[CarolP]

Congratulations - My husband manages a plumbing business - although he is not on the tools anymore. Oh - and his tradies do turn up on time.

The one thing about plumbers (and tradies) is the risk that they carry compared to some other industries. Sign a certificate and it has to be upheld for 7 years from the date it was completed. See a good accountant and set up the right structures in to begin with and protect your assets. Document everything - you never know when you will have the plumbing commission breathing down your neck to fix something that you did not do.

Also - it is hard to get profitable business with builders as they operate on low margins. Set good structures in place for the products you supply and build margin in the products rather than the hourly rate.

Also - if dealing with builders, find out the about security of payments legistation. This will protect you in the event of non-payment and builders going bust. We have seen lots of plumbers go bust because they havent utilised this legislation or understand but it will protect you and ensure you are first in line to get paid. Cash flow is king.

Cheers
Carol