Truemans Carpentry and Joinery – From Overworked Tradie to Profitable Business Owner
How a skilled carpenter turned a struggling business around, tripled profit margins and built a thriving pipeline with clarity, confidence and control.
About the business
Truemans Carpentry and Joinery is a high-quality carpentry business based in regional Victoria, led by owner Mark Truemans. The company specialises in bespoke residential projects and custom joinery, known for its superior workmanship and attention to detail.
Before working with Candour Strategy, Mark was at a crossroads. Despite years of hard work and steady demand, the numbers on paper weren’t translating into real profits. Every delay, variation or issue on a job seemed to cost him money. The mounting stress of quoting, managing jobs and finding the next project left him questioning whether it was worth continuing his business at all.
Challenges
- Projects looked profitable on paper but cash flow and actual profit told a different story.
- Pricing was well below market rates for the level of quality being delivered.
- There was no clear system to calculate true job costs or track margins accurately.
- Unexpected issues on site consistently eroded profit due to limited contractual protection.
- The business relied entirely on Mark for quoting, delivery and administration.
- The stress of uncertainty and constant pressure was leading to burnout and thoughts of closing down.
“
Being a small business I’m very conscious how I spend money and was slightly hesitant when looking at business coaching. Both Oscar and Judd made me feel really comfortable and confident to move forward with them, and within 3 weeks of starting with them I have legitimately tripled my investment with income from the advice and ongoing support from these 2 guys. Couldn’t recommend them higher and starting with them is the best choice I’ve made for my business so far!
The Solution
Candour Strategy partnered with Mark to rebuild the commercial foundations of Truemans Carpentry and Joinery, giving him the tools and structure to run a more profitable and sustainable business. Through detailed market benchmarking, it became clear his work outperformed competitors and should command higher pricing. Candour then introduced a comprehensive job cost calculator and restructured the quoting process so every project reflected true costs and profit margins. Robust terms and conditions and job management systems were also implemented to protect margins when variations occurred, while recruitment support helped Mark hire a leading hand to improve site delivery and reduce reliance on him for every project decision.
3x
Pricing aligned with true market value and job costs, dramatically increasing margins.
6+ mths
Demand grew from just 2 weeks ahead to a 6-month forward pipeline.
Visibility
Mark gained complete clarity on job costs and profitability before quoting.
Hire
A leading hand was brought in to strengthen project delivery and reduce owner workload.
“
Being a small business I’m very conscious how I spend money and was slightly hesitant when looking at business coaching. Both Oscar and Judd made me feel really comfortable and confident to move forward with them, and within 3 weeks of starting with them I have legitimately tripled my investment with income from the advice and ongoing support from these 2 guys. Couldn’t recommend them higher and starting with them is the best choice I’ve made for my business so far!
What this means for you
If you own a trade business and are tired of feeling like you’re working harder for less reward, there’s a better way. When you understand your numbers, price your work for the value it truly delivers, and build systems that give you control, you can run a profitable, low-stress business that you actually enjoy.