More than nine in 10 UK tradespeople experience stress or anxiety as a result of running their business, according to new research commissioned by job management software Powered Now and Installer.
The NOW Report: National Outlook on the Trades Workforce 2026, carried out by independent research company Fusion Insight & Strategy, surveyed 140 heating engineers, plumbers, electricians, builders, and other tradespeople across the UK in June 2026.
The findings show that 93% of respondents experience stress or anxiety linked to running their business, with almost half saying it is a regular occurrence.
Business administration, including preparing quotes, issuing invoices, and chasing payments, takes an average of five hours and 20 minutes each week. Much of this work is completed during evenings and weekends.
The report also found that 52% of respondents had not taken a week’s holiday during the previous 12 months.
Cashflow remains another significant challenge, with respondents reporting an average of £5,901 in unpaid invoices. More than two thirds (67%) say a customer has deliberately delayed or disputed payment.
Benjamin Dyer, CEO and co-founder of Powered Now, comments, “Nobody gets into this business because they love the paperwork; they get into it because they’re good with their hands, because there’s real satisfaction in doing a job well.
“But the craft comes packaged with quoting, invoicing, chasing payments, and a business to run – usually alone, usually after a full day on site.
“The trades are full of people who are proud of what they do but get quietly ground down by everything else.”
Confidence remains despite ongoing challenges
Despite the pressures highlighted in the report, 84% of respondents say they would recommend a career in the trades to a young person, whilst 51% of business owners remain confident about the year ahead.
Powered Now says it has recently introduced an AI Receptionist designed to answer customer calls when tradespeople are working on site, helping to reduce missed enquiries and administrative workloads.
For more from Powered Now, click here.