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The Gazette07 Jul 2026Free to read

The Gazette.

Operator-led notes from running a UK trades platform — market reality, the economics of the no-show, and the quiet ways big software extracts value from small shops.

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Lead Missed Calls

The Call You Miss While You're On the Tools (UK Trades)

Every UK trade loses jobs to a phone that rang while both hands were busy — here's what's actually happening, and what to do about it.

TG The Gazetteestimated 5 minutes to read
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The Call You Miss While You're On the Tools (UK Trades)

Latest dispatches

21 stories
How to Hire Workers for Your Trades Business Legally (UK) [2026]
Legal & Admin

How to Hire Workers for Your Trades Business Legally (UK) [2026]

The bit that stops most trades owners hiring is not finding someone — it is the fear of getting the legal side wrong. Here is the honest map: employed vs subcontractor, CIS, and the employer checklist.

CFCristian Moise, founder06 Jul 2026estimated 9 minutes to read
How Much Does Trades Management Software Cost in the UK? [2026]
Tools & Admin

How Much Does Trades Management Software Cost in the UK? [2026]

The three prices nobody puts on one page: the sticker price, the hidden costs, and the cost of the admin you keep doing yourself. Real numbers, including our own.

CFCristian Moise, founder05 Jul 2026estimated 9 minutes to read
Best Booking Software for UK Electricians [2026]
Tools & Admin

Best Booking Software for UK Electricians [2026]

A straightforward look at what booking and job management software actually needs to do for a UK electrical business — job scheduling, certificates, deposits, and no double-entry — and how the main options compare honestly.

CFCristian Moise, founder02 Jul 2026estimated 8 minutes to read
How to Win More Local Jobs on Google [2026]
Operator notes

How to Win More Local Jobs on Google [2026]

When a homeowner searches for a plumber, electrician, or builder near them, three names appear before any website. Here is how to make yours one of them — the three honest levers that move the needle.

CFCristian Moise, founder30 Jun 2026estimated 7 minutes to read
How to Get More Google Reviews as a Tradesperson [2026]
Operator notes

How to Get More Google Reviews as a Tradesperson [2026]

Most tradespeople do excellent work and then never ask for a review. Here is the exact timing and wording that turns finished jobs into five-star Google reviews — without being pushy or chasing people twice.

CFCristian Moise, founder29 Jun 2026estimated 8 minutes to read
How to Get More Jobs as a UK Tradesperson [2026]
Growth

How to Get More Jobs as a UK Tradesperson [2026]

The most reliable ways a UK trades business gets a steady flow of work — from owning your customer relationships to showing up on Google, without paying for leads you don't control.

CFCristian Moise, founder28 Jun 2026estimated 9 minutes to read
Best Booking & Management Software for UK Trades Businesses [2026]
Tools & Admin

Best Booking & Management Software for UK Trades Businesses [2026]

A straightforward guide to how booking and job management software actually works for UK trades businesses — what to look for, what to ignore, and how to pick the right tool for your size.

CFCristian Moise, founder27 Jun 2026estimated 8 minutes to read
Call Out Charge Template UK Trades: The Exact Wording That Stops Arguments
Pricing

Call Out Charge Template UK Trades: The Exact Wording That Stops Arguments

Arguments about callout charges almost never happen because you charged one. They happen because the customer didn't know. Here's the wording that closes that gap — in three formats, ready to copy.

OAOptiTech Automation26 Jun 2026estimated 3 minutes to read
The Three-Chapter Story Hiding in Every UK Trade Software Review
Market reality

The Three-Chapter Story Hiding in Every UK Trade Software Review

Read enough one-star reviews across UK trade platforms and the same pattern emerges. Understanding it is the most useful thing a trade business owner can do before signing anything.

CMCristian Moise24 Jun 2026estimated 5 minutes to read
How to Handle a Customer Complaint Without Losing the Job (UK Trades Guide)
Operator notes

How to Handle a Customer Complaint Without Losing the Job (UK Trades Guide)

Most complaints that blow up started as a fixable problem nobody addressed in the first 24 hours. Here's the right response — what to say, when to offer a partial refund, and when to stand firm.

CFCristian Moise, founder23 Jun 2026estimated 7 minutes to read
Do I Need a Written Contract for Every Job? UK Sole Trader Guide
Legal & Admin

Do I Need a Written Contract for Every Job? UK Sole Trader Guide

Verbal agreements are legally valid in the UK but almost impossible to enforce in a dispute. Here's when a written confirmation is enough, when you need more, and the four things any job record must include.

CFCristian Moise, founder21 Jun 2026estimated 7 minutes to read
Customer Won't Pay? Here's What to Do as a UK Tradesperson (Step by Step)
Getting Paid

Customer Won't Pay? Here's What to Do as a UK Tradesperson (Step by Step)

A customer refusing to pay is one of the most stressful situations in the trade. Here's the exact sequence — from the first call to a County Court claim — plus what to do before the job so it almost never gets this far.

CFCristian Moise, founder18 Jun 2026estimated 7 minutes to read
Should I Raise My Prices? A UK Tradesperson's Decision Guide for 2026
Pricing & Getting Paid

Should I Raise My Prices? A UK Tradesperson's Decision Guide for 2026

If you haven't put your prices up in 12 months, you've taken a real-terms pay cut. Here's a clear framework for deciding when to raise, by how much, and how to tell existing customers without losing them.

CFCristian Moise, founder16 Jun 2026estimated 7 minutes to read
How Much Should a Tradesman Charge Per Hour in the UK?
Pricing & Getting Paid

How Much Should a Tradesman Charge Per Hour in the UK?

Most UK tradespeople undercharge by 20–40% because they price what feels fair, not what it costs to run a business. Here's how to calculate an hourly rate that covers your real costs, pays you properly, and doesn't scare off the customers you actually want.

CFCristian Moise, founder14 Jun 2026estimated 7 minutes to read
The Economics of the No-Show: What Last-Minute Cancellations Are Actually Costing UK Trades
Money

The Economics of the No-Show: What Last-Minute Cancellations Are Actually Costing UK Trades

A last-minute cancellation feels like bad luck. The numbers say it's structural — and it's fixable with one change made at the moment of booking, before the van ever leaves the yard.

CFCristian Moise, founder11 Jun 2026estimated 10 minutes to read
Renting Leads vs Owning Your Customers: The Hidden Cost of Lead Sites for UK Trades
Rent vs own

Renting Leads vs Owning Your Customers: The Hidden Cost of Lead Sites for UK Trades

Every lead you buy is a customer you rent — then pay for all over again next time they need you. Here's how the lead-directory model quietly keeps UK trades on a treadmill, and what owning your own customers, booking page and data actually looks like.

CFCristian Moise, founder07 Jun 2026estimated 10 minutes to read
Spreadsheets vs a Booking System for Trades: When to Stop Winging It
Tools & Admin

Spreadsheets vs a Booking System for Trades: When to Stop Winging It

There's nothing wrong with a spreadsheet, until it quietly starts costing you jobs, evenings and double-bookings. Here's an honest look at when a spreadsheet is genuinely enough for a UK trades business, and the clear signs it's time to switch.

CFCristian Moise, founder04 Jun 2026estimated 9 minutes to read
How to Get Invoices Paid On Time (UK Trades): End the 9pm Money Chase
Getting Paid

How to Get Invoices Paid On Time (UK Trades): End the 9pm Money Chase

Late payment is the UK's quiet small-business killer, and chasing it eats your evenings. Here's the end-to-end system trades owners use to get invoices paid on time, from the deposit before you start to the final polite nudge that actually works.

CFCristian Moise, founder02 Jun 2026estimated 12 minutes to read
Xero vs a Job Management System: Do UK Trades Need Both?
Tools & Admin

Xero vs a Job Management System: Do UK Trades Need Both?

If you've got Xero, do you still need a booking and job system, or is that paying twice? Here's a straight comparison of what each one is for, where they overlap, and when a UK trades business genuinely needs both.

CFCristian Moise, founder29 May 2026estimated 9 minutes to read
Should I Charge a Callout Fee on Small Jobs? A UK Trades Owner's Decision Guide-
Pricing & Getting Paid

Should I Charge a Callout Fee on Small Jobs? A UK Trades Owner's Decision Guide-

A callout fee filters out time-wasters and pays for your van time, but get it wrong and you lose good jobs to the firm down the road. Here's a no-nonsense framework for deciding whether to charge one on small jobs, and how to present it so customers say yes.

CFCristian Moise, founder27 May 2026estimated 10 minutes to read
How to Take a Deposit Before a Job (UK Trades)
Getting Paid

How to Take a Deposit Before a Job (UK Trades)

Most UK trades owners know a deposit would cut no-shows and protect the diary, but worry it looks pushy or breaks the rules. Here's the plain-English, legally-aware way to start taking deposits before a job, the day you read this.

CFCristian Moise, founder25 May 2026estimated 11 minutes to read
From the editor

We started The Gazette for one reason: the trades are the most under-served corner of UK software, and the loudest voices in the room are the ones selling lock-in.

So this is the other side. What the numbers actually say, what a fair deal looks like, and what we’re learning building in the open — published only when there’s something worth your time.

EST.2026UK
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