Guides
Guides for Running a Better Trade Business
Straightforward business advice for UK tradespeople. Learn how to price jobs, calculate profit, set your rates, manage money and stay organised — with free tools to help you put it into practice.
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Don't Just Read About It — Calculate It
Use our free business calculators to put the advice into practice. No complicated spreadsheets and no account needed for these quick calculations.
Job Pricing Calculator
Add up labour, materials, travel and other costs to work out what you should charge for a job.
Price a Job Free
Day Rate Calculator
Work out the day rate your business needs based on your income target, working days and business costs.
Calculate My Day Rate
Profit Margin Calculator
See how much profit you're actually making after labour, materials and other job costs.
Calculate Job Profit
Material Markup Calculator
Quickly calculate what to charge customers for materials after adding your chosen markup.
Calculate Material Markup
Free Quote Generator
Create a professional customer quote quickly using our free online quote tool.
Create Free Quote
Free Invoice Generator
Create a professional invoice for your trade business without starting from scratch.
Create Free Invoice
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Pricing Jobs
How to Price a Job as a Tradesman in the UK
Work out what your day actually costs, add materials and a margin you can defend, and stop winning jobs that lose you money.
Read Guide
Pricing Jobs
How to Calculate Your Day Rate as a Tradesman
Why you can't divide your target income by 365, and how to build a day rate from billable days, overheads and the profit you actually want.
Read Guide
Money & Profit
How to Calculate Profit on a Job
Revenue minus costs is only the start. Here's what counts as a job cost, and the difference between profit and profit margin.
Read Guide
CIS for trades: what subcontractors need to know
20% or 30% deductions, monthly statements, gross payment status — what CIS means for the money that actually reaches your bank account.
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VAT on invoices: when to charge it and how to show it
The £90,000 threshold, what a VAT invoice must legally show, and which trade work qualifies for the 5% or 0% rate.
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How to Price a Job as a Tradesman in the UK
Work out what your day actually costs, add materials and a margin you can defend, and stop winning jobs that lose you money.
Free Tool AvailableRead Guide
Chasing late payments: reminders, interest and your rights
The reminder sequence that works, the statutory interest you're entitled to charge, and when small claims court is worth it.
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How to Calculate Your Day Rate as a Tradesman
Why you can't divide your target income by 365, and how to build a day rate from billable days, overheads and the profit you actually want.
Free Tool AvailableRead Guide
How to Calculate Profit on a Job
Revenue minus costs is only the start. Here's what counts as a job cost, and the difference between profit and profit margin.
Free Tool AvailableRead Guide
How Much Markup Should Tradespeople Add to Materials?
What markup on materials is really paying for, why markup and margin aren't the same thing, and how to set a figure you can defend.
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Quote vs Estimate: What's the Difference?
When a fixed quote makes sense, when an estimate is fairer, and what either document should say to avoid arguments later.
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What Should Be Included on a UK Invoice?
The details that make an invoice easy to pay — and the extra lines a VAT invoice legally has to show.
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Tradie Business Base
Ready to Manage More Than One Calculation?
Free calculators are great for quick answers. Tradie Business Base helps you actually run the business.
- Price and save jobs
- Manage customers
- Create quotes and invoices
- Track expenses
- Monitor finances
- Manage equipment
- Track business performance