Trustmark
About TrustMark
TrustMark is the only UK Government-Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in or around the home.
Since they started in 2005, they have been working to help drive up standards across the industry and improve the protection offered to homeowners when having work done. TrustMark is a not-for-profit organisation, operating under a Master Licence Agreement, issued by the Government’s Department for Business & Trade.
Unlike many other trader approval schemes, TrustMark’s profits are continually reinvested into the scheme to improve their service and enhance consumer protection.
Out of our associations, committees, groups and schemes, the Association of Professional Landscapers is the TrustMark Scheme Provider and is committed to meeting the operating requirements of their Quality Scheme.
We work with our TrustMark Registered Businesses to ensure they commit to and maintain the required standards of technical competence, trading practices and customer service.
These practices help to provide homeowners with assurance and confidence when they engage a TrustMark Registered Business, and for trades, they help demonstrate their quality and professionalism.
If you want to demonstrate your commitment to high standards of work and customer service, you can apply to join TrustMark through us.
Key Reasons We Work With Trust
Commitment to Quality
- Quality Assurance
- High standards of competence, customer service and trading practices
- Driving up standards across all trades
- Eligible for their national Trading Standards Approved scheme
Commitment to Protecting the Consumer
- Giving homeowners the confidence and assurance that they’re protected
- Support for businesses and customers if things go wrong with access to TrustMark’s simple dispute resolution process
- Access to support, training and an independent Ombudsman to help resolve difficult complaints
Access to more work
- Government-funded work creates demand for other quality trades. For example, after a heat pump has been installed a landscaper may be required to ensure it is designed with the garden in mind
- TrustMark works with third parties and leading financial institutions to create more work opportunities for businesses and more flexibility for consumers
With over 500,000 unique visitors to the TrustMark website each year, it’s easy for customers to find your business. Through TrustMark’s ‘Find a Trader’ online directory, customers can easily find your business. With your unique profile, you can link to your website, manage customer enquiries, manage your presence and build positive feedback.
Grow Your Business – With TrustMark’s Free Portal & App
Whether you have your own website or social media channels, your free TrustMark Business Portal is yours to promote and an opportunity to share your expertise with both new and existing customers.
Let customers know the areas you cover and showcase up to 30 images of previous projects you're proud of, increasing your chances of local homeowners finding your business.
Once you've attracted customers to your profile, you can make yourself available to chat, so customers can better understand your expertise and what is involved with their request.
Once you've set up your Portal, you'll be able to see the following statistics via your dashboard:
- How many times you've appeared in customers' search results
- Your overall feedback rating - Remember to ask for reviews from customers
- The top 10 most searched keywords that sees your profile appear
This data is unique to your business and will allow you to better understand your customers and make informed decisions as how to improve your profile and own website/communication.
Claim your TrustMark Business Portal - https://www.trustmark.org.uk/business/claim
You can also link to your social media, such as Facebook and WhatsApp and external platforms where you may already have a strong presence on, for example Checkatrade or Which? Trusted Traders.
TrustMark moderates all profiles before they are published to their website and app. They have created a guide to help you get the most out of your Business Portal.
Free to download, TrustMark has also developed a unique ‘one-stop shop’ home improvement App in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive. The App is aimed at helping consumers to better understand the process, requirements and considerations around having home improvement work carried out in their property.
Download The Home Improvement App – https://onelink.to/g7jr84
TrustMark’s Free Portal & App
Content includes information a homeowner needs to bear in mind when planning a project - from finding skilled and competent tradespeople, agreeing to a contract and what to expect; project timelines; example costs; planning permissions; building regulations and insurance requirements, through to Health and Safety considerations and much more. This is another channel to get your business in front of potential customers.
Exclusive Offers
TrustMark works with industry-leading organisations to offer Registered Businesses exclusive offers and discounts that benefit tradespeople both in their working and personal lives, including savings on tools and products to training and insurance to name a few.
TrustMark has partnered with the following organisations:
- AA – Save money on your business breakdown cover
- ARMD - Providing a unique new tool protection package. Protect your tools from theft with their exclusive offer
- easyToolhire – Save 20% on all hire tools and equipment
- Fuel Card Services – Get a free fuel card and save up to 10 per litre on fuel
- Europcar – Hire a car or van from 3,835 locations in over 140 countries worldwide
- Mellor Financial Training – On-Demand finance training on the essentials of business finance
- My Staff Shop – Everyday savings on food, holidays, gym membership and much more. Available to all employees of TrustMark Registered Businesses
- Octopus Electric Vehicles – Offering you more cost-effective vehicle leasing options
- Smart Numbers – 10% off all website builds (tailored to you as an APL member) and 15% off, every month, on Google Ads
- Wickes TradePro – Get 10% off every time you shop, for both personal and work use
Join TrustMark
As an APL member, you get everything TrustMark offers packaged into your existing APL membership at no extra cost.