Episodes
Paul Meenan has tried to address his work life balance this year and discusses why he's chosen to do this and how he's gone about doing so. Thomas talks about the journey he has been on in recent years and how that's pushed him to the limit.
Show hosts Thomas Nagy and Paul Meenan shed light on how to specialise in solar PV and boost your revenue
Thomas and Paul take part in a 'fill in the blanks' exercise about the trade. Not sure what that means? Complete this sentence: I like listening to the Electrical Show podcast because...
Rich Hepple from the Art of Smart joins Thomas and Paul to talk about specialising in Smart Home Installation. Rich talks about what type of person you need to be and what skills be required. He talks about the clientele you'll work for, what you should know about training and the potential earnings that come with this 'ism'
Thomas and Paul look at green tech and how sustainable it is. Carbon footprints, net zero, is it all greenwashing? They're joined by ex-BBC environmental pioneer, speaker & advisor, Roger Harrabin as well as Stephen Robinson from Hyperion Executive Search to discuss all of this and the Government's Net Zero targets and EV strategy
Thomas and Paul are going to be looking at specialisms in the Electrical sector every fortnight or so on the show and they start with EV charge point installs. Danny Webb, Known as Sparky Milan on social media joins Thomas and Paul to talk about his experiences with EV installs so far
PAT Testing - is it taken seriously enough? Are we doing it properly? and what are the consequences for ignoring it entirely?
Thomas and Paul talking about posts regarding fake qualifications and gold cards available for sale on social meda. What can be done about this? Who is doing something about it? What is it doing to your safety on-site? How are scammers creating this fake paperwork? Paul talks about the history behind this problem and and also shares some anecdotal examples of where this has created accidents on-site
We keep getting asked - how do I know when I'm ready to work for myself and how should set my business up? So Thomas shares his experiences and shares a never before heard fact about a career he almost took up instead of Electrical. Bradley Jones returns to the show to give some advice and we're also joined by Screwfix Top Tradesperson & Electrician Toby Peacock to talk about why he went limited from the start and also offers some insight into how he grew his business in Cambridge
Thomas Nagy calls on Paul's wealth of knowledge to get some top tips and random facts from him as well as giving some of his own tips that he's picked up along the way
Thomas Nagy and Paul Meenan are joined by two guests to discuss the different ways that Electricians can approach learning and CPD and also look at some of the material on offer for free and from behind paywalls. Joining Thomas and Paul is award winning Electrical trainer Adrian Davey and ECA Technical Manager Darren Crannis returns as well
Apprenticeships are fantastic and a true and tested route into the industry. What comes next is amazing but also daunting and it can be hard to know what the best foot forwards is. So on this show Thomas and Paul share their post apprenticeship experiences and also get some insight into how the ECA offer support for those finishing their apprenticeship
Paul talks about some of the people he knows that have been blacklisted in the industry, offers some insight into what people are being blacklisted for, why it's such a damaging thing for those that are blacklisted and why it's a problematic culture in the Electrical sector
Paul gives you an update on the recent changes to the wiring regs and why it's important to stay informed and educated on everything related to BS7671
Thomas has found himself taking on increasingly larger work over the last few years but has found cash flow challenging during this time. Paul and Thomas discuss how long you could be waiting to be paid from larger work and how to outline your expectations in your terms and conditions. They also talk about how to factor in your expected expenses during this time and what else to expect and to avoid
Entitlement, thinking you know it all and knowing nothing, having all the gear and no idea, being confidently wrong and not being able to be told anything. These are all issues Thomas and Paul have come across again and again in the trade over the years and on this episode they discuss the very real consequences for everyone when this attitude is perpetrated.
Thomas Nagy and Paul Meenan ask what is an Electrician? Who can call themselves an Electrician? What's the difference between a Sparks and an Electrician? They also address some of the stereotypes thrown at them by other trades
Thomas and Paul discuss some of the new tech coming and already entering homes across the UK. They talk about what you will see added during construction of new build homes, what you could make some money from in the domestic market and the longevity of some of this technology
A recent survey found that Electricians were the trade most embracing eco-friendly business practices and offerring green solutions to customers here in the UK. Thomas and Paul talk about these oppertunities, what you could make some money from, what to watch out for and what to consider training in
Thomas Nagy is joined once again by Paul Meenan to look at the current state of play with regards to everything EV here in the UK
Thomas Nagy is joined by one of his employees to talk about what it's like to work for Thomas, What he's like as a boss and what both employer and employee could do better
Thomas Nagy is joined by Amy Barrett-Singh (Amy the Sparky) and Danny Webb AKA Sparky Milan to talk about their experiences in the trade. Amy and Danny talk about how they got started as sparks, what it's like working with each other while also in a relationship, social media, the community in the UK in the Electrical sector and more
Amy Barrett-Singh & Danny Webb, known as Amy the Sparky and Sparky Milan on socials join Thomas to talk about their experiences as judges for Spark's Magazine Female Skills Competition 2023. Amy talks about what the competition means to the trade and the women competiting as well as her experiences as a female in a male dominated industry. Danny and Amy also talk about how the competition was judged, the standard of skills they observed and the upcoming Sparks Learner of the Year finals
Thomas Nagy and Bradley Jones talk to fellow electrical contractor, Pete Arrow, about his trade accreditations, which ones he's gone for and why as well as what support he has had from them and would expect to get for the price of his membership. NAPIT Chief Technical Officer, Frank Bertie gives a perspective on supporting the industry from a trade body and more
Thomas Nagy and Bradley Jones share what they would change about the electrical sector if given the chance. Joining them on the phone to share his thoughts on this topic is fellow contractor Ian Bedingfield. Thomas and Bradley give their top three thing they would change - would you agree? Tune in to find out.l
Thomas Nagy and Bradley Jones share their frustrations caused by last minute cancellations, that often leave them out of pocket. Sam Clancy, a spark who helps the Prince of Darkness on many DIY SOS Builds joins the boys to talk about his experiences with cancellations
Following on from last week Thomas Nagy and Bradley Jones wrap up their look at the employment process as a business owner in the electrical sector. On this week's show the pair talk about how they handle the ongoing relationship with employed sparks and human resources processes in their businesses
Bradley Jones is struggling to find good sparks to join his growing business, Thomas Nagy has been there and bought the t-shirt. They discuss how they source leads for potential employees, how they approach the interview process and touch on how they try to keep hold of good employees too
Thomas Nagy and Bradley Jones react to some listener comments sent in after they discusses delayed and non payers. Claire Reed from EMW Law joins us to explain the process of taking non payers to court, what your chances are of a result in your favour, how much some aspects of this cost and what kind of evidence you will be expected to provide the courts
Bradley is fuming after dealing with multiple cases of non payers and customers stalling on paying invoices. Thomas and Bradley debate what is and isn't worth chasing, How you can tell the difference between someone stalling compared to someone that has no intentions of paying and more