The Evolution of Tradespeople: Getting Off the Tools and Becoming a Business Owner: The construction industry is undergoing significant changes. Tradespeople of the future will need to evolve their skills and mindset to remain successful long-term. In this blog, we discuss the natural progression from working on the tools to becoming a business owner, as outlined by Joseph Valente – CEO and Founder of Trade Mastermind.
Transitioning Beyond Physical Labor: One of the primary reasons to get off the tools is to protect your long-term health and physical ability. Repetitive labor and working conditions take their toll on the body over decades. Many tradespeople experience severe injuries and debilitating issues like chronic pain by their 50s and 60s. Joseph realized this early in his plumbing career and knew he needed an exit plan from physical labor. Trading time for money also caps your earning potential significantly compared to building a business.
Starting Your Own Company: For those passionate about the trade but wanting to move beyond physical work, starting a company is a logical next step. It allows you to hire employees and still be involved in the industry while removing yourself from day-to-day tasks. Joseph emphasizes growing a real business rather than being self-employed. The goal should be building a scalable operation that continues making money whether you work or not. Simply “owning a job” keeps one tethered to long hours with limited income ceiling and lifestyle flexibility.
Evolving Your Skill Set: Running a successful business requires a different skill set than being a tradesman. Areas like sales, marketing, finance, operations and people management become priorities over technical abilities. Joseph stresses that most trades business owners are weak in sales, a critical factor. Evolving these “soft” skills involves commiting to lifelong learning and tackling weaknesses. It also means letting go of the “I know it all” mentality and being coachable as when starting out in the trade originally.
Creating Jobs and Driving Industry Growth: With skills shortages projected to top one million openings per year, the construction industry desperately needs leaderhip driving growth from within. By building real businesses, trades entrepreneurs can generate employment opportunities for the next generation of apprentices. They play a vital role in solving the looming talent crisis. But this requires attracting and cultivating young talent, which starts with promoting trades careers positively from schools onwards.
Choosing Your Career Pathway: For those working within a larger company, moving into roles like manager, supervisor or surveyor can increase skills and responsibilities without full business ownership. Joseph encourages assessing one’s motivations and interests to determine the best next step. No single path suits all, and there are often multiple routes to success within the industry. The key is continual self-improvement and adapting to changing demands over a lifetime in the trade.
Understanding the Journey to Wealth Creation: Joseph outlines a blueprint for progressively creating wealth in construction: start as an apprentice, become qualified, launch a sole proprietorship, scale into a larger business, sell the established company, then reinvest profits and become an investor/business builder. Sticking to trades labor only for life caps upside, while taking an entrepreneurial approach opens huge opportunities. Wealth creation is a marathon requiring patience and flexibility through different stages.
Overcoming Mindset Hurdles: A major hurdle in shifting to business ownership is changing one’s self-perception and openness to growth. Ego and perceptions of “failure” discourage many from being perpetual students and learners. But adapting to new challenges is essential for long-term success in any evolving field. Joseph emphasizes maintaining humility in experience while relentlessly pursuing self-improvement, reinventing when needed to stay ahead of the curve.
Guiding Other Trades Businesses: To aid fellow tradespeople on their journeys, Joseph created Trade Mastermind. It provides affordable coaching, resources and networking platforms. Their training days have become hugely popular for learning critical skills like sales, marketing and finance. Events offer camaraderie and shared learnings among small business owners. For those ready to take their game to the next level, such guidance accelerates growth exponentially.
Final Thoughts: In summary, proactive career evolution will define the winners and leaders in construction over coming decades. Getting off physical tools, adapting an entrepreneurial mindset and being lifelong learners give individuals fulfilling pathways to wealth creation and community impact. Those who embrace new challenges will thrive – while resisting change leads to obsolescence. The future belongs to tradespeople who continuously reimagine themselves and their industries.
