A business coach for the trades has called for more support for tradespeople, who experience poorer levels of mental health than the general population.
Alison Warner, known as the Trades Coach, helps business owners in the trades to manage the stress of running a business, from juggling cashflow, recruitment, long hours and the rising threat of tool theft.
Alison says: “Working in the trades offers fantastic career prospects, but it can be very isolating if people are self-employed and shouldering all the tasks involved in running a business.
“I often see tradespeople in complete overwhelm; their business is growing quickly but they don’t have the skills or resources to cope. Men in particular are more vulnerable and find it difficult talking about their problems with a partner or colleague.”
18% of all businesses in the UK come from the trade and construction industry, but more than 70% have just one employee. Skilled trades have a 35% higher risk of suicide than the male national average.
Alison continues: “As a business coach I enable trades to work smarter and run a more efficient and profitable business, however, there needs to be more support for tradespeople from an early stage. I believe mental health support is one of the most important tools a trades person can have and this should be a key part of apprenticeship training as well as provided by employers on the job.”
Alison Warner has written a bestselling book, Build and Grow, to help tradespeople make the transition to managing director, providing support with business planning, and implementing systems and processes. To order a copy click here
Read about Alison’s own story here
