Why is it tradies don’t want to ask for help when it comes to running their business?
Trade businesses are no different to other businesses. Tradies need help the same as other entrepreneurs, so why are they reticent to ask for help?
One reason might be how the trades are perceived as an industry by teenagers when leaving school, compared to other business owners and entrepreneurs. Tradies are considered blue collar workers, they work out of a ute with their hands. Entrepreneurs are considered white collar workers, they work in an office and work with a computer. Their uniform is described as business attire, while a tradies uniform is described as workwear.
Because of this, I believe that tradies are not perceived as intellectual as other entrepreneurs. The profession of being a tradesman or woman is not regarded in the same way as an accountant or IT professional for instance. Even though the time required to learn a trade is just as long as either of these roles. https://www.lifegag.com/tradies-vs-white-collar-workers/
Maybe this is why tradies, as a generalisation, don’t typically regard themselves as being smart?
Why don’t tradies ask for help?
Tradies, I find, are proud people and do not like to ask for help. They don’t like to be seen as not knowing everything they should when it comes to running their business.
How could they? Tradies are not trained in business; there are no business courses as part of their trade school learning. While typically other professions that train in universities have a compulsory business component to their education.
Perhaps this is why business owners and leaders in other industries and professions do not see asking for help as a weakness. They are willing to hire business consultants and coaches to assist them in areas that they need assistance in. In my blog article on strategic management https://www.thebusinessprophet.com.au/strategic-management/ I talk about a tradie business being no different to any other type of business. Especially when it comes to making sure the basics of good business performance are concerned.
If successful entrepreneurs and business owners who run multiple businesses see the need to have external experts. Perhaps more trade based business owners should also consider how these services might be of use to them also.
