Marketingfortradesmenfrance

Marketingfortradesmenfrance The trades are the backbone of our economy, yet most trade owners are working themselves into the ground. I’m here to change that. But he knows it is important.

Why work with me

I am Micala Willkins, I am married to an electrician and have been marketing his business for the last 10 years since our feet touched French soil back in 2012. He has never been without enquiries. And he also never has time to market his business. This is a theme I hear from many other tradespeople. I totally appreciate that. Like many other tradespeople, when you come home, the

day is not always done. You have calls to catch up on, emails to catch up on, quotes to research and prepare and distribute. Make sure the money is coming in, chase up delaying payers. Marketing is often the last thing on your mind. I know, it is the last thing that is on my husband's mind. But it is constantly on mine, as I also manage the back office of his business. I know what business needs to be generated in order to make sure all costs are met. Even when the diary is busy, he still receives enquiries. It is much better to maintain consistent awareness than to stop advertising or the promotion of your business because you have work on. It is much easier to manage a workload while still promoting than having gaps in the diary and in your bank account and building up a 'presence/reputation' over and over again. Marketing needs to be consistent and not just when you have work is running dry. I too have been self-employed in France for 10 years and am also the face behind . So I bring to the table a mix of marketing, managing and running two businesses and an understanding of the challenges faced by the self-employed. If marketing your business is an area that you need help with, then let's have a chat. I am honest and affordable and a typical builder's brew tea drinker!!

Never ever have I had a bowl of ice cream mid afternoon, but 40degree plus temps calls for cooling measures 🍦
22/06/2026

Never ever have I had a bowl of ice cream mid afternoon, but 40degree plus temps calls for cooling measures 🍦

Every experienced tradesperson has a story that starts with the words..."I knew I shouldn't have taken that job."Funny t...
22/06/2026

Every experienced tradesperson has a story that starts with the words...

"I knew I shouldn't have taken that job."

Funny thing is, the problems rarely start halfway through the project.

They were there from the first phone call.
The customer who questioned everything.
The one who complained about every previous tradesperson.
The one who wanted your best price before they even knew what they wanted.
The one who made you feel uneasy, but you ignored it because the diary wasn't full.

We call it "gut instinct."

In reality, it's experience talking.

Your brain has seen these patterns before.

Learning to trust those signals isn't being picky.

It's protecting your time, your business, your reputation and your peace of mind.
Sometimes the most profitable decision you'll make all week is the quote you politely decline.

💬 What's the biggest lesson your gut has ever taught you about a customer? Was there a moment you ignored the warning signs... and promised yourself, "Never again"? Share your story below, you never know who it might help.

The trade business that survives probably had to adapt before it had to. Adapting under pressure is survival.Adapting be...
15/06/2026

The trade business that survives probably had to adapt before it had to.

Adapting under pressure is survival.
Adapting before the pressure arrives is strategy.
The difference is timing.

The signs are usually there:
• Revenue is growing, but profitability isn't
• Cash is flowing through the business, but not staying in it
• The numbers don't quite match the effort being put in

Business owners who keep an eye on these signs have options.
Those who ignore them often find themselves making decisions in a scramble.

Trade businesses that last are usually led by owners who know their numbers, pay attention to what their numbers are telling them, and look ahead before change becomes unavoidable.

Sometimes adapting isn't about working harder. It's about making changes before circumstances force your hand.

That's exactly what we did in our trade business when we migrated from EIRL to EURL.

Our advisor has written a case study on the process and the reasons behind the decision. If you're at a similar stage in your business journey, it may give you some food for thought and help you make decisions before they become urgent.

The link to our story is in the comments section 👇

Most tradespeople learn their trade exceptionally well. Very few are taught how to run a business.You are a self-employ...
11/06/2026

Most tradespeople learn their trade exceptionally well. Very few are taught how to run a business.

You are a self-employed tradesperson here in France. You probably hit the ground running. Get word out, get work in, start building. What is often overlooked is how much time and energy the operational side of the business starts to consume.

We do what we think is best to get by; weeks turn into months. Months turn into years. Yes, a consistent amount of work comes in; there’s money in the bank. It’s comfortable. But at some point you start to think, am I pricing my work correctly? How do I know if the work is profitable? You start to feel that things are slipping. You start to feel overwhelmed. Those early days, where everything felt and seemed simple enough, are no longer serving you or your business. You are then a few years in. Starting to feel tired, physically from being on the tools and mentally tired, because the ‘operational’ side has become a beast that you have not tamed.

That’s not failure. That’s a training gap.

The funny thing is, the answer often isn't working harder.

It's putting a few simple processes in place that help you feel back in control.
Working on the tools is tough, and many of us need to see it through to retirement.

If you feel that operational side of your business has become a beast that needs to be tamed, let’s have a chat.

I have been in our trade business for 14 years and know firsthand the pressure this can create, but also know what your business might need so you feel more in control of it.

Two things that I am proud of in our trade business. Keeping an eye on the numbers + protecting cash flowFor now, I wi...
09/06/2026

Two things that I am proud of in our trade business. Keeping an eye on the numbers + protecting cash flow

For now, I will share with you why I am so hot on our numbers.

Right from the early days, I kept Excel spreadsheets for every single customer [materials/costing and labour]. I kept a spreadsheet to tally what each of these jobs amounted to – which was extremely useful when we breached ME thresholds.

We moved to EIRL, I continued tracking everything.

I looked at how much the business and household were costing us each month, each year, and when it’s past 60K+ you want to make sure that every euro is covered! Rather than think s**t that’s a lot of money to make, I broke it down into quarters. Still a lot of money but less menacing.

When I started looking at the profitability of each job, that's when things got interesting. Despite having a healthy sum left in the bank at the end of the year, not every job was profitable. It was only when I looked at past jobs that it became glaringly obvious that some jobs didn’t cover those daily overheads!! So I looked at our business costs in more detail. I looked at what wasn’t being accounted for and immediately changed our pricing.

And you know what, I am very glad we did, because 2025 was a year that we could have gone under!

Yes, you read that right. 𝗪𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥.

Last year when hubby had an arrêt de travail, we returned a customer's deposit and URSSAF decided they wanted another 6,000€ - all within two months.

Fortunately, we had work on the calendar when he returned, and a new monthly cotisation bill of 3,500euros! But each new enquiry was treated with the new financial mindset. And boy, it paid off! Because if we had not, I dread to think where we would have been now.

An unexpected turn of events can have a huge impact on a trade business.
What feels like stable terra firma can actually turn out to be like quicksand.

You have to keep an eye on your numbers. You have to have an eye on the horizon.

𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲Some might see paperwork as bureaucracy.Professionals see it as leverage.Good do...
08/06/2026

𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲
Some might see paperwork as bureaucracy.
Professionals see it as leverage.

Good documentation:
• protects profit
• prevents disputes
• improves scheduling
• reveals inefficiencies
• creates repeatable quoting
• increases perceived legitimacy

Clear quotes alone elevate a business dramatically

Customers notice:
• scope clarity
• exclusions
• timelines
• payment stages
• guarantee terms
• communication quality

𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱.

👋 Who else feels like running a trade business can be surprisingly lonely sometimes? You're expected to know:✔ how to ...
02/06/2026

👋 Who else feels like running a trade business can be surprisingly lonely sometimes? You're expected to know:
✔ how to quote
✔ how to market
✔ how to manage customers
✔ how to handle cash flow
✔ how to run a business

Most tradespeople were never taught that part.
That's why TradePOD exists. https://www.facebook.com/groups/tradepodresourcedepot

A community for tradespeople and the people behind trade businesses to share ideas, challenges, lessons and wins.

Because sometimes the biggest breakthrough is simply talking to someone who's facing the same challenges as you.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲? We hear the phrase "one man and his dog", but in the ...
02/06/2026

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲? We hear the phrase "one man and his dog", but in the world of trades, it's often "one man and his van"!

Your work vehicle isn't just a means of transport. It's the lifeblood of your business. Without it, getting the job done becomes a whole lot harder.

I've known tradespeople to be without their work vehicle not just for days, but for weeks. I recently chatted with a local tradesman in the supermarket who was clearly frustrated at being without his van. It needed a part that took weeks to arrive, and he found himself constantly moving tools into the family car, arranging lifts to site, and juggling work around the needs of the household. When you live in a rural area with little or no public transport, that's a real challenge.

We know only too well what it means to have a vehicle off the road. Ours recently gave up the ghost and ended up in the big scrapyard in the sky. To make matters worse, it happened right in the middle of our business migration from EIRL to EURL, meaning we're currently unable to apply for finance for a replacement vehicle... yet!

Fortunately, we've been able to access a temporary work vehicle. Had that not been possible, our business would have been in a very difficult position.

It got me thinking... Sometimes the biggest risks to our businesses aren't the ones we think about every day.

• How long could your business operate without your van?
• Do you have access to a backup vehicle if yours is off the road?
• Could you continue servicing your customers without disrupting jobs?
• Would losing your vehicle cost you income, customers, or both?
• If your van was written off tomorrow, how quickly could you replace it?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘂𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? 𝗜'𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸. 👇

Things I have successfully done:✓ Obtained original certificates✓ Had them professionally translated✓ Filed everything t...
01/06/2026

Things I have successfully done:
✓ Obtained original certificates
✓ Had them professionally translated
✓ Filed everything together

Things I have not successfully done:
✗ Remembered where I put them

A masterclass in completing 95% of a task.

There comes a point in adulthood when you realise that "putting something somewhere safe" and "losing it completely" are occasionally the same thing.

Today is apparently that day for me. 🙃

🚐🔧 New Month. New Week. New Monday.Most people see Monday as the start of another work week.Self-employed tradespeople k...
01/06/2026

🚐🔧 New Month. New Week. New Monday.

Most people see Monday as the start of another work week.
Self-employed tradespeople know it's something else entirely.

It's a fresh set of jobs to complete.
A fresh chance to impress customers.
A fresh opportunity to build the business you've worked so hard to create.

You don't need a perfect month.
You don't need every devis accepted.
You don't need everything to go exactly to plan.

Just focus on the next job, the next customer, the next step forward.

Small, consistent actions turn into fully booked diaries, stronger reputations, and thriving businesses.

💪 Make June the month you're proud you started.

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