UpScale - Build your profitable Trade and Construction business

Are you hiring to keep up, or hiring to grow? In this episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Erina and Riley break down one of the most common dilemmas trade business owners face: knowing when the timing is right to bring on a new team member.Need help growing your business? Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business @upscalebusinesscoachingBook a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcastHear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/Live Coaching Events 2026:https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-eventsRiley shares his take from an operations perspective, looking at how efficiently a current team is working and whether billable hours are being maximised before pulling the trigger on a new hire. Erina flips it around with a firsthand story from the early days of UpScale, when getting an office before it felt "necessary" completely changed the way the business was taken seriously from day one.Together they cover the real cost of hiring too soon (or too late), why your onboarding process can make or break a great new hire, and how to use lead generation as a lever to fill capacity rather than scramble to find it after the fact.You'll also hear about a client who hired two people at once because he couldn't choose between them, then worked harder than ever to justify it. Spoiler: it paid off, but it's not a strategy for everyone.In this episode you'll learn:How to know if your team actually has capacity before you hire, the difference between hiring reactively versus proactively, why onboarding is just as important as the hire itself, a simple formula for calculating lead generation hours based on team size, and how to build a hiring system so good it works every time you scale.Whether you are a solo tradie thinking about your first hire or a trade business owner with a growing team, this one is worth a listen.Connect with your hosts:Erina: https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/Riley: https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/We've got the tools you need to scale your business, automate, hire, and delegate. Book your call with our team to talk strategy and learn more about our program.A note from the UpScale Team: This year, we are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, a charity providing free mental health support to tradies and blue collar workers. If you want to cheer us on or chip in, you can find our fundraising page here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026Follow UpScale Business Coaching:Daily content for trade businesses on Instagram: @upscalebusinesscoachingBook a free session with our Growth Specialist: upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcastWatch tips and insights on YouTube: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtubeFind out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: upscale-coaching.com/application-podcastHear from tradies who have done it: upscalecoaching.com.au/success-storiesLive Coaching Events 2026: upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-eventsCapacity For Growth: When Should You Hire in Your Trade Business?

Why Most Trade Business Owners Are Leaving Work on the TableIf you're waiting for the phone to ring, you're already behind. In this episode, Mitch and Jason sit down fresh off the UpScale Live Tour across Australia and New Zealand to unpack one of the biggest differences they keep seeing between tradies who are growing fast and those who are stuck: cold outreach.Need help growing your business? Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business @upscalebusinesscoachingBook a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcastHear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/Live Coaching Events 2026:https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-eventsThey break down why most trade business owners avoid it (hint: it's the same reason you don't talk to strangers at the bar), what actually happens when you stay consistent with it, and why the first conversation was never supposed to get you the job anyway.You'll also hear about the "ten before ten" challenge that one Gold Coast tradie used to land $700 worth of work in his very first week, and why the UpScale members' room looks so different from the room full of tradies who haven't started coaching yet.In this episode Mitch and Jason cover:Why cold outreach feels uncomfortable and how to get over it fastWalk ins vs phone calls vs emails and which one actually worksHow often to follow up and when to back offWhat questions to ask during a discovery conversation to understand what really matters to your clientWhy pricing is rarely the reason you lose a jobHow to build a simple nurture sequence that keeps you front of mind without eating your whole weekWhether you're an electrician, plumber, carpenter, or any other trade business owner trying to build a steadier pipeline of work, this one is worth a listen.Drop your "ten before ten" results in the comments. The UpScale team wants to hear how you go.Hosted by Mitch Van Bergen (@mitchvan_ https://www.instagram.com/mitchvan_/) and Erina Roxx (@erinaroxx https://www.instagram.com/erinaroxx/)🏃 Big news: this year the UpScale team are lacing up for the Gold Coast Marathon to raise funds for TIACS, a charity providing free mental health support to tradies and blue collar workers. If you want to cheer them on or chip in, you can find their fundraiser here: https://fundraise.tiacs.org/fundraisers/upscalegoldcoastmarathon2026Want to see the UpScale team live? Check out upcoming events at https://www.upscale-coaching.com/upscale-live-events

Running a trade business comes with pressure, responsibility, and big decisions every day. But according to Dave and Geggs, one thing holds back the majority of business owners more than anything else: fear.Download our Free Tradie Pricing Calculator: https://upscale-coaching.com/pricing-calc-podcast-v1Need help growing your business? Follow us on IG for daily Content for your Trade Business @upscalebusinesscoachingBook a free session with our Growth Specialist: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/schedule-podcast⁠Watch insights and tips on YouTube: ⁠upscale-coaching.com/upscale-youtube⁠Find out where your business stands with our Tradie Quiz: ⁠https://upscale-coaching.com/application-podcastHear from tradies who’ve done it, and learn what it really takes to grow a successful trade business. https://www.upscalecoaching.com.au/success-stories/Running a trade business comes with pressure, responsibility, and big decisions every day. But according to Dave and Geggs, one thing holds back the majority of business owners more than anything else: fear.In this episode, Dave (coach) and Geggs (Head of Sales) dive into the real conversations they’re having every day with trade business owners at all stages of their journey. From new business owners trying to get off the ground to established operators looking to scale, they see the same patterns again and again.They break down why so many business owners hesitate to take the next step, the common fears that stop people from growing their business, and how those fears quietly affect decisions around hiring, pricing, marketing, and leadership.More importantly, they share practical ways trade business owners can move past those mental roadblocks and start making decisions with confidence. If you’ve ever felt stuck, second-guessed a big decision, or held back from pushing your business further, this conversation will hit close to home.This episode is packed with honest insights from the front lines of the trade industry and offers a fresh perspective on what it actually takes to grow a successful trade business.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why many trade business owners hesitate when growth opportunities appearThe most common fears holding business owners backHow mindset affects hiring, leadership, and scaling a businessPractical ways to move forward even when uncertainty is highIf you're a plumber, electrician, builder, landscaper, or trade business owner looking to grow your business and lead with more confidence, this episode is for you.