Author: Electricians Mate
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Free Tradesman Job Profit Checker
Most tradesmen know what they charge. Far fewer know what they actually make. This free Tradesman Job Profit Checker helps you calculate whether a job is genuinely profitable once materials, labour, overheads and hidden costs are included. Download the free calculator below as part of the Tradesman Financial Toolkit.
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Tradesmen Break-Even Calculator
Most tradesmen know roughly what they charge. Far fewer know what it actually costs to run their business. That’s a problem because if you don’t know your break-even point, it’s impossible to know whether you’re making money or simply staying busy. Use the calculator below to work out your annual overheads and discover how much…
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Quick Tax Estimate Calculator For Tradesmen
Most tradesmen don’t get into trouble because tax is too high. They get into trouble because they don’t put enough aside. Enter your turnover and expenses below to see how much you should consider setting aside each month. Understanding Your Results Estimated Profit This is your turnover minus your business expenses. Suggested Tax Reserve This…
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How Much Working Capital Does a Trades Business Need?
One of the most common questions tradesmen ask is: “How much money should I keep in my business bank account?” Unfortunately, there isn’t a single answer that applies to every business. A self-employed electrician working alone will need a different amount of working capital than a plumbing company with several vans on the road. However,…
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Best Business Credit Cards UK for Tradesmen
For many tradesmen, the words “credit card” immediately raise concerns. Debt.Interest.Overspending. And used badly, those concerns are justified. But used correctly, a business credit card can become a useful financial tool that helps manage cash flow, simplify expenses, and even earn rewards on everyday spending. The key is understanding the difference between using a credit…
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Podcast Episode: Money Tools For Tradesmen
Pip: Finance for Tradesmen — where the van’s full, the diary’s packed, and somehow the bank account still looks confused about what happened. Mara: Today we’re working through posts from Electricians Mate covering three areas where tradesmen tend to lose money quietly: tracking what they spend, managing fuel and vehicle costs, and getting invoices out…
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Podcast Episode: Tools For Tradesmen’s Money Management
Pip: Finance for Tradesmen — where the van is the office, the glovebox is the filing cabinet, and somehow the business still turns a profit. Mara: Electricians Mate has been writing about the systems that actually keep a trades business financially healthy — fuel costs, expense tracking, and getting invoices paid on time. Pip: All…
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Best Expense Tracking Apps for Tradesmen in the UK
Most tradesmen don’t have a spending problem. They have a tracking problem. Fuel gets paid for on one card. Materials go on another. Tool purchases get buried in emails. Receipts end up stuffed in the van or forgotten altogether. Then tax season arrives and suddenly you’re trying to remember what happened six months ago. That’s…
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Best Fuel Cards UK for Tradesmen and Small Businesses
Fuel is one of the biggest hidden costs in the trades. Most tradesmen focus heavily on winning work and increasing turnover, but rising diesel and petrol costs quietly eat into profit every single week. Whether you run: …fuel quickly becomes a major business expense. And unlike some business expenses, fuel is difficult to avoid. That’s…
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Best Invoicing Apps for Tradesmen in the UK
If you’re still sending handwritten invoices, chasing payments through text messages, or trying to remember who owes what from scraps of paper in the van, you’re probably losing money without realising it. For many tradesmen, invoicing is treated as an afterthought. But poor invoicing systems quietly damage cash flow, delay payments, and create tax headaches…