Running a trade business comes with pressure, responsibility, and big decisions every day. But according to Dave and Geggs, one thing holds back the majority of business owners more than anything else: fear.

Download our Free Tradie Pricing Calculator:

https://upscale-coaching.com/pricing-calc-podcast-v1

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/

Running a trade business comes with pressure, responsibility, and big decisions every day. But according to Dave and Geggs, one thing holds back the majority of business owners more than anything else: fear.

In this episode, Dave (coach) and Geggs (Head of Sales) dive into the real conversations they’re having every day with trade business owners at all stages of their journey. From new business owners trying to get off the ground to established operators looking to scale, they see the same patterns again and again.

They break down why so many business owners hesitate to take the next step, the common fears that stop people from growing their business, and how those fears quietly affect decisions around hiring, pricing, marketing, and leadership.

More importantly, they share practical ways trade business owners can move past those mental roadblocks and start making decisions with confidence. If you’ve ever felt stuck, second-guessed a big decision, or held back from pushing your business further, this conversation will hit close to home.

This episode is packed with honest insights from the front lines of the trade industry and offers a fresh perspective on what it actually takes to grow a successful trade business.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why many trade business owners hesitate when growth opportunities appear

• The most common fears holding business owners back

• How mindset affects hiring, leadership, and scaling a business

• Practical ways to move forward even when uncertainty is high

If you're a plumber, electrician, builder, landscaper, or trade business owner looking to grow your business and lead with more confidence, this episode is for you.

How much does it actually cost you to win a new client in your trade business?

In this episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Mitch and Erina break down one of the most overlooked numbers in the trade and construction industry, your cost to acquire a client and how it compares to your customer lifetime value.

Follow Mitch and Erina for more insights

Erina https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/

Mitch https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/

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/

Most tradies rely on word of mouth, referrals, or the occasional Google ad without ever tracking what it truly costs to bring a job through the door. The result? Missed opportunities, underpriced marketing, and slow growth.

Mitch and Erina explain how to calculate your real acquisition cost, including ad spend, your time, cold calls, and marketing efforts. They also unpack why understanding this number can completely change how you approach growth, hiring staff, and scaling your business.

In this episode you will learn

• How to calculate your cost to acquire a client in your trade business
• Why many construction businesses are spending far less than they could to grow
• The difference between cost to acquire a client and customer lifetime value
• How Google reviews, referrals, and repeat work increase profitability
• How to use simple maths to confidently invest in marketing

If you have ever said ads do not work, or felt unsure about spending money on marketing, this episode will give you clarity. When you understand your numbers, growth becomes predictable.

This conversation is especially relevant for builders, electricians, plumbers, landscapers and service based trade business owners who want to scale without guessing.

Mitch and Erina flew to the US for less than 36 hours to spend time inside Hormozi’s team environment and what they experienced in that short window challenged the way they think about leadership, standards and team culture.

Follow Mitch and Erina for more insights

Erina ⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/⁠

Mitch⁠ https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/⁠

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/

This episode is not about a workshop. It is about what happens behind the scenes inside high performance teams and what trade business owners can learn from it.

They break down the biggest insight they brought home and how it applies directly to builders, electricians, plumbers, landscapers and trade business owners who want sustainable growth.

We are talking about team culture, leadership, accountability and what it really takes to build a trade business that runs smoothly without everything depending on you.

If you have ever felt stuck managing staff, frustrated with performance or unsure how to create a stronger team culture, this conversation will give you practical strategies you can implement straight away.

In this episode you will learn

• Why team culture directly impacts profit and growth
• What high performing teams expect as the standard
• How to create clarity, ownership and buy in within your team
• The leadership shift required to scale your trade business

These are real world lessons observed firsthand inside a fast growing business, translated for everyday trade business owners who want to build a profitable and scalable company.

When was the last time you actually reviewed your pricing?

Download for Free - Our Tradie Pricing Calculator: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/pricing-calc-podcast-v1

In this episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Mitch sits down with Lucy from our accounting team to talk about inflation, rising costs, and how trade business owners can price with confidence.

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/

Connect with the hosts on Instagram

⁠@erinaroxx

⁠⁠@mitchvan_⁠

Material costs are creeping up. Wages are increasing. Overheads are climbing. And for many tradies, pricing still feels like a guess instead of a clear, calculated number.

This episode breaks down why pricing should never be based on emotion. It should be based on maths.

You will learn
• How to calculate your true hourly break even rate
• Why most tradies are undercharging without realising it
• How to factor in overheads, non billable time, and staff efficiency
• The real cost of discounting your price by 10 percent
• Why confidence in pricing starts with knowing your numbers
• How inflation silently eats into your profit margins

Mitch walks through simple pricing maths that any electrical, plumbing, building, or trade business owner can apply immediately. The team also talks about the mindset side of raising your rates, why the fear usually comes from inside the business, and what actually happens when you increase your prices properly.

If you have ever avoided reviewing your hourly rate, felt awkward putting prices up, or worried about losing work, this episode will give you clarity and practical steps to fix it.

If you’re flat out on the tools, cash is tight, builders are paying late, and you’re wondering if your trade business is actually worth the stress, this episode is for you.

Greg is a Melbourne sparky who went from grinding for 65k to 70k months and feeling cooked, to building a team of eight and pushing toward 160k months with systems that hold up even when he steps back.

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/

Just the real stuff that changed everything: fixing pricing, chasing invoices properly, cutting off slow payers, and putting lead generation on the calendar so it actually happens.

We talk about what it’s like when you’re doing everything yourself, why scripts can make sales calls harder, and how Greg built confidence in his rates by understanding his numbers. He also shares how tracking conversions and job margins helped him double down on the right clients, walk away from the wrong ones, and stop discounting just to win work.

You’ll hear practical lessons on hiring for culture, delegating without losing control, building a crew that performs, and shifting your mindset so problems don’t feel world ending. If you want a trade business that runs smoother, pays you properly, and keeps growing without burning you out, you’ll get a lot from this one.

Hiring good people is one of the hardest parts of growing a trade business. Most issues don’t come from bad workers. They come from rushed decisions, poor systems, and hiring without a plan.

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 of the UpScale Business Podcast, our Coaches Dave and Erina break down the real reason hiring feels so painful for tradies and how to fix it with a simple, repeatable system. Drawing on experience coaching over a thousand trade businesses, they share the mistakes they learned the hard way and what actually works when it comes to hiring and keeping the right people.

You’ll hear why panic hiring creates long term problems, why culture is more than just being a good bloke, and how moving from being on the tools to leading a team requires a mindset shift. This episode walks through how to plan for hiring financially, forecast work properly, and understand what you can realistically afford before bringing someone on.

Dave and Erina also explain how to attract better staff by treating hiring like lead generation, using your brand and social presence to stand out, and creating job ads that actually reflect your business. They cover practical interview questions, cultural fit, and why onboarding is where retention really starts.

The episode wraps up with a simple hiring framework that helps tradies remember the key steps to hiring well, from hunting for the right people to embedding them properly into the business.

If you’re struggling with staff, thinking about your first hire, or tired of hiring headaches, this episode will give you clarity, structure, and confidence around building a team the right way.

Imposter syndrome shows up in a lot of trade businesses right when things start going well. You’ve hired a team, the work is rolling in, and suddenly you’re questioning whether you really deserve to be here or what the next move should be.

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 of the UpScale Business Podcast, Lucy and Marc unpack why imposter syndrome isn’t actually the problem. It’s a signal that your role is changing and your business is asking more from you than just being on the tools.

We talk about why fast growth can feel uncomfortable, why so many tradies struggle to step off the tools, and how self-doubt often shows up as underpricing, discounting, or avoiding key business decisions. You’ll hear why knowing your numbers changes everything, how setting clear goals builds confidence, and why structure and data help remove the guesswork from running a trade business.

This episode is especially relevant if you’re doing well but feel unsure about pricing, hiring, or where to focus your time next. If you’ve ever thought “I don’t really know how we got here” or felt guilty working on the business instead of on the tools, this conversation will hit home.

You’ll learn how to recognise the signs that it’s time to shift your role, why avoiding those changes can quietly hold your business back, and how having the right support, systems, and community makes growth feel manageable instead of overwhelming.

Whether you’re a one-person operation starting to grow or already leading a team, this episode will help you reframe doubt into clarity and take the next step with confidence.

Need help growing your trade business?

Follow us on Instagram for daily content for tradies
@upscalebusinesscoaching

Book a free session with our Growth Specialist
⁠Get started now⁠⁠⁠

Follow us for more trade business tips and success stories:

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Starting your own trade business can happen fast. One minute it’s a side gig, the next you’re all in, juggling work, quotes, invoicing, lead generation, and family life at the same time.

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 of the UpScale Business Podcast, Mario shares his journey of starting his electrical business while still working full time, becoming a new dad, and making the call to go all in sooner than expected. He talks honestly about the uncertainty, long days, and mindset shift that comes with leaving steady pay to back yourself.

We unpack what it’s really like being a one-man band, why running a business is very different from working in one, and how structure, accountability, and the right support can make the transition smoother. Mario explains why he joined coaching before officially starting his business, how having a plan gave him confidence, and why consistency in outreach and lead generation matters even when results don’t show straight away.

This episode is a must-listen if you’re thinking about starting your own trade business, currently subbing while building your own work, or feeling overwhelmed trying to do everything yourself. You’ll hear practical insights on planning your exit, creating a runway, staying consistent, and setting your business up properly from day one instead of fixing mistakes later.

If you want more time with your family, more control over your schedule, and a clearer path forward in your trade business, this conversation will resonate.

In this episode, Mitch sits down with Erina to share five habits that show up again and again in the most successful trade business owners we work with. These are not the things you do later when you are already established. These are the habits you need early if you want to grow without burning out.

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: ⁠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/

They talk about why time management is the starting point for everything, how to build a simple weekly planning routine, and why the best operators are obsessed with reviewing their numbers instead of guessing.

You will also hear the truth about lead generation. You do not need to love it. You just need to do it consistently. Mitch and Erina break down why great workmanship alone is not enough to grow a trade business, and why sales and lead generation are skills every tradie has to learn.

They also dive into profit protection and why discounting often destroys your margins without you realising. Finally, they cover follow up and the numbers behind it, including why most people lose jobs simply because they stop too early, and how consistent follow up can massively increase conversions.

If you are a plumber, electrician, builder, or trade business owner who wants more control, better profits, and consistent work coming in, this episode will give you practical habits you can start using straight away.

Follow us for more trade business tips and success stories:

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So you’ve nailed the first three steps of SDC: structure, capacity, and control. Now it’s time to build a trade business that can grow without you being the bottleneck.

Download our Step by Step Guide to 500 k per month: here

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: ⁠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, Erina and Mitch walk through steps four to seven of the SDC framework, the part that helps trade business owners move from being on the tools every day to running a business that can scale.

You’ll hear why so many tradies struggle to step back, even when they know they should, and how getting off the tools creates more time for quoting, business development, and leading the team. They unpack what it really takes to hire the right people, build trust, and stop micromanaging so your business can keep moving when you’re not there.

They also go deep on leadership and standards, including a practical exercise to identify the behaviours you want more of in your team. If you’ve ever written values that sound good but don’t actually change how your crew shows up, this conversation will help you make standards real, trade relatable, and easy to enforce.

Then comes the money side: cash flow and risk control. You’ll learn why cash buffers matter, how to stop getting blindsided by bills and tax, and why checking your numbers consistently is a skill that builds confidence fast. The goal is simple: fewer surprises, less stress, and better decisions.

Finally, they break down the systems that remove you, the documentation, visibility, and repeatable processes that create consistency in service, quoting, team performance, and results. If you’re aiming for serious growth and want to know what changes as you chase bigger months, this one is a must listen.

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.

Follow us for more trade business tips and success stories:

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