Off The Tools with Wayne and Andy 🔥

Someone tells you they turned over £100K last year as a sole trader. Before you say "well done", what do you actually need to know? Because turnover isn't what you take home. In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones get into one of the most common, and most expensive, mistakes in the trades: confusing turnover with profit. They've seen businesses turn over a mill...

It's breakdown season, and most heating engineers are leaving money on the table on every job. In this episode, Wayne and Andy explain how to turn every heating breakdown into a paid diagnostic, a profitable repair and a long-term customer, without ripping anyone off. We cover: Why "just give us twenty quid" is hurting you and your customer, and why a diagnostic visit should always b...

What happens when a young lad who's struggling at school finds something that completely changes his direction in life? In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones are joined by a very special guest, 16-year-old Sam Neill , a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, MMA competitor, personal trainer in training and martial arts coach. And at just 16, Sam has already learnt...

You've done the work. You've supplied the materials. You've used your time, fuel and expertise. So why are you still chasing the customer to get paid? In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle one of the biggest problems in the trade industry — doing the work first and hoping you get paid afterwards. It's something we've all become so us...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones introduce something brand new from Off The Tools: The 90 Day Forge. This is not just another online course. The 90 Day Forge is a hands-on, 90-day programme built specifically for plumbing and heating business owners who want to finally get the foundations of their business in place. Over 12 weeks, Wayne and Andy will work...

n this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle a subject every trade business owner needs to hear right now: rising fuel prices and why you must stop absorbing business costs yourself. With diesel prices pushing towards and beyond £2 per litre in some areas, the cost of running vans, engineers, tools, materials, deliveries and day-to-day operations is climbing fa...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle a mindset that holds far too many tradesmen back: victim mentality. From blaming cheap competitors, the economy, customers, VAT, tax, accountants, staff, lead platforms and “the race to the bottom”, too many trade business owners give away their power instead of taking ownership of the business they are building. Wa...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones talk about one of the biggest things holding tradesmen back: taking advice from the wrong people. There are plenty of people in the trade industry willing to give advice. Some mean well. Some are stuck in the past. Some are projecting their own limits onto you. And some simply haven’t built the kind of business you actuall...

“I Can’t Charge That” — The Pricing Mindset Keeping Tradesmen Stuck In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle one of the biggest pricing problems in the trade industry: “I can’t charge that.” After seeing comments from tradesmen claiming you cannot charge more than a certain day rate or hourly rate in their area, Wayne and Andy break down why this mindset i...

Silly Season Is Here: How Heating Engineers Can Survive Winter Without Losing Their Head In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones talk about the start of silly season in the heating industry — that busy period when the weather turns, boilers start breaking down, customers become urgent, and the next few months can quickly become a blur. Although this episode is a...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones are joined by Mark Clifford , founder of Online Digital , a paid ads and digital marketing agency specialising in Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok, email marketing, AI and automation. This episode tackles one of the biggest mistakes UK tradesmen make when they want to grow: thinking more leads will fix everything. Wayne, A...

The Hidden Costs Killing Your Trade Business Profit: Part 2 In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones continue part two of their deep dive into the hidden costs that are quietly destroying profit in UK trade businesses. After covering the first ten hidden profit leaks in part one, Wayne and Andy move into the next set of problems that hold tradesmen back — from st...

The Hidden Costs Killing Your Trade Business Profit: Part 1 In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones break down the hidden costs that are quietly destroying profit in UK trade businesses. Most plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, gas engineers, builders and trades business owners know their obvious costs — materials, fuel, wages, insurance and tools. But th...

Why Great Engineers Can Make Bad Business Owners In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones explore a hard truth in the trades: Being a brilliant engineer does not automatically make you a brilliant business owner. Many plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, gas engineers and tradesmen spend years improving their technical skills, learning new systems, buying b...

Are Apprenticeships Finally Getting The Respect They Deserve? Why Trades Could Beat Degrees In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones dive into a big conversation around apprenticeships, university, trade careers and the future of work. For years, young people have been pushed towards university as the “better” option, while apprenticeships and hands-on trades hav...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones dive into one of the biggest shifts happening in the UK trades industry: Tradesmen using AI are going to win. AI is not here to replace plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, bathroom fitters or gas engineers on the tools. Robots are not turning up tomorrow to fit boilers, rewire houses or install bathrooms. But AI is...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones talk directly to UK tradesmen who are thinking about going self-employed, starting their own trade business, or have recently gone out on their own but are struggling to get traction. Going on your own is often seen as the dream — more money, more freedom, no boss, and full control. But the reality is very different if you...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle one of the biggest decisions UK tradesmen face when they start to grow: Who should your first employee be — an engineer on the tools, or someone in the office? Many plumbers, heating engineers, gas engineers, electricians and trades business owners hit the same wall: they’re busy, overwhelmed, doing too much themsel...

In this live Off The Tools Q&A , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones answer real questions from UK tradesmen about pricing, profit, lead generation, scaling, systems, builders, subcontracting, and how to build a proper trade business. This session is packed with practical, no-fluff business coaching for plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, bathroom fitters and trades business owners who want mo...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones dive into one of the most debated topics in the UK trades industry: Should plumbers, heating engineers, electricians and trades business owners take payment upfront? What starts as a general Off The Tools catch-up quickly turns into a powerful discussion around customer expectations, business owner mindset, pricing, trust,...

n this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones sit down with Daniel Bull , director of Elite Plumbing & Construction , Pro Trades Training Centre , and Get Glowing . Daniel shares his journey from starting out with a Toyota RAV4, B&M storage boxes and no real plan… to building a fast-growing bathroom refurbishment business completing nearly 700 bathroom projects...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones dig into one of the biggest hidden problems holding tradesmen back: the identity trap . Many plumbers, heating engineers, electricians and trades business owners start out as great tradesmen — but never fully make the shift into becoming real business owners. They stay stuck being “busy”, doing everything themselves, avoid...

🔥Free Live Q&A for Tradesmen: Managing Diaries, Cash Flow & Business Overwhelm 🔥 👊🏻 Register for free - https://streamyard.com/watch/yzh2jq8gxVDH We're hosting a completely free live Q&A session designed specifically for busy tradesmen struggling with managing their diaries, cash flow, and the overall overwhelm of running a business. Join me and my business partner Wayne Bettess on...

What happens when your body gives up… but your business still depends on you? In this powerful episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones dive into the retirement trap no tradesman talks about — and why so many self-employed plumbers, heating engineers, electricians and tradesmen unknowingly build themselves a job with no exit strategy . If you’re a self-employed tradesman,...

Is going self-employed really the dream… or is it one of the biggest myths in the trades industry? In this powerful episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle one of the biggest and most controversial topics in the trade world: Should you stay employed or go self-employed? If you're a plumber, heating engineer, electrician, builder, gas engineer or tradesman cons...