Clive Holland's Little Bit Extra on Fix Radio

In the trade how you communicate with a client is very important, However how a client communicates with you is often overlooked! Clive believe that sometimes you can tell if someone is going to be a bad client from before you’ve even started the job.  So today Clive wanted to know what you would do if a client sent you a message at midnight? Would you reply and think nothing of it, or see it as a...

The importance of apprenticeships when getting people into construction can not be understated and for many an apprenticeship is the first step into the industry. But recently the government shortened the minimum length of apprenticeships to just 8 months meaning that an additional 10,000 apprentices could qualify each year! So today I asked are short apprenticeships necessary to fight the shortag...

Today it was lighthearted Thursday and in the spirit of our very own Fix Radio approved pubs that bring you the pub lunch quiz, we wanted to hear you some of your ideas for trade related pub names. We had a great time reading all the messages with your ideas and as always there's also the pub lunch quiz for your chance to grab yourself 6 points. - Enjoy Catch Clive On Fix Radio Monday - Thursday 1...

April is Stress Awareness Month, and in the construction industry, mental health is a conversation many still struggle to have. In fact, 70% of builders say they’ve suspected a colleague was seriously depressed but found it too difficult to talk about. The stigma runs so deep that 71% admit to giving their employer a different reason—like a physical illness—when taking time off for mental health....

Customer service is so important in our industry to keep the customer happy and to build a well respected brand. However with 61% of Gen Z homeowners and 41% of over 60's saying that their work was just not up to standard today I wanted to know how you can ensure top teir customer service and work. We we're joined by good freinds of the show Robin and Ryan to talk about how they keep their clients...

It not uncommon for someone to be late to site and there's generally a good reason but sometimes there's not. So today I wanted to hear some of your own late excuses or the ones you’ve heard which are quite simply ridiculous! We were joined by friends of the show Gavin and Deano to hear some of the best excuses they've heard. There's also the pub lunch quiz for your chance to grab yourself 6 plus...

Today was lighthearted Thursday and we were getting in the mothers day spirit. I asked you all to send in shout outs for mum and also reminded you to sort your mothers day plans out - if you haven't already! We surprised retired handyman Mick with our good mates at Wickes! Plus we also had the pub lunch quiz for your chance to grab yourself 6 points - enjoy! Catch Clive On Fix Radio Monday - Thurs...

Chance sat in for the big man today and he was asking what's the best thing about your week. Is it your weekly visit to Wickes? That food truck you didn't expect to be next to the site or just a really unique job? Well we were joined by George McKenchie and Reece Stewart to find out what's making their week plus you’ll also hear all the best messages we received and you can also play the pub lunch...

When running your own business in the trades, how well you’re going to do each year is always uncertain. So today, with the first quarter of the year almost up, I wanted to know how your business is doing. Are you up or down on quarter 1 last year? And did you try any strategies to try and improve you’re business? We talked to good friends of the show Mark and Steve to find out what they are doing...

Having the right skill set is very important for success within the trades. But with the average client wanting more and more I believe that being multi skilled can be a huge advantage. So today, we asked, What skills do you wish you had alongside your core trade skills? Would you like the skills of another trade? Or Do you wish you were a little bit better at the admin? We talked to good friends...

Today was Lighthearted Thursday and we were talking about all things Fix Fest,in particular we wanted to know your ideas for trade-inspired band names such as this one… Ziggy Sawdust! Plus we also had the pub lunch quiz for your chance to grab yourself 6 points - enjoy! Catch Clive On Fix Radio Monday - Thursday 12 PM - 3 PM Across The UK On DAB Radio And Online At https://www.fixradio.co.uk/ 

The Federation of Master Builders is calling for licensing to be introduced for tradespeople, aiming to raise standards and protect both customers and skilled workers. But is this a much-needed step to weed out rogue traders, or just another layer of red tape for businesses already under pressure? Today, we’re asking—would a licensing system improve the industry, or would it make life harder for l...

Construction has come a long way over the centuries and it's always progressing! So today we talked about morden building methods and in particular modular builds. Are they the same standard or just a lazy and cheap way to rush a build? And can they help us hit housing targets or be more sustainable when building?  Today we spoke to Martin Halim from Trident Modular Housing and Lucy Yendell from D...

Health and safety is very prominent in the trade but even with all the safety measures accidents do happen and apparently 95% of tradespeople will get injured during their career but only 40% have injury insurance and even less have health insurance. So today, we talked about Insurance. We asked if you have invested in injury insurance or health insurance? And If not, why not? We were joined by Jo...

Today was Lighthearted Thursday and I wanted to know if it's time to start wearing shorts on site? Is it warm enough to swap a beanie hat for a knee cap? Or do the cold mornings still make you think it's lunacy?  We had a great time reading out all the best texts from you and our good friend Glenn from Play To Measure joined us to tell us when he gets his shorts out. Plus we also had the pub lunch...

A van is arguably the most important tool for every trade - Most tradies would say that when their vans are off the road they are off the job. But how much are you spending to keep your van on the road? Has it gone up? What's costing you more is it Petrol, Insurance or just general maintenance?  And are there any ways you can cut costs but keep working? We were joined by Sean Matthews and David Gr...

With the cost of materials high, running a business in construction might feel a lot harder than it ever did before. And with construction topping the business insolvency table in 2024 it's clear how hard it is to keep your business afloat. So today we talked about insolvency and more importantly how to prevent it!!! I was asking what you’ve done to protect your business. We were joined by Joel Co...

In the trade your reputation is everything both with customers and with your fellow trades people. But would you risk your reputation amongst the industry if you see work that's just not up to standard either after its been done or while its still being completed. Would you confront a cowboy, inform a unsupecting customer or report them to a trade board.  So today, we’re talking about reporting wo...

Today it’s Lighthearted Thursday, and today Clive was asking what’s the most ridiculous thing you've heard on site? Was it something you said? Something a work mate said? Or even something one of your client has said to you? Did you spend the week as the laughing stock on site or do your mates always put their foot in their mouths?! We had a right laugh reading out all the best texts from you. Plu...

It's International Women's day on Saturday - and before you ask, 19th November is International Men’s Day - it’s also Women in Construction Week this week. Tradeswomen play a vital role in making the trade what they are so today we are celebrating everything they do. We’re asking if there are enough women within the trade? We want to know what we can do to encourage more women onto site? And we’re...

Today was Lighthearted Thursday and I wanted to know, if you only had to work 4 days a week what would you do with the extra day - would you start a new hobby, start a passion project or something else? Went through loads of messages from all of you with your own Ideas. Plus we also surprised  Benny with the Wickes effect and of course there's also the pub lunch quiz for your chance to grab yourse...

Today we were discussing how you can boost you're productivity. Boosting productivity isn’t just about working harder. It’s about working smarter! The right systems can transform the way we work, from better time management to streamlining tasks with technology. So today, we’re asking what changes have you made in the last six months to improve your efficiency? Have you introduced new processes, a...

Today I talked about this month marking 5 years since the world shutdown for Covid, But the trades kept going! I asked what you're experience was during lockdown, Were you completly booked up? Were you struggling to get work? How did you find the extra processes? And have they affected the way you work today? I was joined by freinds of the show Dan and Dan to talk about their experiences and takea...

Now it's inevitable that sometimes you’ll have to hire another tradesperson and Clive believes finding the right person for the job can make all the difference. So today, we were asking what do you look for when bringing someone new on board?  What really sets a great tradesperson apart? We were joined by Scott Mullins - CEO of WeFix and Dave Finegan from Elwood Enterprises to discuss how they dec...

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) plays a vital role in shaping the future of the UK’s construction workforce. But with ongoing skills shortages and shifting demands, is the CITB doing enough to meet the sector’s needs? On todays show I talked to Mark Farmer the author of the CITB Review about how he thinks it can be improved and we explored the future of the CITB with CEO Tim Balcon...