Member Article

Promising start to 2016 for UK tradesmen

2016 has got off to an encouraging start for UK tradespeople as they declare revenues are up, according to new research.

IronmongeryDirect’s Annual Industry Review, which was compiled to gain a snapshot of the construction industry, found that 61% of trade professionals expect their business’s revenue to increase in 2016.

When asked the reasons why, tradespeople stated it was because they already had a lot of work pre-booked for 2016, they are now witnessing an increase in enquiries and demand; and that the market and economy is strong, especially in the house-building sector.

The majority of tradespeople said they were busy and as a result their job waiting lists were getting longer. Only 11% said they could take on a job straight away, with 22% saying they would be able to start a job in 1-2 weeks, and 29% of tradespeople saying their waiting lists were around 3-4 weeks. 17% said their waiting lists were around 5-7 weeks and a large percentage, 21%, said they would be able to start a job in more than eight weeks’ time.

To cope with the increase in demand, 24% of tradespeople said they expect to take on more staff and apprentices this year.

The report revealed that tradespeople are very optimistic about their work, with a significant 91% saying they expect 2016 will be a good year for business. What’s more, 91% also reported being very happy in their jobs.

The study of 600 tradespeople, conducted by IronmongeryDirect, was undertaken to gain an insight into what the industry has been like for trade professionals in 2015 and what predictions this holds for the industry in 2016.

Wayne Lysaght-Mason, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “It’s fantastic to see that 2016 has started out as a good year for tradespeople and that revenues are expected to increase even further.

“With so many tradespeople expecting 2016 to be a positive year for business, we are focused on supporting them where we can. It’s really important that tradespeople are able to order and receive the products they need to complete a job quickly and easily. As a result, we have just introduced a seven-day a week delivery service so tradespeople can now receive goods on a Sunday, helping them to maximise their working week and be prepared for any job.”

For more information visit http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/industry-review

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ursula Hutchinson .