Resources

Getting started

Going self-employed, what to register, how to price and quote.

• Going self-employed as a tradesperson: a UK starter guide
  Thinking of going self-employed as a tradesperson in the UK? The practical steps — registering, insurance, pricing, getting your first customers — in plain English.
• Sole-trader tax & admin for UK trades: the plain-English guide
  Self Assessment, the trading allowance, VAT, National Insurance and Making Tax Digital for UK sole-trader tradespeople — what you owe, when, and how to keep it simple. Figures as of June 2026.
• How to get more work as a tradesperson (without buying leads)
  Practical, no-nonsense ways to win more of the jobs you quote for as a UK tradesperson — from referrals and reviews to your online presence — without handing your margin to lead-gen sites.

Compliance

Certificates, insurance, Making Tax Digital: what applies and when.

• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: the deadline for sole traders, and what to have ready
  When Making Tax Digital for Income Tax starts for sole traders, who it applies to first, what digital records you need to keep, and what Tradelynx Books does and does not do today.
• Do I need an EICR? Electrical safety certificates explained
  What an EICR is, who needs one, how much it costs, and what happens if your property fails the inspection.

Business growth

Marketing, reviews, customers who come back, and what the directories really cost.

• Is Checkatrade worth it in 2026? An honest look for tradespeople
  A balanced, factual look at whether Checkatrade is worth it for UK tradespeople in 2026 — how it charges, who it suits, and what to weigh up before you commit.
• We don't charge you to work
  Tradelynx has set its marketplace commission to 0% and folded LabourLynx into Pro. Here's the thinking: traders aren't a commodity, and a platform that only exists because you bring the work shouldn't charge you for the privilege.
• How to find a reliable plumber without wasting time
  Practical advice on finding a trustworthy plumber in the UK — what to look for, what to avoid, and how to shortcut the process.

Tools and records

The property logbook, digital job records, and what the home-buying reforms mean for you.

• Property logbooks for tradespeople: what they are and why they matter
  What a property logbook is, why UK home-buying reform is pushing them, and what it means for tradespeople — your recorded work becoming part of a home's permanent record.
• Digital job records for trades: why they're worth the habit
  Why keeping digital records of your work pays off for UK tradespeople — warranties, repeat work, disputes, and the property logbooks home-buying reform is pushing — and how to do it without the admin.
• What the 2026 home-buying reforms mean for tradesmen
  The UK's June 2026 home-buying and selling reforms push digital property logbooks and upfront information. Here's what that shift means for tradespeople — in plain English.

More from the journal

• Founding traders: what priority routing actually is
• The question we ask before adding any AI
• Day labour, without the grey areas
• Property DNA: a history, not a folder
• What a portfolio view should tell you
• Sales-ready before you list
• What Tradelynx costs a trader, in full
• EPC coverage: what we check, and what we cannot
• Planned maintenance when the data is patchy
• Who can see your property record
• Why unverified work is excluded from risk signals
• Getting verified: what we check, and who checks it
• The location data hidden in your photos
• Renters' Rights readiness, for letting agents
• The insurance check that stops work
• What your Property Health score is measuring
• One trader at a time, and why we do not broadcast
• Why we grade evidence instead of saying verified
• What we shipped, and one thing we got wrong
• Awaab's Law: what the clock actually requires
• The compliance dates that catch landlords out
• Material Information, and where listings get caught out
• Knowing what is due before it is due
• Proof of your work, without more paperwork
• What a service history is worth when you sell
• See Tradelynx for yourself — a day in the life, no sign-up
• The Trades Industry Doesn’t Have a Lead Problem. It Has a Trust Problem.
• How much does a boiler service cost in 2026?