Nearly all tradespeople who run their own businesses are struggling with stress or anxiety, according to new research published ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October
The NOW Report 2026, produced by job management software firm Powered Now, found that 93 per cent of business owners and self-employed tradespeople feel stressed or anxious as a result of running their company, with 45 per cent experiencing the mental health problems regularly.
The research found that admin and money concerns are the main causes, rather than the work itself.
Tradespeople who handle their own admin spend an average of 5 hours 20 minutes a week on it, with 29 per cent setting aside more than seven hours for it. Nearly two thirds (62 per cent), meanwhile, complete admin tasks in the evenings and 43 per cent at weekends.
More than a third (37 per cent) regularly do admin late at night or at weekends that they “wish they could avoid”. More than half (55 per cent) believe they have “definitely or probably” lost a job because a quote went out too slowly.
On average, tradespeople are owed £5,901 in unpaid invoices, and 26 per cent are owed more than £10,000. Two thirds (67 per cent) claimed to have had a customer deliberately delay payment, dispute an invoice unfairly or try to avoid paying. Half have been ignored by a customer after finishing a job, and 60 per cent have written off money because chasing it felt like too much hassle.
The report also found that only 48 per cent of business owners surveyed had taken a week’s holiday in the past year where they “fully switched off”.
Benjamin Dyer, CEO and co-founder of Powered Now, said: “Tradespeople aren’t stressed about the work. They’re stressed about everything around it. You finish on site, get home, and then the other shift starts: quotes, invoices and chasing money. We can’t keep treating that as just part of being self-employed.”
Despite the pressure, 84 per cent of those surveyed would still recommend the trades as a career to a young person.
Powered Now is encouraging tradespeople to check in on each other this week, and to point anyone who is struggling towards support. Samaritans can be reached free on 116 123 at any time, and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity supports people working in the trades.
For more from Powered Now, click here.
