Who We Help
Every trade business owner's circumstances are different — but the underlying challenges are surprisingly consistent. Here are three business owners we work with regularly. See if any of them sound familiar.
The Hands-On Owner
Electrical Contractor · $2.1M revenue · 8 staff · 14 years in business
Steve runs a successful residential and commercial electrical business he built from scratch. On paper, things look fine. In reality, Steve is the business — he quotes every job, handles every supplier dispute, signs every invoice, and gets called when anything goes wrong on site.
He's tried to hire a site supervisor before. It didn't stick. He ended up doing the job himself anyway. His wife says he hasn't had a proper holiday in six years. He knows she's right.
"Steve isn't struggling — he's trapped. The business works, but it only works because of him. And he's starting to feel the weight of that."
For Steve, Tradewise starts with Systems & Operations — documenting every process so the business can function without him as the linchpin. We then recruit and onboard the right site supervisor, and put an HR framework in place so the team performs without Steve managing every individual.
The Outcome
Within 12 months, Steve is working in the business two days a week. Within 24, he's planning his exit.
The Growth-Ready Boss
Plumbing & Gas Services · $4.8M revenue · 22 staff · 3 depots
Dave has momentum. His business has more than doubled in three years and he's just opened his third depot. The problem is that the growth feels fragile. Different depots run differently. Some jobs are profitable, some aren't — and he's not always sure which. Staff turnover at the newer depots is high.
Dave is ambitious but knows he's operating above the systems he has. He's making decisions on gut feel that should be backed by data. He's hiring people into roles that aren't properly defined. And he's too busy to fix any of it.
"Dave is growing faster than his infrastructure. Without the right foundations, the next phase of growth could create more problems than it solves."
For Dave, Tradewise focuses first on Finance — implementing job-level reporting so he knows exactly which work and which depots are actually profitable. We then systematise operations across all sites with consistent SOPs, and build an HR framework that supports a team of 22 growing to 40+.
The Outcome
Dave has the clarity to make better decisions, the systems to scale confidently, and a business that looks attractive to serious buyers.
The Burned-Out Tradie
Concreting & Civil · $1.4M revenue · 5 staff · 11 years in business
Brian built his business from a one-man band into a five-person operation. But somewhere in the last couple of years, the joy went out of it. He's tired all the time. He snaps at his crew. He's missed his kids' sport three weekends in a row because of a job that ran over.
He's thought about selling. He's also thought about just shutting the doors. His accountant told him the business isn't in a great position to sell right now — the numbers aren't clean enough, too much depends on him personally, and there are no real systems in place.
"Brian is at the edge of burnout. The business isn't unsalvageable — but without intervention, the path of least resistance is walking away from real value."
For Brian, we start with Finance and Administration — taking the weight off his plate immediately so he can breathe again. We clean up the books, get the reporting in order, and document the key processes. Then we build a clear, 18-month exit roadmap with specific milestones to maximise the sale price.
The Outcome
Brian sells 22 months later for 3.4x revenue — significantly above what he thought was possible. More importantly, he's not burned out when he gets to the finish line.
Book a free session and we'll tell you exactly where your business stands — and what it would take to get it where you want it to go.
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