Howdens has announced the launch of its Business Builder initiative to help bridge the skills gap and to empower sole traders.
The national skills shortage is a widely reported and growing challenge, and a real concern for those working in the industry today, with 80% expressing worries about the shortage, and 88% saying more should be done to attract new industry talent, including creating more apprenticeships (74%); more bursaries (58%), changes to the education system (48%) and investment in more training (34%).
Over 40% of tradespeople stated that their business has been affected by the crisis, and established tradespeople have reported the lack of support available in the sector, with 64% of Howdens trade customers calling for more resources to support self-employed tradespeople. Howdens also found that 47% of trades don’t think there is enough existing support for those running their own businesses.
Two thirds of tradespeople (59%) have wished they had peer-to-peer advice and support from other tradespeople when going through work stress, and nearly a third of trades (28%) have wished they had a mentor when experiencing issues when running their own business.
These figures come the results of two survey of Howdens trade customers; one with a sample of 519 in April 2025, and the other with a sample of 521 in May 2025.
In response, and amid the industry-wide skills shortage, Howdens has launched a free online source of information and peer-to-peer tips from established tradespeople to help fellow trades to build and grow their businesses. The Business Builder brings together experts to share insight on finances, how to manage a business, customer acquisition and retention, how to market a small business and more.
Austin Cooke, Managing Director - Trade at Howdens, said, “The national skills shortage has been well-publicised, but we think the industry needs to do more to encourage new sole traders to join it, and more to support tradespeople to build their business skills and grow their business.
"As the UK’s number one trade kitchen supplier, we want to empower new and aspiring sole traders, and further support established tradespeople, to help them grow their businesses as their trusted partners.
“Business Builder reflects our commitment to helping make the industry stronger, upskilled, and more resilient. Whether it’s through practical training, business skills, or simply a place to connect with others, Business Builder is here to support new and growing trade professionals every step of the way – the latest evolution of how we’ve always done business, with tradespeople at the heart.”
Howdens Business Builder covers a range of must-know topics, designed to empower and grow trade businesses. It provides a practical and supportive framework, offering:
Each month, a new topic will be covered, featuring advice from experienced tradespeople who have successfully built their own businesses – as well as tips from industry experts on essential areas like insurance, and legal matters.
In addition to the online content, Howdens will run 12 depot events across the UK, giving tradespeople the chance to drop in, meet industry experts and like-minded tradespeople, and get tailored advice on growing their businesses. These depot events also give tradespeople a chance to meet their local depot team to understand how Howdens can support building their business.
