Carpenter

Healthy competition is all part of the Fisher family values. And it’s a good thing considering Kevin, his brother Ryan, and their father, David, are all carpenters, each with their own business. Kevin says he and his brother contemplated working for their father but decided instead to carve a niche for themselves.

While they are all in the same industry, family feuds are avoided with each of the Fishers having different areas of speciality.

Kevin, 26, says he mainly works on fit-outs for new homes, while his father does insurance work and his brother mainly renovations. Kevin says he loves the variety of work available to carpenters. And none of the other trade areas really appealed to him when he was deciding his future career. `

`There are so many different fields of carpentry you can get into, so you can pick one that you like and concentrate on it or you can do a bit of everything,” he says. “More and more people are starting to concentrate on one aspect of carpentry and specialising.

“When I started, the company I worked for did everything, which was good, but I am mainly concentrating on fix-outs at the moment because it is what I enjoy the most.” Having the freedom and flexibility to make your own choices was one of the reasons he decided to start his own business. Kevin says he knows plenty of tradesmen who are quite happy to work for someone else, but he wanted to be the one calling the shots. Fisher says the financial benefits of being your own boss also add up to an advantage. One of the downsides is that the industry can sometimes fluctuate and it can be hard to find a constant flow of work.

Eventually, Kevin hopes to take on an apprentice but wants to do his homework beforehand. “I don’t want to be stuck without work and that is the risk you take by taking on more staff,” he says. While Fisher says he hasn’t completed a business course he has received many tips along the way from fellow workers, friends and, of course, family. “As long as you know what you are doing then you can pick up information as you go along,” he says.

“There are always people in the trade that are willing to help.” Fisher, who studied at Campbelltown TAFE, finished his apprenticeship in 2002. After working as a subcontractor for 12 months, he became a sole trader. Fisher lives in Camden and mainly works in and around Sydney’s western suburbs.

How to be … a carpenter You usually have to complete an apprenticeship in carpentry.

For further information contact the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council, on 02 6230 2849 or cpsisc.com.au

By Erica Watson, The Daily Telegraph, March 11 2006.