From 16-Hour Days to 5-Hour Days: How Lani the Sparky Built a Thriving Electrical Business
When Lani launched her electrical business in Melbourne in 2020, she was working out of a Mazda 3 hatchback with roof racks strapped on top. Like many tradies starting out, she was handling everything… quoting, invoicing, supervising jobs, ordering materials, while also raising two kids.
The result? Long hours, constant stress, and no time left for family life.
Fast forward to today, and Lani the Sparky has transformed into a thriving female-led electrical business with three A-grades, a reliable admin, and five vans on the road. She’s proof that growing a trade business isn’t about working harder — it’s about hiring smart, building culture, and putting the right systems in place.
The Breakthrough: Hiring A-Grades, Not Just Apprentices
At first, Lani did what most electricians do, she hired apprentices. But the extra workload of training while running jobs made life even harder.
The breakthrough came when she decided to bring on her first A-grade electrician.
“I realised I could actually send someone to jobs without needing to be there. That freed up so much time.”
This decision shifted her business away from being dependent on her, and towards becoming a real team operation.
The Admin That Changed Everything
Lani admits not every hire was a win. After two false starts, she finally found the right admin for her electrical business, and it changed everything.
This new hire didn’t just handle paperwork. She introduced smarter systems, streamlined scheduling, and improved quoting accuracy, directly boosting profits.
“She changed my life. I could finally focus on scaling the business and putting ideas into action.”
For trade business owners, this is a key lesson: the right admin isn’t a cost, it’s an investment in growth.
Building a Trade Business Culture That Lasts
One of Lani’s proudest wins is the culture she’s built. Her staff aren’t just there for the paycheck — they’re part of something they value.
She introduced fortnightly RDOs, quarterly team bonding days (from escape rooms to lawn bowls), and regular one-on-one check-ins. These small investments made a big difference in team retention.
“I treat my team as people first, not just employees. That’s why they stick around and actually enjoy coming to work.”
A strong trade business culture is what keeps good tradies long-term, even in a competitive market.
Scaling While Keeping Family Balance
Unlike the early days of burnout, today Lani works just four days a week, 4–5 hours a day. She still does school drop-offs and pick-ups, and has space to be present at home.
The business now has plans to scale to 10–12 A-grades, apprentices, two admins, and an ops manager. And for the first time in years, Lani is taking a real holiday (phone switched off!).
This shows that work-life balance for tradies is possible, but only with the right systems and support.
Lessons for Every Electrical or Trade Business Owner
Hire the right people early — A-grades and quality admin free you to focus on growth.
Culture drives retention — RDOs, bonding days, and open communication keep your tradies engaged.
Systems protect your profit — quoting tools, scheduling software, and admin support reduce costly mistakes.
Family balance is achievable — but only when your business doesn’t rely solely on you.
🎙 Listen to the Full Episode
Want to hear more from Lani about growing her Melbourne electrical business while raising a young family? Tune into her chat with Alice on the Tradies Success Podcast:
- Listen on Youtube
- Listen on Spotify
