3 Tips for Starting your own trade or construction business

3 Tips for Starting your own trade or construction business
Starting your own trade business in QLD or NSW? Make sure you get off to a strong start by understanding the essential steps to get licensed, choose the right business structure, and meet your obligations as a contractor. Follow our top 3 tips to set a solid foundation for your future success!

Finished your trade qualification and ready to go out on your own? Get started by putting the right foot forward from the beginning.

Whether you’re a 4th year apprentice thinking about the next steps, or a skilled tradie looking to go out on your own, it’s important to set yourself a strong foundation for your business into the future.

Here’s our top 3 tips for starting your own business as a tradie in QLD or NSW. 

 1.   GET LICENSED

There are a lot of good reasons to get licensed. First and foremost, if you’re taking on jobs above $3300 in QLD, or $5000 in NSW, you actually need a trade or construction licence by law. Secondly, having a licence helps communicate to homeowners and head contractors the type of trade work you do.

So what licence should you get to be a tradie?

Whether you’ve completed a Certificate III in Carpentry CPC30220; Concreting CPC30320; Painting and Decorating CPC30620; Landscape Construction AHC30916; or any one of the dozens of other Certificate III trade qualifications, this helps identify the scope of trade you can do as a licensed professional.  

After you have completed your qualification, the next step is to apply for the licence through QBCC in QLD, or Fair Trading in NSW. As an independent firm, Construction Licensing can handle the paperwork for you, and we’ll provide you with a complete licence application that is professional and easy to submit.  Once your application is received, the government will assess and confirm you can be issued a licence in the trade you are qualified in.

In other words, regardless of how experienced you are, you can’t get licensed in an area you aren’t formally qualified in.  If you’re looking for a trusted RTO that can offer in-house training or help deliver recognition of prior learning, give us a call and we can organise a referral for you within our network.

If you specialise in a unique or niche area of trade, or just aren’t sure what licence you should get, give Construction Licensing a call and our specialists can help narrow down the right licence for you based on your qualifications and your business’ needs.

Remember that in QLD, you will also need to do BSBESB402 – Establish legal and risk management requirements of new business ventures. This is a requirement for anyone who wants to get their trade licence, and helps establish a baseline of understanding for contracts, invoicing and other non-trade areas of running a business.  

Any costs or expenses associated with the process can be claimed as an expense. You should consult with your accountant about the best way to cover your costs associated with complying with Government processes.

2.   CHECK IF YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A LICENCE

Are you working as a sole trader, or do you have a company? Make sure you have the right licence for your business – many accountants and businesses don’t realise that companies need a licence too, and that you need to be linked to it in the licensing system.

At Construction Licensing we keep it simple, helping you to organise your applications so they’re the right ones for your business. If you’re taking over an established business, or expanding the one you already have, we can talk you through the steps with an initial licensing consultation.

If you’re just starting out and want to get your feet under you before thinking about a full company, it’s also possible to start as a sole trader for now and be a nominee supervisor later. We talk more about company and business licences here.

3.   UNDERSTAND YOUR OBLIGATIONS AS A CONTRACTOR

Once you’re licensed and ready to take on those bigger jobs, there are a few other things to make sure you’re doing.

Include your licence number in all your advertising, whether it’s flyers or car wrap – you can get fined if you don’t.

Learn how and when to take out an insurance policy for the work you’re doing, and the importance of having the right safety system in place for your work environment. You can use this to market your business and your high standards over and above competitors who might be flying under the radar.

Finally, use and manage contracts with homeowners or other contractors to protect your business and your obligations. Becoming a member of an industry association like the HIA can open you up to a lot of great resources.

GETTING STARTED

It all starts with making sure you have the right licence for you, and that it covers the type of work you want to do.

Construction Licensing can get you on the right road by giving feedback on your business needs, and preparing a professional licensing package so you can get the correct licences from day one.

We’ll handle the paperwork – give us a call today!

Enquire now and get the ball rolling!