Hiring Trends and the Winds Within the Trades
By Hammond Meuer, The Entrepreneur’s Source
Like most industries, hiring trends and practices within the lighting and electrical industries are going through major shifts and various headwinds. Industries such as Healthcare, Technology, Education, and numerous others are being impacted by the overall job market at virtually every level, from C-Suite executives to entry-level roles. The lighting and trades industries are no exception.
Adding to the current state of these unique market and labor variables, more professionals are also rediscovering their “non-negotiables” including salary, RTO mandates, or other post-COVID variables unique to them. As a result, many professionals have seriously explored or even started their own entrepreneurial ventures, either full or part-time.
What drives many professionals to these types of opportunities usually involves control over both their personal and professional situations. These entrepreneurial opportunities for those with – or even without – a trades background may include some sort of independent “side-hustle” such as a handyman business or design consultant, acquiring an already existing business, investing in a franchise model, or even a startup a business of their own from the ground up.
Demographically, with many Baby Boomer business owners within the trades not having clear succession plans themselves, acquiring an existing business within the trades has also become an option with private equity becoming more prevalent in acquiring these types of businesses.
Hammond Meuer is a Career Coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source, representing franchise brands within the trades and has spent over 25 years in the electrical industry. Having worked with hundreds of business owners at manufacturer representatives, contracting, and design firms within the trades, coupled with the recent labor market challenges, he is seeing the need and interest from both the prospective owner and the company brand itself.
“When we introduce experienced professionals who have demonstrated the ability to run a team and lead a project, they begin to realize that the opportunities to execute and run a trades business that has a specific playbook can be a win-win, and that’s really the secret sauce,” he said.
Meuer works with senior-level clients who demonstrate these abilities from various industries, including tech, healthcare, and other industries, including the trades. He added, “Franchise brands truly value and appreciate the decades of experience and leadership of professionals, especially when they are open to following a model to build what they want to achieve for themselves, especially at a time when many of them feel they are being aged out of the current workforce.”
These business ownership opportunities can be inclusive of the traditional Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP), but also include businesses that focus on additional areas of the residential or commercial space, including interior flooring, roofing/ siding, painting/drywall, window fashions, closet buildouts, garage flooring, and several other categories. Many of the companies who exist in these spaces have built out their franchise systems and have business owners who come from all sorts of professional backgrounds unrelated to the trades.
Taylor Meyer is the Franchise Development Director for Mister Sparky Electric, part of the Authority Brands family and she experiences this first-hand. “In 2025, we welcomed new Mister Sparky franchisees from diverse backgrounds — corporate professionals, military veterans, and individuals from completely different industries. One of the greatest advantages of joining a strong, growing franchise like Mister Sparky is that you don’t need prior experience in the trades. Our established system, comprehensive training, and supportive network empower entrepreneurs to confidently build a business in this industry.”
According to the National Association of Home Builders, 82% of successful trade business owners focus primarily on business management rather than hands-on trade work
Trade business owners report spending over 70% of their time on business operations, marketing, and team management rather than technical work.
Regardless of professional background, networking continues to be key for virtually every industry in this ever-changing job market, including the trades. Despite any demographic, economic, or other professional headwinds one may be facing, charting a new direction and discovering new tailwinds could be an option worth exploring.
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Hammond Meuer can be reached at hmeuer@esourcecoach.com and Taylor Meyer can be reached at tmeyer@authoritybrandsllc.com
