The pandemic increases mental health strain on self-employed tradespeople

Posted: Friday, May 13th, 2022  

The abundance of work over the last two years has been a blessing and a curse – it has kept people earning, but the pressure on self-employed tradespeople has been relentless and the impact on their mental health has been enormous 

Avoid digging into disaster warns ECA

Posted: Thursday, May 5th, 2022  

Tony Abbott of ECA Member firm Modus Utilities, explains why contractors need to plan ahead when digging in our busy towns and cities. 

Professionalism is key in the trade

Posted: Tuesday, April 12th, 2022  

Richard Soper CBE, Director of Development at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), discusses ways to stamp out rogue trading and promote quality traders 

Government EV strategy grabs headlines, but faces serious challenges

Posted: Monday, April 11th, 2022  

The government’s recently announced EV Infrastructure Strategy has been broadly welcomed by the industry, but the market-led approach and the implementation role for local councils raises questions about its possibility for success 

10 tips to reduce your insurance headaches

Posted: Monday, April 11th, 2022  

Finding the best insurance package that protects your business and doesn’t break the bank is a headache facing all tradespeople. A-Plan Commercial suggests some practical steps to reduce your premiums, and get the best possible deal for your business 

No business can afford to overlook cybersecurity

Posted: Tuesday, April 5th, 2022  

Cyber security now impacts businesses of all sizes, regardless of where they sit within the supply chain. The resilience of your own digital infrastructure and information systems will make all the difference when protecting your business from malicious forces. 

Deadline for Tradesperson of the Year Awards extended

Posted: Thursday, March 31st, 2022  

​​​​​​​Deadline for Tradesperson of the Year Awards has been extended to 14th April. 

Why the industry needs to improve transparency on fire safety and technical competency

Posted: Tuesday, March 29th, 2022  

Following the Hackitt Review that highlighted the need for cultural change in the construction industry, Stacey Temprell, marketing director, British Gypsum, discusses why the industry needs to provide certainty on specification performance when it comes to fire safety 

How the Ukraine crisis will affect timber imports

Posted: Tuesday, March 8th, 2022  

Although the UK imports very little Russian gas directly, a rise in European energy prices is likely to affect the logistical costs of timber imports in the UK. David Hopkins, CEO, Timber Trade Federation, tells us here what the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine means for the broader timber industry in the country 

The Building Safety Bill: our best opportunity for change

Posted: Thursday, March 3rd, 2022  

The ECA and FSA welcome the Building Safety Bill, but the industry should grasp the opportunity to raise training and electrical safety standards, says ECA technical director Mike Smith 

Robin Clevett offers great advice on where to start when setting up your trade business

Posted: Tuesday, March 1st, 2022  

Thinking of heading out on your own, but not sure where to start? Robin Clevett provides listeners with essential advice 

Awards win raises business profile and builds confidence, says 2019 award winner

Posted: Monday, February 14th, 2022  

Danny Lyons win in the 2019 Fix Radio Tradesperson of the Year Awards helped to raise the profile of his roofing business, win quality work and negiotate with clients 

ECA calls on Government to ‘reform and rebalance’ energy levies and avoid cost-of-living crisis

Posted: Friday, February 4th, 2022  

ECA is calling on the government to address the inequalities between gas and electricity levies to reflect the falling carbon intensity of electricity 

Will Gove’s £4 billion ultimatum to developers drive the industry to improve health and safety?

Posted: Wednesday, January 19th, 2022  

Michael Gove’s demand that developers foot the bill for cladding changes on buildings between 11-and-18 metres tall, wiped nearly £1 billion off the share prices of major home builders. But if the industry doesn’t sort out its approach to health and safety that could just be the start 

Don't be fooled up by UKCE delay warns ECA

Posted: Tuesday, January 11th, 2022  

Although the replacement of CE branding with mandatory UKCA marking has been delayed until January 2023, ECA’s director of legal and business, Rob Driscoll urges contractors to start preparing for the challenges ahead as soon as possible 

7 great ideas for the industry in 2022

Posted: Tuesday, January 4th, 2022  

With COVID variants rampant, record high material prices and a widening skills gap, we can expect another wild year in 2022. Here are 7 ways to provide succour for the industry next year 

Diversity holds the key to solving construction’s skills dilemma

Posted: Thursday, December 30th, 2021  

A combination of Brexit and the pandemic has driven skilled workers from the industry in droves. With the number of apprentices entering the trades also dropping, the sector badly needs to find new blood 

Just because a customer asks you about price, doesn’t make them difficult… does it?

Posted: Tuesday, December 21st, 2021  

We all love the idea of saying no to a difficult customer and walking away. But if a customer asks you for a cost breakdown, are they being difficult? 

Bosch Professional go cordless for Christmas giveaways

Posted: Friday, December 10th, 2021  

The power tool company are showing off the most powerful tools in their range as part of a one-off livestream ahead of the festive season - and there's plenty of swag for the trade to get their hands on. 

8 things we learnt during Anti-Tool Theft Week

Posted: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021  

There are no immediate solutions to the country’s tool theft epidemic, so tradespeople need to plan for the worst, and hope for the best 

Insulate Britain’s motorway protests push the government’s green building strategy into the spotlight

Posted: Monday, October 4th, 2021  

Insulate Britain has pushed its eco-agenda onto centre stage, and annoyed thousands of people in the process, but how realistic is to insulate 29 million ageing homes, and what is the government's plan? 

GMB Union blasts government for skilled-worker shortages

Posted: Saturday, October 2nd, 2021  

Union secretary urges government to act to address shortage of skilled labour in the trades 

Tory MP vows to continue campaign for tougher tool theft laws

Posted: Tuesday, September 28th, 2021  

Last year over 32,000 powered hand tools were reported stolen in London – just 1% of those tools were ever recovered by the police. Nicked tools have typically been sold in carparks, and now via eBay, Facebook and other digital platforms. Greg Smith, Conversative MP for Buckingham wants to shut down thieves fencing stolen tools through the internet 

Rising costs for skilled tradespeople are a symptom of a broken labour model

Posted: Friday, September 24th, 2021  

In August the cost of hiring skilled labour rose by nearly 3%, but wage inflation across the industry is an indicator of more fundamental problems in the construction sector.