In this episode of the UpScale Business Podcast, Mitch Van chats with Jarrad Sharp, owner of Sharp Air Conditioning in Perth (www.sharpairconditioning.com.au).
Jarrad shares his real-life story — starting as an apprentice and learning the ropes of running a business the hard way.
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He opens up about the challenges he faced, like working crazy hours, undercharging clients, and the unexpected volume of behind-the-scenes work. Jarrad stresses how important it is to build a strong team, invest time in training admin staff, and put solid systems in place.
You’ll hear why creating a positive company culture matters, what he’s learned from hiring mistakes, and how coaching helped him grow his business faster. Plus, Jarrad talks about his goals for the future and why having a long-term vision is key to success.
If you’re a tradie business owner wanting straight-up advice on growing your trade business, this episode is for you.
Key Takeaways:
Running a business isn’t taught at trade school — it’s a steep learning curve
The behind-the-scenes work can be huge—expect long hours early on
Undercharging is common without the right structure
Training admin staff properly is a must
Having the right team makes all the difference
Coaching can fast-track your business growth
Look after your team, and they’ll look after your clients
Long-term goals keep you focused and motivated
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Jarrad’s Start as an Apprentice
03:45 Facing Business Challenges
05:28 The Reality of Running the Day-to-Day
08:34 Building a Team & Company Culture
10:40 Training Admin Staff
12:32 Systems and Processes
15:03 Creating a Positive Workplace
18:45 Hiring Lessons
22:16 The Value of Coaching
24:36 Future Plans
