For the vast majority of sweeps, this is a pretty lonely job. 

Of course, there’s plenty of interaction with customers throughout any given day. But unlike many roles, there’s usually an absence of co-workers.

We’re lucky at Mr Soot, as we have a team of employees. But when I started out, I was one of the many ‘lone ranger’ sweeps.

Therefore, it’s really difficult to know what you’re doing right and wrong. After all, you are essentially marking your own homework.

Joe Gomez, from Essex, has done something about that. Last year, he went to study at the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). And he’s just returned from another trip to the States where he did on-the-job shadowing of a sweep technician in New Jersey.

So I was honoured that Joe wanted to finish his ‘tour’ by shadowing me for a few days as we tackled the fireplaces of Bramhall, Edgeley, Heaton Mersey, Offerton, Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington, Whalley Range, Levenshulme, Longsight and Worsley.

As regular readers will know, I’ve travelled to shadow other sweeps myself through an annual Sweep Swap. And although I now regularly mentor trainee sweeps , this was the first time a fully-registered sweep has basically done what I did just a few years previously.

Joe was up here to observe, and we chatted a lot about the industry and business. It’s clear Joe is a man on a mission – to be the best he can be, to not waste time and also to make the industry better. He’s also very adept at pouring coffee!

We talked about what training they have in America and his view that, having seen it first hand, it is superior to what we have over here. And he wants to change that.

I won’t spoil it too much by going over it here – we had a good chat on my Trade Entrepreneur Podcast, which you can access here.

Suffice to say, I found Joe’s passion for the industry, for business and self-improvement massively inspiring. His background in the international corporate world gives him a wider view than most.

Speaking to him also reinforced my view that the sweeping industry needs to be better at recognising outside talent and utilising it.

It seems that, in certain quarters, ‘time served on the tools’ is deemed the most important element, rather than recognising it is part of an overall mix.

We have a plethora of new sweeps who come from white collar, corporate jobs. And they’re bringing their skills with them.

Yet the industry hasn’t made the most of this, with some wedded to the view that professionalism relates pretty much solely to the manual aspects of our role.

Other skills, such as customer service, financial forecasting, budgeting or marketing, are seen as almost secondary the ‘the day job’.

True, I think you could say that for many trades. But given the relatively small scale of our industry, it merely magnifies the issue.

And, from what I can see, this is a mistake the industry has been making for years.

The good news this is changing. More entrepreneurial sweeps aren’t waiting for the industry to lead them – they are the ones taking the initiative.

Like London sweep Josh Firkins, who has set up his own training company. 

Like those who are expanding their workforces, employing people and becoming business leaders.

Like those such as Joe, whose quest for all-round knowledge is taking him far beyond the shores of the UK.

And like our aforementioned Trade Entrepreneur Podcast, which continually breaks new ground with topics and discussions relating to UK sweeping on major platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts.

It’s an exciting time for the industry. The drive for all-round professionalism has never been stronger.

And the opportunities are there for those willing to take them…