How to start a scaffolding business

Maybe you’re a scaffolder working for a construction company but you’re yearning for more flexibility and the opportunity to increase your income. Business ownership is a popular option for many scaffolders in the UK, with over 2,000 scaffolding businesses currently operating, it’s a busy marketplace, but a satisfying one.

Starting a business is exciting, so if you’ve been thinking about starting your own scaffolding business, keep reading, as we talk through some steps to get you started!

How much does it cost to start a scaffolding business in the UK

A scaffolding business can cost you anywhere between a few thousand pounds to over £50,000. But how much it costs to start a business varies by industry. Usually, the more overheads you require, the more costly it is.

What do you need money for when starting a scaffolding business? You might need to hire staff, purchase or lease scaffolding equipment like cross bases, safety netting or scaffolding frames, and you’ll need to find somewhere to store it when it’s not in use — such as a lock-up container or a yard.

It’s a good idea to save a bit of extra money to cover you if seasonality affects your business, i.e. bad winter weather, or to use the funds as a contingency in case you need to cover unexpected expenses or bills.

Setting up your scaffolding business

There are a few things you should consider before jumping straight into business ownership. Take your time and set yourself up for success from the very first day by following these tips.

1. Decide on a legal structure

When starting out, most scaffolders might choose to set up as a sole trader. It’s quicker, cheaper and easier to set up as a sole trader, but there are also many benefits to setting up as a limited company.

As a limited company, you have limited liability, which means your business is a separate legal entity. You’ll have more choice when it comes to applying for business finance, you might be taken more seriously by potential business customers, and there are plenty of tax efficiencies you can take advantage of, too.

2. Get your business insurance in place

Although, hopefully, you’ll never need to claim on your business insurance, it’s something you should have in place from day one to protect yourself and others against your work. As a scaffolder, health and safety should be a priority for you, particularly when working from heights and in a public setting, you might want to apply for public liability insurance, as a minimum.

Public liability insurance protects the public (and your business) from any issues that arise from your scaffolding work, i.e. scaffolding falls and damages something, or someone injures themselves on site and puts in a claim.

3. Understand your target market and define your service offering

Take time to understand who makes up your target audience. If you don’t know who you’ll target with your new start-up scaffolding business, you’ll struggle to convert people into paying customers.

Most scaffolding companies work with construction firms or tradespeople, but many also offer scaffolding for the B2C market — providing scaffolding for exterior house painting, for example. So, it’s important to narrow down which services you want to provide and to which market. Then you can start to build out a marketing plan from there.

The good news is that there are plenty of other scaffolding businesses out there, so do some competitor research, read their reviews (particularly the bad ones) and learn from their mistakes. Decipher how you can deliver a different, better service.

4. Write a business plan

A business plan helps you understand the market you’re entering, putting you in the best position to succeed. Following a business plan template, you’ll map out necessary expenses and overheads, pin down a pricing strategy, forecast cash flow and set milestones throughout the coming months and years.

Many lenders and investors will ask to see a business plan before lending you money or getting involved with a project, so it’s worth creating one.

Marketing your scaffolding business

Marketing can be very trial and error — what works for one scaffolding company, might not work the same for yours. So try new strategies and experiment with different channels and platforms to see what content resonates with your audience the most.

Don’t write off social media

Although many scaffolders can get their clients through word of mouth, social media can be a great way to insert yourself into the local area and attract interest from nearby construction firms and tradespeople. Local Facebook groups can be a great place to start, from sharing pictures of your latest projects and customer reviews to responding with helpful tips and advice when the opportunity arises.

Set up WhatsApp for business

65% of customers prefer to contact brands over social media messaging apps, like WhatsApp, because it’s a quicker way to get a response. And with WhatsApp business, it’s free, you can upload your logo and share your scaffolding services on your profile to help communicate your services even when you’re not online.

Invest in clear branding

Clear branding is important for any business, whether you’re marketing to B2B or B2C customers. But for B2C in particular, you’ll want to invest in vehicle branding.

Many consumers get tradespeople recommendations directly from their neighbours. So, if your truck is sitting outside the neighbour’s house for a few days setting up scaffolding, your branding is working away silently in the background to whip up interest and fill your pipeline.

Finance for scaffolding businessess

There are so many business funding solutions available it’s hard to know where to start. But, luckily, we’ve got an entire page dedicated to different types of scaffolding finance — from cash flow loans to scaffolding equipment finance and everything in between.

In 2021, 34% of small business owners applied for a business loan to help them grow quicker. So if you’ve got big business growth plans, or you just need a small amount of working capital to get up and running, researching your finance options can be helpful.

Before you go

When you start seriously planning your business idea, it can easily become overwhelming — there’s so much stuff to buy — steel toe boots, safety harnesses, claw hammers, the list goes on. But, by breaking it down into digestible chunks, you’ll have set your new scaffolding business up in no time.

A big part of bringing your new vision to life is accessing affordable and flexible business finance. We help thousands of business owners find and compare business loans on the market with our self-serve loan comparison tool. Get your free quote today.