This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. Earlier instalments explored labour, credit conditions, business confidence and infrastructure spending. This article turns to a topic that quietly shapes margins, scheduling and project delivery: supply chains. After several years of volatility, 2026 brings something many Victorian SMEs haven’t felt in a long time: stability. As a business coach working with Victorian tradies, builders and manufacturers, I see how supply chain conditions directly influence profitability. When lead times blow out, jobs stall. When pricing jumps unexpectedly, margins shrink. When materials arrive late or ...

This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. In earlier instalments, we explored labour pressures, credit conditions, business risk and infrastructure spending. This article turns to a topic that ties all of those threads together: business confidence. Confidence shapes investment, hiring, purchasing and project decisions - and in 2026, it’s one of the clearest indicators of where demand is heading. As a business coach working with Victorian trades, builders and manufacturers, I see firsthand how confidence influences behaviour long before the data shows it. When owners feel optimistic, they invest in ...

This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. Earlier articles explored labour, credit conditions and business risk. This instalment focuses on a topic that shapes demand across the entire sector: government infrastructure spending and procurement. Public works remain one of the most stable sources of activity in Victoria, and understanding where funding flows (and how contractors are selected) helps businesses plan capacity, pricing, and investment with confidence. As a business coach working with Victorian trades, builders, and manufacturers, I see how government support can stabilise revenue, smooth out seasonal fluctuations, and ...

This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. In earlier instalments, we explored input costs, labour pressures and credit conditions. This article turns to a topic that has been at the forefront of many Victorian SMEs ' minds: business risk. Insolvencies have risen, payment delays are more common, and the flow-on effects are being felt across the supply chain. As a business coach working closely with Victorian operators, I see both the concern and the opportunity. Businesses with strong systems, disciplined job selection, and clear financial controls are not only weathering ...

This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. In earlier instalments, we explored input costs and labour market pressures. This article turns to one of the most influential forces shaping business decisions in 2026: interest rates and credit conditions. For Victorian SMEs, especially those in construction and manufacturing, access to finance is a critical lever for growth, cash flow stability and project delivery. As a business coach working with Victorian operators every day, I see how interest rates and lending standards directly affect quoting behaviour, investment decisions, and the ability to ...

This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. In the opening article, I outlined the broader economic backdrop shaping demand in Victoria: moderate growth, uneven sector performance and ongoing household pressure. This instalment focuses on the labour market (availability, wages and migration) and what these forces mean for your pricing, capacity and workforce planning as you prepare for 2026. As a business coach working closely with Victorian trades, builders and manufacturers, I see the labour market’s impact on margins more clearly than any other factor. Labour is the biggest cost line ...

This article is part of Tenfold’s Victoria’s Economy 2026 series for owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. In the opening article, I set the scene on Victoria’s broader economic backdrop: moderate growth, uneven demand, and households still under pressure. This instalment focuses on input costs (materials, energy and fuel) and what they mean for your pricing, cashflow and capacity decisions as you plan for 2026. As a business coach working with Victorian trades, builders and manufacturers every day, I see the real-world impact of cost volatility on margins. This article breaks down the current cost environment (as of late 2025), ...

This article is part 2 of Tenfold’s “Victoria’s Economy 2026” series for business owners in construction, trades and manufacturing. In the opening article, Victoria’s Economy 2026: Growth and Demand Snapshot for Trades, Builders and Manufacturers, I outlined the big-picture growth and demand backdrop in Victoria and why owners need tighter decision frameworks in a more uneven market. This instalment focuses on the construction pipeline (public and private), what approvals and commencements are really telling us, and what that means for pricing, cash, capacity and risk decisions as you plan into 2026. How to read the pipeline without fooling yourself ...

Executive summary: What Victorian Business Owners Should Know about the State’s Economy If you run a trade, building, maintenance, or fabrication business in Victoria, the last 6-12 months probably felt contradictory: busy in parts, slow in others, and harder to convert even when enquiries exist. The data supports that lived experience. Victoria is growing, but not fast, and demand is uneven. In 2024-25, Victoria’s gross state product (GSP) grew 1.1% (moderate growth), with service industries carrying much of the momentum. Household conditions remain pressured, which shows up as price sensitivity and longer decision cycles, while population growth provides a steady ...