Convincing anyone to work as a house painter, kitchen painter, or construction worker in the UK is a tough sell. Since 2020, inflation has surged by approximately 17%. While wages in the UK construction sector have increased by 7.5%, they have not kept pace with inflation, resulting in a real wage decrease of about 9.5%. This means that construction workers have effectively lost purchasing power during this period, despite nominal wage increases.

So, how many efficiency gains are left for house painters to offset this deficit? The answer is minimal. From my experience in the UK, the decade from 2010 to 2020 saw significant advancements in efficiency—paradigm shifts, in fact. Water-based paints replaced slower oil paints, and techniques such as spraying, masking, spray filling, and vacuum extraction sanding became commonplace. In my view, many painters are already working at peak efficiency. There is little room for improvement beyond pushing workers to put in longer hours for less pay.

So, who will crack first—the consumer or the painter? The answer is clear: the painter. Without profit, there is no business.

I am often credited with developing a pricing formula for refurbishing older kitchens, known as the £100-a-door formula. Niche or what?! I devised this in 2010-2011, and it has remained an industry benchmark, with some fluctuations. However, that original £100 is now worth only £63! Initially, this figure represented a premium rate, perhaps 30%-50% above standard painting rates. It was a premium because repainting offers tremendous value for customers compared to purchasing a new kitchen, and painting kitchens day in, day out is a demanding task. With such premiums come incentives to deliver exceptional work. The number of skilled kitchen painters grew from 50 elite journeymen to thousands striving to be the best and most efficient. Unfortunately, that premium rate has eroded significantly, and I fear many painters and builders fail to see how they can turn things around without sacrificing their personal time, family life, and peace of mind.

If painting weren’t so labor-intensive, one might argue that technology has benefited the consumer. However, painting remains an incredibly labor-intensive task. Now, skilled painters charging less than £163 per door have lost their premium rates.

The financial system is broken. In 2010, the UK painting trade was still stuck in the 1980s. Over the next decade, painters, suppliers, inventors, and the public—without any government intervention—worked together to professionalize the industry. More painters than ever are now doing their jobs correctly, and customers are willing to pay more for quality work. Yet, on paper, the painting industry remains unsustainable, because of the hidden tax, inflation. If inflation rates continue, both painters and consumers will eventually face a stark choice: food or painting. Painters will be the first to feel the pinch.

Since my time in trade college, the narrative has been that fewer trained painters are entering the industry while the public becomes increasingly dependent on skilled professionals. While this has held true to some extent, the 2008 financial crisis brought even the best painters to their knees. Gains were lost, but a group of us banded together to rebuild. Great progress was made until 2019, when, with hindsight, it became clear that progress had stalled before Covid. And since 2020, where are the advancements? Despite our best efforts, there have been none. Painters and builders cannot, in good conscience, work and innovate their way out of the current trajectory.

However, there is a path to innovation that is not taught in any trade college: adopting Bitcoin.

I urge all members of the painting and construction industry to explore Bitcoin—read about it in books, search online, and connect with knowledgeable individuals. Invest the time to understand inflation and the concept of sound money. Learn about the struggles faced by painters and builders in economies that are often deemed basket cases. Rethink your approach to money, just as many of us changed our approach to painting from 2010 onward.

A door should not be priced at £163 because Putin invaded a far off land. The value of £100 has not plummeted because of supply chain issues around the world. £163 reflects the realities of a financial system built on inflation, a system that continually pushes the light further down the tunnel, leading us into a trap 2% a year. On that basis you lose half your purchasing power in 32 years, just about to retire! But when inflation is 10%, 32 years becomes 7. Ouch.

When you grasp the true nature of money, you begin to see how the system is rigged to corner you financially. With this understanding, you can connect the dots to sound money. Skip over gold and embrace Bitcoin.

Just as in the 2010s, you can start to turn the tide and help place the industry on a sustainable path. I hesitate to say “back on track” because no painter today has ever operated outside this rigged system.

By securing the fruits of your labor from a financial system that seeks to undermine you, you can find joy in your work. You can produce better results and cultivate a base of satisfied clients. You can even introduce them to Bitcoin through attractive, no-brainer deals aimed at long-term benefits.

In a sound money system, perhaps one day we will again see the wholesome sight of vans emblazoned with “Mr.Painter and Son or Daughter” on the sides, where the next generation won’t be shackled by a system that only rewards exploitation.

Imagine a future where skilled tradespeople can thrive without the constant pressure of inflation eroding their earnings. A future where the value of their work is recognized and compensated fairly, allowing all workers, not just those on premium rates, to invest in their craft and their families. By embracing sound money principles, particularly through Bitcoin, the construction industry could become an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and sustainability - really - and not just saying it as we become 2% poorer -and that’s in a good year. I last proposed Bitcoin to painters when BTC was 20,000. It was not that long ago. It’s never too late to understand sound money.