The AI Tradesman

Everyone's asking the wrong question. Is AI going to take your job? For most tradespeople and small business owners, the answer is no. But the person using AI effectively might. In this episode, I explain why AI is becoming another tool in the toolbox rather than a replacement for skilled people, and how sole traders can start using it today to save time, improve customer service and grow their bu...

Episode 7 – The £10,000 Episode If someone handed you £10,000 and said, "You can only invest this in your business," what would you do? A new van? Better tools? Or something else entirely? In this episode of The AI Tradesman, I explore the difference between buying and investing, and why the best investments often aren't the most obvious ones. Drawing on my own experience of running an estate agen...

Most tradesmen and small business owners think they have a lead problem. "I'm not getting enough enquiries." "If I could just get more leads, everything would be fine." But what if that's not the real problem? In this episode of The AI Tradesman, Rick explores why many businesses don't need more leads until they stop losing the ones they already have. Using the simple "Leaky Bucket" analogy, Rick...

In this episode of The AI Tradesman, Rick reflects on 35 years of watching technology transform the way we live and work. From leaving the Army in 1990 with no mobile phone and no internet, to a world where customers can now ask AI to recommend a local tradesman, one thing remains constant: Customer behaviour changes. Human nature doesn't. People still want to save time, save money, and make good...

Most business owners don't read terms and conditions. Not because we're lazy. Because we're busy and Ts & Cs are boring, long and written in legalese. In this episode of The AI Tradesman, I explain how a simple email from Google about a trial ending made me realise just how many subscriptions and contracts most of us have running quietly in the background. I show you how to use free AI tools s...

In this episode of The AI Tradesman, I talk about one of the biggest problems facing tradesmen and local service businesses — losing enquiries because nobody responds quickly enough. I explain the concept of "Speed to Lead", share a few lessons from my own window cleaning business, and discuss why being first to respond often matters more than being the cheapest. Download my free guide: https://gu...

In Episode 2 of The AI Tradesman Podcast, Rick explains the biggest mistake most people make when using AI — treating it like Google instead of giving it proper context. Using real-world examples from his own window cleaning business, Rick shows how tools like ChatGPT can help tradesmen and small business owners handle awkward customer emails, save time, reduce stress, and communicate better witho...

In Episode 2 of The AI Tradesman Podcast, Rick explains the biggest mistake most people make when using AI — treating it like Google instead of giving it proper context. Using real-world examples from his own window cleaning business, Rick shows how tools like ChatGPT can help tradesmen and small business owners handle awkward customer emails, save time, reduce stress, and communicate better witho...

In the very first episode of The AI Tradesman Podcast, Rick shares the real reason he started paying attention to AI — after losing customers in his window cleaning business simply because he didn’t reply quickly enough. This isn’t a tech podcast for Silicon Valley programmers. It’s a practical, honest look at how AI can help tradesmen, self-employed people and small businesses save time, respond...