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successful, and generally optimistic about their personal busi-
nesses and the value they provide,” HomeAdvisor noted in its 2020
Skilled Trades in America report, adding that many of America’s
entrepreneurs are not the tech CEOs we hear about on TV but “the
plumbers, electricians, carpenters, landscapers, painters, remod-
elers, cleaners, and other professionals that work on the 120+
million occupied homes in America.”
What makes the skilled trades such a fertile ground for entrepre-
neurship? HomeAdvisor found that it was the unique attributes
that tend to define skilled trades industries—substantial customer
bases, the ability of sole proprietorships or small businesses to
respond to the needs of the marketplace, and relatively low startup
costs for new businesses—that paved the way for entrepreneurs in
these industries to find success.