Everyone feels more cheerful when the sun shines. But when you’re in the trades, summer means more than just longer evenings and watching the footy outdoors on the big screen. It’s also a great opportunity to maximise your business and ‘make hay while the sun shines’, as the old saying goes.
Pour yourself a cooling beverage and join us as we discuss summer preparation for trades businesses during that busy summer season.
Why is Summer a Good Time for Tradespeople?
The ‘summer rush’ is a great opportunity for tradespeople to increase their profits and grow their business in time for the unpredictability of the winter season.
Here are a few reasons why:
- You can take on a variety of work
The warm, pleasant temperatures of the UK’s summers are ideal for carrying out outdoor work such as bricklaying, roofing and construction as well as indoor work. Fewer ‘rained off’ days means you’ll stay bang on schedule and you’ll be more productive as a result.
- There are more hours in the day
During the summer, tradespeople can be highly productive by working into the evening. More hours in the day = more bankable hours.
- Customers have more free time
When summer rolls around, homeowners tend to have more free time. As a result, they start thinking about home improvement projects. When it’s a landscaped garden, erection of a conservatory or a new kitchen fitted while they take their summer break; most tradespeople experience a summer rush as people’s schedules become clear and they get the renovation bug.
- You can showcase your work
Photos of completed jobs are highly useful for tradespeople. It’s all very well telling people how great you are, but they want to see evidence. You can add them to your social media accounts for an instant, attention grabbing form of advertising. Summer is great time to snap some beautiful photos of finished work outdoors while the sun is shining.
Summer Weather Conditions and Their Impact on Trades
Summertime isn’t all sunshine and lollipops, however. There are a few things to take into consideration that can cast a dark cloud over your summer mood.
- Heat and sun exposure
High temperatures and prolonged sun exposure can seriously affect your health. It might seem strange to imagine getting heatstroke in good old Blighty, but we’ve seen summers topping 40 degrees Celsius in recent years – a temperature which poses a real risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Sunburn and UV damage (a key risk factor for skin cancer) are both things that tradespeople need to consider.
The physical nature of most trades jobs is an added factor. People who’ve never actually done it will never understand how exhausting laying hundreds of bricks on an August day really is.
- Weather-related work complications
Just as excess summer heat can affect the bricklayer, it can affect the bricks, too. Actually, this goes for many outdoor jobs which can be negatively impacted by soaring temperatures. Hot weather causes the moisture in mortar to evaporate rapidly, meaning the bonding won’t be as strong as it should be. Other examples include problems with adhesives and thin sheets of metal becoming too hot to handle.
- Tool damage
If you’re hot, they’re hot. Spare a thought for your poor tools in this summer heat. Delicate digital components can become damaged, and plastic can soften and weaken in extreme heat, leading to costly repairs or replacements.
- Thunderstorms and rain
Your skin may be waterproof, but that isn’t to say that the unpredictable wet weather you can get in the UK can’t wreak havoc on summer jobs. As soon as a storm brews up, your job calendar is thrown into disarray. Obviously, it’s not safe to work during a summer storm, so it’ll be a case of downing tools and hoping your outdoor job won’t be too affected.
- Slippery conditions
British weather is unpredictable to say the least, with sudden rain posing safety risks and unexpected disruption. This is a huge risk factor for a tradesperson working outside, increasing the risk of slips and falls on job sites.
Tips for Getting Your Trade Business Summer Ready
Be summer business-savvy with these tips:
- Get your rota in order
Rota management is top of our list of trades business summer tips. If you’re a solo operator without employees, this should be relatively straightforward. Make sure you’ve got your summer break in the calendar, make sure it doesn’t clash with any existing planned work, and don’t forget to let your customers know when you’ll be away.
If you’ve got a team on board, you must ensure you will have enough manpower to deliver the jobs you’ve got in your schedule, and have enough contingency to allow for last-minute work to come through. If you’re using job management software, this will be quick and easy as everything is automated. You can simply add you and your team’s holiday dates and allow the software to allocate resource as appropriate.
- Advertise yourself
If you’re staying put over the summer, let people know! There’s likely to be lots of potential customers looking for work to be done over the summer, and it will be even harder than usual to find a tradesperson in the summer when many people take holidays. You can work this into your marketing strategy and advertise your availability, which might see you get snapped up by an impatient customer base desperate to get their work done before September.
- Consider hiring
If you’re a sole trader in a trade which usually sees a summer rush, such as roofing, gardening and building, it might be a good time to consider bringing someone else in to give you a hand. There are plenty of websites out there through which you can hire a vetted professional on a temp basis to give you that much-needed summer support.
- Plan for weather changes
It’s smart to monitor weather forecasts and have plans in place for sudden storms or extreme heat. For example, building flexibility into your rota in case a job gets delayed, and make sure you’re covered by insurance which includes protection against weather damage.
- Take care of yourself
Your wellbeing is important. Stay hydrated and take regular breaks to prevent heat-related illnesses such as dehydration, heatstroke and sunburn. If you’re going to be toiling away under the sun all day, you need to be proactive with your use of sunscreen, hats, and protective clothing to reduce the risk of skin damage. If you’re the gaffer then you need to make sure your workers and helpers are observing this, too – especially any gingers on the crew whose skin is extra prone to burning!
- Check and maintain equipment
You should do this all year round as part of a good asset management schedule, but it’s extra important during the meltingly-hot weather. Remember, tools stored in a hot van are going to be exposed to far hotter temperatures than the outside. So, if it’s 30 degrees outside, it could be 60 degrees inside your van parked in the sun. Check your tools and equipment – especially anything with a digital component – to ensure they are in good working condition despite the heat.
How Rhino Trade Insurance Can Help
- Trade insurance expertise
Rhino Trade Insurance have been helping tradesmen and women in the UK to protect their businesses for over a decade. We offer a wide range of different insurance policies specifically designed for tradespeople, which is why we’re head and shoulders above other insurers who generally offer trades policies as an afterthought. Rhino’s policies have been crafted with tradespeople in mind – so you’ll never end up with clunky coverage that doesn’t cover what you need it to.
- Customisable coverage to suit your business
If you’re a plumber, electrician, gas engineer, gardener, bricklayer, builder, stonemason, joiner, carpet fitter – or working on a self-employed basis in just about any trade under the sun here in the UK – Rhino has a suite of policies you can choose from which are designed to cover the specific risks you face in your trade. And whether you’re a sole trader or director of your own company – Rhino offer adjustable coverage to reflect that.
- Comprehensive coverage
Rhino offer comprehensive insurance coverage options that cater to the needs of tradesmen and tradeswomen during the summer season. This includes coverage for your tools and comprehensive all-risks insurance for weather damage to partially-completed projects.
- Protection against accidents
Rhino Trade Insurance offer robust Personal Accident Insurance which will protect tradespeople against common summer-related accidents, such as slips and trips on job sites. This insurance is extremely important for self-employed tradespeople, as if you’re injured then you are unable to make an income until you recover.
- Support and resources
Rhino are always here for you. With our many years of industry experience serving tradespeople just like you, you can count on us to provide industry insights and advice. Rhino are award-winning and recognised within the industry as leading providers of quality insurance at low cost premiums. Our policies are comprehensive and we don’t mess our customers about by charging sneaky fees. This is probably why we have thousands of 5-star ratings on TrustPilot.
