why community and conversations matter in the construction industry
• How TIACS counselling works and why so many tradies are using it

This conversation is real, relatable and packed with important insights for anyone running a trade or construction business, leading a team or trying to manage the pressures that come with business and life.

Follow the hosts on Instagram:
@erinaroxx
@mitchvan_

Learn more about TIACS:
TIACS Official Website

Need support? TIACS offers free counselling for tradies, truckies and blue collar workers across Australia.

This year, the UpScale team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS and support mental health in the trade industry.

Support the fundraiser here:
TIACS Gold Coast Marathon Fundraiser

Need help growing your trade business?

Follow us on Instagram for daily tips and strategies for tradies:
@upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist:
UpScale Coaching

Watch more business insights on YouTube:
UpScale YouTube Channel

Take the Tradie Quiz and find out where your business stands:
Tradie Business Quiz

Hear real stories from tradies growing successful businesses:
UpScale Success Stories

Check out our 2026 live coaching events:
UpScale Live Events 2026

End of Financial Year for Trade Business Owners: What to Do, When to Do It, and How to Stop Getting Blindsided

Download your Free ⁠EOFY Checklist⁠ for your Trade Business

It's that time of year again. End of financial year has rolled around, and if it's snuck up on you, you're not alone.

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

In this episode, Marc sits down with accountant and business advisor Erina (@erinaroxx) to answer the real questions trade business owners are asking right now. No jargon, no fluff — just practical advice you can actually use before June 30.

They cover:

• What to do first if EOFY has caught you off guard
• Why tax planning before June 30 matters (and why August is too late)
• What Payday Super actually means for you and your crew from 1 July
• How to know if your accountant is doing enough for you
• A simple formula to stop getting hit with surprise tax bills every year

Whether you're a sparky, a plumber, or running a crew, this one is worth a listen on the way to your next job.

Grab Erina's free EOFY checklist by sending her a DM on Instagram: @erinaroxx

Also — big news from the UpScale team. This year we're lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, a charity providing free mental health support to tradies and blue collar workers. If you want to back us, every dollar counts: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

Want help growing your trade business?

Follow us on Instagram for daily content: @upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: https://upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast

Watch tips and insights on YouTube: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube

Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who've done it: https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026: https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Mitch (@mitchvan_) sits down with our new Head Coach Riley to talk about something every tradie and trade business owner knows too well, stress.

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

But this isn't your typical "just breathe and meditate" conversation. Mitch and Riley get real about what stress actually is, why your body responds the way it does, and most importantly, how you can use it to your advantage instead of letting it run the show.

If you've been feeling like the pressure of running a business is getting on top of you, this episode is going to hit home.

In this episode you'll hear what stress actually means and why it shows up the way it does, practical ways to bring your nervous system back down when things get overwhelming, how to reframe stress so it becomes a tool for growth instead of a roadblock, and what separates the tradies who thrive under pressure from the ones who burn out.

Riley brings a fresh perspective as our new Head Coach and this is a conversation worth hearing whether you're in the thick of a tough season or just want to get ahead of it.

On top of all that, the Upscale team are lacing up their runners this year for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, a mental health support service built for tradies and their families. If you want to cheer them on or support the cause head to

fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

Erina (@erinaroxx) and Geggsie sit down to talk about the Upscale Tradie Coaching Tour and how it's been unfolding across Australia this year.

Next Live Coaching Events 2026:

https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Fresh off the Sydney stop, they share what tradies are actually saying, the feedback coming straight from the room, and what it's been like taking real hands-on coaching to trade business owners face to face.

If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a room full of tradies gets honest about their business, this one's worth a listen.

In this episode you'll hear about what the tour has looked like on the ground, the response from Sydney tradies, what's working and what business owners are struggling with most right now, and what's coming next on the tour.

This year, the UpScale Team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for: TIACS!

https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

What does it actually take to go from average job sizes to landing a project worth hundreds of thousands?

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026:

https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

In this episode, we sit down with Tristan (https://ahrnselectrical.com.au/) , an electrical business owner who went from struggling with cash flow and low profit margins to scaling his business, increasing revenue, and successfully delivering a major project. This is a real behind the scenes look at what growth actually looks like in a trade business.

We unpack how Tristan went from around 130K per month with little to no profit, to building a more stable and profitable operation. From learning his numbers properly to backing himself on bigger opportunities, this episode breaks down the exact steps that helped him level up.

You will hear how understanding your pricing, planning your hires, and using the right tools can completely change the direction of your business. We also dive into the mindset shifts required to take on bigger jobs, build a stronger team, and push through the uncomfortable stages of growth.

This is not just about landing one big job. It is about building a business that can handle growth, stay profitable, and keep moving forward even when things get tough.

In this episode, we cover:
• How Tristan scaled from smaller jobs to a 700K project
• The importance of knowing your numbers and pricing properly
• Why cash flow and planning matter more than revenue
• How to build confidence to go after bigger opportunities
• The systems and support that helped him grow sustainably

Marathon for a cause

This year, the UpScale Team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, supporting mental health for tradies and blue collar workers.
Support the cause here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

Connect with the hosts
Erina: https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/
Mitch: https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/

If you’ve ever guessed your pricing, second guessed your margins, or just hoped there was enough left at the end of the job, this episode is for you.

Free Tradie Pricing Calculator:

https://upscale-coaching.com/pricing-calc-podcast-v2

Need help growing your business? 

• Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business  @upscalebusinesscoaching

• Book a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠

• Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠

• Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcast

Hear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/

Live Coaching Events 2026:

https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

In this conversation, the Erina and Lucy break down how to actually understand your numbers so you can price with confidence and protect your profit. We dig into real examples, including how a simple change in fuel costs can impact your hourly breakeven and why knowing that number matters more than most tradies realise.

You’ll hear how small adjustments to your hourly rate can make a big difference, why most trade business owners avoid increasing prices, and how to get past the mental block that holds you back. There’s also a practical look at tools like pricing calculators and back costing so you can see exactly what each job is really making you after all expenses are accounted for.

If you want to stop undercharging and start running a more profitable business without the stress of guessing, this one’s worth a listen.

In this episode, we cover:
• How to calculate your true hourly breakeven
• Why rising costs don’t need to wreck your margins
• The real reason tradies avoid increasing prices
• Simple ways to test and increase your rates with confidence
• How back costing shows your true profit per job

Marathon for a cause

This year, the UpScale Team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, supporting mental health for tradies and blue collar workers.
Support the cause here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026

Connect with the hosts
Erina: https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/
Mitch: https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/

We’ve got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate.
Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.

⁠Get started now⁠⁠⁠

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