Off The Tools with Wayne and Andy 🔥

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones break down the brutal reality of what happens when a trades business hits breaking point. This isn’t theory. It’s real-world experience from running and scaling heating businesses through staffing problems, cash flow pressure, lost engineers, lead shortages, tax bills, burnout, and business chaos. If you’re a plumber, heati...

In this powerful episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones dive deep into one of the biggest things holding tradesmen back from building successful businesses… 👉 Their ego. From refusing help… To trying to be the hero… To believing “working harder” is the answer… This episode exposes why so many plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, builders, and trades business owne...

Most trades businesses are losing jobs every single week… Not because they’re bad at the work. Because their systems, follow-up, and customer communication are weak. In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne and Andy break down how modern trades businesses are using CRM systems, automations, AI, and customer journeys to close more work, improve customer experience, and massively increase...

If your phone’s stopped ringing… this is the episode you need. In this no-nonsense episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, we break down exactly what tradesmen should be doing when business goes quiet — especially during the summer slowdown. Most trades business owners panic, sit back, or accept “it is what it is.” That mindset is exactly why they stay stuck. This episode flips that on its head. We...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, we dive deep into the reality of building and scaling a trades business — and why so many tradesmen hit a wall in business, mindset, and growth. This isn’t theory. This is real-world business coaching for tradesmen , pulled straight from lived experience — from running heating companies to coaching hundreds of UK trades business owners. We break down:...

You’re grafting every day. Diary’s full. Phone’s ringing. Jobs stacked up… But when you check the bank account? 👉 There’s nothing in it. Sound familiar? In this episode, we break down one of the most common problems in the trades right now — being busy but still broke — and why it’s happening to so many lads across the UK. We cover: Why underpricing is killing your profit (and how it starts) The...

Everyone’s shouting the same thing… 👉 “I need more leads.” But here’s the truth most tradesmen don’t want to hear… You don’t have a lead problem — you’ve got a systems, speed, and customer experience problem. In this episode, we break down why throwing more money at lead generation is actually making things worse for most businesses… and what you should be fixing instead. We cover: Why most trade...

Most tradesmen don’t fail because they’re bad at the job… They fail because no one ever showed them how to run a business. This episode breaks down the brutal truth behind why so many lads stay stuck — busy every day, working hard, but still not making the money or progress they expected. We dive into: The reality of being an “accidental business owner” Why working harder is NOT the answer anymore...

n this live webinar, Wayne and Andy break down exactly how ServiceMate can help trade businesses get more organised, look more professional, and save serious time. This wasn’t just a software demo… It was a real look at how a proper job management system can change the way your business runs from start to finish. Wayne walked through the core of ServiceMate, including: 📅 Diary & dispatch boar...

This one’s different. No scripts. No structured lesson. Just real talk about where the trades industry is heading — and what it means for you. In this episode, Wayne and Andy break down the current state of the industry, from shrinking skill levels to the death of the old-school sole trader model We cover: 📉 Why last year felt slow for so many trades businesses 📞 How failing to answer the phone...

What actually happens inside Off The Tools Alliance? Not the surface-level stuff. Not the sales pitch. The real, behind-the-scenes breakdown. In this episode, Wayne and Andy give you an inside look at what’s changing, what’s growing, and what members are achieving this year inside the Alliance Over the last 18 months, things have levelled up. With Andy stepping in as lead coach, the dynamic has sh...

If you’re still texting prices… Still driving around doing free site visits… Still sending scrappy email quotes at 10pm… You’re making life harder than it needs to be. In this episode, Wayne and Andy break down the real reason most tradesmen waste time, lose jobs, and struggle to charge properly — and it all comes back to quoting. This isn’t theory. This is a live session showing exactly how a pro...

In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, we break down the books that genuinely shifted our thinking — not just business tactics, but mindset, resilience, money, and purpose. We’re not here to throw a random Amazon list at you. These are the books that actually made a difference. From wealth philosophy to personal discipline… from pricing confidence to mental toughness… and even a few story-d...

Most tradesmen don’t fail because they’re bad at the trade. They fail because they keep doing the same shit… and expecting different results. In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones break down 9 practical, proven things that will radically improve both your business AND your life — but only if you actually take action . This isn’t theory. Every single point has...

If you’re working flat out, knackered every night, and still wondering where the money went… This episode will hit you like a brick. 🧱 In this special Pricing for Profit session, Wayne and Andy break down the exact reason most tradesmen are under-earning — and show you how to fix it using real numbers, not guesswork. This isn’t theory. This is the system Wayne uses in his own multi-van heating bu...

Ever feel like school told you you’d never be anything… and you carried that into adult life? 😤 This episode is going to hit hard. Wayne and Andy dive deep into the link between school, self-worth, pricing, confidence and business success — and why so many incredible tradesmen are massively under-earning because of beliefs formed when they were kids. This isn’t about GCSEs. It’s about mindset, va...

This episode is a masterclass in what’s possible when a tradesman stops playing small. 💥 Wayne and Andy sit down with Lee Davis , founder of Innovative Heating Services , to unpack his full journey — from 17 years at British Gas , to starting with just one van and a mate , surviving COVID with zero government support , making every mistake in the book… and then finally buying out a local competit...

If you’re serious about making more money, running a smoother business, and finally feeling in control — this episode is for you. 🧠💷 Wayne and Andy break down exactly why the new Off The Tools webinar series is a game-changer for tradesmen who want to stop guessing and start running their business properly. These aren’t fluffy Zoom calls. They’re hands-on, practical, screen-shared walkthroughs o...

New year. Fresh head. Big opportunities. 🚀 In this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast , Wayne and Andy kick off 2026 by diving into one of the most important — and most ignored — skills in business and life: 👉 Setting real targets… and actually hitting them. This isn’t fluffy “New Year, New Me” nonsense. This is about visualising, planning, and executing so you don’t end up in December thinkin...

Want to scale your trade business… but keep telling yourself “I make more on my own”? This episode is going to blow that story to pieces. 💣 Wayne and Andy dive into the real, practical side of scaling a trades business — not the Instagram version. We’re talking engineers, office staff, wages, vans, tools, hidden costs, pricing, risk and mindset … all the stuff most lads avoid until it bites them....

In this episode, Wayne and Andy tackle a brutally honest topic most tradesmen don’t want to hear: 👉 If you’re still answering your own phone… you’re holding your business back. Full stop. End of. This week’s conversation dives deep into why taking calls yourself destroys productivity, kills your pricing confidence, and keeps you trapped as the “local guy who does everything” instead of a real bus...

If you’re still saying “I’ve never advertised and I’m doing fine” — this episode is for you. 🔥 Wayne and Andy rip into one of the biggest myths in the trade game: that word of mouth alone is enough to grow a modern business, charge properly, and stay ahead of the competition. Spoiler: it isn’t. ❌ They break down the difference between primitive marketing (cards, mags, leaflets, vans, local prese...

AI isn’t coming. It’s already here. And the trades who ignore it are going to get smoked by the ones who adopt it. In this episode, Wayne & Andy dive into the truth about AI in the plumbing, heating, and electrical world — stripping out the sci-fi nonsense and showing exactly how real tradesmen can use AI TODAY to save time, win more work, and look more professional than 90% of their competito...

If systems are the engine of your business, automations are the turbocharger — and most tradesmen aren’t using ANY of it. In this episode, Wayne & Andy tear into one of the biggest growth multipliers in the trade industry: Automations that run your business in the background while you crack on with the job. No robots. No sci-fi nonsense. Just smart, simple processes that save you hours, make y...

Most tradesmen are still running their business like it’s 1998 — paper pads, handwritten diaries, random receipts stuffed in glove boxes, and customers slipping through the cracks. Meanwhile, the lads using proper systems are pulling ahead FAST… building better reputations, charging more, and scaling with half the stress. In this episode, Wayne & Andy rip into the truth: If you don’t have soli...