the construction industry has the highest rate of suicides than any other profession.
We simply aren’t provided with the adequate help, support and guidance that we need in order to tackle the stresses related to building and running a successful construction business. There are no free services or guidance for tradespeople in our time of need. Existing help only costs us more money, which only exacerbates the issue
This statistic from ONS isn’t surprising in the least, especially not to anyone with experience working as a tradesperson. Tradespeople such as myself encounter a plethora of issues on a daily basis, mostly stemming from a negative work environment, and something needs to be done - fast.
Firstly, let’s address what those main issues are. Essentially, there are two problems. Tradespeople within the UK are vastly under-appreciated and are often met with suspicion, thanks to the minority of “rogue traders” in the business giving the rest of us a bad name. It also doesn’t help that tradespeople are often undervalued, and the culture of “pulling a fast one” has become so ingrained into consumers that they are often unwilling to pay what we would consider “fair” prices, as they don’t understand the market.
These issues play into the negative market environment that tradesmen and women are forced into, with consumers sometimes being less than appreciative, and sometimes downright insulting to our profession, while making it harder to earn a good living from what we love.
When our entire profession exists to serve the wellbeing of our customers, it can be a difficult pill to swallow. When their boiler breaks down, we’re there to help. When their roof is leaking, we’re there to help. When they need more space to accommodate new family members, we’re there to help. But, who’s there to help us?
Thankfully, things are now about to change with my vision starting with creating a NEW environment for consumers and tradespeople allowing both parties to show their appreciation by providing each other with a recommendation for everybody to see.