Building a Skilled Trade Business in Today's Market with Brian Hamilton
With Brian Hamilton · Founder, LiveSwitch
Hosted by Andrew Brown · April 22, 2025
Host Andrew Brown sits down with serial entrepreneur and LiveSwitch founder Brian Hamilton to unpack what it really takes to succeed when starting a trades business.
Host Andrew Brown sits down with serial entrepreneur and LiveSwitch founder Brian Hamilton to unpack what it really takes to succeed when starting a trades business. Brian shares real stories—from mentoring an ex-inmate contractor to lessons learned from running multi-million dollar tech and service companies.
This episode is packed with contractor business advice, deep reflections on skilled trades entrepreneurship, and no-nonsense talk about pricing for tradespeople and providing exceptional trade business customer service. Whether you're a plumber, electrician, carpenter, or HVAC tech, this one’s for you.
Key Takeaways.
01
The trades are a mission, not just a job.
02
Passion for craftsmanship and problem-solving is what separates great tradespeople from good ones.
03
You need more than skills—you need systems.
04
Running a business takes financial literacy, contractor business advice, and self-discipline.
05
Customer service is your brand.
06
Showing up on time and doing what you say you will do is the heart of effective trade business customer service.
07
Start small, price smart.
08
When starting a trades business, don't be afraid to take smaller jobs with the right margin—master pricing for tradespeople early.
Meet Brian Hamilton.
Brian Hamilton is the founder of LiveSwitch and Inmates to Entrepreneurs, with a decades-long career spanning tech startups and skilled trades entrepreneurship. A passionate advocate for contractors, tradespeople, and second chances, Brian helps aspiring entrepreneurs turn grit into growth using actionable, real-world insights.
His mission? Empower people through small business ownership, especially in the trades industry.
