By Malcolm Richards, 

CEO, Master Electricians Australia in Circuit Magazine.

If we knew the future, running a business would be a whole lot less stressful.

Over the last few years a sparkie has gone from being the tradie who installed power points and light fittings in a house; to being the expert who knows about solar PV panels, clean energy, smart house technology and so much more.

This is what our customers increasingly expect of us. We are the experts, and they need our expertise to cut through the noise.

If you operate an electrical contracting business, it’s often difficult to stay up to date with the latest innovations and stay abreast of where the industry is heading. That’s the key driver for the launch of the Clean Energy and Smart Technology Trade Show that will be traveling across Australia from March to July this year.

You will have the opportunity to hear from manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, and leaders in the industry.  It’s an opportunity to learn about the latest products and the opportunities for electrical contractors.

REGISTER TO ATTEND THE MEA TRADE SHOW NEAREST YOU

As we move towards a more sustainable future, the demand for clean energy and smart technology solutions continues to grow. This trend is especially apparent in our industry, where changes in consumer demand is creating new exciting new opportunities and challenges.

But setting your business up for the future is only one side of the success equation. The other part is understanding your business costs and the inputs you need to consider when setting your business charge out rate.

We will also be covering this content at the trade shows.  I’ll be presenting the results and insights from MEA’s Benchmark and Charge-Out Rate Survey.

Hundreds of contractors from across the country responded to the survey, answering questions about how their business handled the challenges 2022 presented, and the charge out rates they’ve set for their business. This information is then de-identified and aggregated, allowing me to share the trends, by sector with you. Let’s be clear, MEA does not set charge out rates, this can only be done by you based on your individual business costs. However, we can share the past industry trends and the tools to help you create a charge out rate that delivers the margin you need to run a profitable business.

It is a snapshot into where our industry is at, and how electrical contractors are dealing with the hurdles. What types of work are thriving across the board, and what is struggling.

In addition, there will also be a discussion on the changes to the important Standard AS/NZS 3017 Electrical installations – verification guidelines.

2023 is going to be another year of change. Take advantage of these free trade shows to make sure your aware of business opportunities, innovation, and changes to our Standards.