A tradie’s star performance

Read how Ella Star, National Tradeswoman of the Year, successfully shaped a plumbing business that enhances her life.

Ella Star’s path in the plumbing and gas fitting industry is nothing short of remarkable. As the creative force behind Plumberella, and the recipient of New Zealand’s National Tradeswoman of the Year award, Ella has both established a successful career for herself and innovatively shaped a business model that enhances her life – rather than overwhelms it.

However, her early days weren’t easy. During her apprenticeship years, Ella faced significant hurdles in finding mentors willing to pass on their knowledge. This disheartening struggle almost led her to reconsider her career choice.

Fortunately, things took a positive turn when she found an employer who reignited her passion for the trade, showing her the kind of business she aspired to run someday.

This led to a significant decision in March 2022: starting her own business, Plumberella, based out of Christchurch. Her goal was to create a company that reflected all the best practices and values she had appreciated in her past work experiences.

“I really wanted to build a business that mirrored the values and practices I respected in the best employers I’ve had,” explains Ella. “That was the goal with Plumberella; I kicked it off with just a simple Facebook post, that’s all the advertising I did. And, from there, it’s been all about word-of-mouth. It says a lot, I think, about the kind of work I do and the reputation I’ve built.”

Embracing technology

Ella’s knack for technology has played a huge role in her success. From the very start of her journey as an entrepreneur, she saw how crucial technology could be in making things run smoother and adopted Fergus, a job management software familiar to her from previous roles.

“A big part of what’s made Plumberella successful is definitely my approach to technology,” she says. “Starting with Fergus right from the get-go saved me from the headache of old-school paper methods or having to shift information from Excel later on. With this kind of setup, everything from scheduling jobs to handling the invoices became a breeze. Plus, it all clicks perfectly with Xero for managing the finances.”

Ella has adopted a hands-on and client-centred way of running her business, and Fergus has become her go-to for managing every bit of her jobs, from attaching photos and files to maintaining a digital record of model and serial numbers for easy reference. And, with features like the margin function, Ella has a clear view of her pricing and how profitable she’s running, which is crucial given the current fluctuation in material prices.

“Fergus has been a huge time saver. It takes the guesswork out of figures, showing the prices of items at different retailers, the markups, and margins. It’s simple, even if you don’t have a financial background. And, when you compare it with the old-school paper-based systems that some small businesses still use, the difference in efficiency and stress levels is like night and day. This approach hasn’t just streamlined my operations; it’s ensured my business works for me, not the other way around,” says Ella.

Inspiring others

David Holmes, CEO of Fergus, says, “Ella’s journey is genuinely inspiring. She’s got a handle on how technology, especially something like Fergus, can be a real asset for tradies. Our platform is all about helping small businesses keep things running smoothly, from scheduling jobs to tracking invoices. Ella uses Fergus in a way that makes everything more manageable. It’s practical, it’s effective, and it shows just how much the right technology can make a difference for a small trade business.”

Ella’s involvement in the community, particularly among women in trades, has similarly been a source of strength and inspiration.

“I noticed that most networking events were really office-centric and didn’t quite capture what we experience on-site. That’s why we decided to start our own meetups. The idea was to create a network where we can support and uplift each other. Now, our ‘tradie sisterhood’ has become a symbol of strength and empowerment in a male-dominated industry.”

By striking the sweet spot where work, personal values, and community involvement all align, Ella Star has gone from being an apprentice filled with doubts to becoming a well-respected small business owner. This shows anyone in the trades that, with the right mix of tools, mindset, and support, it’s possible to achieve an approach to business that works for them.