Trusted Trader Week 2026 – Celebrating our local businesses

From Monday 7 to Friday 11 September, we're celebrating Trusted Trader Week across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Earlier this year, our #SORT – Stamp Out Rogue Traders campaign focused on the other side of the trade: the scammers, doorstep criminals and rogue businesses who cause misery for residents and damage the reputation of legitimate local traders. Trusted Trader Week is about the good guys.

Across Norfolk and Suffolk there are hundreds of local businesses working hard every day, building their reputations one customer and one job at a time. They turn up when they say they will, provide proper quotations, stand behind their work and deal fairly with their customers.

Those are the businesses Trusted Trader was created to support.

What makes a Trusted Trader different?

Finding a tradesperson has never been easier. A quick internet search can produce hundreds of businesses, directories, adverts and reviews within seconds.

Knowing who you can trust is harder.

Norfolk and Suffolk Trusted Trader schemes are different from ordinary commercial directories. Businesses don't simply create a profile and appear on the website.

Applicants go through checks before being accepted onto the scheme and agree to follow a Code of Practice. The schemes work alongside local Trading Standards, giving residents an additional level of reassurance when choosing someone to work in their home.

It doesn't mean we can promise that every job will always be perfect. What it does mean is that somebody has taken the time to check the business behind the name.

Five things to do before choosing a trader

However you find a business, a few simple checks can considerably reduce your chances of things going wrong.

• Don't feel pressured into making an immediate decision.

• Get more than one written quotation for significant work.

• Check the full name and address of the business you're dealing with.

• Look at reviews from previous customers – preferably independently collected and verified ones.

• Where possible, use a trader who has already been vetted by Trading Standards.

Most importantly, take your time. A reputable business will understand that you want to check who you're dealing with before committing to work.

Celebrating our members

Trusted Trader Week isn't only about consumer advice. It's also an opportunity to recognise the many legitimate small businesses and tradespeople across Norfolk and Suffolk who work hard to maintain their reputations. See what our members are saying:
Norfolk Case Studies | Suffolk Case Studies

For them, trust isn't a marketing slogan. It's something earned over years of turning up, doing a good job and looking after customers. Throughout Trusted Trader Week we'll be highlighting our members, explaining what goes into becoming a Trusted Trader and sharing advice to help residents choose businesses with confidence.

Are you a local business?

If you're a reputable trader working in Norfolk or Suffolk, Trusted Trader membership gives you an opportunity to demonstrate that you've been prepared to put your business through independent checks.

It also puts you in front of local residents specifically looking for businesses they can have confidence in.

You can find out more about becoming a Norfolk or Suffolk Trusted Trader by following the link: learn more.

Help us spread the word

During Trusted Trader Week we will be sharing advice, member stories and information across our social media channels.

If you're already a Trusted Trader, get involved. Share our posts, tell your customers you're a member and use #TrustedTraderWeek. You can follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or LinkedIn.

And if you're looking for somebody to work on your home, remember one simple message:

Don't just find a trader. Find a Trusted Trader.