The plumbing business is a challenging one to get into. There are a lot of requirements, a lot of rules, one bad move and you could flood the floor. Congratulations on choosing the road to success! Let’s learn about all of the steps needed to start a plumbing business.

We will explain how to start a business even with a small investment, how to make it all work, and the different types of work you can do in the plumbing business. You'll also learn how to get customers for your business in a specific area.

Becoming your own boss is a great feeling. After completing your apprenticeship, you have to spend a couple of years saving up and honing your abilities. Only then should you prepare to start your business.

1. RPL Qualification
2. Business Structure
3. Trade Licensing
4. Insurance
5. Marketing
6. Industry Association

RPL Qualification for Plumbing

The recognition of prior learning is the absolute first thing you need to start your business. Once you have two to three years of official or hands-on experience, you will be able to acquire an RPL certification. There is a long process of getting yourself qualified for RPL by multiple companies in Australia that get you qualified with ease.

Educube is an RPL qualifier company, serving students for ten long years. Serving the tradie community is their specialty. With the help of Educube, anyone can get certified within two to three weeks. You will need Certificate III in Plumbing course. Once you have that, then you can move towards the next step.

Business Structure

There are four ways you can structure a plumbing business. The most popular ones are

1. Company
2. Partnership
3. Sole Trader
4. Family Trust

Decide which type of business structure suits your needs. An accountant would be able to help you decide on that matter.

Trade Licensing for Plumbers

Once you have acquired the pre-requisite course of Certificate III in Plumbing, you will be eligible for the next course. The Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services can act as your builders license. Educube can get you licensed within mere weeks. Your trade licensing will be based on your business structure.

Depending on which state you want to conduct your business in, you will need a license applicable for that state. If you want to avoid all these hassles, seek the help of Educube. They assess your current situation and will provide all the solutions based on your preferences.

Insurance for Plumbing Business

As a plumber, you will be exposed to tons of risks on the job. You can cause personal injury or to an employee or the property owner, so many things can go wrong. Thus, insurance is mandatory for license holders. You will need public liability insurance. It covers any property damage, personal or third-party injuries.

A self-employed plumber usually opts in for income protection insurance. This insurance replaces a large amount of your income for a specific time when you can't work due to injury or sickness.

Plumbing Marketing

Yes, marketing is quite expensive. Many plumbing businesses know little to nothing about marketing, yet they are supposed to be doing it. So, how does one market their company without being a marketing expert?

The truth is, marketing is not rocket science; it's just all about exposing your business to a specific target audience which might result in sales. Follow our step-by-step guide to having a glimpse. These can be divided into two types of marketing.

Offline Marketing

Yes, offline marketing still works to this day. Though it might be expensive, it is super focused on a specific area.

1. Set up your branding 
2. Implement Local marketing
3. Share flyers on target audience locations
4. Print and wear branded T-shirts
5. Use branded vehicles
6. Get featured on local tv channels and radio
7. Publish Tv ads

Digital Marketing

In this age of technology, if you don’t do digital marketing, you will fall behind. If you analyse your competitors, you will realize every single business is implementing digital marketing. Big companies spend thousands of dollars per month for good ROI.

1. Set up a website with a blog
2. Implement SEO Strategies on the site
3. Get featured on popular local blogs
4. Set aside a monthly budget for Google ads
5. Set aside a monthly budget for Facebook ads

Plumber Industry Associations

It is pretty common among the plumbers to become a member of an industry association like Master Plumbers. Depending on the state you are in or conducting businesses, you will need to get a master plumbers membership based on that state. The main benefits lie in gaining credibility, access to a plumber community, and using the master plumber's name and logo.

Following these steps will get you started with your business. And one more step toward your dream. The plumbing industry is a 16-billion-dollar industry. Capturing even a fraction of it would mean financial freedom for you. So, stop wasting time, grab a cup of coffee and start your journey to success.