The Site Shed is a podcast designed to assist and educate trade based business owners around the globe with business related topics and current affairs.
The podcast is targeted to tradespeople and contractors like plumbers, builders, electricians, tilers, roofers, locksmiths, landscape gardeners & horticulturalists, printers, chefs, hairdressers, however it is a small business podcast so it also suits anyone that is in business.
Facilitated by former plumber Matt Jones, this podcast addresses topics related to the trades, such as; apprenticeships, technology, business tools, web, digital, cloud, content creation, SEO, marketing, as well as regular guest appearances from co-host specialists, successful case studies, good and bad experiences and lot's of do's and don't that have been learned through the school of hard knocks.
Matt's unique approach to communicating relevant topics is both refreshing and enjoyable. His experience as a plumber of 12 years, combined with his knowledge of the digital and business space as the owner of Tradie Web Guys, a company that helps tradespeople and contractors grow their online presence, you're sure to transform your earbuds, into a university.
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Most trade business owners are running flat out, grinding through 12-hour days, and wondering why nothing ever seems to get easier. Matt Jones sits down with Matthew Jones from Cube Performance to unpack why no business will ever outperform the person running it.
Drawing on 35 years in the business space — including running his own plumbing business and coaching thousands of trade business owners — Matthew lays out the real reason so many owners hit a ceiling: they've accidentally become the engine of their business instead of its architect.
This episode breaks down the Personal Operating System — a structured approach to protecting the three things that matter most: energy, focus, and priorities. You'll hear practical takeaways like auditing your sleep for seven and a half hours a night, scheduling 30 minutes of movement daily, blocking deep work into your calendar three times a week, and identifying the one question your team keeps asking you (because that's where your biggest dependency sits). If you've ever told yourself you're "too busy" to work on the business, this conversation will challenge that — and give you a framework to change it.
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
03:15 - Meet Matt Jones: Cube Performance
05:35 - Why Owners Neglect Themselves
06:40 - Running A Business Is Brutal
08:57 - The Personal Operating System
09:54 - Why You Need To Step Away
11:23 - More Hours Is Not The Answer
19:10 - Energy, Focus And Priorities
22:58 - Sleep As The Foundation
29:28 - Food, Supplements And Balance
34:44 - Movement As Non-Negotiable
36:09 - Clear Start And Finish Times
39:16 - Focus As Competitive Advantage
41:38 - The Pomodoro Deep Work Hack
48:08 - Finding Your Vital Few Priorities
60:42 - Three Audits To Start Tomorrow
65:33 - Cube Performance's Annual Conference
67:06 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Matthew Jones
Matthew Jones is the founder of Cube Performance and the Institute of Trade Professionals, based in Australia. A former plumber turned business coach, he's spent over 20 years helping trade business owners shift from being enslaved by their business to building operations that run without them. His background includes working with Olympic athletes in sprint kayaking, and he brings that same performance-driven discipline to business coaching.
Website: http://www.cubeperformance.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjonesthecube
Catch Matt's previous appearances on The Site Shed: From A to B, Mastering Business Mindset, Pricing for Profit, Brand Planning, Managing Guilt and Planning a Profitable Business Exit.
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
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80% of businesses that go up for sale never actually sell. Shayne Connolly is one of the ones who did, and even he wasn't ready for what came after. He thought he'd be popping champagne. Instead, on the day the money hit the bank, he says he's never felt so deflated in his life.
In this episode, Matt Jones sits down with Shayne Connolly, a returning guest who spent the last few years turning his trade business into something he could actually sell, then went through the process of doing exactly that. Shane walks through the mindset shift from "business owner" to "asset owner," why the emotional side of exiting gets ignored in favour of the mechanics, what he wishes he'd asked himself before signing anything, and why he's now building a platform to help other owners see the asset sitting in front of them before it's too late to plan for it.
🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/WGlussL7LIg
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:56 - Meet Shayne Connolly
03:38 - Two Life-Changing Events at Once
04:38 - The Emotional Side of Selling a Business
06:43 - Knowing Your Exit Number
07:55 - From Business Owner to Asset Owner
09:48 - The Golden Handcuffs Problem
12:00 - Why He'd Rather Build Than Run
23:12 - The Conversation With His Wife
25:16 - Selling to Someone He Already Trusted
34:52 - Did He Even Need to Sell?
37:47 - Why Brokers Were a Waste of Time
45:11 - The First Chapter Is: Do You Really Want This?
46:26 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Shayne Connolly built his trade business into a genuine asset, one that could run without him, then sold it to a trusted team member rather than going through a broker. He's the author of Exit Plan and is now building OwnerHQ, a platform designed to help business owners understand the real value of what they've built and plan their exit long before they need one.
Website: https://exitplan.au
Software (in beta): https://ownerhq.biz
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
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Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
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Being good at your trade is the price of entry now, not the point of difference. Every customer already assumes you can do the job, so it's the stuff underneath that decides whether they hire you, refer you, or quietly go looking elsewhere. Matt Jones sits down with Justin Herald, entrepreneur, speaker and the man behind Service Rebellion, to unpack the eight things every customer is silently weighing up every time they deal with a trade business, most of which have nothing to do with how good the work actually is.
Justin built his first business on a $50 loan and $1.25 in the bank, grew it into a licensed brand sold in more than 180 companies worldwide, and has spent the years since studying why customers stay loyal to some businesses and quietly vanish from others. In this one you'll get the eight invisible evaluations customers make (importance, emotion, expectation, effort, certainty, understanding, personalisation and consistency), the phone call that cost four different trade businesses a job before they even picked up, and the emotional bank account concept that decides whether your business survives its next stuff-up. If a technically brilliant job still isn't winning you repeat customers, this is the missing piece.
🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/nfpOojSuPf4
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
02:02 - Meet Justin Herald
02:23 - The Eight Invisible Things
04:21 - Expectation, Effort And Certainty
07:52 - Personalisation And The Phone Test
10:05 - Consistency Across Your Team
11:58 - From $1.25 To A Global Brand
16:18 - Why Service Rebellion Exists
19:13 - Say Something, Even Nothing
23:37 - The Reason Behind The Form
29:16 - Hiring For Personality
31:34 - Paying For Referrals
34:02 - The Market You're Not Tapping
37:21 - Letterbox Drops And QR Codes
45:22 - Websites Are For Storytelling
48:46 - The Emotional Bank Account
54:18 - Service Rebellion, The Book
55:52 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Justin Herald Justin Herald is an entrepreneur, speaker and the author of nine books, including his latest, Service Rebellion. He built his first business, the Attitude clothing brand, from a $50 loan into a licensed brand sold in every country through more than 180 companies, before selling it and moving into speaking and writing full time. He now speaks at more than 100 conferences a year and works with businesses, plenty of them trades, on the customer experience standards that keep clients loyal and referring.
Website: www.ServiceRebellion.com
Referral system mentioned in the episode: www.ReferUsNetwork.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinherald/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
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Your Next Step:
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Free payment processing scorecard & consult: https://flobizsolutions.com/
Most tradies can tell you their hourly rate and their material margins off the top of their head. Ask what it actually costs them to take a card payment, and you get a shrug. That shrug is where the money leaks. Matt Jones sits down with Jimmy Moore from FLO Business Solutions to pull apart the machinery behind every transaction: where your fees really go, why the "3.4%" on your statement is often the least of your worries, and how proprietary software quietly inflates what you pay year after year.
Jimmy has worked with more than 20,000 businesses and helps oversee over a billion dollars in annual processing volume, so he knows exactly where trade business owners bleed cash. You'll learn how to work out your true effective rate in under two minutes, the three compliant ways to pass fees on to customers without copping a fine, and why chargebacks and "friendly fraud" might be costing you 2 to 4% of revenue a year. If you take card payments, and you do, this one pays for itself.
🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/m3SqkAHOzuk
KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction
02:04 - Meet Jimmy Moore
02:29 - The Payment Topic Nobody Covers
05:26 - Still Keying Cards By Hand
08:10 - Pay Links Speed Up Cash Flow
09:08 - Surcharge, Discount or Dual Price
11:54 - The Compliance Crackdown
14:21 - Three Hands In The Cookie Jar
16:05 - The Million Dollar Fee Bill
16:56 - Know Your Effective Rate
23:53 - Staying PCI Compliant
26:55 - Card Not Present Risk
33:47 - Breaking Free From Software Lock-In
37:13 - Start With Your Statements
40:54 - The Rewards Card Maths
43:46 - Chargebacks And Friendly Fraud
49:42 - Jimmy's Free Scorecard
51:24 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Jimmy Moore Jimmy Moore is the driving force behind FLO Business Solutions in Columbia, South Carolina, where he helps field-service businesses get paid compliantly, at a fair cost, without the fee creep. Across his career he's worked with more than 20,000 businesses and helps oversee over a billion dollars in annual processing volume. He knows the payments world from the inside, which is exactly why he's good at spotting where trade business owners overpay.
Website: https://flobizsolutions.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moorejimmy/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
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Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
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Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
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🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
There is no shortage of people online telling you to let AI answer your phones. Matt Jones reckons it is quietly costing tradies jobs, and he has tested it enough to know. Matt sits down with Shelby Anderson from ServiceForge to unpack why a panicked customer with a flooded basement does not want to talk to a bot, and why the human touch still wins when it comes to closed jobs. They dig into where AI genuinely helps, where it falls over, and why so many trade businesses are leaving money on the table every time a call slips to voicemail.
You will walk away knowing how to qualify leads without burning your own hours, why the KPI most owners chase is the wrong one, and how to get your call handling ready for seasonal surges before they hit. Shelby breaks down what ServiceForge actually does with 24/7 live answering, booking and lead qualification, and Matt runs the old model versus new model maths on why a full-time in-house receptionist rarely stacks up. If you have ever lost a job to a missed call, this one is for you.
🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/av3NCaE8SvQ
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
02:02 - Meet Shelby Anderson
02:37 - The AI vs Human Debate
04:04 - Where AI Falls Short
05:04 - The New Sales Model
07:01 - How ServiceForge Qualifies Leads 1
0:48 - Why Discovery Wins Jobs
12:12 - The KPI Tradies Get Wrong
13:59 - In-House vs Outsourced Costs
15:27 - The True Cost of a Missed Call
16:18 - Preparing for Seasonal Surges
18:56 - Local Agents and Conversions
20:49 - Where AI Is Headed
23:17 - Using AI Without Losing Your Voice
28:51 - Managing Sales Pipelines
33:08 - Training Agents and AI Coaching
35:30 - Final Advice for Tradies
37:44 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Shelby Anderson Shelby Anderson is the Operations Leader at ServiceForge, an all-in-one service provider that helps trade and home service businesses get found, get booked and get paid. Based in Texas, her team handles 24/7 live answering, booking and payment solutions so no call goes unanswered and no opportunity is missed. She is passionate about building reliable customer experiences that turn inbound demand into booked jobs.
Website: https://www.serviceforge.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serviceforge/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
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Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
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Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
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🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
60% of business transitions fail — and it's rarely the tax strategy that kills them. The real culprit is the stuff nobody wants to talk about: unclear expectations, poor communication, and the relationships between the people involved. Matt Jones sits down with Andrea Carpenter from The Transition Strategists to unpack why so many family business successions fall apart, and what trade business owners can do to make sure theirs doesn't.
Whether you're thinking about stepping back in 2 years or 20, Andrea breaks down the three generations of transition thinking, the Transition Compass tool, and why starting the conversation 7 to 10 years out isn't too early — it's just smart. If you've ever thought about selling, handing down, or stepping away from your business, this one's for you.
🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/LCu3zgBwLho
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
00:55 - The Site Shed Hits 500 Episodes
02:00 - Meet Andrea Carpenter
02:20 - What Is a Business Transition?
03:20 - Internal vs External Transition Options
04:10 - Why Trade Businesses Are Now Sellable Assets
07:00 - The Real Reason Transitions Fail
10:30 - Transition 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 Explained
14:00 - Fairness vs Equality in Family Business
19:00 - Designing the Transition With Your Successor
22:00 - The Transition Compass Tool
26:00 - How to Start the Conversation Early
30:00 - Working Yourself Out of Your Own Role
33:00 - How Long a Transition Really Takes
37:00 - Why 75% of Owners Regret Selling
41:00 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Andrea Carpenter
Andrea Carpenter is the founder of The Transition Strategists and specialises in business succession and transition planning. She works with family-owned and privately held businesses — including trade and home service operators — to help owners design exits that actually work. Her focus is the human side of transition: the relationships, conversations, and structures that determine whether a handover succeeds or falls apart.
Website: https://transitionstrategists.com/
Free resource: https://beforebuysell.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakcarpenter/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
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Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
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🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Your customers are already using ChatGPT to research contractors before they ever call you, and if you're not showing up in those results, you're handing jobs to your competitors.
In this episode, Matt Jones sits down with Paul Redman from Contractor Commerce to break down exactly how AI is reshaping the quoting and lead generation process for tradies worldwide. Discover the tools and strategies top contractors are using right now to get found, build trust online, and close more work without ever picking up the phone.
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:54 - Meet Paul Redman
02:23 - The Shift in Consumer Behavior
03:04 - Overcoming the Fear of Online Pricing
04:17 - The Growth of Contractor Commerce
06:22 - Positioning Yourself as the Go-To Expert
09:29 - The Strategy of Upfront Pricing
11:56 - Improving Conversion Rates with Transparency
14:07 - Competitive Pricing vs. Dealership Models
16:45 - Shifting KPIs for Better Business Results
19:02 - The Impact of AI and LLMs on Search
22:01 - Optimizing for AI Search Results
25:16 - AI as the Ultimate Virtual Salesperson
28:45 - The Future of High-Touch vs. AI Interactions
33:23 - The Value of Human Connection in Sales
37:46 - Educating Customers Through Transparent Pricing
41:43 - Closing Remarks and Resources
About the Guest: Paul Redman
Paul Redman is the founder of Contractor Commerce, a platform that helps home service businesses and contractors sell fully installed pricing, memberships, and services directly online, including through AI-powered buying journeys on their websites. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Paul grew up around the trades and has spent years helping contractors adapt to the shift in consumer behaviour, from in-home sales to fully digital, self-serve purchasing experiences.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-j-redman/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
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🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
📲 Watch On YouTube! https://youtu.be/6q0pRBBdreU
🎙 About Our Guest: Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk
Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk, co-founders of CrystalLIQ, have each built and sold multiple trade-based businesses. Greg learned his hardest lesson as part-owner of a $48M-revenue business that went into liquidation because nobody knew their numbers. Together they help tradies install the financial systems and accountability frameworks that stop growth from destroying a business from the inside out.
CONNECT WITH GREG & JON
Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mcelroy-45aa90214/
Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfisk/
Website: https://www.crystalliq.com.au/
CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
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⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
More jobs, more staff, more revenue; and you're still growing broke?
In Part 2 of our CrystalLIQ series, Matt sits down with Greg and John to expose why scaling without financial systems is the fastest way to destroy your trade business. Learn why your P&L is the only scoreboard that matters, how to spot the traps before they bankrupt you, and the accountability framework that separates profitable tradies from busy ones.
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:57 - Growth Traps and the Scaling Dilemma
04:42 - Case Study: High Revenue vs. High Debt
07:41 - The Foundation: Accurate P&Ls
10:48 - Financial Literacy for Business Owners
14:03 - The Profit First Business Model
17:41 - Dangers of Hands-off Bookkeeping
21:02 - Building Truth in Numbers
22:31 - Hiring and Strategic Capacity
25:21 - Employee Scorecards and Outcomes
27:54 - Accountability and the Business Entity
30:34 - Example: Managing New Inquiries
32:58 - The Reality of Rapid Growth
35:22 - Key Takeaways and Margin Focus
39:02 - Adjusting Pricing During Scaling
41:22 - Strategic Outlook and Culture
42:39 - Wrap-up and Next Episode Tease
📲 Watch the video version! https://youtu.be/kEyXMAtLMg4
🎙 About Our Guest: Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk
Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk, co-founders of CrystalLIQ, have each built and sold multiple trade-based businesses. Greg learned his hardest lesson as part-owner of a $48M-revenue business that went into liquidation because nobody knew their numbers. Together they help tradies install the financial systems and accountability frameworks that prevent growth from harming a business internally.
CONNECT WITH GREG & JON
Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mcelroy-45aa90214/
Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfisk/
Website: https://www.crystalliq.com.au/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Most tradies think they own a business, but the business owns them, dictating every waking hour and every skipped family event.
In this episode, Matt sits down with Greg and John from CrystalLIQ to unpack why your business is running you into the ground, how you became the bottleneck without realising it, and the exact moment you need to step out of the operator's seat and into the owner's chair.
If you've ever felt like your business would collapse without you, that's not dedication, that's the problem. This episode tells you how to fix it.
Key Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:52 - Meet the Guests: Greg and John
02:22 - Overview of the Three-Part Series
06:45 - The Reality of Running a Mid-Sized Business
07:49 - Transitioning from a Job to a Business Mindset
09:53 - The Importance of Systems as You Scale
11:54 - Identifying When a Business Becomes Unstuck
15:05 - Re-deploying Business Owner Time and Focus
18:14 - Frameworks and Tools for Empowerment
20:18 - Structural Mapping for Future Growth
24:33 - The Owner’s Responsibility to Educate Themselves
28:23 - Adapting Systems to Support Growth
30:52 - Defining Success Based on Owner Goals
33:14 - Creating a Happy and Professional Work Environment
36:42 - Practical Tips for Reducing Burnout
38:16 - Documenting Friction Points for Future Clarity
40:12 - The Role of Technology and Proper Implementation
41:45 - Final Thoughts and Episode Wrap-Up
🎙️ About Our Guests: Greg McElroy And Jon Fisk
Greg McElroy built his plumbing business from the ground up at 21, one ute, one apprentice, and spent 40 years scaling it into a sale-ready operation before exiting. Now a strategic advisor at CrystalLIQ and current president of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW, Greg brings a no-bullshit, been-on-the-tools perspective to helping tradies build businesses that actually work without them.
Jon Fisk is a career entrepreneur who's founded, scaled, and exited companies across tech, solar, and engineering, including a renewable energy business recently acquired by a global investor, marking his fourth successful exit. As founder and lead consultant at CrystalLIQ, Jon specialises in pulling business owners out of the operator seat and into the CEO chair before they burn out completely.
CONNECT WITH GREG & JON
Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mcelroy-45aa90214/
Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfisk/
Website: https://www.crystalliq.com.au/
CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
500 episodes! Can you believe it? Since February 2016, this channel has been a journey, and it's clear that to truly achieve business success, you need more than just skill.
This episode emphasises the critical role of visibility and effective business strategy in winning jobs, reminding us that the best tradie doesn't always win; the most visible one does.
If your business runs on word-of-mouth, your memory, or manual processes, this episode will challenge everything you think you know about running a trade business.
00:00 - Introduction
02:11 - Reflection on 500 Episodes
03:54 - Host Background and Podcast Mission
05:28 - Global Ranking and Industry Observations
08:03 - Truth #1: Visibility Wins Over Quality Alone
11:10 - Truth #2: The Owner as the Business Bottleneck
14:10 - Truth #3: Systems are for Survival at Any Size
17:39 - Truth #4: Hiring Issues are Leadership Problems
21:54 - Truth #5: Embracing Technology and AI
28:30 - Future Outlook and Industry Opportunities
30:30 - Closing Thanks and Trading Academy Invitation
CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
AI isn't coming for your trade business; it's already here, and the tradies ignoring it are quietly handing leads, authority, and early retirement to their competitors.
In this 499th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with Troy Dean to break down exactly how AI is reshaping how tradies get found, answer leads, and build businesses that don't depend on them being on the tools 24/7.
If you're still waiting to see how this plays out, this episode is your wake-up call.
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:10 - Welcoming Troy Dean
01:33 - The Evolving AI Landscape
03:57 - Implementing AI Strategies
06:10 - Automating Business Workflows
08:58 - Human Connection vs. Computer Work
12:09 - Sales Coaching with AI Analysis
14:49 - Real-Life Lead Engagement Example
18:14 - AI and the Answer Economy
23:27 - Content as the Backbone of SEO
27:27 - Building Authority Through Content
31:28 - Engineering the Sales Cycle
36:01 - Future of Search and Marketing
40:05 - Sharing Expertise with Video
About Our Guest: Troy Dean
Troy Dean is the founder of Agency Mavericks, a coaching community that helps digital agency owners scale their businesses, reclaim their time, and build sustainable revenue without burning out. A self-confessed AI nerd with over 15 years of experience in the digital space, Troy brings a sharp, no-fluff perspective on how emerging technology is reshaping the way businesses grow and compete.
CONNECT WITH TROY DEAN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troydean/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetroydean
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agencymavericks
Website: https://www.agencymavericks.com/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Are you spending big on ads but losing jobs before the phone even gets answered?
In this episode, Matt sits down with James O'Neill from WildJar to uncover how call tracking and AI-powered call analysis can reveal exactly where your leads are falling through the cracks.
If you're serious about turning every phone call into a booked job and finally getting a real return on your marketing spend, this one's for you.
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - Introducing James O'Neal and WildJar
02:30 - Solving Digital Attribution for Phone Calls
04:44 - The Role of AI in Call Analysis
07:27 - Cost Per Lead vs. Lifetime Value
11:10 - Tracking Different Advertising Channels
12:50 - Membership Programs in Home Services
14:26 - The Marketing Ecosystem and Paid Ads
16:15 - Google Business Profile and Local Traffic
18:15 - Attribution and Customer Journey
20:13 - Feeding Conversion Data Back to Platforms
21:35 - How Call Tracking and DNI Work
25:21 - Virtual Numbers and Reporting
28:07 - Sales Cycles and Lead Attribution
29:05 - The Critical Nature of Answering the Phone
31:51 - Nurturing Leads and Creating Content
34:21 - The Changing Landscape of Organic Search and SEO
37:05 - Emerging Traffic from LLMs like ChatGPT
41:15 - The Future of AI and Sales Coaching
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
🎙 About Our Guest: James O'Neill
James O'Neill is the CEO and Founder of WildJar, a call tracking and AI-powered conversation intelligence platform that connects phone calls to digital marketing journeys, helping businesses drive revenue and make smarter marketing decisions. With over a thousand home services clients across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the UK, James specialises in helping tradies and contractors eliminate the blind spots between their ad spend and the jobs they're actually booking.
CONNECT WITH JAMES O'NEILL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-o-neill-9308632a/
Website: https://www.wildjar.com/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Think your follow-up game is solid? Data from 450 million text messages says you're probably quitting too early.
In this 497th episode of the Site Shed, Ryan Fenn, founder of Chirp and a man who's analysed 450 million text messages, breaks down why "fortune is in the follow-up" isn't just a cliché. It's a math problem most tradies are solving wrong.
If you're tired of ghosted estimates, wasted lead spend, and watching jobs slip through the cracks, this episode is your blueprint for fixing the single biggest revenue leak in your tradie business.
KEY CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:47 — The Follow-Up Failure Most Tradies Don't Know They Have
06:17 — What 450 Million Text Messages Actually Reveal
16:32 — The "Mom Test" For Writing Messages That Get Replies
25:47 — Pattern Interrupts: How Unexpected Messages Break Through
34:36 — Why 70% of Conversions Happen After 8 Touchpoints
45:47 — The Anti-Follow-Up Strategy: Value Before The Ask
58:45 — The Day 10 Trap: Why Reps Quit Right Before Deals Close
🎙 About Our Guest: Ryan Fenn
Ryan Fenn is the founder of CHIIRP, a follow-up and automation platform built to help home service businesses convert more leads and rehash old estimates. He has spent more than 15 years studying sales follow-up, customer messaging, and how contractors can turn missed opportunities into booked work.
CONNECT WITH RYAN FENN
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-fenn-76568b165/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.fenn.3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandfenn/
Website: https://chiirp.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chiirp/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chiirp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getchiirp/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Finance might not be the sexiest topic in business, but getting it wrong can quietly drain your cash flow, stall your growth, and lock you into deals that cost far more than they should.
In Episode 496, Matt sits down with Rob Misheloff from Smarter Finance USA to unpack one of the least understood parts of running a trade business: equipment and vehicle finance.
It may not sound exciting, but getting this wrong can wreck your cash flow, stall your growth, and lock you into deals that cost far more than they should.
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
01:31 - About Rob Misheloff and Smart Finance USA
05:51 - Challenges with Complex Contracts and Transparency
07:51 - How Financing Rates are Determined
10:51 - Advantages of Financing for Business Growth
14:04 - Tax Benefits and Cash Flow Considerations
18:12 - Dealership Financing vs. Outside Brokers
19:47 - Red Flags and Identifying Scams
22:19 - Differences Between Loans and Leases
23:54 - Hidden Fees and Advanced Payment Scams
26:32 - Understanding Credit Ratings and Business Risk
32:44 - Education and Managing Expectations
35:10 - Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
CONNECT WITH ROB MISHELOFF
Website: https://www.smarterfinanceusa.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smarterfinanceusa
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-misheloff/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
How many good leads are slipping through the cracks in your trade business because of a weak sales process?
In Episode 495 of The Site Shed, Matt Jones sits down with Ben Wright to unpack why so many trade businesses waste perfectly viable leads through a weak sales process.
From slow response times and poor follow-up to inconsistent quotes and missed opportunities on site, this episode digs into the practical gaps that quietly kill conversions and how you can correct them.
Key chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:44 - Welcome Guest Ben Wright
03:12 - Building Trust through Content
08:22 - First Impressions and Presentation
11:30 - Analyzing the Sales Process
14:41 - The Sales Success Framework
18:52 - Lifetime Value and ROI
25:24 - Avoiding Fat Cat Syndrome
32:05 - Scaling Beyond Referrals
34:14 - Allocating Budget for Marketing
38:32 - Small Changes, Large Impact
42:55 - Optimizing the Customer Journey
46:42 - Training Teams for Upselling
53:21 - Embracing Change and AI
01:00:08 - The Importance of Coaching
📲 Watch On YouTube! https://youtu.be/wOPk8k22eJI
Links mentioned in this episode:
Stronger Sales Teams: https://www.strongersalesteams.com
Connect With Ben Wright:
Website: https://www.strongersalesteams.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongersalesteams
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092201545034
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachbenwright/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0503Mx6cuIKdgW9qaUvmSf?si=c2918891d2ec4cb0
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
In Episode 494 of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt Jones sits down with returning guest Andrew O'Farrell to unpack what is really driving rising fuel costs and why tradie businesses should be paying close attention.
What starts as a conversation about diesel prices quickly opens up into a much bigger discussion around global energy markets, fragile supply chains, and the real-world impact on trade businesses across Australia.
If you want a clearer view of what may be coming down the pipeline and how to prepare for it, this episode is a must-listen.
🎥 Watch the video version of this podcast at: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Key Chapters:
00:00 Welcome back Andrew O'Farrell
00:07 Why diesel prices have jumped so dramatically
01:00 Why Australia is vulnerable to refined fuel shortages
02:15 What trade business owners need to understand about rising costs
02:53 Fuel is just the undercard, gas is the real story
04:43 How LNG disruption affects construction and manufacturing
06:07 Why food and fertiliser could be hit next
07:19 The Strait of Hormuz and why it matters
11:06 Could Australia be more self sufficient?
13:56 What this means for local industry and supply chains
16:03 Energy security, reserves, and the diesel problem
17:32 EVs, hybrids, and practical resilience
19:38 Why diesel is not going anywhere anytime soon
20:33 Does nuclear have a role in Australia?
22:29 Why we need a smarter transition, not a rushed one
24:22 The inflation and margin squeeze tradies should prepare for
26:20 What this could mean for Australia and Asia next
27:35 Final thoughts and planning for what’s ahead
Links mentioned in this episode:
The Site Shed Podcast Episode 188 with Andrew O'Farrell: https://www.thesiteshed.com/energy-1/
Connect With Andrew O'Farrell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-o-farrell-352b8747/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
How do you onboard new tradies properly so they actually stick around past week one?
In Episode 493 of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt Jones sits down with Vicky Irwin from Network Plumbing to unpack what effective staff onboarding really looks like in a growing trade business.
If you’ve ever hired in a rush, thrown a new apprentice or technician into the deep end, or struggled with staff churn, this episode will give you a practical framework to help new team members feel clear, supported, and ready to succeed.
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
09:07 - The Recruitment and Pre-Onboarding Process
12:04 - Day One: Orientation and Company Culture
12:30 - Operational Integration and Facility Tour
13:30 - Ongoing Training and Communication Standards
17:18 - Developing Soft Skills and Professionalism
26:05 - Technology and Systems Adoption
23:24 - Safety as a Non-Negotiable
34:01 - Final Assessment and Team Integration
📲 Watch On YouTube! https://youtu.be/SOAw74WWJys
CONNECT WITH VICKY IRWIN
Website: https://networkplumbing.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-irwin-56a61712/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/networkplumbing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/networktradies_/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/network-plumbing/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Discovery Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Most tradies don’t need more motivation. They need clearer targets.
In this 492nd episode of The Site Shed, Matt Jones chats with Zak Saboune from Service Today about how to build KPIs that your team actually understands, buys into, and performs for. No fluffy corporate scorecards. Just simple, practical numbers and behaviours that drive better productivity, stronger culture, and more profit.
If you’ve ever felt like your team is busy but results are inconsistent, this one will help you set expectations properly and track what matters without turning the business into a spreadsheet.
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
01:30 - Introduction of Guest Zach Saboune
04:45 - Current Scale of the Business
06:26 - Managing Growth with KPIs
11:00 - Implementing Business Frameworks
15:32 - The Importance of Systemization
16:47 - Private Equity and Business Value
22:01 - Customer Acquisition Strategy
27:26 - Maximizing Lifetime Customer Value
31:34 - The Membership Model: Total Care Club
38:58 - Delivering on Membership Value
47:40 - Sticking to the B2C Vertical
53:42 - Staff Retention and Culture
57:54 - Training for Brand Consistency
59:19 - Future Outlook for Service Today
📲 Watch On Youtube: The Site Shed YouTube Channel
🎙 About Our Guest: Zac Saboune
Zac Saboune is the CEO of Service Today and a leader in the Australian home services space, known for helping build one of the country’s largest service businesses. In this episode, he shares practical insights on KPIs, productivity, customer lifetime value, and building a trade business that scales with clarity and accountability.
CONNECT WITH ZAC SABOUNE
Website: https://www.servicetoday.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ServiceTodayAu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/servicetoday/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-saboune-ceo-of-australia-s-largest-home-service-company-53ba2a150/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Want to stop selling “membership discounts” and start building repeat work the simple way? Earn loyalty with trust, follow-up, and a customer experience that makes you the only plumber they remember.
In Episode 491, Matt sits down with Scott Irwin from Network Plumbing to talk about why plumbing memberships usually do more harm than good for reactive residential services. Scott breaks down how the membership model got dragged over from HVAC, why discounts are “illusion value”, and why most tradies would be better off building loyalty through simple follow-up and consistent customer experience instead.
You will also hear practical ideas on staying top of mind without spamming people, why direct mail still wins, when scheduled maintenance style programmes actually make sense (think strata and commercials), and how to upsell ethically by having the right conversation with the right decision- maker on site.
Key Chapters:
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
🎙 About Our Guest: Scott Irwin
Scott Irwin is the driving force behind Network Plumbing, an Australian plumbing business focused on delivering reliable service and long-term customer relationships.
Connect With Scott Irwin:
Website: https://networkplumbing.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/networkplumbing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/networktradies_/
LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/network-plumbing/
Scott’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-irwin-5b413a31/
CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys
If you are obsessing over CPA (cost per acquisition) in your plumbing business, you might be making decisions that hurt your long-term profit.
In episode 490, Matt Jones sits down with Scott Irwin from Network Plumbing (Sydney) to break down why reactive trades like plumbing and electrical need to stop judging marketing only by short-term lead costs and start thinking in lifetime value (LTV).
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
00:49 - Introduction and Scott's Background
03:32 - Defining Lifetime Value (LTV)
06:30 - Strategies for Long-term Customer Satisfaction
10:34 - Levers to Improve Customer Lifetime Value
12:35 - Business Growth and Evolving Marketing
14:58 - The Importance of Personal Relationships and Manners
17:21 - Training New Employees and Apprentices
21:14 - Practical Frameworks for Service Excellence
25:08 - Addressing Price Concerns with Value and Urgency
28:48 - Closing Thoughts and Future Episode Teaser
Related Episodes:
Episode 439 with Scott Irwin (Network Plumbing journey)
Episode 440 with Scott Irwin (Designing your ideal life)
CONNECT WITH SCOTT IRWIN
Website: https://networkplumbing.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/networkplumbing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/networktradies_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/network-plumbing/
Scott’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-irwin-5b413a31/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
If you feel like you’re flat out in your building business but the profit still doesn’t match the effort, this episode is for you.
In Episode 489, Matt sits down with Greg Wilkes from Develop Coaching to unpack what actually separates a $1M builder from a $10M builder and the shift from being the best tradie on site to becoming the business leader who builds a team, installs simple systems, protects margins, and creates a pipeline that doesn’t rely on you doing everything.
🎥 Watch the video version of this podcast at: @TheSiteShed
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Mindset Shift: Tradesperson to Entrepreneur
00:44 - Meet Greg Wilkes: Construction Industry Expert
01:10 - Scaling from $1 Million to $10 Million
04:47 - The Pitfall of High Net Profit (and Not Investing)
08:04 - Healthy Net Profit Margins for Builders
10:00 - The Myth of Staying on the Tools
16:43 - The Importance of Org Charts and Future Hiring
17:54 - Strategy for First Hires: Start Low with Admin/VA
24:17 - First Big Hire: The Site Supervisor
25:10 - The Business Owner's Focus: Marketing and Sales
27:19 - The Challenge of Systemizing and AI's Impact
33:46 - Systemizing for Leverage: Focus on Repeatable Tasks
38:54 - The Importance of Knowing Your Numbers
42:15 - Simplifying Financial Numbers for Builders
46:10 - Mapping Out a Plan for Growth: Job Value Over Volume
48:40 - How to Contact Greg Wilkes (Develop Coaching)
🎙️ About Our Guest: Greg Wilkes
Greg Wilkes is a trade business coach at Develop Coaching, helping builders and tradies scale from being on the tools to running a profitable, systemised business.
CONNECT WITH GREG WILKES
Website: https://developcoaching.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.wilkes.coach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greg.wilkes.coach/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-wilkes/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DevelopCoaching
Links mentioned:
Develop Coaching (Australia): https://developcoaching.com.au/
Develop Coaching (UK): https://developcoaching.co.uk/
Free book download: Building Your Future: https://developcoaching.com.au/download-building-your-future/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
If you have plenty of work booked in but you still feel broke, stressed, or behind on cash, this episode is for you.
In Episode 488, Matt sits down with Kurt Hegeschweiler from Builders Coach to unpack the real reason tradies and builders get squeezed: you end up financing the job while you wait to get paid.
You will learn how to stop bleeding cash, protect your margin, and set your business up so money comes in before it goes out.
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
00:53 - Welcome to the podcast, Kurt!
01:26 - Kurt's background and specialty in helping builders with optimization and peak performance
06:05 - The preservation mindset of many accountants and bookkeepers
12:49 - The importance of having a plan in place
18:09 - Positioning yourself as the expert within your specific vertical
24:40 - Processes are essential for successfully scaling a business
31:15 - Kurt's simplified financial metrics: 25% Gross Margin, 10% Overheads, 15% Net Profit (25/10/15)
37:41 - The confusion between net profit and money in the bank
42:07 - Good process and proactive communication is a form of marketing and value-add
48:53 - The power of the Profit First business model for financial clarity
54:49 - A goal without a strategy is a wish
📲 Watch on YouTube!
🎙️ About Our Guest: Kurt Hegeschweiler
Kurt Hegeschweiler is a business coach who works primarily with residential builders (custom homes and renovations) through Builders Coach. He's best known for helping builders optimise profit, cash flow, and performance, including guiding over 100 builders to seven-figure net profit results.
CONNECT WITH KURT HEGESCHWEILER
Website: Builder's Coach
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Links mentioned in this episode:
Million Dollar Builder 2.0 (Amazon and Audible): https://amzn.to/4pv6rd3
Psycho-Cybernetics: https://amzn.to/3LCOviK
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
In Episode 487, Matt sits down with Jed Bolton, a Perth-based solar and electrical business owner who has quietly built a seriously scalable operation without obsessing over more leads.
Jed shares how shifting from subcontractor-heavy work to a system-driven sales process helped him 10x revenue while keeping the team lean and the growth manageable.
If you’re flat out, wearing every hat, and still feel like you’re chasing your tail, this episode is a blueprint for stepping back from lead chaos, tightening your process, and spending your time where it actually moves the needle (closing jobs and building the team).
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
01:14 - Welcome Jed Bolton!
03:27 - Shift from predominantly subcontracting work to having leads
06:17 - Subcontracting work is just a job
09:11 - Customers often think they know what they want more than they actually do
13:00 - The first constraint hit is in fulfilment
15:38 - The value of the sales executive program
18:32 - Site visits should be for closing jobs, not checking out work
20:40 - Drive around closing jobs, not doing quotes
24:34 - The impact roadmap session
27:21 - The goal of consistency and manageable growth
28:33 - Final thoughts
📲 Watch on YouTube!
🎙 About Our Guest: Jed Bolton
Jed Bolton is a Perth-based solar and electrical business owner who specialises in larger-scale residential solar installations (around 13 kW to 50 kW), as well as batteries and renewables. He built a scalable operation by tightening his sales process, focusing on close rate, and shifting from subcontractor-heavy work to a more system-driven model.
CONNECT WITH JED BOLTON
Website: https://boltonec.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolton.ec/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552818021459
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jed-bolton-a21a1a300/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
If you've established a strong trade business but it's beginning to feel repetitive, this episode offers a fresh start.
In Episode 486, Matt sits down with Jeremiah Webb from Shop On Fire to unpack why the fire dies (even when the numbers look positive) and how you can get your energy, purpose, and momentum back without blowing up what you have already built.
You will learn practical ways to snap out of the grind, stop feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate, and lead with energy again so your team lifts too.
0:00 Teaser
1:14 Welcome and Jeremiah's Background
4:44 Reigniting Passion and Scaling Business
8:16 Fulfillment is Not Default: Manual vs. Autopilot
12:11 Staying Motivated and the Value of Habits over Goals
15:31 The Myth of Overwhelm: Being Stretched is Not More Than You Can Handle
17:28 The Importance of Foundational Grit and Pushing Limits
22:51 Great Athlete vs. Elite Athlete: Bouncing Back Faster
24:55 Reframing Failure as a Lesson
27:01 Recovery Time and Suffering is Optional
31:57 Framework for Moving Past Setbacks
35:08 Problems Never Go Away, They Increase in Quality
39:03 The Cure-All: Massive Action and the Physiology of Motivation
46:01 Defining Purpose and Maintaining Focus
47:37 Meetings Should be for Making Decisions
51:57 Sticking to Something and Steady Growth
55:42 Framework for Coaching Cadence and Levers for Change
58:31 VIP Coaching and the Window of Opportunity
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
🎙️ About Our Guest: Jeremiah Webb
Jeremiah Webb is the founder of Shop On Fire and a high-performance coach who helps trade business owners rebuild energy, clarity, and momentum when the grind starts to take over. With a background in the trades (including HVAC) and years working with business owners, he shares practical frameworks you can use to lead better, feel better, and grow without burning out.
CONNECT WITH JEREMIAH WEBB
Website: https://shoponfire.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeremiahwebb.1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremiahwebb.official
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiahwebb/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremiahwebb.official
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeremiahwebb.official
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jeremiahwebb
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
It's no longer just fast food to franchise.
It could also be one of the best ways for tradies to grow without getting too tired.
In this 485th episode of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt sits down with Jon Ostenson, CEO of FranBridge Consulting, to break down what franchising really looks like for trade and service-based businesses.
If you’re stuck in the day-to-day, thinking about growth, or wondering how others scale using systems, people, and capital that aren’t all on their shoulders, this episode is a must-watch.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔ The biggest myths tradies believe about franchising
✔ Franchise vs licensing vs alliance models (what’s the difference?)
✔ Why private equity is chasing trade & home service franchises
✔ When franchising actually makes sense (and when it doesn’t)
Key Chapters:
0:00 - Teaser
1:12 - Discussing the dynamics of franchising and non-food franchising
6:04 - Reasons to consider a franchise model for an existing business
10:07 - Limitations and "red tape" of franchising
12:11 - Addressing the perception of increased cost for customers of franchises
15:15 - Expectations and systems within a franchise
17:31 - Legalities and approval around branding and marketing
19:09 - Digital marketing challenges for franchisees
23:21 - Backgrounds of people who join a franchise
25:26 - Support available for franchisees and their teams
27:13 - Choosing between buying an existing business and a new franchise
29:16 - Exit strategy and typical returns for a franchisee
31:49 - Ownership of intellectual property (IP) like customer databases
35:57 - John Austinen's book, Non-Food Franchising
38:13 - The typical avatar best suited to the franchise dynamic
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
🎙 About Our Guest: Jon Ostenson
Jon Ostenson is a leading expert in non-food franchising and the founder of FranBridge Consulting, where he helps business owners scale through proven franchise models. He has collaborated with numerous entrepreneurs and trade professionals to establish scalable, systematised businesses, avoiding the need to start from the beginning.
🤝 CONNECT WITH JON OSTENSON
Website: https://franbridgeconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonOstenson1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.ostenson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonostenson/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JonOstensonFBC
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools To Help Your Business:
https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Marketing For Your Business – Book A Call with Tradie Web Guys:
https://tradie.wiki/yt
In Episode 484 of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt Jones is joined by entrepreneur and investor Greg Cassar to break down one of the biggest questions tradies is starting to ask: is taking control of your super actually worth the extra work?
Greg shares why many business owners unknowingly rely too heavily on their business or default super fund and how shifting from “business owner only” to “business owner + investor” can completely change your long-term freedom. This episode unpacks how superannuation really works, why set-and-forget isn’t always the best approach, and what tradies should understand before considering a self-managed super fund (SMSF).
If you’re making good money but haven’t thought deeply about how it’s growing for your future, this conversation is a practical wake-up call; focused on control, education, and playing the long game.
🎥 Watch the video version of this podcast at:
https://youtu.be/DxSzs1M8zNY
Key Chapters:
00:00 – Teaser
04:40 – The trap of relying only on your business
08:10 – How inflation and fees eat away at super
12:10 – What a self-managed super fund really involves
16:40 – Thinking long-term instead of short-term gains
21:10 – Emotional control and investing discipline
25:40 – Playing the long game as a tradie
30:10 – Business owner vs business owner + investor
34:40 – Final mindset shifts for long-term freedom
CONNECT WITH GREG CASSAR
Website: https://collective.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregcassar
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gregcassar
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@greg_cassar
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Most tradie business owners want great staff…
But retaining them long-term is a whole different challenge.
In this episode of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt sits down with Chris Buttenham, founder of Reins, to unpack a smarter way to reward and retain key team members, without giving away control of your business.
They break down phantom equity, profit sharing, and incentive structures that help trade business owners:
✔️ Build loyalty
✔️ Align staff with business growth
✔️ Create real exit options
✔️ Avoid the risks of traditional equity
If you’re struggling to keep good people, thinking about your long-term exit, or want your team to care about the numbers as much as you do, this episode is a must-watch.
KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 – Teaser
02:00 – Meet Chris Buttenham & his contractor background
04:40 – Why exit planning is broken for most tradies
07:05 – Real stories: equity, private equity & staff buy-in
09:40 – What is phantom equity?
12:25 – Phantom equity vs real equity explained
15:15 – Using equity to retain and motivate key staff
18:35 – Vesting, performance rules & protecting the owner
23:45 – Equity vs profit share: what to use and when
28:25 – Transparency, numbers & educating your team
34:05 – How to set this up properly (and keep it simple)
38:55 – Where to learn more & final takeaways
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Chris Buttenham is the co-founder and CEO of Reins, a platform helping contractors reward and retain key staff through simple, low-risk equity incentives. With roots in a family contracting business and experience in tech and M&A, Chris specialises in making complex equity and exit strategies practical for trade business owners.
CONNECT WITH CHRIS BUTTENHAM
Website: https://www.myreins.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myreins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reinstechnologies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myreins/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools To Help Your Business:
https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Marketing For Your Business – Learn More About Tradie Web Guys:
https://tradie.wiki/yt
In Episode 482, Matt is joined by Claudio Gambin, a financial adviser and tax strategist who specialises in helping trade and construction business owners stop overpaying tax and start using smarter financial strategies.
If your accountant only speaks to you at tax time, pushes generic advice, or can’t explain how to legally reduce your effective tax rate, this episode will open your eyes. Claudio breaks down the most common tax red flags tradies miss, why being proactive matters more than minimising tax at all costs, and how to reinvest savings back into your business to fuel long-term growth.
This conversation goes beyond tax returns and dives into strategy, cash flow, scalability, and what actually makes a trade business bankable and sellable.
🎥 Watch the video version of this podcast at:
https://youtu.be/8bLf7qGbibM
Key Chapters:
00:00 – The tax questions tradies should be asking
01:10 – Why most tradies overpay tax
03:54 – The best investment is your business (not more assets)
08:41 – Why reinvesting profit is tax-effective
10:00 – Proactive tax planning explained
15:08 – Depreciation, leverage & overlooked tax wins
18:04 – The 3 golden questions for your accountant
21:20 – Using tax savings to fuel growth
24:45 – Eliminating lifestyle expenses from your business
28:13 – What makes a trade business sellable
38:05 – Strategy, time, and staying proactive
Links mentioned in this episode:
GFG Solutions: https://gfgsolutions.com/
Claudio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudgambin/
Connect With Claudio Gambin:
Website: https://gfgsolutions.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudgambin/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claudio.gambin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiogambin
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
With online ads becoming noisier, more expensive, and harder to trust, many trade business owners are rediscovering the power of physical, personalised marketing that actually gets noticed.
In Episode 481 of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt Jones sits down with Wilson Zehr, direct mail and marketing automation expert from Zairmail, to unpack why direct mail is making a serious comeback for tradies in 2026 and why relying on digital-only marketing may be hurting your conversions.
This episode is packed with real-world examples, practical frameworks, and clear do’s and don’ts for using direct mail alongside digital marketing to win more local jobs, improve follow-up, and stand out in crowded markets, so make sure to listen until the end!
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
02:43 - Meet Wilson Zehr: From Software Engineer to Strategic Marketing
06:17 - The Nike Success Story and Why Shoe Dog is a Must-Read
08:52 - From Surfboards to Zairmail (Mail as Fast as Email)
12:26 - The "Junk Mail" Flip: Why Direct Mail Breaks the Digital Noise
15:04 - Marketing as a Mechanic (Direct Mail & Digital)
17:42 - Building Communication into the American Routine
20:30 - The 70/20/10 Rule (The Ultimate Direct Response Formula)
24:43 - Segmenting Voters for Overwhelming Success
27:32 - Proximity Mail: The Best Way for Home Service Businesses to Target Geographically
30:40 - Case Study or Offer, How Real Estate Agents Use Mail?
33:41 - Avoid the Shotgun Approach (Hyper-Personalization is Key)
36:25 - Why You Need to Be Remembered Before Disaster Strikes
39:34 - The Power of Fridge Magnets and Referral Stickers
43:56 - Scaling Past Word-of-Mouth
47:37 - Why Monthly Newsletters Beat Unreliable Email Deliverability
50:23 - Nurturing Leads with Email, SMS, and Direct Mail
53:24 - Direct Mail Best Practices
56:24 - Keep Messages Short and Drive Traffic to Video
1:00:33 - Your Website is Your Credibility
📲 Watch the video version! https://youtu.be/03B4nwRFBLM
CONNECT WITH WILSON ZEHR
Website: https://www.zairmail.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilsonzehr/
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/wilson.zehr
Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/Zairmail/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonzehr
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradiewebguysAus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
Hiring good people has never been harder. And it’s not getting easier in 2026.
If you’re a tradie or contractor struggling to find, keep, or motivate good staff, this episode will change how you think about hiring forever.
In this 480th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with Tom Reardon, founder of PeopleIN and one of Australia’s most experienced workforce leaders, to break down what actually works when labour is tight and why most trade businesses are unknowingly making hiring harder than it needs to be.
This isn’t theory. It’s real-world, boots-on-the-ground advice from someone who’s scaled teams across Australia and New Zealand.
If you’re sick of reacting to hiring problems and want a long-term game plan, this episode is a must-listen.
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
01:18 - Tom's Background and People Infrastructure Explained
03:36 - Culture is Not Static: How it Evolves as Your Business Grows
06:39 - The "Rotting Apple" Problem: How One Bad Attitude Kills a Team
09:16 - The Astronomic Cost of a Bad Hire (It's 3 Times Their Salary)
12:26 - Beyond Salary: Attracting Talent with a Career Path, Not Just a Job
15:47 - The Danger of Promoting Sideways (Don't Damage a Good Career)
18:01 - Can Bad Attitudes Be Turned Around? (Only with a Strong Culture)
21:20 - Performance-Based Remuneration: The Future of Trade Incentives
24:59 - Using NPS (Net Promoter Score) for Accountability
27:48 - Why Most Trade Businesses Lack Strategy
30:38 - Stop the Doing: The Importance of 90-Day Resets
33:02 - Inaccurate Data Trap: Net Profit Percentage vs. Dollar Value
36:26 - Culture Must Evolve: Everyone is Responsible for the Core Values
39:19 - Promoting Leadership: Markers of Action and Results
42:47 - Why Australian Trades Are Globally Sought After (Quality and Standards)
👤 About the Guest: Tom Reardon
Tom Reardon is the founder of PeopleIN, one of Australia’s largest workforce and labour hire groups. With over 20 years in recruitment, labour hire, and workforce strategy, Tom has helped businesses scale without losing culture, even in the tightest labour markets.
CONNECT WITH TOM REARDON
Website: https://www.peoplein.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/convos_on_the_couch/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-reardon-555b614/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradiewebguysAus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
2025 was a big year, and for many trade businesses, it came with some hard lessons.
In this solo episode, Matt Jones looks back on what actually worked and what didn’t across hundreds of trade businesses he’s worked with throughout the year. It’s a real-world review from inside the trenches of marketing, sales, and business growth.
If you felt busy in 2025 but didn’t see the results you expected, this episode will help you understand why and what needs to change if 2026 is going to be different.
What You’ll Learn:
✔ Why strategy must come before marketing
✔ The danger of spending money without systems
✔ Why more leads won’t fix broken processes
✔ How scaling creates new problems if you’re not prepared
✔ The mindset shifts trade business owners resisted in 2025
✔ What you should reflect on before planning 2026
Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
00:42 - Welcome and reflections on the year 2025
01:15 - Thank you for support! (almost 500 episodes!)
02:04 - Appreciating listener feedback and requests
03:48 - Expanding the Academy and resources
04:15 - Upcoming events: Ski Workshop and Surf Workshop
05:12 - Business workshops and making events a business expense
06:14 - Key takeaways from 2025 #1: Strategy
07:37 - Key takeaways from 2025 #2: System
08:32 - Key takeaways from 2025 #3: Scale and Fulfillment
09:46 - Key takeaways from 2025 #4: Spending the money to get the outcome
11:11 - The Profit First Model
12:52 - Stop subscribing to doom and gloom
13:46 - Stop, reflect, and appreciate
14:35 - Do your research
15:16 - Look after yourself (physically and mentally)
16:00 - Closing thoughts on 2026 and making a decision
🎧 Listen to the audio version of this podcast at: https://tradie.wiki/listen
CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradiewebguysAus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt
HR isn’t why you started your trade business.
But getting it wrong can cost you serious time, money, and stress.
In this 478th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with Karen Hillen from My HR Partner to break down what Fair Work actually cares about when it comes to tradie businesses with employees and contractors.
This isn’t theory or corporate HR talk.
It’s practical, trade-specific advice to help you avoid common HR traps and protect your business.
🕒 Key Chapters
00:59 – Why HR mistakes hurt tradie businesses
02:04 – Meet Karen Hillen & what an HR partner does
03:29 – Employee vs contractor: the core confusion
06:19 – When a contractor is legally an employee
10:04 – Contractor vs casual employee explained
14:39 – Trade award entitlements most tradies miss
17:59 – Redundancy & leave liabilities in trade businesses
23:14 – How Fair Work handles complaints
34:14 – Performance management: act early, not late
40:09 – Contracts, VAs & getting the right HR advice
What You’ll Learn:
✔ The real difference between an employee and a contractor
✔ When a contractor should legally be treated as an employee
✔ Why contracts alone won’t protect you
✔ Trade award entitlements most tradies don’t know about
✔ When redundancy pay applies, even if someone resigns
✔ How Fair Work handles complaints and underpayments
✔ How to deal with performance issues before they explode
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
CONNECT WITH KAREN HILLEN
Website: https://www.myhrp.com.au
HR Hub: https://myhrp.com.au/hr-hub/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhrpartnerau
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyHRPartnerAustralia
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhillen/
CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Are your quotes accidentally pushing good clients away?
In this 477th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with sales and leadership expert Drew Norton to break down the real reasons tradies lose work and how a few simple mindset and process shifts can help you win better clients without relying on low prices.
Drew gives useful tips for making the discovery process better, leading with confidence, making sure people understand their options, and building a sales system that really works.
If you want to charge what you're worth and stop clients from ghosting after the quote… this one’s for you.
🕒 Key Chapters
00:29 Drew Norton's background and expertise
01:22 Changing the perception of sales & leadership
02:31 The shift away from old-school, pushy selling
03:45 Why mindset drives sales success
06:43 The two real barriers to business growth
13:11 Why documenting processes is critical
14:36 How to communicate benefits, not features
24:50 “Sales Inception” (Drew’s 3-step framework)
28:54 The discovery phase: qualify before you quote
40:59 Defining customer avatars & speaking to pain points
🔧 What You’ll Learn
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
🎙 About Our Guest: Drew Norton
Founder of The Everyday Sales Leader, Drew helps business owners improve their sales confidence, leadership skills, and communication. His frameworks have helped tradies grow their revenue, raise prices, and build stronger teams in the tradie industry.
CONNECT WITH DREW NORTON
The Everyday Sales Leader
Website: https://theeverydaysalesleader.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeverydaysalesleader/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theeverydaysalesleader/
Quiz: The Everyday Sales Leader Quiz
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
👉 FREE tools, templates & resources for tradies: https://tradie.wiki/pod
In this 476th episode of The Site Shed, Matt Jones sits down with cybersecurity expert Ronnie Manning, Chief Brand Advocate at Yubico, to dive deep into best practices for protecting trade-based businesses and contractors like you in the digital age.
Discover the real risks of password reuse, why two-factor (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are a MUST for your team, and how passkeys and physical security keys are shaping the future of online security.
Key Chapters:
00:00 – Teaser
01:20 – What Yubico does & why authentication keys matter
02:35 – How hackers get into business accounts through admin access
04:18 – MFA, 2FA and the evolution of authentication
05:36 – Passkeys explained: the strongest form of login security
06:03 – How physical YubiKeys work in real life
12:04 – The most common cyber breach scenarios for SMBs
17:43 – Why password managers are essential for every business
25:12 – MFA as the “seat belt” of cybersecurity
31:27 – New global data: Gen Z most likely to fall for phishing
You'll learn:
✔ Why using the same password for everything is dangerous, and what to do instead;
✔ How password managers can simplify your digital life while boosting security
✔ The evolution of authentication: From SMS codes to passkeys and physical security keys like Yubikey
✔ What “phishing-resistant authentication” actually means, and why it matters
✔ How to protect your business accounts from hackers, even in collaborative teams
✔ Browser and VPN tips to keep your data safe (especially when traveling or working remotely)
✔ Real-world stories, practical policies, and step-by-step strategies for small businesses
📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen
CONNECT WITH YUBICO
Website: https://www.yubico.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCqkvjt06Q4hejDEo5PZt6zg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yubico/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yubico/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yubikey
CONNECT WITH RONNIE MANNING:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronniemanning/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronniemanning/
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
CONNECT WITH LIZ CHISM
Website: https://www.lizchism.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liz_chism/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-chism-coaching
E-book: https://lizchism.com/ebook
Want to streamline your operations, improve your marketing, or close more jobs?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, guides, and insights that actually help your business!
👉 Check it out: https://tradie.wiki/pod
In this 475th episode of The Site Shed, Liz Chism, a contractor-turned-award-winning brewer, rebuilt her business and life by systemising everything. After working 100-hour weeks, Liz transformed her brewery into a business that ran smoothly without her, even while she travelled overseas with her phone off.
Today, she assists other tradies in achieving the same goals: eliminating chaos, increasing profit, and creating a business that provides them with a sense of relief.
This episode offers a wealth of practical strategies for contractors who may be feeling overburdened, underpaid, or lacking a clear path to growth, so make sure to watch until the end!
Key Chapters:
00:00 Liz’s turning point and escaping 100-hour weeks
02:26 Growing up in construction and early lessons
05:29 How systems saved her business (and sanity)
10:05 The 80/20 rule tradies ignore
12:16 Why SEO is changing with LLMs
15:58 Content, trust, and lead conversion
19:07 The follow-up gap costing contractors thousands
21:26 The “Chaos Tax” and hidden profit leaks
23:55 Estimating mistakes and the real cost of inaccuracy
27:25 Why more leads aren’t always the answer
30:30 Wearing too many hats and valuing your time properly
32:39 Cadence, routines, and becoming a true CEO
41:44 Scheduling mistakes that blow out jobs
46:24 Incentivising your team for performance
50:16 Final advice for overwhelmed contractors
CONNECT WITH US!
https://www.thesiteshed.com
https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Your Next Step:
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod
Follow The Site Shed:
If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
CONNECT WITH BRYAN CLAYTON!
Website: https://www.yourgreenpal.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryanmclayton/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GreenPal/495779490484818
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214
Want to streamline your operations, improve your marketing, or close more jobs?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, guides, and insights that actually help your business!
👉 Check it out: https://tradie.wiki/pod
In this 474th episode of The Site Shed, Bryan Clayton dives deep into building predictable revenue for trade businesses by using Costco's membership model as a blueprint, and what he revealed was amazing value for tradies like you.
Learn the crucial steps for creating irresistible service agreements for your plumbing, electrical, and HVAC customers, and stop leaving money on the table!
Key Chapters
0:00 Teaser
1:05 Selling Memberships to Plumbers & Electricians
3:47 The "Steve Martin Approach" to Irresistible Offers
7:07 Why Are Trades Still Operating Like It's 1997?
10:33 The 'Insurance Model' for Plumbing and Electrical Service
13:30 How to Experiment with Your Best Customers First
15:07 Steal These Membership Secrets from Uber and Amazon Prime
22:14 The No-Brainer Membership Model for HVAC Businesses
27:38 Leveraging Seasonality
30:25 The Tech You NEED to Manage Service Agreements (Is it worth it?)
CONNECT WITH US!
https://www.thesiteshed.com
https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In episode 473, host Matt Jones sits down with Sean Samson, dialing in from Cleveland, Ohio, for the third and final part of their enlightening series. Today, they’re diving deep into the powerful world of service agreements—why they matter, how you can sell them effectively, and the massive opportunity they represent for electricians, plumbers, and other reactive-service businesses looking to build recurring revenue.
Matt and Sean break down the nuts and bolts of what a service agreement actually is, outlining the differences between commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, and sharing real-world tactics for turning a standard job into a long-term client relationship. From the importance of having a solid sales process, to insightful tips on targeting the right demographics, and how technology plays a key role in making service agreements work, this conversation is packed with actionable advice for business owners wanting to grow sustainably.
Timestamps:
00:00 "How to Sell Service Agreements"
06:12 NFPA Standards for Service Agreements
09:36 Residential Maintenance Membership Benefits
11:45 Selling Through Fear of Loss
15:01 Seasonal Maintenance Tips
16:53 Targeting High-Value Service Customers
22:14 "Technology Needed for Service Agreements"
24:45 Sean's Show Notes and Episodes
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this episode, host Matt Jones is once again joined by Sean Samson for the second part of their insightful series. If you missed the first installment where Sean shared the ten reasons your service and maintenance business will never grow, be sure to catch up, because today’s conversation builds on those foundational ideas.
Timestamps
00:00 Service Sales Process Benefits
04:34 "Scaling Requires Systems"
08:30 "Tracking Sales Process Metrics"
13:10 Sales Systems Enable Scalable Growth
14:09 Onboarding Requires Role Transition
20:09 "Discovery: Key to Problem-Solving"
23:44 "Process Guides Safe Problem Solving"
26:42 Job Walk and Verification Process
28:11 Outdated Residential Business Model
32:43 "Service Agreements & Recurring Revenue"
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In Episode 471, host Matt Jones chats with Sean Samson, founder of Sean Samson Training to dig deep into the world of service and maintenance agreements for contractors. Sean shares his journey from an electrical service agreement sales rookie to training contractors around the globe, helping them transform transactional businesses into predictable, recurring revenue powerhouses.
⏱️Timestamps:
00:00 "Maximizing Lifetime Value in Marketing"
06:31 "Five Reasons People Don’t Buy"
07:16 "Optimizing Sales & Service Processes"
11:36 "Scaling Business Growth Strategically"
16:18 B2B to Residential Transition Challenges
19:39 "Improving Service Through Proactive Leadership"
21:40 "Undervaluing Service Expertise Hurts Business"
25:07 Clients vs. Customers in Contracting
28:48 "Trust Built on Intimacy"
32:20 "Transactional Revenue Lacks Excitement"
35:36 "Contractors as Sales Organizations"
41:22 Compounding Revenue Drives Business Success
43:02 "Importance of Trained Salespeople"
45:45 "Tech Selling vs Doing"
50:00 "Contracting Growth Challenges Unveiled"
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In episode 470, host Matt Jones is joined by Ben Hansen from Profit Doctor for a straight-shooting conversation about what truly drives profitability in trade businesses. Broadcasting from Austin, Texas, Ben brings a wealth of experience working with business owners across the globe, breaking down how revenue and profit don’t always go hand-in-hand, and why so many businesses look healthy on paper but struggle to see any real financial reward.
⏱️Timestamps:
00:00 "Marketing Budget Essential for Growth"
04:07 "Misaligned Resource Allocation in Business"
09:02 Revenue Focus vs. Profitability Awareness
13:43 Profit Focus for Business Success
16:00 "Financial Clarity for Tradespeople"
19:51 Streamlining Cost Analysis
23:49 Profit-Focused Service Shift
26:46 Lacking Practical Financial Guidance
28:30 Misaligned Business Growth Strategies
32:54 "Unprofitable Clients Hinder Growth"
35:10 Cut Losses to Boost Success
39:02 Streamline Focus for Better Conversion
43:02 "Focus on Customer Lifetime Value"
45:51 Optimize for Ideal Clients
47:58 Targeting Diverse Customer Needs
53:32 Focus on Core Strengths
55:22 Self-Taught Financial Empowerment
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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With years of experience helping businesses in the trades sector, Jason shares how CEO Warrior guides business owners, from technicians just starting out, to established pros, through the often-daunting world of financial clarity and pricing. Matt and Jason unpack practical strategies for setting realistic budgets, analyzing your P&L, overcoming marketing and conversion obstacles, and planning for growth without losing your footing.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 CEO Warrior's 10-Year Milestone
06:05 Profitability Mindset in Business
08:56 Budget as Road Map Strategy
12:10 Breaking Down Big Goals
13:00 Improving Conversion Without More Ads
17:05 "Engagement Beyond the Initial Service"
20:37 Chart of Accounts: Four Key Buckets
25:00 "P&L and Balance Sheet Setup"
28:28 Accounting for Loan Payments Insight
29:30 "Profit First Methodology Insights"
32:18 "Annual Budget Tracking Process"
38:28 Seasonal HVAC and Service Strategy
39:59 Seasonal HVAC Offer Strategies
42:19 Overlooked Opportunities in Business Growth
45:33 Open CEO Warrior Event Invitation
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In episode 468, Matt Jones is joined by Matt Pohl, an entrepreneur hailing from just north of Denver, Colorado, with a wealth of real-world experience in transforming small businesses. Together, they dive into the incredible journey of taking a welding company from $900k to $4 million in just two years. Pohl shares his unique background, working alongside his wife, acquiring businesses rather than starting them from scratch, and applying a proven methodology to triple business value and achieve a 10x increase before selling.
⏱️Timestamps:
00:00 Business Transformation and Organizational Rewilding
06:02 "Retirement Sparks Welding Business Sale"
10:01 Overestimated Workforce Challenges Trades
13:25 Rebranding to Commercial Welding LLC
16:20 Denver Welding Market Overview
19:44 Employee Numbers Drive Business Complexity
21:24 "Building Business Resilience and Structure"
26:55 Evolving Strategies for Business Growth
28:33 "Lighten Your Burden"
31:13 Navigating Growth Challenges
35:35 Determine Business Stage with FTEs
39:28 "Awareness of Personal Growth Potential"
41:25 From Process to Profit Focus
46:08 Adaptability in Business Leadership
49:52 Guiding Success Through Adaptation
51:32 Transitioning from Owner to Enterprise Focus
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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Welcome back to The Site Shed! In this episode, Matt Jones sits down with marketing maverick John Dwyer for a lively and insightful conversation that dives deep into the world of direct response marketing, particularly for tradies and small business owners.
John, whose career spans decades of helping businesses stand out, breaks down the crucial differences between traditional brand-focused marketing and the results-driven approach of direct response. The two discuss why most tradies excel at their craft but often struggle with the skills to actually grow their business, juggling everything from vanity metrics on social media to the challenges of generating real, qualified leads.
⏱️Timestamps:
00:00 Balancing Brand Building and Profit
03:51 "Tradies' Marketing Challenges"
07:46 "McDonald's, Parenting, and Incentives"
12:55 "Bali Trip: Nightly Fee Only"
15:09 Lead Conversion Challenges
19:05 Excessive Leads Hinder Marketing Efforts
23:15 "Matt Fences' Facebook Ad Insight"
26:44 Exclusive Coaching Requirements Revealed
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In Episode 466 of The Site Shed, host Matt Jones sits down with Logan Turley, a marketing and content creation expert with an impressive background at Disney and GoPro, to tackle one of the trades industry's most important and often-overlooked topics: how tradies and contractors can use simple, authentic content to position themselves as true experts.
⏳Timestamps:
00:00 "Establishing Expertise Through Content"
05:28 "Training Network for Content Creators"
09:05 Gen Z, Millennials Prefer Authenticity
11:19 "Content to Convert Leads Effectively"
14:36 Content's Role in Brand Credibility
17:30 Leverage Social Algorithms for Visibility
19:15 "Pre-Qualifying Leads Through Content"
23:42 "Defined Processes Boost Client Trust"
26:31 Multimedia Marketing for Client Engagement
30:07 Showcase Brand Story Authentically
34:46 Evergreen Content Explained
35:24 "Leverage Video for Common FAQs"
40:57 Social Media Brand Perception Insights
42:22 "Turning Mistakes into Content"
48:30 Simple, Effective Phone Contet Tips
50:00 AI Simplifies Video Content Creation
53:36 Proper Lighting for Filming
56:04 "Seize Your Content Opportunity"
58:55 Future Tech and Content Evolution
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In Episode 465 of The Site Shed, Michael O'Sullivan talks about Why Health Gets Overlooked When Life Gets Busy and How You Can Hack Your Brain for Better Focus.
Matt and Michael get real about the everyday challenges tradies face: juggling family, business, and health, and discuss the habits and mindset shifts needed to boost productivity and maintain peak performance both on and off the job. Michael shares his own journey from growing up with a tradie dad and struggling with weight, to working alongside some of Australia’s top men’s health experts.
⏳ Timestamps:
00:00 Boosting Productivity and Energy
05:07 Cultivating Healthy Habits
08:52 "Creating Change Through Habits"
12:25 "Importance of Diverse Perspectives"
15:06 "Optimize Tomorrow: Evening Prep & Sleep"
17:23 Optimize Sleep with Simple Habits
22:11 Boosting Men's Health: Muscle & Morning Routine
25:27 "Breaking Coffee Habits"
29:34 Foundation First: Health & Hormones
30:36 Rethink Blood Work: Advanced Testing
35:16 "Importance of Morning Outdoor Exposure"
38:33 Organic Supplements & Routine Simplification
41:21 Optimize Carbs and Nutrition Timing
44:40 Efficient Protein-Rich Breakfast & Lunch
49:25 Metabolism Boost and Caloric Deficit Strategy
51:10 "Health as Key to Fulfillment"
54:05 Investor's Key Question: Hobbies?
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In today’s episode, Matt is joined by Skye, an ADHD strategist and business owner, for a candid and practical conversation about managing ADHD in the trades and business space. Drawing from both professional experience and her own ADHD diagnosis during her PhD, Skye shines a light on executive functioning challenges, how late diagnoses are becoming more common, and why so many successful entrepreneurs seem to be wired this way.
Listen to the audio version of this podcast at https://tradie.wiki/listen
From stories about business leaders discovering their ADHD “superpowers” to breaking down the symptoms and science behind attention differences, this episode covers it all. Skye shares concrete strategies, from focus formulas to energy management, and answers big questions about diagnosis, the role of dopamine, and how to build business systems that actually work for your brain.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 ADHD and Business Success
05:12 Evolving ADHD Understanding
08:16 ADHD and Motivation Challenges
12:34 Working Memory and Timeliness Challenges
14:48 "Identifying Executive Function Struggles"
17:50 Prioritize Mental Tasks Urgently
20:15 Focus on Urgent Priorities
25:42 Quick Motivation and Task Start
29:39 Time Management and Phone Pacing
30:29 Pomodoro Technique Insights
35:26 Rising Adult Anxiety and Depression
37:18 ADHD Management Without Medication
41:30 Dopamine Deficiency in Modern Life
44:04 Enhancing Engagement at Home
47:29 ADHD: Productivity vs. Social Costs
52:00 ADHD: A Trade Business Superpower
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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Most tradies don’t realise how much their business name is holding them back.
After working with hundreds of trade businesses, I can confidently say:
The wrong name can slow your growth, confuse your customers, and make you harder to find online.
In Episode 463 of The Site Shed, I’ll show you the biggest naming mistakes tradies make and how to fix them.
⏱️Timestamps:
00:00 "Business Naming: A Global Guide"
04:08 Searchable Business Naming Tips
10:17 Secure Local Domain Names
11:28 Avoid Clichés in Business Naming
15:14 Check Business Name Availability
21:01 "Register and Launch Resources"
21:52 "Trady Wiki Pod Info"
🔧 Avoid these mistakes:
❌ Using generic or forgettable names
❌ Choosing a name that’s hard to spell or pronounce
❌ Ignoring SEO and visibility when naming
❌ Making it all about you, not your customers
✅ Learn what makes a name memorable, search-friendly, and scalable
✅ Hear real-world examples from tradie businesses who got it right
If you’re just starting out or thinking about rebranding, don’t skip this.
Want a checklist to ensure you don't miss any of these crucial steps? Head to https://tradie.wiki/pod to join our FREE community to access 40+ guides and checklists to help you grow your business.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In this episode, host Matt Jones is joined once again by Chris Koch to deep dive into company culture, recruitment, and building high-performing teams in the trades. Drawing from his experience with BDR and a recent read of Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why,” Chris shares why getting back to the basics—knowing your company’s mission, vision, and values—forms the bedrock of attracting and retaining top talent.
⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 "Readiness Unlocks Effective Learning"
05:10 "Becoming the Employer of Choice"
06:56 "Cultivating Positive Work Culture"
12:35 Effective Team Communication Goals
14:02 Aligning Incentives and Communication Strategies
17:56 Hiring and Managing Expectations
20:47 EOS Management Structure Revamp
25:01 Streamlining for Efficient Growth
27:55 Fostering Growth Through Trust
32:01 Balancing Culture and Productivity
34:08 Challenging Hiring Process Benefits
38:57 "Defining Roles Boosts Hiring Success"
41:35 Leveraging Team Networks for Recruitment
44:20 Effort Matters in Hiring Process
48:40 "Seeking Committed Business Partners"
Takeaways:
Matt and Chris unpack real-world strategies for becoming the “employer of choice,” from performance-based incentives to intentional hiring processes that go way beyond checking boxes. They discuss the power of clear communication, the importance of one-on-one meetings, and how a strong organizational culture turns team members into your company’s best recruiters. Plus, they offer actionable tips on structuring interviews, keeping staff engaged, and the often-overlooked value of social gatherings and regular check-ins.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In this episode, host Matt Jones sits down with Jeff Armstrong from Cultivate Advisors—a seasoned entrepreneur and expert in helping business owners unlock the true value of their companies. Building on conversations from previous episodes about buying and selling trade businesses, Matt and Jeff dig deep into what it really takes to prepare your business to be an attractive, saleable asset.
⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 Trade Business Mergers & Sales Insights
05:04 Business Owners' Ownership Transfer Blind Spot
08:17 "Business Exit Strategy Insights"
12:05 Business Health Score Evaluation
15:11 "Evaluating Enterprise Value"
18:51 Owner Dependency in Business Operations
22:21 "Exit Planning Methodology Overview"
24:19 "Measuring Success Beyond Financial Metrics"
29:32 Transitioning to Paid Marketing Strategies
32:47 Business Evaluation and Future Planning
34:10 Customized Growth Strategy Blueprint
37:31 Discussing Business Exits and Value
Takeaways:
Jeff shares powerful insights into the concept of “enterprise value,” explaining why most business owners mistakenly view their companies as just income producers rather than valuable, transferable assets. The conversation explores common blind spots, key value drivers like owner dependency and financial clarity, and practical steps you can take—even if you’re not planning to sell right away—to build a business that runs without you and stands out to buyers or investors.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In this episode, host Matt Jones is joined by a familiar face—John, the CEO of Rooter Hero from Los Angeles. It’s been nearly six years since John last appeared on the show, and a lot has changed in that time. Together, Matt and John take a deep dive into the incredible growth journey of Rooter Hero, which has more than doubled in size since 2019, now boasting over 500 employees and 440 vehicles on the road.
Timestamps:
00:00 Company Doubles in Size
03:24 Futuristic Business Strategy Planning
08:53 Consolidating Units Challenges Backend
10:29 Learning Business Expansion Strategies
15:48 AI Integration in Business Operations
18:19 AI Streamlines Job Applicant Screening
22:26 Promoting Trade Careers Over Tech
25:48 Maximizing Maintenance for Business Growth
29:29 Commercial vs. Residential Tech Differences
32:46 Future Business Expansion Possibility
33:57 Expanding Beyond California
Takeaways:
You'll get an inside look at how John leads a rapidly scaling business, the evolution of his role as CEO, and the challenges of executing change at scale. The conversation covers everything from the impact of technology and AI in streamlining operations, to the importance of structured planning and the influence of operating systems like Gino Wickman’s EOS.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In this episode, host Matt welcomes Cam Bishop from Raincatcher.com for the second part of the mini-series, "Selling Smart: How Trade-Based Businesses Can Build and Sell a Profitable Business." If you missed the first part, make sure to check it out for insights into the five critical mistakes that can ruin your business sale.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 "Life After Selling a Business"
05:06 Skiing Without Purpose: A Job?
09:14 "Criteria for Family Business Success"
12:27 "Rethinking Business Strategies"
15:20 When to Sell Your Business
18:02 "Determining the Right Time to Sell"
23:20 Navigating Business Exit Conversations
26:59 "Choosing Buyer Beyond Highest Bid"
31:22 Buy-Sell Agreement Importance
34:24 Generational Business Strategy Success
36:06 Strategic Business Sale Timing
39:03 Send Questions for Future Answers
Takeaways:
Cam also shares stories about legacy, succession planning, and the emotional realities owners face after the sale, offering practical advice on how to approach exit planning proactively—rather than reactively—and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you're thinking about selling now or ten years down the road, this episode is packed with valuable perspective and actionable steps to help you plan for a successful and meaningful business transition.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In this episode, host Matt Jones sits down with Cameron Bishop from Raincatcher for the first part of our mini-series, "Selling Smart: How Tradies Can Build and Sell a Profitable Business." With decades of experience in private equity and business sales, Cameron offers valuable insights into the growing trend of business roll-ups and private equity exits, particularly how North American models are starting to influence the Australian market.
00:00 "Smart Selling for Tradies"
04:08 Strategic Acquisitions and Buyer Identification
06:29 Scheduled Maintenance for Project Businesses
09:50 "Balance: Working In vs. On Business"
14:53 Private Equity Buyer Concerns
17:47 Perpetual Demand in Service Industry
19:52 Growth Challenges and Acquisition Strategy
23:52 Private Equity Value in Mergers
28:45 Urban Surf Ranch Location Dilemma
32:27 Cash vs. Accrual Accounting Explained
36:07 "Embrace Experts: Fractional CFO Trend"
39:14 Generational Business Sale Challenges
43:48 "Preparing Tradies for Business Exit"
44:28 Toasting Traditions
Takeaways:
• The top 5 things that stop trade businesses from selling
• What private equity and buyers look for in a business
• Why recurring revenue and less owner dependency boost value
• Actionable steps to get your business ready for a stress-free exit
Together, Matt and Cameron dig into the key challenges and red tape business owners face when preparing to sell, from legal and accounting hurdles to operational nuances. They break down the five critical mistakes that can ruin your trade business sale, sharing real-world stories, expert advice, and practical steps you can take to position your business for a successful—and profitable—exit.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
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In this episode, host Brandon welcomes special guest Mick from the Tool Shed podcast—who’s not only a fellow podcaster but also a seasoned builder’s coach with a whopping 35 years of experience in performance coaching. Fresh off a recent Tool Shed episode featuring Matt from The Site Shed, this crossover promises practical wisdom and relatable stories for tradies, builders, and anyone looking to level up their business game.
Brandon and Mick dive into the crucial topic of daily rituals for business success, exploring why simple routines like the "Prioritized Daily Action List" and "Personal Success Ritual" can be absolute game changers for tradies who are more comfortable on the job site than behind a desk. Mick shares lessons learned from decades of time management coaching and business consulting, revealing the mindset shifts and small habits that separate successful business owners from those who struggle.
Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/oX1rVRrITZM
====== Timestamp Chapters =====
00:00 Introduction to Coaching and Podcasting Dynamics
02:48 The Journey from Time Management to Business Coaching
06:04 Understanding the Entrepreneurial Mindset
08:51 The Importance of Daily Rituals for Success
12:11 Time Management vs. Self-Management
15:01 The Power of Personal Success Rituals
18:07 Effective Prioritization and Daily Action Lists
21:00 The Role of Accountability in Team Dynamics
26:22 Effective Performance Management Strategies
35:41 The Power of Personal Success Rituals
46:38 Leading by Example in Productivity
==== What You'll Learn ====
- Mick Hawes has been in performance coaching for over 35 years.
- Many builders lack a clear vision when starting their businesses.
- The disconnect between technical skills and business management is common.
- Daily rituals are crucial for maintaining consistency and focus.
- Time management is more about self-management than managing time itself.
- A prioritized daily action list can significantly enhance productivity.
- Inspiration is key to starting the day effectively.
- Mindset plays a critical role in achieving business success.
- Leaders should lead by example to inspire their teams.
- Writing down goals and tasks can improve accountability and focus.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
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This week, Matt Jones shares a powerful case study of a roofing business that unlocked consistent $200K months using simple but effective systems.
If your business is stuck in subcontractor mode or struggling to scale because of inconsistent revenue, this episode will show you what’s possible—and how to get there.
Listen to this episode here: https://tradie.wiki/listen
==== TIMESTAMPS ====
00:00 Boosting Business Control & Growth
03:32 Optimizing Lead Follow-Up Calls
09:34 Consistent Growth through Job Closures
11:56 Unlocking Success Through Simple Changes
13:51 "Trading Insights with Matt"
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
– How consistent lead flow changed everything
– Why 80+ weekly follow-up calls drive conversions
– The game-changing move to on-site quoting
– The impact of a defined sales process
– How to plan team growth with confidence
Matt walks through the exact framework that helped this client scale from chaos to consistency in just a few weeks—and how you can apply the same principles.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
This week, Matt Jones shares a powerful case study of a roofing business that unlocked consistent $200K months using simple but effective systems.
If your business is stuck in subcontractor mode or struggling to scale because of inconsistent revenue, this episode will show you what’s possible—and how to get there.
Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/T0IQn7-b1uA
==== TIMESTAMPS ====
00:00 Boosting Business Control & Growth
03:32 Optimizing Lead Follow-Up Calls
09:34 Consistent Growth through Job Closures
11:56 Unlocking Success Through Simple Changes
13:51 "Trading Insights with Matt"
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
– How consistent lead flow changed everything
– Why 80+ weekly follow-up calls drive conversions
– The game-changing move to on-site quoting
– The impact of a defined sales process
– How to plan team growth with confidence
Matt walks through the exact framework that helped this client scale from chaos to consistency in just a few weeks—and how you can apply the same principles.
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this conversation, Matt Jones and Crystal Williams delve into the multifaceted world of branding, emphasizing that branding extends far beyond just logos. They discuss the importance of building a brand identity that resonates with customers, the need for patience in seeing growth, and the significance of community engagement. The conversation also highlights the necessity of understanding the sales cycle, setting realistic expectations, and the role of digital presence in modern branding. Crystal shares actionable strategies for effective brand marketing, including the importance of consistency and creating a unique brand identity that stands out in a crowded market.
🎥Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/tOuyhc3rK60
====== Timestamp Chapters =====
00:00 – Intro with Crystal Williams
01:05 – What branding really means beyond a logo
02:41 – Branding as a long-term growth tool
04:52 – Branding vs. direct marketing mindset
10:17 – Crystal’s 10–12% marketing spend insight
13:23 – Real-world examples: billboards, jingles & mail
16:08 – Community involvement as branding
18:51 – Hard-to-measure strategies that still work
26:22 – Why brand drives better marketing ROI
29:07 – Lemon Seed’s “three-bucket” approach
31:20 – Final thoughts on patience and strategy
==== 🔧 What You'll Learn 🔧 ====
– Why branding is more than a logo
– The difference between brand and direct marketing
– What tradies get wrong about marketing
– How to build a brand that makes people remember (and call) you
– Lemon Seed's “three-bucket” marketing strategy
📚 Resources:
– Crystal Williams: https://www.lemonseedmarketing.com/
– Connect with Crystal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonseedmarketing
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
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⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this episode, host Matt sits down with Roland, co-founder of Housecall Pro – a leading software solution for job management in the trades industry. Recorded after their chance connection at a trades event in Fiji, this conversation is a deep dive into how AI is transforming the home service sector. Roland shares the journey of how Housecall Pro began, what truly sets their platform apart, and how AI-powered features are empowering “standing jobs” (like plumbers, HVAC, and electricians) to cut down on admin work and focus more on growth.
Matt and Roland unpack the practical ways that AI is making life easier for tradespeople, from automated customer service to intelligent business analytics and coaching. They discuss best practices for adopting new technologies in your business, the importance of staying curious, and how leveraging data can help tradies grow faster and smarter. Tune in to hear real-world insights, learn what’s next for AI in trades, and get tips on maximizing your own business potential in this rapidly evolving landscape!
🎥Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/-XXVEhxU-vc
====== Timestamp Chapters =====
00:00 AI Talk Leads to Unexpected Connection
04:57 AI: Impact on Jobs
08:20 AI-Powered Customer Service Solution
14:04 AI's Role in Business Growth
16:45 Startups’ Tech Advantage: Easier Operations
19:45 Embrace Curiosity in Business
22:23 "If It Ain't Broke, Explore"
25:40 "Optimize Time in Business"
29:46 Forward-Looking Strategic Planning
33:59 Integrating Human Touch in Automation
36:36 "Optimizing Business Processes with Data"
38:30 Optimizing Low-Intent Social Leads
41:43 "Explore Housecall Pro Demo"
==== What You'll Learn ====
✅ How AI “team members” can fill admin gaps and stop missed leads
✅ Why your time is best spent on site, not stuck on after-hours invoicing
✅ Real-world results: 30% growth and more jobs booked—faster
Get FREE marketing insights for your business when you complete the Opportunity Scorecard - https://go.tradiewebguys.com.au/
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this episode of The Site Shed, Matt Jones speaks with Glen Fitzgerald from Worx Safety about how tradies can tackle workplace safety compliance without drowning in paperwork. Glen shares how digital tools and automation can help simplify your WHS systems, reduce admin, and increase operational efficiency.
They chat about the differences in compliance requirements for residential versus commercial businesses, the challenges of staying on top of paperwork, and what triggers a compliance audit. You'll hear practical advice on how business owners can automate induction, training, and documentation processes, plus insights into how technology—from digital software to potential AI solutions—is making safety more accessible and efficient for everyone in the industry.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://tradie.wiki/listen
==== What You’ll Learn: =====
✅ How to streamline WHS compliance using digital tools
✅ Common compliance mistakes and how to avoid them
✅ The future of AI in safety and contractor management
✅ Why automation is the key to simplifying your operations
=====Timestamps: =====
00:00 Intro to Glen Fitzgerald and Worx Safety
06:29 Workplace Incident Liability Concerns
08:40 SOP Implementation for Safety Training
12:32 Contractor Responsibility for High-Risk Work
15:31 Contractor Responsibility Increase Trend
17:23 "Prototype AR Glasses Hazardous"
20:43 Compliance and Training Essentials
25:19 "Safety Info Access Guide"
If you're a trade business owner looking to stay compliant without sacrificing productivity, this episode is a must-listen.
📌 Learn more about Worx Safety: https://www.worxsafety.com.au
📌 Book a Free Demo: https://www.worxsafety.com.au/request-a-demo
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
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⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this episode of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt Jones and Rai Cornell discuss the psychology behind marketing and why it can often feel uncomfortable or 'icky.' They explore the importance of authenticity, relationship building, and creating valuable content that resonates with audiences. The conversation delves into overcoming fears of content creation, the role of marketing beyond traditional ads, and introduces the 'Four M's' framework for effective marketing. The episode concludes with key takeaways for listeners to implement in their own marketing strategies.
You can watch it on 🎥 YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Nro-yhQTxg
Timestamp:
00:00 - Introduction to the episode and guest Rai Cornell
02:30 - The disconnect between sales and marketing
04:00 - Why "I hate marketing" is a red flag
08:00 - Why content doesn't have to include YOU on camera
11:30 - How to create content without stress or perfection
14:00 - Feel-Good Marketing: The 4 M's Framework
21:00 - Real-world examples of creative mechanisms
26:00 - How to build trust through relevance and consistency
30:00 - Final thoughts and resources
📚 Resources:
📓 Read our blog on this podcast here: https://tradie.wiki/452-Why-Your-Marketing-Feels-Icky
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
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⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
We dive into the intricacies of modern marketing. In today's episode, titled "The Psychology of a Savvy Buyer: Appealing to Modern Informed Audiences," hosts Matt Jones and Rai explore the powerful connection between psychology and marketing. Joined by Rai from Cornell Content Marketing, they kick off a fascinating mini series about achieving 90% presold buys using psychology-driven strategies. This first episode unpacks how understanding the psychology of today's informed buyers can transform your marketing approach, and why building authentic relationships with your audience is crucial in standing out amidst the noise.
Listen to the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/MMNwPLMUD1w
Timestamp:
00:00 From Psychology to Content Marketing
05:39 Developing Unique Business Mechanisms
07:30 "Stages of Change in Marketing"
13:36 "Answer FAQs with Content"
16:17 AI-Augmented Sales Qualification Process
19:47 Addressing Sticker Shock Early
21:28 "Lead Conversions: Warm vs. Cold"
27:32 "Effective Sales Conversation Strategies"
29:27 Template-Driven Sales Hilarity
33:54 Respect and Empower Your Buyers
35:28 Customer-Focused Case Study Approach
38:54 Visit SiteShare for Resources
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
We dive into the intricacies of modern marketing. In today's episode, titled "The Psychology of a Savvy Buyer: Appealing to Modern Informed Audiences," hosts Matt Jones and Rai explore the powerful connection between psychology and marketing. Joined by Rai from Cornell Content Marketing, they kick off a fascinating mini series about achieving 90% presold buys using psychology-driven strategies. This first episode unpacks how understanding the psychology of today's informed buyers can transform your marketing approach, and why building authentic relationships with your audience is crucial in standing out amidst the noise.
Listen to the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/MMNwPLMUD1w
Timestamp:
00:00 From Psychology to Content Marketing
05:39 Developing Unique Business Mechanisms
07:30 "Stages of Change in Marketing"
13:36 "Answer FAQs with Content"
16:17 AI-Augmented Sales Qualification Process
19:47 Addressing Sticker Shock Early
21:28 "Lead Conversions: Warm vs. Cold"
27:32 "Effective Sales Conversation Strategies"
29:27 Template-Driven Sales Hilarity
33:54 Respect and Empower Your Buyers
35:28 Customer-Focused Case Study Approach
38:54 Visit SiteShare for Resources
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Welcome to another episode of The Site Shed! In Episode 456, host Matt Jones sits down with James Hearn of Silver Peak Construction for a powerhouse discussion on scaling a trades business, mastering the sales process, and the surprising role that customer rapport (and even a client’s pet preferences) can play in business success.
James shares his journey from commercial projects and roadwork to mastering bathroom, laundry, and wet area renovations across Melbourne’s western suburbs and rural Victoria. You’ll hear real-world tactics Silver Peak uses—like ultra-fast quoting, rigorous client qualification, streamlined operations manuals, and detailed follow-up—to outpace the competition. Plus, discover why James screens customers based not just on budget, but even on whether they own dogs 🐶 or 🐱 cats!
🎥 Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/xZ7rUaPe0Sk
Timestamp:
[00:00:49] – James’s Background & Silver Peak Construction’s Specialization
[00:03:41] – Competing with Low Quotes & Value Proposition
[00:05:12] – Lead Qualification & Sales Process
[00:07:41] – Unique Client Qualification: Pets and Personality Fit
[00:19:12] – Building & Scaling Through Systems and SOPs
[00:23:23] – Evolution & Continuous Improvement of Processes
[00:24:36] – Major Business Lessons: Screening Clients & Site Management
[00:26:32] – CRM, Job Management, and Technology Adoption
[00:39:57] – Communication, Handover, and Aftercare
👉 In this episode: (with a BONUS TIP 🐾)
✓Qualifying the Right Clients
✓The Power of Discovery Calls
✓Pricing with Confidence
✓Personal Connection Matters
✓Systematize with Checklists
✓Fast and Transparent Quoting
✓Ongoing Process Improvement
✓Communication Prevents Problems
✓Stand Out Through Education
✓Follow-Up Drives Referrals
If you’re a trades business owner looking to sharpen your sales, streamline your operations, and provide a truly standout customer experience, this episode is rich in practical, actionable strategies that work in 2024 and beyond.
Tune in for fresh insights and inspiration to take your trade business to the next level—don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit that bell for more Site Shed wisdom!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
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⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Join host Matt Jones as he sits down with Josh Coplin, co-founder of Eden, a startup focused on revolutionizing the HVAC industry with innovative tools like the Eden Instant Quote. In this episode, they delve into the evolving dynamics of sales processes, especially in the trades industry, and discuss how implementing on-site quoting can streamline operations and boost close rates. Josh shares insights on the significant changes in consumer behavior, particularly pre and post-COVID, and highlights the importance of adapting to a culture seeking instant gratification and greater control over purchasing processes.
Check the full episode on this podcast: https://youtu.be/_cc5189USiw
Timestamp:
00:00 "Streamlining CRM in Trade Biz
06:19 "Importance of Persistent Follow-Up
07:32 Maximize Follow-Up for Sales Success
11:48 Instant On-Site Quoting Boosts Conversions
13:37 Improve, Don't Settle
20:24 CRM's Impact on Construction Businesses
23:47 Transforming Knowledge into Scalable Systems
25:39 Embracing and Adopting Technology
30:03 "Team Collaboration Enhances Customer Success
Things you'll Learn in this Video:
Whether you're in HVAC or another trade, this conversation is packed with relevant strategies for optimizing your sales process by providing transparency, leveraging technology, and respecting your customer’s time. Tune in to discover how your business can benefit from these modern sales techniques and elevate your conversion rates.
Alternative Titles:
How On-Demand Pricing Boosts Your Sales Conversion RatesStreamline Sales with Real-Time Quotes for Higher Closing Rates
The Power of Instant Pricing in Closing More Deals
Modernizing Your Sales Process with On-Demand Quoting Techniques
From Lead to Sale: The Impact of Fast Quot
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
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In this episode, host Matt Jones sits down with Erick Vargas, entrepreneur and co-founder of Followup CRM, for a deep dive into the world of customer relationship management (CRM) in the construction and trade industries. Kicking off the first podcast of 2025, Matt and Erick unpack the evolving role of CRMs—from their origins as lead and sales tools, to their vital importance in streamlining operations, improving communication, and scaling businesses.
Erick shares his journey developing Followup CRM, a platform specifically designed for contractors that emerged out of real-world frustrations with generic software. Together, they explore the critical differences between CRMs, job management, and project management software, and discuss why so many businesses lose sales simply by failing to follow up with leads. With practical anecdotes, industry stats, and insights into integrating new tech, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to future-proof their trade business and build company value through smart systems and processes.
Whether you're a business owner, salesperson, or just interested in construction technology, you’ll find plenty of actionable takeaways on maximizing your pipeline, optimizing your team, and driving real growth.
Listen to the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/2AChnrdchRs
00:00 "Streamlining CRM in Trade Biz
06:19 "Importance of Persistent Follow-Up
07:32 Maximize Follow-Up for Sales Success
11:48 Instant On-Site Quoting Boosts Conversions
13:37 "Improve, Don't Settle"
20:24 "CRM's Impact on Construction Businesses"
23:47 Transforming Knowledge into Scalable Systems
25:39 Embracing and Adopting Technology
30:03 "Team Collaboration Enhances Customer Success"
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
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📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Matt Jones kicks off by diving deep into the key lessons from the previous year and discussing the game-changing opportunities that lie ahead for trade businesses. Matt explores how the rise of accessible AI tools—like ChatGPT—has revolutionized efficiency, productivity, and marketing within the trades industry, bringing a breath of fresh air to systems that were becoming stale.
He breaks down how businesses can leverage data-driven decision making and AI-powered analytics to gain a competitive edge, emphasizing the vital importance of understanding your numbers: lead costs, cost per acquisition, and customer lifetime value. Matt also delves into the growing influence of voice search and explains why optimizing for more conversational, personalized interactions will set your business apart in 2025 and beyond.
Whether you’re looking to double your revenue or refine your sales process, Matt shares practical frameworks, strategic insights, and real-life examples that show exactly how you can scale yaour trade business systematically and sustainably this year. Get ready for actionable advice and inspiration to help you set—and smash—your business goals!
Listen to the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/qd5tqapLyn4
00:00 Optimizing AI for Voice Search
06:46 Bathroom Renovation Follow-Up Strategy
09:54 Revamping Sales for Better Results
10:59 TradieBot AI Streamlines Lead Management
14:16 "Trade Businesses: Boosting Ad Returns"
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
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Matt is joined by Brandon White for an engaging discussion on the evolving landscape of AI and its profound impact on modern-day businesses. In this episode, explore the history and expansive future of AI, from its beginnings in the late 20th century to its current revolutionary status with tools like ChatGPT. Brandon, a veteran in the AI space, shares his insights into the development and democratization of AI, drawing parallels with the early days of the internet. Discover how AI is transforming industries, especially within the trades, by reducing overheads, increasing efficiency, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Whether you're a business owner or simply intrigued by the rapid advancement of technology, this episode delves into the real-world applications and potential challenges of leveraging AI in your operations. Tune in now for a fascinating take on how you can harness the power of AI to drive success in your business.
00:00 AI Transformations in Trade Industries
03:17 AI Development: From ELIZA to PERI
09:13 Self-Driving Tech: Waymo vs. Tesla
10:40 Wearables Revolutionizing Construction Planning
16:27 Quantum Computing: Future Technological Revolution
18:37 Artificial Consciousness and Human Integration
20:41 AI's Historical Bias Impact
26:32 Streamlined Sales Boost Efficiency
28:25 AI in Customer Service Emergencies
32:27 AI Streamlines Manual Financial Tasks
34:51 Podcast Wrap-up and Contact Info
Connect with Brandon here:
Website: https://www.3rdbrain.co/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandoncwhite/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonwhite/
X: https://twitter.com/BrandonCWhite
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
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We kick off a fascinating two-part conversation with Brandon White on the theme of constructing a digital operations team from scratch. Join hosts Matt Jones and Brandon as they explore what's behind the concept of digital operations, particularly for trade-based businesses like plumbers, electricians, and builders. Discover why having a digital operations team is crucial in today's rapidly evolving marketplace, especially following the challenges and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we hone in on the importance of documenting workflows and processes, engaging with the role of AI and machine learning, and how these elements can transform business operations into a well-oiled machine. Prepare to gain insights that will help you streamline your business processes, drive efficiency, and ultimately, impact your bottom line. Stay tuned for a captivating journey into the digital transformation of operations!
00:00 Digital Operations & AI Evolution
04:54 Early Web Customization and Tech Ventures
07:49 "COVID's Impact on Trade Businesses"
11:26 Third Grade Lesson on Clarity
15:35 Streamlining Client Onboarding Workflows
19:44 Collaborative Strategy Building
22:50 Balancing Automation with Human Touch
25:57 Balancing Automation and Customer Satisfaction
27:54 Integrating Business Systems for Automation
32:11 Streamlining Business Processes
35:41 Incorporating Feedback for Workflow Optimization
39:12 Understanding Business Metrics for Success
43:24 Data-Driven Marketing Strategy Shift
44:21 Operational Strategy for Success
Connect with Brandon here:
Website: https://www.3rdbrain.co/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandoncwhite/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonwhite/
X: https://twitter.com/BrandonCWhite
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
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⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In today's episode, we're diving into the transformative realm of AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, a significant evolution in marketing for trade businesses. We'll explore what AEO is, why it's becoming crucial for trade-based businesses, and how it diverges from traditional SEO practices. Join us as we discuss strategies for implementing AEO in your marketing approach, and forecast how it will shape the future of search engine dynamics. From understanding user intent to leveraging AI for enhancing customer interactions, this episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to stay ahead in the digital marketing landscape. So, tune in and learn how to make AEO work for you and your business!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/rox2mAHv1QQ00:00 Boosting Trade Business with AEO Strategies
03:47 Voice Search Revolution in SEO
08:27 "Embracing Local SEO Evolution"
10:23 Understanding User Intent in Queries
13:47 Focus on Creating Useful Content
17:24 Embracing AI and Augmented Reality
21:22 "Streamlining Business Operations"
24:55 AI-Driven Customer Engagement
28:25 SEO & Marketing Strategy Session
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
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We're diving into the dynamic world of social media and its role in growing your business. Join our host, Matt, and special guest, Mike Andes, as they explore strategies for leveraging social platforms effectively. You'll learn how to create engaging and localized content, the importance of conversion rate optimization, and how to differentiate between social media posting and advertising. Whether you're a small business owner looking to enhance your online presence or an entrepreneur aiming to build a personal brand, this episode is packed with insights to help you succeed in the digital landscape. Tune in to discover how you can turn social media into a powerful tool for business growth.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/_FJT6qlLiLg00:00 Position as experts, create content, engage customers.
06:45 Shift to personalized branding offers marketing opportunities.
08:10 Focus on website conversion to boost performance.
13:52 Businesses struggle with transitioning to marketing models.
17:06 Organic posting differs from social media advertising.
18:28 Community groups as modern word-of-mouth marketing.
22:10 Post thrice weekly; prioritize engaging local content.
24:46 Check show notes for Mike's links.
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
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In today's episode, we dive into the intricacies of performance pay and strategic business growth with our insightful guest, Mike, from Washington State. Renowned for founding Augusta Lawn Care, a franchise successfully expanded across the US, Canada, and Australia, Mike brings a wealth of experience in incentivizing performance and leveraging social media for business success.
Join host Matt Jones as he explores the concept of 'Pay for Performance' (PFP), where incentivizing employees by offering them a share of labor revenue leads to an efficient and motivated workforce. Mike candidly shares his strategies for measuring labor revenue, aligning incentives, and overcoming the challenges posed by highly customized service industries. Moreover, we delve into the evolving landscape of franchising and licensing models, where financial transparency and incentivizing managers become paramount, especially for absentee owners.
Discover how standardizing services, tracking key performance indicators for non-sales roles, and understanding the dynamics of franchise and licensing models can revolutionize your business practices. This episode also highlights the importance of ethical sales practices, with Mike drawing from his substantial experience in managing franchisees, ensuring their economic success, and avoiding the pitfalls of aggressive sales tactics.
Stay tuned for part two, where Matt and Mike will further explore the power of social media in business growth. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and access free courses through Mike's website as mentioned in the show notes. Let's get started!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/_FJT6qlLiLg00:00 Performance Pay and Social Media Strategies
04:07 Franchise Profitability Challenges
06:24 Franchising Over Licensing: Legal Shift
09:35 Performance Pay Meritocracy Explained
14:24 "Lessons in Unethical Selling"
16:43 "Business Obligations in Solar Projects"
22:41 Profit Sharing Structure for Managers
23:48 Aligning Profit Sharing with Cash Flow
27:22 Financial Planning and Incentivization Strategy
32:11 Balancing Job Pricing and Team Trust
34:18 Balancing Incentives and Quality
37:28 Path to Franchise Ownership
42:09 Trackin
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
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Today we're diving again into an eye-opening conversation with our special guest, Scott Irwin from Network Plumbing. After surviving a recent cyclone up north, Matt and Scotty discuss the relevant challenges and opportunities in the plumbing business. Scotty shares invaluable insights on building a business from the ground up, emphasizing the importance of self-worth, financial literacy, and investing in oneself and others. Throughout the episode, they touch on everything from the pitfalls of discounting services, to the significance of understanding your true value, and even the role of innovation and technology in the plumbing industry. Don't miss Scotty's thought-provoking stories and practical advice on designing the life you want by starting with the end goal in mind. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, this episode is packed with nuggets of wisdom that could help propel your business and personal growth. Tune in and get ready to take some notes!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/ksnwJmVabZo00:00 Avoid Discounts; Maintain Value
05:41 "Recognize Your Worth in Business"
08:41 Invest in Yourself to Succeed
11:01 Sydney Self-Worth Event Announcement
13:43 Unwritten Goals and Aspirations
18:54 Practical Goal-Setting and Milestones
22:55 Hardworking Father, 80s Banking Insights
24:24 "Invest or Stagnate"
29:26 Teaching Life Choices
30:39 "Customer Appreciation Gesture Summary"
33:56 "Conversations and Connections"
37:21 "The Camera That Changed Us"
40:36 Attend Sydney Service Event
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, we're thrilled to welcome Scotty Irwin, a seasoned entrepreneur and expert in business acquisitions and growth, as he shares his incredible journey in building the Network Plumbing empire. Scotty takes us through his humble beginnings, where survival was the driving force, to steering a multi-million-dollar enterprise today. He opens up about the key decisions and strategies behind successfully navigating challenges like the 2007/2008 financial crisis and offers valuable insights into the importance of cultivating a strong company culture, the impact of strategic education, and onboarding for team retention. Additionally, Scotty discusses how his approach has allowed Network Plumbing to thrive amidst industry shifts and market demands. Whether you're a seasoned business owner or just starting out, Scotty's experience offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Join us as we delve into the story of a business pioneer and get ready for a masterclass in growth and resilience in the trade space.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/mLQJNjpR1v800:00 "Upcoming Service Titan Event"
03:17 Plumber's Journey and Mindset Insights
08:17 Survival Instincts in Business
09:42 "Optimize Existing Leads First"
15:22 "Showcasing Career Path Opportunities"
17:59 Scaling Business: When to Add HR?
21:37 Training Beyond the Basics
23:28 "Tidiness Reflects Personal Value"
25:44 Training Gaps in Business Acquisitions
29:52 Improving Air Comm Installation Practices
32:39 Sales Ethics Challenges
38:49 "Sid Sidcoaster: Listen and Learn"
39:51 "Business Insights with Scotty"
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, host Matt is joined by Keith Mercurio, exploring themes of growth, leadership, and personal development. Keith shares his journey from being a college dropout to becoming a plumber, and eventually transforming into a leadership coach and motivational speaker. He discusses his work with ServiceTitan and his passion for ethical influence, aiming to honor and serve people without resorting to manipulation. Together, Matt and Keith examine how pivotal moments, personal reflections, and the quest for constant improvement shape leaders and businesses alike. They also touch upon the upcoming event in Sydney, Australia, where Keith will be speaking, offering a glimpse into what attendees can expect. Tune in as we navigate the dynamic world of leadership and uncover the keys to unlocking our highest potential.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/ZQ4tVBkGTyQ00:00 Disappointed with Surfers Paradise?
08:55 "Journey in Trade Training Leadership"
12:48 "Influential Mentor's Lasting Impact"
19:39 Embracing Ethical Business Paradigm Shift
23:39 Sport Stars' Identity Crisis
31:38 Hypocrisy in Leadership
34:31 "Questioning Growth and Improvement"
38:23 1% Improvement Mindset
46:23 Honored by Vulnerability and Growth
50:03 "When Does Personal Growth Begin?"
58:06 Bridging Personal Growth and Business
01:01:52 Embracing Mistakes as a Leader
01:09:17 Understanding Emotional Triggers
01:13:43 Insecurity and Audience Perception
01:17:01 "Lord of Titans: Sydney 2025"
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
🚀 From 30M to 100M – The Blueprint for Trade Business Success! 🚀
Want to know how to grow your trade business fast? In this episode, we dive deep into HVAC business success, the home service industry, and the key business scaling strategies that led to incredible growth.
Kathryn Howard shares her inspiring journey from challenges to massive success, the power of leadership in trades, and how to build a culture that attracts top talent. Whether you're in HVAC, plumbing, or any trade, this video is packed with gold!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/F99W7WSfM1U
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
03:45 "Unique Path to Business Success"
07:26 "Incredible Team's Remarkable Growth"
10:18 Promoting Employee Education Upgrades
15:08 Pathway to Prosperity for All
19:26 Executive Leadership Program at Stanford
21:22 Innovative Business Program Impact
29:08 Scaling Skilled Labor Training
32:39 Installation Efficiency Doubled
35:49 Morning Leadership Tech Talk Session
38:42 Customer Retention and Lifetime Value
41:43 Modern HVAC Challenges & Technician Training
44:10 Technician-Driven Sales Success
48:28 Preparing Company for Strategic Exit
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
💰 Are you charging enough in your trade business? If you’re in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or any other trade, knowing your numbers is the key to success! In this episode, we dive into business finance for trades, pricing for profit, and growing a trade business without the common financial mistakes.
🚀 Special guest Ellen Rohr shares her journey from struggling to thriving, and how understanding key financials transformed her business. Plus, we talk about the Service Titan event in Australia, where top industry experts will share game-changing insights!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/GvJtrOt1Sd4
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
03:38 "Balancing Life and Work Stress"
08:22 Entrepreneurial Journeys in Media & Franchising
12:28 From Zero to Multimillion Success
15:04 Bringing North American Events Overseas
16:50 Simplicity in Ski Instruction Lessons
22:23 Technology Revolutionises Payment Systems
25:16 Share Financial Insights with Team
28:24 Financial Literacy Journey Challenges
32:30 Valuing Essential Trades Work
35:01 Understanding Financial Statements Made Easy
39:08 Optimising Lead Management System
42:39 "Prioritising Efficiency Over Cheapness"
43:20 Streamline Sales Process for Efficiency
46:28 "Improving Sales with Data Insights"
49:53 Simplify Financing Options
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/eK2RrnznzSY
🚀 Want to grow your trade business and sell it for top dollar? Whether you're a plumber, electrician, or HVAC pro, this episode is packed with business growth strategies, trade business efficiency tips, and exit strategy insights to help you scale.
🎟 Exclusive Event Alert! Meet top industry leaders in Sydney on April 3-4 at the World of Titans event. Learn from the best on how to scale and exit your business. More details at TheSiteShed.com!
💬 What’s your biggest challenge in growing your business? Comment below!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Business Growth Strategies Discussion
06:18 "Taking Business Seriously Before Selling"
08:53 Streamlining Business Costs Strategically
12:21 Streamlining Company Forms Process
15:48 Customer Service Efficiency Challenge
16:28 Eliminating Non-Value Added Activities
23:17 Streamlined Inventory with Vendor Management
24:01 Efficient Job Costing Cycle
28:31 Business Growth and Resale Strategy
32:04 Job Shifts After Corporate Changes
33:44 "Strategic Business Exit Planning"
39:24 Incentive-Based Business Planning
40:02 Incentivise with Equity and Clarity
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Thinking about passing down your business? Not so fast! In this episode, we break down the real challenges of business succession planning. Should you hand over your trade business to your kids or employees? What are the biggest mistakes owners make? And how do you set up a business that thrives long after you step away? We cover strategies, real-life success stories, and hard truths every business owner needs to hear.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/z_142odU-Y0
Discussion Points:
00:00 – Episode Highlight
02:00 – Why Most Family Businesses Fail by the 3rd Generation
05:30 – The Key to Training Future Leaders in Your Business
09:45 – Should You Hire Externally or Promote From Within?
14:00 – Real-Life Success Stories of Business Succession
18:30 – Biggest Mistakes Owners Make in Transitioning Leadership
23:15 – How to Create an Exit Strategy That Works
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Are complicated pay plans hurting your business? The truth is, simple pay plans work better! In this episode, we break down how performance-based pay and the right contractor pay structure can motivate employees and drive business growth.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/9yrbSvGMWfs
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
05:10 Australia, California, Las Vegas Pay Differences
08:30 Effective Incentive-Based Pay Plans
11:29 Top Salesperson Shares Success Secrets
15:31 Complicated Technician Pay System
16:52 Efficient Pay Plan Increases Productivity
20:14 Leadership Accountability in Sales Misconduct
23:51 Pricing Framework for Service Markets
26:33 Calculating Sale Price Breakdown
32:38 Pricing and Performance Pay Calculation
33:25 Job Cost and Pricing Basics
37:30 Optimising Pricing for Profitability
40:44 Salesperson vs. Order Taker: Distinction
43:59 Free College Tuition as Employee Perk
48:00 "Balancing Fairness: Customers vs. Employees"
49:49 Balancing Life and Financial Stability
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
🔐 Don’t let hackers take over your business! In this video, I’ll show you how to set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to secure your business logins, including Facebook and Google Workspace. Too many businesses lose everything because they don’t have this simple protection in place.
In this episode, we’ll walk you through the best ways to protect your accounts, why email and SMS aren’t the safest options, and how to use Google Authenticator to make sure only you have access.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/95odHqu6C0U
Discussion Points:
00:00 Use Google Authenticator for secure two-factor authentication.
06:07 Use two-factor authentication for Facebook security.
08:01 Set up 2FA on all accounts securely.
10:09 Report issues; protect yourself. It's essential.
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
🚀 Want to grow your trade business but struggle with sales? Learn the secrets to building a strong sales culture, improving your marketing, and creating client loyalty programs that keep customers coming back!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/wyLzaMiRrfQ
Discussion Points:
00:00 Resources, training available; sales culture, client loyalty.
05:32 Genuine values are crucial, not clichéd phrases.
07:40 Marketing highlights brand interaction and community benefits.
11:04 Leadership: Marketing, sales lead; operations execute.
14:58 Technical skills don't include business acumen.
19:05 Explain user benefits; emphasize people-centric storytelling.
21:44 Most lack solid sales processes in businesses.
23:51 Assumptions limit opportunities; offer choices instead.
27:42 Emphasise roles aligning with personal strengths.
32:40 Ensure standardized work and communication training company-wide.
35:48 Companies hesitate firing untrained employees due to guilt.
36:56 Lack of training causes unproductive employees.
40:28 Mandatory training is essential; compliance over consensus.
44:57 Schedule, train, record, and archive for convenience.
47:07 Implement feedback and questions; check show notes.
Resources:
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Are you ready to grow your trade business with strategies that truly work? 🚀
In this episode of the Site Shed Podcast, we break down how to design effective client loyalty programs and build a thriving sales culture for your trade business. Discover how to turn recurring revenue ideas into action and keep your customers coming back for more. Whether you’re a plumber, electrician, or HVAC professional, these tips will revolutionise your approach to customer retention strategies. Don’t miss out on these game-changing insights!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/YxazrLwA_vw
Discussion Points:
00:00 Teaching blue-collar pros to communicate value
04:16 Challenges with client loyalty programs
06:48 Benefits for recurring service businesses
11:07 Maintenance as a continuous need
15:43 Front-of-line service for homeowners
16:49 VIP service perks and priority scheduling
22:37 Cooler months ideal for maintenance focus
25:14 Flexible solutions beyond ultimatums
29:28 Warranties significantly boost revenue
33:01 Highlighting 5-year warranty benefits
35:35 Financing equipment with long-term deals
39:31 Service agreements enhance customer care
40:47 VIP clients receive exceptional treatment
46:49 Maintenance covers occasional repairs
49:14 Prevent price shopping with agreements
51:09 Fast quotes with tiered options
54:11 Competitive pricing in renovations
Resources:
Get a copy of Joe’s best selling book at https://book.servicemvp.com
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
Welcome to Episode 428 of The Site Shed Podcast, where we delve into the art of storytelling in business with our guest, Lee. Join our host, Matt Jones, as he and Lee explore the power of storytelling to engage users, solve problems, and stand out in a crowded market. They discuss the importance of brand identity and voice, and offer strategies for crafting narratives that resonate with audiences. With insights into how AI tools can enhance content creation and efficiency, they highlight the burgeoning field of prompt engineering. We'll also examine a smart social media approach, emphasizing focused engagement and clear objectives. Lee shares fascinating regional communication nuances within Australia, providing valuable guidance for businesses looking to connect more effectively with diverse audiences. Tune in for an engaging conversation packed with tips on enhancing brand storytelling and leveraging AI for business success.
00:00 Business communication dynamics and personal branding discussion.
04:28 Use storytelling to differentiate brand identity.
08:21 Craft a journey story solving readers' problems.
10:41 Changing perspective made boring story interesting.
16:36 Custom AI prompts create unique, genuine content.
20:07 Focus on one social platform initially.
21:30 Clarify goals: Social media vs. advertising campaigns.
24:53 Book on goal setting using "possible self."
30:08 Exploring business's cost reduction and customer experience.
32:15 Streamlined AI process for lead qualification and reactivation.
36:52 Impact of AI on education and tools utilization.
38:38 Claude AI's next version: Seamless book writing.
43:28 Generate brand identity and tone using input documents.
45:52 Australian dialects forming due to regional differences.
48:04 Adding links and book suggestions to show notes.
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
🧰 Want Access To Tools & Training from Industry Leaders?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.
👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool.
📲 Stay Connected:
⭐ Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a review here!
🎄 Merry Christmas and welcome to a special episode of the Sideshed podcast! As 2024 wraps up, we’re celebrating the top 10 episodes that made the biggest impact on your business. From expert strategies to memorable laughs, this episode has it all!
Here’s a recap of this year's best business advice, so grab a mince pie, a beer, and join us for a festive look back. Let us know which episodes were your favourites and what you'd love to hear in 2025!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/5shn6O9JzlY
Discussion Points:
00:00 Top 10 impactful podcast episodes of 2024.
05:42 Integrating technology for efficient client communication.
08:12 Developed software to solve landscaping industry problems.
11:31 Working smarter frees time for strategic thinking.
15:20 Business pivoted to focus on marketing and sales.
17:47 Impressive ROAS for trade businesses, explore more.
Let us know what you think! Send us a text.
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labour costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Let us know what you think! Send us a text.
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labour costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Let us know what you think! Send us a text.
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labour costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
In this episode, we break down everything you need to know about Australia's instant asset write-off. Discover how it works, which assets qualify, and why it’s a must-know for small business owners. Whether you're purchasing tools, vehicles, or equipment, this initiative can save you thousands. We also cover common misconceptions and tips to avoid missing out.
Stay tuned till the end for expert advice on timing your purchases for maximum tax savings.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/IL4CYgR12Yw
Discussion Points:
00:00 Second part: $20,000 instant asset write-off discussion.
06:14 What is the most common asset?
08:01 Temporary equipment budget changes annually until 2025.
10:54 Selling a written-off car incurs taxable profit.
13:46 Early tax deduction through financed asset acquisition.
17:19 Seek advice on timing for asset write-offs.
Resources:
Let us know what you think! Send us a text.
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labour costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Choosing the right trade-based business structure is crucial for every Aussie trades person aiming to succeed in 2025. In this episode, we cover the ins and outs of starting as a sole trader, partnership, PTY LTD company, or trust. Learn how each structure affects taxes, liability, and the ease of expanding your business. If you're considering starting or restructuring your trade-based business, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to protect your assets and grow your venture effectively.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/8CDuj469fMY
Discussion Points:
00:00 Simplify content for universal understanding and communication.
05:58 Easy entry, tax advantages, but unlimited liability.
07:05 Start with unlimited liability; consider partnership later.
12:10 Start honest talks early to avoid conflicts.
13:34 Friends in business risk ruined friendships.
18:20 Understand taxing implications of company withdrawals.
20:14 Transitioning to new ABN requires extensive administrative work.
25:42 Loss treatment differs for business structures.
28:39 Trust benefits adult beneficiaries with low taxes.
31:41 Confusing tax savings with cash savings explained.
33:53 Consider restructuring after 130,000 profit threshold.
37:07 Separate entities protect assets through strategic division.
39:22 Understand write-offs to avoid being scammed.
Resources:
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labour costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Building a successful trade business isn’t easy, but with the right team, passion, and a willingness to learn, you can achieve incredible results! In this episode, James Rolfe, co-CEO of MR Roads, shares his journey from a one-man operation to leading a 45-person team in the competitive asphalt and road construction industry. Learn how they tackled challenges, structured their team, and developed a supportive, winning culture.
This is a must-watch for inspiration and practical insights!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/9WS5wYtisWs
Discussion Points:
00:00 – Introduction to James Rolfe
00:07 – James' journey to starting MR Roads
01:50 – Merging companies and rebranding
03:30 – Moving from residential to government projects
07:20 – Building a sustainable work culture
12:45 – Challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled staff
18:00 – Training programs for new team members
24:40 – Managing scale and responsibilities
27:15 – Tips for business owners balancing work and family
Resources:
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labor costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labor costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Are you looking to grow your restoration business but facing challenges along the way? Learn from a young entrepreneur who turned one truck into a leading restoration company with 90 employees and 8-figure revenue!
In this podcast, we dive deep into the journey of building and scaling a restoration business. From unlocking obstacles trade businesses face to insights on vertical SaaS solutions and the 'Restoration Millionaire Method,' you'll get practical advice to grow your business in the damage restoration space.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/KsR_4I3nS6Q Discussion Points:00:00 Episode Highlight
03:23 Who is Alex Duta?
07:58 Restoration Millionaire method; Hustlers fail at scale.
10:29 Focus on production, minimise sales; outsource marketing.
13:46 Focus on one service, expand gradually.
18:49 Referrals from plumbers increased business consistently.
20:14 B2B relies on referrals; B2C uses word-of-mouth.
26:23 Shift from hustle to analytical, data-driven decisions.
29:20 Reverse engineering goals simplifies achieving long-term success.
33:41 Clear goals and planning expedite achieving success.
35:05 Revenue's complexity stems from diverse factors and assumptions.
38:20 Optimize investments using data-driven decision-making.
41:12 Resource reallocation halved revenue, causing accountant distress.
44:28 Trade businesses see impressive return on ad spend. Resources:
Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast! If you're in the trades and wondering how to integrate AI into your business, Tradie Hub has you covered. Discover innovative ways to reduce labour costs, increase efficiency, and leverage AI for growth. Check out Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net and see how they’re transforming the trade industry with cutting-edge AI solutions!
Don't let your business fall behind—explore the power of AI with Tradie Hub. Visit tradiehub.net to see the innovative AI tools crafted just for tradies. Discover how you can stay ahead and transform your business with cutting-edge technology!
Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today!
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Are you struggling with managing your trade business as it grows?
Discover how to transform your trade business using automation! Learn how to streamline your operations with QuickBooks and Xero integration, eliminating bottlenecks and manual errors. Our guest shares insights on how to make your business more efficient and profitable. Whether you’re scaling your team or looking to improve workflows, these practical tips are a game-changer.
Don’t miss out on tips for improving your business processes, managing your leads, and handling customer payments more efficiently.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/6URNgGvKD3s
Discussion Points:
00:00 Introduction
02:05 The Challenges of Scaling and the Role of Integrated Software Solutions
05:35 The Importance of Separating CRM and Accounting Systems
10:20 Customisation with No-Code Platforms
13:01 The Benefits of No-Code Platforms and the Shift Towards All-in-One Systems
15:35 Common Apps and Processes in Small Businesses
19:46 Ensuring Quality Control in the Customisation Process
22:05 Automating Processes: Estimating and Payment Collection
30:21 Streamlining Processes and Eliminating Bottlenecks
39:10 The Future of No-Code Solutions and AI Integration
43:03 Identifying Problems and Seeking Solutions
Resources:
Get Paul’s Work Checklist for FREE here: https://www.method.me/siteshed
Visit Method’s website: https://www.method.me
Connect with Paul via email at paul@method.me
Get social with Paul: @PaulAlexJackson
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In this episode, we dive deep into solar sales strategies, discussing how Curtis grew a 7-figure solar business. Discover key insights on scaling your electrical business, sales tips, and overcoming obstacles. Curtis shares how he went from no solar background to managing a thriving team by implementing sales strategies that work in the competitive solar space. If you're looking to grow or scale your business, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Watch now to learn how you can apply these tactics to your own solar or electrical business!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/lya0O55ckmM
Discussion Points:
0:00 - Introduction
1:25 - Solar Sales and Fulfillment Challenges
3:45 - Curtis's Journey into Solar Sales
5:50 - Building Processes for Scaling
9:30 - Importance of Training in Sales Success
12:40 - Handling Competitors and Pricing
15:15 - Customer Trust and Reputation
17:50 - Overcoming Objections in Solar Sales
20:10 - The Power of Asking Questions
22:40 - Continuous Improvement and Feedback Loops
27:30 - Scaling with Leads and Closing More Sales
31:50 - The Importance of Persistence in Sales
36:10 - Final Thoughts on Sales Success
Resources:
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Discover the sales conversion techniques you need to close more deals and grow your business. In this episode, we dive deep into proven strategies for managing leads, improving sales systems, and mastering conversions. Whether you're in the home service industry or running a sales team, these insights will help you turn prospects into loyal customers. We discuss the importance of having a system in place, maximising leads, and driving business growth. Don't miss out on actionable tips for optimising your sales process!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/Xl5gImCqQps
Discussion Points:
00:00 Answer the phone for business success.
05:30 Understanding dynamics and system leads to success.
08:01 Sales qualified lead maximises opportunity for customers.
10:02 Manage entire process for client convenience. Qualified.
13:09 Important tasks require time and effort.
17:53 Deliver truth, not just requested information.
Resources:
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Should you run paid ads for your home service business? In this episode, Matt and Ross dive deep into the pros and cons of digital marketing strategies for trades, including paid ads, local SEO, and more. Learn when and how to invest in paid advertising to maximise your trade business growth.
Tune in for expert advice on navigating the world of home service marketing.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/U8HhAkw6Moo
Discussion Points:
00:00 Comparing agency work for home service businesses.
03:24 Understanding budget is key to business growth.
09:01 Avoid low-budget job advertising for trades.
11:26 SEO alone is foolish, but useful in combination.
13:48 Technology and keyboards will soon be obsolete.
17:46 Communicate clearly; content is essential.
21:32 Ads play a crucial role in forecasting business growth.
Resources:
Review Revolution: Boosting Your Business with Online Feedback - https://youtu.be/p480d5mnoj0
Get a FREE Assessment - https://www.fencepost.co/assessment
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Are you a trade business owner looking to take your business to the next level? In this episode of the Site Shed podcast, we dive deep into essential marketing and sales strategies. Learn how to leverage online reviews, handle customer feedback, and close more deals effectively. Discover proven techniques to boost your trade business, whether you’re in the US or Australia. Don’t miss these expert insights and practical tips that can transform your local service business.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/p480d5mnoj0
Discussion Points:
00:00 Fencepost applies universal principles to local businesses.
07:38 Get reviews to make it part process.
13:40 Review platforms cause issues for business owners.
19:28 Encourage feedback loop for project improvement.
25:03 Understanding operational expenses and marketing budget dynamics.
30:39 Businesses find long-term value in advertising.
32:01 Multiple mindsets leading to education curve. Unrealistic expectations.
39:25 Content essential for clear communication and connection.
47:17 Wrap up for next episode, seeking feedback.
49:37 Answer phone promptly to convert leads effectively.
56:20 Maximise sales potential through deliberate lead cadence.
58:22 Efficient process management for maximising business opportunities.
01:04:38 Start with a defined sales and marketing system.
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Discover how to boost inbound phone calls with organic marketing strategies. In this video, we dive into an innovative SEO program designed to maximise your local search presence and leverage your Google Business Profile effectively. Learn from real client results and see how our approach can generate consistent leads for your trade business. Whether you're in plumbing, solar, or renovations, this video will guide you through actionable steps to enhance your inbound marketing efforts.
Don't miss out on these valuable insights! Watch now to transform your inbound marketing and grow your business.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/k6JPnDYJDdU
Discussion Points:
00:00 Invest in outcomes, not just programs.
04:12 Google favours paid traffic over organic listings.
08:55 Highlighting the success of local search optimisation for businesses.
11:06 Google Business Profile: Utilise free real estate.
Resources:
The Sales Engine Overview - https://youtu.be/n2in6uQKZ18
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Unlock the secrets to boosting your tradie business with our powerful sales cadence strategy! In this video, we'll show you how to master tradie business sales, enhance your lead generation for trades, and increase your conversions effortlessly. Discover the insider tips and proven techniques used by top tradie businesses to achieve remarkable results.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/n2in6uQKZ18
Discussion Points:
00:00:02 Introduction
00:02:12 Overview of the Sales Cadence Process
00:05:40 Importance of Dedicated Sales Agents
00:11:49 Managing Communications from a Centralised Location
00:15:19 Effective Follow-up Techniques
00:23:15 From Lead to Discovery Call
00:24:44 Training and Resources for Sales Success
Resources:
Why I burned it to the ground and why you should too - https://www.thesiteshed.com/business-transformation-strategies-matt-jones/
AI-Powered Marketing: The Secret to Enhancing Your Trade Business - https://youtu.be/ov3pLj3iO9M
Your Tradie Website Suck! (Here's how to Fix Them) - https://youtu.be/CBA8ggmEryw
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, we dive into the challenges of overcoming skilled labor shortages with effective employee investment strategies. Discover how training and development can transform your trade business and how technology plays a crucial role in this evolution. Don't miss our insights on solving labour shortages and boosting your team's skills.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/8YrJ4D2fqrw
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
05:20 "The Real MBA" questions traditional business education.
07:17 Leaders need diverse experience, strong people skills.
10:43 Empowerment through resources and clear career paths.
14:57 Legacy businesses struggle to transition to modern tools.
19:25 Improving user experience through asset data understanding.
22:29 Challenges of using AI in technician training.
23:54 AI's potential for centralized data conversation discussed.
29:26 Advancement in tech for construction visualization is pricey.
33:08 Skilled labor shortage in technician industry persists.
34:19 AI can solve skilled trades problems effectively.
38:13 Improving workflows, data processing, and customer satisfaction.
42:55 Framework for job site tools and AI.
43:48 Focus on simple solutions for everyday tech.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Unlock the potential of airspace development and discover how this innovative approach can add over $450 billion in real estate value in Australia. Learn about the benefits of rooftop homes, modular construction, and urban infill housing. Join us as we delve into the future of real estate with expert insights and practical examples. Don't miss out on understanding how airspace development is transforming urban landscapes and offering new opportunities in the Australian property market.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/2-aRfNEYqzM
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
04:40 Unused rooftop space turned into valuable assets.
09:07 Most strata buildings in Australia are small.
11:47 Upgrading building with lift for better access.
16:18 Rapid growth of airspace homes is environmentally-friendly.
18:44 Airspace development involves building up into airspace, often atop apartment buildings. However, it has yet to gain traction in Australia due to funding and neighbourly issues.
21:36 Developer provides service, splits proceeds with owners.
26:19 Overseas construction uses external foundations for support.
28:45 Buildings at max height, seeking bulk extension.
30:19 Government takes 30-40% of development costs.
35:26 Maximising greenery and solar energy in cities.
36:49 Fascination with rooftop gardens in European cities.
40:08 Encouraging website visit, checking out existing building.
Resources:
Visit BuyAirspace’s website at https://www.buyairspace.com.au/
Get in touch with Warren at warren@buyairspace.com.au
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Improve your marketing strategies and achieve success with our exclusive tips, custom-made for trade businesses. Don't fall into the trap of making common marketing mistakes. This episode dives into effective lead generation strategies and crucial marketing tips to enhance your business's visibility and success. Discover how to steer clear of pitfalls and adopt proven marketing techniques that drive results. Don't forget to subscribe for more business marketing tips and strategies!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/9UcLr7pSDwI
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode highlight
04:16 Clients seek lead generation for consistent quality leads.
09:05 Budget optimisation and lead flow consistency. Period.
11:04 Advanced tracking tools offer specific lead insights.
15:41 Leading with purpose attracts like-minded clients.
17:48 Differentiating and defining unique client experiences in business.
21:32 Understanding client needs is crucial for successful marketing.
24:27 Marketers integrate sales due to lead issues.
27:30 Evaluate website content to target intended audience.
30:42 Tool tracks leads and their sales performance.
36:35 Focus on leading indicators for faster feedback. Integrate CRM for clear ROI transparency.
38:58 Importance of industry benchmark for marketing success
42:43 Encouragement to invest in a scalable marketing strategy.
43:44 Resistance to change, but necessary for growth.
Resources:
Visit Intrigue Media’s website at https://intrigueme.ca/
Get social with Intrigue Media at @imintriguemedia
Stay in touch with Vanessa at vanessa@intrigueme.ca
Download your own Marketing Partner Checklist at https://go.intrigueme.ca/l/700853/2024-04-12/9stvyf
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Maximise your business profitability and employee engagement with our expert strategies! Learn how to implement effective business systems for strategic growth and prepare an exit strategy that maximises your returns. Discover the secrets to enhancing your business's efficiency and engaging your employees to drive success. Repeat these keywords throughout the description to boost search visibility.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/gYBrz5KsUvg
Discussion Points:
00:00 Challenges in lead generation and business growth.
04:36 Caution with referrals, focus on lead generations.
08:03 Successful business acquisitions require strategic preparation.
12:44 Construction industry experiencing contraction, focus on value.
15:58 Clear KPIs, performance reviews, workflows, training videos.
17:14 Focus on success habits for maximum profit.
20:57 Institute offers business readiness program for exit planning.
25:11 Discussing financial intelligence, terminology, and metric discrepancies.
28:30 Developing apprentices into operations managers, increasing profitability.
31:06 Seek knowledge and insight to succeed.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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In this episode, we're joined by Brigham Dickinson from Power Selling Pros to discuss mastering contractor-customer relations. Discover key strategies for building trust and improving customer interactions. Learn how to create positive customer experiences that can lead to increased business. Tune in to uncover the secrets behind successful contractor-client relationships. Don't miss out—watch the full episode for more insights and practical advice!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/UmVMLr0K58Q
Discussion Points:
00:00 Impress to sell, be the only option.
03:10 Digital agency solves lead generation and sales.
07:16 Issue with call booking; need staff training.
11:35 Mike Aguilera handed off CEO tag to Mike.
13:58 Transition roles and prioritize call handling efficiently.
16:48 Transition from warm leads to cold leads.
21:35 Customer frustration stems from unmet emotional needs.
25:49 Skipping steps and seeking deals is common.
28:06 Client understanding time and cost relationship.
31:39 Questions to ask for ensuring a good fit.
35:16 Issue with site visits not leading to jobs.
36:12 Focus on high probability sites for closure.
41:11 Discussing business progression with coach before call.
45:41 Goal is to run business without involvement.
47:23 Build a top call handling team now.
Resources:
Visit the Power Selling Pro’s website at https://www.powersellingpros.com
Stay social with Brigham on LinkedIn at Barry Gates or Brigham Dickinson (owners)
Keep in touch with Brigham at Brigham@powersellingpros.com
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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In this insightful episode, discover the key to successful contractor customer relations with tips and strategies to build and maintain lasting client relationships. Learn how to effectively communicate with customers, establish trust, and create a positive experience that leads to repeat business and referrals. From unexpected intentional touches (UITs) to unique sales processes, this episode is packed with practical advice to help contractors stand out and build strong connections with clients.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/LG947hW1nrU
Discussion Points:
00:00 Part 2: Building customer relationships and sales.
03:29 Sales success lies in discipline and focus.
07:14 Leads may not be ready to engage.
10:52 Reality show pickup shoots require memorisation, annoys.
13:15 Salesperson ignores coaching, leading to subpar venue.
19:31 Set new standard, eliminate mediocrity, success inside-out.
21:31 Maintain daily habits for agile goal setting.
26:50 Wedding planner made assumptions, missed important details.
28:32 Genuine curiosity leads to successful sales interactions.
33:01 Sales processes should focus on empathy and communication.
35:03 Unique differentiator: preplanning avoids common contracting issues.
37:41 Acknowledgment of email, promotion of Tom's content.
Resources:
Sell Unafraid with Tom Reber here: https://thecontractorfight.com/sell-unafraid
Visit The Contractor Fight website at www.thecontractorfight.com
Get social on Instagram at @contractorfight
Stay in touch with Tom here: tom@thecontractorfight.com
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Discover the power of Trade Business Growth Strategies in our latest episode featuring Tom Reber from The Contractor Fight! Dive into expert insights on how to boost your contractor business through innovative growth techniques. Join Tom as he reveals the secrets behind efficient contractor marketing, increasing leads, and mastering sales strategies. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale up, these actionable tips from a seasoned professional will set you on the path to success. Don't miss out—tune in now and transform your trade business today!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/H9y7Mj5Dq4o
Discussion Points:
00:00 Long search, found purpose in The Contractor Fight.
06:40 Overwhelmed by information, but learning to apply.
13:09 Book "Sell Unafraid" emphasises discipline for sales success.
18:40 1-on-1 coaching setup, misses client's priorities.
23:42 Prioritise self-care and relationships for success.
28:21 Daily decisions impact goals, prioritise control.
36:12 Long-term projects require patience and nurturing.
39:50 TV show pickup shoots used to annoy.
45:50 Maximise control, win the morning, enhance sales.
48:29 Set a new standard, success inside out.
57:31 The importance of genuine curiosity in sales.
01:02:54 Consulting on unique selling points and differentiation.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Discover how to streamline your contracting business with Daniel Simon of Coast in this enlightening episode. Dive into the world of smart fleet management and innovative expense cards designed to optimise your operations, reduce costs, and enhance control over your fleet expenses. Learn how modern technology can transform your approach to managing field expenses, from fuel to supplies, with real-time insights and customisable controls. Whether you're a small contractor or manage a large fleet, this episode is packed with valuable tips for boosting efficiency and profitability.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/WFGuj0hqdpY
Discussion Points:
00:00 Outdated fleet cards hinder flexibility, data reliability.
04:19 Identifying and preventing misuse of fleet cards.
08:25 Fleet card with mobile authentication and alerts.
12:48 Special fuel cards limited to specific locations.
14:14 Precise credit card controls for business expenses.
18:42 Coast offers 1% cashback on nonfuel.
21:01 Partnership with Visa for global market expansion.
25:22 Enormous potential for technology innovation in businesses.
27:19 Encouraging listeners to visit coastpay.com, interactive dashboard.
Resources:
Visit Coast website at https://coastpay.com/
Keep in touch with Daniel at daniel@coastpay.com
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Dive deep into the critical aspects of on-site hazard management with Taryn Toic, an expert in handling hazardous materials. This episode covers everything from asbestos safety to silica and lead exposure control, offering tradies and contractors vital information to protect themselves and their team. Learn about the latest in safety protocols, the role of technology in enhancing workplace safety, and the importance of proper hazard management strategies. Essential viewing for anyone in the construction industry looking to improve their on-site safety practices.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/v0rcPFTA1GM
Discussion Points:
00:00 Awareness of hazards in building construction important.
06:17 Residential asbestos assessment now required in British Columbia.
08:54 Importance of asbestos awareness in everyday trade.
11:49 Employers and contractors need exposure control plan.
16:27 Disturbance of asbestos and silica requires control. Hazards have long latency period.
18:43 PPE is essential for worker safety.
20:52 "Don't be jealous of the unbearable heat."
Resources:
Visit The Aura Health & Safety’s website at https://www.aurahealthsafety.com/
Get social with Taryn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/aura-health-and-safety-corporation
Stay in touch with Taryn through taryn.toic@aurahealthsafety.com
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Unlock the secrets to winning local council contracts with Jason Cooney of The Tender Team in this insightful podcast episode. Learn from experts how to navigate the tender process, from writing winning bids to understanding council requirements and streamlining your business processes for success. Whether you're new to government contracts or looking to improve your strategy, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tips to help your contracting business thrive. Don't miss out on the opportunity to transform your approach and secure more council contracts.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/UrpKyeRQLyw
Discussion Points:
00:00 Tender terms require accepting, check insurance before committing.
06:14 Maintenance personnel require 60-minute response time.
06:44 Government contracts require insider knowledge for success.
12:43 Request for safety, quality, and local support documents.
14:08 Discussing technology trends and tender submission processes.
17:22 Showcase past work to align with contract.
20:09 Sign up with local councils for tenders.
23:18 Traders dislike paperwork, but offer valuable information.
28:22 Filter tenders, reach out to local authority.
31:43 Debrief call reveals helpful bid information.
32:24 Finding good tender writers is hit or miss.
Resources:
Visit The Tender Team’s website at https://www.thetenderteam.com.au
Get social with Jason at https://au.linkedin.com/company/tsaksconsulting
Stay in touch with Jason through info@thetenderteam.com.au
Read our blog on this podcast here: https://www.thesiteshed.com/winning-strategies-council-contracts-tradies-jason-cooney/
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Wrap up our "How to Thrive, Not Just Survive" series with this deep dive into contractor sales process excellence, featuring insights from Weston of SynkedUp. This episode is a masterclass in leveraging software to streamline your business operations from quoting to financial control. Learn from real-life experiences on nurturing leads, overcoming objections, and evolving sales techniques for the modern contracting landscape. A must-watch for contractors ready to transform their approach and achieve lasting success.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/XQl555vUAhU
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
01:54 Growth increases costs, set higher minimums.
05:27 Insight on sales process and closing deals.
08:15 Clarify ROI for transitioning businesses to growth.
11:03 Emphasise sales process discovery, metrics for success.
15:04 Efficiency is key, avoid wasting everyone's time.
17:13 Focus on vetted site visits for profit.
20:36 Clients need to understand project dynamics.
25:03 Candidate left negative reviews after job rejection.
28:36 Filtering leads with consultation fee improved sales.
31:45 Streamlined quoting process drastically reduces turnaround time.
33:01 Solar industry professionals can anticipate project needs.
37:11 Client increased job acceptance rate from 15% to 100% using remote sales process.
42:26 Interactive visual form for products and services.
43:39 "People often do not know what they want."
47:31 Navigating client expectations, budgets, and confidence.
Resources:
Watch Part 1 of this series at https://youtu.be/fsUXnvg73z0
Visit SynkedUp website at https://synkedup.com/
Get social with SynkedUp using handle @synkedup
Get in touch with Weston at weston@synkedup.com
Take advantage of their free resources at https://synkedup.com/resources/ https://synkedup.com/podcast/ https://www.buybackyourtime.com/
Read our blog on this podcast here: Insert blog link here
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
In this episode of The Site Shed, join us and our guest Weston from SynkedUp as we delve into the transformative power of contractor software solutions. Learn how the right technology can overhaul pricing, scheduling, and financial management, driving efficiency and profitability in the contracting world. From overcoming industry resistance to embracing data-driven decisions, this episode is a must-watch for contractors aiming to enhance operational effectiveness and steer their businesses towards sustained growth.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/fsUXnvg73z0
Discussion Points:
00:00 Grew up working at landscaping company, developed software.
06:52 Podcast discussing new product competing with fleet systems.
08:14 Microwave business success: Maths or production accuracy.
11:39 Plumber describes outdated invoicing process, embraces modernisation.
13:51 Identify expenses by project sections for contractors.
19:19 Risks of estimating without accurate gross profit.
22:52 Landscape businesses retain employees by year-round pay.
25:15 Zooming in on production capacity is crucial.
27:03 Show notes will include links for reference.
Resources:
Visit SynkedUp website at https://synkedup.com/
Get social with SynkedUp using handle @synkedup
Get in touch with Weston at weston@synkedup.com
Take advantage of their free resources at https://synkedup.com/resources/ https://synkedup.com/podcast/ https://www.buybackyourtime.com/
Read our blog on this podcast here: Insert blog link here
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Welcome to the 400th episode of The Site Shed!
Our host, Matt Jones, takes the spotlight in this milestone episode as he shares his personal journey of reflection, growth, and redefining priorities. From ditching Instagram to seeking clarity in an Ayahuasca ceremony, Matt's quest for increased productivity and focus is at the forefront. He delves into revamping his business operations, embracing leadership development, and setting the stage for larger goals. Join us as we explore the invaluable insights and powerful strategies that have shaped this monumental episode, and stay tuned as we seek your feedback and reviews for future content.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/VhKh24hWFss
Discussion Points:
00:00 Podcast host discusses value of business information.
05:51 Empower team, stop procrastination, make faster decisions.
07:33 Deleted Instagram for lack of value and productivity.
12:40 Taking personal time is essential for well-being.
17:10 Embrace growth, avoid mediocrity, plan for success.
20:37 Ensuring team success through effective onboarding.
24:08 Continuous improvement through self-awareness and action.
26:18 Plan and break down business goals effectively.
28:45 Encouragement to take action and join group
Resources:
Visit Tradie Web Guys website at https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au
Read our blog on this podcast here: Insert blog link here
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Join us for an insightful episode with Clinton Cowin of Tradiepad as we dive into how quoting and estimating technologies can revolutionise the trade industry. Learn about integrating these crucial processes into your tech stack, enhancing accuracy, and driving business growth. Discover the impact of tech on traditional quoting methods and how modern solutions can streamline operations, reduce errors, and elevate customer satisfaction. Don't miss Clinton's expert insights on leveraging technology for success in the trades.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/V4FjOELEDnI
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
05:57 In marketing, new software combines multiple functions.
07:40 ServiceMate discovery sessions open users' eyes.
12:03 Discussing technology's role in client communication process.
14:58 Clients benefit from project kits, and efficient pricing.
19:07 Complete on-site sales process with payment facility.
21:51 Analyze job data to find ideal clients.
26:16 Customise communication methods based on customer preferences.
29:03 ServiceMate is easy but has limitations.
32:07 Client communication and customisation at every stage.
36:37 The Foundations Program
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Join us in a groundbreaking episode with Clinton Cowin from TradiePad, as we dive into the essentials of quoting and estimating for trade businesses. Discover how to refine your quoting techniques and estimating strategies to drive growth and profitability. Clinton shares his expertise on leveraging technology to streamline your processes, ensuring you stay ahead in the competitive trade industry. Whether you're new to the business or looking to enhance your skills, this episode is packed with invaluable insights.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/-ZkSxgTje7U
Discussion Points:
00:00 Tech revolutionised tradies' businesses, helping thousands succeed.
03:39 Early adopters embraced technology for efficiency gains.
09:21 Break down labour and materials for project estimation.
12:10 Break down quotes into labour and materials.
14:06 Job management systems offer detailed quote control.
17:53 Traditional vs modern workflow, client interaction changes.
21:47 Turn site visit into a sales call.
23:48 Video meetings widely accepted due to COVID.
28:49 Nurturing leads, closing opportunities, and retaining contacts.
30:36 Prioritise client re-engagement for business profitability.
35:52 Emphasise the importance of accurate customer data.
37:24 Challenges in migrating contact lists and cleansing.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
In this enlightening episode of The Site Shed podcast, we delve into the art of leadership development to empower growth within the trades. Featuring Ginine Capozzi of KnowledgeForce Consulting LLC, we discover invaluable strategies for leadership development, employee empowerment, and driving true profitability through professional development. Ginine shares her expertise on transforming trade professionals into visionary leaders who can navigate challenges and lead their teams to success. Tune in to learn how you can foster a culture of leadership and growth in your business.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/uCAhbe1QCkU
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
03:18 Engineers misunderstanding on-site work, drawing inaccuracies.
08:54 Advise on developing and scaling companies effectively.
12:39 Gain insight through 1 to 10 scale.
14:45 Reading book, implementing frameworks, planning future meetings.
18:44 Career paths involve trade-offs, skill acquisition.
22:45 Align learning with business strategy for success.
25:06 Implemented a scorecard system for businesses' defined outcomes.
27:06 Adapting training for efficient talent investment processes.
31:36 Assessing skills, content inventory, evaluating learning options.
34:49 Leadership requires desire, adaptability, and structure.
37:53 Importance of strategy in designing training content.
40:14 Accountability and coaching for tying training to work.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
In this special episode, join Tina White from Panoramic Academy as we explore the pivotal role of employee empowerment in driving business growth and achieving true profitability. Discover actionable strategies to harness the potential of your team, foster effective decision-making, and propel your business forward. Tina White sheds light on the transformative power of trusting your team and setting the stage for sustainable growth. Dive into the conversation to learn how empowering your employees can lead to remarkable results and a thriving business.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/sCkSGdCYdTw
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
04:17 Who is Tina White
08:38 Profit first helps business owners stay focused.
13:34 Delegate with trust, train making decisions.
16:04 Prefer procedures with guiding principles; allow flexibility.
17:51 Advantages of creating systems and processes.
23:46 An organisational chart helps understand structure and plan.
26:14 Discussing employee growth and promotion within the company.
29:41 Initial weirdness leads to increased productivity and freedom.
34:27 Notebook for recording questions, teaching systematically, mentor.
35:35 Give a second chance, mentoring, grace, delegate wisely.
38:42 Express gratitude, encourage feedback, provide contact information.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Join us in this special episode as we uncover the electrifying success story of Joe's electrical company in the solar industry. Dive into Joe's transformative journey, exploring how he harnessed the power of solar success to scale his business and make a significant impact in the renewable energy sector. From the initial challenges to the innovative strategies that led to his company's growth, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and industry professionals alike.
Highlights of the episode include:
- Joe's unique approach to business growth and solar success
- Overcoming hurdles and navigating the fast-paced solar industry
- The power of effective team building and company culture
- Embracing change and innovation for long-term success
For more insightful stories and industry tips, subscribe to our channel and don't miss out on the journey to solar success.
#SolarSuccess #BusinessGrowth #ElectricalEntrepreneurship
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/LyICa5BN0Xw
Read our blog on this episode: https://www.thesiteshed.com/solar-success-story-joe-deionno/
Discussion Points:
00:00 Ignore haters, have fun with content.
04:51 Listening to podcast led to successful collaboration.
07:29 Growth from two to ten employees in 12 months.
10:38 Wearing many hats in a growing business.
14:49 Struggle led to growth and culture emphasis.
16:14 Hiring based on values and teamwork culture.
22:08 Expand sales teams, target new markets, improve administration.
24:16 Coaches help with setting and achieving goals.
28:45 Improving website for SEO, then into paid work.
30:16 Importance of SEO in comprehensive marketing strategy.
33:22 Early communication challenges in deploying growth systems.
36:45 Inquiring about bundling products for higher sales.
39:56 Focus on selling the outcome, not system.
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Join us in this inspiring episode as we delve into Shae Jarvis's journey to solar success with his electrical company. Discover how Shae transformed his business, navigated the renewable energy industry, and harnessed the power of solar to create a thriving enterprise. This episode is a must-watch for aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners in the solar and electrical industries. Learn from Shae's experience and get valuable insights into building a successful solar business.
Key points covered:
- Shae's journey in the solar industry
- Strategies for growing a solar business
- Challenges and solutions in the renewable energy sector
- Lessons learned and success tips for entrepreneurs
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/XJtBw3WLKNQ
Read our blog on this episode: https://www.thesiteshed.com/solar-success-story-shae-jarvis/
Discussion Points:
00:00 Discussion on embracing change in business culture.
05:14 Summarising 5 months of working together, pain points.
09:48 Embrace slow learning, then scale for success.
13:34 Improved sales process through thorough customer qualification.
15:37 Maximise conversions by reducing unnecessary site visits.
20:04 Consistent lead flow allows for non-desperation.
23:01 Scheduling fee pressures customers to make decisions.
25:53 Increase deposit price with structured scheduling fee.
28:27 Maximise team potential, find optimal pricing.
32:04 Recruiting apprentices is advantageous for unlearning issues.
37:05 Emphasising the importance of proactive quality control.
39:40 Documentation, roles, equipping, organisational chart, forecasting, development.
43:04 Encouraging adopting vision for business growth. Reach out.
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Dive into our special episode showcasing the Top 10 The Site Shed Podcast Episodes of 2023. This compilation features the most insightful, engaging, and innovative discussions from the year. From deep dives into trade industry trends to practical entrepreneurial strategies, these episodes are a must-listen for anyone in the business and trade sectors. Tune in to gain valuable knowledge and inspiration to elevate your business strategies.
Highlights include:
- Exclusive insights from industry leaders
- Innovative strategies for trade businesses
- Tips for effective entrepreneurship and leadership
- Real-life success stories and case studies
Don't forget to subscribe for more valuable content and check out the full episodes for in-depth discussions.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/6LGj4RO1gjU
Discussion Points:
0:00 Seasons Greetings!
00:32 Top 10 - Episode 372 - Step Aside, Boss: 5 Leadership Commitments for Empowering Your Team
01:27 Top 9 - Episode 383 - Virtual Estimate Techniques: Boost Profitability and Expand Your Sales Team
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Explore the art of change management in the trades with our latest podcast, 'Trade Transitions: Mastering Change Management in Your Business'. This episode is a treasure trove of strategies and insights on navigating and leading organisational change effectively. We discuss practical approaches to adapting your business to change, inspiring leadership during transitions, and fostering a culture that embraces evolution. This is an essential listen for anyone in the trade industry looking to stay ahead in an ever-changing business landscape. Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/OfdVfFTOLVY
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Highlight
02:51 Introduction to Change Management
04:13 The History and Evolution of Change Management
06:30 Technology's Role in Change Management
08:22 Addressing the Stigma of Change Management
11:10 Key Pillars of Change Management
14:43 Stakeholder Involvement in Change Plans
17:24 Adjusting to Changes and Feedback Loop
20:11 Addressing Employee Resistance to Change
23:18 Building Team Success in Change Management
25:47 Relating Change Management to Trade Businesses
28:05 Managing Individual Resistance to Change
30:39 Sales Team Dynamics in Change Management
33:31 Navigating Personnel Changes in Business
35:11 Starting with Change Management: Framework and Tools
38:14 Implementing a Change Management Plan
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Dive into the world of conflict resolution with our latest podcast episode, 'Mastering the Trade: Navigating Conflicts in Your Business.' Gain invaluable insights from industry experts on handling conflicts effectively in the trade industry. We explore the nuances of conflict resolution, essential leadership skills, and strategies to foster a productive team environment. Whether you're a business owner, team leader, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers practical tips and real-world solutions to manage conflicts and drive your business towards success. Tune in to transform the way you approach conflicts in your business.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/tsEqtr90swY
Discussion Points:
00:00 30 years of knowledge: high-performing teams, leadership.
06:04 Natural leadership progression overlooked in traditional training.
08:07 No one-way approach, success depends on understanding.
11:43 Different personalities in organisations can lead to conflicts.
16:15 Leadership must foster communication and engagement actively.
17:35 Maximising meeting effectiveness and communication in business.
22:17 Strategic meetings focus on company goals and tactics.
25:13 Communication, questions, and surprises in meetings.
29:04 Clear leadership ensures team alignment and success.
31:25 Challenging habits, change, and observation for improvement.
37:06 Multitasking for productivity, focus on right meetings.
38:46 Leadership requires effective systems and processes.
40:59 Discussing meeting structure, outcome responsibility, and feedback.
45:10 Regular, positive check-ins for performance feedback.
49:52 Hiring from within is crucial for development.
50:46 Building a strong team and leadership structure.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Struggling with cash flow during the festive season? Discover our top 5 Christmas hacks to ensure your trade business gets paid promptly. In this episode of The Site Shed, we delve into practical and effective strategies to manage invoices, negotiate payment terms, and use technology to streamline your financial processes. Christmas is a crucial time for contractors and understanding these hacks can be a game-changer in maintaining healthy cash flow.
Subscribe for more insights on running a successful trade business.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/P6o6_VgVcIU
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode highlight
06:29 Get paid before work, avoid losses.
08:00 Builders need to charge for scoping sessions.
10:38 Get variations and approvals in writing always.
14:21 Regular leads empower clients to be choosier.
16:57 Negotiating contracts can create powerful opportunities.
22:12 Add admin fee to quote, use as discount.
25:48 Hourly rate calculators help determine true costs.
28:13 Track job costs and overheads for profits.
33:11 Negotiation is essential, especially in unrealistic situations.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
Check this out:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
In this insightful episode of The Site Shed, we tackle the pressing issue of labour shortage and how businesses can effectively hire during these challenging times. We dive deep into innovative hiring strategies, providing practical tips on navigating the labour shortage, attracting skilled employees, and ensuring their retention. Whether you're a small business owner or manage a large corporation, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you overcome the hiring hurdles presented by the current labour market.
Subscribe for more content on business strategies and workforce management.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/ZttvJnt3O6Q
Discussion Points:
01:12 Funny meet, virtual model, hiring, motivation, success.
04:16 Liquidated damages led to business life low.
06:55 Four parts to successful hiring process: finding candidates, vetting, hiring, and retention.
11:38 Best marketers make great recruiters: speed matters.
15:13 Deputise team, incentivise and increase applicants x4.
16:33 Money-back guarantee, contractors prove doubters wrong.
20:41 Onboarding: communicate, access, check-ins, raise, success.
24:15 Flexible work hours, monthly company gathering
28:47 Tools lost or broken. Pissed off, proud. Assessing achievements, seeking improvement.
29:51 Growing business: evolving scorecards, better accountability
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Discover how service contracts can be a game-changer in boosting your business turnover by 25%! In this insightful episode, we delve into the world of service contracts and uncover strategies to leverage them for substantial business growth. We'll explore the nuts and bolts of effective service agreement implementation, sharing tips and tricks that have proven to yield significant turnover increases for contractors and field service businesses alike. Tune in to learn how to harness the power of service contracts for your business and witness a remarkable 25% growth in your turnover. Join us in this journey to financial success with service contracts!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/VaN491bAtHw
Discussion Points:
02:35 Who is Michael Israel?
04:57 Extended service agreements increase overall costs.
07:10 Benefits of HVAC contracts for homeowners: peace of mind, guaranteed inspections, efficiency.
11:02 Advantages of scheduled maintenance prevent breakdowns.
14:32 Consistent revenue stream through planned service agreements.
18:29 Peace of mind when someone inspects problems.
20:22 Advantages of showcasing expertise in electrical space.
24:40 Flexible maintenance contracts cover different parts, hours.
28:14 Protection, discounts, inspections ensure reliable performance.
32:26 Service contracts generate steady revenue and prevent breakdowns.
34:08 Seeking feedback on implementing service and maintenance agreements.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Discover the crucial HR compliance mistakes that trade businesses frequently make and how to avoid them. In this insightful video, we delve into the top five pitfalls that could cost your business dearly. From understanding legislation to proper documentation, we cover it all. Don't let HR compliance be your downfall. Watch now to safeguard your trade business from costly errors.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/2IWT3TFvAFU
Discussion Points:
00:00:42 Tips for managing people effectively in HR.
00:05:29 Businesses facing underpayment claims cost millions, HR knowledge lacking.
00:07:40 Friendship often undermines professional relationships at work.
00:12:24 You don't need to know everything in business.
00:14:05 Australian subcontractor system has complex award system.
00:18:07 Individuals push for contracting, employers bear risk.
00:20:33 Different RDO systems implemented by businesses.
00:23:45 Individual flexibility agreements (IFAs)
00:27:02 Fair Work Act covers employees.
Resources:
👉Visit People Powered Business’s website: https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/
👉Get social with Kristy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyleebillett/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/hrsupportaustralia
👉Get in touch with Kristy at kristy@thefootprintgroup.com.au
👉Get access to the FREE Guide on Dealing with Problem Employees - https://www.peoplepoweredbusiness.com.au/problememployeeguide
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Are you struggling with managing expectations and having difficult conversations in your trade business? The secret lies in honing your communication skills. In this first part of our two-part series, we delve into the importance of effective communication in managing expectations and navigating challenging dialogues.
Learn how communication skills can make or break your relationships with clients and team members. We'll share actionable tips and real-life examples to help you master the art of communication. Don't miss out on this essential guide for tradies and contractors!
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/pnVhncWNVQU
Discussion Points:
[00:03:18] Niche recruitment business finds and builds teams.
[00:06:02] Performance, task standards, communication, interview difficulties, work environment.
[00:08:34] Safety, workplace health, boundaries, expectations, materials, retention.
[00:12:57] Revise communication style to effectively convey message.
[00:14:08] Plan and consider timing for difficult conversations.
[00:19:21] "Understand, clarify, involve, and find solutions."
[00:22:02] Book review on Traction and 1-on-1 meetings.
[00:27:11] Plumbers listening. Managing difficult conversations, documented framework.
[00:30:37] Document all conversations, even in emails or texts, for potential exit strategy.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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Discover how to build a trusting team that can transform your business. In this episode, we delve into the importance of trust within a team, why it's crucial for business evolution, and how you can foster it. Learn how to build a trusting team that not only meets but exceeds targets. Get insights into how trust can be the catalyst for change in your business. Don't miss out on this opportunity to build a trusting team and achieve your business goals.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/v8stwaGpC_Q
Discussion Points:
[00:05:23] The need for business evolution.
[00:08:29] Business owners juggle hats constantly, switching roles.
[00:13:35] Equipping team members for success in business.
[00:14:13] Planning with org chart helps prioritise growth.
[00:17:59] Leverage scorecard system to measure responsibilities.
[00:23:53] Simplify onboarding with a checklist; boost retention with gamification and cash rewards.
[00:27:24] Remote work: trust your team and goals.
[00:29:04] Involving team members increases their buy-in.
[00:32:08] Team leaders shadow to gain responsibility & experience.
[00:34:31] Promoting within ensures experience and understanding.
[00:38:44] Apprenticeship memories, learning outdated business practices.
[00:42:49] Levels in strategic planning, tiers in conversations.
[00:44:41] Performance reviews are important but need process.
[00:48:11] Young team members learn about CPI increase
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, we explore the compelling journey of business transformation. Host Matt Jones discusses the necessity of restructuring your business to align with strategic objectives and meet client needs effectively. From leveraging technology to enhance customer experience to the importance of continuous feedback for improvement, this episode serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to transform their business in today's fast-paced market. Tune in to gain valuable insights into achieving successful business transformation.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/XnIpe_yBdog
Discussion Points:
[00:01:50] Revamp agency, deliver what customers need.
[00:04:15] Stressful but valuable journey for business evolution.
[00:09:12] Identify goals, focus on outcomes for success.
[00:13:48] Identify needs, find solutions, learn and adapt.
[00:18:07] Retrain staff on new process, improve qualifications
[00:20:20] "Reduce friction and create great customer experience."
[00:22:57] Solar company: new tech, monitoring, educate clients. Touch points lead to reengagement, more spending.
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, we delve deep into the transformative power of the virtual estimate. Discover how businesses are leveraging virtual estimate techniques to build trust, enhance client relationships, and drive profitability. From brand positioning to the human touch in digital interactions, the virtual estimate approach is reshaping the way businesses operate. Join us as we explore the ins and outs of this game-changing strategy, and learn how you can implement it to maximise growth and success.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/rfdpq_0eT8Y
Discussion Points:
[00:01:06] Virtual estimating process for profitable sales growth.
[00:04:49] Consistent flow of leads helps with selection.
[00:07:49] Virtual or in-person consultations for designing projects.
[00:11:43] Quick response and qualification for low stakes calls.
[00:13:52] "Letting more in, referrals, last look, busy clients"
[00:18:26] Team hesitant, went virtual. Clients liked photos. Owner takes control. Fee adjusted, found sweet spot. Convenient, no charge option available.
[00:21:51] Defining brand and positioning relative to competitors.
[00:25:45] Increasing demand for video communication among clients.
[00:26:37] Zoom rooms improve face-to-face interactions in business.
[00:30:54] Hiring competitors, training, and pivoting strategy
Resources:
Have a conversation with us! Go to tradie.wiki/pod and book a call.
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Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you can also visit our website.
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In this podcast episode, join us with Kaylene Grieve from Sales, SEO and Social Media as we delve into the power of LinkedIn. Learn how to optimise your profile and company page as tradies and contractors. From lead generation to networking, we explore effective strategies to reach your target audience, and increase visibility.
Discover how this platform can amplify your trade-based business in the commercial space. Listen in for invaluable insights from a marketing expert to maximise your LinkedIn presence and engagement.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/QOnwSllQWhk
Discussion Points:
01:29 Facebook-like platform, marketer perspective, engagement, dislikes, lead generation.
06:03 LinkedIn strategies to increase visibility.
08:53 Optimise profile with search terms & keywords.
12:20 LinkedIn offers more targeted advertising options.
18:11 Year, Caroline, polls, personalised outreach, message ads.
21:52 Trade space offers opportunities to showcase work.
24:48 Target audience groups can amplify content reach.
27:44 Twitter and LinkedIn can be useful for networking.
Resources:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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In this insightful episode of The Site Shed podcast, join us as we delve into the crucial topic of "Getting Paid on Commercial Jobs" and safeguarding your interests.
Our special guest, Helen Kay from Rise Legal, sheds light on the essential aspects of commercial law that every tradie and contractor should be aware of. From the various types of commercial lawyers, each with their unique approach, to the unfortunate instances of non-payment that can lead to insolvencies, Helen shares vital insights that can help you navigate the complexities of the industry.
Join us to gain expert advice on preventing potential problems, offering you a safeguarded pathway to success in commercial projects. Don't miss out on this valuable episode that equips tradies and contractors with the tools to secure their rightful compensation and thrive in the dynamic world of commercial work. Get Paid on Commercial Jobs - your guide to proactive protection and smooth operations.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/HlwcOWteK3w
Discussion Points:
01:10 - Getting paid on commercial jobs, protecting yourself.
05:38 - Different types of commercial lawyers, some litigious, some proactive.
10:02 - People need a lawyer to prevent problems.
14:56 - Effective contracts ensure clear payment terms, protections.
17:00 - Ensure contract includes necessary terms for payment and protection.
21:00 - Ensure clauses protect your interests completely.
23:33 - Skim contracts, identify risks, provide fixed fee.
26:30 - Allow time for review, seek legal advice.
31:08 - Colleague grows business through smart acquisitions.
33:44 - Pooling resources to offer dry hire.
Resources:
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Join host Matt Jones in this empowering episode of The Site Shed as he sits down with Luke Kosmanis, a passionate tradie on a mission to inspire positive change through personal development. Luke's journey towards finding purpose and meaning in life is truly inspirational. In this candid conversation, they delve into the world of personal development, self-discovery, and the transformative power of conscious living. As a tradie, Luke's unique perspective sheds light on how personal growth and mindfulness can profoundly impact both professional and personal life. Tune in to explore the path of self-discovery and embrace the quest for positive change. Discover how you, too, can embark on a journey of personal development as a tradie.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/c8aKUkGAf2g
Discussion Points:
00:06:45 The line between environment and self-improvement.
00:07:50 Creating a better industry for Tradies.
00:13:18 Reduced drinking after overcoming past insecurities.
00:15:59 Embrace darkness, learn, and evolve in life.
00:20:50 Two-day event for trade and business owners to improve themselves and their businesses, focusing on values, vision, and culture.
00:22:29 Fish rot; young guys observe, influence matters.
Resources:
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In this episode of The Site Shed, host Matt Jones welcomes guest Brian Will to explore the art of negotiation, leveraging psychology for success. They delve into a sales process that empowers clients by offering choices based on their budget, emphasising genuine conversations and addressing specific needs. The four-box process in sales, including a fact-finding phase to overcome objections, is highlighted. Brian advises against using technical jargon, encouraging simplicity in explaining concepts and focusing on desired outcomes rather than technical specifications. Building trust through scripted phone conversations, asking questions, and highlighting value is emphasised. Brian's own journey in sales and understanding customer needs adds depth to this episode, providing valuable insights for enhancing negotiation skills.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/_OFOlIG5OsM
Discussion Points:
04:28 - Sales success decoded: understanding psychology, objections, and conversions.
07:49 - Boost your sales process for home service companies with these actionable tips.
13:16 - Let your clients choose without prying into their budget. Empower them in the decision-making process.
15:17 - Tailored solutions for diverse budgets. Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all approaches.
20:18 - Reputation is key. Avoid cannibalising your business as a smaller player in the market.
25:22 - The 4-box process: introduction, fact finding, presentation, and closing.
29:26 - Ditch the technical jargon. Communicate simply to connect with your audience.
32:37 - Focus on the outcomes that capture hearts, not just the products.
Resources:
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In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, host Matt Jones delves deep into the world of business acquisitions and selling a trade-based business. Joined by expert guest James Nathan, they explore key topics that every business owner should consider when navigating the acquisition process. From scepticism about 10x returns to mitigating risks and increasing the value of a business, this episode provides valuable insights and strategies for those looking to sell their trade-based business. Discover the secrets of successful mergers, the importance of planning and preparation, and the crucial elements that contribute to a smooth business transition. Tune in now to gain the knowledge and blueprint necessary for a successful business sale. Don't miss out on this episode packed with valuable advice and actionable tips.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/196Rnn_XCSc
Discussion Points:
00:03 - Setting up a business for sale challenges.
00:04 - Starting a business is hard; succession planning is difficult.
00:09 - Simplifying business selling process: neatening, accounting, financials.
00:12 - Over-systemising can be unnecessary and ineffective.
00:17 - Focus on valuable processes for business growth.
00:18 - Embedding processes into workflow for new clients/employees.
00:22 - Complexity of business valuation
00:25 - Increase earnings, reduce costs, improve tax structure.
00:31 - Building, selling to trade buyers boosts value.
00:34 - Merging companies is harder than it seems.
00:38 - Red flag: customer concentration, deferred payment.
00:42 - Important factors for selling a profitable business.
00:48 - Evolving business fundamentals; aligning expectations for success.
00:52 - Get 30 Guaranteed Leads in 90 Days!
Resources:
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In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, our host Matt Jones sits down with Mike Balding, the founder of Absolute Painting, to discuss the secrets behind scaling a successful painting business. Tune in as Mike shares valuable insights on developing habits for success and defining a unique message that sets your business apart from competitors in the noisy marketplace. Discover the power of understanding personality profiles and how it can guide interactions with both clients and team members. Learn about the importance of creating informative content for customers to refer back to, building trust through proof of services, and the impact of telling your unique story. Mike also dives into the significance of understanding individual personalities and implementing a good onboarding process to reduce buyer's remorse. If you're looking to take your painting business to new heights, this episode is a must-listen. Don't miss out on the brushstrokes to success!
Watch the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/GCNGqJbdZaM
Discussion Points:
00:00 - Coming Up
00:21 - Tradie Web Guys
01:22 - Welcome Michael Balding
03:53 - How Absolute Painting started
05:02 - Partnership success depends on valuing each other.
06:53 - Book guided business growth through personality assessment.
13:51 - Read books, focus on business, 75-day challenge.
19:36 - Painting company with unique story and values.
27:30 - Practice makes better creative content delivery.
31:33 - Longer sales cycle benefits from content marketing.
38:11 - Smooth onboarding reduces buyer's remorse effectively.
41:30 - Create org chart, plan to meet goals.
45:18 - Do everything right; becomes subconscious mechanism.
55:08 - "Powerful book on personality profiles"
58:52 - High standards boost customer satisfaction in business.
01:03:40 - Get 30 Leads in 90 Days
Resources:
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In this episode, host Matt Jones sits down with Allan Ferguson, industry expert and founder of Service Success Network, to discuss "The Future of the Trades Industry: Insights from an Industry Expert." Tune in as they delve into the ever-evolving world of the trades industry, exploring topics such as changes in the plumbing industry, conversion rate optimization, pricing models, AI and automation, coaching, and finding good people. Gain valuable insights into the industry's transformation and discover strategies to thrive in a competitive market. Join the conversation and gain a competitive edge in the trades industry.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/dm8v0OzahQk
Discussion Points:
00:00 - Coming Up!
00:14 - Tradie Web Guys
01:18 - Welcome Allan Ferguson
05:31 - Expertise in profitable drain service business.
07:37 - Evolution on tools that can leverage your business.
12:39 - Difference on training. AU vs US
15:06 - TAFE is for apprenticeships and practical learning.
21:01 - Skilled trade shortage causes system pivot.
21:32 - Good people hard to find, GFC impact.
25:49 - Efficient business model with no salespeople.
30:37 - Costs, pricing, and margins explained briefly.
35:40 - Finance training lacking, technology changing quickly.
40:06 - AI will impact service industry, advertising costs.
45:37 - Conversion optimisation, lead nurturing, sales cycle management.
51:47 - The Foundations Program
Resources:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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Watch the video version of this podcast here.
In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, we dive into the critical topic of managing workplace risks with our special guest, Frank Scerri, founder of Workplace Compliant. In this eye-opening discussion, we explore workplace health and safety management systems and the importance of implementing proper processes and record-keeping systems. Gain insights into the duty of care employers have to identify and address psychosocial risks on the worksite. Join us to enhance your understanding of managing workplace risks and creating a safer work environment.
Discussion Points:
00:00 - Coming Up
00:21 - Tradie Web Guys
01:24 - Welcome Frank Scerri
01:42 - Challenges for businesses: safety, mental health, bullying.
04:12 - "Workplace safety education is crucial."
08:44 - "We help businesses with health and safety."
12:41 - COVID impacted mental health and bullying.
15:23 - Offensive behavior has consequences in teams.
17:23 - Construction industry has retention challenges.
23:23 - Bullying has a broad definition, including many acts.
27:24 - Ensure clear policies, signatures, and recording incidents.
30:06 - Absentee policy, inform employer, clarify process, harassment.
32:35 - Policy needed for employee capability and certification.
35:59 - Employer importance, minimizing risks, having processes.
39:01 - Cloud-based apps make reporting easy and accessible.
43:28 - Adverse actions create messy and costly situations.
47:20 - "HR consultant highlights workplace risks, provides resources."
51:03 - Proactivity prevents problems, saves time, energy.
Resources:
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In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, host Matt Jones welcomes special guest Mike Disney, CEO of CEO Warrior, to discuss the fascinating world of pricing exercises and their impact on business success.
Discover the importance of sharing financial information with employees and unravel the secrets of understanding pricing nuances for higher profitability. They also delve into additional expenses to consider and the significance of breaking down pricing structures for customers.
Watch the video version of this podcast at https://youtu.be/QHQu8TBtsiY
========================== Discussion Points:
00:00 - Coming Up
00:27 - Get 30 leads in 90 days
01:14 - Welcome back Mike Disney
04:58 - Educate employees on financial responsibility for growth.
11:42 - "1 booked call could mean millions - clarity, alignment, accountability"
13:31 - Create pricing structure for owner-operator business
24:26 - Costs of running a business: $3600 + bad debt + bank charges + accountant.
28:46 - Credit card fees cost several hundred monthly.
36:45 - Expenses: office, payroll, and rent.
44:56 - Incredibly conservative expenses, hourly rate calculation.
51:56 - Interactive pricing exercise teaches financial responsibility.
59:49 - Tennis balls loss led to profitable sales.
==========================
Resources:
Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://tradiehub.net
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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Join us in this insightful episode of The Site Shed podcast as we navigate the talent market and unveil the blueprint to success for trade-based businesses. Our guest host, Ken Kilday of Leader's Cut, an Executive Coach and Business Strategist, shares valuable insights on topics ranging from storytelling and hiring to overcoming challenges and adapting to change. Discover how to attract the right team members, address problem employees, and embrace professionalism in the trade industry. Tune in to gain actionable strategies for success and thrive in the competitive world of trade businesses.
Discussion Points:
00:00 - Tradie Web Guys
01:10 - Intro
02:27 - Welcome Ken Kilday
05:21 - Global skill shortage and professionalisation of trades
14:19 - The Challenge of Change: Letting Go of Experienced Team Members
18:17 - Adapting to Change: The Key to Business Success
21:10 - Why Your Customers Care About Your Story
34:04 - Handling Negative Reviews: A Lesson Learned
37:43 - Finding the Right Fit: The Secret to Hiring Success
45:25 - Hiring for a Job vs. Hiring for Career
48:05 - Transparency with your Team
52:30 - Key Points for Building and Retaining Teams
Resources:
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Join us on The Site Shed podcast as we dive into an enlightening conversation with our guest host, Mike Disney, Co-owner and CEO of CEO Warrior. In this episode, we explore 5 commitments you need to make as a leader to get out of your own way.
Episode Highlights:
Tune in to the full episode of The Site Shed podcast now to discover the 5 leadership commitments that will empower your team and drive success in the trades and contracting industry.
Discussion Points:
00:07 - Tradie Web Guys
01:17 - Intro
02:18 - Welcome Mike Disney
03:30 - What is CEO Warrior?
10:07 - 5 Leadership Commitments
19:45 - 1st Commitment: Vision
24:00 - Creating a Painted Vision for Success
27:40 - Beyond KPIs: Focusing on the Vision Together
32:32 - Vision VS. Mission
37:51 - Transparency in Numbers: Key to Employee Confidence
43:25 - 2nd Commitment: Inspire and Motivate
46:40 - 3rd Commitment: Service
49:17 - 4th Commitment: Self Awareness
54:07 - 5th Commitment: Optimisation
Resources:
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In this episode of The Site Shed, we delve into the topic of "Transforming Marketing for Trade Businesses with AI". With the increasing availability and evolution of AI technology, it's important for businesses, especially in the trades industry, to stay ahead and embrace the changes that come with it.
Matt Jones, our host and Director of Tradie Web Guys, a Digital Marketing agency for trade businesses, gives us his perspective on how businesses can utilise AI. He stresses the significance of establishing authority and positioning oneself as an expert. He discusses the emergence of AI tools that are transforming marketing strategies, aiding businesses in reducing expenses and improving efficiency.
We explore the advantages of using AI for content creation, including creating version one of content, eliminating guesswork and improving audience targeting. However, we also highlight the value of human expertise in refining content and adding an expert layer of knowledge.
Throughout the podcast, Matt provides practical tips and downloadable resources to help businesses adopt and incorporate AI technology into their marketing strategies.
If you're a trade business owner or marketer looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving landscape of AI, this episode of The Site Shed is not to be missed. Tune in now to learn more about "Transforming Marketing for Trade Businesses with AI
Discussion Points:
02:10 - AI-driven content optimization and keyword research.
04:00 - Role of experts in refining and improving content.
06:30 - Building authority and E-A-T for businesses.
08:50 - Emergence of AI tools in trade businesses.
10:30 - Importance of embracing and being aware of AI impact.
12:00 - Downloadable resources for trades and global relevance.
14:20 - Discussion on AI usage in businesses and trades.
16:00 - Initial version one of content is hardest part.
17:30 - Benefits of using AI tools for content creation.
19:00 - Using Project Magic to rank higher on search engines.
Resources:
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Join us on The Site Shed as we explore the exciting world of travel rewards with expert guest Steve Hui, CEO and Founder of iFlyFlat and also known as “The Points Whisperer”. From turning your business expenses into lavish getaways to maximising your reward points, this episode is filled with valuable insights that will elevate your travel experience to new heights. Discover the best ways to earn points more efficiently, the different reward programs available, and clever strategies for redeeming your well-earned rewards. Whether you're a seasoned traveller or just starting out, this episode is packed full of practical tips to transform your work trips into unforgettable adventures. Tune in now to unlock the secrets to luxurious travel!
Discussion Points:
00:10 - Tradie Web Guys
02:00 - Intro
03:07 - Welcome back Steve
4:44 - How to choose the right rewards program for your business
6:37 - Tips for maximising your rewards and earning more points
10:21 - Strategies for redeeming rewards points for maximum value
15:09 - Examples of how to convert business expenses into luxurious travel experiences
18:41 - The importance of budgeting and tracking expenses for successful reward redemption
20:39 - Final thoughts and encouragement to start using rewards programs for travel benefits
Resources:
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Get ready to level up your contract negotiation game in the trade business industry! The Site Shed podcast brings you a special episode featuring Cian Brennan, the CEO of Quantum Contract Solutions.
This expert conversation is jam-packed with tips and tricks to maximise your business profits and avoid potential losses. From understanding the fundamentals of contracts to leveraging your negotiation skills, this episode provides valuable insights and actionable advice. Don't let this golden opportunity slip away!
Tune in now to The Site Shed podcast and gain the skills to succeed in contract negotiation in the trade business industry.
Discussion Points:
00:15 Tradie Web Guys
02:07 Intro
02:58 Welcome Cian Brennan
04:10 Who is Cian Brennan
10:42 Reducing Risk and Avoid Delay Responsibility
13:23 Negotiate Hard, Gain Respect and Start Contractual
18:03 Liquidated Damage and Consequential Damage
24:00 Termination Clauses
29:23 Secure Materials, Ensure Payment.
33:08 "Squeaky bum time"
35:30 Avoid Damages by Preparing Evidence.
41:15 Building Commercial Principles
46:10 Negotiating Contract Terms.
47:00 Construction Secrets
48:27 How Can You Negotiate Confidently.
51:40 "The Returns are in the Terms"
Resources:
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In this episode of The Site Shed titled "The Marketing Launchpad: How Solid Foundations Equip You For Success," we discuss the importance of marketing for trade businesses. We delve into the significance of having a strong foundation, website optimisation, lead generation, and a system that can help you to make informed decisions for your business growth.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Tradie Web Guys
01:52 Intro
02:30 Welcome back to The Site Shed
02:53 The importance of having foundations in your business.
04:52 What happens to your traffic once they get to your website?
07:40 Where do your leads go?
10:14 Why you need to have your foundations established.
12:38 Your website is the tool that can give people information.
14:50 The importance of having a tech stack in place.
16:42 Why do you need to have a foundation in place so that your business owner can make an educated decision.
Resources:
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In the latest episode of The Site Shed podcast, Matt Jones and guest Rob Kropp of Pravar Group dive into building good habits with the Bevan Method and its four key principles for building a successful family life and a successful business.
As an experienced business coach, Rob shares his insights on how the Bevan Method can help achieve this balance and build a business that works for you and your family.
Tune in to discover the secrets to maintaining a healthy work-life balance and achieving your goals, both in business and in life.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Tradie Web Guys
01:50 Intro
02:42 Welcome back Rob Kropp
05:20 What is The Bevan method?
14:55 The power of 1% to reach success
18:12 Why habit is powerful
28:49 4 Key Principles of Bevan method
33:58 The concept of lead domino
36:15 Catch the Drift, Make the Shift
40:30 Habits for a trade business owner
44:43 Why saying "I’ve got no time" is BS
50:42 Weekly and Monthly habits in The Bevan
53:42 Challenge for listeners to get started
56:01 How to be part of the 1%
Resources:
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If you're a small business owner, you know that finances can be tricky and oftentimes stressful. In this video, we're excited to bring you "5 Finance Tips For Small Business Owners" with guest, Kathi Tait of Tradie Books Australia. Kathi is an award-winning management accountant, finance expert and business coach with over 20 years of experience helping tradesmen and small business owners succeed.
In this episode, Kathi shares with us 5 essential tips on how to reach your financial objectives and stay on top of all your trade business compliance. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, you won't want to miss this valuable information. These tips will help you take control of your finances and trade business like a pro!
Resources:
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Google Ads is always changing, and in 2023, it is always a good idea to stay on Google’s good books. Together with John Horn of StubGroup, we'll dive into the realities behind paid marketing, and some common misconceptions when running a Google Ad. We'll also talk about how you could design a strategy that moves the needle heading into the new year. John also shared with us his valuable insights about Google Ads and what to expect in 2023.
Whether you're looking to improve your existing campaigns or just get started with paid marketing, this episode has a lot of practical advice that you can use right away. Don't miss out on this exclusive episode! Tune in now and join the conversation using #TheSiteShed on your favorite social media platform!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Intro
00:44 Welcome John Horn
03:30 Having the right keywords in your Google Ad campaign
06:30 Advantage of incorporating page and organic strategy
07:00 Thoughts on the new Google Algorithm
10:10 How to remain compliant with Google's Policy
11:05 Why your Google Ad account gets suspended
15:30 Google's data collection and its legalities
18:03 Handling call tracking and recording on Google Ad
21:50 Budget realities in Google Ads
24:10 Local ad service opportunities for smaller businesses
26:50 Mitigating Google exposure (monopoly diversification)
29:00 What changes to expect from Google in 2023
33:17 Understanding your budget on Google Ads
35:51 Maximising the lifetime value of leads
41:32 Best practices on running a Google Ad
43:00 Time expectation on Google Ads
Resources:
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In the second episode of our "How to structure your trade-business" series, we're excited to have Rob Kropp, founder of Pravar group and business coach, as our guest. He will be sharing his insights on creating a sustainable business structure that unlocks growth, profits and more family time. We'll be discussing how to map out a trade business operational structure that builds a sustainable and scalable 'Business Lifestyle' for trade-based business owners. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to take their business to the next level and achieve a better work-life balance. Tune in now to learn the keys to a successful and profitable business structure.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Intro
00:30 Welcome back Rob Kropp
02:20 Fundamentals of Business Structure
03:28 Mapping out your operational structure
06:20 Why business owners tend to be the bottleneck in business growth
09:45 The first hat to handover when restructuring
14:00 Making the choice of getting ‘off the tools’
18:20 Understanding the roles that you need in your business
20:40 The sweet spots you should be aiming for in general terms of structure
24:35 The hardest phase in building a sustainable and scalable ‘Lifestyle Business’
Resources:
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Starting a business can be a challenging and overwhelming task, especially for those in the trades industry who are used to working with their hands rather than managing a company. However, with the right approach and structure, the transition from being a technician to a business owner can be a successful and rewarding experience.
In this episode of The Site Shed podcast, we're excited to dive into the topic of how a tradesman can transition to a business owner. This is the first episode of our new podcast series "How to Structure your Trade Business" where we'll be discussing the strategies and techniques for building a successful trade business through an effective business structure.
Joining us as a guest co-host is Rob Kropp, the Founder of Pravar Group, who specialises in business coaching. Rob brings his experience in business growth and strategy to the table as we explore these topics.
During the episode, we'll cover the importance of having a business structure, building your team and strategizing to grow your business.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Episode Intro
00:27 Welcome back Rob Kropp
03:52 The reality of having a structure in your trade-business
04:45 Common mindset of tradesmen turned trade-business owners
07:45 How hiring a team reflects the size of your business
13:30 Why do people get stuck working long hours?
17:12 Importance of optimising your trade-business structure
19:50 Shed to Grow: How Rob helped a client structure their business
21:00 Positions, People, Processes
21:50 Scale Team not Time: Starting with the Organisation Chart to grow your business
25:00 Equipping your team to succeed in their position
29:00 Soft skills to develop to improve your leadership
32:55 Setting your mindset to grow your trade business
Resources:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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In this week's episode of The Site Shed podcast, we delve into the topic of "Overcoming Mindset Blocks Around Creating Videos and Being on Camera." If you've ever felt self-conscious about creating videos or being on camera, this episode is for you.
Together with Cassie Daniels, Director of Builds by Captive Media, we will be discussing some common mindset blocks that hold people back from creating videos and being on camera, as well as sharing some tips and strategies for overcoming these blocks and building confidence in front of the camera.
Whether you are a business owner looking to create promotional videos for your company, or an individual looking to build a personal brand online, this episode will provide valuable insights and practical advice to help you overcome your fears and start creating engaging and effective videos.
Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about overcoming mindset blocks around creating videos and being on camera. We hope it will inspire you to take the first step towards creating engaging and effective videos that help you grow your business or personal brand online.
Resources:
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In this episode, we're going to show you how to make videos that are both simple and engaging – perfect for beginners.
We'll start by discussing the basic equipment and editing tools that you need, and then move on to tips for filming better-quality videos. Finally, we'll give you some tips on how you can make them interesting and engaging.
Resources:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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Are you looking for ways to manage your team more productively?
In this episode, we'll share some tips on how to get the most out of your team, from setting goals and creating a productive work environment, to finding the right balance and improving accountability within your staff. So whether you're a business owner or manager, listen to this episode and learn how to create a winning team!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Introduction
00:35 Welcome back Rob Kropp
03:48 Managing your grand crew
08:07 Understanding the importance of outcome through scorecards
12:30 Importance of labour management
14:36 The frameworks on what balance looks like
17:23 How processes and systems helps manage your team
20:05 Why businesses are not making money
24:38 Importance of measurable milestones in managing your team
26:30 Key management drivers
33:10 Individual and Team Accountability
36:00 Greatest take away from this episode
Resources:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Who-Method-Hiring-Geoff-Smart-ebook/dp/B001EL6RWY
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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In a world where talent is always in demand, retention becomes just as important to attract the best employees. Retention often reflects your culture and how you lead from day one - it's something that can't be taught or bought with money so instead has been developed through years of hard work on behalf not only yourself but also those who come after them which makes this method more than worth while!
In this second part of our podcast series called “How to Recruit, Retain, and Manage a Productive Team”, Rob Kropp of Pravar Group, will share with us how you can retain your team members.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Intro
00:41 Welcome back to the Site Shed
02:45 The importance of retention strategy in your business
06:25 How retention can be a good recruitment tool
08:10 How leadership affects retention
08:50 The secret on retention
12:40 How growth can affect your retention
14:55 Importance of communication to retain your members
16:30 Creating a culture that attracts and retains good people
19:02 The balancing act in your retention strategy
21:15 The benefits of adapting your structure to business growth
23:50 “Never promise something that’s never gonna happen”
25:30 The retention challenge
Resources:
Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In order to stay relevant, you need a flexible and nimble recruitment process. Recruiters are constantly being pulled in different directions by the ever-changing landscape of today's job market - so it is critical that your approach remain up with modern trends or risk becoming outdated!
This is Part 1 of our new podcast series called "How to Recruit, Retain and Manage a Productive Team" where Rob Kropp of Pravar Group is joining to talk about recruitment strategies!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Intro
00:45 Welcome Rob Kropp
01:25 What is Pravar Group
04:15 How recruitment has been an ongoing issue with business owners
05:50 The change in the recruitment landscape over the years
07:00 Importance of first impression in recruitment
08:33 How to recruit accordingly in the candidate market
14:20 Active strategies to your recruitment process
18:15 How creating an environment attracts people to work for you
20:40 Using your online contents in your recruitment process
Resources:
Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Being service-focused in your business is good, but being outcome-focused in your business is actually what your client really needs. In the competitive world of trade-based business. You have to make sure that your message is getting across and not just making any noise.
In this episode, we talk about how you can really make your business stand out from its competition. By focusing on what truly matters, like how to fix a problem for customers in need of specific services or solutions - rather than just providing any old thing they might be looking at right now-you'll find yourself becoming an increasingly attractive option because people will know exactly where their needs lie!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Intro
00:25 Welcome back to The Site Shed Podcast
03:00 The importance of asking WHY?
06:02 Framing up the conversation to define your win
07:00 Shifting our focus from services to outcome
10:00 Figuring out the actual problem and the final outcome
10:30 Getting better qualification process to get quality leads
12:05 Defining your win to get a measurable outcome
14:21 Prioritising the outcome based on agreed win
15:40 Presenting your business to stand out from your competitors
20:00 Importance of capturing data correctly to provide the best solution
Resources:
Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Generally when people try to organise work, it gets part way there, but not enough for everyone to trust it. It then inevitably breaks down & gets retried over and over, each time with people getting more jaded.
In this final episode of our series called Building a Scalable Business that Doesn't Involve You, Justin Smith of Work Management Tools, and I tackled the challenge of what really needs to be done and how high the standard is needed to make Office Project Management actually work & how it can Streamline your Operations.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Welcome back Justin Smith
03:30 What is Office Project Management
08:00 Where do you start in Office Management
08:30 Key signs of an effective office management
09:00 Example of inefficiency and duplication of task in an office
11:18 The advantage of having clarity in your business process
13:07 The negative perception of project management
14:00 Understanding the capacity and workload and being realistic about it
18:20 Adopting technology to improve your office management
19:00 Introducing ClickUp
21:10 How do we get there steps for an efficient Office Project Management
25:04 Reporting Dashboard feature in ClickUp
27:40 Promoting accountability with ClickUp
30:34 Creating a sense of trust within your organisation
31:10 Bringing layers of transparency across deliverables
Resources:
Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Removing yourself from the day-to-day business can be quite scary, but with the right tools and knowledge from the experts there’s no need to fear!
This episode is the second part of our new podcast series called “Building a scalable business that doesn't involve you”. Here, we talk about:
Watch to the end of the episode for an awesome surprise from Justin for our Site Shed listeners!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Introduction
00:28 Welcome back Justin Smith
01:15 How to make your business run without you
04:04 Empowering team members with your business system
05:35 Making yourself redundant in your business using checklists and SOPs
06:48 Clarifying tasks through building systems and workflows
08:57 Identifying people who can do & are good at each thing in your business
09:55 3 Ways of taking work off your plate
12:05 Forecasting growth in your business
15:30 How ClickUp works
16:00 Advantage of having documents in your business system
19:35 Dot points - Easiest way to simplify your SOP
21:05 How SOPs are done in Matt’s business
25:03 Creating the SOP for your business process
29:50 Different approach to documentation and hiring
30:26 Why small businesses should not hire expert
35:02 Identifying the tasks that you should NOT be doing
Resources:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The frustrating reality of running a business is that it often doesn’t just require one person to get all the parts working together. It requires help from another individual or individuals who are best at what they do in order for things to run smoothly and without frustration—especially when shit gets messy!
This episode is the first of our new podcast series called “Building a scalable business that doesn't involve you”. Here, we talk about:
Watch to the end of the episode for an awesome surprise from Justin for our Site Shed listeners!
Discussion Points:
00:00 Intro
00:44 Welcome Justin Smith
02:53 3 Parts of the podcast series
04:58 How Justin started working with Work Management Tools
08:27 How management tools work
10:30 Why use work management tools
14:33 Getting started with business systems and work management
16:57 The basics of effective work management
22:29 How to identify & work with processes - and why doing so is important
24:00 Onboarding staff with task management tool
25:50 Process improvement with task management tool
30:08 Importance of Checklists
32:37 Setting clear expectations with task management tools
33:28 Recommendation on getting your own task management tool for your business
37:58 Minimising management work so you don’t have to enforce things
40:47 Know the process before putting in the tool
41:35 Identifying where you can remove yourself in your business process
46:35 ClickUp Training
Resources:
Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Drone technology is making construction more efficient and cost-effective. They allow managers to survey job sites, track progress of projects on an ongoing basis while also saving time for planning purposes by providing real-time data that would have been previously impossible with traditional methods like driving around aimlessly looking at buildings or leaving guards in between waves where they're not needed anymore because there is no more work being done nearby - all thanks to these flying robots!
In this episode, Maria Khokhlova, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of TraceAir joins us to explain how drone technology has revolutionized the construction industry and the benefits of drones on communication, cost and making sure your work claim is indisputable.
Discussion Points:
00:42 Welcome Maria
02:55 Who is Maria and What is TraceAir
07:20 Measuring depth from aerial perspective with drone technology
10:03 Use of drone technology in large development vs single home development
11:40 Differentiating TraceAir drone against your store-bought drone
16:00 Applications of drone technology in construction
20:45 Promoting transparency in communication with drone technology
25:58 Removing disputes with proof of work done
26:59 Legalities on using drones in construction
30:08 How does mapping with drones work
34:57 Drone technology in 10 years
37:49 Human redundancy with technology
40:30 Drone technology vs. Satellite Technology
43:49 Regulations on using drone technology
46:15 Know more about TraceAir’s value through their website’s blog posts
47:15 TraceAir current target market
47:39 Imperial system of measurement used by TraceAir
50:55 Closing
Resources:
Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Using technology to improve cash flow and customer experience is no doubt one of the important things that a tradie must learn to do. In this fast-paced world of technology, tradies sometimes find it hard to catch up.
In this episode, Justin Clegg, CEO and founder of AllSet, joins us to explain how tech innovation can help you establish an excellent customer experience with easy-to-use tools and definitely improve your cash flow.
Discussion Points:
00:34 Welcome Justin Clegg
01:38 Who is AllSet and what they do
02:18 Advantages of using tech on communicating with customers
05:20 Perspective of AllSet on home service providers and how AllSet can help them
07:20 Use of messaging in communicating with customers
11:53 Letting customers choose on how to communicate with your business
13:44 AllSet helping tradies to increase tips
16:47 Helping clients manage their payments through digital technology
20:52 Helping clients get paid on time
25:34 AllSet on pre appointment and post-appointments (feedbacks, referrals)
26:18 Upsell and cross-sell opportunities with AllSet
29:33 The Customer experience should you not automate
32:09 Getting feedback from customers after a job is completed.
38:40 AllSet exclusive discount offer to The Site Shed listeners
Resources:
Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you feel overwhelmed by the financial situation of your business? Are you a trade-based business owner whose cash in bank position hasn’t improved even when you are flat out? Learn how you can take control of your business’ finances!
Join us as we discuss how to build a permanently profitable tradie business through financial management and more! We cover everything you need to know to make your tradie business thrive.
Our special guest for this episode is Katie Crismale-Marshall of Profit First for Tradies. A certified Profit First Mastery level coach and author of Profit First for Tradies who thoroughly enjoys working with trades business owners for over 10 years with her bookkeeping business Efficient Tradie Bookkeeping to help them build their permanently profitable businesses.
Discussion Points:
00:00 Introduction
00:32 Welcomes Katie Marshall
03:08 Matt shares a brief background about his business with Profit First for Tradies.
09:00 Steps to take to get started on financial management
15:43 Importance of having a bookkeeper in a business
22:06 How Matt manages the financials of his business
24:39 Identifying what you need for your business’ financial situation
25:17 Redflags on businesses that doesn’t have financial management system in place
28:10 How you can use financial literacy in your personal life
29:40 Debunking myth on financial management system
31:58 How to work less and make more money
36:29 Matt’s view on having the right people in your team
41:22 How finance management system can help your personal goals
Resources:
Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Identifying post COVID opportunities for tradies and contractors doesn't need to be hard.
It's no secret that the COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy. It has forced many businesses and people to change the way they live and work. But as the world starts to get back on its feet, there are still some great opportunities for tradies out there who know where to look!
Together with our special guest, Brian Keen - a sought-after business expert and author of How To Franchise My Business Simply, we are going to discuss what has happened in the world of tradies since the pandemic hit, and how tradies can take advantage of the changed landscape.
So, if you want to learn more on how to identify post-COVID opportunities in your industry, don’t miss this episode!
Discussion Points:
01:00 Introduction
02:25 Welcome Brian Keen
05:03 What are the opportunities available for tradies and contractors post-COVID
06:10 The trade business journey of Brian Keen
09:01 How the use of marketing and technology created opportunities for tradies despite the pandemic
09:40 Problems other tradies encounter as technology progress with time
13:24 Matt’s thought on considering franchising a business
14:45 How business training helps tradies who wants to start their own business be successful
19:30 The change that impacted the service industry
20:59 The opportunities created for the service businesses during pandemic
21:47 Brian shares experience from 30 years ago
28:19 How media negatively affected trade businesses during pandemic
32:20 Businesses adapting systems and processes through pandemic
38:30 Advice for people trying to start a business
48:27 How creating your own economy can help your focus to grow your business
Resources:
Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free
Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you're a tradie, you know that finding and retaining good staff is essential to your business. But it can be tough - good staff are hard to find, and they're even harder to keep around. So what's the best way to go about it? Tune in to this episode, and we’ll share with you how you can find and keep the best people for the job with the right approach!
Together with Al Levi of 7-Power Contractors, we are going to talk about some tips and tricks on how to find staff that are a good fit for your company culture and make sure they stick around for the long haul. Tune in to this podcast to know more about 7-Power Contractor and be guided on how to find and retain all the staff you need for your trade business.
Discussion Points:
01:00 Streamline your business with 7-Power Contractors
02:50 Introduction of topics for this podcast
06:30 Evolution of recruitment around global and local issues
08:46 How investing on systems can help your business to find willing techs with great skill
12:24 The story of how trade operating manuals helped their trade business
13:27 The power of organisational chart in a business and finding the right employees
19:05 How marketing can be used to find employees
20:00 Steps you need to take before hiring
24:23 Matt's view on team member's understanding about their role
25:19 Business owner's dilemma on recruitment
29:32 2 things a trade business owner should work on
32:36 How leadership can improve your business
38:08 Helping your employee with job security
45:45 4 Steps of Corrective Actions
53:51 Advocating Time Tracking Sheets to track your employee's productivity
59:40 Implement Process to your business with 7-Power Contractor Program
Resources:
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you ever heard the saying, “they’ll come for content, but stay for community”?
Well, it’s similar for your customers. They’ll come for a service, or a product, but stay for the experience.
It’s the reason why hotels in Vegas go above and beyond. Their experience is defining. For better or worse.
You can spend a week in two different hotels, right next to each other, and have a totally different experience. And you’ll ALWAYS return to the one you had a better experience at. Always, regardless of cost.
In this podcast, we discuss how you as a tradie/contractor can work to improve your customer experience.
There’s room for improvement in all departments and areas of your business. The question is, what are you doing about it?
Be sure to leave some comments in relation to your experiences with good and bad customer experiences. We’d love to hear what’s working for you.
Discussion Points:
00:18 - Welcome back to the Site Shed podcast! 01:38 - Podcast Introduction 02:47 - Matt thoughts about Domino's pizza delivery app 04:52 - How Dave Edward ended up being the customer experience expert 09:32 - How important it is for an organisation to make customer experience part of the process 16:32 - How to detect opportunity for customer experience and which of them should be on top of priority list 23:20 - Dave Edward on tradies referring to themselves as "tradies" 34:40 - How to start improving the area, businesses lack in 41:18 - Starting with values and company culture from the onboarding process 45:34 - How important is taking responsibility and accountability of the flaws
Related Podcasts: TSS143 - Dominating Customer Service - [LINK] TSS218 - Using Data to Create an Amazing Customer Experience - [LINK]
Resources: Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are you looking for ways to improve your conversions without spending more money on marketing? You must be asking yourself right now about how to reduce your marketing spend and 10x your conversions. You’d probably call BS on me about this, but I’m telling you, it’s absolutely doable.
And in today’s episode, I share a few simple tips that can help you get more out of your marketing budget – but at the same time attract more leads and increase your conversion rates 10x more.
If you're looking to make real progress in your business, don’t hesitate to watch this episode!
Discussion Points:
0:00 - Are you looking for a way to reduce your marketing spend and 10x your conversions? 0:43 - Welcome back to the Site Shed podcast! 5:12 - First step to take in positioning yourself as an expert in your trade 9:33 - How essential is it to choose the right name for your company? 12:17 - Tips on choosing your domain name with relevance to your company’s name 15:29 - Do you need to use a business email for your company? 16:50 - How do you tell your potential customers all about your company? 19:04 - Tips in building your website to attract more leads 27:35 - Is cold calling and hard selling still an effective strategy nowadays? 34:09 - Additional tips for positioning yourself as the expert in your trade
Resources: Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Looking for an all-in-one software for tradies and contractors? Look no further! Finally! Here’s the one software for tradies and contracts to replace all others! This software offers everything you need to manage your tradie business. It's user-friendly and will absolutely save you time and money!
You’ve probably been asked the question, "How are we going to do this?" one too many times. This usually means that there is a need for data collection and/or analysis. But with tons of tools out there, it tends to get confusing, therefore leading to trade business owners just dropping out and moving on.
There’s no excuse! The need for CRM is clear… But what are the right tools you need to help you achieve your desired outcome? It's so important to make an educated decision on which CRM tool is best suited for the needs of your organisation.
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity - tune in to this podcast today to learn more!
Discussion Points:
0:00 - Are you fed up with running/using so many apps for your business?
2:08 - Welcome back to the Site Shed podcast!
4:21 - The problem about the huge disconnect between your job management tools and your sales & marketing CRM
5:26 - What are the common tools you need to have for your business?
12:03 - Matt’s realisation of the consolidation of tools for one’s business
13:50 - One CRM to do it all for trade businesses??
14:02 - Showcasing the things/tools that this incredible CRM has to offer…
22:49 - Things you need to watch out for about this CRM
Resources:
Learn more about the CRM that DOES IT ALL for your trade business! Just click on this link: https://www.tradiehub.net Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Riding the wave of production? What does this actually mean? It’s a general truth that maintaining sales momentum can be difficult, but with the right techniques, you can actually stay ahead of the competition.
Production teams are often the backbone of any business. But what if your production team was also responsible for sales? That's precisely where we come in! This podcast will help you transform your team into an effective, efficient & consistently disruptive force that can't be ignored by competitors or customers alike.
In this third and last part of our 3-part series with Chris Wolf from Sales Transformation Group, we’ll be covering topics such as how to create a culture of excellence within your business, and also, how to use checklists effectively and efficiently for consistency in business practices from start-to-finish.
If you wish to maintain your sales momentum and ride that wave of production, you need to constantly check what needs to shift in your paradigm to bring about change. Tune in as we explore some of the best ways to keep your production levels high and your profits soaring so you can ride the waves of success all the way to the top!
Discussion Points:
0:00 - Introduction
2:57 - Identify and improve common service issues with frontline sales professionals and technicians
8:38 - Shifting paradigms from being transactional to being relational
9:31 - Companies need checklists to deliver consistency and encourage accountability
13:34 - The kind of culture you need to breed to promote productivity
14:39 - Your salespeople need to support your technicians
17:50 - How to encourage accountability in your sales team
19:48 - The different types of checklists your technicians need to have
22:26 - What scheduled maintenance is really worth and how important it is
27:06 - How to effectively acquire recurring revenue from your clients
28:40 - The must-haves on your post-job checklist
31:27 - What it really means to be riding the wave of production
33:55 - The secret behind challenging yourself to change
About Chris Wolf:
Chris Wolf is an experienced entrepreneur at the Sales Transformation Group, Inc. He is also a subject matter expert and sales coach for all things in the residential construction space.
If you’d like to know more about Chris and what they do, head on over to their website, or visit their Facebook page. You can also follow them on Instagram, or send them an email here.
Resources: Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free Listen to the previous episode here: Episode 342: All the Leads You Need http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/oEG2BX0Z Episode 343: Closing Happens Before the Close http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/Wg1vCPEY Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Closing actually happens before the close. What does this mean? If you’re a salesperson, you need to understand that a deal is done even before the closing happens. But how would you even know that?
Well, that’s what Chris and I talk about in this second part of our three-part series “Success in Sales”. What do you really need to be able to close out and make a sale? Is it about your sales talk? About your product? Well, one thing I can say, it goes way beyond just that.
Find out all the answers, tune in and discover what it really means for a close to happen before the close.
For those of you who haven’t listened to the first part, head over to http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/oEG2BX0Z and get all the leads you need!
Discussion Points:
0:00 - Introduction
3:55 -How to actually build relationships with potential customers/clients
9:58 -Sometimes, your customers don’t really know what their actual problem is
14:48 -The benefits that come from truly caring for a client’s needs
21:12 - Understanding the different problems of customers is essential for a close
25:28 - Different businesses need different types of web presence
27:32 - Objection handling even before the objection
32:00 - Why you need to educate your customers
33:56 -Takeaways of the day
About Chris Wolf:
Chris Wolf is an experienced entrepreneur at the Sales Transformation Group, Inc. He is also a subject matter expert and sales coach for all things in the residential construction space.
If you’d like to know more about Chris and what they do, head on over to their website, or visit their Facebook page. You can also follow them on Instagram, or send them an email here.
Resources: Get your own website worth $5500 for FREE! Just head across to: http://tradie.wiki/free Listen to the previous episode here: Episode 342: All the Leads You Need http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/oEG2BX0Z Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Leads are an essential part of anybody’s business, it’s technically the reason why your business is thriving, especially in this day and age where marketing strategies are naturally done online. The question is, how do you get quality leads without exerting too much effort?
In today’s episode, we have Ryan Groth and Chris Wolf from Sales Transformation Group to talk to us mainly about these topics: Training your tech and staff to look for more leads; Diversifying your lead generation strategy; and The three elements of an effective marketing plan
For every tradie business owner essentially looking for more leads/conversions, this episode is just for you! Tune in to get invaluable insights into getting quality leads without the hassle!
Discussion Points:
0:00 - Introduction
2:23 - What Chris Wolf does at Sales Transformation Group
4:29 - About the Sales Transformation Group
10:39 - Creating a multi-pronged attack towards lead generation and conversion
14:37 - Focusing the paradigm of your lead production strategy into lead qualification
18:47 - 3 elements of an effective marketing plan
19:24 - Ground Game: The unglamorous stuff of marketing
27:04 - The crux of putting systems and processes in place for your marketing
29:42 - Digital Game: The most undervalued element of a marketing plan
36:32 - Improving your conversion rate through social media
39:35 - Why storytelling is an effective way to get quality leads
46:21 - Special Ops: The part of marketing that involves everything else
About Ryan Groth & Chris Wolf:
Ryan Groth is the CEO of the Florida-based Sales Transformation Group, Inc. Over the past decade, he’s helped roofing companies from around the country improve their technological capabilities Ryan is a high performing coach and consultant that also does deep dives into the sales organizations.
Chris Wolf is an experienced entrepreneur at the Sales Transformation Group, Inc. He is also a subject matter expert and sales coach for all things in the residential construction space.
If you’d like to know more about them and what they do, head on over to their website, or visit their Facebook page. You can also follow them on Instagram, or send them an email here.
Resources: Listen to previous episodes with Ryan Groth: Episode 212: How to Win More Work with Less Effort by Selling versus Bidding Episode 213: Optimizing for an Evergrowing and Juicy Sales Pipeline Episode 214: Achieving “Contractor Nirvana” by building a High Performing Sales Team Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s one thing to be able to create money but an absolutely different story when it comes to growing money. We are all capable of making money but do we even know what it takes to start growing it and building your wealth outside of your business?
For Charley Valher, CEO of ValherMedia and owner/host of the Full Stack Business Owner Podcast, it’s taken him years to understand the importance of wealth creation outside your business. And that’s why we have him on the show with us today, to talk about: Why your business should become the tool to fund your wealth creation strategy, Why business owners have a distinct advantage when it comes to wealth creation, and How do you go about building your wealth creation A-team?
This podcast will surely help you if you’re looking to start your wealth creation journey (which you should). So stay tuned for valuable insights into building wealth outside of your business.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Introduction
2:28 The reason why Charley started the Full Stack Business Owner
10:12 Why you need to build wealth outside of your business
15:30 Why business owners have a massively unfair advantage in wealth building
19:04 Having the right people on your team for your wealth creation strategy
32:04 It’s on you to lead your business on its way to creating wealth
32:32 What’s the best way to start your wealth creation journey?
35:21 You have the funds to start building wealth but you’re using it somewhere else
36:16 Getting educated in business is crucial for your wealth creation strategy
37:08 You need to treat wealth creation as a business
About Charley Valher:
Charley Valher is the CEO of VallherMedia — a podcasting company. Charley is also the owner/host of the Full Stack Business Owner podcast, a show dedicated to sharing information, tools, and insights that will help business owners build a sustainable, thriving business that allows them to unlock their money and life goals.
Visit their website at Full Stack Business Owner and tune in to the Full Stack Business Owner podcast.
Resources: Get your Free Wealth Tracker now https://www.fullstackbusinessowner.com/the-ultimate-wealth-tracker-for-business-owners/ Get your FREE Opportunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did you know that in this day and age, your website is a powerful tool you can use to leverage your business? In some cases, it doesn’t even matter what type of marketing strategy you’re implementing, it just often boils down to how your website looks and feels.
Today, I talk about three different case studies under Tradie Web Guys wherein we haven’t even started implementing marketing strategies yet just website rebuilds, and we’ve already seen great results thus far.
Don’t get me wrong, though! I believe it’s all credits to the systems we have in place that make it easier for us to identify and pinpoint what actually needs to be done to your websites to leverage your business.
If you’re watching this episode, then it’s probably a sign that’s telling you to have your strategies aligned and assessed! Just click on this link and get your FREE opportunity assessment right now!
Tune in and don’t forget to share this episode with those you think will benefit greatly from this!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Introduction
6:05 D-A-P-E-R mechanism: What is it and how can it help leverage your business?
11:00 Opportunity assessment: Why you need to do this for your business
12:30 Understanding how the abovementioned processes have allowed businesses to grow
13:04 How a client in Melbourne generated $100k in revenue through their website alone with NO marketing
13:20 How a company in Perth generated a 763% traffic increase just through rebuilding their website
13:52 Why I suggested for a company to NOT invest in marketing and instead just get their website rebuilt
Resources: Get your FREE Oppprtunity Assessment right NOW! https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/grow/ Case Study: $110k Rev in 3 Months with No Marketing! https://youtu.be/wztmhCzSHS4 Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most trade business owners are caught in the dilemma of growing their business and thinking they need to spend more time working so they could earn more profit. But this is a very common misconception that needs to be addressed.
Today, we are joined by Benson Agbortogo — the creator of the Consistent Profit Tree System and we address this issue that we tend to see in most businesses, causing them to fail. How do you make more profit while spending lesser time working on the business?
Join me and Benson in today’s episode as we practically throw one golden nugget after another. Just press that play button and don’t forget to share this with friends or business partners whom you know will benefit greatly from today’s show. Let’s jump in!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Introduction
8:07 Why 80% of businesses fail within their first 15 years
14:03 The main reason why business owners work more hours than they need to
17:29 The relationship between maximising profit and hiring people
20:46 Understanding your avatar and capturing the leads that matter
28:52 Diving deep into the concept of membership and how to integrate it into your business
36:59 If you want more profit in lesser hours, this is what you need to do!
41:51 Attracting the A players to your team through the scorecard system
44:27 Setting positive habits that allow you to reach your goal
55:14 Solving the most common issue that comes with creating positive habits
About the Guest:
Benson Agbortogo is the creator of the Consistent Profit Tree System. He helps business owners increase their profits while spending less time at work and more time with their families. Benson is passionate about helping kingdom business leaders become more fruitful so they can make more impact and leave a greater legacy.
If you’d like to know more about Benson and his advocacies, go ahead and visit his website — The Consistent Profit Tree, connect with him through LinkedIn, or just send him a direct email.
Resources:
The Business System that Never Fails by Benson Agbortogo https://amzn.to/3DqYpf1 The 5 Profit Maximizers https://profittree.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/5+Consistent+Profit+Maximizers.pdf The E Myth by Michael Gerber https://amzn.to/3awaX6g Atomic Habits by James Clear https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3 Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creating financial freedom — a phrase so often used but so rarely practiced. You’re probably familiar with situations where people are basically living from paycheck to paycheck. This is a trap that most trade business owners have fallen into, simply because they lack a clearer understanding about business finance.
Today’s guest, Jackson Millan — the Wealth Mentor has had a rough life to begin with where both his parents were tradies and things didn’t come easy for them. Jackson figured they must have been doing something wrong.
Today, he shares with us some tips that will surely help you scale your business and help you experience financial abundance. We’ve had a value-adding conversation I’m sure you will all learn from so press that play button to get the ball rolling!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Introduction
3:52 You’re not the “financial expert
6:23 Solving the most common financial mistake of business owners
10:17 The next step to financial freedom for business owners
16:42 The #1 financial mistake that most business owners commit
17:21 Simplifying the goal-setting process to make goals more achievable
21:20 Steps in simplifying the path towards financial freedom
26:57 Go from trading time-for-money to money-for-time to money-for-money
27:35 Forming an organisational structure can help you achieve your business’s goals better
37:44 What are your next best financial moves?
About the Guest:
Jackson Millan – The Wealth Mentor helps coaches, consultants, advisers and agency owners scale profitable lifestyle businesses that allow them to create more profit, more free time and more personal wealth. Connect with him through their website, Facebook and Instagram, or just send him an email.
Resources: Aureus Scorecard bit.ly/aureusscorecard Secrets Of Scaling A 7-figure Lifestyle Business by Jackson Millan book.wealth-mentor.com.au/gift-page Atomic Habits by James Clear https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3 How I Sold My Plumbing Business After Nearly 40 Years http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/MOQXKeot Traction by Gino Wickman https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1 Measure What Matters by John Doerr https://amzn.to/3kSXEST Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For someone to be able to build a business from scratch and sell it after nearly 40 years — that’s like a dream for business owners. The saleability of one’s business is dependent on many factors and one of those is the profitability of the business, although it shouldn’t stop at that.
Today’s guest, Lorenzo Poletto was the founder and previous owner of Chiswick Plumbing Pty Ltd. This conversation is one that I’ve been very keen to have because I wanted Lorenzo to shed some light around the dynamics of building a business from scratch and selling it.
This podcast is for all trade business owners, whether you’re new to trades or have been in the industry for quite some time. You’ll surely take away lots of valuable insights so don’t miss it and tune in now! Let’s get started!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
6:19 Lorenzo shares the story of how he got into trades
14:14 Understanding the evolution of one’s role in a business
17:25 Why it’s not a good idea to name your business after yourself
19:10 What you should watch out for about location businesses
20:16 Advice on naming your business
22:33 How Lorenzo started flat rates and upfront pricing
26:26 Managing a team’s growth from 3 to 30 people
27:47 Flat rates changing the financial management side of Lorenzo’s business
29:50 Why you should think about upfront pricing
36:34 If you try to do everything at once, you’ll end up doing nothing
38:02 Is riches in the niches true?
42:04 Being a skilled tradesman does not automatically mean good businessman
43:23 Lorezo on training his people
45:33 The main point of training people in your business
49:03 Taking your team from 3 people to 30 — how does it look like?
53:05 Integrating new programs and systems into your business is a journey
54:25 About coaches and mentors
57:13 What makes a business attractive to potential acquirers?
1:00:18 How did Lorenzo’s service agreement look like?
1:04:36 Selling the business — broker or legal counsel?
1:06:36 What was Lorenzo actually selling and how hw packaged it
1:08:16 Looking at the figures
1:09:39 What type of business acquired Lorenzo’s company
1:12:40 What potential acquirers are looking for in a business
1:14:43 What was included in the sale
1:16:49 Words of wisdom on Lorenzo’s success habits
About the Guest:
Lorenzo Poletto founded Chiswick Plumbing in 1983 by himself starting off with working on the tools and an apprentice. Over the next 15 years, his business grew to roughly 2-3 men, though he did not have the ambition to grow and was satisfied with just a small staff number.
About that time, Lorenzo started thinking about Flat Rate pricing and started developing books from scratch, which took about 5 years whilst he was running the plumbing business. After developing the Flat Rate Books, Lorenzo tried selling them, unfortunately, no one believed that flat rate pricing would ever take off or sell in Australia.
He then decided to concentrate his efforts towards his plumbing business. From 2010, Lorenzo’s plumbing business grew from 3 men, plus an apprentice to over 25 plumbers and apprentices plus 5 office staff to show the industry that flat rate was a workable tool. This was achieved solely in the domestic service maintenance area.
The last 5-6 years, Lorenzo has been approached by various parties within the plumbing industry asking if he was interested in selling his business. One of the parties that approached him, then came back in the middle of last year, made an offer, negotiated, and he accepted.
Connect with Lorenzo Poletto: Website: http://www.flatratenow.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flatratenow Email: loz@loz.com.au
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In growing a business, mindset is a very important attribute, it could either make or break your business. The reason I am saying this, is because we’ve seen numerous trade businesses go sideways and ultimately down the drain because of the wrong mindset.
Brendon Bayliss, the Managing Director of the Bayliss Electrical Group is here with us today to talk about the struggles of a budding business and how he overcame them. From mental health problems to hiring problems, and even financial issues. But what allowed him to break through and move forward?
To listen to Brendon’s take on these issues plus tips and techniques that will be beneficial to your business, just press that play button and tune in.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
2:27 How Brendon started the Bayliss Electrical Group in Perth
6:31 Brendon’s transition into his current role
7:55 Growing a team in the business
8:55 Discovering and tapping into opportunities in the midst of a crisis
13:27 Encountering and dealing with cultural issues within the business
16:09 Cultural mindset for your employees or potential employees is not a waste of time
19:42 Keeping your team members accountable for their roles/responsibilities
24:43 About mentors and coaches
27:10 Brendon’s struggles throughout the years and how he overcame them
30:59 Why it’s important to have systems in place for hiring
32:51 Mitigating the issue of hiring: What processes have they put in place?
34:03 Getting help for mental health issues
42:22 Poor mindset will drag culture down
42:52 Good training goes a long way
45:09 Open communication is a sign of good leadership
47:22 Commend your staff publicly and address their mistakes privately
48:22 Brendon juggling work-life balance
About the Guest:
Brendon Bayliss is the Managing Director of Bayliss Electrical Group — an award-winning Electrical, Data, and Security services provider located in Perth, Western Australia.
Connect with Brendon Bayliss: Bayliss Electrical Group Website: www.baylissgroup.com.au Brendon’s Social Handles: @baylisselectricalgroup @bayliss_35 Email Brendon here: brendon@baylissgroup.com.au
Resources: Traction by Gino Wickman (https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1) The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The only thing ever constant in this world is change, and the same is true for trade businesses. The market just continues to evolve and it will keep evolving. So, you need to either go with the evolution or get left behind and watch your business go down the drain.
Today, I felt inclined to do a podcast that would help trade business owners spot great opportunities within their vertical. Most of the time, we find it hard to catch up with new trends that we tend to miss out on opportunities. We need to capitalise on these emerging trends, but how?
Let me show you how through this simple framework I’ve put together. You can use this for your business to ascertain whether or not potential opportunities are going to be a hit or a miss. Let’s get into it!
Discussion Points: 0:00 Opportunity Analysis 1:54 Welcome to the podcast 2:27 Prelude to the topic 8:42 Question # 1: Is there a specific market avatar for your product? 9:11 Question # 2: Is there market awareness? 9:24 Question # 3: Is there market potential? 9:44 Question # 4: Does it support a trend? 10:07 Question # 5: Has this technology been around for 12 months? 10:54 Question # 6: Are there competitors? 11:28 Question # 7: Does it have supporting services? Or cross-sell opportunities? 13:16 Question # 8: Does it require certification and compliance? 13:40 Question # 9: Are there financial incentives? 14:13 Question # 10: Are there environmental advantages to this product? 16:09 Bonus Question: What’s the net profit of this specific product?
Resources: Lead Magnet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14_9lauJLEYIW8ohEW9gQa42KgDW84j0am75Isfn9h-E/copy The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ever since we’ve been hit with COVID, mindsets have been changing by the day. People used to be so scared of getting COVID, but nowadays, it’s as if everybody’s just thinking “we’ll be getting it anyway at some point.” And this has affected a lot of businesses in a positive way.
Today, we have Michael Steckler, CEO of Tradify to once again deliver the reports of Tradify in comparison with the previous years. What has changed over the years? And what seems to be of utmost importance to trade business owners?
We also talk about the benefits your business will reap as you look at simplifying your systems with automated solutions. So what are you waiting for? Join us and get an overall feel of the tradie market for the year 2022!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
2:26 A recap of Tradify’s report in the wake of COVID
3:21 Tradify’s general sentiment with trade businesses in Australia
6:19 How the longevity of a business affects the facilitation of tests/processes
8:43 Two main issues around sourcing materials for trades businesses
11:24 Why most trades businesses focus on growth and profitability this year
14:07 3 factors that make a big difference in attracting future customers for trades businesses
15:49 Why retention problems are more common in businesses
16:50 Tradify’s recommendations on handling retention problems
20:05 Most trades companies are still spending an inordinate amount of time on admin
22:59 Tradify’s report on hiring
26:54 The dilemma between being an academic and a non-academic in the trades industry
32:31 Good apprentice vs bad apprentice: Identifying the right fit for your company
34:53 Why forecasts are beneficial to your trades business
37:25 Why you probably need to reshape the wheel for your trades business
42:04 You will eventually reap the benefits of simplifying your systems in business
About the Guest:
Michael Steckler is the CEO of Tradify, a job management software app made especially for tradies. Tradify is an application that helps tradespeople manage and grow their business, especially when it comes to managing their finances. This software has helped tradies shorten their time working on administrative tasks and focus more on enjoying their lives outside work.
Resources: Visit the Tradify website (www.TradifyHQ.com) The Pulse Report: https://www.tradifyhq.com/reports/thepulse/ Exclusive offer for Site Shedders! Claim Tradify’s 50% discount for three months. Use the code SITESHED50 Episode 271: Tradify’s Pulse Report (Part 1) https://www.thesiteshed.com/tradify Episode 289: Tradify’s Pulse Report (Part 2) https://www.thesiteshed.com/tradify-2 The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy (https://amzn.to/3pHvIoO) Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3) The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Now that we’re well into the year 2022 and you’ve set your goal, what’s next? Most business owners go into information paralysis and end up not doing anything instead. So what is it that you need to do to make sure you’re on the right track?
Today, I’ve recorded an episode that will help you achieve your goals by owning up to your situations. Because in order to be successful, you need to take charge of everything that’s happening in your life.
Own your s%#t and take control over your life, your goals, and your success with these tips. Start by clicking on that play button!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
2:05 Introduction to today’s episode
3:36 The concept around mindset
5:00 What do you need to keep track of your success?
5:48 Fabricating beliefs and making excuses hinders you from owning your situation
9:57 First step to owning your situation
10:58 Tip # 1: Be willing to get help in whatever area you need help with
12:53 Tip # 2: Don’t get hung up on the process
15:11 Tip # 3: Creating positive habits
17:45 Tip # 4: Be accountable to yourself for your goals
19:49 Tip # 5: Be resourceful in looking for ways to reach your goals
26:19 Tip # 6: Application of what you learned is crucial
29:13 Be open to counsel and be open-minded to other ways of doing things
Resources: Episode 329: Hitting Your Goals in 2022 (http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/gBDFD07p) Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3) The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy (https://amzn.to/3pHvIoO) The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did you know that one of the most crucial factors you need to consider when creating a profit plan is “people”? You’re right! The people you hire are an important asset to the growth of your business.
But do you say yes to every opportunity you get to hire someone? That’s simply not the case! A lot of considerations have to be put in place, hence the people plan.
Welcome to the third part of our three-part series with Craig Minter, where we talk about the careful considerations you have to make before actually bringing a new member into the team.
Let’s dive deep into the possible complexities and challenges that arise from hiring people and how you can address them by establishing the right frameworks.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
7:46 Why having a profit & people plan is so significant for every business
11:44 Reviewing the benefit of the profit first system
12:49 The complexity and challenges in the “people part” of the business
15:04 If you don’t have this, your people are guaranteed to fail
16:31 What true leadership is all about
17:52 Reducing the rate of employee turnover in your business
19:18 Having a good recruitment process in place allows you to earn more profit
21:25 Why you need to set up different bank accounts for different purposes each
26:03 Diving deeper into the allocation framework: How does it work?
28:48 When can you say no to bringing in new people to the team?
30:54 The financial & cultural stress that goes with growing your team
About the Guest:
Craig Minter is a Business Strategy and Profitability Coach. He helps business owners accelerate growth and profitability through strategic business coaching. Craig is passionate about empowering other business owners to make decisions with ease and improve their results through strategic business and profitability coaching.
Resources: Episode 330: Knowing Your Money Archetype (insert link here) Episode 331: Cashflow Forecasting With Profit First (insert link here) Visit Craig’s website here: http://www.thehealthybusinesslab.com/ Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (https://amzn.to/37HjoKs) Episode 270: Profit First for Tradies – Author Conversation (http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/stGuWy6Z) The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When we say Profit First, what does it mean? How can you optimise your business with it? Will it be contributory to the better management of your resources and, in turn, the growth of your organisation?
In this second part of our three-part series, Craig Minter and I talk about the beauty of implementing the Profit First framework to your own business. We also talk about the difference between cashflow forecasting and budgeting. Which one will your business benefit from the most?
Our discussion for today is going to be really valuable and filled with tons of lessons, so click that play button and let’s get started!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
7:20 What is Profit First optimisation?
9:44 Two main things you get from implementing Profit First in your business
14:01 What it essentially means to have different “buckets” for your business?
15:30 The pros of having a detailed understanding of your finances
18:49 The beauty of implementing the Profit First framework in your own business
20:02 Customising tools and understanding data in a way that works for you makes all the difference
23:35 Know your numbers otherwise you’ll only be gambling
24:46 Budgeting vs forecasting: What’s the difference?
32:41 Cashflow forecasting is more valuable and beneficial for a business
About the Guest:
Craig Minter is a Business Strategy and Profitability Coach. He helps business owners accelerate growth and profitability through strategic business coaching. Craig is passionate about empowering other business owners to make decisions with ease and improve their results through strategic business and profitability coaching.
Resources: Episode 330: Knowing Your Money Archetype (http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/S-5NMyyU) Visit Craig’s website here: http://www.thehealthybusinesslab.com/ Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (https://amzn.to/37HjoKs) Episode 270: Profit First for Tradies – Author Conversation (http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/stGuWy6Z) The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Understanding the financial aspect of your business is one way to manage your finances better. But does it stop there? As we all know, understanding your personality — both strengths and weaknesses — is one effective way to understand yourself better. Same goes with your money archetype.
Today, Craig Minter joins us to talk about the eight different money archetypes, their strengths and weaknesses. What sort of archetype are you? Are you the maverick, or the romantic?
Well, those are only two among the eight money archetypes and if you want to know which one resonates with you best, go ahead and listen to this podcast!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
2:35 Why you need to set up a finance management system for your business
6:06 Our topic for today
8:15 Craig’s business background
12:01 The power that comes in understanding the financial side of your business and your money personality
14:51 Leverage your finances with the right data and the right mindset
17:41 Don’t just understand YOUR money archetype, understand your clients too!
25:06 An overview of each of the eight money archetypes
41:42 There’s power in identifying your money archetype’s strengths and weaknesses
About the Guest:
Craig Minter is a Business Strategy and Profitability Coach. He helps business owners accelerate growth and profitability through strategic business coaching. Craig is passionate about empowering other business owners to make decisions with ease and improve their results through strategic business and profitability coaching.
Resources: Visit Craig’s website here: http://www.thehealthybusinesslab.com/ Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (https://amzn.to/37HjoKs) Episode 270: Profit First for Tradies – Author Conversation (http://pixelme.thesiteshed.com/stGuWy6Z) The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Were you able to hit your goals last year?
Has it been as easy as 1-2-3? Well, today, I’m sharing with you a framework that I’ve come up with through my experience over the past years in the trade.
Although it is, literally, just steps 1-2-3, I promise you it’s more complex than it appears to be. It’s taken years for us to come up with this framework and it involves a lot of detailed technologies, plus project management tools that helped us achieve our goals last year.
Be more efficient in your strategies and applications this year.
Hit your goals and make the year 2022 an even better one than 2021!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
4:20 When is the perfect time?
5:41 The difference between a goal and a wish
6:28 Step 1 in attaining your goals: Strategise
14:07 Step 2: Team buy-in
16:12 Step 3: Accountability
19:18 The importance of having checklists
20:55 Celebrate the milestones
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Use this link to book your podcast https://bookme.name/tradie/lite/podcast
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We’re nearing the end of the year 2021 and moving into a new year but what have you done to set your business up for success in the last year? What are your plans moving forward and how can you make sure they are implemented?
Today, I give my year-end review on what happened all throughout the year, how I’ve scaled my business and grew my team quickly. I also give my insights on how you can make the next 365 days better for your business by setting your goals, defining your targets, then planning, strategising, and just acting on them.
It’s been a wonderful 2021 despite and in spite of the challenges, and we can see that things are slowly starting to go back to some sense of normalcy.
Looking forward to even better days, make the next 365 days matter by tuning in to this episode.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
3:44 Matt’s goal in 2021
6:33 Commit to your goals and just do it
7:21 Set your goals, define your targets, plan, and strategise
10:25 Why the recruitment process is so essential
14:59 Building a team: Here’s where you can start thinking about it
17:06 How can you equip your team for success
22:28 Having team members that want to progress into leadership positions is great for your business
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Use this link to book your podcast https://bookme.name/tradie/lite/podcast
Books mentioned in this episode: Who. The A Method For Hiring by Dr. Geoff Smart https://amzn.to/2TfzCY4 Traction by Gino Wickman https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1 Measure What Matters by John Doerr https://amzn.to/3kSXEST
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When you own a business, you need people. But, when your employees aren’t motivated enough to perform their tasks, your business is in jeopardy.
So, how do you empower your employees and keep their fire burning?
Today, I am here with Peter Cox, thefounder of Leadership Dynamics, TEDx speaker, and a High Performance Leadership Expert. This podcast episode discusses the importance of edification to business owners and how it dramatically benefits one’s business.
Learn how to empower and motivate your people in your business. Click that play button now to learn more about edification.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Introduction
1:55 Welcome to the podcast
4:13 What is Edification?
7:38 The importance of edification to business owners
13:07 Who you can and can't edify
17:38 Ways on how to edify people
20:55 Who's responsible to edify his business and how to quantify it
24:07 Some obstacles to overcome in edification
31:58 Peter Cox's edification program
About the Guest:
Peter Cox is a TEDx speaker and a High Performance Leadership Expert, Coach and Mentor at Leadership Dynamics. Peter built the Leadership Dynamics process on his 30+ years of business experience, where the goal is to turn managers into learned leaders, and natural leaders into outstanding influencers of people to fuel stellar team performances and business growth.
Resources: Follow Peter Cox on LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/highperformanceleadershipdevelopment/) Visit their website at: www.leadershipdynamics.com.au Follow Leadership Dynamics on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadershipdynamicsglobal Subscribe to Peter Cox on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5UVGX1Ybtw_e-qug198Uxg The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Use this link to book your podcast https://bookme.name/tradie/lite/podcast
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3 years ago, I brought one of the active members in the Site Shed community onto the show to talk about how he used creative marketing in his business to make it to the top. Back then, he spiked a lot of interest in the community because of his unique approach to obtaining work and winning trust.
Fast forward 3 years later, and David Gatto — the CEO of Future Solutions Fence & Fence Supply is back to share with us how his journey has been over the previous years. Growing his business and turning it into a 3-million dollar company in just a span of 3 years.
I know you’re interested to find out how his journey transpired and what he did to grow his business so much in so little time. It’s not to say that the journey was easy but if you’d like to know how David did it, just tune in to this episode. Lots of gold nuggets that’ll be unearthed in the course of our conversation.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:55 Welcome to the podcast
3:32 Dave shares his backstory
7:27 How Dave got to where he is now
9:45 The nature of Dave’s business
14:42 From running a fencing business to running a successful manufacturing business
17:41 Tackling the issue regarding being a manufacturing & installation business at the same time
19:30 Distribution: Local or International? Wholesale or Retail?
21:03 Focusing on one area allows you to grow and succeed
23:10 The effect on profitability when Dave decided to chop off other aspects of their business
24:11 Discovering a new side business after deciding to chop off other services
25:45 The nitty-gritty of a growing business: recruitment, retention, work culture, and etc.
28:43 Proof that empowering your employees gives your company the advantage to grow faster
33:29 Understanding that a growing business comes with changes
35:05 The importance of processes and delegation
43:38 The future of Future Solutions Fence & Fence Supply
About the Guest:
David Gatto runs Future Solutions Fence & Fence Supply, a company that specialises in fencing and outdoor solutions for homes in Pennsylvania in the USA. David’s expertise is thinking outside of the box, with creativity, resilience, consistency and a very strong drive that has brought him to the forefront of his business’ success.
Resources: Episode 146: Creative Marketing With David Gatto (https://www.thesiteshed.com/creative-marketing) Visit Dave’s website at https://futuresolutionsfence.com/ The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Finding leads for your business is challenging. But converting your leads to sales conversions is even more difficult.
So, how do you increase your sales conversions without eating up your resources and time?
Today, Jason Spaull, the Director of Coastal Asbestos Removal, joins us to highlight the importance of lead conversion, setting goals for your business, ways to improve the quality of your leads, and different strategies on how to stand out in your industry.
Know how to handle your business and avoid these costly mistakes. Smash that play button now to learn more about sales conversions.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
3:03 Why do most businesses get conversion problems
8:11 Jason's way of building the best business model
10:18 The importance of setting goals into your business
12:29 Understanding your customer's needs and pain points
17:01 Selling yourself, your product, and company to customers
19:28 How Jason deciphered his closing rate
20:34 Why the quality of your leads matter
24:04 Ways to improve the quality of the lead
28:07 Why email automation software is essential
30:28 Strategies on how to stand out from people
33:06 How to be more relatable to your potential clients
36:26 Creating a checklist on your business
42:05 Jason's recommendation on how to increase their sales conversion
47:23 Understanding your role and responsibility in your business
49:47 How Jason keeps his focus and values his work
About the Guest:
Jason Spaull from Coastal Asbestos Removal is based on the Gold Coast. Jason has built his business on the core value of keeping people safe from asbestos. He started out trying to build the best asbestos business on the Gold Coast and is now building the best people-focused organisation on the Gold Coast. His business culture is the most valuable asset in his business and therefore invests daily to improve it.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Connect with Jason through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonspaull/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Red flags are signs of potential issues in business or wherever. However, most of the time, the red flags are found after the damage has been done.
So, how do we reduce the risk of mistakes and point our business in the direction of success? The first crucial step would be to identify the obvious red flags and address them.
Today, we have Walter Hill, Jr. — Chairman of the Board and CEO of Icon Blue, Inc. and author of Think Red Flags. He gives us a peek into his experience in business and how he became successful through red-flagging.
Avoid irreparable errors, and make sure your business is right on the track it needs to be. Hit that play button and let’s dive in.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
2:15 Walter shares his success story
10:03 Red-flagging and its benefits in addressing potential issues in your business
12:22 Planning around red flags when starting a new business
18:57 Red-flagging in project management to reduce and avoid irreparable errors
23:09 How designing trajectories for your business produces the same outcome as red-flagging
27:52 How the elements of your business play out in your success
28:46 Matrix vs Process
33:58 Why learning from another person’s experience is still a great way to learn
38:48 How bad business culture became a red flag in Matt’s company
45:09 When to apply the “hire for attitude, not for experience” principle
48:51 The magic formula to success
About the Guest:
Walter Hill, Jr. has been devouring the fundamentals of business creation since he was 9 years old. He has worked on contracts for Paramount Pictures, CBS, NBC, and Coca-Cola, among others. In his book, Think Red Flags, Walter offers proven techniques and strategies in running a successful business.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Walter’s website (https://walterhilljr.com/)
Connect with Walter Hill Jr: Socials:@officialwalterhilljr Email: thinkredflags@gmail.com
Books mentioned in this episode: Think Red Flags by Walter Hill, Jr. (https://amzn.to/2XzpnAG)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Scaling your business to drive sales without the training or experience can easily turn into a disaster, but it’s not at all impossible. One of the key things to consider in your marketing efforts is putting a management framework in place, which includes focusing on: Where your numbers are; What’s currently driving profit; and What is being implemented in each area of your business.
In this insightful episode, we’re joined by Pete Williams — a renowned marketing strategist and author of the book, Cadence: A Tale of Fast Business Growth. Pete talks about the 7 Business Levers and how you can apply these areas of focus to your business framework so you can see your business scale in no time.
Be sure to take note of these straightforward strategies that’ll help you flip that switch for consistent growth and massive success. Let’s dive in!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:55 Welcome to the podcast
2:11 How his book, Cadence, came to be
4:55 How the principles of the 7 Business Levers can help scale your business
8:54 The 7 Levers Framework
10:56 Why builders end up in the project management space
11:44 Filling the gaps using the framework
14:27 The 7 things that drive profit
20:44 Focus on these areas when you get off the tools
23:59 How to improve profit margin by boosting productivity
33:36 Why corporate checklists promote consistency
36:18 Applying the Peter Principle
About the Guest:
Pete Williams is a distinguished advisor, Professor of Practice, and author of the multi-awarded book, Cadence: A Tale of Fast Business Growth. He has co-founded a number of businesses including Preneur Group, a consulting firm committed to guiding entrepreneurs through the 7 Levers approach to business growth.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME)
Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Download sample chapters of the book (https://www.cadencebook.com/)
Connect with Pete Williams: Visit Pete’s website (https://www.preneurgroup.com/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/preneur/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preneur/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preneurmarketing/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preneurmarketing/
Books mentioned in this episode: Cadence, A Tale of Fast Business Growth by Pete Williams (https://amzn.to/2TBmoFM) Built to Sell by John Warrillow (https://amzn.to/3y6UjFM) Who by Dr. Geoff Smart (https://amzn.to/2TfzCY4) The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber (https://amzn.to/3awaX6g) Traction by Gino Wickman (https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is your confidence in your marketing strategy weighing you down?
Reinventing your marketing strategy is easier to think about than to actually do. From lead magnets to checklists, changing the course of your marketing efforts in no time is not only possible, but it can also help you identify the elements that need your focus, stand out from the crowd, and establish long-term customer relationships.
Nils Vesk, author of The Reinvention Sprint, takes innovation to the next level by empowering entrepreneurs to reinvent their business processes, driving sales in the process. He shot to fame when he released his books, “Innovation Archetypes” and “Ideas with Legs.” With 2 decades of designing the framework of innovation, Nils has been sharing his knowledge with the world non-stop.
All ears? Get ready to snag the important points of this information-packed discussion. Let’s go!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
3:54 Nils talks about his book, “The Reinvention Sprint”
4:15 How you can leverage on identifying your ideal customer
5:26 Marketing hack: profiling your trade customers gives you an edge
6:40 Why targeting a general audience won’t produce the same impact and results in trade business marketing
7:31 How to reduce turnover without affecting your profit margins
10:24 The right questions to ask to create the best “people magnet”
12:11 Identifying the pros & cons allows you to see things you should be looking at
15:14 Why you should invest in unique value propositions
19:30 Statistics: Reinventing yourself to set you apart from others
23:02 Standing out from the crowd: do video testimonials help?
20:39 Knowing your customer’s priorities helps you match your services with their values
24:32 Checklists & expectations: build a trusting relationship with your trades customers
30:30 The hidden value in educating customers & what it can do to your marketing strategy
32:17 Building trust using the Nurture and Conversion strategies
38:17 A simple technique that points out areas for improvement
42:33 Increase profitability with these 2 R’s
46:03 The real score between objections and innovation
48:38 Level up your marketing game with copywriting
About the Guest:
Nils Vesk is the inventor of the ‘Innovation Archetypes’, a process that can help anyone come up with unique innovation techniques that help create incredible business results. He is also a speaker, a consultant, an athlete, and a problem-solver. Nils continues to help thousands of people with his approach to innovation.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Nils’ business website (https://www.ideaswithlegs.com) Download the Essential Business Reinvention Checklist (https://www.ideaswithlegs.com/reinvention-check)
Books mentioned in this episode: The Reinvention Sprint by Nils Vesk (https://thereinventionsprint.com) or get it on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3aOhSZr) Ideas with Legs by Nils Vesk (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21733903-ideas-with-legs) Magnetic Marketing: How To Attract A Flood Of New Customers That Pay, Stay, and Refer by Dan S. Kennedy (https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Marketing-Attract-Flood-Customers/dp/1946633747)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you want to stand out from the growing number of competitors in the trade industry?
One effective way to know your customers better is to put yourself in their shoes. When you identify their misconceptions and ask the right questions, you can reinvent your processes. This can play out well in getting you the results you want.
Nils Vesk - the inventor of the ‘Innovation Archetypes Process,’ which teaches a unique marketing approach, educates us about the application of strategic thinking in our marketing strategies. Nils focuses on how we can be more customer-centric- from identifying their common misconceptions to matching their values- and how we can make that a part of our process to drive more sales.
So sit back, relax, and allow us to take you for a ride that can change the course of your business. Let’s get on with it!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
3:54 Nils talks about their checklist and how it can drive great sales results
4:43 The Mindset Process & Strategic Thinking
5:13 Why a customer-centric approach is important
6:07 Understanding your customer & reinventing results
8:01 The harsh reality of spending too much on ads
9:19 Why do we invest heavily in marketing tactics but not in strategy?
10:13 The “Insight Ladder”
14:15 Educating the customer about your processes around certain situations
14:41 Understanding that customers want security
15:19 Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes
16:56 Why automation should be a part of your process
20:39 Knowing your customer’s priorities helps you match your services with their values
23:30 The 1 question that can add 30% to your sales
26:09 Why people buy based on emotional decisions
31:32 The three types of questions to include in your process
37:17 Why you should communicate to people on their level
39:14 Understanding what your customer is thinking
40:16 “What’s your biggest fear?”
41:19 The 8 components to design your process around
42:31 Reinvent your business around this acronym: SCRAMBLE
45:51 Applying innovation in key areas of your business
46:53 What to expect in the next episode
About the Guest:
Nils Vesk is the inventor of the ‘Innovation Archetypes’, a process that can help anyone come up with unique innovation techniques that help create incredible business results. He is also a speaker, a consultant, an athlete, and a problem-solver. Nils continues to help thousands of people with his approach to innovation.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Nils’ business website (https://www.ideaswithlegs.com) Download the Essential Business Reinvention Checklist (https://www.ideaswithlegs.com/reinvention-check) Listen to our previous podcast episodes with Nils Vesk:
Using Innovation to Grow Your Business (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/using-innovation-to-grow-your-business/) Creating Innovative Business Models And Processes (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/creating-innovative-business-models-and-processes/) Creating An Innovative Customer Experience (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/creating-an-innovative-customer-experience/) Innovative Thinking - Part One (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/innovative-1) Innovative Thinking - Part Two (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/innovative-2) Adapt or Die. It’s Time to Reinvent (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/reinvent/)
Books mentioned in this episode: The Reinvention Sprint by Nils Vesk (https://amzn.to/3ij98yH) Ideas with Legs by Nils Vesk (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21733903-ideas-with-legs)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are you farther from your business goals than you want to be?
If your business model isn’t serving you anymore, repositioning your focus can go a long way. A technique as simple as identifying what you need to stop and what you should continue doing can help you stay on target.
Nils Vesk, an innovation expert known across the globe, shares with us today the value of being able to recognise the one thing that makes everything else irrelevant, and how this enables you to shift your focus. Nils also talks about the concept of bottlenecks and how to identify and avoid these situations, so you can start reinventing your business.
Tune out all the background noise, it’s going to be one interesting discussion with a lot of takeaways. Let’s get on with it then!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
03:50 Nils talks about ‘Ideas with Legs’ and what they do
05:18 Adapting to significant shifts in advertising and lead generation caused by the pandemic
07:31 Four ways to start refocusing
09:17 A simple technique to reinvent your business processes that works
11:19 Applying the “Stop, Start, Keep” framework to keep the business processes organised
13:13 Asking the one question so you can improve your focus
14:13 Why planning for the week is better than planning for the day
15:57 The concept of “bottlenecks”
18:31 Nils shares how mindset affects your business in more ways than one
21:34 How the right mindset can impact your learning & make you an implementer
24:15 How to begin aiming for a higher success rate
25:39 Outcome goals vs process goals: how structuring helps fix your business processes
30:43 Tip for building traction on business development
33:07 Matt explains habit stacking
34:08 The 4 questions to ask yourself to get clearer goals
36:14 Steps in resetting your mindset
About the Guest:
Nils Vesk is an international authority on innovation and the inventor of the ‘Innovation Archetypes Process’. He unpacks the million-dollar innovation principles used to create rapid growth for the future. An author of a number of books including “Ideas With Legs – How to Create Brilliant Ideas and Bring Them to Life”, and “Innovation Archetypes – Principles for World-Class Innovation”.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Nils’ business website (https://www.ideaswithlegs.com) Download the Essential Business Reinvention Checklist (https://www.ideaswithlegs.com/reinvention-check) Listen to our previous podcast episodes with Nils Vesk: Using Innovation to Grow Your Business (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/using-innovation-to-grow-your-business/) Creating Innovative Business Models And Processes (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/creating-innovative-business-models-and-processes/) Creating An Innovative Customer Experience (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/creating-an-innovative-customer-experience/) Innovative Thinking - Part One (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/innovative-1) Innovative Thinking - Part Two (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/innovative-2) Adapt or Die. It’s Time to Reinvent (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/reinvent/)
Books mentioned in this episode: The Reinvention Sprint by Nils Vesk (https://amzn.to/3ij98yH) Good Authority by Jonathan Raymond (https://amzn.to/3zqFtKJ) The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan (https://amzn.to/3axWiHC) Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3) Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg (https://amzn.to/3n6VPTB)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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What are some strategies you can implement in your business to ensure the success of everyone all across the board?
For the past six months, I’ve been spending a lot of time doing deep-dive training about frameworks and methodologies I can reverse engineer to suit our business needs. Somewhere along the process, I’ve come to understand that if I want to change my team’s ways, I have to change mine first.
So, join me in today’s discussion as we tackle the different strategies you can implement to set yourself up and your team for success.
What are you waiting for? Press that play button and take the first step towards success!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
3:01 Why Matt spent a lot of time on equipping and providing his team with the right frameworks to set them up for success
4:39 Hiring recruitment framework
5:40 Change within the organisation begins with you
7:49 Set your team up for success by giving them specific, measurable outcomes
10:58 How to make your team members accountable for their goals
11:26 What is the Scorecard Principle and why is it a gamechanger?
16:17 Here’s what you DON’T need to put in your scorecards
17:05 How to track your team’s Key Performance Indicators
18:40 How can you equip your team with their best possible chance of success?
19:07 Matt’s book recommendations
20:32 Matt’s realisations about deciding to change his mindset for the better
23:01 An overview of the GSD space
24:13 Tips to have clarity around what you really need to set yourself and your team up for success
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit our website at https://tradiewebguys.com.au
Books mentioned in this episode: Who: The A Method for Hiring by Dr. Geoff Smart (https://amzn.to/2TfzCY4) Traction by Gino Wickman (https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1) Measure What Matters by John Doerr (https://amzn.to/3kSXEST) Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Are you thinking about franchising your own business?
Well, you need to remember that franchising doesn’t stop at just earning more money. It also means putting your brand out there and entrusting your franchisees with your name and reputation as a service provider.
Neel Parekh — the founder and CEO of MaidThis, a cleaning business, informs us in our chat today about the key indicators you need to put in mind when starting a franchise business. Neel shares the story of how they managed to navigate their business through the recent struggles we’ve been faced with, including this pandemic. We also talk about how your growth as an individual is beneficial to the growth of your business.
Grab your pen and paper as we drop valuable insights along our discussion you’d surely love to take note of. Let’s get started!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Analysis
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
3:12 Neel talks about how he started his career
4:20 Neel’s future plans for his business
5:01 Mitigating the risks and forming compliances around health & safety protocols
7:20 Deploying policies across franchisors and communicating operations to end customers
12:10 Neel tells the story behind his decision to franchise the business
14:33 The process of starting a franchise you need to know
16:30 What can you offer as a franchisor?
17:32 Allow the franchisee to be creative but also set certain limitations
19:26 Onboarding franchisees
20:34 Here’s why you need to put franchise systems in place
22:35 Navigating the franchisees through the different state laws
24:08 Choosing the right franchisees and team members
27:00 Improving processes within the franchised business
28:47 What is the Entrepreneurial Operating System and how can your business benefit from it
32:38 A business is never going to surpass its leader
35:39 How books can help you gain growth as the leader of a business
41:29 Leaders need to accept their flaws so something can be done about it
About the Guest:
Neel Parekh is the Founder and CEO of MaidThis® & MaidThis® Franchise. A company that helps homeowners and short-term rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO, etc) with their cleaner needs. MaidThis has generated millions in revenue while having a fully remote team, and now they are on a mission to help others achieve the same.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) Go to https://tradie.wiki/grow and use the code: SITESHED Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Neel’s business website https://www.maidthisfranchise.com Visit Neel’s website to learn more about franchising https://neelparekh.co/
Books mentioned in this episode: Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman (https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-book) The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman (https://amzn.to/31poYPs)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Think like a business, and you’ll learn how to manage a business.
Think like a wage-earner, and your business may flop.
Being an expert tradie is different from knowing how to run a trades business. As a wage-earner, you only provide services in exchange for money. But as a business owner, you have to consider the profit margin, pricing, costs, employees’ salary, and more to scale your enterprise.
With so much on your plate, how can you manage everything?
In this value-packed episode, we have Gabriel Pinchev, CEO of FieldPulse to talk about the basics of running a valuable business. We also cover essential topics, such as using technology to systemise a business, showcasing your expertise to the target clients, leveling up your company website’s content, and more!
Get your headphones and click that play button now! Make sure to take down notes.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Assessment
1:54 Welcome to the podcast
2:39 Gabriel’s background in software and technology
7:23 Creating a valuable business
9:16 Systemising your business through technology
11:38 Importance of customer satisfaction and feedback
19:31 Doing next-level content to establish expertise
29:00 How to showcase your business’ value
34:41 Do contractor websites show enough of their business’ reality?
45:51 Use technology within your business
About the Guest:
CEO and founder of FieldPulse, Gabriel Pinchev, aims to help business owners run their companies more efficiently. FieldPulse is an all-in-one field service software giving entrepreneurs and contractors a digital hub that allows them to manage their business using a single application.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Check out the Field Pulse website: www.fieldpulse.com / www.fieldpulse.com.au Connect with Gabe Pinchec’s socials: @fieldpulse Contact Gabe Pinchev on email gabe.pinchev@fieldpulse.com
Books mentioned in this episode: Profit First https://amzn.to/37HjoKs
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Thinking of ways to step up your landscaping or trades business? Creating winning content is the key!
Regardless of the industry your business belongs to, YouTube videos, website articles, and podcasts can help you gain more clients. Now that we are in the digital age, people go to the Internet to know more about a particular business.
So what does that mean?
As someone who runs a business, you must give your target market valuable content where they can learn more about you and the services you offer.
But how can you create content that informs, entertains, and persuades your target audience?
Learn the answers to that question as I chat with Odyssey Landscapes’ Taylor Lukic about content strategies. Make sure to tune in to this episode to learn how to get started with your video content and come up with photos and videos that help you get referrals and more clients.
Developing winning content is developing business success. Hit that play button now!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Opportunity Assessment
1:55 Welcome back!
4:46 An insight to Taylor’s business
5:52 The evolution of the content creation dynamic
9:02 How Taylor’s YouTube channel gained positive feedback
12:59 Getting referrals from other tradies
14:56 Ways to start video content
20:10 Creating content that addresses problems
30:30 Capturing photos or videos is part of the project’s process
33:55 Keeping your content interesting
40:31 Answering FAQs through content
45:17 Being creative as a trade business owner
47:36 Tips for tradies
52:23 Biggest objection Taylor got
About the Guest:
Taylor Lukic is the owner of Odyssey Landscapes, a successful Landscape Construction Company on the Sunshine Coast QLD. He started his business five years ago and has grown it from himself to 15 staff and has experienced the challenges of scaling a Construction business. He's a passionate Landscaper & business owner seeking to improve the landscape industry as a whole. He's recently started a Youtube Channel to talk about all things Landscaping.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Work with us today https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/ Check out Odyssey’s Landscapes’ website http://www.odysseylandscapes.com.au/ Visit Odyssey Landscapes’ YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3W_jwB8zIY8sI-_9ycQApA
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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What does it take to grow a trades business?
Everyone desires growth. But if you’ve been in business for a while, you know that getting from point A to point B is no easy feat.
Nevertheless, it’s not impossible!
A good practice, though, once you’ve made it to a certain level of growth, would be to take a hard look at the lessons learned along the way. Gauge what worked and what didn’t work and commit to doing better.
That’s exactly what Taylor of Odyssey Landscapes shares in this podcast episode.
Taylor shares essential details on how he grew his landscaping business from a team of 1 to 15 in just five years.
He also discusses how investing in marketing and hiring a coach helped with his fast-paced growth, and the goal every business owner must have, and why learning must never stop.
If you’d like to know of the practical ways you can get your business growing, then we highly recommend you tune in to this episode today.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program
1:54 Welcome, Taylor!
4:57 Odyssey Landscapes
6:04 What does premiere mean?
7:37 Telling a better story
10:12 Investing in marketing is crucial to scaling
11:25 What encouraged Taylor to get a coach
14:01 The benefits of having a coach
16:54 Significant areas a coach helped Taylor in his business
20:03 There are aspects in business you don’t like but need to accept
22:24 Finance is what most tradies struggle with in business
29:23 A business that functions without you is a business owner’s goal
30:46 Understanding pain points in the business
34:20 Implementing what you learn takes time
38:09 Investing in and educating yourself is crucial
48:32 Delegating jobs
50:00 Measurability is essential to track and monitor
57:08 Process Taylor follows when hiring new employees
58:56 Finding skilled labour
1:06:05 The Tradie Web Guys recruitment process
About the Guest:
Taylor Lukic is the owner of Odyssey Landscapes, a successful Landscape Construction Company on the Sunshine Coast QLD. He started his business five years ago and has grown it from himself to 15 staff and has experienced the challenges of scaling a Construction business. He's a passionate Landscaper & business owner seeking to improve the landscape industry as a whole. He's recently started a Youtube Channel to talk about all things Landscaping.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Check out Odyssey’s Landscapes’ website http://www.odysseylandscapes.com.au/ Visit Odyssey Landscapes’ YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3W_jwB8zIY8sI-_9ycQApA
Books mentioned in this episode: The Pumpkin Plan https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Plan-Strategy-Remarkable-Business/dp/1591844886 The E Myth https://amzn.to/3awaX6g Think and Grow Rich https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Landmark-Bestseller/dp/1585424331 Profit First https://amzn.to/37HjoKs Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Hurt-Me-Master-Your/dp/1544512287 Atomic Habits https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Values are the third foundational element of your business. Without clearly defined values, it would be difficult to run your trades business. As you see, a good set of values will attract the right client, the right staff to your business, and repel those that are not a good fit.
In this third and final installment of the series Taking Aim With Vision, Mission, And Values, Barry shares the process to elicit the values you and your business will uphold. He explains the importance of having values and how it opens you up to opportunities you never would have thought would come your way in the first place.
Check out this insightful episode today.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 3:28 How vision, mission, and values fit in the ecosystem of business 8:56 Common things that tend to slip without values in place 15:36 Being clear on your values opens opportunities 19:07 The process to elicit values 23:33 Keep, kill, and combine 26:13 Trust what’s coming through, don’t try to get it perfect 28:02 We attract people who identify with our values 29:26 Vision, mission, and values will allow your business to grow far beyond what you can see
About the Guest:
Barry Magliarditi is the founder and director of business coaching juggernaut, The Game Changers. Having built a 7-figure kitchen renovation business in his previous life as a carpenter, Barry has first-hand knowledge of the priorities and pressures of trades business owners. Today Barry brings his coaching expertise and business know-how to help other tradies build the business – and lifestyle – of their dreams.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Barry’s website to learn more about what he offers https://tradiebusinessschool.com/ Check out the Tradie Business School Podcast https://tradiebusinessschool.com/podcast/ Listen to the previous podcast episode with Barry Magliarditi TSS 304 https://www.thesiteshed.com/barry-magliarditi TSS 312 https://www.thesiteshed.com/barry-magliarditi-2 TSS 313 https://www.thesiteshed.com/barry-magliarditi-3 Check out Dailybot (Give positive feedback while aligning your goals with team values) https://www.dailybot.com/product/kudos
Books mentioned in this episode: Get the free downloadable PDF of Barry’s book Path to Freedom https://www.pathtofreedom.com.au/freebook Traction by Gino Wickman https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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While a vision is made to point to your dreams, to your sunrise, the mission statement helps you move towards that sunrise. It is what you need to make your vision happen.
This podcast episode is the second installment of our series Taking Aim With Vision, Mission, And Values with Barry Magliarditi. Barry shares the framework he uses in his own companies to create a mission statement. He discusses its importance and the role it plays in reaching the vision. But more than these, he encourages viewers and listeners to take the time to sit down and create it.
Tune in to this episode and get valuable insights about the mission statement you can surely use in your trades business.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Opportunity Assessment 3:08 A recap of the previous episode 8:49 What we need to understand about a mission 10:43 What the mission creates 11:36 The danger of not having a mission 12:36 Drawing a line between what we want and what’s most important to us 14:49 There is motivation when we live life with the connection to our heart’s deepest desire 15:39 Reengineering a path through your vision 18:42 Immediate gratification is limiting you and your business 19:40 What our mission statement should communicate 21:44 Setting our mission is the stepping stones towards the vision 23:39 Be specific with your mission statement 27:13 The path to freedom framework in creating the mission statement
About the Guest:
Barry Magliarditi is the founder and director of business coaching juggernaut, The Game Changers. Having built a 7-figure kitchen renovation business in his previous life as a carpenter, Barry has first-hand knowledge of the priorities and pressures of trades business owners. Today Barry brings his coaching expertise and business know-how to help other tradies build the business – and lifestyle – of their dreams.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Barry’s website to learn more about what he offers https://tradiebusinessschool.com/ Check out the Tradie Business School Podcast https://tradiebusinessschool.com/podcast/ Listen to the previous podcast episodes with Barry Magliarditi TSS 304 https://www.thesiteshed.com/barry-magliarditi TSS 312 https://www.thesiteshed.com/barry-magliarditi-2
Books mentioned in this episode: Get the free downloadable PDF of Barry’s book Path to Freedom https://www.pathtofreedom.com.au/freebook Traction by Gino Wickman https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1 Measure What Matters by John Doerr https://amzn.to/3kSXEST
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many trades business owners make the mistake of not taking the time to build the foundation of their business and yet seek progress. Progress, however, is only possible when you have created a solid foundation for your business. This foundation is composed of three elements, vision, being fundamental to everything.
This topic is the focus of today’s conversation with Barry Magliarditi of Tradie Business School. He shares why it is important to have a vision in place. He also talks about the ways trades business owners can start creating their vision statement. Barry also imparts why the focus should not be on perfecting your vision statement, but in progress.
If you’re someone who wants to build a solid foundation for your trades business. This episode is something you need to tune into today.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Opportunity Assessment 1:54 Welcome back, Barry! 4:07 Barry shares about his businesses and coaching programs 6:16 What Barry believes should be a business owner’s first goal 8:35 Three things to have to create a sustainable business 13:00 Make progress by doing the right things in the first place 13:26 Vision is fundamental of everything 14:32 Three reasons we want to have a vision in place 16:48 Process of creating a vision 18:41 Three things to avoid when creating a vision 22:02 The vision has to start with you 25:10 Drawing the line between business and personal vision 27:19 What would you like? 27:38 What would you want? 28:33 If you had that, what would that do for you? 33:11 The vision statement is not something material 35:42 The focus needs to be on progress, not perfection
About the Guest:
Barry Magliarditi is the founder and director of business coaching juggernaut, The Game Changers. Having built a 7-figure kitchen renovation business in his previous life as a carpenter, Barry has first-hand knowledge of the priorities and pressures of trades business owners. Today Barry brings his coaching expertise and business know-how to help other tradies build the business – and lifestyle – of their dreams.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit Barry’s website to learn more about what he offers https://tradiebusinessschool.com/ Check out the Tradie Business School Podcast https://tradiebusinessschool.com/podcast/ Listen to the previous podcast episode with Barry Magliarditi https://www.thesiteshed.com/barry-magliarditi
Books mentioned in this episode: Get the free downloadable PDF of Barry’s book Path to Freedom https://www.pathtofreedom.com.au/freebook Traction by Gino Wickman https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Business owners talk a lot about marketing and attracting new clients. But did you know that equal effort should be put into becoming an attractive employer, too?
Knowing how to make you and your business the number one choice for talent is a crucial part of ensuring business growth. When you understand how to communicate with people before, during, and after the hiring process you can better assess if they’re a good fit for the company and the role, and what you can do to make them more productive and happier in the long run.
Whether that’s adding incentives, adjusting work culture, or giving out trainings, becoming a choice employer can easily be attained with these simple tips.
In the final episode with Tony Fraser-Jones, we talk about how you, as an employer and entrepreneur, attract and keep the best talent to scale and expand your business.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Opportunity Assessment 5:03 Your Employee’s Worth 7:28 Marketing to Future Team Members 8:10 Having a Well-organized Business 9:58 Telling Your Story 14:09 It’s a Sales Process 15:26 Role of Incentives 18:25 Being a Better Leader
About the Guest:
Tony Fraser-Jones is the founder and managing director of Profitable Tradie. Over the last eight years, Profitable Tradie has worked with over 254 businesses and specialised in helping plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople make more profit and create freedom from their business.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit the Profitable Tradie website https://www.profitabletradie.com/ Listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of this series: How to Forecast Your Team Building https://www.thesiteshed.com/tony-1 Happy Staff - Using Internal Net Promoter Score https://www.thesiteshed.com/tony-2
Books mentioned in this episode: The Profitable Tradie by Tony Fraser-Jones https://go.profitabletradie.com/site-shed-book49545836
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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The amount of effort placed in hiring good people into your team is enormous. Because of that, employers should be keen to create a great work environment for their staff. Getting feedback on how they feel about working with you is imperative to make the changes that will ensure happy staff, translating into productivity and profitability in your trades business.
This episode is part two of the series: Planning, Attracting And Keeping Amazing Staff. Tony Fraser-Jones and I dive deep into this exciting topic. Tony explains the Net Promoter Score and how you can use it to gauge if your staff are happy working with you. He also gives tips on the frequency of using this tool and how you can roll this out to your team.
Learn more about how you can make your staff happy and how to use the NPS in today’s episode.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Opportunity Assessment 2:36 What the NPS is 4:31 Growing and scaling your business reruires good people 5:26 Is your team enjoying where they’re working? 6:19 How often should you do the NPS? 6:48 Receiving feedback 8:48 Preparedness to make quick and significant changes 9:21 Extreme ownership - the key to success 10:15 Get honest feedback, not just great feedback 11:14 Build a team first, market for team members, make the workplace fantastic for your team 12:45 Rolling out the NPS to your team
About the Guest:
Tony Fraser-Jones is the founder and managing director of Profitable Tradie. Over the last eight years, Profitable Tradie has worked with over 254 businesses and specialised in helping plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople make more profit and create freedom from their business.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Visit the Profitable Tradie website https://www.profitabletradie.com/ Listen to Part 1 of this series: How to Forecast Your Team Building https://www.thesiteshed.com/tony-1
Books mentioned in this episode: The Profitable Tradie by Tony Fraser-Jones https://go.profitabletradie.com/site-shed-book49545836 Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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If you’re a trades business owner and want to scale your business, you need a great team to help you do that. But creating a great team requires a lot of effort on your part because great team members are hard to find. And so you need to forecast it, plan it, starting with the end goal of your business in mind.
My guest Tony Fraser-Jones of Profitable Tradie talks about this topic in the first part of the series: Planning, Attracting And Keeping Amazing Staff. He shares his strategic view when building, hiring and creating a great team. Tony also enlightens us about the importance of finding good team members and how good backend organisation improves business profitability.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can create great teams for your trades business, you ought to listen to this episode.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Opportunity Assessment 2:53 Tony and his business Profitable Tradie 5:19 It’s difficult to scale without a great team 8:27 Building a team means getting enough people 9:03 A strategic view when building, hiring, and creating a great team 9:11 1st step - Start with the end goal and figure out the profit you need to make to dial it in 15:11 2nd step - Create an organisational chart for the future 17:16 Finding good team members is more complicated than finding good clients 19:59 Who to employ first? 21:42 Profitability improves when the back office is more organised
About the Guest:
Tony Fraser-Jones is the founder and managing director of Profitable Tradie. Over the last eight years, Profitable Tradie has worked with over 254 businesses and specialised in helping plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople make more profit and create freedom from their business.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Check out the Profitable Tradie website https://www.profitabletradie.com/
Books mentioned in this episode: The Profitable Tradie by Tony Fraser-Jones https://go.profitabletradie.com/site-shed-book49545836
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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When you’ve concluded that your company is saleable after going over the minds of potential acquirers, the next thing that you’d want to do is to make sure that you will get the right value for all the hard work you’ve poured into your business. While most businesses could prove worthy of a huge sum, the dilemma comes in when they don’t know how to show buyers what their value is. How then do you avoid getting less than what you deserve from selling your company?
In this second part of my conversation with John Warrilow, we discuss the necessary preparations that business owners should do to seal the right deal come selling time. We also talk about possible scenarios that company owners may find themselves in after selling.
This is an episode you will surely benefit from if you are planning to sell your company in the future.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 3:18 Welcome back, John 4:21 How relevant is documenting the work that you do 6:50 Pre-Diligence 9:30 Centralization and collation of documents 12:07 The three kinds of business buyers 14:47 The strategic buyer 15:58 Why do you want to sell? 17:48 Talking about your company’s worth 21:30 Reaching the point of financial freedom 24:03 Your first business as your training wheels business 27:15 You're growing and growing or you're ripe and rotting
About the Guest:
John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System™, a simple software for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. Offered by a global network of independent advisors known as Certified Value Builders, The Value Builder System™ incorporates several diagnostic tools, including the Value Builder Score. Those businesses that achieve a Value Builder Score of 90 or greater are worth double the average-performing business.
John’s best-selling book “Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You” was recognized by both Fortune and Inc. as one of the best business books of 2011 and has been translated into 12 languages. He is the host of Built to Sell Radio, ranked by Forbes as one of the world’s 10 best podcasts for business owners.
In 2015, John wrote another best-selling book, “The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry.” John completes the trilogy with his latest book, “The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top.”
Prior to founding The Value Builder System, he started and exited four companies, including one acquired by a public company.
Resources: The Opportunity Assessment (FREE GIVEAWAY FOR A LIMITED TIME) https://tradie.wiki/grow Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Collect free gifts in the Built to Sell homepage http://builttosell.com/shed Check out the Built to Sell website www.BuiltToSell.com Follow John and Built to Sell on Twitter @JohnWarrillow @BuiltToSell
Books mentioned in this episode: The Automatic Customer https://amzn.to/3uL5AcI Built to Sell https://amzn.to/3y6UjFM The Art of Selling Your Business https://amzn.to/3oe6zj8 Search Engine Optimization 3rd Edition https://amz.run/4lzk
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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When you’re running a profitable trades or contracting business, one of the things you’d like to know is if it’s saleable. The problem, however, with the majority of trades businesses is that owners are at the center of it all. And while this kind of business setup works well for you profit-wise, the truth is that it’s not going to amount to anything at all during selling time. How then do you prepare your business for sale?
In this week’s podcast episode, I have a fantastic conversation on the topic of preparing trade or contracting businesses for sale with John Warrilow. He covers three steps in making your business available to acquire - TVR, Productise, and Systematise. We also talk about what is in the mind of a person looking to acquire a business.
If you are looking forward to selling your business in the future, this is an episode you will definitely benefit from.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 6:17 John’s background 8:18 When John wrote the books he is known for 9:50 What John is currently doing 12:59 Owner-centered businesses are profitable but not transferable 13:49 First step in making your business valuable to acquire 14:09 Teachable, Valuable, Repeatable (TVR) 15:20 Matt shares an example of the TVR process 20:27 Acquirers want recurring revenue 21:09 Installation revenue & monitoring revenue (security campaigns) 22:01 Value is not created in the actual doing of the work 23:19 Paradigm shift in the thought process 23:54 The secret to moving your headspace into recurring revenue 27:50 The Trojan horse effect 30:00 Re-engaging with your database 32:21 How a recurring subscription maintenance plan is helpful for your business 34:28 Managing the finances of a recurring model 38:31 Communicating to a client who isn’t having a problem 41:08 Productize 47:21 Systematise - creating processes, SOP’s 51:11 What acquirers want to know in terms of processes
About the Guest:
John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System™, a simple software for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. Offered by a global network of independent advisors known as Certified Value Builders, The Value Builder System™ incorporates several diagnostic tools, including the Value Builder Score. Those businesses that achieve a Value Builder Score of 90 or greater are worth double the average-performing business. His best-selling book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You was recognized by both Fortune and Inc. as one of the best business books of 2011 and has been translated into 12 languages. John is the host of Built to Sell Radio, ranked by Forbes as one of the world’s 10 best podcasts for business owners. In 2015, John wrote another best-selling book, The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry. John completes the trilogy with his latest book, The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top. Prior to founding The Value Builder System, he started and exited four companies, including one acquired by a public company. He lives with his family in Toronto. You can follow John’s work by signing up at BuiltToSell.com.
Resources: Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/ Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/ Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/ Collect free gifts in the Built to Sell homepage http://builttosell.com/shed Check out the Built to Sell website www.BuiltToSell.com Follow John and Built to Sell on Twitter @JohnWarrillow @BuiltToSell
Books mentioned in this episode: The Automatic Customer https://amzn.to/3uL5AcI Built to Sell https://amzn.to/3y6UjFM The Art of Selling a Business https://amzn.to/3oe6zj8 SYSTEMology https://amzn.to/34kxRMT
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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The way people learn nowadays has evolved. Try asking the younger group in your tradie business how they want to learn, and you’ll see how diverse learning modes are now from before. Gen Z tends to have shorter attention spans, and the traditional way of learning in a classroom setting no longer seems to be the best fit for them, thus the need to introduce new ways of learning that are beneficial for them.
In this week’s podcast episode, this is what my guest Aaron Salow and I talk about. We discuss the relevance of micro-learning and how you can apply it to your team. Aaron also shares the framework in creating micro-learning resources that Gen Z can benefit from, including the opportunities for seniors in the field to transition what they know to those under them.
Learn more about the advantages of micro-learning by listening to the full episode today.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 5:40 Aaron shares what XOi does 6:57 How XOi is different from others 10:04 What is micro-learning at a high level and why is it relevant? 12:38 Understanding the why 15:08 The gap between office-based and field-based project management 17:22 Taking out the learnings that happen on-site and share it across a stronger base 18:07 Micro-learning framework 18:12 Mapping out the assets 22:45 How to equip senior technicians with the ability to capture things done on-site 24:16 Overcoming the mindset problem with new tech and micro-learning 26:30 How micro-learning offers opportunities to both guys and gals who are later in their career 29:16 The importance of the vision piece 36:02 The bigger picture 37:01 Frequency and process of optimising and revising training materials 41:34 Positioning people to become experts 47:03 Ask the young guys in your company, “How do you like to learn?”
About the Guest:
Aaron Salow is the founder of XOi Technologies which is based in the U.S. Coming from a manufacturing construction background, he saw there was a skilled trades gap with millions of unfilled skilled trade positions in the U.S.
He and his co-founders started their business in a bid to address this problem and help the industry to grow. Their business aims to empower customers to effectively put their best technician on the site.
Resources: Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/ Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/ Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/ Visit XOi’s website http://www.xoi.io/ Check out our previous podcasts with Aaron Salow https://www.thesiteshed.com/aaron-1 https://www.thesiteshed.com/aaron-2 https://www.thesiteshed.com/aaron-3
Books mentioned in this episode: Who. The A Method For Hiring by Dr Geoff Smart https://amzn.to/2TfzCY4 Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business https://amzn.to/3rkX6Z1
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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People are our best assets, and leaders who understand this concept will aim to lead people effectively; however, you do not become an effective leader overnight, nor are the skills or traits inborn. Becoming an effective leader requires hard work, and it can be frustrating at times if you are clueless about where you’re supposed to start. The good news is that there are areas of focus that you can begin honing in to inspire the people under you, motivating them to go above and beyond.
This week’s podcast episode is what my guest, Chris Koch of BDR, talks about. We discuss the importance of communication and how to communicate better in a way that the receiver understands. Chris also talks about why one must be receptive to changes and desire to improve constantly. We also share our thoughts on attracting the right talent and how leaders should not be afraid to train their people, and a whole lot more.
If you are a struggling leader, this episode will guide you into the skills you need to hone to become effective in leading your people.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 4:22 Overview of the episode 5:08 How the work landscape has shifted over the years 7:22 What communicating better means 9:22 Understanding someone’s personality to communicate better 12:16 Normal face (how to respond when someone gives you bad news) 15:07 Addressing different mediums of communication on the technician front 17:28 Time spent on phones and productivity 18:58 Developing policies and making it a collaborative effort 23:16 Try to improve constantly. Be receptive to changes. 27:20 Check your ego as an owner or manager 27:58 How BDR helps businesses achieve what they want to achieve 30:16 Elevate one’s self and elevate your team 34:08 Hire for attitude and aptitude 36:33 Change and pivot - start with one 39:30 The org chart 43:08 Business planning 46:35 Accountability 49:17 Don’t be afraid to train your people 49:48 Employee engagement
About the Guest:
Chris Koch brings 25-years of HVAC industry experience to BDR’s business coaching clientele. While Chris has focused primarily on the commercial service arena, he has a significant amount of residential HVAC and plumbing experience, including “mixed-use buildings” that blend commercial and residential markets. Chris started at the ground floor – literally – and worked his way up the ladder to VP of Service, earning a business degree along the way. The experience he gained across a spectrum of operational-level service, installation, and sales roles was the springboard for his success across various management roles.
Resources: Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/ Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/ Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/ Visit Business Development Resources (BDR) https://www.bdrco.com/
Books mentioned in this episode: Mythos by Stephen Fry https://www.amazon.com/Mythos-Stephen-Fry/dp/1452178917 Five Love Languages https://www.amazon.com/Love-Languages-Secret-that-Lasts/dp/080241270X Personality Plus by Florence Littauer https://amzn.to/3w1iMuL The 7-Power Contractor by Al Levi https://amzn.to/3dLkb26
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Running a business without being involved in the daily operations sounds like a dream to most business owners, tradies, in particular. But, a business owner who lacks this desire or vision is bound to endanger himself, his business, and the people who work for him. If your business is so dependent on you, there is little to zero chance of scaling it and making it more profitable, which will result in frustration and disappointment over time.
In today’s podcast episode, we have a lengthy but meaningful conversation around this topic with my guest Barry Magliarditi. Barry openly shares about the challenges he encountered in his business and how he’s overcome it. He talks about the importance of upgrading your mindset first before anything else. He also discusses the process he uses to increase productivity in his personal life and business. We also touch on the different chapters in his book, The Path to Freedom.
Any tradie business owner seeking to free themselves from the daily grind so they can scale and make their businesses profitable will learn a lot from this episode. Tune into this today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 6:01 Barry shares how his personal story of the challenges of running his business 9:40 We never have business problems, just personal problems 10:55 Upgrade your mindset 12:55 Be determined and never give up 14:40 Task audit 18:37 You don’t need to complicate things too much 18:53 Discipline yourself to create a better, robust, and profitable business 20:07 Get rid of the myth that owners are the ones to systemise their business 23:59 Start to prioritise things that you can delegate or outsource 25:24 Starting with a vision 26:20 Does vision get people into a better mindset? 28:44 Having a business that constantly needs you is risky 33:26 Two approaches that worked for Barry to incorporate systems into flowcharts 38:29 Three realms Barry looks into his business to always bring improvement 40:57 Feedback loop 42:05 Accountability and responsibility 44:08 Be clear of where you’re going 50:13 Overview of the chapters in Barry’s Book ‘The Path to Freedom’
About the Guest:
Barry Magliarditi is the founder and director of business coaching juggernaut, The Game Changers. Having built a 7-figure kitchen renovation business in his previous life as a carpenter, Barry has first-hand knowledge of the priorities and pressures of trades business owners. Today Barry brings his coaching expertise and business know-how to help other tradies build the business - and lifestyle - of their dreams.
Resources: Join our global community of 6000+ trade professionals https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/ Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/ Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/
Books mentioned in this episode: The Path to Freedom https://amzn.to/3rSmbdl
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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The last thing you would want to experience after all the money and hard work you’ve put in a project is getting screwed over terms stated in a contract you weren’t aware of in the first place. You can only wish that you knew of those things before you signed anything. Unfortunately, this dilemma is common among tradies and contractors. The only way to make sure you never have to go through that ordeal is by arming yourself with the proper information.
In the second episode of this miniseries with Karalynn Cromeens, Karalynn and I talk about terms everyone should be on the lookout for when signing contracts. She also shares the dangers posed by those terms and what the repercussions would be if you signed the contract. She also discusses possible workarounds that will be beneficial to you and the other party involved.
Arm yourself with the right information before you sign contracts on projects. Tune in to this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 5:58 Bid versus scope 7:21 What the actual contract is 8:17 Save yourself from the grief 8:51 Internal process you can do during bidding 10:22 Being responsible for the terms of the prime contract 12:14 Another provision in the contract you need to watch out for 13:37 Delay damages 15:19 Pay when paid and pay if paid clauses 16:54 Liens 20:44 Personal guarantees and bonds 24:14 Prior work 25:44 Default and terminate 28:02 Retention
About the Guest:
Karalynn Cromeens is a published author and devoted leader. She is the Owner and Managing Partner of The Cromeens Law Firm, PLLC, who holds more than 16 years of experience practicing construction, real estate, and business law. Karalynn is passionate about protecting the businesses her clients have built and being a lifelong partner in their company’s success.
Resources: Join a global community of 6000+ trade professionals (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed) Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) The Quit Getting Screwed Podcast (https://the-quit-getting-screwed-podcast.castos.com/) The Subcontractor Institute “Review My Contract” (https://subcontractorinstitute.com/contract-review/) The Personal MBA (https://personalmba.com/) Cromeens Law Firm (https://thecromeenslawfirm.com/) Listen to the first episode of this series with Karalynn TSS 302: What Should Be In Your Contract https://www.thesiteshed.com/karalynn-cromeens-1
Books mentioned in this episode: Quit Getting Screwed: Understanding and Negotiating the Subcontract https://amzn.to/3h50lkb)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Most of the time, contracts tend to be the most challenging part of entering a business, and this is where we mostly fail. When we see a contract five pages long, we lose our interest in reading it and lean towards signing without even taking a look — not knowing this will be our downfall.
Contracts are very crucial in whatever business or trade you are in. In part one of this miniseries, Karalynn Cromeens of The Cromeens Law Firm joins us to share her extensive knowledge about contracts — the necessary things you need to add in the draft and the kind of people you need to watch out for.
Stay away from unsuspecting contracts and safeguard your rights by knowing what’s in them. We have lots of valuable takeaways in this podcast, so stay tuned to this episode!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 3:44 Brief introduction to the topic and the guest 5:20 Karalynn talks about her book and her podcast 9:37 Who is Karalynn Cromeens? 11:28 Drafting your contract: Dos and don’ts and why it’s essential 14:52 Things you need to include in your contract 21:03 Why it’s so important to include the payment terms 25:02 Insurance and indemnity 26:44 What are defaults, and how do they cover you? 31:02 Karalynn recommends adding this to the contract you’re writing because it’s beneficial for both parties 33:36 Warranty, workers, attorney’s fees 35:12 What is a complete agreement? Why close the contract with it? 37:06 Most common problem tradespeople and businessmen encounter in their trades and in running their businesses
About the Guest:
Karalynn Cromeens is a published author and devoted leader. She is the Owner and Managing Partner of The Cromeens Law Firm, PLLC, who holds more than 16 years of experience practicing construction, real estate, and business law. Karalynn is passionate about protecting the businesses her clients have built and being a lifelong partner in their company’s success.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) The Quit Getting Screwed Podcast (https://the-quit-getting-screwed-podcast.castos.com/) Quit Getting Screwed: Understanding and Negotiating the Subcontract (https://www.amazon.com/Quit-Getting-Screwed-Understanding-Negotiating/dp/1544517734) The Subcontractor Institute “Review My Contract” (https://subcontractorinstitute.com/contract-review/) The Personal MBA (https://personalmba.com/) Cromeens Law Firm (https://thecromeenslawfirm.com/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Digital giants, Facebook and Apple, are at war! What does this mean for the consumer? Who will be largely affected by the changes that these tech giants will implement? What strategies should we have in place to make sure that our businesses will not suffer?
In this podcast episode, my guest Ilana Wechsler, gives us the details regarding the feud happening between Apple and Facebook. She talks about software updates to the iPhone that will allow users to opt-in or out of Facebook's data tracking. Ilana also gives the steps that you should do when you log-in to your Facebook ads account. We also tackle why it’s important that you don’t place all your eggs in one basket.
Learn more from tuning in to this episode today.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 4:02 Ilana’s pivot in her business 6:01 Apple and Facebook are at war 6:34 Apple’s phone software update 7:51 What happens if you enable Facebook to track you 10:12 Does the software update drive sales up or down for iPhones? 10:54 The impact of the update on small businesses and Facebook 11:33 Google will cut cookie tracking by end of the year 13:47 The result of explicitness of Facebook’s data tracking 15:39 Is the choice to opt-in or out of data tracking a better move? 16:48 The need to invest and apply resource to your database 18:03 Using ads to build a database 18:42 Email marketing 19:42 Steps to do in your ad account now 23:34 Do not put all your eggs in one basket 24:39 Are tradies affected by the changes in Apple and Facebook? 26:00 Massive changes are to be expected industry wide
About the Guest:
Ilana Wechsler is a former data analyst turned Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing expert. She continues to run a dedicated PPC agency and managed well over $30 millions of dollars on behalf of clients. However, now, Ilana’s commitment to herself is the passing on of the knowledge she’s learned in her agency, especially what is working right now.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit Ilana’s website and check out her offerings (https://teachtraffic.com/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Since The Site Shed podcast’s launch in 2016, my journey has been nothing short of amazing. The interviews I have conducted with numerous experts in their respective fields provided me with hacks, tools, and lessons that I have benefited from and have helped others tremendously. I do not see myself stopping just yet as there is just so much ahead of us.
In this week’s episode, I talk about all the things I have learned from recording 300 podcasts. More than a celebration of reaching the 300th episode in podcasting, I celebrate the learnings gained. So I aim to give you a treasure trove of wisdom that I consider valuable in helping you further yourself and your business.
I am excited to hear your thoughts about this episode and what else you can add to this wealth of information. Tune in now!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 3:50 Overview of the episode 5:25 The Site Shed podcast background 7:40 Matt encourages his listeners to learn and read more 9:30 Business updates 10:10 The importance of strategy and planning 11:28 Advantages of running a remote business 13:07 You can be anything you want 13:39 Things change! 13:56 Focusing on vision, mission, and values 16:00 The power of understanding that you are in control 16:48 Values are important 18:18 Your roles in the business will change 21:22 Wisdom is acquired throughout the years 21:57 Staying fit physically and mentally 23:31 What 40 looks like or can look like for you 24:21 Financial literacy 26:15 Adopting the profit first philosophy 27:03 Relationships and networks 29:43 Becoming the role model and leaving a positive impact 31:37 Discipline in all areas of life 32:15 Time blocking 33:33 Set goals and milestones 34:37 Be punctual and reliable 35:33 Materialism can be crippling 36:22 Taking control through your assets 37:24 Time management and not being afraid to say no to things 39:13 Accountability and mindset 40:15 Delegating tasks 41:20 Be careful who you listen to 42:27 Don’t tell me, show me! 43:32 Respond, don’t react 44:53 Own your agenda 46:00 It’s okay to be uncomfortable 47:43 Ready, fire, aim 48:18 Optimise everything 50:51 Find a coach that will help you 56:34 Joining the 75 Hard program 59:26 Start with changing small habits 1:03:11 Attitude is everything 1:04:57 Forgiveness and letting go of grudges 1:07:44 Find the tools that will help you and use them
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) The 75 Hard Program (https://andyfrisella.com/pages/75hard-info)
Books mentioned in this episode: Profit First (https://amzn.to/37HjoKs) The Barefoot Investor (https://amzn.to/2RxMMzt) Atomic Habits (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3) The Perfect Day Formula (https://amzn.to/3oVypjV) Personality Plus (https://amzn.to/3w1iMuL)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Tradies and contractors have been programmed to do one thing - to work hard. And while it’s not exactly a bad thing, this belief could be holding you back from really reaching the kind of life and freedom that you want. But what if I told you that there is a better way?
In this last episode of our series with Shawn Feurer, we talk about the better way to reach your goals. Shawn explains what the law of attraction is and what it is not. He also discusses the importance of raising one’s vibration and understanding what actually makes you excited. Shawn then challenges the audience to give themselves the permission to dream.
This is an awesome episode that you’ll find a lot of insights from. Check it out today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 6:29 It’s not just about money 7:17 The law of attraction 9:17 Raise your vibration by knowing what makes you excited 10:46 A, B, C Goals 12:52 The process required to achieve your goals 20:19 Process should be the focus not just the results 27:39 How to tell a determined business owner 28:21 Give yourself permission to dream
About the Guest:
Shawn Feurer is a reformed business coach turned Mindset mentor. He spent years working with success-minded individuals all over the United States and Canada. His approach is different from that of other consultants. And his processes are both unique and effective, giving you the results you’ve been looking for. His mission is to teach the world how to find freedom and abundance in all areas of life.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Connect with Shawn through the following channels: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-feurer-36513a35/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/shawnfeurerconsulting) Email (coach@shawnfeurer.com)
Books mentioned in this episode: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3) The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg (https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Trying hard and working harder has its limits. Mind-blowing results are a product of the power of one’s mind. Yes, you read that right! The mind is a powerful tool for getting the results you want. We always tend to associate success with one’s external efforts without acknowledging that everything starts internally, in the mind.
We have a fascinating discussion with my guest Shawn Feurer. In the second part of this series with Shawn, we talk about the power of the mind. Shawn gives us a glimpse into what visualization looks like and how everything starts with the mind. We also talk about practical steps on how to reprogram your minds and achieve mind-blowing results.
Listen to this podcast today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 4:56 Overview of the episode 6:00 Visualization and the power of the brain 12:06 Everything starts with the mind 13:41 A visual of the stickman figure 16:27 Trying harder is not the solution 18:57 Doing something different starts with thinking different thoughts 19:57 Practical advise on how to reprogram our minds
About the Guest:
Shawn Feurer is a reformed business coach turned Mindset mentor. He spent years working with success-minded individuals all over the United States and Canada. His approach is different from that of other consultants. And his processes are both unique and effective, giving you the results you’ve been looking for. His mission is to teach the world how to find freedom and abundance in all areas of life.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit Shawn Feurer’s consulting website (https://www.shawnfeurer.com/) Connect with Shawn through the following channels: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-feurer-36513a35/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/shawnfeurerconsulting) Email (coach@shawnfeurer.com)
Books mentioned in this episode: You 2: A High Velocity Formula for Multiplying Your Personal Effectiveness in Quantum Leaps by Price Pritchett (https://www.amazon.com/You-Velocity-Multiplying-Personal-Effectiveness/dp/0944002048) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Landmark-Bestseller/dp/1585424331) Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill (https://www.amazon.com/Outwitting-Devil-Secret-Freedom-Success/dp/1469259036)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Would you believe me if I told you that you are not in charge of your life? Most people won’t believe this. But, if you take the time to look at your daily activities, you’ll find that how we think and feel are products of the subconscious mind that is at work ninety-five percent of the time. Most of these thoughts and programs in the subconscious hold us back from really doing and being the best version of ourselves - personal or business-wise.
We discuss this in detail in the first of the three-part series with Shawn Feurer. He gives us insight into the knowing-doing gap and how the subconscious plays a huge role in this gap. Shawn also shares the common paradigms that contractors and tradies have. He then challenges the listeners of this podcast episode to think big and start identifying what holds you back from accomplishing the big stuff.
Tune in to this episode.
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 4:06 How Shawn became a reformed business coach 7:07 Who Shawn works with 8:55 Start with the mindset 11:24 What ‘knowing better, doing better’ means and who needs to know this 12:35 We’re not in control; the subconscious mind is 14:24 What are paradigms? 16:55 How most of us are programmed to do things 20:00 Those working the hardest are paid the least 21:17 Know where you’re getting in your own way 22:42 Most of the programs that run our lives are not true and aren’t ours 25:51 Common paradigms that most contractors and tradies have 29:34 Shawn shares a strong paradigm that held him back 30:22 The KNOWING-DOING gap 30:51 Think big to get out of your comfort zone and identify what holds you back 31:39 The number one thing that holds people back
About the Guest:
Shawn Feurer is a reformed business coach turned Mindset mentor. He spent years working with success-minded individuals all over the United States and Canada. His approach is different from that of other consultants. And his processes are both unique and effective, giving you the results you’ve been looking for. His mission is to teach the world how to find freedom and abundance in all areas of life.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit Shawn Feurer’s consulting website (https://www.shawnfeurer.com/) Connect with Shawn through the following channels: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-feurer-36513a35/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/shawnfeurerconsulting) Email (coach@shawnfeurer.com)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most tradies don’t realize this, but there is a story to be found in every project you do. A simple job can become an engaging story that you can use to market your business. You just need to know how to look for them and how to transform them into the right content.
In the last part of the Building Trust and Rapport by Becoming a Great Storyteller series, we invite Bill Mueller and I talk about the type of content to use and what mediums to use that will best reach your customers. We also tackle how you can extract stories and content from projects that you do. We will also share how you can use videos to your advantage and repurpose it however you want.
All this and more will be covered in this episode. Check it out now!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 3:23 Recap of the past episodes of the series 6:09 Worthy stories are around you everyday 9:27 Storytelling is natural to us 11:30 List down something story-worthy that happened to you today 12:16 Start stories by looking for problems 13:59 Talk about the journey behind the content 14:27 Catch people’s interest with hot topics in the media 15:36 Repurposing different kinds of content 16:30 What mediums to start from 18:37 Getting started on making a video 20:33 Unpolished videos are more authentic 23:37 Make content creation part of your process 25:05 About Story Sales Machine
About the Guest:
Bill Mueller prides himself on helping entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants sell more and sell better with this simple approach: People love stories, therefore, use stories to communicate and sell. He has been writing story-based emails and email sequences since 2005 which is impressive in internet years and has since sold millions in digital and physical products, coaching programs, and more in just about every niche.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Check out Bill and The Story Sales Machine - (https://www.storysalesmachine.com) Access The Story Sales Machine offer (https://www.storysalesmachine.com/get-it-now) Listen to parts 1 and 2 of this series
Part 1: https://www.thesiteshed.com/bill-1 Part 2: https://www.thesiteshed.com/bill-2
Books mentioned in this episode: Story Worthy by Matthew Dicks (https://www.amazon.com/Storyworthy-Engage-Persuade-through-Storytelling/dp/1608685489)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How you communicate your story is just as important as the story itself. To tradies, their day-to-day tasks are just part of their job, but this is actually interesting information to potential customers. What you say and how you can say it can be the deciding factor between you and your competitor.
This week, we have the second episode in the Building Trust and Rapport by Becoming a Great Storyteller series. We invited Story Sales Machine’s Bill Mueller to continue where we left off and talk about the importance of engaging your customers. Specifically, he talks about the importance of knowing the deeper meaning behind their need for your service. He also suggested a framework that will help you get an insight of their behavior and how to produce content based on that. We also tackle how to make an appropriate call to action and landing page.
Tune in to today’s episode!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 3:58 Other people are interested in your story even if it seems boring to you 5:46 Sharing information builds trust and rapport 9:35 Start identifying what the customers’ pain points are 12:49 Design a strategy with different depths 16:13 Talk less about who you are and more on what you can deliver 16:47 How to engage customers on a deeper level 20:20 Understand and work through customers’ problems 21:59 Reengagement campaigns 24:44 The post-it note method 30:34 Call to Action 32:54 Your CTA could be too generic 33:54 What journey do you want to take after clicking the CTA 38:07 Summary of the episode
About the Guest:
Bill Mueller prides himself on helping entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants sell more and sell better with this simple approach: People love stories, therefore, use stories to communicate and sell. He has been writing story-based emails and email sequences since 2005 which is impressive in internet years and has since sold millions in digital and physical products, coaching programs, and more in just about every niche.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Check out Bill and The Story Sales Machine - (https://www.storysalesmachine.com) Access The Story Sales Machine offer (https://www.storysalesmachine.com/get-it-now) Listen to the previous podcast in this series Episode 294: Why Your Story Matters More than Ever (https://www.thesiteshed.com/bill-1)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Storytelling is ingrained in our DNA because how else would we bring people and each other, together? It sets the ground for the relationships we build which are very important in any trade. However, as effortless as it sounds, tradies don’t put much thought into the potential of a great story to be a deciding factor in earning the customers’ trust.
We welcome you to the first episode of the series, Building Trust and Rapport by Becoming a Great Storyteller. The Story Sales Machine’s Bill Mueller joins us to talk about the importance of storytelling in any industry, specifically in sales, and using email as a powerful storytelling tool. We also cover the art of tying stories into mundane and otherwise routine tasks to create stronger engagements, and ultimately, tradie-customer relationships.
Tune in to this episode now!
Discussion Points:
1:59 The challenge of telling stories in the digital space 04:20 How email becomes relegated into just a tool that sells vouchers 06:00 Being less polished adds authenticity to your storytelling 08:00 People rarely try to re-engage because they get caught up in lead-generation 08:53 You can turn an email into something personal for the receiver 10:30 Worry less about the sale and concentrate on helping people 11:49 There are different spins you can take to make an interesting content 13:04 How a copywriter created an amazing campaign by telling the story of an everyday task 14:44 The importance of storytelling to get people’s attention 16:20 How we continue to build trust and rapport through our podcast 18:00 It’s human nature to put fear into everything we do 20:10 Determine your prospect’s product awareness stage 22:16 Storytelling is powerful in the sales cycle 24:35 Automation can teach and help you a lot with engagement 26:27 What’s in store for the next episode
About the Guest:
Bill Mueller prides himself on helping entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants sell more and sell better with this simple approach: People love stories, therefore, use stories to communicate and sell. He has been writing story-based emails and email sequences since 2005 which is impressive in internet years and has since sold millions in digital and physical products, coaching programs, and more in just about every niche.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Check out Bill and The Story Sales Machine - (https://www.storysalesmachine.com) Access The Story Sales Machine offer (https://www.storysalesmachine.com/get-it-now)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Running a business isn’t about rolling up your sleeves and doing things on your own. Sure, it may be fulfilling to achieve success after you’ve worked hard for everything, but to what extent?
In this episode, Tom Martin of Virtual Trade Assistant, and I will cover the importance of outsourcing in facilitating business growth. We will also help you understand when and what you should outsource in your business. Plus, we will discuss the steps you need to take and the variables you need to look into before hiring a virtual assistant.
All of these topics and a lot more in this episode. Tune in now!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program and Introduction 05:14 How Tom got through the virtual trading system 08:02 What is outsourcing? 15:24 Understanding which parts of your business you should outsource 19:24 Creating a system for your business 22:27 How to get people outsourcing the right things at the right time 26:11 The importance of documenting processes 29:46 Steps in hiring the right outsourcing members 34:24 Factors to consider before hiring a virtual assistant 37:43 Benefits of working with a virtual assistant
About the Guest:
In 2016, Tom Martin became the director of Virtual Trade Assistant in Australia. The company's primary goal is to assist small business owners in managing their operations on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, Tom Martin is also the owner of Water Tight Canberra and is a licensed plumber. With all the experiences he had in running Water Tight Canberra since 2010, Tom can attest how essential it is to outsource talents in keeping your business' operations smooth and organized.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) The Site Shed (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Virtual Trade Assistant (https://virtualtradeassistant.com.au/)
Books mentioned in this episode: SYSTEMology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits with Proven Business Systems by David Jenyns (https://www.systemology.com/book/) The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber (https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Most-Businesses-Dont-About/dp/0887303625)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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The funny thing about success is that people think of it as an overnight thing instead of a journey. Most people don't see the hard work that owners and the team have put in to thrive. It is important to note that many factors are in play when it comes to success, and only those who are willing and disciplined enough will get to taste and experience it firsthand.
In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with Sam Friend, the managing director of Stag Electrical. Sam shares how Stag Electrical started and how it has evolved to become the company that it is today. Sam talks about what it took to expand their services and why he thinks a business’s biggest asset is its staff. He also discusses the importance of marketing and what he envisions the company to be like in the future.
Check out this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 4:20 How Sam started Stag Electrical 8:58 How Sam’s experience in industrial electrical projects influenced his operations 10:05 Implementing systems with the team 11:05 What does ‘grow’ mean? 12:16 Expansion of services 14:16 Facilitating logistics 16:00 Team building, staff, recruitment 17:35 Staff as a business’s biggest asset 20:58 Giving your team a voice during toolbox meetings 23:02 Mindset or process on how to get feedback from guys on the ground 25:41 Designing vision and goals for Stag Electrical 27:44 Improving the onboarding process 28:51 Sam’s leadership journey and evolution 34:16 Consistency in processes 36:42 Sam talks about what he’s doing in his business nowadays 43:03 Google Ads and marketing 50:06 Where Sam sees Stag Electrical in the future
About the Guest:
Sam Friend is the managing director of Stag Electrical Solar & Refrigeration. The company was established in 2007, and Sam has slowly grown it through refining processes along the way, ensuring a solid foundation guaranteeing they will still be here for years to come.
The company’s team of 22 have over 13 years of experience providing expert customer service. They currently offer their services across two states ACT and NSW and have offices in Canberra and Young servicing Murrumbateman, Temora, Cowra, Yass, Boorowa, Cootamundra, Grenfell, and Harden.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit Stag Electrical’s website (https://www.stagelectrical.com.au/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Scaling a business is what business owners dream of. And to get to that point, many components are involved as one thing always impacts another. However, it’s worth noting that although the journey towards success isn’t always a breeze, with a lot of hurdles to be overcome, it’s all worth it once you see the work pay off.
This is what we discuss in my conversation with Patrick Readyhough. He is the owner of a mid-sized roofing company called Pond Roofing that he acquired in the year 2012. He had his fair share of triumphs and trials in business, but it is a mixture of different things that led him to where he is now. We talk about the importance of leveraging your business’s database and how to retain customers instead of always looking for new ones. We also talk about accountability and coaching and how Patrick’s role has evolved over the years he’s been in business.
Tune in to this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program and Introduction 6:50 Background of Pond Roofing company 8:35 Why Pond Roofing prefers to work with homeowners 10:38 Patrick’s take on the marketing front from his personal experience 13:54 Leveraging your database for the business 16:38 Doing a little bit of everything 17:32 Looking the part so people choose you 20:27 Tools for measuring off maps 21:50 How Patrick acquired his company 27:13 Changes to operations upon acquiring the company 28:50 Empowering your teams to scale your business 30:23 Approach Patrick took to making changes in the company 31:44 Accountability and coaching 33:22 Finding a better way of doing things 34:44 How has Patrick’s role changed throughout the years 37:50 Removing yourself from what you’re doing by bringing other people in 42:13 How your business can benefit most from you 43:03 Recruitment, staff, and retention 49:54 Obstacles and friction points that Patrick learned to navigate 53:43 How Patrick developed into becoming the leader he wants to be
About the Guest:
Patrick Readyhough has been in the home remodeling and construction industry for over 20 years. His journey began in college, running painting crews to help pay for his tuition while attending Virginia Tech. After graduating, he gained experience working for a national homebuilder. In 2010, the timing was right for him to join forces with Betsy Pond. Together, Betsy and Patrick fine-tuned Pond’s operations to increase the overall quality of our customers’ experience, including extra training for installers and estimators, an updated scheduling system, and additional communication points throughout the Pond production process. In 2012, Patrick bought Pond from Betsy, who stayed on as an advisor and assisted with marketing. Patrick has a passion for people and creating personal relationships through every experience he encounters.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Check out the Pond Roofing website (https://www.pondroofing.com/)
Books mentioned in this episode: The 7-Power Contractor: Run Your Contracting Business with Less Stress and More Success (https://www.amazon.com/7-Power-Contractor-Contracting-Business-Success-ebook/dp/B01CSTC8GO) Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual by Jocko Willink (https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Strategy-Tactics-Field-Manual/dp/1250226848)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everyone knows the importance of setting goals, but achieving them is a different thing for most people. One can create a goal today and forget about it the next month or give up on it, especially when it gets tricky. If this seems to be the case with you, you need not fret. There are practical ways to go about it so you can see your goals come to fruition!
In this podcast episode, I talk with one of our highly-esteemed guests in the show, Al Levi. Al shares practical ways to set goals, whether personal or in business, and achieve them. These ways are the very ones he uses himself, so you can be sure that they work. We discuss the importance of accountability and beliefs. We also talk about why you need your goals to be clear and why meetings make up a vital part of achieving your goals.
Tune in to this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The 7-Power Offer 3:35 Al talks about the 7 Power Contractor 6:48 The importance of mindset training 7:52 Working together towards the same direction 9:58 The org chart 10:25 Writing your goals down and holding yourself accountable 12:29 Ten golden rules for personal and business 14:16 Clarity of goals 15:05 Meetings are essential; meetings with ‘me’ 16:44 Examine what you truly believe and fix your struggles 18:11 Writing down the positive and negative beliefs and destroying the latter 20:51 Helpful recommendations on how you can revisit your goals 22:48 Accountability 27:48 Framework for goals 34:00 Four things people in your flat org chart should know 36:04 Why people don’t want to set goals 38:48 Get better at numbers (even if you don’t like them) 41:37 Main goals to focus on 44:26 What if you don’t reach your goals despite following everything?
About the Guest:
Al Levi is president of The 7-Power Contractor (formerly Appleseed Business), a business consulting and training firm that has helped hundreds of service and installation-based contracting businesses run better since 2002.
He also is a columnist for Plumbing & Mechanical (PM) magazine and Reeves Journal, and the author of “The 7-Power Contractor: Run Your Contracting Business With Less Stress and More Success”. The book lays out seven simple business powers that hundreds of owners have implemented successfully, often transforming their businesses.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit the 7 Power Contractor’s website (www.7powercontractor.com) Avail Al Levi’s special offer for ‘Site Shedders’ (https://tradie.wiki/7power) Check out Ellen Rohr’s website for helpful financial tips (https://ellenrohr.com/)
Books mentioned in this episode: Where Did the Money Go?: Accounting Basics for the Business Owner Who Wants to Get Profitable (Maxrohr Business Basics Series) (https://www.amazon.com/Where-Did-Money-Accounting-Profitable/dp/0984587608)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When COVID hit last year, there was this sense of panic. Many business owners thought of the worst, tradies not exempted - closing down their businesses. But we’ve seen resilience throughout last year, and many have survived even thrived. Now that a new year has come, is there still a sense of doom and gloom, or are things looking up?
In this week’s podcast episode, I talk once again with Michael Steckler of Tradify. We discuss the reason behind the Tradify Pulse reports and how it has helped more tradespeople understand what’s happening business-wise. Michael also shares the key insights they have found into their latest report and what advantages await those who are open about using software to automate and ease their processes.
Tune in to this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Tradify Offer
3:27 Tradies still have a positive outlook as of the moment
4:26 More tradesmen are getting more work
5:54 All the doom and gloom predicted did not become a reality
7:08 What does Tradify do?
9:59 Differences in the pace of trades businesses adopting technologies
12:12 Trades business owners are more open-minded now
13:22 How Tradify works with customers
16:06 Reason why Tradify collated a report
17:38 Important recommendations from the previous report
22:48 Delving into the recent Tradify report
24:21 Key insights of the recent Tradify report
28:21 Other trends from the Tradify report
32:09 Talent pool availability
37:00 Tradify report on the admin side of business
41:34 Software and automation put business owners at an advantage
About the Guest:
Michael Steckler is the CEO of Tradify, a job management software app made especially for tradies. Tradify is an application that helps tradespeople manage and grow their business, especially when it comes to managing their finances. This software has helped tradies shorten their time working on administrative tasks and focus more on enjoying their lives outside work.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit the Tradify website (www.TradifyHQ.com) Listen to Part 1 of this podcast https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tradify Exclusive offer for Site Shedders! Claim Tradify’s 50% discount for three months. Use the code SITESHED50
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you ever feel like meetings are not important? This dread of meetings may be because of the lack of structure that provides value to these sessions. The good news is that you don’t have to dread it any longer, as there is a way to make sure that you can get the most out of it - tap into the geniuses of people, break down ideas, and solve problems; all of which will propel your business forward.
In this episode, I welcome Eric Anderton to the show. Eric and I talk about valuable information about meetings. Eric shares what a well-structured meeting looks like that will get you to solve the problems that you face in your business. He also talks about identifying your rally cry, areas of fierce focus, and the critical number you tie to each area of fierce focus.
This episode helps make the most out of your meetings. Tune in today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 4:08 Eric shares his story 4:56 Reasons why most companies despise meetings 6:45 A well-structured meeting is valuable 8:03 The first thing to do to have an effective meeting 9:32 Three main principles in Eric’s meeting framework 10:27 Importance of having regular meetings 11:11 Different types of meetings 15:19 Conducting an effective problem-solving meeting 17:03 Involve people and tap into their genius 19:35 Helping people break down their ideas 22:24 Frequency of problem-solving meetings 23:11 How to apply outcomes in meetings 24:40 Identify your rally cry 25:43 Areas of fierce focus 26:32 Tie a critical number to each area of fierce focus 27:20 The kinds of meetings and who you want to meet with 33:58 Why an outside facilitator helps with meetings 34:50 The need for follow-up 36:32 Make meetings part of the culture
About the Guest:
Eric Anderton has more than two decades of career and entrepreneurial business experience, alongside 25 years of public speaking, small group facilitation, and one-on-one mentoring.
He is a trusted leadership advisor, executive mentor, and expert meeting facilitator for construction companies that range in revenue from $10 million - $1 billion.
Since 2004 he has helped his clients increase profitability by clarifying their business purpose, building strategic plans, developing their best people, systematically innovating through obstacles, and executing their most important priorities.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Al Levy episode 176: How to Hold World-Class Meetings (https://www.thesiteshed.com/meetings) Follow Eric Anderton on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andertoneric/) Visit Eric Anderton’s website (https://www.constructiongenius.com/) Check out Eric Anderton’s podcast (https://www.constructiongenius.com/podcast) Email Eric Anderton (eric@ericanderton.com) Listen to related podcasts:
TSS 176: (https://www.thesiteshed.com/meetings)
Books mentioned in this episode: 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756) Free ebook from Eric Anderton (https://www.constructiongenius.com/kam)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Business transitions due to physical or mental limitations caused by untoward incidents are a painful reality. Most business owners find that the only viable solution once this happens to them is that they have to close shop and go out of business which doesn’t always have to be the case. You can survive and have a thriving business, given that you seek the help you need to go through this transition smoothly.
In this podcast episode, the second part of the series, Adapting to Forced Change, Genevieve and I talk about what a business transition looks like when forced off the tools as a business owner. We discuss the importance of accountability and how having someone who can help you get another perspective on your dilemma is crucial. Gen also shares a case study that will encourage you to push through when you go through unfortunate circumstances like accidents or illnesses.
Check out this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 5:25 The inability of most businesses to pick up the business owner’s role 5:59 Keeping owners off the tools 8:50 Creating a routine around the new normal 9:42 The need for accountability 11:01 Physical limitations are a painful reality 13:33 Business mentoring 16:02 A holistic look at your business 16:57 Thinking outside the box 17:27 Income protection insurance 18:01 Case study 21:42 Takeaways from the episode
About the Guest:
Genevieve Cassuci is a qualified health professional with postgraduate qualifications in Rehabilitation Counselling with substantial experience in the health sector. Besides that, she has concurrently personally owned and partnered in several business operations in Allied Health, professional consultancy, food manufacturing, hospitality, events management, franchising, and export.
Eventually, Gen identified the benefit of blending her business acumen with the needs of people who have acquired a disabling medical condition. Through Pivotl she, and her team mentor and guide business owners and want-to-be entrepreneurs to recreate, re-structure, re-think, re-adjust and re-assess their business, now that they have medical limitations to factor into their futures.
Genevieve and her team work with new and existing business owners and entrepreneurs from various industries and in any location to grow and diversify their businesses.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit Pivotl’s website (www.pivotl.com.au) Contact Genevieve through email (gen@pivotl.com.au) Listen to the first part of this series with Genevieve Cassuci TSS 286: https://www.thesiteshed.com/genevieve-cassuci-1
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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Change is scary, mostly if the change happens due to conditions, whether physically or mentally. While it is true that we do not have control over the things that happen to us, we have a say and a responsibility to adapt and plan. The growing issues around health nowadays, including the importance of addressing mental health problems, stifles business owners. Still, with proper guidance and the right processes, there is a way to resolve it.
In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with Genevieve Cassuci, Director and Co-founder of Pivotl. We discuss how essential planning is for businesses to accommodate physical and mental health conditions. She also shares why getting guidance from qualified professionals is necessary to resolve these issues, and Gen also touches on the benefits of having systems in place.
Tune in to this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 The Elevation Program 0:56 Genevieve shares her story 5:43 How a scenario planning looks for mental health issues 7:15 Identifying mental health issues 8:05 Working out what’s going on and finding solutions 12:57 It is difficult to accept that something has to change 16:27 Guidance from someone qualified is important 18:06 The right process when someone is not truthful 22:06 Looking into your onboarding processes 25:48 Things to put in place to accommodate changes 26:59 Importance of insurance 31:40 Business plan
About the Guest:
Genevieve Cassuci is a qualified health professional with postgraduate qualifications in Rehabilitation Counselling with substantial experience in the health sector. Besides that, she has concurrently personally owned and partnered in several business operations in Allied Health, professional consultancy, food manufacturing, hospitality, events management, franchising, and export.
Eventually, Gen identified the benefit of blending her business acumen with the needs of people who have acquired a disabling medical condition. Through Pivotl she, and her team mentor and guide business owners and want-to-be entrepreneurs to re-create, re-structure, re-think, re-adjust and re-assess their business, now that they have medical limitations to factor into their futures.
Genevieve and her team work with new and existing business owners and entrepreneurs from various industries and in any location to grow and diversify their businesses.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit Pivotl’s website (www.pivotl.com.au) Contact Genevieve through email (gen@pivotl.com.au) Listen to related podcasts: TSS231 - https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/insurance-1/ TSS232 - https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/insurance-2/ TSS233 - https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/insurance-3/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
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We don’t want chaotic turnovers; we want smooth transitions when it comes to an exit. Most business owners dream of it but don’t see the need to plan today, which is not the wisest thing to do. Whether an exit for you means selling your business or staying as the owner but having someone manage it for you, a graceful exit is possible.
In today’s podcast episode, the third and final of the Exit Strategy vs. Wishful Hoping series, Danielle Putnam and I discuss how to go about a graceful exit. We also discuss the importance of identifying your time’s highest use and why it is crucial to delegate some of it. We also tackle the importance of technology and a lot more.
Take time to listen to this episode today!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Offer and Introduction
1:52 Recap of the previous episodes
3:16 How to gracefully exit
7:34 Identifying the highest use of your time
9:46 Work with the end in mind
10:00 Having the right people on your team
12:23 Being honest
13:40 Offloading tasks to other people
14:23 Technology is crucial
15:18 Exit from other stuff to focus on what’s valuable
15:28 Delegate and free up your time
About the Guest:
Danielle Putnam is the president of The New Flat Rate, a company that she and her father founded in 2011. She is also the immediate past President of Women in HVACR, an organisation that encourages more women to enter the trades.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit The New Flat Rate’s website (https://thenewflatrate.com/) Contact Danielle through email (danielle@thenewflatrate.com) Listen to the previous podcast episodes in this series. TSS 283 (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/danielle-putnam/) TSS 284 (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/danielle-putnam-2/)
Books mentioned in this episode: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't (https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. You can listen from your mobile device right now. 🎧 🎧 Click here 🎧 🎧
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are you making your business valuable and saleable enough? Buyers look into the value of your business before they even consider buying it. And if you want a successful exit from your business, it’s time to put in the work needed to build value. Aim to understand the factors involved in creating a more valuable business that buyers will want to buy.
In today’s podcast episode, I talk once again with my guest Danielle Putnam. This episode is the second of a three-part series called Exit Strategy vs. Wishful Hoping. Danielle discusses the things buyers look into during the acquisition of your business. She also shares the areas that a business owner should look in to create more business value. She encourages business owners to make constant room for improvements in their business today.
Tune in to this episode!
Discussion Points:
0:00 Elevation Program 1:09 Episode overview 4:04 Making your company as valuable as it can be today 4:47 Monthly recurring revenue 5:35 Service agreements 7:07 Profit margin 8:53 The importance of tracking 10:05 What buyers look into during acquisition 12:11 Being honest and realistic about what your profit is 14:18 Increase the value of your business numerically 17:30 What value building should be like daily 19:01 There is room for improvement 19:45 Adding value to your existing customers 22:29 Make a distinction between what’s valuable or not 23:18 Danielle shares important takeaways
About the Guest:
Danielle Putnam is the president of The New Flat Rate, a company that she and her father founded in 2011. She is also the immediate past President of Women in HVACR, an organisation that encourages more women to enter the trades.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit The New Flat Rate’s website (https://thenewflatrate.com/) Contact Danielle through email (danielle@thenewflatrate.com) Listen to the first podcast episode in this series... TSS 283 (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/danielle-putnam/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most trades business owners are not aware of the fact that they can sell their business. A reason why an exit strategy is not something they plan on doing until later. But from the moment you opened your business, you can already start planning your exit strategy, starting with identifying why you want to exit your business, so you can gear up towards making your business saleable when the time comes.
In today’s podcast episode, I welcome my guest Danielle Putnam. This episode is the first of a three-part series called Exit Strategy vs. Wishful Hoping. We discuss why most business owners fail to create an exit strategy from the beginning. Danielle also shares a framework to follow for an exit strategy and the importance of understanding your organisational chart.
Find out more about what an exit strategy is and how you can start planning it by tuning in to this episode.
Discussion Points:
0:00 Offer and Introduction 3:08 Danielle shares her story 7:27 Most business owners don’t have an exit strategy from the get-go 9:48 Most business owners lack an understanding of business dynamics 13:04 The exit strategy is about freedom 15:12 Framework for an exit strategy 16:37 Things a buyer wants to know before buying a competitor 19:34 The beginning phase of an exit strategy 22:28 Evolution happens in business 23:15 The organisational chart 24:11 Recognise how many spots you as the owner is filling 25:23 What true success is 25:57 Have high-level talent in your team
About the Guest:
Danielle Putnam is the president of The New Flat Rate, a company that she and her father founded in 2011. She is also the immediate past President of Women in HVACR, an organisation that encourages more women to enter the trades.
Resources: Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Visit The New Flat Rate’s website (https://thenewflatrate.com/) Contact Danielle through email (danielle@thenewflatrate.com) Dominic Rubino’s Podcast - Cabinet Maker Profit System Podcast (https://cabinetmakerprofitsystem.com/podcast/)
Books mentioned in this episode: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't (https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The journey towards a successful business is not without challenges. The good thing, however, about doing business today is that there are a lot of tools available to help with growth. There are so many business owners though who think that utilising these tools will only mean another expense and a waste of time when it’s actually the opposite as it could translate to more savings and more time on your hands.
In this week’s podcast episode, I am joined by Peter Kendall. He is the Director and Founder of Expanse Builders and We Hang Doors. He is one of The Site Shed’s avid podcast listeners. Peter shares his business journey and how he has brought it to where it is today. He also talks about how he is utilising Facebook to gather leads and bring in new customers. His story is indeed inspirational and encourages business owners that growing one’s business is not an impossible feat.
Get inspiration and wisdom from today’s episode!
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
0:00 Offer and Introduction 5:45 Peter shares his business story 11:59 Marketing strategies Peter implemented 13:39 Reach your customers where they are 16:31 Facebook marketing and facebook community groups 17:53 Building a following 19:47 Business mistakes Peter made and what he did 21:55 Utilising software to streamline your operations 30:27 Importance of getting feedback from clients 33:27 Peter shares his sales process 37:26 Prompting people on things they haven’t thought about yet 38:42 Addressing questions and doing follow-ups 46:54 Automating your processes reduces error 47:48 Checklists and procedures for consistency 53:32 Peter shares how he realised that he needed a business process 56:33 Things Peter learned during the pandemic 1:05:19 Next steps of Peter’s business
About the Guest:
Peter Kendall is director of We Hang Doors and Expanse Builders. He is an active follower of The Site Shed podcast from its inception and is a member of our community. Peter has grown his business significantly throughout the years and is a testimony that success, when coupled with diligence, right processes, and tools is not out of our reach.
Resources: Check out Peter Kendall’s website for Expanse builders (www.expanse.builders) Tradie Web Guys ‘automation’ - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/automation/) Tradie Web Guys Elevation Program - (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/elevation/) Tradie Web Guys’ Apply (qualification) page (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply/) Check out the Critical Client Flow chart
Books mentioned in this episode: SYSTEMology, by David Jenyns (https://amzn.to/34kxRMT)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Successful companies do not just earn tons of money, they also know how to keep their employees. In today’s workplace, employees coming in and going out seems like a norm when it should not. Your employees are a vital part of your company and contribute a lot to your success, if they are leaving you every now and then it’s high time to evaluate your practices and implement ways to make them stay.
In this third and final episode of this ‘Creating an Amazing Employee experience’ I talk with Erica and Stephen of Power Selling Pros. We delve into practices that successful companies implement to retain their employees. We also discuss why a company culture that is designed with intention is important for your company and the people who work for you and many more.
There are a lot of amazing takeaways from this episode that you’ll learn a lot from as a business owner. Tune in now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
0:00 Offer & Introduction 1:59 Retention starts with the job application experience 5:46 Recruiting is a marketing exercise 6:34 Money isn’t the only reason employees stay 7:58 Creating opportunities for your employees 9:29 Give your employees a clear direction 10:34 Let your employees know that they’re valuable 14:23 A good onboarding is essential 16:34 Designing your company culture with intention 17:59 The struggle of ongoing training 18:24 A training calendar 22:30 Processes are important 24:26 Important points to remember
About the Guests:
Stephen Dale is an established business coach and mentor in the industry. He worked as a home service operations manager for 18 years—amassing various notes, information, and processes on managing a business effectively. In the past three years, he has been Power Selling Pros’ director of training, helping hundreds of companies figure out ways to run their business procedures faster and more efficiently.
Erica Leonor is a professional customer service coach and sales trainer. Her extensive knowledge of leadership mechanics, customer approach, and cultural awareness has helped her identify the needs of different organizations. She is regarded as a Master Jedi Trainer at Power Selling Pros, providing practical solutions to business problems. As a motivational speaker, Erica aims to make the journey towards success for business owners an easier route.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Power Selling Pros Website (https://www.powersellingpros.com) Reach Stephen Dale through his email at stephen@powersellingpros.com Reach Erica Leonor through her email at erica@powersellingpros.com Listen to Part 1 and 2 of this series TSS 279: Why Your Employee Experience Probably Sucks (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/employee-experience-1) TSS 280: What's Your Purpose? (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/employee-experience-2) Check out this podcast with David Jenyns TSS 267: Don’t Believe the Myth! Systems Remove Creativity (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/david-jenyns-3)
Books mentioned in this episode: Systemology by David Jenyns (https://amzn.to/34kxRMT) Atomic Habits by James Clear (https://amzn.to/3nDR2r3) The Perfect Day Formula Craig Ballantyne (https://amzn.to/3oVypjV)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When it comes to creating an amazing employee experience, do not undermine the power of purpose. There’s a lot of talk about this and yet there are still so many who neglect or put aside creating one for their companies that they’re missing out on a lot. Your purpose is vital as it provides direction and clarity not just for you but even for your employees.
In today’s podcast episode, Erica and Stephen of Power Selling Pros join me once again for Part 2 of the series ‘Creating an Amazing Employee Experience’. We talk about how most companies lack a mission statement and what it does. We also discuss why it’s not wise to copy and paste purpose statements of other companies. We also tackle practical ways for companies to start crafting purpose statements that align with who they are.
Understand what purpose is and begin crafting one for your company. Tune in to this episode today.
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
0:00 Offer & Introduction 3:35 Recap of the first episode 4:40 A lack of a mission statement and purpose in companies 5:05 Purpose gives direction 6:38 Questions Stephen asks to reflect on purpose 8:41 How most vision, mission statements are cliché 9:08 Digging deeper into your purpose statement 10:48 Start with a small daily purpose 12:58 Thoughts drive behavior 14:54 Looking into the kind of meetings you have with employees 17:20 Where to begin when creating your purpose statement 19:16 Revising your mission statements when necessary 19:56 Takeaways for this episode
About the Guests:
Stephen Dale is an established business coach and mentor in the industry. He worked as a home service operations manager for 18 years—amassing various notes, information, and processes on managing a business effectively. In the past three years, he has been Power Selling Pros’ director of training, helping hundreds of companies figure out ways to run their business procedures faster and more efficiently.
Erica Leonor is a professional customer service coach and sales trainer. Her extensive knowledge of leadership mechanics, customer approach, and cultural awareness has helped her identify the needs of different organizations. She is regarded as a Master Jedi Trainer at Power Selling Pros, providing practical solutions to business problems. As a motivational speaker, Erica aims to make the journey towards success for business owners an easier route.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Power Selling Pros Website (https://www.powersellingpros.com) Reach Stephen Dale through his email at stephen@powersellingpros.com Reach Erica Leonor through her email at erica@powersellingpros.com Listen to Part 1 of this series TSS 279: Why Your Employee Experience Probably Sucks (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/employee-experience-1/)
Books mentioned in this episode: Find Your Why by Simon Sinek (https://amzn.to/39FZe51)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Managing a trades business is not a one-person show. Different factors affect the growth of your company, and one of those factors are your employees. Since employees represent your business's branding, getting them engaged and motivated will reap better results and long-term benefits that you and the whole company will enjoy. So, how can you develop or nurture an amazing employee experience in your company?
In the first episode of the three-part series called “Creating an Amazing Employee Experience”, I welcome Stephen Dale and Erica Leonor, professional trainers at Power Selling Pros. Stephen, Erica, and I discuss why paying attention and conversing with employees impacts the business, the values of having a savings account, and the difference between paying people and appreciating their efforts. We also highlight why leadership plays a crucial role in molding the roadmap to success.
So, tune in now to learn more about employee experience and how you can make changes to your business.
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
0:00 Offer & Introduction 3:42 A rundown of Power Selling Pros 5:19 Why accountability coaching is essential for your company 8:40 The company culture and design set up everyone’s success 11:31 Setting expectations and deliverables in the business 13:10 Dealing with different people and the importance of teaching the fundamentals 15:10 How the leadership style affects employee experience 16:54 Managing the energy rather than the employees’ personality 18:34 Knowing what success looks like to the employee 23:20 The cultural impact of having a goal 24:44 Individual-based conversations matter 27:35 Understanding the value of money and saving 30:52 The problem with ‘one employee review’ in a single business year 32:55 The gravity of investing time and effort in your employees’ lives 36:09 Productivity increases when employees are engaged and inspired 37:52 What business owners can do to motivate their employees 40:33 Giving workers time to prepare for the meeting
About the Guests:
Stephen Dale is an established business coach and mentor in the industry. He worked as a home service operations manager for 18 years—amassing various notes, information, and processes on managing a business effectively. In the past three years, he has been Power Selling Pros’ director of training, helping hundreds of companies figure out ways to run their business procedures faster and more efficiently.
Erica Leonor is a professional customer service coach and sales trainer. Her extensive knowledge of leadership mechanics, customer approach, and cultural awareness has helped her identify the needs of different organizations. She is regarded as a Master Jedi Trainer at Power Selling Pros, providing practical solutions to business problems. As a motivational speaker, Erica aims to make the journey towards success for business owners an easier route.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Acorns Website (https://www.acorns.com) Power Selling Pros Website (https://www.powersellingpros.com) Reach Stephen Dale through his email at stephen@powersellingpros.com Reach Erica Leonor through her email at erica@powersellingpros.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Businesses, no matter the type and purpose, need employees to complete certain tasks or activities. These workers are part of the process that keeps the business rolling. Hence, hiring someone fit for the position, not only because of the skill and competence, is very important for the business to grow.
In this third and last episode of the Creative Recruiting series, Ryan and I will conclude this informative conversation with recruitment key points and takeaways. We will talk about why you should hire people with the right attitude, why your company’s core values and the applicant’s personal values need to be aligned, and why a bad hire is costly.
Tune in now to be more informed in your next recruitment campaign plans.
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
03:55 Hiring for attitude not experience 07:05 Always continue recruiting and looking for talent 08:04 Recruitment is similar to customer marketing 10:10 The Bench Process 12:59 Values alignment matters during the hiring process 16:02 Behavioural assessments 18:04 Interviews look at the cultural fit of the applicant What is the cost of a bad hire 22:06 Summary of the episodes and this series
About the Guest:
Ryan Englin is the CEO of Core Matters, an organisation focused on developing the recruitment systems and processes of different businesses. With over ten years of professional experience in the field, Ryan has provided strategic and marketing assistance to different companies. He coaches businesses on the right ways of attracting the right people, and has created unique approaches to develop and maintain systems for independent contractors in the industry. Ryan aims to help companies find the perfect fit in their growing team of professionals.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The Core Matters Website (https://thecorematters.com/) Reach Ryan through email (ryan@thecorematters.com) Kolbe Website (https://www.kolbe.com/) Listen to the first and second part of the series
Part 1: The Recruitment Attraction Model (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/ryan-englin-1) Part 2: Creating a Recruiting Engine (lhttps://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/ryan-englin-2)
Books mentioned in this episode: Unmasked: How to Hire the Ones You Won't Want to Fire by Ryan Englin and Jeremy Macliver. (https://www.amazon.com/Unmasked-Hire-Ones-Wont-Want-ebook/dp/B088XZFK2F)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you ever experienced recruiting somebody only to fire them after three weeks? This is a great waste of resources on your part and downright frustrating and exhausting too. But, what if you can change that cycle and find efficient ways to bring people in who are willing to stay for the long haul, join you in your business journey and excited about the destination of your company?
In this second episode of the Creative Recruiting series, Ryan and I will discuss the little ecosystem he has created which has greatly impacted many businesses, particularly in their recruitment process. We will also talk about how employees impact your profit, the importance of the employee perspective in your business, and why core values dictate the direction of your company.
Join us now as we delve deeply into the recruitment process.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Automation in business [03:25] Hiring process should not be rushed [04:25] Using the core fit hiring model [06:33] Establish your company’s vision first [07:10] Core values do not change [08:54] Importance of having core values and a clear vision for the brand [11:04] Your values and story affect how people talk about your company [13:08] The Find Process [17:56] Job modelling [18:06] The 360 marketing plan [21:13] Automate through applicant tracking systems [22:19] Hiring process of the recruitment engine [25:48] Testing for behavior not for skills [27:00] Setting and following the predetermined expectations [28:11] The Onboarding process [31:14] Compliance vs transition period [31:23] 2-4-12 launch method [32:42] Investing time and engaging with employees matters [34:51] Assessment of the process [36:25]
About the Guest:
Ryan Englin is the CEO of Core Matters, an organisation focused on developing the recruitment systems and processes of different businesses. With over ten years of professional experience in the field, Ryan has provided strategic and marketing assistance to different companies. He coaches businesses on the right ways of attracting the right people, and has created unique approaches to develop and maintain systems for independent contractors in the industry. Ryan aims to help companies find the perfect fit in their growing team of professionals.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The Core Matters Website (https://thecorematters.com/) Reach Ryan through email (ryan@thecorematters.com) GoHire Website (https://gohire.io/) CareerPlug Website (https://www.careerplug.com/) Listen to the first part of the series Part 1: The Recruitment Attraction Model (link)
Books mentioned in this episode: Unmasked: How to Hire the Ones You Won't Want to Fire by Ryan Englin and Jeremy Macliver (https://www.amazon.com/Unmasked-Hire-Ones-Wont-Want-ebook/dp/B088XZFK2F)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
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If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
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The recruitment space is always evolving and moving towards different goals. As a business owner, it is important to attract talented people to be part of your team. Hence, improving your recruitment, onboarding, and retaining processes is essential if you want to build a team that is going to help take your business to the next level.
In this first episode of a three-part series called Creative Recruiting, I will be joined by Ryan Englin, the CEO of Core Matters. Ryan and I will be discussing how attracting the right people to join your team creates a difference, how company branding influences your systems, and how motivators help your recruitment processes. Importantly, we will be focusing on why recruiting people with the right attitude helps your business.
So, join us today and learn the tricks and strategies to win the attention of talented folks looking for jobs out there!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: The interest for better recruitment processes [04:29] The bread and butter of Core Matters [07:43] Introducing a career path is more rewarding than just a job position [10:22] What companies need to remember [12:20] Responding swiftly to potentiality excellent workers matters [12:55] Businesses should be attractive to attract good people [13:46] Using the right processes of qualifying makes the hiring process easier [15:17] Qualifications of someone you want in your business [16:20] Employer branding affects your recruitment process [18:51] The things that attracts potential employees [23:17] Specific company purposes drive the modern workforce [23:38] Non-monetary rewards for accomplishments [25:59] Values-driven employee referral program [26:42] Placing motivators in your recruitment process [28:55] Using outcome-based measurements or metrics [32:35] Systems help businesses grow [33:13] Difference between managing people and managing systems [34:19] Getting results through changing your approach in the process [35:21]
About the Guest:
Ryan Englin is the CEO of Core Matters, an organisation focused on developing the recruitment systems and processes of different businesses. With over ten years of professional experience in the field, Ryan has provided strategic and marketing assistance to different companies. He coaches businesses on the right ways of attracting the right people, and has created unique approaches to develop and maintain systems for independent contractors in the industry. Ryan aims to help companies find the perfect fit in their growing team of professionals.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The Core Matters Website (https://thecorematters.com/) Reach Ryan through email (ryan@thecorematters.com) ProScan is a device developed by Professional DynaMetric Programs, Inc. (PDP) (https://www.pdpglobal.com/)
Books mentioned in this episode: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't - James C. Collins (https://amzn.to/3kJul3q)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On average, everyone spends more than eight hours of their time doing work tasks and completing documents. Some even go beyond that time frame to get the job done. As entrepreneurs, a huge percentage of our day is given to our company. So, how can we manage it properly?
In this last episode of the Ownership Thinking series, Jeremy and I will be discussing the things you should and shouldn't be talking about at work, the benefits of having a system or process, and the importance of assigning work tasks to others.
If you haven't watched the last two episodes of this series, I encourage you to check it out first. Some things discussed here are connected to the previous episodes. If you've seen them, then tune in to this last episode now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: How Jeremy realised talking work at work is exhausting [4:03] Having a system and process speeds up tasks [6:38] The goal of a process is consistency and not perfection [9:20] Disadvantages of over systemizing [11:08] Leaving space for workers’ creativity [11:41] Only documenting the things that need a process [12:44] Structure a foundation and improve it later [15:40] Get things done by establishing what works best for your business [17:30] Take the time to learn and pass it on [19:57] Delegating tasks to others to ensure growth [21:38] Involving workers in the process creates an impact [21:47] Leaders should first start the process [22:36] Recap of the ownership thinking series [23:41] Business owner is a leader who values the growth of his or her people [24:04] Guaranteed traction with Jeremy [25:16]
About the Guest:
Jeremy Macliver is a certified EOS implementer, serial entrepreneur, and speaker who is passionate about helping business owners get what they want from their business. Under his wing, multiple businesses flourished in high growth phases in different industries, such as construction, automotive, and service. Now, Jeremy focuses on sharing his insights and lessons to leadership teams to reignite their passion and to guide them through the process of building long-lasting organisations that are accountable to their vision.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Guaranteed Traction Website (www.GuaranteedTraction.com) Reach Jeremy through email (Jeremy@GuaranteedTraction.com) SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems by David Jenyns. https://amzn.to/34kxRMT Listen to Part 1 of this series (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/jeremy-1/) Listen to Part 2 of this series (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/jeremy-2/)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The promises of more time, more income, being your own boss are most likely what attracted you to start your own business. And while all these things can come true, it doesn’t happen instantly. If you want to become a business owner, there’s a need to start thinking like one, which results in acting like one, otherwise you’ll end up burnt out juggling between different tasks like you’ve taken more jobs for you to do just so the business doesn’t fall apart.
This podcast episode today is the second part of the series ‘Ownership Thinking’ with Jeremy Macliver. We will discuss what it means to start thinking like a business owner. Moreover, we will talk about accountability in the business, understanding what your strengths are and utilising them to grow your business, and why it’s important to build a team that is able to support you in achieving your business goals.
We have very interesting discussion points aimed at helping you become the business owner you ought to be. Tune in to this episode now.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Transitioning from worker to business owner [05:35] No school for entrepreneurship; instead it’s living with experience [08:07] What accountability stands for in business [09:10] Playbook for business, the accountability chart [10:44] Identifying the work roles in the business matters [11:54] Understanding your strong points and abilities creates an impact [14:20] Hiring the right people for the right position [15:16] You can still be the owner without running the business [17:03] Improving interests and skills for the better [18:24] Basic knowledge of the things going on in your business [19:18] Using metric systems for forecasting and understanding your business [23:21] Culture of empowering people to make decisions and solve problems [25:22]
About the Guest:
Jeremy Macliver is a certified EOS implementer, serial entrepreneur, and speaker who is passionate about helping business owners get what they want from their business. Under his wing, multiple businesses flourished in high growth phases in different industries, such as construction, automotive, and service. Now, Jeremy focuses on sharing his insights and lessons to leadership teams to reignite their passion and to guide them through the process of building long-lasting organizations that are accountable to their vision.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Guaranteed Traction Website (www.GuaranteedTraction.com) Reach Jeremy through email (Jeremy@GuaranteedTraction.com) Listen to the first part of this series Part 1: Why Sports Teams Hit Their Goals Out of the Park, Yet Tradies and Contractors Struggle (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/jeremy-1/)
Books mentioned in this episode: Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters (https://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Fuel-Essential-Combination-Business/dp/1942952317)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sports and business are alike in so many ways. A lot of analogies are formed between the two because of it. For instance, sports teams require a clear vision, mission, goals, and strategies among others if they want success and that is the same way with businesses that we build and manage. But even with all their similarities, they differ in the way they are hitting their goals as most businesses, if not all, are struggling with producing the results they want.
In today's episode, Jeremy Macliver and I delve into where the difference lies, and what can be done about it .We also talk about Jeremy’s professional experience and what his business offers to entrepreneurs, specifically tradies. Then, we tackle and point-out the similarities of a sports and business team and how each element builds upon the other towards success. Jeremy also points out how critical it is to define your measure of success.
Understand your business more through the language of sports by listening to this podcast episode now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Jeremy’s professional background [02:49] What Guaranteed Traction offers [06:12] Learning from experiences and struggles [07:59] Take action [10:44] Get the right people in your corner [11:29] Guaranteed Traction is client-focused [15:17] Importance of having the right mindset [16:23] Similarities between sports teams and businesses [19:04] Define what winning is at the biggest level [22:59] Break down goals into achievable chunks [24:11] Build and train your team [26:16] Aligning business values and attitudes [28:42] The advantage of having a coach [31:32] Assign right people for the right positions [33:56] Give attention to the middle of your goal-achieving process [37:17]
About the Guest:
Jeremy Macliver is a certified EOS implementer, serial entrepreneur, and speaker who is passionate about helping business owners get what they want from their business. Under his wing, multiple businesses flourished in high growth phases in different industries, such as construction, automotive, and service. Now, Jeremy focuses on sharing his insights and lessons to leadership teams to reignite their passion and to guide them through the process of building long-lasting organizations that are accountable to their vision.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Guaranteed Traction Website (www.GuaranteedTraction.com) Reach Jeremy through email (Jeremy@GuaranteedTraction.com)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pictures indeed paint a thousand words. Photos are better proof of evidence for your work, alongside customer feedback and reviews.
In today’s episode, photography and video specialist, Aaron McKay discuss the importance of having a website and a well-curated project gallery. Project galleries serve as touchpoints for promising clients and possibly be the final push they need to acquire your services. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages of using drones in content creation in any field of work. May it be in construction or agriculture.
Know more about how critical content creation and capture in expanding your network. Listen to this podcast episode today!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Aaron’s professional background [04:31] Building a project gallery [05:14] The convenience of using phones in content creation [07:27] Value of time lapse shots for Tradies [09:54] Learn the fundamentals and basic principles [10:58] Drones: How do you use them properly? [13:54] Drone-use restrictions in major cities [15:02] Things to consider before capturing media content [20:40] Practical construction uses for drones [23:12] Integrate the use of specific software [24:53] Starting points for content capture [27:01] Build your own library of touchpoints [32:25] No excuses: do what you need to do [37:14] Tradie work is not uninteresting [38:32] Aerial photography training by Aaron [42:13]
About the Guest:
Aaron McKay has been part of the photography and video specialty industry for over 20 years. With his skills acquired throughout the years, he carries it into the aerial media field and uses drones for aerial photography and video, mapping, data analysis, and 3D modelling since 2017. Aaron aims to provide excellent yet affordable services to his clients.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Check Aaron’s Aus Aerial Media profile at (https://www.ausaerialmedia.com.au/) Reach Aaron’s social media at (@ausaerialmedia) Contact Aaron through email (aaron@ausaerialmedia.com.au)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It is not too difficult to see what impact the coronavirus crisis has on businesses. Unemployment is at an all-time high now and it seems like everyone is just doing what they can to survive. But how are companies holding up as of the moment especially in the trades? Ever wondered how you are stacking up against other trade companies?
In today’s podcast episode, Michael Steckler, CEO of Tradify talks about the Tradify Pulse Report. Michael expounds the reason behind the status report, and what are the key takeaways and recommendations from the report that are especially useful for tradies who need to keep up with the demands of the current situation. We discuss how this pandemic highlighted the needed shift from traditional means to digital to make things easier.
If you are still sticking to your pen and paper techniques, this episode will surely make you seriously consider a shift to using the digital methods.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Conducting customers’ status report [04:39] Effects of COVID among businesses [07:11] The report as an outline for the industry moving forward [08:32] How the pandemic affected the tradies’ workload [10:05] Key takeaways from the report [12:10] Making money isn’t always the purpose [13:58] Shift from traditional to digital [14:48] The effects of proper planning [16:58] Digital technology and online portfolios [19:54] A software is as good as the information it gets [22:08] Give emphasis on customer support [22:46] The revolution of software as service businesses [24:16] Revelations from satisfied software users [25:40] Recommendations based on the report’s results [26:57] Softwares makes transactions easier [29:12] Be open to learning new technologies [35:16] Communicate better through SAAS [36:37] The next steps for Michael [38:53]
About Michael Steckler:
Michael Steckler is the CEO of Tradify, which is a job management software app made especially for tradies. Tradify is an application that helps tradespeople manage and grow their business, especially when it comes to managing their finances. This software has helped tradies shorten their time working on administrative tasks and focus more on enjoying their lives outside work.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Tradify website (http://www.tradifyhq.com/) Check the Tradify Pulse Report (https://www.tradifyhq.com/reports/thepulse)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Managing the financial aspect of the business always brings in headaches, especially among those who are not familiar with financial terms and processes. Usually, what most tradies and founders do is just leave these issues for accountants and bookkeepers to handle, avoiding it altogether. However, as a responsible business owner, there is a need to know and somehow grasp what is going on in the financial aspect of your business. This is easier said than done especially because of communication barriers between the two parties.
In today’s podcast, we will be uncovering Katie Marshall’s book, Profit First for Tradies. Katie is a certified profit first coach who helps tradies, in particular, manage their finances and how to coordinate with their accountants and bookkeepers effectively while following the profit-first framework. In this podcast, we will also discuss the importance of financial literacy across all ages and professions.
If you want to know more about this framework and its direct and indirect effects to your business, tune in to this episode now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Katie’s professional background [02:49] What is profit first? [05:24] Why Katie wrote the Profit First for Tradies book [07:07] Importance of financial literacy [09:50] It gets worse before it get better [12:27] The perspective of profit first [15:00] The framework raises the red flags [16:29] Profit first reports based on balance sheets and reports [18:56] Identify and separate the accounts [20:08] Allocate an appointment with yourself [23:03] Break down a vision into actionable steps [26:05] Indirect positive effects of the profit first framework [27:31] The shift that makes a client interested in checking their finances [30:21] Tradies, accountants, and profit first [31:37] Katie’s tips for tradies [35:17]
About the Guest:
Katie Crismale-Marshall started out as a financial planner before she encountered the profit first framework. She, now, is a certified profit first coach and is the newly acclaimed author of Profit First for Tradies. She manages a bookkeeping business, Efficient Tradie, that primarily focuses on helping tradies with their bookkeeping to make it efficient and simple. With this framework, Katie sees how her clients change their view about bookkeeping, from avoiding it to checking into it closely.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Profit First for Tradies website (https://www.profitfirstfortradies.com.au/) Reach her out through this email (katie@profitfirstfortradies.com.au) Download “7 mistakes Tradies make when setting up Profit First” (https://www.profitfirstfortradies.com.au/toolbox)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We’ve all been there—the barrage of questions fired at you, the requests that go beyond what’s reasonable, the phone calls every now and then on project updates. One of the biggest problems we all face at the start and middle of a project is dealing with our client’s expectations. We just can’t seem to put their worries and queries to rest. However, since they are making the biggest investment in their lives, it’s unavoidable for them to want to hear feedback now and again. So what can you do to manage those expectations?
Overcoming the communication barrier between client and tradie and understanding that they don’t speak the same language that you do are key to handling your clients. And that’s what we’re here to discuss with Russ Stevens, Co-Founder of the Association of Professional Builders. From onboarding clients to doing milestone meetings, you’ll find so much value in this episode that it’s a crime not to watch.
Be a pro at handling your clients from start to finish by tuning in to this episode!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: What Russ and the Association of Professional Builders do for tradies [02:52] How to deal with client expectations from start to finish [03:39] Be proactive, not reactive [06:05] Systemisation is a never-ending improvement [08:16] When you try to go the extra mile for the client, a scope creep is to be expected [09:05] Proper communications set proper client expectations [11:23] Enabling the client to see the project’s progress using software [12:38] Business education may not have been taught at school, but it can be developed [13:49] How to improve and smoothen your client onboarding process [15:57] Upon onboarding your client, do not rush, take your time [18:27] When talking to your client, try to steer clear from the tradies jargon [19:13] Automating and streamlining your client onboarding process [20:31] Client offboarding is just as important as onboarding [22:17] Russ’ advice on doing milestone meetings [23:35] Should you include possible project variations on milestone meetings? [25:24] Attracting the right type of customer from a marketing and sales perspective [26:46] Asking the right questions to avoid disqualifying the right clients [28:49] Remaining proactive with a potential client to get a potential sale in the long run [30:35] The new way to attract quality leads [32:59]
About the Guest:
Russ Stephens is the co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders, a business coaching company dedicated to improving the residential construction industry for both builders and consumers. He helps builders systemise their building company, resulting in an improved client experience which leads to more demand. This allows an increase in margins and ultimately the ability to scale their businesses into desirable building companies that possess real value and can be sold as an asset.
He firmly believes that residential home builders deserve to be earning more money for the service they are providing and that consumers deserve a superior service than they currently receive.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the APB Website (APBBuilders.com) Get ahold of Russ through email (russ@apbbuilders.com) Get access to the “Managing Client Expectations” Training Course and Booklet (https://coaching.apbbuilders.com/p/managing-client-expectations/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When you’ve spent so much time mastering and perfecting your craft, delegating your task to someone who may or may not be up to par with your standards would be the last thing you’d ever want to do. However, if growing your business is your goal, sometimes, you need to take the tradie hat off and put the trades business owner hat on.
Making that sudden mind shift might sound easier said than done. That’s why Bruce Poling, Director at The Joinery Coach, joins us today to share his story on how he made that shift himself. We talk about how he sold his joinery business and started to pursue business coaching, what the value of a good onboarding process is to make sure things get done right from the start, and why you should be receptive to coaching and new learning.
Take notes and get yourself started as a trades business owner today by tuning in to this episode!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: How Bruce went from joinery to manufacturing [03:34] Selling his business and working for a software company [04:17] Why he decided to sell his joinery business [05:58] Making his business saleable [07:21] Determining whether your business is taking you where you want to be [09:25] We’re more than who we think we are [11:44] When you start a business, you need to get out of the technical mindset [14:07] 90% of everything joinery does is pure manufacturing [16:19] Sometimes, it’s best to just have a few experienced people on a team [17:08] Putting the right people in the right places [18:37] True apprenticeship is nurturing people to become highly-skilled ones [19:41] There is no skill shortage, just ones that we failed to make look attractive enough [21:29] If you want to hire and retain good people, provide them with a career path [22:28] Having a good onboarding process is key to getting the job done right [23:39] Growing your company means adapting to a tech-driven world [25:55] Hold yourself accountable for learning things you need to know as an owner [29:26] Don’t try to do everything; delegate your tasks [32:50] Be receptive to new learning and don’t be averse to getting coached [33:25] Figure out what problem you need to solve [37:21] Find someone who can solve that problem [37:55] Negative feedback is not always negative [40:06] Alignment of your brand is crucial in succeeding in the industry [41:35] If you want to be marketable, you need to have more than 1 niche [45:30] Fundamental shifts tradies need to make when starting a business [47:07]
About the Guest:
Bruce Poling started out as a cabinet maker and transitioned to becoming a joinery manufacturing business owner. Getting burnt-out along the process, he decided to take a sharp turn in 2002, he sold his business and started on a new path towards business coaching. Today, Bruce is in the business of helping people turn their joinery business into a profitable investment, and find the wealth and freedom they have always wanted from day one through The Joinery Coach.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the Joinery Coach website (www.thejoinerycoach.com) Listen to the Joinery Business podcast (https://www.thejoinerycoach.com/podcast) Follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheJoineryCoach/) Join The Joinery Hub Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheJoineryBusinessHub) Reach out to him through his email (Bruce@thejoinerycoach.com) Download the “10 Problems Every Joinery Business Has and How to Solve Them” (https://www.thejoinerycoach.com/10steps)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People always have an inherent fear of the unknown, new, and different. And so, systems and processes that seem alien to you and your team can breed myths and misconceptions. What if in adapting systems, I put myself out of work? Will this new system guarantee success? Or failure? However, these myths won’t be anything but non beneficial to your trades business. The first step to clearing the fog is grasping the concept behind SYSTEMology.
Today is the third and final episode of the ‘SYSTEMology - Create Time, Reduce Errors, and Scale Your Profits’ series with bestselling author, Dave Jenyns. We’ll talk about the biggest myths around systemisation and how you can create the least path of resistance towards embracing it.
Build a climate of trust, change, and creativity within your team by tuning in to this episode!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Culture is key in implementing systems [05:17] The biggest challenge is the resistance to systems [06:56] Systems are basically your business’ playbook [09:20] Systemisation gives more space for creativity [10:17] Managing expectations to avoid scope creep [12:47] Documenting and applying best practices to delivery consistency [15:01] Creating systems allow team members to sneak a peek at success [16:06] The seven steps of SYSTEMology [17:50] Perfecting the systems is a trial-and-error process [20:03] The biggest myth in systemisation [22:34]
About the Guest:
In 2016, David Jenyns successfully systemised himself out of his business, one of Australia’s most trusted digital agencies, melbourneSEOservices.com. Through this process, he became a systems devotee – founding systemHUB & SYSTEMology. Today, his mission is to free all business owners worldwide from the daily operations of running their business.
With two books to his name and the SYSTEMology movement, David offers mission-centered systemising to scale up businesses and take away much of the pressure that comes with being an entrepreneur.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Check out SYSTEMology (https://www.systemology.com/) Business Process Simplified with Dave Jenyns (https://www.systemhub.com/podcast/) Reach out to Dave through his email (dave@SYSTEMology.com) Get the book at Amazon - (https://amzn.to/34kxRMT) Grab the audio version of SYSTEMology (https://adbl.co/2ZY3ARh) Follow our Facebook community ‘The Site Shed’ for announcements on how you can avail our book getaway of David Jenyns’ book SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems Watch the previous episodes of the SYSTEMology - Create Time, Reduce Errors, and Scale Your Profits series with Dave Jenyns
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/david-jenyns-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/david-jenyns-2/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Running a business and finally becoming our own boss is something that we all want as tradies. But as soon as we start our own business, we realise we know nothing about managing it at all. What’s even worse is that we end up counterintuitively doing all the leg work and not being able to get the free time that we want in the first place!
While the entire business process itself may be the brainchild of the business owners, they are certainly not the best people to document and execute them. Today, we’ll find out why as Dave Jenyns, author of SYSTEMology, joins us once more in Part 2 of our ‘SYSTEMology - Create Time, Reduce Errors, and Scale Your Profits’ series. In this episode, we’ll learn more about the critical client flow and how you can adapt that to improve your business process.
Learn how you can remove yourself from your business by tuning in to this episode!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Why business owners are not the best people to document processes [02:49] The beauty of getting the wheels turning without doing much of the work [06:15] The cost of blindly starting a business [08:12] What having good systems mean to your business [09:58] All business problems stem from having bad systems in place [10:47] How do you create a critical client flow? [12:00] Don’t over-complicate your critical client flow [14:25] Creating different critical client flows for different product lines [15:28] SYSTEMology: The building block of small businesses [17:01] 3 P’s: The killer combination [17:37]
About the Guest:
In 2016, David Jenyns successfully systemised himself out of his business, one of Australia’s most trusted digital agencies, melbourneSEOservices.com. Through this process, he became a systems devotee – founding systemHUB & SYSTEMology. Today, his mission is to free all business owners worldwide from the daily operations of running their business.
With two books to his name and the SYSTEMology movement, David offers mission-centered systemising to scale up businesses and take away much of the pressure that comes with being an entrepreneur.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Check out SYSTEMology (https://www.systemology.com/) Business Process Simplified with Dave Jenyns (https://www.systemhub.com/podcast/) Reach out to Dave through his email (dave@SYSTEMology.com) Get the book at Amazon - (https://amzn.to/34kxRMT) Grab the audio version of SYSTEMology (https://adbl.co/2ZY3ARh) The E-Myth by Michael Gerber (https://amzn.to/3awaX6g) Traction by Gino Wickman (https://amzn.to/3mp5lAw) Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman (https://amzn.to/3mrpxS0) The Profit TV Show (https://www.cnbc.com/the-profit/) Follow our Facebook community ‘The Site Shed’ for announcements on how you can avail our book getaway of David Jenyns’ book SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems Watch the previous episode of the SYSTEMology - Create Time, Reduce Errors, and Scale Your Profits series with Dave Jenyns (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/david-jenyns-1)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With the internet changing people’s ideas about entrepreneurship over the years, millions saw opportunities in starting their own business—most notably in the small business sector. How many of them pulled through? And in between the height of their business and the brink of closing down, do they ever get to measure the ‘shoulda-woulda-couldas’ towards becoming better businessmen? Starting a business is one thing. Managing it is another.
But management doesn’t mean you look after every part of the business yourself. We have process-organising and systemisation for that. Most business owners know that not systemising is costly but just haven’t given it the importance it so deserved. So what's the true cost of the failure or point-blank refusal to systemise? That’s what we’ll talk about in our first episode of the SYSTEMology - Create Time, Reduce Errors And Scale Your Profits series, with our guest, the author himself, David Jenyns.
Learn more about the consequences of saying “No” to systemising your business by tuning in to this podcast!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: The importance of building a business that works and grows without you [07:08] You are the business, that is, until you change something [08:17] Recognizing opportunities and changes [11:02] Conquer challenging situations through standing by your system Snakes and Ladders: Playing business by the steps or ten in advance [12:44] Take the opportunity to grow (the business) without being too “involved” [13:49] Business is about systems [15:25] Focus on what you do best as a businessman [15:46] Don’t try to quantify the cost of not systemising—you can’t [16:19] Instead, quantify opportunities for improvement [17:02] Systemise by chunks [18:32] Business giants can systemise—so can you [19:50] You don’t have to be McDonald’s to apply a system that works [20:44] Complicating is far from organising [20:52] Simplify [21:31]
About the Guest:
In 2016, David successfully systemised himself out of his business, one of Australia’s most trusted digital agencies, melbourneSEOservices.com. Through this process he became a systems devotee–founding systemHUB & SYSTEMology. Today, his mission is to free all business owners worldwide from the daily operations of running their business.
With two books to his name and the SYSTEMology movement, David offers mission-centered systemising to scale up businesses and take away much of the pressure that comes with being an entrepreneur.
Resources: Come visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Follow our Facebook community ‘The Site Shed’ for announcements on how you can avail our book getaway of David Jenyns’ book SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems Get the book at Amazon - https://amzn.to/34kxRMT Check out SYSTEMology (https://www.systemology.com/) Business Process Simplified with Dave Jenyns (https://www.systemhub.com/podcast/) Follow Dave Jenyns on Twitter (@davidjenyns) Reach out to Dave through his email (dave@SYSTEMology.com)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What if there is a way for you to train your tradies on how to fix electrical wiring without running the risk of electrical shock? What if you get to learn how to install a solar panel without having to be on site? As sci-fi as they may sound, with the digital transformation taking place all around us, it’s no longer hard to imagine these changes occurring in the workspace. Virtual reality is slowly creeping its way towards vocational education and training, and it’s making life for us tradies so much better!
This week, we’ll have another incredible and informative episode as we chat with Doug Donovan, CEO and Founder at Interplay Learning, about how VR and AR technology is slowly paving its way towards a better way of skills learning and training. Here, we’ll get to hear more about how this technology can make learning faster and safer as well as give us a sneak peek into what the future of the trades industry may look like.
Hop on to this episode as we take a deep dive into the fascinating world of virtual reality.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Why schools should slowly tap into VR technology [05:37] A brief background on Doug and Interplay [08:42] Most European countries are way ahead in terms of R&D and VocEd [14:15] The effect of the decreasing number of tradies in the US and AU [15:55] VocEd requirements in some states in the US have slowly disappeared [10:37] The advantages of VR and AR training for tradies [18:50] Most skills required in running a business are not taught at schools [22:16] Most companies prioritise attitude over aptitude [25:01] Simulation training condenses learning time [17:41] Startups are starting to adapt sim training to improve business processes [28:11] VR and AR make it possible to conduct community learning [36:58] Book knowledge has yet to creep its way into VR learning [39:52] Interplay’s secret way of handling new technology [41:19] Most of their training are based on current market demands [42:56] What makes virtual reality the best and safest technology as a tool for learning [31:44] The adaptability of tech-based programs are what makes them great to use [46:32] Virtual reality vs augmented reality [51:58] The value of experiential learning [53:45] How VR tech can make construction work faster and more efficient [54:32] The possibility of VR and AR making quoting easier [56:57] The future of VR and AR technology in the workspace [49:31]
About the Guest:
Doug Donovan has been in the VR space for more than a decade. He is the Founder and CEO of Interplay Learning which is based in Austin, Texas. Realising the lack of hands-on experience of some tradies, it has lead him to build a more efficient way of conducting trainings. A global leader in online and VR training, he has assisted several company trainings ranging from HVAC, Electrical, Auditing, to name a few. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Isn’t it just hard to motivate yourself when you’re not even sure what kind of metrics you have to meet to achieve a certain goal? We all want our businesses to achieve greater heights. But without setting clear steps that you and your team can commit to, the journey might take you forever, if not never! So what can you do to make sure everyone plays their part in the journey towards achieving that goal?
We’ll know the answer as we reach the 3rd and final part of our “Measuring What You Manage: The Only Way to Run a Profitable Business at Scale” series with Danny Kerr. Today, we’ll talk about how you can keep you and your team accountable to ensure the growth of your business. We’ll be looking at the organisational chart and how that ties in with accountability.
If you want to accurately measure your company’s financial results, then you’ll find a lot of value and insight by listening to this episode now.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Why is accountability important? [04:22]
We all need someone to keep us accountable [07:02] Holding yourself and your team accountable [08:13] How to ask for a raise [09:39] By presenting career opportunities, you can retain your best talents [10:09] To give your team numerical goals, give them a bigger goal [13:52] The link between the organisational structure and accountability [11:46] The benefits of having an organisational structure [15:06] How to identify what key metrics to include [22:01] The key is to have measurable goals that have bonuses on them [24:33] Why you need to bake your key metrics into the employee agreement [18:37] Using tools to effectively communicate with your team [25:04] No big idea can be created until it’s project-managed to existence [27:14] The project management checklist is an ongoing work-in-progress [29:51] Competency models for standard operating procedures [31:13] Companies should link their budget, org chart, and job description with each other [34:11] Budgeting, forecasting, and accountability all need to work together [33:31] To remove yourself from the business, you need to have an org chart [35:23] The three faces of leadership [38:44]
About the Guest:
Danny Kerr created his own success in life by starting his own trades business and used the profits to buy his first home. By age 20, he had taken a leadership position with a franchise company and grew sales by 225% in one year. He then spent the next 6 years scaling businesses before co-founding Breakthrough Academy as a way to open horizons for other trades entrepreneurs.
Breakthrough Academy now works with over 300 contractors across the continent, managing over $900 million worth of revenue, and was rated Canada’s 16th fastest start-up by MacLean’s magazine in 2018. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/attracting-talent/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/gross-profit-margin/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/wrong-prioritisation-of-time/) Check out the Scaling Your Business from $500k to $5 Mill series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-1/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-2/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-3/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-4/) Watch the previous episode in the Measure What You Manage series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/danny-kerr-1/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/danny-kerr-2/) Visit the Breakthrough Academy website (https://www.btacademy.com/) Get your free strategy sessions and resources at Breakthrough Academy using code “SITE” (https://www.btacademy.com/strategysession/) Reach out to Danny through his email (danny@btacademy.com)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One thing that tradies like us fear is the unpredictability of our business’ future. It’s like trying to cross the road with blindfolds on hoping you don’t get hit by a bus along the way. However, what if you have the ability to foretell your business’ financial future beforehand?
That’s what we’re here to discuss in Part 2 of our “Measuring What You Manage: The Only Way to Run a Profitable Business at Scale” series with Danny Kerr. Today, we’ll learn more about forecasting, what steps you need to take to make a sales plan, and what makes it so key in ensuring the survival of your business in drastic situations.
Take charge of the future by tuning in to this episode today!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: What is forecasting? [03:19] Data is the building-block of forecasting [04:11] Start with your financials [05:17] The difference between goal-setting and working on it is having a sales plan [08:05] Stages in forecasting [06:01] A sales plan is the contractor’s holy grail for tracking their business [10:48] It’s alright to take a risk, just not a blind risk [11:59]
About the Guest:
Danny Kerr created his own success in life by starting his own trades business and used the profits to buy his first home. By age 20, he had taken a leadership position with a franchise company and grew sales by 225% in one year. He then spent the next 6 years scaling businesses before co-founding Breakthrough Academy as a way to open horizons for other trades entrepreneurs.
Breakthrough Academy now works with over 300 contractors across the continent, managing over $900 million worth of revenue, and was rated Canada’s 16th fastest start-up by MacLean’s magazine in 2018. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/attracting-talent/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/gross-profit-margin/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/wrong-prioritisation-of-time/) Check out the Scaling Your Business from $500k to $5 Mill series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-1/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-2/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-3/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-4/) Watch the previous episode in the Measure What You Manage series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/danny-kerr-1/) Visit the Breakthrough Academy website (https://www.btacademy.com/) Get your free strategy sessions and resources at Breakthrough Academy using code “SITE” (https://www.btacademy.com/strategysession/) Reach out to Danny through his email (danny@btacademy.com)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One of the main reasons most tradies get into business is to earn more money. Yet ironically, financial education is one of the things we were never taught at school. So when we dive into the profit and loss statement, we end up staring at it with a puzzled look, not really knowing whether business is good or bad. Well, there’s no need to get dizzy just by looking at those numbers anymore.
In this week’s podcast episode, Danny Kerr—co-founder of Breakthrough Academy and a repeat guest—joins us once more in the first episode of the “Measuring What You Manage: The Only Way to Run a Profitable Trades Business at Scale” series. Today, we talk about budgeting and how it is essential to be able to interpret and break down your financial data effectively.
In this new fiscal year, nothing could be more important than knowing your numbers. Get into grips with your financials by tuning in to this episode now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: What’s new with Danny Kerr? [02:20] The value of sharing learning experiences with other tradies [05:55] A brief overview of today’s topic [07:23] If your personal financials are a mess, so are your business financials [10:39] Learning how to budget should be a tradie’s priority [08:22] How Danny learned how to save [11:48] The little changes you make in your trade can make a big difference [16:05] Good budgeting can protect your from unforeseen circumstances [17:43] The importance of percentages [14:22] There’s a difference between what’s your account and what you’ve made [18:48] Do a proper job costing [20:01] More, less, or the same? Why? [22:58] Once you see a pattern, job costing becomes fun [24:42] How to do budgeting the right way [21:03] Turning the budget into bite-sized chunks [26:00] You should invest more in your accounting department [29:50] It’s essential to also get into grips with your financials [27:57] Gross profit is more important that net profit [31:48] Most people make between 10% to 20% net profit [33:26] KPIs to track when measuring results [30:16] If you know your average job size, you can project your budget [34:35]
About the Guest:
Danny Kerr created his own success in life by starting his own trades business and used the profits to buy his first home. By age 20, he had taken a leadership position with a franchise company and grew sales by 225% in one year. He then spent the next 6 years scaling businesses before co-founding Breakthrough Academy as a way to open horizons for other trades entrepreneurs.
Breakthrough Academy now works with over 300 contractors across the continent, managing over $900 million worth of revenue, and was rated Canada’s 16th fastest start-up by MacLean’s magazine in 2018. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/attracting-talent/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/gross-profit-margin/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/wrong-prioritisation-of-time/) Check out the Scaling Your Business from $500k to $5 Mill series with Danny Kerr (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-1/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-2/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-3/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/scaling-your-business-4/) Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (https://amzn.to/37HjoKs) Get in touch with Bookkeeping for Painters (https://www.bookkeepingforpainters.com/) Visit the Breakthrough Academy website (https://www.btacademy.com/) Reach out to Danny through his email (danny@btacademy.com)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most of us believe that once you hit the ceiling with your skills, abilities, or even the service that you give for your business, there is no way you can get any further than that. But what if there is a way for you to push beyond your limitations? What if there is a way for you to make your business even better than what it was yesterday?
In this week’s podcast episode, Paul Dunn, a world-renowned entrepreneur and TEDx speaker, joins us to share his incredible business insights and the value of doing great little things for you and your business that eventually builds up to bigger, more significant results. He also shares with us his philosophy called “towards awesome service,” and how that can make a great impact on your business.
Work your way towards a better self and tune in to this episode now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Paul’s brief backstory [03:36] How you do one thing is how you do everything [09:32] Why you should show up on odd times [10:40] The essence of using odd times [12:52] The concept behind ‘towards awesome service’ [07:10] The role of technology in punctuality [16:05] Using odd times for your meetings [13:41] Why you need someone else to answer your phone for you [21:57] The person who answers the phone for you will do a better job than you do [17:36] The essence of creating organisational structures in building client trust [29:33] No trust equals no sale [31:51] The little things add up to significant victories [25:26] You can always get people to do a job you don’t have skills to [36:36] People know how to do the business but not run the business [34:42] The simple things can make great impacts on the world [37:57] B1G1’s latest initiative [39:36]
About the Guest:
Paul Dunn is an award-winning entrepreneur, a four-time TEDx speaker, and a world-class keynote speaker. He is the co-founder and chairman of B1G1, a global initiative that helps 2,300 businesses around the world make global impacts through little, daily activities. B1G1 has helped businesses make 150 million global impacts to date. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan (https://amzn.to/3axWiHC) E-Myth by Michael Gerber (https://amzn.to/3awaX6g) Visit the B1G1 Website (https://www.b1g1.com/businessforgood/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you sometimes wonder why no matter how good a name you’ve made for yourself, you end up either plateauing or losing clients? As frustrating as getting your customers stolen sounds, it is a reality that happens to most of us. But what if I tell you there is something else you can do other than scratch your head in dismay?
In Part 5 of our ‘Protecting Your Trade Business From Legal Risk’ mini-series, Helen Kay joins us once again to discuss with us the clauses you can include in your contracts to restrain your sub-contractors from running off with your clients, why you need to do due diligence when starting your trade business, and the process of amending your existing contracts.
Don’t wait for your competitors to get their hands on your customers by tuning in to this show now!
Disclaimer: This podcast episode contains information that resonates specifically with the Australian legal system. If you are offshore and have inquiries about your market, please seek legal advice from qualified attorneys in your country or state.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: How your leads can get stolen [04:55]
Do your research before committing to a business name [06:06] The effect of having the same social media handles as another business [07:44] What makes social media prone to client-theft [07:16] The essence of having a trademark [09:22] Include restraints of trade [13:01] You can’t restrain your clients but you can restrain your sub-contractors [14:32] Establish an agreement with everyone in a business sense to protect your IP [12:08] Preparing clauses for restraints of trade [16:15] The frequency in revisiting a contract [19:11] Signing contracts digitally [22:28] Telltale signs of an unwilling client [23:44] How to amend a contract [18:03] Will Helen deal with tradies without terms and conditions? [25:52] The essence of having an NDA [27:03] Protecting yourself from losing clients due to slanderous remarks [29:49] Contracts are your friends [31:58]
About the Guest:
Helen Kay is a business lawyer. In fact, she is The Contracts Lawyer. Helen Kay is the owner and managing director of Rise Legal. She is a highly accomplished commercial and property lawyer with extensive legal experience working within top tier firms in Australia as well as running her own legal practice and heading up various commercial practices over the years.
Helen has assisted many businesses across different industry sectors with their commercial legal agreements, including commercial leases, buying and selling businesses, and providing general contractual advice.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Join our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Check other episodes in this series Protecting Your Trade from Legal Risks with Helen Kay
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-2/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-3/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-4/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With the emergence of technology, millions and millions of talent are now accessible at your fingertips. However, just when we thought things were getting easier, they actually got trickier. With a lot of contractors to choose from, it gets more and more challenging to find the perfect fit! But when you do find the right candidate and are now ready to start inking that legally-binding contract, you might want to consider a few things first before it starts becoming your nightmare.
Today, Helen Kay—a contracts lawyer and a repeat guest—is back by popular demand in Part 4 of our mini-series ‘Protecting Your Trade Business From Legal Risk’ to discuss with us the difference between a contractor and an employee, some of the risks that you need to weigh before getting into a contract with someone, and the practicalities when hiring a contractor.
Make wise onboarding decisions and start forging contracts with the right people by tuning in to this episode!
Disclaimer: This podcast episode contains information that resonates specifically with the Australian legal system. If you are offshore and have inquiries about your market, please seek legal advice from qualified attorneys in your country or state.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: What is Rise Legal? [03:45] Legal disclaimer [04:47] What makes today’s topic timely [05:14] Don’t rush into it [06:35] Why you need to get necessary legal documents in place [09:53] Overview of today’s topic [07:26] Identifying a contractor and an employee [11:45] Hiring contractors vs hiring employees [12:40] What is a contractor? [10:28] The best thing to do is to err on the side of caution [16:19] If 80% of your worker’s income comes from you, you should pay the employee benefits [15:08] Contractors can delegate their work [17:34] Contractors get paid based on a quote; Employees get paid based on work hours [17:44] Contractors provide their own assets, employees don’t [17:55] Contractors take commercial risks [19:22] Six factors that determine whether your worker is an employee or a contractor [17:25] Ways to draft a contract with a contractor [20:07] Deliberate on the legal and insurance risks before signing a contract [23:55] It’s essential to get a legal advisor to review your contract [26:08] Any contractor should have a tailor suit template for all subcontractors [28:05] Clauses you need to include in as-and-when contracts [29:01] Subcontracting on a small-scale business [27:09] The tendering process for contractors [30:50] Grab a copy of their insurance [33:18] Trust your gut [34:00] The practicality when hiring contractors [32:15] You can’t build human touch points into tech-related automation [36:57] The human element is still essential for all types of industries [35:33] Bullet points to remember when hiring contractors [37:06]
About the Guest:
Helen Kay is a business lawyer. In fact, she is The Contracts Lawyer. Helen Kay is the owner and managing director of Rise Legal. She is a highly accomplished commercial and property lawyer with extensive legal experience working within top tier firms in Australia as well as running her own legal practice and heading up various commercial practices over the years.
Helen has assisted many businesses across different industry sectors with their commercial legal agreements, including commercial leases, buying and selling businesses, and providing general contractual advice. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Join our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Employee/Contractor Decision Tool (https://www.ato.gov.au/calculators-and-tools/employee-or-contractor/) Check other episodes in this series Protecting Your Trade from Legal Risks with Helen Kay
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-2/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-3/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When you set a goal for your company, most of the time, you’d like to charge into it right away without pause. Achieving it in the timeline that you’ve set only sounds natural. However, by charging into it without a real strategy, you’re only setting yourself up for failure. So how do you ensure that you and your team can efficiently work together to achieve those goals?
In Part 3 of the ‘Strategic Planning for Business Success’ mini-series, Kim Archer from BDR—a company that provides training and coaching services to the HVAC industry—joins us once more to talk about how to keep you and your team accountable for achieving your daily goals to set your company up for success. We will also learn the significance of having an accountability partner in making sure that those goals are met and why it’s important to celebrate when you meet those goals.
Efficiently measure results and start hitting your goals by tuning in to this episode now!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Why companies fall over when it comes to accountability [04:17]
The difference between a dream and a goal is writing it down [05:10] Strategy and discipline go together in achieving your goals [05:54] Taking time in hitting your goals is okay [07:37] Having an accountability partner makes you a better leader [06:30] Staying focused on your gifts can help you get your goals faster [08:24] Know how to celebrate when you hit your goals [09:59] Involve your team in keeping accountability [10:38] The frequency of which your team needs to revisit your goals [11:31] How to better deal with rank-and-file team members [19:10] The essence of organisational chart in handling your staff [20:24] Love your team [21:01] How team accountability plays into measuring results [12:29] Why upselling is essential [22:59] Finding out what results to measure [21:40] How to keep accountability in small businesses [24:51]
About The Guest:
Kim Archer is the lead trainer for BDR’s financial courses, Accounting & Office Management and QuickBooks for the HVAC Contractor. She also serves as BDR’s Vice President for Dealer Coaching and is the architect of BDR’s Profit Launch business planning workshops. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the Business Development Resources website (https://www.bdrco.com/) Check other episodes in this series Strategic Planning Done Right with Edward Plant
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-2/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-3/ Listen to Part 1 and 2 of this series Strategic Planning For Business Success
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/kim-archer-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/kim-archer-2/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Many businesses all over the world have suffered tremendously in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. A lot of businesses were shut down and people were downsized. However, does it really just have to do with the pandemic? Or does it also have to do with how much effort business owners put into strategic planning?
This episode marks the second part of the ‘Strategic Planning for Business Success’ mini-series with Kim Archer from BDR, a company that provides training and coaching services to the HVAC industry. Today, we will learn the importance of strategic planning in preparing for contingencies, how to effectively build a business roadmap that can lead to business success, and how to build a roadmap that’s easily achievable for you and your team.
Convert crises into opportunities and tune in to today’s podcast episode.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: How strategic planning prepares you for contingencies [05:11] The compounding effect of operating without a business roadmap [07:04] Complacency is what makes businesses fail [08:03] Business planning is like exercise [09:34] Understanding the depth of your financials is essential in business planning [10:16] The first step in running a business is knowing how to [11:23] Understanding financials is critical to your business success [12:16] Most businesses fail because of cash, not their ability to make a profit [14:20] Don’t waste a crisis [16:56] How to build a business roadmap [17:37] Determine how much you need to retire and when [18:05] Determine how to get to your desired net profit [19:25] The essence of using an organisational chart and sharing it with your team [22:27] How to translate business goals into net profit [24:11] Transactional costs and generating the most gross profit dollars [24:46] The ‘Grow, No Grow’ strategy [25:28] The value of mind mapping [27:28] Mind mapping brings clarity to a business process [28:03] You don’t need more leads to improve gross profit sales [29:35] Break your business plan down to a daily goal [30:18] Start your business plan from the end [31:16]
About The Guest:
Kim Archer is the Vice President of Profit Coach at Business Development Resources Inc., a company that provides training and coaching to the HVAC industry. Starting out as a bookkeeper, she has then discovered ways on how to drive profit and growth. She now helps businesses in developing best practices to move them forward. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the Business Development Resources website (https://www.bdrco.com/) Check other episodes in this series: Strategic Planning Done Right with Edward Plant
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-2/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-3/ Listen to Part 1 of this series Strategic Planning For Business Success
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/kim-archer-1/
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As business owners, most of our focus goes to turnover rates, revenues, and profit margins. However, we often fail to see the bigger picture and realise we’re nowhere near our business’ end-goal. Sometimes, you need to take your foot off the pedal, get in touch with the people that make up your team, and reevaluate whether you are still working towards the goal that you initially set for your business.
In Part 1 of the ‘Strategic Planning For Business Success’ mini-series, we have Kim Archer from Business Development Resources—a company that provides training and coaching services to the HVAC industry—to share with us the value of communicating with your team and how it is essential in bringing in the right talent. With her experience, she will share with us the essence of rediscovering your personal goals to better advance your business.
Reconnect with your team members and effectively work your way towards your end-goal by tuning in to this episode.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Regularly revisiting your strategies is a big turning point for your business [03:31]
Business plans are built to support your personal goals [4:09] Business requires perseverance to get to the end-goal [06:18] It’s not what you turn over, it’s what’s leftover [07:29] Training vs coaching [11:09] BDR’s journey in the training and coaching industry [09:12] Who can benefit from today’s topic [11:55] How to keep the right talent [14:49] Recruitment: The biggest challenge to any business [14:19] The goal should be to get bigger, not to increase profit margin [18:37] Unresolved turnover issues hinder business growth [19:41] The essence of sharing your business plan with your team [20:40] What and how to communicate better with your team [15:15] The mission statement brings unity in your team [23:38] A good value, mission, vision statement attracts good talent [24:22] Maintaining good energy within the team through effective communication [25:05] Communicating your mission statement with your team [22:13] Breaking those goals down into bite-sized chunks is empowering [29:12] The essence of rediscovering your personal goals [27:37]
About The Guest:
Kim Archer is the Vice President of Profit Coach at Business Development Resources Inc., a company that provides training and coaching to the HVAC industry. Starting out as a bookkeeper, she has then discovered ways on how to drive profit and growth. She now helps businesses in developing best practices to move them forward. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the Business Resources Development website (https://www.bdrco.com/) Simon Sinek podcast (https://simonsinek.com/podcast) Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (https://amzn.to/37HjoKs) Check other episodes in this series Strategic Planning Done Right with Edward Plant (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-1/) https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-2/) (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/strategic-planning-3/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Most business owners daydream about sailing away in a yacht, bathing in the warm sunlight with that cool ocean breeze and whispering to themselves that ‘This is life!’ all while running a business in another part of the world. But while you think this is something that’s just too good to be true, think again, because it is possible.
In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with Darren McKavanagh, owner and director of The Kitchen Maker, and a living proof that working remotely for your business is never beyond your reach. We talk about the lessons he has learned throughout his career and the essential tips in order to make working remotely for your business work.
Tune in to today’s episode and learn how all this is possible!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Darren and The Kitchen Maker [02:15]
Lessons learned about working remotely [03:23] Communication is key for your skeleton-staff [05:12] Managing the team remotely [05:37] Changes he has made within his organisation’s workflow [06:57] His role within the business [08:24] Always get back in touch with the grassroots [09:27] Remove yourself from the business to let it grow [12:00] Good team relationship equals smoother workflow and better retention rate [18:39] The relationship between mentoring and better retention rate [19:44] Manage your team without having to micromanage [11:01] Scheduling and having a roadmap is essential for any business [22:11] Train your managers well and they will do the job well [23:42] Major changes in Darren’s business [20:56] Things that Darren would do differently [29:57] Darren’s advice on working remotely [32:00] Creating a reliable system will get the business going [34:09] Being more hands-on with the team vs. working remotely: Darren’s choice [26:45] About The Guest:
Darren McKavanagh is the owner and director of The Kitchen Maker, a family business initially dedicated to supplying materials to kitchen and joinery companies. Founded in 2002, their wide array of services has then expanded to include interior designing and customizing kitchens, bedrooms, laundries, etc. Darren enjoys going on trips in his yacht and skiing. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Check out Darren's company website (https://thekitchenmaker.com.au/) Tune in to Darren McKavanagh’s previous podcast episode
Episode 147 (Proof that your trade business can run while you travel the world)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Any business who wants to deliver their services in a better way understands the need for them to have systems and processes in place. Most of the time we retain our clients and build long-term relationships when they see how efficient we are in giving them the service we promised. This holds true even in the solar power industry.
In this week’s podcast episode, we continue our conversation with Gareth Felton of GreenElec. Our topic is focused on the customer journey and the processes involved in setting up solar power in a commercial setting. Gareth also shares why it’s important to build relationships with clients and how everyone in the industry would benefit from increasing the standards across the board. We also talk briefly about future storage and virtual grids.
Tune in to this episode.
What's Discussed in This Episode: Future storage and virtual grids [3:45] Changing service offerings to include support and maintenance [12:11] Energy audit/A solar feasibility report [16:15] Checking on efficiency of current appliances in the commercial building [16:50] Prelim design [18:06] Design and installation planning process [19:41] Design confirmation and proper site inspection [25:38] Get an engineering report [26:31] Installation [28:04] Inspection report and system evaluation (during and after installation) [29:56] Commissioning process [31:38] After sales support [32:18] The customer journey and processes involved in a commercial setting Building long-term relationships with clients [36:53] Raising the standards in the industry [39:11]
About the Guest:
Gareth Felton is the Founder and Director of GreenElec. He is an electrician, a solar and battery designer and a rugby enthusiast.
In 2008, during the last year of his apprenticeship, Gareth decided that he wanted to offer more to the community than what other electrical companies were prepared to, and so he created GreenElec. He wanted to create a multidisciplinary electrical contracting company that empowers community members through education about how they can control the way they produce, use and store energy on a day to day basis. Further to this, Gareth visioned a company where customers can experience a centralised process of having their electrical, communications, home automation, solar energy, battery storage and home automation needs met.
Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength growing into a team of 13 staff who have achieved many of the goals Gareth has set for the company, including winning an award from the Master Electricians of Australia for Residential Project of the Year in 2014, 2017 and 2019.
He reflects on his greatest work-related achievement as his team. He believes that if he answers to their needs, looks after them and helps them progress through their career by learning every day, then he is doing a good job, and the return they deliver is endless.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the GreenElec website (https://www.greenelec.com.au/) Listen to Podcast episode 190: Solar power, fuelling communities (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/energy-2/) Tune in to Gareth Felton’s previous podcast episode
The Past and Future of Solar Power
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A lot of people are making the move towards renewable and sustainable energy using solar power. And solar power has definitely evolved throughout the years because of technology advancements and still continues to do so.
In this week’s podcast episode I talk with Gareth Felton, founder and director of GreenElec. Our discussion revolves around how solar power has evolved and the technologies developed within the solar space. He also talks about how solar is constantly changing due to compliance and reassessments being conducted to give way for improvements. Other topics that we talk about include ways clients can get their ROI on their investment into solar, and the options clients have in the financial perspective, etc.
If you’re contemplating a shift to solar power then this is a podcast you have to listen to.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: A brief background of GreenElec Solar power technology and how it’s constantly changing [7:06] Addressing misconceptions regarding solar power [8:55] Compliance and reassessments aimed at making improvements [10:37] Main changes coming through in solar power [11:31] Biggest goals for panels [12:43] Efficient panels, shading, direct sunlight, UV [12:58] Solar harvesting and efficiency of self-consumption [13:48] Three ways to get ROI on your investment into solar [15:43] Benefits and downsides of batteries for those moving off grid [17:02] When is solar a good investment (residential & commercial setting) [21:00] How people are more educated and ready to make changes as they shift to solar [22:07] Solar panel installation [24:03] Significant changes that are going to happen or happening to solar power [27:16] Who is mostly affected by the evolving technology for energy [29:09] Development of other forms of renewable and sustainable energy [30:10] Handing over the monitoring system for solar power to clients [312:41] Obtaining data prior to recommending installation of solar panels [32:40] The importance of monitoring [33:53] Construction of homes that are energy efficient [36:20] Financial side of buying solar [38:49] Issues around consulting solar experts with regards to new buildings [40:18] Framework for liaising with architects and builders [41:45] Maintenance of solar panels [45:27] Options available in the financial perspective [47:32]
About the Guest:
Gareth Felton is the Founder and Director of GreenElec. He is an electrician, a solar and battery designer and a rugby enthusiast.
In 2008, during the last year of his apprenticeship, Gareth decided that he wanted to offer more to the community than what other electrical companies were prepared to, and so he created GreenElec. He wanted to create a multidisciplinary electrical contracting company that empowers community members through education about how they can control the way they produce, use and store energy on a day to day basis. Further to this, Gareth visioned a company where customers can experience a centralised process of having their electrical, communications, home automation, solar energy, battery storage and home automation needs met.
Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength growing into a team of 13 staff who have achieved many of the goals Gareth has set for the company, including winning an award from the Master Electricians of Australia for Residential Project of the Year in 2014, 2017 and 2019.
He reflects on his greatest work-related achievement as his team. He believes that if he answers to their needs, looks after them and helps them progress through their career by learning every day, then he is doing a good job, and the return they deliver is endless.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Visit the GreenElec website (https://www.greenelec.com.au/) Listen to ‘The Future of Energy’ podcast series Episode 188: The Future Of Our Energy Sources (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/energy-1/) Episode 190: Solar power, fuelling communities (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/energy-2/) Episode 192: The future of residential energy (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/energy-3/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Streamlining your company’s processes are vital to your business success and growth. We have discussed this time and again in our podcast episodes to stress the importance of it. In this third and final installment of the series ‘Creating the ultimate communication framework in your trade business’, we talk with Aaron Salow. He provides us with an understanding of how streamlining processes work, where does one start with implementation, workflow, the need to be proactive with customers, and a lot more. If you’re excited about transforming your business for the better, this is definitely the episode for you.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: How XOi develops the processes that companies can use and follow [3:20] Where does the work for streamlining company processes begin [7:00] Starting point for implementing better company processes [7:41] The problem with redundant roles in processes [11:34] Aaron’s take on ‘over processing’ [11:18] Ultra transparency [15:18] Existing technology and integrations [17:25] Over investing in technology and solutions [21:29] Critical things to avoid when streamlining processes [17:13] Proactive communication with customers [23:26] Delivering better service by understanding your workflow [24:30] What are your company’s critical functions [35:32] Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) XOi (http://www.xoi.io/) Email Aaron for more information (info@xoi.io)
Check out Part 1 and 2 of this series: Part 1: The impact of technology in modern business (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/aaron-1/) Part 2: Technician’s three lines of defence – workflows, knowledge base and live calls (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/aaron-2/)
About the Guest
Aaron Salow is the founder of XOi Technologies which is based in the U.S. Coming from a manufacturing construction background, he saw there was a skilled trades gap with millions of unfilled skilled trade positions in the U.S.
He and his co-founders started their business in a bid to address this problem and help the industry to grow. Their business aims to empower customers to effectively put their best technician on the site.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Having a powerful ecosystem of tools that includes a structured workflow process, a knowledge base, and live chat will lead to a significant pivot in your business. Merely having a clear understanding of the delivery you need to make will automatically result in a radical change.
Aaron Salow is back for Part 2 of our ‘Creating the ultimate communication framework in your trade business’ series. Today we talk about implementing workflows, the perks of having a knowledge base where you can pull information from and access to a virtual mentor, etc.
Head to the show now to find out how you can improve communication in your business.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Overview of episode [03:11] Creating the 3 lines of defense [03:46] Integrating the workflow tool into the current process [06:56] How a residential contractor saved time and money [08:05] Provide a training opportunity [15:32] Create pathways for guys to ask for help [18:14] Appeal to the younger generation [22:21] Getting the entire organisation to buy in the process [12:36] The value of videos in our current time [23:59] About Our Guest:
Aaron Salow is the founder of XOi Technologies which is based in the U.S. Coming from a manufacturing construction background, he saw there was a skilled trades gap with millions of unfilled skilled trade positions in the U.S.
He and his co-founders started their business in a bid to address this problem and help the industry to grow. Their business aims to empower customers to effectively put their best technician on the site. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) XOi (http://www.xoi.io/)
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Technology is constantly being updated with changes in business happening so fast that there’s always something new coming out. The addition of amazing tools and software has radically changed the landscape as unnecessary workload is reduced even more.
In Part 1 of our ‘Creating the ultimate communication framework in your trade business’ series, we have Aaron Salow from XOi, a technology made to support field service companies. With years working blue-collar jobs, Aaron knows what tradie guys need. We talk about the role technology plays in building trust, how to improve adoption, the benefits brought by technology, and more.
Tune in to find out how technology can take your business to the next level.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Aaron’s background [2:57] Overview of episode [06:00] Technology communications need to build on trust [07:12] Why you need to educate your customer [10:01] Use technology to fix issues [17:04] Add benefits to 3 stakeholders [19:57] Get customer engagement [23:10] Present an opportunity for the business to win [24:09] How technology adoption can be improved [13:05] Supports others to use their crafts differently [27:22] Helps people leave their legacies [27:55] Gets people to work on what they like [30:29] Benefits of adopting technology in the tradie industry [25:57] Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) XOi (http://www.xoi.io/) About Our Guest:
Aaron Salow is the founder of XOi Technologies which is based in the U.S. Coming from a manufacturing construction background, he saw there was a skilled trades gap with millions of unfilled skilled trade positions in the U.S.
He and his co-founders started their business in a bid to address this problem and help the industry to grow. Their business aims to empower customers to effectively put their best technician on the site.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Crisis breeds opportunity, that’s what I say again and again. Businesses have been put in a tight spot due to this pandemic but it doesn’t mean that it’s the end. Choose change and start the work of reinventing your business to cater to what your customers need the most nowadays. Instead of worrying, focus on adapting. In the current business climate, we have two options, we either adapt or die!
In this week’s episode, I talk with Nils Vesk of Ideas with Legs. We talk about how businesses should grab the opportunity to redesign and re-evaluate their processes to suit the environment we are in. Nils also shares the importance of reinventing from a customer’s perspective and how to leverage on what you are currently doing, and a lot more.
I believe that this topic is becoming more relevant now and so I encourage you to tune in to this episode.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Ideas with Legs (www.ideaswithlegs.com) Contact Nils Vesk through email (support@ideaswithlegs.com) The Site Shed Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSiteShed) Innovate Your Business Series
Episode 88 - Using innovation to grow your business (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/using-innovation-to-grow-your-business/) Episode 89 - Creating innovative business models and processes (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/creating-innovative-business-models-and-processes/) Episode 90 - Creating an innovative customer experience (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/creating-an-innovative-customer-experience/) Innovative Thinking
Episode 149 - Innovative thinking Part One (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/innovative-1) Episode 150 - Innovative thinking Part Two (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/innovative-2)
What’s Discussed In This Episode: How the playing field is leveled for businesses now [5:45] Why those who adapt, survive (not just the fittest) [6:15] The four different areas of business [8:00] Processes as a crucial key to your business [8:22] Adapting quality processes to address issues in present crisis [9:33] Examples of quality processes [10:56] Reinventing from the customer’s perspective [14:10] Willingness, winnable, workable [20:26] Testing what works [18:30] Applying split testing to interactions and experiences [22:05] The importance of documenting processes [23:29] The tactical, technical, financial gauge [24:21] What we must do, what we should do, what we could do [25:09] Thinking of alternatives or substitutions [25:47] Deciding what to focus on [25:03] Sharing expertise [27:09, 34:17] Helping other businesses [28:12] Leverage on what you’re currently doing [29:12] Reconnecting with old clients first before reinvention [31:00] Why people are resistant to change [37:22] Creating trust and inspiration [39:00] Utilising news for your own good [45:08] SCRAMBLE Acronym [47:47]
About Our Guest:
Nils Vesk is an international authority on innovation and the inventor of the ‘Innovation Archetypes Process’. He unpacks the million-dollar innovation principles used to create rapid growth for the future. An author of a number of books including "Ideas With Legs - How to Create Brilliant Ideas and Bring Them to Life", and "Innovation Archetypes - Principles for World Class Innovation".
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you are serious about protecting your business then the safeguarding of intellectual property, your brand, is one of the things you can start looking into (if you haven’t) to protect it from any legal risks in the future.
In this episode with Helen Kay, The Contracts Lawyer, we have an interesting and informative conversation regarding keeping one’s intellectual property safe specifically by registering a trademark. She clarifies to us that having a business name is different from registering a trademark as the latter is your way of securing your brand, making sure that you alone have the right to use it. She stresses on how your brand is one of your business’s most important assets, the benefits of registering your trademark, and she also guides us into the practical steps for registering a trademark, etc.
Tune in to this episode to gather this information we made available to you.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The Contracts Lawyer (www.thecontractslawyer.com.au) IP Australia (https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/) Check Part 1 of this series (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-1/) Check Part 2 of this series (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-2/)
What’s Discussed in This Episode: Overview of episode [4:16] Registering a trademark [6:09] The difference between the ™ and ® symbols [10:12] Business names and trademarks [10:51] Benefits of registering your trademark [11:57] Registering similar business names [14:23] Check if your name is trademarkable [17:19] Identify the goods and services your business is about [21:04] Search for existing trademarks [22:17] Two ways to apply for your trademark [22:45] Practical steps for registering a trademark Setting up an IP Australia Agents Register and Trademarks [23:47]
About Our Guest:
Helen Kay is a business lawyer, in fact, she is The Contracts Lawyer. She is a highly accomplished commercial and property lawyer with extensive legal experience working within top tier firms in Australia as well as running her own legal practice and heading up various commercial practices over the years.
Helen has assisted many businesses across different industry sectors with their commercial legal agreements, including commercial leases, buying and selling businesses and providing general contractual advice.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The Contracts Lawyer (www.thecontractslawyer.com.au) Personal Property Securities Register (https://www.ppsr.gov.au/) Check out Part 1 of this series with Helen Kay (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/contracts-1/) How to Sell Your Trades Business Series
Episode 220 (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/brandon-1/) Episode 221(https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/brandon-2/) Episode 222 (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/brandon-3/)
Selling your business. This topic should make business owners curious about whether they are planning to sell or not. As a business owner, it can be considered a wise thing to do if you start preparing your business with the end in mind, especially because one of the key factors that determine if a business is thriving is if it is ready for sale.
In this episode with Helen Kay, The Contracts Lawyer, she emphasises the importance of getting help from experienced professionals to help with the sale of one’s business and the tasks that business owners can do themselves to make sure the sale goes smoothly. She also talks about the stages of selling a business, the seller’s due diligence, etc.
I highly recommend that you tune in to this episode as it provides vital information about preparing your business for sale.
What’s Discussed in This Episode: An overview of The Contracts Lawyer and recap of the previous episode [3:54] Getting into the business of ‘selling your business’ [5:27] The legal business health checklist [8:47] The importance of working with experienced professionals [10:42] Stages of selling your business [12:53] Ensure the business name is registered to the seller [18:12] Ensure the trademark is owned by the business owner [19:02] PPSR and how it applies to trade businesses [20:51] Ensure that key contracts are documented [21:47] Lease issues [23:28] Seller’s Due Diligence [18:04] Summary of steps to make sure your business is ready for sale [28:34]
About Our Guest:
Helen Kay is a business lawyer, in fact, she is The Contracts Lawyer. She is a highly accomplished commercial and property lawyer with extensive legal experience working within top tier firms in Australia as well as running her own legal practice and heading up various commercial practices over the years.
Helen has assisted many businesses across different industry sectors with their commercial legal agreements, including commercial leases, buying and selling businesses and providing general contractual advice.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) The Contracts Lawyer (www.thecontractslawyer.com.au) Australian Consumer Law (https://consumerlaw.gov.au/australian-consumer-law) Debt Collection Information (https://www.accc.gov.au/business/treating-customers-fairly/debt-collection) Check our previous podcast with Helen Kay as one of our guests (https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/coronavirus-1/)
When we’re asked why we’re in business we all have a common answer and that is to earn an income. As much as we love and are passionate about what we do, the very goal of every business, even with tradies, is having income. But most business owners, especially those who do not receive upfront payments for services, are faced with the problem of not getting paid on time or not getting paid at all for jobs that have already been accomplished. This was a problem prior to the pandemic and has become a pressing issue now because of the current climate we are experiencing.
In this podcast episode, we will talk with Helen Kay, The Contracts Lawyer. She is going to enlighten us by providing helpful tips to address this dilemma. We will cover topics such as different payment structures, the importance of contracts and invoices, payment terms, different clauses to put in your terms and conditions, setting up of systems and processes to ensure that you get paid, and a lot more.
There’s a wealth of information that you wouldn’t want to miss so tune in to this episode!
What’s Discussed in This Episode: How Helen Kay had to reinvent the advise she gives due to this pandemic [9:08] Contracts and invoices [13:45] Setting up the terms and conditions [17:09] Why terms and conditions should be updated [18:58] How to communicate the updated terms and conditions to your clients [20:05] Terms and conditions for current contracts [20:48] Different payment structures [23:07] Charging stage payments [29:16] Adding the suspension clause in the terms and conditions [29:47] Getting personal guarantees from directors [31:40] Standard terms and conditions [34:14] The force majeure clause [37:46] The discipline of having a system set up for invoices [39:03] Letter of demand and statutory demand [40:45] Responding to demands [41:27] Changes to issuing statutory demands and time frames to debt payments [42:07] The no waiver clause [43:53]
About Our Guest:
Helen Kay is a business lawyer, in fact she is The Contracts Lawyer. She is a highly accomplished commercial and property lawyer with extensive legal experience working within top tier firms in Australia as well as running her own legal practice and heading up various commercial practices over the years.
Helen has assisted many businesses across different industry sectors with their commercial legal agreements, including commercial leases, buying and selling businesses and providing general contractual advice.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Get in touch with Al through his website https://7powercontractor.com/ Get in touch with Ellen through her website https://ellenrohr.com/ You can also access Al Levi’s Training Module program using The Site Shed’s discount code at https://www.7powercontractor.com/tss/ Check out Matt’s last podcast with Al and Ellen - https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/when-is-the-right-time-to-expand/
This pandemic has created not just a panic towards our physical well-being but is affecting us in so many other ways. Business owners are stressed, they seem to think that hope is lost and are running out of ideas on how to make their businesses stronger even in the face of this crisis.
In this episode, Al and Ellen provide practical help to all business owners who are struggling now. They believe that something, in fact, a lot of things can still be done to emerge stronger after this crisis. We will talk about refining business objectives, the role of communication to get your business’s message across, seizing and spotting of the right opportunities that this crisis presents, and a lot more.
If you are a business owner finding it hard to navigate through this crisis yet bent on emerging stronger when this is all over, this episode might just be what you need.
What’s Discussed In This Episode: Who to listen to during this crisis [8:43] Refining business objectives with the changes happening [9:53] Why having systems in place prior to this crisis is important [12:41] The critical role of communication during a crisis [15:36] How triage makes us focus on what’s important [16:18] Al’s narrative on how he survived past crises with the right attitude [21:17] Seizing the opportunity to step into greatness [24:55] Understanding your KFP (Known Financial Position) [27:50] Taking the proactive approach and rising to the challenges [30:57] Adapting to better processes to emerge stronger [33:10] Why documenting your processes are important [34:12] The blessing of technology in this crisis [34:32] Accountability and corrective action [37:12] Team building in a crisis [39:19] Using this crisis to transition to a different path [43:18] The acquisition letter in finding new businesses [44:28]
About Our Guest:
Al Levi is president of The 7-Power Contractor (formerly Appleseed Business), a business consulting and training firm that has helped hundreds of service and installation-based contracting businesses run better, since 2002. He also is a columnist for Plumbing & Mechanical (PM) magazine and Reeves Journal, and the author of “The 7-Power Contractor: Run Your Contracting Business With Less Stress and More Success,” which lays out seven simple business powers that hundreds of owners have implemented successfully, often transforming their businesses.
Ellen Rohr known as The Plumbers Wife is also The Business Makeover Expert® who teaches the few things that make all the difference to your business success: Easy financial clean up, profitable pricing and powerful business planning. She is a columnist for Huffington Post, PHC News, and a contributor to many business journals and trade magazines. She provides “in the trenches” insight that business owners can relate to.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Get in touch with Joe at Winning Reviews (https://www.winning.reviews/)
Reviews and testimonials are conversion factors which tradespeople and contractors shouldn’t neglect. Time and time again, we’ve seen people become customers after reading positive reviews or testimonials. The power of reviews is definitely something that tradies should learn to harness and manage responsibly.
In this episode, we put the spotlight on reviews and testimonials. Joe Mikitish is with us today as we dive into the entire landscape including how to obtain reviews, where to put them up, and making them a part of your process. We also discuss how to handle negative reviews when they come up, which happens in any industry.
If you’re a business owner interested in utilising reviews and testimonials the right way, this episode is exactly what you need. What’s Discussed In This Episode: Joe’s background and what Winning Reviews does [06:04] Who are the businesses they work with [08:01] The transition to digital word-of-mouth [09:40] The problem with relying on Facebook and Google reviews [14:47] Other platforms for reviews [16:37] The longevity of free real estate in Google My Business [18:37] Joe’s process around navigating negative reviews [22:00] Making obtaining reviews as part of the process [25:19] Soliciting reviews while following Google rules [27:19] Leveraging customer reviews [32:40] Re-engaging customers [38:32] The relationship between reviews and search engine rankings [45:38] The difference between Google Maps and Google My Business [47:53] Publishing reviews on your website [50:44] Reviews as social proofs [52:36]
About Our Guest:
Joe Mikitish is the co-founder of software company, Winning Reviews. Coming from an engineering background, he has worked for companies like Microsoft and HP. He started a cloud computing company in 2005. Winning Reviews later spinned-off from that after he realised the value of reviews.
For any follow up questions, just post your questions to Joe at our Facebook group.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Get more teachings about content creation at Tradiematepro (https://www.tradiematepro.com.au/)
Public speaking is said to be one of the most feared things by people. Who knew that the camera can cause so much fear? But creating your content involves you putting your face out there and talking because you carry your brand and your business.
In Part 3 of our ‘Mastering storytelling’ series, Dan and Dani from The Block and Healthy Homes Australia are back once more. For many tradies thinking of making content, being in front of the camera is a major worry. What if I don’t look good? What if I sound awful? These are some of the questions they have. Dan and Dani are here to help our listeners overcome their fears and get their content done.
The camera is just a black device. So relax and trust in yourself. If you need tips to getting more comfortable on camera, this episode is exactly what you need. What’s Discussed In This Episode: Dan’s experience getting comfortable in front of the camera [02:59] Getting over the hurdle and your ego [08:42] Using scripts to avoid screwing up [10:00] Knowing your value and what you bring to the table [13:15] Putting people at ease [16:32] Challenge for all podcast listeners [21:53]
About Our Guests:
Dan Reilly and Dani Wales are co-founders of Red Door Project, a construction company based in Melbourne, Australia. Both became recognised personalities in the home interior industry after becoming the “Power Couple” on The Block. They have also been featured on Healthy Homes Australia. Their renovated “Block” houses in both South Melbourne and Bondi have been widely acclaimed as stylish and beautifully resolved.
Having come on board as Personal Branding Experts at Tradiematepro, Dan and Dani are flying the flag when it comes to content and branding.
If you want to get to know more about them, check out Ep. 234 - Celebrity Tradies Dan and Dani from The Block and Healthy Homes Australia.
Take on our challenge and post a content video you made on our Facebook group. Don’t forget to tag me, Dan, and Dani.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Get more teachings about content creation at Tradiematepro (https://www.tradiematepro.com.au/)
Once you have the foundational blocks needed, a solid content creation strategy is necessary to effectively execute your plans and achieve the outcome you want. You don’t want to just wing it, and you don’t have to do it alone either.
In Part 2 of our ‘Mastering storytelling’ series, Dan and Dani talk about building out the content creation strategy including who to involve, tools to use, and how to deploy it.
If you’re serious about building up your brand through content, now is the time to get moving, so don’t miss this important episode! What’s Discussed In This Episode: Who creates the content [05:24] Tying together the content with the brand [07:40] Getting help from other businesses or other tradies [11:47] Creating consistency and accountability [15:39] Using content to direct customers to your site [18:28] Content comes in many forms [21:52] Tools for streamlining the process [23:36]
About Our Guests:
Dan Reilly and Dani Wales are co-founders of Red Door Project, a construction company based in Melbourne, Australia. Both became recognised personalities in the home interior industry after becoming the “Power Couple” on The Block. They have also been featured on Healthy Homes Australia. Their renovated “Block” houses in both South Melbourne and Bondi have been widely acclaimed as stylish and beautifully resolved.
Having come on board as Personal Branding Experts at Tradiematepro, Dan and Dani are flying the flag when it comes to content and branding.
If you want to get to know more about them, check out Ep. 234 - Celebrity Tradies Dan and Dani from The Block and Healthy Homes Australia.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply) Get more teachings about content creation at Tradiematepro (https://www.tradiematepro.com.au/)
Content creation can be a waste of time if you’re not doing it right. Laying the foundation blocks for your content strategy is key to get ahead. It’s the same principle you as a builder live by when you do your day to day work. This is where our branding experts come in.
In Part 1 of our ‘Mastering Storytelling’ series, we welcome back Dan and Dani from The Block and Healthy Homes Australia. Having reached the pinnacle of content creation, both Dan and Dani are here to talk about laying the foundations of successful content creation.
The content creation game is definitely something every trade business owner should get into. So don’t waste any more time and tune in. What’s Discussed In This Episode: What Dan and Dani are busy with these days [03:38] Promoting your business on social media [08:35] Why and How Dan and Dani do content creation [10:07] Structuring and scheduling content [15:02] How they find and identify their ideal customer [17:11] Using content to target, qualify, and disqualify customers [21:27] Analysing the content strategy [25:15] What classifies a successful piece of content [28:07] A rough framework for getting started in content creation [35:07]
About Our Guests:
Dan Reilly and Dani Wales are co-founders of Red Door Project, a construction company based in Melbourne, Australia. Both became recognised personalities in the home interior industry after becoming the “Power Couple” on The Block. They have also been featured on Healthy Homes Australia. Their renovated “Block” houses in both South Melbourne and Bondi have been widely acclaimed as stylish and beautifully resolved.
Having come on board as Personal Branding Experts at Tradiematepro, Dan and Dani are flying the flag when it comes to content and branding.
If you want to get to know more about them, check out Ep. 234 - Celebrity Tradies Dan and Dani from The Block and Healthy Homes Australia.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Guest: Jon Dale from Small Fish Business Coaching
Running a business is not a simple one-step process. It has many aspects you should learn about, especially when you’re aiming for success. The beauty in it is that every business owner can come up with their own strategy.
Today’s episode is a fantastic discussion about how trade businesses can approach the topic of building assets, using automation, and re-engaging with their customers. The continuous exchange of brilliant ideas and opinions here is something you wouldn’t want to miss.
Do you want to stand out from the competition? Do you want to hear from different perspectives? Tune in now and learn how to grow your business.
For more episodes with our special guest, Jon Dale, be sure to check these links out: TSS 204 – Why having decent margins is important – [LINK] TSS 205 – How to sell your value and maintain a solid sales process – [LINK] TSS 206 – Resisting the ‘Discount Pressure’ – [LINK] About this 'Podcast with Jon Dale’ Podcast Highlights: 05:00 – Three different types of trade businesses 07:06 – Relationship marketing 14:05 – How email marketing and good content works 21:18 – Increasing the customers’ lifetime value 25:27 – Keeping control of your assets 33:35 – Why people invest in marketing 36:25 – Building an asset for your business 43:43 – Nurturing relationships 58:27 – Creating useful content and changing your perspective 1:07:15 – Proper Data collection and reporting
This episode shares an interesting discussion between two different views about automated marketing. We provide the breakdown of effective email marketing, customer re-engagement, and creating a secure database. With this, I hope you’ll be able to apply this practical knowledge to your business.
About Jon Dale
Jon Dale is an experienced business coach from Small Fish Business Coaching. With more than ten years under his belt, he guides business owners and builders on creating, growing, and scaling a profitable business. You can reach Jon through their website or LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Your HR Team website (http://yourhrteam.com.au/) Tradiematepro website (https://www.tradiematepro.com.au/) The Contracts Lawyer website (https://www.thecontractslawyer.com.au/) Hall Chadwick website (https://hallchadwick.com.au/)
With the current coronavirus pandemic spreading across the globe, business owners are dealing with a lot of apprehension and fear. We don’t really know what’s going to happen in the future and what will be the full impact to our businesses. But that isn’t a reason to let panic set in.
In this special episode, we have an expert panel here to help mitigate some of the fear business owners have. We go through several topics involving HR, accounting, and the law to help people know what they can do in order to make the situation better.
If you’re a small business owner confused on how to operate during this crisis, then don’t let this opportunity pass and tune in.
What’s Discussed In This Episode: Being clear and understanding government requirements [06:29] Positive things to come out of this crisis [10:34] Advice for keeping calm [11:26] Possible shutdown of offices and employment concerns [14:04] Australian government stimulus package, incentives, and cash rebates [16:46] Welfare extensions and payroll tax deferral [24:51] The impact on business operations and the shift in marketing and communications [27:36] Things to be aware of about existing contracts [32:30] The opportunity to implement efficiencies and processes [40:16] Changes in accountability and project management [45:46]
About Our Guests:
Stephen Luxmoore is from Your HR Team. He has been consulting in HR for 20 years and has spent 8 years consulting for private businesses.
Travis Reading is the co-founder of Tradiematepro, which provides coaching and advice to Australian tradie business owners.
Helen Kay is a contracts lawyer from The Contracts Lawyer.
Bill Petrovski is a partner at Hall Chadwick, an accounting firm.
If you have other questions, you can hit us up at our Facebook group. Don’t forget, every Friday we’ll be answering your questions through a webinar.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Resource Links: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Check out Parker Williams’ podcast here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-service-hub/id1473349312) Visit Parker’s Kurry.io website (https://app.kurry.io/login) Download Tradie Web Guys’ free ebook The 12 Elements To A Great Website (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/)
To have a successful membership program depends on your ability to market it to your customers. As a business owner, you need to get out of the mindset of being a builder into the mindset of being an educator. You’re here to give people solutions to their programs. So take a page from the time you were learning the trade and give them the right content to fit their needs. Marketing might look like a daunting task, but if you want to play the long game, you have to do it. Thankfully, we have an expert here to give us some tips.
In Part 3 of the ‘Building a recurring income model into your trade business with memberships’ series, Parker Williams comes back and shares with us how to market membership programs and service agreements to ensure the longevity of your organization.
If you’re a former tradesman, now business owner who wants to run a successful membership program, then this episode is perfect for you.
What’s Discussed In This Episode: Marketing your service agreements to past, present, future customers [03:57] The three parts to marketing: the lead magnet, tripwire, and membership program [11:51] Why some programs fail [20:00] The process for training your people to sell service agreements [21:44] Should you have separate sales reps and service technicians [24:29] The importance of simplicity [29:13] How to price membership programs [35:57] Using technology to simplify the process [38:06]
About Our Guest:
Kurry Co-Founder, The Service Hub Podcast Co-Host, Owner of Wasatch Bike Pros: Mobile Bike Shop, and Sales and Marketing Analyst Parker Willams join us in The Site Shed to talk about recurring income, how he began using it to help other businesses grow and what it truly is as well as how it works.
Three years ago he was working on his mobile bike shop and was coming to the end of the season. He dreamt of having a recurring business model as he was starting a family. He ran into a friend who introduced him to membership programs and service agreements and later offered him work with their business. Parker Williams moved up to a Sales and Marketing Analyst within months and started teaching membership programs, service agreements, and recurring income.
Later on, he decided to apply this knowledge to his business and help other businesses use this same method. He has then helped other businesses to reach up to $10 million in recurring revenue. They also recently created a software that also generated close to $20,000 in just one month.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
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It’s awesome to have service agreements set up for your business. This lets you enjoy a recurring income stream with clients that you’ve done business within the past.
Regardless of how good your service agreement plans are the challenge can be selling membership programs to your previous clients.
In Part 2 of the ‘Building a recurring income model into your trade business with memberships’ series, Parker Williams shares with us his insights on what we need to know to be able to properly and successfully sell your membership as a trade businesses
If you are someone who wants to start pushing through with membership programs and service agreements then this episode is perfect for you.
. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Check out Parker Williams podcast here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-service-hub/id1473349312) Visit Parker’s Kurry.io website (https://app.kurry.io/login)
What’s Discussed In This Episode: Believe [05:25] How can we overcome objections? [07:58] How can I sell this to the guys whose home I’ve just finished building? [09:38] How do I start to introduce to my clients the concept of a membership program? [18:00] What are the common objections that you can potentially encounter? [20:21] Where do “discounts” come in? [21:32] Why providing value works all the time [24:46] How to sell membership programs in a deliverable business perspective [34:45]
About our Guest:
Kurry Co-Founder, The Service Hub Podcast Co-Host, Owner of Wasatch Bike Pros: Mobile Bike Shop, and Sales and Marketing Analyst Parker Willams join us in The Site Shed to talk about recurring income, how he began using it to help other businesses grow and what it truly is as well as how it works.
Three years ago he was working on his mobile bike shop and was coming to the end of the season. He dreamt of having a recurring business model as he was starting a family. He ran into a friend who introduced him to membership programs and service agreements and later offered him work with their business. Parker Williams moved up to a Sales and Marketing Analyst within months and started teaching membership programs, service agreements, and recurring income.
Later on, he decided to apply this knowledge to his business and help other businesses use this same method. He has then helped other businesses to reach up to $10 million in recurring revenue. They also recently created a software that also generated close to $20,000 in just one month.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It is good to have a recurring income as it gives your business added security, and you can use the cash flow to plan ahead.
The challenge is how to start putting it into place.
This is where having a membership program comes in.
In Part 1 of our series ‘Building a recurring income model into your trade business with memberships’, Parker Williams and I discuss the three different types of membership programmes that work well for trade businesses.
If you are someone who wants to start a membership program or just want to know if it’s something you could implement in your business, then this episode is for you. Resources: Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/) Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/) Check out Parket Williams podcast here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-service-hub/id1473349312) Here’s the link to Parker Williams Kurry.io website (https://app.kurry.io/login) What’s Discussed In This Episode: How did Parker start with membership programs? [05:02] Who should pay attention to this? [10:26] What are the advantages of a membership program? [12:02] What is a membership program? [15:44] What should a discount plan look like? [20:21] How do you re-engage people? [24:12]
About our Guest::
Kurry Co-Founder, The Service Hub Podcast Co-Host, Owner of Wasatch Bike Pros: Mobile Bike Shop, and Sales and Marketing Analyst Parker Willams join us in The Site Shed to talk about recurring income, how he began using it to help other businesses grow and what it truly is as well as how it works.
Three years ago he was working on his mobile bike shop and was coming to the end of the season. He dreamt of having a recurring business model as he was starting a family. He ran into a friend who introduced him to membership programs and service agreements and later offered him work with their business. Parker Williams moved up to a Sales and Marketing Analyst within months and started teaching membership programs, service agreements, and recurring income.
Later on, he decided to apply this knowledge to his business and help other businesses use this same method. He has then helped other businesses to reach up to $10 million in recurring revenue. They also recently created a software that also generated close to $20,000 in just one month.
Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to The Site Shed: You can also listen to The Site Shed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Thank you for tuning in!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Joining Matt Jones in this podcast are Dani Wales and Dan Reilly from the television show, The Block, Dani and Dan shares with us their entrepreneurial journey on and off the camera. They talk about their wins and challenges and what they’ve done to keep their boat afloat.
From the hiring process up until hiring professional photographers, Dani and Dan gave out all their tips and tricks that lead them to their success.
If you’re just starting out with your business or maybe just want to learn more about creating great content, this podcast is for you.
What’s discussed in this episode: What is The Red Door Project by Dan and Dani? How The Block inspired Dan. Why is it important to create relevant content? How Dan started in the trade industry. Dani’s experience in the finance realm. How Dan and Dani started in The Block. The importance of checklists in the business and how to make them. Dan and Dani’s hiring process. How finding someone who fits the cultural mould is important when hiring. The importance of aligning yourself and introducing yourself to lots of different businesses and business owners. How ego makes it hard to overcome hurdles. Trade industry welcomes women. How to overcome camera shyness and boost your business. Why it is important to use professional photographers when marketing your business. Optimising social media for your business. How to retain leads. Why going big too early is dangerous for business. The importance of finding your why.
About our guests:
Dani || Dani Wales is a recognised personality in the home interior industry after earning her title as one half of the “Power Couple” on The Block in 2012, and again on The Block All-Stars in 2013 with her partner Dan Reilly. Their renovated “Block” houses in both South Melbourne and Bondi have been widely acclaimed as stylish and beautifully resolved.
Dan || Since his first appearance on The Block in 2012, Certified ‘Blockhead’ Dan Reilly has well and truly made both a name and a place for himself within the show, still presently appearing on Channel 9’s The Block as the Foreman in 2019.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
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Part Three – Everything You Need to Know About Insurance Panel Discussion
Series: Everything You Need to Know About Insurance
Guest: Dan Blatch of IMFG and Jeremy Andison of Intertrade Insurance Solutions
With so many options and types of insurance policies, it can be challenging to identify what is relevant for your situation. It can feel overwhelming if you’re not adequately informed when it comes to insurance-related policies and differences.
Drawing a close to the ‘Everything You Need to Know About Insurance’ series, today’s episode will be a panel discussion, and we’re back with insurance specialists Dan Blatch and Jeremy Andison. In this episode, we will help you understand the differences and crossovers with the insurance policies we discussed in the first two episodes. We’ll also talk about the dynamics and relationships between different insurance coverages, insurers, and policies.
As tradies, we often overlook the importance of insurance, and I am sure this series is relevant for everyone in the industry. Don’t miss out and tune in to this jam-packed episode!
For other stories on insurance and compensation, check out these episodes: TSS051 – What Is OH&S? – [LINK] TSS157 – Spending Your Money Wisely – [LINK] TSS165 – Moving Forward After An Incident – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘Everything You Need to Know About Insurance Panel Discussion’ Podcast Highlights: 08:17 – The value of having a specialist to help lay the minefield on claims 15:14 – Conditions and exclusions that apply depending on the insurance coverage 17:39 – The natural filter point 21:34 – Where is the starting point in getting the right insurance? 22:41 – What are the things you could do in advance before taking the insurance policy? 29:11 – Building an insurance package and tailoring it to best suit a client’s situation 32:24 – Always provide a record of what might be stolen or damaged 34:40 – Why should you talk to an insurance broker? 34:56 – What is a quality contract?
Here’s a quick recap of this series: first, we discussed the importance of life insurance and income protection. Then in the second episode, we talked about the general side of insurance concerning your workers’ compensation. Finally, in this panel discussion, we tackled a few of the crossovers in those policies.
Today, we tackled some of the crossovers that might get mixed up when communicating between different insurance brokers. It also explains the importance of having brokers, especially with something as complex as insurance. Some avoid them because of the costs, but with brokers, you’re getting the right help and the coverage you need.
This episode wraps up our comprehensive insurance series. We tried our best to cover all angles of insurance in this series. If there’s something we missed or if you need clarifications, head over to our Facebook community, and we’ll try our best to answer those questions for you. I hope that the insights you gained from this series will be of great help for yourself, your business, as well as your family. About Our Guests
Dan Blatch is the director of IMFG. Dan is a specialist risk insurance adviser who is an expert in providing advice to individuals and business owners on matters of cash flow and asset protection. In his 12 years of experience, he has managed more than 6M AUD in claims, having worked at insurers such as QBE Group and AXA Australia.
Jeremy Andison is the director account manager of Intertrade Insurance Solutions. With over 150 years of combined experience, the brokerage assists their clients with the claims they have with their insurance company.
You can reach and connect with Dan on LinkedIn. You can contact Jeremy directly at jeremya@wgib.com.au.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
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Part Two – Insurance Policies Tradies Need to Have
Series: Everything You Need to Know About Insurance
Guest: Jeremy Andison of Intertrade Insurance Solutions
Let’s talk about insurance and trades paperwork: many of us think that we have the right policies. But in reality, we don’t. Insurance is critical not only in protecting your life and physical self but also in guarding your business.
Life insurance and income protection insurance tend to get overlooked because they sound quite boring. In this podcast, we want to make sure that business owners learn how to protect themselves if something unfortunate does happen.
Today, Jeremy Andison of Intertrade Insurance Solutions joins us this episode. As insurance brokers, Intertrade Insurance Solutions advocates for their clients to obtain the right insurance. If a customer needs to watch a claim, the team is there to help. Jeremy will cover things like motor, public liability, tool, and general property insurance for business owners.
For other stories on protecting yourself and your business, check out our Keeping Safety Simple Series TSS163 – Keeping Safety Simple Series Part 1: Getting the right safety systems in place – [LINK] TSS164 – Keeping Safety Simple Series Part 1: Responding to incidents correctly – [LINK] TSS165 – Keeping Safety Simple Series Part 3: Moving Forward After An Incident — [LINK]
About This Podcast, ‘Insurance Policies for Tradies’
Podcast Highlights 5:22 – Why talking to a broker is better than jumping online and finding the first available insurance company 5:58 – Reviewing and updating your insurance regularly 6:57 – Things that typically need to be updated 8:22 – What public utility covers and why the insurance must be in the right name 9:36 – What happens if the insurer does not know about the motor accessories and attachments 10:34 – General property or tools insurance vs. motor vehicle insurance 14:53 – What you need to consider in a motor vehicle insurance 15:48 – Getting more value for your money 19:34 – Other matters that public liability covers 24:08 – Why the client needs to know what the conditions are on their policies
In this episode, we learn that Insurance brokers need to have a very detailed understanding of the client. No two clients are the same. They may have the same business and occupation, but the way they do things is very different from one another. One insurance company may seem to have the best policy, but its conditions may not apply to your business.
Business owners, like ordinary people dealing with life insurance, tend to overlook the policies, conditions, and inclusions of an insurance plan. Jeremy walked us through the mishaps some of their clients have experienced, ranging from physical injury and surgery to contractor claims and even something as simple as vehicle accessories claims. Not quite the experience you would want to have if you keep on taking insurance policies for granted.
About Our Guest
Jeremy Andison is the director account manager of Intertrade Insurance Solutions. With over 150 years of combined experience, the brokerage assists their clients with the claims they have with their insurance company.
You can contact Jeremy directly at jeremya@wgib.com.au.
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Series: Everything You Need to Know About Insurance
Guest: Dan Blatch, director of IMFG
We cannot foresee when and what accidents and illnesses will happen to us, as well as our families. Although these situations may be out of our control, there is a way we can prepare for these and protect ourselves from their consequences. And that is through investing in insurance policies.
This is the first episode of the 'Everything You Need to Know About Insurance' series. Today, we'll cover topics such as business-related insurance and how you can create incentives around it to help retain staff. We also talk about family and life insurance, as well as income protection policies.
Tune in to the show to know more about the specifics of investing in insurance and which ones you can get.
For other safety and insurance stories, check out these episodes: TSS051 – What Is OH&S? – [LINK] TSS165 – Moving Forward After An Incident– [LINK] TSS219 – Responding To Incidents Correctly – [LINK] About this podcast, 'Safeguarding You and Your Family's Future.' Podcast Highlights: 06:45 – Occupational therapist turned insurance specialist 08:24 – Insurance advising 10:22 – Why is knowledge about insurance necessary? 12:30 – Income protection policy 19:04 – Factors that contribute to premiums and the type of policies 24:14 – What insurance should families sign up for? 26:43 – It is essential to have regular reviews to ensure that the plan continues to suit your situation. 27:50 – Death insurance policy 29:18 – Trauma or critical illness insurance coverage 33:19 – Three ownership structures of income protection policy 39:04 – Business expenses policy 41:58 – What is quality insurance? 46:37 – Group insurance 49:09 – Policies without underwriting and Statement of Advice (SOA) 50:03 – Employee benefit and incentives
We covered different insurance policies and income protection policies in this episode. I hope you can use what you learned to invest in insurance policies that can safeguard your future.
In the next episode, we'll be back with Jeremy Anderson to talk about insurance that's relevant to tradespeople aside from injury and debt income protection. These include topics such as tool insurance, public liability, and worker's compensation, among others.
We've got everything insurance-related covered in this series, so subscribe now and look out for the coming episodes! About Our Guest
Dan Blatch is the director of IMFG. Dan is a specialist risk insurance adviser who is an expert in providing advice to individuals and business owners on matters of cash flow and asset protection. In his 12 years of experience, he has managed more than 6M AUD in claims, having worked at insurers such as QBE Group and AXA Australia. He has also assisted with risk management in small to medium enterprises, developed market-leading products, and managed claims.
Visit IMFG's website for your insurance concerns. You can also reach and connect with Dan on LinkedIn.
Join the conversation in our Facebook group!
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How to Become a National Award-Winning Trade Business
Guest: Tom Martin, director of Water Tight Canberra
It’s not uncommon to have a polarised vision of what your business is and the potential it has. It might feel daunting to be up against other businesses in your niche. However, there is always a chance of coming out on top. So how can you, as a tradesperson, become an award-winning business?
In this episode, we’re talking with Tom Martin of Water Tight Canberra, which won the ‘Small and Succeeding’ category of the 2019 ACT Telstra Business Awards. Today, we’ll cover the right mindset and foundation behind this win. We’ll also talk about the role of education and being agile in business and how building to scale looks like.
If you want to know what it's like to be a national award-winning trade business, then this episode is for you. Don't miss this episode and tune in as we guide you towards that path.
For other stories of success, check these podcast episodes: TSS191 – Become A Home Service Millionaire – [LINK] TSS219 – Zero to a Million in Four Years – [LINK] TSS223 – From 2 Staff to 300 in 9 Years – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘How to Become a National Award-Winning Trade Business’ Podcast Highlights: 08:56 – Beginnings in the industry—the apprenticeship model 14:29 – Specializing in maintenance as opposed to the construction mode 16:16 – Education is the key 19:06 – The importance of getting online reviews 23:43 – Starting and managing a business 26:19 – The influence of networking groups to your personal development 29:50 – Creating systems and policies for a more organized job and better-managed staff and teams 38:02 – Winning the Small Business Award in the Telstra Business Awards 46:33 – Finding and retaining staff
This episode highlighted the role of systems and tools in managing teams in businesses. He also talked about networking groups and online reviews. Having these two is vital to know how and where you will steer your business.
Tom also gave us a rundown of the importance of education and apprenticeships. These play an essential role in building an entrepreneurial mindset early on. Finally, he shared the aftermath of winning a national award in the industry and how it has helped them in their vision. About Our Guest
Tom Martin is a licensed Canberra plumber and is the founder and director of Water Tight Canberra. Water Tight Canberra offers reliable plumbing, draining, and gasfitting services. In 2019, Water Tight Canberra won in the Small & Succeeding category of Telstra Business Awards for their commitment to social and environmentally conscious practices. The company's strongest points are their re-engineering of the plumbing industry and their approach to business and customer service.
Check out Virtual Trade Assistant and Water Tight Canberra’s website. You can also reach Tom directly at tom@watertightcanberra.com.au.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes – Apple Stitcher – Android
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The 20-Year Journey to Becoming a Successful Builder
Guest: Mat Dale of MPD Constructions Group
All beginners in business go through a rough start. Even the most successful entrepreneurs of today faced obstacles and speed bumps along the way. How can you learn from their experiences?
Mathew Dale of MPD Constructions Group joins us in today’s episode. He will talk about casting a vision for your business and how to make the right decisions in every situation. He will also talk about the importance of learning and adapting to give your business the best possible chance.
If you’re still new to the industry and need help eliminating speed bumps in your business, tune in to this episode. We will share relatable stories and proven business models to guide you on your journey.
For more inspiring and insightful success stories from other tradies, check these episodes: TSS 215 – How Darren 4-X’d His Electrical Business In 7 Months – [LINK] TSS 219 – Zero to a Million in Four Years – [LINK] TSS 223 – From 2 Staff to 300 in 9 Years – [LINK] TSS 228 – How to Build a Successful Business in a Small Town – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘The 20-Year Journey to Becoming a Successful Builder’ Podcast Highlights: 07:41 – Targeting and marketing to the right clients 11:50 – The importance of asking ‘awkward’ budget-related questions before taking on a client 16:47 – How Matt continually improves and optimizes his business processes 30:33 – Being selective about whom you work with and gaining your clients’ trust 39:31 – Creating content on your website vs. social media 41: 48 – The importance of storytelling and case studies in your content 46:20 – Why you should learn where your business stands from a cash flow point of view 56:15 – The most significant obstacles Matt encountered and how he overcame them
This episode focuses on how constant, open communication eliminates business bottlenecks. Mathew explains how he gets feedback from his clients and creates content proactively.
He also emphasizes the importance of understanding your financials. If it’s not your expertise, you can get an accountant or invest in tech tools to manage your cash flow. About Our Guest
Mat Dale is the owner and Managing Director of MPD Constructions. At 17 years old, he started his building career as an apprentice carpenter, refurbishing homes in Sydney. He built MPD Constructions in 2001. Since then, he has expanded his experience and knowledge to residential, commercial and remedial building works.
You can contact Mat on LinkedIn. You can also reach MPD Constructions at info@builtbympd.com.au.
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How to Build a Successful Business in a Small Town
Guest: Kristin Keogh of Keogh Plumbing Services
People are always up to try out something new. They could be willing to move from a big city to a small and unknown town to achieve their goals and aspirations. But with change comes fear. Can you risk beginning from scratch?
In today's episode, we talk with Kristin Keogh, who has been applying the small business mindset to his business. Like you, he began his business with nothing. But his goals and aspirations kept him going.
If you are looking for new strategies to improve or build your business in a small town, then make sure to tune in to the show. From customer care, communications, networking, and building rapport, Kristin and I got you covered!
If you want to listen to episodes related to networking on businesses, check out the following: TSS 116 – Knowing Your Customer – [LINK] TSS 143 – Dominating Customer Service – [LINK] TSS 218 – Using Data To Create An Amazing Customer Experience – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Applying A Small Business Mindset To Increase Your Consumer Sales’ Podcast Highlights: 05:36 – The power of testimonials 07:30 – The importance of having a follow-up process 09:42 – The power of content 12:33 – Refining your means to accommodate your customers’ needs 13:34 – Substituting time for money 16:35 – The impact of having a small business mentality 19:00 – Knowing what your business can best offer 21:55 – Understanding your business from within 23:40 – The importance of liability 27:07 – The effect of courage 28:22 – Where actively learning can take you 31:24 – Creating your destiny
This episode talks about customer engagement strategies that you can use to increase your profit. It also explains the power of applying a small business mentality to make your company grow. Additionally, knowing and understanding your company from within and developing a step-by-step process that you can sustain were also tackled in this podcast. I hope that you learned a lot from this episode, and I wish nothing but the best for you and your business.
About Our Guest
Kristin Keogh is a plumber who relocated from Sydney to a small town on the New South Wales coast. He now leads Keogh Plumbing Services, a team of dedicated, experienced, and licensed plumbers providing excellent service in the cities of New South Wales. From providing gas fitting services, household plumbing, fixing drainage problems, and septic systems, Kristin and his team aim to deliver reliability, professionalism, innovation, and environmental solutions to all their customers.
If you are having doubts about starting a new business or are about to launch a new one, you may reach Kristin through Facebook and Instagram. He would love to help you out!
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Welcome to 2020! What’s your game plan for this year? We accomplished a lot in the past year, and now we’re conquering another one. This is our 227th episode, and last year we became one of the largest business podcast for tradespeople. All in all, it’s been a very amazing and surreal year for us.
In today’s episode, I’ll give a recap of the important highlights and areas that we tackled in 2019. We talked with some of the most amazing people in the trade industry, and we learned a lot of different business know-how and life wisdom from them.
With the arrival of a new year, we’ll have a rundown of what’s to come in 2020 on The Site Shed Podcast and the things that we are rolling out. With the recent events that have been happening, let’s not lose hope and let’s claim 2020 to be a fantastic year.
Check out the best episodes in The Site Shed podcast here: TSS113 – When Is The Right Time To Expand With Al Levi and Ellen Rohr – [LINK] TSS191 – Become A Home Service Millionaire With Tommy Mello – [LINK] TSS109 – Modular Building With Bill McCorkell – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘2020 is here. Let’s blow it APART!’ Podcast Highlights: 04:18 – The best Site Shed podcast episodes from a statistical point of view 05:48 – Our community of global trade business owners 07:49 – Fantastic events and workshops in The Site Shed 10:08 – The best books of 2019 14:00 – 2019’s most significant lesson: Creating positive habits that lead to success 16:01 – Do not underestimate how interesting your story can be to other people 17:49 – Having an accountability partner helps you focus on the fundamental things 19:36 – We’re aiming for consistent growth in our community in 2020, as well as taking more proactive steps as an industry leader 21:13 – First big announcement: Adventure workshop in New Zealand! 22:50 – The reason why we hold these events 24:57 – Second big announcement: The Site Shed Academy launch on Australia Day 27:43 – The “Step It Up” strategy; doubling down on strategy, analytics, and reporting and having a focused work Book Resources: The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape Ask by Ryan Levesque Crushing It! By Gary Vaynerchuk One Million Followers by Dr. Brendan Kane Atomic Habits by James Clear The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D. Bitcoin Billionaires by Ben Mezrich America Before and Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock The Greatest Show On Earth by Richard Dawkins
My challenge for you is to head across to The Site Shed community, post your goals publicly, and achieve them effectively. Second, make time to read a book or listen to an audiobook; it’ll impact you and your business in the best ways possible. Lastly, be active and invest in yourself—neglecting your health is not the way to do it.
I look forward to hearing your goals in the group and seeing you in the community. As always, thank you all for your support!
We’ve set up a fundraiser through the Red Cross to extend help to those affected by the bushfires in Australia. Please help us reach our goal by donating here. Let’s come together in this time of need and help make a difference to our planet.
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Part Three – Using LinkedIn to Create Business Opportunities
Series: How to Use LinkedIn as a Tradie
Guest: Jacob Bracey, founder and director of Underdog Agency
There are 750 million users on the LinkedIn platform. The problem for most business owners is how to tap into the potential partners and clients among the millions of users. How can you do that?
Today’s episode is the third and final instalment of our LinkedIn series with the Underdog Agency founder, Jacob Bracey. In the last episode, we talked about understanding the value of LinkedIn as a platform. In this episode, we’re here to talk about engagement and outreach strategies that work.
If you’re looking for a way to reach your target market among the millions of possibilities, then make sure to tune in to the show. We’ll guide you on how to increase your reach to grow your business.
For other stories on building a profitable business, check these episodes: TSS122 – Marketing Your Business – [LINK] TSS171 – Building Won’t Make You A Million Bucks, Marketing Will – [LINK] TSS198 - Maximising Gross Profit in Your Business – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘Using LinkedIn to Create Business Opportunities’ Podcast Highlights: 07:13 – The problem with LinkedIn 08:48 – Starting a relationship with a potential client or partner 13:29 – Facebook versus LinkedIn posts 15:01 – Expanding reach through clients 15:47 – Setting up a company page on LinkedIn 17:38 – Using Sales Navigator for leads 20:56 – Importance of profile taglines
This episode shares LinkedIn outreach and engagement strategies that you can use to grow your market. It also explains how to use the powerful Sales Navigator, a convenient tool to look for potential clients and partners for your business.
This final episode wraps up our LinkedIn series. Here’s a quick recap of this 3-part talk: first, we gave a step-by-step tutorial for creating your LinkedIn profile. Then, we talked about understanding the value of LinkedIn as a platform. Finally, in this episode, we shared outreach and engagement strategies to increase your reach. I hope that you have learned a lot, and you’ll be able to use what you learned for your business. About Our Guest
Jacob Bracey is the founder of the digital marketing agency, Underdog Agency. By using powerful strategies and making use of LinkedIn as a lead generation channel, Underdog Agency helps businesses grow by reaching new audiences and closing more deals. From manufacturers to suppliers and point of sale, Jake and Underdog Agency aims to boost companies’ networks and pipelines with more opportunities.
You can contact Jake directly at jake@underdogagency.com.au. You can also reach him on LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
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Part Two – How LinkedIn works best for tradies
Series: How to Use LinkedIn as a Tradie
Guest: Jake Bracey, founder and director of Underdog Agency
Did you know that there are around 750 million LinkedIn users around the world? A vast amount of traders, contractors, and blue-collar industry workers are now on LinkedIn and using it as a business resource. Why? What makes LinkedIn an effective platform?
Today's episode is part two of our How to Use LinkedIn as a Tradie series with Underdog Agency founder, Jacob Bracey. In the last episode, we talked about the know-how of building your profile the right way. In this episode, we're here to talk about the tools and features LinkedIn offers that you might not be familiar with, but can help you find potential customers.
If you're looking for a way to grow and expand your business, make sure that you tune it to this podcast. As we dive into the value of LinkedIn, you will learn how this can be possible.
For other business development stories, you may check these episodes: TSS171 – Building Won't Make You A Million Bucks, Marketing Will – [LINK] TSS186 – How To Make The Most Out Of Your Network – [LINK] TSS220 – Valuing Your Trade Business – What You Need To Understand – [LINK]
About this podcast, 'How LinkedIn Works Best For Tradies' Podcast Highlights: 05:04 – LinkedIn as a professional business platform 06:52 – The start and growth of LinkedIn 09:07 – Free and premium features 11:42 – Building referral networks and relationships 14:01 – Connecting with clients 16:44 – LinkedIn is not for generating leads 17:41 – The advantages of having a LinkedIn profile 19:50 – Presence and opportunities
The episode highlights the value proposition of LinkedIn and how it becomes useful in connecting with people that can deliver you potential business growth. This is an instrumental series for those who have an audience or a target market.
In the next and final installment of this series, we're going to talk about some of the outreach and engagement strategies that you can apply to your LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoyed this episode and share this with somebody that will benefit from it as well. About Our Guest
Jacob Bracey is the founder of the digital marketing agency, Underdog Agency. By using powerful strategies and making use of LinkedIn as a lead generation channel, Underdog Agency helps businesses grow by reaching new audiences and closing more deals. From manufacturers to suppliers and point of sale, Jake and Underdog Agency aims to boost companies’ networks and pipelines with more opportunities.
You can contact Jake directly at jake@underdogagency.com.au. You can also reach him on LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
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Part One – A step-by-step framework on how to create your LinkedIn profile
Series: How to Use LinkedIn as a Tradie
Guest: Jacob Bracey, founder and director of Underdog Agency
LinkedIn is a powerful tool to connect with other people, companies, and organizations for job opportunities. Even if you think you don’t need this platform, it is an excellent avenue for you to expand your network, among many other benefits. However, setting up a LinkedIn profile and using it to attract clients has been a constant dilemma for many tradies.
You will learn all about maximizing your LinkedIn page in our How to Use LinkedIn as a Tradie series. For the first instalment, our guest--the founder and director of Underdog Agency, Jacob Bracey, talks about the proper way to create a LinkedIn profile to help you find potential customers.
After all, if you’re starting a business and you want to take advantage of different online platforms such as LinkedIn, it is a must that you present yourself and your business correctly and professionally.
For other similar stories to help you get started, you may check these episodes: TSS101 – Why You Need To Be Marketing Online – [LINK] TSS171 – Creating A Million Dollar Design Build Business – [LINK] TSS186 – How To Make The Most Out Of Your Network – [LINK] TSS219 – Zero To A Million In Four Years – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘A step-by-step framework on how to create your LinkedIn profile’ Podcast Highlights: 7:15 – About Underdog Agency 10:48 – Customizing LinkedIn URL 12:55 – Your LinkedIn profile photo 16:50 – Service tagline on your profile 19:30 – LinkedIn connections and contacts 21:05 – Expanding about your service in the “About” section 24:31 – Posting and sharing activities relevant to your service 29:10 – Elaborating on your past job experiences 30:03 – Your educational background 31:31 – Showcasing your skills on your profile 33:14 – Recommendations from others
In this episode, we’ll go through each section of a LinkedIn profile, its functions and importance, and how you can maximize it to reach out to different clients all over the world.
The next instalment of this series will focus on understanding why LinkedIn is useful in the realm of business and pointing out its advantages in connecting with clients. Hopefully, this video would give you a headstart to make your business flourish. About Our Guest
Jacob Bracey is the founder of the digital marketing agency, Underdog Agency. By using powerful strategies and making use of LinkedIn as a lead generation channel, Underdog Agency helps businesses grow by reaching new audiences and closing more deals. From manufacturers to suppliers and point of sale, Jacob and Underdog Agency aims to boost companies’ networks and pipelines with more opportunities.
You can contact Jacob directly at jake@underdogagency.com.au. You can also reach him on LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
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From Two to 300 Staff Members in 9 Years
Guest: John Akhoian, founder and owner of Rooter Hero
Success, in any field, can sometimes be quite polarizing. Achieving that gold medal—that reward, that end goal—can sometimes stop you from seeing the path and stepping stones that you went through to get from A to B to your goal. The common notion people have when looking at successful business owners is that it was a quick, effortless overnight success for them. But that is rarely the case.
In today's episode, we will break down some of the fundamental blocks and stepping stones that helped our guest get to where he is today. We're joined today by John Akhoian, founder and CEO who has grown his plumbing business, Rooter Hero, from having two staff members to 300 in nine years.
If you think that your business will never grow because of XYZ, this is the podcast you need to tune into, because as you will learn, it is very achievable.
For other business success stories, you may check these episodes: TSS191 – Become A Home Service Millionaire – [LINK] TSS211 – You’re Never Too Old to Learn Something New – [LINK] TSS219 – Zero to a Million in Four Years – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘From 2 Staff to 300 In Nine Years’
Podcast Highlights: 05:23 – Getting into the plumbing trade 09:23 – Investing in and implementing a franchise business structure to a plumbing business 10:31 – Learning to read numbers and financial statements through franchising 13:21 – The importance of networking within franchising groups 14:42 – Reading the right books for success 17:52 – Meeting and creating a network with the right people 20:53 – How internal training programs help build and empower staff in the field 26:12 – Organizational chart, mindset shift, and clear growth path 29:13 – The key obstacles and essential winnings for business growth 33:02 – Partnerships and positions 35:27 – How profiling and culture index becomes crucial in a business’ success 38:31 – The importance of a collaborative work environment and relationship-building process in a business 43:59 – Performance indicators and incentives 48:17 – Having a clearly defined map the company’s direction
The episode highlights the obstacles that come with every business journey, and how with the right mindset and willpower, you can overcome these challenges. There are no successful people who didn’t undergo and are still undergoing complicated business processes.
John's books The Secret to Real Wealth, Creating 99 Millionaires, and Values First are downloadable, and you can get your free copy on Rooter Hero's website. They are also available on Amazon.
About John
John Akhoian is the founder and CEO of Rooter Hero Plumbing. Based in Los Angeles, California, Rooter Hero Plumbing pride themselves in providing quality work, competitive pricing, and professional service on every plumbing service appointment. John and Rooter Hero have demonstrated a history of quality work in the consumer services industry. He is also an opinion columnist for the CEOWORLD Magazine.
You can reach John on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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Part Three – Selling Your Trade Business
Series: How To Sell Your Trade Business
Guest: Brandon Jacob from Contractors Financial Opportunity
In the last episode of this series, Brandon shares the actual process involved in selling and buying a business. This process requires professionals who specialize in business valuations and transactions. If you want to sell or buy a business, you need to get in touch with attorneys, marketers, and consultants for due diligence and a proper and legitimate process.
If you are interested in selling and business deals, check out these other episodes: TSS158 – Structuring Your Financial Deals – [LINK] TSS205 – How to sell your value and maintain a solid sales process – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Actual Process of Selling Your Business’
Podcast Highlights: 04:55 – The value of small businesses 07:30 – Pre letter of intent 10:40 – Importance of legal counsel 16:55 – Pros and cons of being approached by a buyer 19:34 – Seeking professional help 25:23 – Non-disclosure agreements 33:05 – Varying timeframes 38:04 – Negotiations 39:19 – Post letter of intent 46:24 – Different variables included in due diligence 49:52 – Difference between stock purchase and asset purchase 58:45 – Employment agreement
Brandon identified two phases of buying and selling a business. The first step is the pre-letter of intent, and the second stage is the post-letter of intent. The first phase signals how serious a buyer is to acquire a business. This pre-LOI phase has an expiration date. Thus, the buyer is required to decide within the given timeframe.
After the potential buyer and the seller signed the LOI, the prospective buyer can now analyze the internal operations of the desired company. Negotiations also happen during the post-LOI phase. It is also during this stage that non-disclosure agreements are crucial. These agreements protect everyone involved in the transaction.
Therefore, it is essential to seek the help of trained professionals, such as lawyers and consultants. It is also crucial to be highly prepared because this stage can be tedious. Everyone involved must strictly follow the process to avoid legal and business conflicts.
About Our Guest
Brandon Jacob is a Certified Public Accountant and the owner of Contractors Financial Opportunity, LLC. For over 20 years, his expertise has helped clients with business valuations and transactional support when it comes to selling their businesses. He also authored two books, For What It’s Worth and Operation Exit Strategy.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
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Part Two – Preparing Your Trade Business For Sale
Series: How To Sell Your Trade Business
Guest: Brandon Jacob from Contractors Financial Opportunity
After evaluating your business, the second step is to prepare it for selling. This preparation is challenging, but it’ll be easier with the help of the right professionals and the right mindset.
In this episode, Brandon shared a list of things you will need to prepare your business for sale. The first on the list is to have a service and replacement residential work mix. The second is to have proper management in place. The third on the list is about updating your assets. He also noted that service agreements and warranties are essential aspects.
If you are interested in selling your business and other topics related to what we discussed today, check out these episodes: TSS205 – How to sell your value and maintain a solid sales process – [LINK] TSS008 – Job Management with TradiePad – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Preparing Your Trade Business For Sale’
Podcast Highlights: 6:01 – Other considerations regarding a business’ earnings 11:38 – Looking over financial records, forecasts 16:10 – Tax management 21:37 – Possible misuse of company funds 23:29 – Non-reoccurring expense 27:03 – Replenishing assets 29:22 – Book reviewing 31:14 – Other things that make a business more attractive 36:00 – Having proper management in place 40:06 – Detailed processes as an advantage 41:45 – Well-branded business with a good reputation 43:41 – Updating assets 46:26 – Risk exposure 50:15 – Handing over the balance sheet 53:31 – Preparing your business to sell 56:53 – Mindset needed when selling a business 59:07 – Common transition period 1:00:51 – Debt levels 1:03:00 – Service agreements 1:08:35 – Warranties
An owner’s mindset is equally important when selling your business. You must prepare yourself to let go of the business. Through this, you can avoid wasting yours and your buyer’s time.
Before selling your business, you need to seek the help of a professional who can review your company’s financial books. This review is necessary so that you can manage your expectations regarding your business’ value. Further support from an expert can also help you analyze the company’s tax management.
Legal documents, such as service agreements, are essential because they drive the business. Thus, having an excellent service management program is highly suggested. It is also advisable to keep service agreements no longer than twelve months.
About Our Guest:
Brandon Jacob is a Certified Public Accountant and the owner of Contractors Financial Opportunity, LLC. For over 20 years, his expertise has helped clients with business valuations and transactional support when it comes to selling their businesses. He also authored two books, For What It’s Worth and Operation Exit Strategy.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
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Part One – Valuing Your Trade Business - What You Need to Understand
Series: How To Sell Your Trade Business
Guest: Brandon Jacob from Contractors Financial Opportunity
Twenty years ago, entrepreneurs believed they could not sell their businesses. Today, people are opting to sell their businesses, primarily if the company can be sold on fair market value.
Buying or selling a business has its processes. A company’s financial status is not the sole factor in valuing a business. Its’ goodwill or its intangible assets are also taken into consideration.
In this episode, Brandon shares his knowledge of the processes involved in selling a business, and also shares insights on how to increase your company’s value.
If you are interested in increasing the value of and selling your business, check out these episodes too:
TSS205 – How to sell your value and maintain a solid sales process – [LINK] TSS198 – Maximising Gross Profit in Your Business – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Valuing Your Trade Business - What You Need to Understand’
Podcast Highlights: 03:43 – Business valuation 09:24 – Fair market value 10:18 – Compulsive buying 14:27 – Looking at financial records 20:17 – Market approach 22:30 – Valuation of a stagnant business 24:36 – The earnings approach 26:40 – Perfecting your model 29:15 – The definition of goodwill 32:30 – Value drivers 35:18 – The actual process of evaluating a company 45:04 – The importance of service agreement
Brandon shared the three approaches to assessing a business. First is the market approach. The second approach is used to evaluate a stagnant industry, and the last strategy is the earnings approach. Different methods are used for different kinds of businesses.
For the actual process of evaluating a business, it is vital to gather the necessary data and observe the methods employed by the company. A business must exhibit the right procedures for it to sell at a high value. Another crucial aspect when evaluating a business is the confidentiality agreement between the evaluators and the business owner.
Lastly, when you are planning to sell your business, you must perfect your model. This way, you can then introduce your model to another company that you will buy. The acquired company can then become successful and have a high market value.
About Our Guest
Brandon Jacob is a Certified Public Accountant and the owner of Contractors Financial Opportunity, LLC. For over 20 years, his expertise has helped clients with business valuations and transactional support when it comes to selling their businesses. He also authored two books, For What It’s Worth and Operation Exit Strategy.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
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Zero to a Million in Four Years
Guest: Jason Spaull, Director of Coastal Asbestos Removal
If you think building a business that can earn a million dollars within four years is impossible, then we just might prove you wrong. We’re not saying it’s easy! But with the right mindset, planning, and implementing changes within yourself and your organization, you can turn that dream into a reality.
You also need to make sure you’re armed with the proper help from the proper people. And in this episode, we’re joined once again by Jason Spaull of Coastal Asbestos Removal. Whether you’re up to the task of establishing a million-dollar company or simply want to pick up some useful tips to improve your business, you’ll surely love this episode.
If you want to learn more about how to tackle your business goals, give these episodes a listen: TSS129 – From A-B with Stephen Scoggins – [LINK] TSS191 – Become A Home Service Millionaire – [LINK] TSS171 – Building Won’t Make You a Million Bucks, Marketing Will – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Zero To A Million In Four Years’
Podcast Highlights: 09:36 – How Jason started his business 11:53 – Having a business mindset 15:22 – Bringing together a million-dollar team 19:39 – Being a good leader 20:47 – Focusing on procedures 25:18 – Running a business without you 28:01 – Not losing your direction 30:14 – Finding your rhythm 32:59 – Reading and learning 35:34 – “Building the machine” 40:42 – Learning from others 42:37 – Jason’s future plans
We discussed the different aspects involved in giving life to a million-dollar business. Having the right mindset will get you started, but knowing how to hire and lead your team will get you a long way. Focusing on the process—“building the machine,” as Jason called it—will help make your goals realistic and achievable.
All that and a lot more are what Jason learned in his journey to a million dollars. But he didn’t stop there. Continuous reading and learning are essential in making sure you keep growing as a person so you can keep your business growing too.
About Jason Spaull
From being a roofer for 20 years, Jason Spaull is now the director of Coastal Asbestos Removal in South East Queensland. Licensed and trusted, these guys are the experts in asbestos removal and compliance from residential to commercial needs. You can visit their website here.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
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Part Three – Using Data to Create an Amazing Customer Experience
Series: Getting Paid On-Site and On Time
Guest: Marcel Donnelly from Flat Rate NOW
Data has become a significant asset for businesses. We can even say that it has become more valuable than oil. How does this massive statement hold? As data-capturing technologies advance, so do businesses’ opportunities to draw more comprehensive insights from it. Every click and every like leave traces around the Internet. These, in turn, make up an algorithm that companies can analyze.
Data capture and analysis enhances business operations and decision-making. Data collection business is vital in coming up with a segmented list of information and customer data acquisition. Customer data allows companies to track consumer behavior to come up with predictive analytics.
In the last installment of Getting Paid On-Site and On Time series, we’re back with Marcel to discuss the importance of data in business. Furthermore, we also talk about how to use data to create an amazing customer experience.
If you are interested in collecting data, building a database, you may check these episodes: TSS013 – Building a database with Bollo Empire – [LINK] TSS045 – Building your database – [LINK] TSS148 – Stop Working For Free, Time Is Money – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Using Data to Create an Amazing Customer Experience’
Podcast Highlights: 04:21 – The importance and impact of data in business 06:54 – Connecting the dots to leverage data 08:01 – The paradigm of digital marketing 10:43 – Data can steer the ship in the right direction 11:30 – Different income streams 12:18 – The importance of building your asset and database 13:27 – Understanding your costs 15:57 – Communicating with the customer about what’s relevant to them 17:24 – Dominant systems 18:11 – Leveraging your historical data 20:57 – Building rapport with your customer
The episode highlights and integrates all the topics from the previous episodes of Getting Paid On-Site and On Time, from upfront pricing to the technologies that improve efficiency, and now, the use of data as a way to create an excellent customer experience. As Marcel said, it’s science and consistency.
Consumer data offers ways to meet customer demands better. With the use of various tools and technology, businesses can collect, organize, and segment these data into use. With access to customer relationship management software, project management tools, and marketing tools, businesses can serve consumers better and provide service that best suits the marketplace.
To get to know more about Marcel's next-generation upfront pricing plumbing app, visit Flat Rate NOW.
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Part Two – Technology That Removes Friction and Improves Efficiency
Series: Getting Paid On-Site and On Time
Guest: Marcel Donnelly from Flat Rate NOW
The advancements in technology have undoubtedly made human lives more comfortable and more convenient. Thus, it is not surprising that businesses make use of technology to avoid human errors and improve efficiency.
In the second part of this series, Marcel shares valuable insights to help businesses streamline their operations using technological applications and devices. It is not technology’s goal to completely replace human contribution. Its purpose is to help business owners with primary concerns like product delivery and communicating with clients.
If you are interested in discussions about technology, you may check these episodes: TSS007 – The Cloud with TradiePad – [LINK] TSS034 – Why quality hosting is so important – [LINK] TSS052 – Capturing and Recording OH&S Documentation – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Technology That Removes Friction and Improves Efficiency’
Podcast Highlights: 02:47 – Importance of technology in the industry 07:11 – Recap of the first episode 09:48 – Proper devices and applications to use 18:27 – Technological adjustments in the workplace 19:49 – Frictions that technology can remove 26:02 – Efficiency improvement in the space of double entry 28:46 – Upfront pricing and managing objections 30:49 – Low fly mode 32:35 – Additional applications and tools 34:17 – Importance of data in today’s world
This episode encourages company owners to use technology to their advantage. It is also noteworthy that the majority of employees come from Generation X and Y. These people are knowledgeable about technology, and businesses must use it to their advantage.
With the use of technology, information can be readily available to both customers and owners. A company must be aware of the proper devices and applications that will help them in improving their business’ efficiency.
Marcel also emphasized the importance of data in today’s world. Data is now a commodity, and businesses must use and manage these data properly. Using technology is one of the ways by which companies can efficiently manage data. To learn more about using data for your business, don’t miss the last part of this series, Using Data to Create an Amazing Customer Experience.
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Part One – Upfront Pricing Isn't Magic, It's Science and Consistency
Series: Getting Paid On Time and On-Site
Guest: Marcel Donnelly from Flat Rate NOW
Tradespeople should receive payment for their hard work on time and on-site, just like every other job. Sometimes, work is contractual, and money is distributed over a specified period. However, essentially, you should be getting paid once your work is done. It’s that simple.
In this series, Marcel dives into the fundamentals of getting paid. For our first episode, it’s all about upfront pricing—it’s science and consistency. How should you set up your company, so you never have to worry about chasing bills? With upfront pricing, you can reduce huge overheads in expenses and chasing debts and, at the same time, cut all your personal, business, and financial stress.
If you are interested in pricing and getting paid for your time and work, you may also like these episodes: TSS087 – Getting paid for bids, quotes, and proposals – [LINK] TSS095 – Does your business suit flat-rate pricing? – [LINK] TSS172 – Stop Working For Free, Time Is Money – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Upfront Pricing Isn't Magic, It's Science and Consistency’
Podcast Highlights: 01:58 – The issue of pricing for tradespeople 06:04 – No cash flow: receiving payments at the end of the job is not ideal 07:35 – Getting paid for quotations, proposals, and estimates 10:20 – Importance of letting people understand the actual costs and building a price that encompasses all expenses 13:13 – Finding the technology and having the right conversations with the right people 17:20 – Reducing labour and overtime 18:25 – Money and stress; Leveraging your resources for pricing 22:13 – Addressing resistance from clients 29:17 – Upfront pricing model: building processes and standards, giving your customers a choice 36:53 – More on the science and consistency of upfront pricing
Starting off the series, our guest Marcel Donnelly talks to us about the science and consistency behind the upfront pricing model. Receiving payments for tradespeople has been an issue in the industry for so many years.
Different firms implement different systems, and you also have to consider what your client wants. However, you need to let your clients understand the actual costs of your services—this includes more than just labour. You need to cover vehicle expenses, insurance, location expenses, electricity, technology, and so on.
He emphasizes the need to build a figure that encompasses all your expenses. And this is important because problems with pricing can disrupt your cash flow. You cannot operate properly without consistent cash flow, which can cause you all sorts of stress. When you adequately address your pricing issues, you can also find ways to reduce labour and overtime.
Additionally, the upfront pricing model is not just beneficial to you, but also for your customers. With this pricing model, you can give them options and find common ground with them. This way, there’s no buyer remorse.
Marcel will be back on our next episode to talk about technology and how it can remove friction and improve efficiency in your workflow.
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How Darren 4-X’d His Electrical Business in 7 Months
Guest: Darren Hiscock from Hiscocks Electrical
It is challenging to grow and scale a business if you are not knowledgeable about the strategies and techniques necessary to achieve your goals. Thus, it is crucial to educate yourself with helpful business tools and principles.
In this episode, Darren shares his transition from being an electrician to a business owner. He emphasizes the importance of seeking the help of a business coach who can guide you to grow your business, just like he did with Hiscocks Electrical. He also sought other guides such as business books to help him change his perspective about business.
If you are interested in growing your business, you may want to check out these episodes: TSS088 – Using innovation to grow your business – [LINK] TSS178 – Zero to $850,000 in 2 years – [LINK] TSS198 – Maximising Gross Profit in Your Business – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘How Darren 4-X’d His Electrical Business in 7 Months’
Podcast Highlights: 07:44 – The effect of business on his personal life 10:39 – Fundamental shifts in his growing business 12:32 – Shifts in delivering perspective 15:02 – Importance of personality profiling 21:21 – Transition with his leadership 23:24 – New challenges associated with a growing business 26:33 – Positive effects of business on his lifestyle 28:34 – Goals for the company 38:54 – Other positive influences for the business 41:45 – Short term goals 42:49 – Importance of organizational structure 50:02 – Importance of a business coach
This episode highlights the need for business owners not only to grow the business but also to maintain its growth. It is essential to employ personality profiling to support the growth of the company. A growing business means an ever-increasing membership, and it is imperative for owners to hire recruits and train them correctly.
Aside from the growing number of members, an organizational structure is also crucial for any business. This structure will determine the business’ capacity to give order to its internal relationships while providing excellent services to customers.
Lastly, business owners need to plan smartly. They need to have the right attitude and mindset when dealing with problems. This way, they can adequately manage the business projects they are currently working on.
If you wish to reach the same heights Darren did, check out the Tradiematepro Coaching Program.
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Part Three – Achieving “Contractor Nirvana” by Building a High Performing Sales Team
Series: How To Grow Your Business 30% Year Over Year With Predictability
Guest: Ryan Groth from Sales Transformation Group
Everyone wants to improve, but not everyone knows the tips and tricks for rapid, sustained growth.
Many of us want to learn, so we go to training sessions from self-professed gurus, but most of the time we leave empty-handed. We end up wondering how some entrepreneurs can maintain growth for years while everyone else gets left in the dust.
In this last installment of this series, Ryan teaches us how to nurture a high-performance sales team. Your sales team is your primary business driver, so you need to build them up to make your business more productive.
To know more about productivity hacks and leveraging people, you should listen to these episodes: TSS196 – Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity – [LINK] TSS182 – 2019 Productivity Framework – [LINK] TSS180 – Performance. Leverage through effective people power – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Achieving “Contractor Nirvana” By Building A High Performing Sales Team'
Podcast Highlights: 05:41 – What is Contractor Nirvana? 07:15 – KPIs and gamification 09:05 – Celebrating milestones 12:10 – Recognizing and honoring people 16:46 – Setting goals with your team 19:29 – Holding discussions with your team 23:04 – Considering what your team wants 23:44 – Stewarding human beings 28:17 – Holding weekly meetings with the team
Concluding the “How To Grow 30% Year Over Year With Predictability” series, this episode focuses on something that entrepreneurs forget to consider: sales teams.
When you think of techniques to increase productivity, do you also think about your employees? All too often, we become so obsessed with reaching targets that we start to neglect the people who run our operations.
I believe it’s time that businesses take better care of their people. Here, Ryan shows us how we should recognize the efforts of our teams so that we can motivate them to do even better.
He also emphasizes why it’s important to make team members relate to the goals of the company. In the best companies, the goals of the owners and workers all point towards the corporate vision.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Part Two - Optimizing for an Evergrowing and Juicy Sales Pipeline
Series: How To Grow Your Business 30% Year Over Year With Predictability Guest: Ryan Groth from Sales Transformation Group
Growing a business, especially with a target growth of 30% year over year, is not an easy feat. Thus, business owners need to employ exceptional strategies to turn their target growth into actuality. Sales pipeline optimization is one of the best ways to achieve this growth.
In the second episode of the series, Ryan discussed what businesses need to know about sales pipelines and how it can help them grow. Owners, especially those who are just starting in the business world, need to be relatable. Potential customers need to see that businesses engage with the community because they have other goals aside from profit. When potential customers see this, they become more eager to transact with such companies.
This episode is excellent for those who seek to grow their business or for those who enjoy learning new business strategies.
If you also want to optimize and to grow your business, you may listen to these episodes: TSS187 – Creating strong referral partnerships – [LINK] TSS186 – How to make the most out of your network – [LINK] TSS185 – Building your referral team – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Optimizing for an Ever-growing and Juicy Sales Pipeline'
Podcast Highlights: 05:52 – Definition of a sales pipeline 08:29 – Importance of a good sales pipeline 09:36 – Definition of juicy pipeline 12:20 – Importance of referrals 14:33 – Importance of community engagement 17:16 – Importance of networks 22:53 – Account development meeting framework or DM 26:51 – How to optimize your pipeline 28:25 – LinkedIn as a powerful tool
After engaging with the community, businesses need to have great content online. Exceptional online content will then drive traffic to their businesses’ sites; thus, attracting the right customers. Ryan emphasized that companies need to smartly use platforms such as LinkedIn for their businesses’ optimization.
Use a sales pipeline tracker to gauge performance and to make necessary adjustments if the need arises. Having a framework such as an account development meeting or DM is also a great help for businesses to track their networks for future referrals.
These referrals are exemplary assets to the company. By having constant referrals through networks, business owners gain new customers without having to actively find them, which means fewer used resources but more payout for the business.
If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes - Apple Stitcher - Android
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Part One – How to Win More and Work With Less Effort by Selling Versus Bidding
Series: How To Grow Your Business 30% Year Over Year With PredictabilityGuest: Ryan Groth from Sales Transformation Group
The sales process can feel like a routine. There are times when clients do not necessarily know what they want. In turn, contractors can fall into an endless cycle of estimating, bidding, and preparing presentations only to be ignored. Then the cycle continues.
This context applies not only to a contracting business. Wherever you are that deals with people talking with each other, valuing time and effort should be commonplace. We should be able to evaluate the worth of our time and efforts into every step.
If you’re interested in business, contractors, and sales topics, you’ll want to listen to these also. TSS187 – Creating strong referral partnerships – [LINK] TSS166 – Google Marketing For Tradies & Contractors – [LINK] TSS195 – Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘How to Win More and Work With Less Effort by Selling Versus Bidding’
Podcast Highlights 10:36 – Bidding is like baseball 15:17 – Quoting on the right jobs 18:34 – Sound selling 19:55 – Creating urgency 21:43 – Project analysis 26:58 – Baseline Selling Process 28:22 – Considering emotional and intellectual factors 31: 23 – Sealing the deal 34:48 – Sales milestones 38:21 – Practice vs. scripts
In the first part of this series, we delve deep into the bidding versus selling process. We need to see business from a new perspective instead of just making the calls, crunching numbers, and passively waiting for results to happen. You will learn as much as I did about creating relationships rather than just gaining clients.
Instead of giving the cost of service, project how much a problem is going to cost if it is not solved. This practice is what you call sound selling. To create a feeling of urgency, I suggest that you take a moment to step back. Do not just identify how you compare with your competitors. Make your efforts worth your time. Sales milestones and practicing how to get better at your craft every day are integral parts of your success. Remember, success does not happen overnight.
Drawing from a sports analogy, Ryan points out that sales is like playing baseball. Pitchers and catchers work in harmony and set their goals to provide a foundation for their team to win.
Similarly, you do not just turn up and expect to hit the ball out the park —you take strategic steps - and you practice, practice, practice...
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During your formative years, you learn everything you need to know to pass school exams. Then you sign-up for an apprenticeship to boost the skills you have to complement your chosen career. After decades of hard work, an excellent retirement plan is what most people look forward to at the end of their careers. The standard trajectory of most careers involve these simple steps.
Now that you’ve retired, what happens next? Anything—from a life of relaxation to finally pursuing your interests and passions.
If you're interested in apprenticeship and careers, you'll listen to these also: TSS177 – Don’t be a doctor, be a tradie – [LINK] TSS178 – Zero to $850,000 in 2 years – [LINK] TSS174 – From A to B with Corey Philip [LINK]
About this podcast, 'You're Never Too Old To Learn Something New'
Podcast Highlights: 4:25 – Structure and Stages of an Apprenticeship 6:40 – The Risks of Working with Steam 9:11 – The Job of a Marine Engineer 11:21 – Powering Steam Vessels 14:48 – Starting Over at 76 16:26 – Getting Accredited by Learning on the Job 19:17 – Fabrication: Modern Technology vs. Older Industries 27:33 – Where Is Funding Sourced? 32:11 – Progress in the Foreseeable Future
In this podcast, we will stray from the usual talk of business and productivity to sit down with David Griffith. He shares with us his experiences as we explore the idea of what it means to pursue your passion regardless of arbitrary limitations like age.
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Businesses of any size, at some point, will need to create systems, especially if they have any intention of growing and scaling. Creating an operation manual and having an established organisational structure are fundamental steps to having the right systems in place with the right people you need.
If you’re interested in systems, operations, and other episodes with Al, you’ll want to listen to these. TSS176 – How To Hold World Class Meetings – [LINK] TSS061 – Implementing an Organisational Chart – [LINK] TSS057 – Operating Power with Al Levi – [LINK] TSS046 – From A–B with Al Levi – [LINK] TSS012 – Business Systems with Bollo Empire – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Operating Manuals’
Podcast Highlights: 01:10 – About Al Levi and his book 03:32 – The necessity of an operating manual 06:46 – Organisational chart—the place to start 11:30 – How Al began teaching about and writing operating manuals, the CSR manual 16:00 – Your organisational chart, staffing, and accessibility of operating manuals 18:33 – How is an operating manual beneficial? 20:49 – Learning to write a manual, and taking the time to train your people 29:41 – Improving and developing your manuals 30:50 – The importance of structured meetings 32:16 – Al’s journey and lessons from teaching, consultations, and workshops
Back with us in this episode is Al Levi, and he talks us through the importance and benefits of, and how to create operating manuals for your business. Unlike memos, manuals are a two-way conversation with your employees and serve as a more effective way to streamline the processes you have in place.
For anything you have to do more than once, create a manual. Once you define and write your manual and adequately train your employees, there’s little need to go over your processes and instructions repeatedly. Your team can quickly consult their manual. That’s made even more accessible if it is in digital format because the copy they have is updated. Al also reminds everyone of the importance of improving your manuals as things change.
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PART THREE: Driving more profit from your projects
Series: 3 Steps on Taking Your Business from ‘Chaos’ to ‘Control’ Guest: Marti Amos from The Professional Builder
Now that you have targeted the right audience and turned them into paying customers through effective marketing techniques, it’s time to drive more profit from your project! This will be a revelation for anyone who feels like they’re losing money on jobs.
How do you maintain your business and run it as efficiently as possible? This topic indeed might seem overwhelming because it already involves internal business aspects (ever thought of unnecessary business expenses?) and continuous customer interaction. The secret, however, will be broken down into manageable steps in this episode.
About this podcast, ‘Driving More Profit From Your Project’
Podcast Highlights: 06:07 – Three aspects of driving more profit 08:49 – Labor productivity 13:33 – Cost forecasting 14:55 – Cash flow forecast 16:45 – Dealing with numbers and improvements
In the final episode of this series, you will learn how to manage internal business expenses, maintain and maximize employee productivity, and proper business cost forecasting. The secret to driving more revenue is understanding numbers. These numbers will tell a story—a story of what is not working and what suits well with the company.
Driving more profits is more than just generating more leads and sales. The general rule is it lies with labor productivity and budget allocation. Reporting and forecasting would tell you what’s working and what’s wrong with your business. Marti lays down all the techniques for this.
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PART TWO: The ultimate process for removing yourself from your trade business
Series: 3 Steps on Taking Your Business from ‘Chaos’ to ‘Control’ Guest: Marti Amos from The Professional Builder
Do you find yourself complaining about how you are your business? Perhaps every time you consider stepping away, your immediate thought is that your business cannot function without you? That makes sense, and it’s something I commonly hear from our clients.
However, if you have the proper systems and processes in place, this is hardly an issue. Today, you will learn how and where to implement the appropriate processes, procedures, and manuals. You can use this knowledge to find time to free yourself from the day-to-day running of your business.
About this podcast, ‘The Ultimate Process for Removing Yourself from Your Trade Business’
Podcast Highlights: 02:26 – First episode recap 03:33 – Systematizing to make more money and more time 05:30 – Organizational chart and structure 06:37 – Creating your business maturity date to systemize 09:39 – Stop it, automate it, or delegate it; professional builder rate 11:37 – Build a weekly structure and the resources and tools you can use 14:12 – Deciding what systems to focus on 15:39 – Key points so far 16:50 – Figuring out your A-Z operations systems blueprint and recommended tools 20:59 – Start appointing 23:25 – Communication tools 24:54 – Make sure you have the specific systems on site 26:28 – The rights and wrongs of incentivizing
In the second episode of this series, our guest Marti Amos is back to tell us all about systematizing. He shares how it can help free up your time so you can work on the more critical aspects of your business. We go over the essential things to consider when you set up your systems and tools you can use to make your work easier.
To achieve success and properly systematize, everything comes back to the organizational chart and setting up your business maturity date. Once you’ve figured out both, it’ll be a breeze to organize the rest of your system—the A-Z of your operations, the process map, and the roles of your team members.
Remember to tune in to the third and final episode of this series where Marti and I talk about driving more profit from your projects.
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PART ONE: How to Get Booked Out 6-12 Months in Advance Without Competing on Price
Series: 3 Steps on Taking Your Business from ‘Chaos’ to ‘Control’ Guest: Marti Amos from The Professional Builder
Can you confidently say you’re booked out six to twelve months in advance? If you are, are you sure that you are fully booked with the right customers, qualified customers, and clients who perfectly suit your customer avatar?
As a business owner, you want to be sure that you’re booked out at the right margins and with good deal flow. You need to learn what to do to take your business from chaos to control.
About this podcast, 'How To Get Booked Out'
Podcast Highlights:- 03:15 - Series introduction- 05:52 - Getting booked at the right margins and having good deal flow- 07:57 - Questions customers ask before they buy from you- 11:49 - Marketing systems that work for your business including multiple different strategies- 14:59 - Importance of focusing on the customer and the products- 16:27 - Big issues faced by project-based work and builders- 22:26 - How not to compete on price- 25:50 - The secret weapon that will keep your pipeline full all the time- 29:59 - Tools available to help you build your confidence and present your business and product
In ‘How To Get Booked Out 6-12 Months Without Competing on Price,’ our guest Marti Amos discusses marketing and how business owners can maximize the use of websites to their advantage. By sharing his knowledge about websites and incorporating his customized solutions, he guides listeners on how to get booked, not compete on the price of the products, have the right products, and of course, find the right customers.
The internet is not only limited to surfing if you know just where to look and how to use your resources. Remember to tune in to our next episode where Marti will be back with us to talk about systems and freeing up your time from your business.
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PART THREE: Resisting the Discount Pressure
Series: Ethical sales delivering healthy margins Guest: Jon Dale from Little Fish Business Coaching
We’ve all been guilty of thinking that discounting our products or services is the only way to sell them. Whether you have done it before or are contemplating doing it, let me tell you, that is not a smart business move.
Why? First of all, it devalues your product. Second, knowing full well that you will eventually sell it at a lower price, people will be more likely to wait for you to discount your product instead of buying it at its full price. It is essential you learn this lesson and not fall into the trap of resorting to discounting your products.
If you’re interested in sales, you’ll want to listen to these. TSS085 – More trust equals more sales – [LINK] Selling like a $30 million company – Part 1 | Part 2 TSS067 – Selling to the right customers – [LINK] TSS065 – Knowing your hourly rate – [LINK]
About this podcast, ‘Resisting the Discount Pressure‘
Podcast Highlights: 03:10 – Recap 04:42 – Resisting the pressure 05:49 – Flat rate model in relation to discounts 07:45 – Two strategies with discounting 10:52 – The problems with discounting 12:32 – How knowing your power and the sales process connects with avoiding discounting, and having the ability to say no 18:45 – Confidence and resisting the pressure from yourself 23:32 – Remind the people of the value in your service and let them choose
In this third episode of our series ‘Ethical Sales Delivering Healthy Margins,’ our guest Jon is back to talk to us about resisting the discount pressure. He continues the discussion with a quick recap of the first two episodes of this series, before tackling why you should resist giving in to the pressure.
Discounting is expensive, and it’s really helpful to understand how your power and the sales process ties in with communicating your prices adequately and avoiding discounts. Finally, Jon reminds us to do enough marketing and to do it properly.
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PART TWO: How to sell your value and maintain a solid sales process
Series: Ethical sales delivering healthy margins Guest: Jon Dale from Little Fish Business Coaching
Pricing is a major problem in today’s world not only for producers and sellers but also for buyers and consumers.
Not knowing how to properly price products can be a hindrance when it comes to selling them and finding the right customers. Even though this is a prevailing issue, it doesn’t mean there are no possible solutions for us. In today’s episode, we will discuss the power of the sales process and how important it is to wing this.
If you're interested in sales, you'll want to listen to these. TSS085 - More trust equals more sales - [LINK] Selling like a $30 million company - Part 1 | Part 2 TSS067 - Selling to the right customers - [LINK] TSS065 - Knowing your hourly rate - [LINK] About this podcast, 'How to sell your value and maintain a solid sales process'
Podcast Highlights:
08:12 - What is a sales process?09: 47 - How to help clients in implementing processes in their business12:54 - Two different types of sales processes for trade business—for small and big projects.18:08 - How do you start with your sales process?32:02 - How do you talk and deal with decision-makers?
In ‘How To Sell Your Value And Maintain A Solid Sales Process’ episode, our guest Jon, comes back to recap the first episode about the issues in the lead trade business. He continues with the discussion of what is an effective sales process and how having one is important for business owners. He also gave a step-by-step method on how to use a sales process in your business or if you want to start one.
It is really helpful to get a grasp of the positive and negative sides of a sales process. We will learn different perspectives on how to apply it in the situation we are currently in, as well as how to derive solutions from the strategies our guest taught us.
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Part One - Why having decent margins is important
Series: Ethical sales delivering healthy margins Guest: Jon Dale from Little Fish Business Coaching
Sales! They can make or break a business.
Whether we like sales or not, we are all in the business of sales. All of us are selling something. A product, a service, ourselves to other people and so on.
Over the years, I've seen and heard many 'sales experts' teach various sales methods and if I'm honest, the majority of them are cringe-worthy. The landscape of sales has changed significantly with the introduction of things like flat rate selling and upfront pricing, however even with these seemingly more 'transparent' approaches, liberties can be taken.
In this series, we dive into three areas of ethical selling with the hope that you'll be able to take what you learn and tweak it to make it your own.
If you're interested in sales, you'll want to listen to these. TSS085 - More trust equals more sales - [LINK] Selling like a $30 million company - Part 1 | Part 2 TSS067 - Selling to the right customers - [LINK] TSS065 - Knowing your hourly rate - [LINK] About this podcast, 'Why having decent margins is important' Podcast Highlights: 03:44 - The 'get three quotes' frustration 08:30 - What's taking chunks out of your margins? 12:14 - Know your costs, know your margins 20:16 - A clear avatar will help you cast a clear message 22:02 - Meaningful marketing 25:13 - How and why are you different?
In 'Why having decent Margins Is Important', Jon talks to us about the number one issue that leads trade businesses to fail. That being, not understanding costs, expenses and margins. So many companies are simply not charging enough money and it will eventually cripple them.
It was interesting to talk about how so many companies think they're doing okay because there's money in the bank, but they haven't yet paid themselves a salary. Why does this happen so much?
If I'm honest, I only really started paying myself a regular salary ove the last few years, which coincided with the business taking off. As soon as I started doing that, I realised that I needed to really focus on my numbers and rally start to double down.
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Anyone that runs a business has costs. Some more than others, but regardless, they exist.
Typically speaking, we pay our bills as we get them. We'll use direct transfer, or we'll pay by credit card knowing that we have 30, 60 or 90 days to pay the balance. What many of us DO NOT do well is use these everyday expenses to our advantage.
Most of us are familiar with 'Flyer Points' or 'Reward Points', however it would probably be fair to say that most of us also don't really give them much attention.
Occasionally, we'll look at our balance to see if we can score a free trip anywhere, or if we can use our points to upgrade our toaster, but what you'll learn in this podcast is how you can redirect some of your spendings in a SMART way so that we're earning maximum points and using them to achieve our travel goals.
Some of the key things that I learned in this podcast include: Choosing your credit card is the LAST step in the process Domestic flights chew your points up Credit card points don't always match reward points 1 for 1 Upgrading using points is not ALWAYS the best option Use different cards for different transactions Never pay more than 2% on a credit card transaction Rewards ONLY work if you never pay interest
Here are the podcast highlights. There is so much gold in this podcast, I could have timestamped every sentence, but you get the idea. 00:28 - Mark's question about credit card points 04:03 - Being in control 05:53 - Reward systems only work if you don't pay interest 07:09 - Setting up a direct debit means a ZERO balance every month 11:34 - Credit cards help you create great business relationships 15:30 - Getting 4 to 5 times better value using points 19:22 - Airlines make all their money off suckers that pay full price for business and first class 23:56 - A points framework 27:32 - Upgrading doesn't guarantee your seat, but booking does. 28:45 - American Express vs Visa and Mastercard 30:58 - The best 'points airlines' to fly domestic and international 37:20 - Using the benefits beyond the points 40:00 - bank points are not airline points 42:33 - Steve's 'Points App'
Enjoy the podcast and reap the 'rewards'
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Part Three – Laying the right foundations for your business
Series: Tax Essentials for Tradies and Contractors Guest: Tab Burkhalter from The Numbers House
Accounting is one of those topics that is hard to make sexy, but when you learn new tricks, it can make an incredible difference to both your business and your personal life.
When I started my business journey, I never had any advice or counsel from anyone that had a clue about numbers. I had no one in my corner. There were no podcasts, no amazing facebook communities. Even my accountant at the time was an absolute punish to get information out of.
In this series, Tab dives into three essential areas that tradies and contractors need to focus on. Three areas that I wish I had better understood when I started out. Three areas that we could probably all improve on.
My advice to everyone, especially those starting out in business, is to learn numbers and understand your finance. You don’t need to be an accountant to keep yourself on track and out of danger.
If you’re interested in numbers and finance topics, you’ll want to listen to these also. Get a grip on your financials – [LINK] Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin – [LINK] Profitability. Get your financial house in order – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘Laying the right foundations for your business‘ Podcast Highlights: 02:26 – Why you must keep tabs on your books 07:09 – Finding your ‘numbers coach’ 13:38 – Asking the right questions 19:11 – The three performance indicators 23:49 – Understanding your strengths 25:27 – Setting goals and planning 30:50 – Make sure you pay yourself first 31:14 – Being flexible and being able to pivot
This the third and final…and arguably the most important podcast in the ‘Tax Essentials For Tradies and Contractors’ series that I conducted with Tab from The Numbers House.
This podcast is all about building the right financial foundations so you can grow steadily. Having clarity is so important. If you understand what your objectives and goals are, then you’ll have a chance of hitting them. If you don’t lay the right foundations, however, you have no chance.
I hope you got a lot out of this podcast and this series. I know I did.
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Part Two – Understanding cash flow and reporting
Series: Tax Essentials for Tradies and Contractors Guest: Tab Burkhalter from The Numbers House
Accounting is one of those topics that is hard to make sexy, but when you learn new tricks, it can make an incredible difference to both your business and your personal life.
When I started my business journey, I never had any advice or counsel from anyone that had a clue about numbers. I had no one in my corner. There were no podcasts, no amazing facebook communities. Even my accountant at the time was an absolute punish to get information out of.
In this series, Tab dives into three essential areas that tradies and contractors need to focus on. Three areas that I wish I had better understood when I started out. Three areas that we could probably all improve on.
My advice to everyone, especially those starting out in business, is to learn numbers and understand your finance. You don’t need to be an accountant to keep yourself on track and out of danger.
If you’re interested in numbers and finance topics, you’ll want to listen to these also. Get a grip on your financials – [LINK] Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin – [LINK] Profitability. Get your financial house in order – [LINK] About this podcast, ‘Understanding cash flow and reporting‘ Podcast Highlights: 02:34 – The accrual method of accounting 05:41 – Cashflow supporting expenditure 07:03 – Budgeting 10:38 – Managing tax and overheads 13:34 – The danger of pricing jobs at cost & hoping on variations 19:36 – Charging $250 will barely break even 22:54 – Financing shortfalls on credit cards 26:21 – Reconciliation frequency and habits 30:51 – Banks making money off poor cashflow management 33:53 – The owners’ draw
Stemming on from part one of the ‘Tax Essentials For Tradies & Contractors’ series, titled, ‘Why you need two sets of books’, this episode dived deeper into the importance of understanding how to manage cash flow and how to report on our numbers.
I know over the last 12 months, I’ve implemented a weekly reporting schedule into my business and we’ve had the best year yet. Is that the only reason? Likely not. However, it’s certainly made it easy for me to see potential problems arise in the early stages.
The two things that were the turning point for my businesses, would certainly be understanding cash flow and regular reporting. I just used to bury my head in the sand and not want to confront reality. Since I changed that, my business has progressively got better and better.
In this podcast, Tab runs through his methods of managing cash flow and accurate effective reporting. Enjoy.
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Episode 200 of The Site Shed podcast.
In this podcast, I run through The Site Shed's journey over the last 3 years. I talk about the beginnings and how my digital agency, Tradie Web Guys got me into the education space initially.
I cover off on The Site Shed's top 5 all-time podcasts. TSS109 - Modular Building with Bill from Archiblox TSS113 - When is the right time to expand with Al Levi and Ellen Rohr TSS178 - Zero to $850k in two years with Peter Norton TSS145 - How to systemise your trade business with Dave Jenyns TSS191 - Become a home service millionaire with Tommy Mello
I talk about the most valuable takeaways that I've learned and implemented over the years. Project Management Time Blocking Organisation Structure Nurturing and Automation
I talk about our amazing private Facebook community of almost 5,000 global members.
I pay thanks to all of the team that helps the podcast be what it is, all the listeners, people that have attended our epic events (www. TheSiteShed.com/events/), events and conferences that I have spoken at over the years and of course, everyone that's taken the time to leave us a review. You can also leave one at one (or all) of the links below.
iTunes | Google | Facebook
I also talk briefly about the awesome new membership site that I have launching over the next few weeks, which will become the greatest resource for trade-based organisations on the planet.
Thanks for your support everyone. I look forward to chatting with you in the group.
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Part One - Why you need to keep two sets of books
Series: Tax Essentials for Tradies and Contractors Guest: Tab Burkhalter from The Numbers House
Accounting is one of those topics that is hard to make sexy, but when you learn new tricks, it can make an incredible difference to both your business and your personal life.
When I started my business journey, I never had any advice or counsel from anyone that had a clue about numbers. I had no one in my corner. There were no podcasts, no amazing facebook communities. Even my accountant at the time was an absolute punish to get information out of.
In this series, Tab dives into three essential areas that tradies and contractors need to focus on. Three areas that I wish I had better understood when I started out. Three areas that we could probably all improve on.
My advice to everyone, especially those starting out in business, is to learn numbers and understand your finance. You don't need to be an accountant to keep yourself on track and out of danger.
If you're interested in numbers and finance topics, you'll want to listen to these also. Get a grip on your financials - [LINK] Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin - [LINK] Profitability. Get your financial house in order - [LINK] About this podcast, 'Why you need to keep two sets of books' Podcast Highlights: 07:23 - Low income for the government, high income for debt servicing 09:51 - Example-Spending $60,000 on a truck 11:15 - Asset depreciation 14:04 - How to structure your chart of accounts 18:15 - Laying critical foundations 20:45 - Being prepared for your accountant 23:12 - Keeping your books black and white reduces friction
This podcast is really about simplification. If you have simple and easy to follow financials, it will help you, help your accountant and if you ever get audited, help the government understand what has been going on.
When accounting is not your 'first language', it's easy to set things up the way that you think is correct, but in reality, is far from it. Trust me, I've been there.
Taking the time to correctly structure your chart of accounts, amongst a few other key things, really will help you alleviate future speed bumps. In fact, it's one of the first things our friends over at tradiematepro do with the business accelerator program. If you need a framework to help you in the right direction, go check it out.
Anyway, I hope you can apply something practical from this podcast. I know I have.
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Maximising Gross Profit in Your Business with Danny from BT Academy
Series: Scaling your business from '$500k to $5 million' Guest: Danny Kerr from BT Academy Part One: Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan - [LINK] Part Two: Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity - [LINK] Part Three - How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications - [LINK]
It's no surprise that BT Academy is one of Canada's fastest growing companies. As you'll soon find out, Danny is a friggin business guru. Over the last couple of years, Danny and I have spoken on many occasions and every time, I'm blown away by how awesome he and his business is. If you're a tradie or contractor, you simply MUST get in BT Academy's space.
...And lucky for you, you have that option at the bottom of this page.
Danny has been on The Site Shed before for the series titled, The top 3 mistake growing trade businesses make. Go check them out if you want to hear more episodes with him. Here is the link to episode one - Attracting the right talent. Here's the link to spidoe two - Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin Here's the link to part three - Wrong Prioritisation of time Here's a bit of a spiel on BT Academy:
Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we'll be talking about how to scale your trade business from $500k to $5 mill. Here are the episodes: TSS195 - Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan TSS196 - Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity TSS197 - How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications TSS198 - Maximizing Gross Profit in Your Business
If you're interested in numbers and finance topics, you'll want to listen to these also. Get a grip on your financials - [LINK] Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin - [LINK] Profitability. Get your financial house in order - [LINK] About this podcast, 'Maximising Gross Profit in Your Business' Podcast Highlights: 02:12 - It's all about profit 02:31 - Gross Profit is the most important number in business 05:15 - Your first $500,000 07:35 - Understanding your true overheads 09:53 - knowing your profit margins 12:06 - Industry net profit figures 15:06 - Technology and tools to track profit 18:34 - Templates and tools for listeners
Most of us realise that profit is important, however few of us take the time to strategise and optimise our profit sources.
In this series finale, Danny from BT Academy explains the importance of building a framework around staying on top of your numbers and taking the right steps in understanding how you can increase and maximise your Gross Profit margin.
Supported by loads of free resources that Danny has left behind for you, you can take what he speaks about in this episode and apply it directly to your own business. For the record, this is pretty much what Danny and his team do as part of their amazing training program, meaning you're getting it for nothing.
I know over the years, I've learned the hard way that focussing on and applying strategy to business financials and reporting is a turning point for many businesses. Even the ones that are making a lot of money.
I can't encourage you enough to take the time to set time aside in your calendar each week to track and report on your financials. It's one of the best pieces of advice I can offer a business owner. A piece that I wish I was offered back when I started out in business.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please take 5 to leave us a review: Google Facebook iTunes - Apple Stitcher - Android
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How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications with Danny from BT Academy Series: Scaling your business from ‘$500k to $5 million’ Guest: Danny Kerr from BT Academy
Part One: Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan – [LINK] Part Two: Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity – [LINK] It’s no surprise that BT Academy is one of Canada’s fastest growing companies. As you’ll soon find out, Danny is a friggin business guru. Over the last couple of years, Danny and I have spoken on many occasions and every time, I’m blown away by how awesome he and his business is. If you’re a tradie or contractor, you simply MUST get in BT Academy’s space.
…And lucky for you, you have that option at the bottom of this page.
Danny has been on The Site Shed before for the series titled, The top 3 mistake growing trade businesses make. Go check them out if you want to hear more episodes with him.
Here is the link to episode one – Attracting the right talent. Here’s the link to spidoe two – Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin Here’s the link to part three – Wrong Prioritisation of time Here’s a bit of a spiel on BT Academy: Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we’ll be talking about how to scale your trade business from $500k to $5 mill. Here are the episodes:
TSS195 – Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan TSS196 – Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity TSS197 – How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications TSS198 – Maximizing Gross Profit in Your Business If you’re interested in the topic of ‘HR/staff/hiring/recruitment’, check these other podcasts out:
Attracting the right team members Keeping your team striving Not a job. A career Recruiting your A-Team Onboarding and training your A-Team Retaining your A-Team About this podcast, ‘How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications’ Podcast Highlights: 01:51 – Getting 100 qualified applicants per day 06:17 – It’s not about what you want 09:10 – Recruitment is a marketing process 15:39 – Using LinkedIn correctly 23:17 – The campus recruiting process
The feedback I receive from all of the companies that I speak with from all around the world is that staffing, hiring and retention is the number one issue that trade businesses are having. Apparently, getting great employee applications is no easy feat.
Now, why do you ting that is? Is it because there are no good people out there? Is it because everyone is stupid? Or is it because your process sucks?
As leaders, we have to look the truth head-on and accept that in most cases, the reason that we don’t have a great team behind us is that our ’employee applications’ process is rubbish. A poor process equals poor applications, Poor applications equal poor candidates and poor candidates equal poor team members.
Danny is the recruitment master. He has a number of awesome processes that ensures that he is always recruiting the best people from the best pools. In this podcast, he runs through a number of his tactics, including networking, using LinkedIn, even using colleges as a recruitment ground. It’s brilliant.
Go and get the templates that Danny has left behind for you and get out there and implement. I want to hear about your successes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity with Danny from BT Academy
Series: Scaling your business from ‘$500k to $5 million’ Guest: Danny Kerr from BT Academy Part One: Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan – [LINK]
It’s no surprise that BT Academy is one of Canada’s fastest growing companies. As you’ll soon find out, Danny is a friggin business guru. Over the last couple of years, Danny and I have spoken on many occasions and every time, I’m blown away by how awesome he and his business is. If you’re a tradie or contractor, you simply MUST get in BT Academy’s space.
…And lucky for you, you have that option at the bottom of this page.
Danny has been on The Site Shed before for the series titled, The top 3 mistake growing trade businesses make. Go check them out if you want to hear more episodes with him. Here is the link to episode one – Attracting the right talent. Here’s the link to spidoe two – Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin Here’s the link to part three – Wrong Prioritisation of time Here’s a bit of a spiel on BT Academy:
Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we’ll be talking about how to scale your trade business from $500k to $5 mill. Here are the episodes: TSS195 – Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan TSS196 – Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity TSS197 – How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications TSS198 – Maximizing Gross Profit in Your Business
If you’re interested in the topic of ‘strategic planning’, check these out: 2019 productivity framework Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it Innovative thinking part two Performance. Leverage through effective people power How to systemise your trade business Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity, with Danny Kerr Podcast Highlights: 04:54 – Knowing your metrics 07:33 – Active Marketing 08:05 – The GS&R framework (goal setting and review) 10:35 – Systems that help you track 15:46 – Knowing your strengths 17:39 – Retaining staff using structured incentives 22:10 – The ‘Net Promoter’ system
If you’ve heard any of Danny’s previous podcasts, or if you’ve taken the time to get hold of the amazing resources/frameworks and templates that he’s left behind, you’ll already appreciate that when it comes to ‘structure’ and ‘maximum productivity’, no one does it better.
You’ve probably heard the old cliché saying, “A successful company is a productive company”. In this podcast, we learn about how to achieve maximum productivity in our organisations, by implementing things like tracking, reporting and incentives to keep staff motivated.
Danny’s frameworks are genius for retaining staff. Which for the record is the number one issue that businesses have right across the world, according to all of the amazing organisations that I speak with via the podcast.
In this podcast, he teaches us how to create frameworks that not only keep people accountable but also keeps them hungry to achieve more and always striving forward.
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Strategic Planning, done simply with Danny from BT Academy
Series: Scaling your business from ‘$500k to $5 million’ Guest: Danny Kerr from BT Academy
It’s no surprise that BT Academy is one of Canada’s fastest growing companies. As you’ll soon find out, Danny is a friggin business guru. Over the last couple of years, Danny and I have spoken on many occasions and every time, I’m blown away by how awesome he and his business is. If you’re a tradie or contractor, you simply MUST get in BT Academy’s space.
…And lucky for you, you have that option at the bottom of this page.
Danny has been on The Site Shed before for the series titled, The top 3 mistake growing trade businesses make. Go check them out if you want to hear more episodes with him. Here is the link to episode one – Attracting the right talent. Here’s the link to spidoe two – Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin Here’s the link to part three – Wrong Prioritisation of time Here’s a bit of a spiel on BT Academy:
Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we’ll be talking about how to scale your trade business from $500k to $5 mill. Here are the episodes: TSS195 – Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan TSS196 – Structuring Your Company for Maximum Productivity TSS197 – How to Generate Rockstar Employee Applications TSS198 – Maximizing Gross Profit in Your Business
If you’re interested in the topic of ‘strategic planning’, check these out: When is the right time to expand? – Al Levi & Ellen Rohr 2019 Productivity Framework – Matt Jones The 1 Page Marketing Plan – Allan Dib Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it – Rob Kropp Beginning with the end in mind – Ed Plant Creating a game plan in your business – Tom Reber Building Your One-Page Strategic Plan, with Danny Kerr Podcast Highlights: 01:35 – Recap on Danny’s previous appearances on The Site Shed 05:20 – Being busy with what matters 10:25 – Keep it simple 12:18 – SMARTY goal setting 18:42 – Creating initiatives 22:15 – Making goals attainable
When it comes to planning, in pretty much every scenario, simple is better. I believe the ‘strategic’ part of a ‘strategic plan’ is simplicity.
Danny and the team at BT Academy work with hundreds of trade companies right across North America and in order to get results, things need to be simple.
In this podcast, Danny (as always) goes above and beyond in explaining how and why they train their clients to use the ‘one-page strategic plan’ that they have developed. AND, to top it off, he’s also left behind the same framework that they use for their clients.
AND, as if things could get any better, he’s also made some time in his calendar to personally run you through it. OMG! Winning everywhere.
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How up to speed are you with IP Law? Guest – Anthony Verna From – Verna Law Podcast – The Law and Business Podcast IG – @vernalawpc
Here are some other similar podcasts you might like if this one tickles your fancy. Internet Law 101 How to handle negative media Podcast Highlights 04:39 – Legal jurisdiction 06:07 – The worldwide patent myth 06:49 – What is a patent 07:20 – What is a trademark 08:04 – What is copyright 12:00 – A practical example Save & Exit 18:01 – Doing patent research 28:00 – Trading names 35:12 – Domain names 37:02 – The process of protecting IP About this podcast, titled; ‘Trademarks, Copyright and Patents. Understanding Intellectual Property Law’.
The topic of IP Law can be quite a confusing subject. There are so many rabbit warrens that we can be led down in the space of IP (or Intellectual Property) legalities, so I set out in this podcast to dispel some of the myths and to bring some relatable clarity to some of the common areas.
Those areas being; patents, trademarks and copyright.
My guest on the podcast is IP Law expert, Anthony Verna from Vrna Law. Anthony did a great job of breaking down different areas of IP Law and making them apply to a trade/construction business.
IP protection is a big deal and there are things that we can do, to make sure that our businesses and our assets are safe and protected. During this podcast, I learned the following: Patents are there to protect ideas and inventions Trademarks protect brands as an asset Copyright protects logos, slogans, colours and even shapes.
It was a really interesting conversation. One that I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from and one that I hope will one day protect you from getting into trouble.
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So, is ‘meditation’ for hippies, or high functioning operators? Guest – Luke Shipley From – 100 Meditators – Instagram
Like listening to powerful mindset and self-help related podcasts? Here are a few we’ve recorded in the past. From A-B with Stephen Scoggins General Health and Wellness Fit for work Managing depression Managing Guilt Mental Health For Tradies part one Mental Health For Tradies part two Podcast Highlights 04:01 – an introduction to meditation 08:31 – yoga 11:14 – overcoming the noise in your head 12:31 – gym training as meditation 17:46 – creating a daily habit 19:45 – meditation can improve your relationships 23:16 – stigma and science 28:59 – become less reactive 36:05 – 6 deep breaths 39:00 – Pros and cons of apps About this podcast, ‘Fine Tuning Your Focus Using Meditation’
I’m not new to meditation. Over the years, I’ve been exposed to mediation in different environments and in different scenarios. If I’m honest, I have always struggled with it. I have never felt ‘good at it’ and in every instance so far, I have given up, which pisses me off even more.
Regardless, I appreciate how important meditation is and over the years, I feel that I have refined my method of meditation to suit my personality. You see, meditation can be different for everyone and different methods will best suit different people.
I was pleased to have that confirmed in this podcast with Luke. As someone that has been practising meditation for 20 years, he has a realistic perspective on mediation, the stigma, the reality and the various applications.
If you’re like me and would love to learn how to apply mediation to your life, then this podcast should help you.
I’ve resided to the fact that I’m probably never going to be the guy that sits under a tree, cross-legged and practices meditation. However, what I now know is that I don’t have to. If you resonate with that, then you and I are on an ‘enlightened’ path.
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Series - The Future Of Energy Part Three - The future of residential energy Guest - Joe Edginton From - Energy Culture
The Future Of Energy series has been designed to offer multiple perspectives from various guests within the energy sector.
Comprising of three separate episodes and three separate guests, we cover the evolving energy market, from the grid and our energy providers, right through to the residential electrician, who's out there installing solar panels on homes.
Throughout this series, we talk about fossil fuels, solar energy, wind and hydro energy, even nuclear. They are three different conversations at three different levels but with one common theme in understanding 'the future of energy. Here is part one - The Future Of Our Energy Sources - [LINK] Here is part two - Solar power, fuelling communities - [LINK]
The purpose of this series was to gain some insight into the rapidly changing world of solar energy from multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
In part one, we had a brilliant discussion with Andrew O'Farrell, who works in the energy sector as an energy trader. It was a powerful episode because effectively, the companies that Andrew works with are in control of sourcing the power that makes in possible for you to read this article.
I loved his perspective because as someone that is surrounded in a market that is dominated by fossil fuel, there is some surprising insight to where that might end up in the future.
In the second podcast, I speak with Alex from ShineHub about the fantastic initiatives that they work on that sees entire communities working together to harvest, use and store solar energy.
This conversation was about communities becoming more self-sufficient and working together to reduce their costs and reduce their carbon footprint. I absolutely loved it.
In this podcast, which is the third and final episode of 'The Future Of Energy' series, I am speaking with Joe Edginton from Energy Culture about the changes that he sees on a residential scale when it comes to solar power.
We talk about solar panels, battery storage units, costs, rebates, licensing, qualifications and lots more.
This conversation really brings the series full-circle, making it relatable to anyone that is in a position which might see them becoming an installer themselves, or having a system instaled.
I hope you enjoy this podcast and if you do, please share the love by sharing it with a friend.
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Author, podcaster, entrepreneur & home service millionaire Guest – Tommy Mello Book landing page Book resources Podcast
Like hearing success stories from other tradie sand contractors? If so check out these other podcasts. Zero to $850,000 in 2 years From A to B with Corey Philip Proof that your trade business can run while you travel the world Stephen Scoggins from A to B Podcast Highlights 01:10 – 12 states in 19 markets 02:09 – Book – ‘Home Service Millionaire’ 06:32 – Learning customer skills 07:34 – From dentist to landscaper 11:32 – Entering the garage door business 15:59 – Becoming a billion dollar company 20:19 – Buying companies 27:30 – Service agreements for recurring revenue 34:29 – I’m an avid reader 40:29 – Systems are paramount to scale 42:40 – Training your team 50:12 – Knowing your numbers and analytics 55:10 – About the book About this podcast, ‘Becoming a Home Service Millionaire’
If you’ve ever wondered what lies in the realm of possibility when it comes to creating an empire from a humble business, this podcast will cast some serious vision.
Garage doors. Yeah, right! Who makes money from installing and repairing garage doors?
Tommy Mello is who. He’s also one of the friendliest and humble guys you’ll speak with. He wants to help and he wants to educate. A trait that I see regularly in success stories from people that have made it themselves. Absolutely no silver spoon in this story. Just hard work, dedication and passion.
In this podcast, we learn about his $30 million business that consistently grows 100% per annum. We learn about Tommy’s goals to become a billion dollar company. We learn about his mentors, his strategies and so many other things that have led him to where he is today.
Tommy is the author of ‘Home Service Millionaire’. A book that he tells me he has put years, of blood, sweat and tears into. And I believe him. In this podcast, Tommy tells me about where he draws his inspiration, the books he reads (he’s a prolific reader), his attitude towards implementation, his marketing prowess and so much more.
It truly is an awesome podcast. One for the trophy room. I hope you enjoy it and if you do, please share it with someone.
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Series – The Future Of Energy Part Two – Solar power, fuelling communities Guest – Alex Georgiou From – Shine Hub
The Future Of Energy series has been designed to offer multiple perspectives from various guests within the energy sector.
Comprising of three separate episodes and three separate guests, we cover the evolving energy market, from the grid and our energy providers, right through to the residential electrician, who’s out there installing solar panels on homes.
Throughout this series, we talk about fossil fuels, solar energy, wind and hydro energy, even nuclear. They are three different conversations at three different levels but with one common theme in understanding ‘the future of energy. Here is part one – The Future Of Our Energy Sources – [LINK]
In episode one, I speak with a friend of mine, Andrew, about the future of energy from the perspective of the grid and where our energy comes from both now and in the future. With the introduction of more renewable and sustainable energy, the way we generate energy today will look very different in 50 years.
In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Alex from Shine Hub about communities that are being built to run on solar energy.
Crazy, right? I know, I was pretty shocked to hear that these sorts of places exist, but sure enough, both here in Australia and right around the world, communities are harvesting, storing and using solar energy as their primary power source.
Imagine the global problems that could be resolved if power was available via solar? Rural communities in third-world countries could access clean water, via powered pumps. Education could be made available via computers that now are able to run off solar power. In general, the planet would be a much better place.
As you’re about to learn, this is the future that is upon us. It’s here already. On our doorsteps, even. I hope you’re impressed by this podcast as I was in recording it.
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The future of virtual reality in construction
You’d have to have been living under a rock for the last ten years to not notice the rise of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). It seems to be everywhere we look. To the point where now, we can turn our mobile devices into a VR unit and go explore what feels like another dimension.
Years ago, I was at a tradeshow in Munich, Germany, where I was drawn to an exhibition that was showcasing a VR as a tool for the trades. At the time I’d only really seen VR in the movies and I’d never heard of AR (I’ll explain the difference shortly).
I don’t know if it was the technology that captivated me, or staring at the people in a zombie-like trance while they were using it. Either way, it looked cool. Ever since I saw that, I have pondered where the VR/AR world may end up.
The guy I was speaking with at the exhibit was telling me about how they can create environments off a drawing so it can be experienced prior to it actually being developed. It sounded a little far-fetched to be honest, but it was there in front of my eyes. I was more curious as to who’d use it. And back then, who’d pay for it, as it cost a bomb! What’s the difference between Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)?
Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D worlds.
If you’ve ever tried VR, you basically step into another world, the minute you place your mask on. Everything you see is a computer-rendered reality and yes, it’s kind of trippy.
Augmented Reality is an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device (such as a smartphone camera).
A classic example of AR that most of us would be familiar with is a fad that captured the world a few years ago, called Pokemon Go. It’s where you take an actual existing environment and overlay it with a digital render to make it look like it’s there. VR Applications
VR is a very effective tool for casting vision. If they say a picture tells a thousand words, then I’d have to say that a VR experience tells a thousand pictures. Imagine being able to view a home before it’s built What if you could sit in a car that didn’t exist? What if you could go ‘in-store’ shopping from the comfort of your home?
Some of these things might sound creepy, but most of them exist already and we’re only scratching the iceberg. AR Applications
AR is extremely useful for things like: Placing virtual furniture into a room Showing what a kitchen bench might look like in a kitchen renovation Adding features to buildings, or homes, etc.
I feel like the trades will benefit a lot for AR. Having the ability to, for example, overlay a set of hydraulic drawings onto an existing building shell would be amazing.
Imagine how cool it would be if you could show up to the room that you’re supposed to be installing your plumbing stack-work and instead of pulling out the A3 plans and trying to join the dots, you slip on a set of glasses and view it in real time.
These sorts of things are not too far off. In fact, the technology is there, it’s just a matter now of making it available to everyday consumers. In this podcast
In this podcast, I’m joined by Brooke from Champagne Soda in Melbourne, Australia.
Champagne Soda uses virtual reality to exhibit and showcase properties that are still in the planning stages to potential investors and the like. They use their amazing technology to design apartments and homes so that people can put a headset on and actually walk through a property that doesn’t even exist yet.
Why is that useful?
Well, for a developer, or a real estate company, VR is an amazing tool that can help them sell properties off-plan. That cash flow could help self fund the developments which could potentially lower their lending exposure with banks and the like. It’s genius.
It was great having Brooke on the show to shed some light on where this technology is currently at and where it’s heading. We’ll be seeing a lot more VR and AR emerge in the years to come. It would be fair to say that as tradespeople, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes part of our everyday tool kit.
Enjoy the podcast.
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Series – The Future Of Energy Part One – The Future Of Our Energy Sources
The Future Of Energy series has been designed to offer multiple perspectives from various guests within the energy sector.
Comprising of three separate episodes and three separate guests, we cover the evolving energy market, from the grid and our energy providers, right through to the residential electrician, who’s out there installing solar panels on homes.
Throughout this series, we talk about fossil fuels, solar energy, wind and hydro energy, even nuclear. They are three different conversations at three different levels but with one common theme in understanding ‘the future of energy.
In this episode, I’m kicking off the series with a conversation with a friend of mine, Andrew who has spent the better part of his professional life as an energy trader.
Energy traders are basically in charge of controlling the energy market that supplies our cities and communities, meaning that when it comes to energy sources, they have to really have their finger on the pulse.
In an environment that is still very much driving the majority of our energy from fossil fuels like coal and oil, it was interesting to hear about some of the disruptive technologies that are starting to make a footprint.
I hope you enjoy part one of this series. In following episodes you’re going to hear from a gentleman that works with solar installations on a community scale and a Sydney based electrician that installs solar units on homes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Series - The Ultimate Referral Marketing System For Tradies & Contractors Part Three - Creating strong referral partnerships Guest - Michael Griffiths From - www.referralmarketingguru.com.au/ Book: The Referral Marketing System - Available on Amazon.
There are few tradies that don't take advantage of referrals. I have many clients who literally ONLY get work through word-of-mouth and referrals.
It's no secret that leads that come via a referral have a far higher conversion rate. People will always ask others for their opinions and recommendations...especially for home services.
This series is about helping tradies and contractors create a better referral marketing strategy. If your most valuable leads come from that source, why not double down and do it properly.
My guest for this series is Michael Griffiths, the 'Referral Marketing Guru'. A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Michael talks the talk and walks the walk. I will be amazed if you don't strip pure gold from this podcast series, as Michael dives deep into relating his philosophies to tradies and contractors.
Want to see Matts' review of this book? [CLICK HERE] Part One - Building your referral team Part Two - How to make the most out of your network Part Three: Creating strong referral partnerships
So far in this awesome series, we've learned how to build a strong referral team and how to leverage those relationships as much as possible.
In today's episode, we're talking about how to develop referral partnerships and structure those relationships in a way that consistently deliver results.
I took so many notes on the frameworks that Michael discussed in this podcast. It's really powerful if you're in a situation where you have friends or colleagues that share a similar market, with a complimentary service, or offer.
Sadly this episode concludes the three-part series we titled, 'The Ultimate Referral Marketing System For Tradies & Contractors', however I'm super keen to get your feedback.
What did you love, what did you not? What will you do, what won't you do? Hit me up in the facebook group and join the conversation.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Series - The Ultimate Referral Marketing System For Tradies & Contractors Part One - Building Your Referral Team Guest - Michael Griffiths From - www.referralmarketingguru.com.au/ Book: The Referral Marketing System - Available on Amazon.
There are few tradies that don't take advantage of referrals. I have many clients who literally ONLY get work through word-of-mouth and referrals.
It's no secret that leads that come via a referral have a far higher conversion rate. People will always ask others for their opinions and recommendations...especially for home services.
This series is about helping tradies and contractors create a better referral marketing strategy. If your most valuable leads come from that source, why not double down and do it properly.
My guest for this series is Michael Griffiths, the 'Referral Marketing Guru'. A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Michael talks the talk and walks the walk. I will be amazed if you don't strip pure gold from this podcast series, as Michael dives deep into relating his philosophies to tradies and contractors.
Part One - Building your referral team Part Two: How to make the most out of your network
It's probably no surprise to learn that we drastically underutilise our networks. Massively in fact. If we only knew the power of what we have at our fingertips when it comes to our networks we'd probably never run a Google Ad again.
In this podcast, Michael teaches us that if we learn how to tap into our networks the right way, we improve conversions, save on marketing costs, build trust and rapport with colleagues and as a result develop an amazing lead source.
I'd love to hear your tactics on leveraging your network. Hit me up in the comments.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Series – The Ultimate Referral Marketing System For Tradies & Contractors Part One – Building Your Referral Team Guest – Michael Griffiths From – www.referralmarketingguru.com.au/ Book: The Referral Marketing System – Available on Amazon.
There are few tradies that don’t take advantage of referrals. I have many clients who literally ONLY get work through word-of-mouth and referrals.
It’s no secret that leads that come via a referral have a far higher conversion rate. People will always ask others for their opinions and recommendations…especially for home services.
This series is about helping tradies and contractors create a better referral marketing strategy. If your most valuable leads come from that source, why not double down and do it properly.
My guest for this series is Michael Griffiths, the ‘Referral Marketing Guru’. A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Michael talks the talk and walks the walk. I will be amazed if you don’t strip pure gold from this podcast series, as Michael dives deep into relating his philosophies to tradies and contractors. Part One: Building Your Referral Team
In part one of this series, Michael teaches us the successful frameworks that enable us to develop a referral team that operates like a well oiled machine.
I was blown away at how useful the strategies that Michael teaches in this podcast are. He dives into different types of partners, different networking circles and loads of other useful things regarding creating a referral team.
If you’re a tradie, you’ll love this podcast and you’ll love this series. It is jam-packed full of awesomeness.
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Don’t fall victim to the laws of the world wide web! Internet Law 101
With Richard Chapo from www.SocalInternetLawyer.com
As the internet continues to become a greater part of our lives, so does the legalities that surround the ever-expanding ‘world-wide-web’. It’s amazing (and kind of scary) to think how far the internet has come since it was launched in the eighties and made available to everybody in the nineties.
It’s really only been around for 30 years and to think where it is currently and where it might be in the next 30 years is kind of terrifying. Most of us use the internet on a daily basis. In fact, most of us depend on it.
I literally couldn’t imagine life without it. I know for certain both of my businesses would collapse without it. Imagine how many others would be in the same boat?
Even as plumbers, electricians and builders, our leads and operations depend on Internet-based systems. Invoicing, management, communications, and a million other things.
But what about the laws that relate to the internet?
How many of us are on top of internet law. More to the point, how many of us are currently breaking those laws and don’t even realise it?
In this podcast, I’m speaking with internet lawyer, Richard Chapo about the forever threatening legalities that surround the internet and the way we use it.
From email marketing through to the dark web, this podcast covers a vast array of really interesting topics that I’m sure you’ll all get a lot out of. Enjoy the show and enjoy the internet…safely.
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‘The One Page Marketing Plan’ with Allan Dib How this podcast with Allan Dib happened.
I love to read. Business books especially. I just love the wisdom I can extract from them.
I love them so much, that I recently started a Youtube playlist on The Site Shed’s channel called ‘Book Reviews’ Here’s the link to the channel Here’s the link to the Book Review playlist
Please go like and subscribe by the way. I’d appreciate that Anyway, every now and then I stumble across a brilliant book. One that just stands out. ‘The 1-Page Marketing Plan’ certainly did that. I absolutely loved it.
As it happens, Allan’s PR associate saw that I had been doing book reviews on YouTube and reached out to me to see if I’d like to review the book. At this stage, she was unaware that I had already read it and it was on my list of books to review.
I replied to the email, putting forward the opportunity for Allan to appear on the podcast to try to make the principles of the book more relatable to tradies and contractors…to which they both gladly accepted.
And so here we are. About this podcast
I asked Allan to apply the philosophies from his book directly to trade businesses in this podcast, which was awesome. The book itself is amazing, however to have the author himself relate his work to the businesses of a tradie/contractor was really powerful.
I have no doubt that you’ll absolutely love this podcast. It’s the first one of its kind I’ve recorded and I’m absolutely thrilled with the outcome.
Please leave us a review and some comments to let us know what you think. We’d love to hear it.
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Productivity issues exist everywhere you look. Work, home, school, sport, social occasions, to name a few.
Over my professional career, I have certainly been through patches where productivity is far from optimal. If I’m brutally honest, even today as I type this, my days’ productivity has been seriously rattled.
There is no perfect system for productivity. No golden egg, no magic wand. For each of us, it will look different and be made up of different elements. However there are some pretty hand ‘smarts’ that I’ve managed to pick up over the years of speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners and as a result, I have formed a system that works best for me.
In this podcast, I explain what that looks like, so you can take from it what you like and adapt it to make it yours.
It’s my experience that regardless of how busy you are, planning and strategy can help you become more efficient. This is my personal mission for 2019. I will become a productivity master and I hope the same for you.
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Series - How to escape the $1-3 Million 'Nightmare Zone' to reclaim your business and personal life. Part Three - Profitability. Get your financial house in order. Guest - Rob Kropp From - Pravar Group Web - www.PravarGroup.com
Rob and the team at Pravar Group run some seriously good business programs for trade businesses. Their speciality is taking businesses that are turning $2-3 million and taking them to the next stage.
Over recent months, I've been getting to know Rob and Pravar Group and I love their complete dedication to helping businesses stay focused on the important metrics. Their attention to detail when it comes to understanding numbers is amazing.
There are few businesses on earth that wouldn't benefit from the principles they teach and luckily for us, in this series, Rob goes above and beyond in helping us better understand three of the major obstacles that he says causes businesses to get stuck in what he calls, 'the $1-3 million nightmare zone'. Part One - Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it Part Two - Performance. Leverage through effective people power Part Three - Profitability. Get your financial house in order
If you love this podcast and live training, you'll certainly love these, also. Finance 101 for tradies - [LINK] Lack of focus on gross profit margin - [LINK] Get a grip on your financials - [LINK] About part three: Profitability. Get your financial house in order
I don't know if you can relate to this, but I remember a number of years ago when I was starting out in business, I was so afraid of looking at my accounts that I simply wouldn't. It terrified the heck out of me. To the point where I'd just rather stick my head in the sand and forget about it.
Over the years, I've learned how important it is to get a grip on your numbers. It's not always peachy, but that's business. We just need to take the good with the bad and make sure that we're putting enough away that we can make it through the 'flatter' periods.
Rob is a finance guru. Coming from an accounting background, there is no one I know that is better qualified to educate on the topic of getting your finances in order. It makes up a huge part of the program that Rob teaches to his clients over at Pravar Group and I know if you get half as much out of this podcast as I did, it will make a HUGE difference to your business.
Sadly, this episode marks the end of this epic series, however you can be sure that Rob will be involved with The Site Shed again. Please reach out to him if you need to and if you get something from this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with someone else.
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Series – How to escape the $1-3 Million ‘Nightmare Zone’ to reclaim your business and personal life. Part One – Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it. Guest – Rob Kropp From – Pravar Group Web – www.PravarGroup.com
Rob and the team at Pravar Group run some seriously good business programs for trade businesses. Their speciality is taking businesses that are turning $2-3 million and taking them to the next stage.
Over recent months, I’ve been getting to know Rob and Pravar Group and I love their complete dedication to helping businesses stay focused on the important metrics. Their attention to detail when it comes to understanding numbers is amazing.
There are few businesses on earth that wouldn’t benefit from the principles they teach and luckily for us, in this series, Rob goes above and beyond in helping us better understand three of the major obstacles that he says causes businesses to get stuck in what he calls, ‘the $1-3 million nightmare zone’. Part One – Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it Part Two – Performance. Leverage through effective people power Part Three – Profitability. Get your financial house in order
If you love this podcast and live training, you’ll certainly love these, also. Attracting the right team members – [LINK] Recruiting your A-Team – [LINK] Onboarding and training your A-Team- [LINK] Retaining your A-Team – [LINK] About part two: Performance. Leverage through effective people power.
When it comes to scaling a business, it’s impossible to debate the fact that it can’t be done alone.
Like it or hate it, we need a team to help us. It’s the only way to grow. Unfortunately, however, finding the right team members is much harder than it sounds. Good staff are hard to come by and it often feels like all of the good ones already have jobs, or have their own business.
Over the last year, through the many amazing guests I’ve had on the podcast, I’ve come to realise that in 99% of the cases, underperforming staff is a result of poor processes.
Poor recruitment, poor onboarding, poor training and poor retention.
In this podcast/training, Rob confirms that nearly always, staffing problems are a related to leadership and I for one can confirm 100% that that has been the case for my businesses over the years.
This is a MUST see/hear training from a man that absolutely helping tradies kill it through his program. I know you’ll absolutely love it.
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Series - How to escape the $1-3 Million 'Nightmare Zone' to reclaim your business and personal life. Part One - Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it. Guest - Rob Kropp From - Pravar Group Web - www.PravarGroup.com
Rob and the team at Pravar Group run some seriously good business programs for trade businesses. Their speciality is taking businesses that are turning $2-3 million and taking them to the next stage.
Over recent months, I've been getting to know Rob and Pravar Group and I love their complete dedication to helping businesses stay focused on the important metrics. Their attention to detail when it comes to understanding numbers is amazing.
There are few businesses on earth that wouldn't benefit from the principles they teach and luckily for us, in this series, Rob goes above and beyond in helping us better understand three of the major obstacles that he says causes businesses to get stuck in what he calls, 'the $1-3 million nightmare zone'. Part One - Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it Part Two - Performance. Leverage through effective people power Part Three - Profitability. Get your financial house in order
If you love this podcast and live training, you'll certainly love these, also. How to hold World Class Meetings with Al Levi - [LINK] How to systemise your trade business - [LINK]
You can watch and follow along with this episode on the video below ;-) About part one: Productivity. Be a master of it, not a slave to it.
Very few of us can confidently say that we are as productive as we can be.
Over recent months, I've been going through some incredible changes in relation to being more productive. Over the years, I've really struggled with it from time to time and I know from my time as a plumber, there were things that could have been done so much better in retrospect.
In this podcast, Rob beautifully articulates the difference between being 'busy' and being 'productive'. I know for years, I always thought they were the same thing, however recently I've learned that being productive has nothing to do with being busy.
In fact, very often, being productive will lead to the opposite. I have found that the more productive I am, the more time I have because I'm spending focused time on doing things that are important and I have my team do the things that were keeping me 'busy'.
My advice to you, is watch or listen to this training and go and make some actionable tasks for yourself to improve your productivity. It's been life changing for me and I know it will be for you too.
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The relatable journey of Peter Norton and his Gold Coast Electrical Business. Guest: Peter Norton From: Enersol Electrical Social: @enersolelectrical
If you like these success stories, you'll enjoy the following podcasts: From A to B with Corey Philip Proof that your trade business can run while you travel the world Creative marketing with David Gatto Stephen Scogins from A to B
About this podcast with Peter Norton
A little while ago, I had a listener email me asking if I could get some guests on the show that are a little easier to relate to than some of the tycoons I often speak with.
Of course, he who asks receives, so I put the feelers out in our private Facebook community to see if anyone that's currently grinding it out in business would want to come on and tell their story.
Subsequently, I received loads of replies. So many in fact that I had to politely decline the majority as I only have so much resource available to me from a production perspective. Anyway, so I was introduced to Peter from a member of the group and after a quick chat, I realised that he fit the profile of who I was looking for perfectly.
Peter Norton runs Enersol Electrical, which is a small electrical company on the Gold Coast of Queensland. Like many of you guys, he is slogging it out, building a business that encounters many of the obstacles that yours may.
In this conversation, Peter and I talk about some of the roadblocks that he's encountered along the way and some of the tactics that he's used to navigate them safely.
This is a great conversation with a down to earth guy, who's out there just like you. I hope you enjoy it.
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This podcast is a recording from ABC Radio Sydney in October of 2018 between Matt from The Site Shed & tradiematepro and Adrian from Trained Group.
They were invited on the show to answer some questions about apprenticeships and the trades in general.
It's a fun conversation that breaks up the regular podcast routine.
Enjoy.
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How to hold world class meetings Guest - Al Levi From - The 7 Power Contractor Web - www.7powercontractor.com
If you've been listening to The Site Shed podcast for a while now, you'll no doubt be familiar with Al. He's been on the podcast more than anyone and he's by far the most requested guest. Here are his other podcasts. The ones that are grouped, are series'. https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss046_from-a-b-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss056_planning-power-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss057_operating-power-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss058_staffing-power-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/org-chart/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/defining-roles/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/steering-the-ship/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/when-is-the-right-time-to-expand/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/a-team-1/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/a-team-2/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/a-team-3/ About this podcast
Let's be honest, "meetings are normally a total waste of time!"
They're so much of a waste of time in fact, that Al set out to done something about it. Back in the day when Al was working in the New York based family business with his Father and brothers, he decided to take control of systemising the business so that it would run better.
Over the course of 12 months, Al set out to create manuals on the entire business so that they could set a path for growth. One of the results was what Al has coined his 'Meeting Manifesto', which he talks about in his book, 'The 7 Power Contractor'
If you've not yet read that book, you need to. It is amazing. You can get hold of it via his website, or on Amazon. Why is having a meeting framework so important?
Meetings can be (and in most cases are) a complete waste of time. Rarely is there a set agenda which generally means you end up on tangents that you can't get back from.
Communication is the backbone of any businesses success. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say that it's the backbone of success, period. There are very few problems that cannot be addressed and completely avoided through regular communication and a clever framework around the process.
In this podcast, Al runs through his entire meeting framework AND he even has it available for you through the form below, along with another couple of goodies, so go and get them! What has Al's 'Meeting Framework' done for me?
As many of you know, I run a few businesses. I have team members all over the world and all over Australia. Meetings are crucial and we have them regularly to stay on top of things.
After reading about Al's meeting manifesto in 'The 7 Power Contractor' book, I went away and created a meeting framework in a Google Doc that we now use in every meeting.
It's been game changing for us and I'm sure if you apply it, it will be game changing for you too.
You can get hold of that framework via the form on the website.
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How to build a business for exit Guest – Dominic Rubino From – Cabinet Maker Profit System Contact – dr@cabinetmakerprofitsystem.com Web – www.cabinetmakerprofitsystem.com
If this topic is ‘up your alley’, you might want to check out some of our other podcast that kind or relate to this one. Building a model that is scalable – Fares Elsabbah [LINK] Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin – Danny Kerr [LINK] About this podcast
How many times have you heard from a coach, or in a podcast, or read in a book, the old cliché saying, "you should always begin with the end in mind!"
We all go into business for various reasons. Sometimes it's for the right reasons and sometimes, it's not. Either way, for the majority of us, we don't have a clear path to exit. In this podcast, we learn about the art of building a business with an exit strategy from a man that has done it, is doing it and now teaches tradies and contractors to do just that. "Why the heck what I want to build a business to exit it?", you might be asking.
Having a defined goal on the strategy behind leaving a business is a very powerful tool in a business's arsenal. It's appealing to investors, it's appealing to partners and it keeps the organisation on a clear path.
The reality is, however that the chance of someone wanting to acquire your business is very low.
Why? Well, simply because most businesses are not set up to be purchased. They don't have the correct processes in place, they don't have the right team in place and they don't have a business system that can be taken over by another person, or organisation.
In today's podcast, we learn how to set out from the beginning with the end in mind. It's a very powerful lesson and one I hope you implement.
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Corey is a member of The Site Shed and is based in Florida, USA. Over the years of running Gulf Coast Aluminum, he developed a sales strategy to help he and his growing team, better convert leads into customers.
He coined this ‘The Valve Stem Sales Strategy’, which you can see below.
Corey is an entrepreneur that invests in the important things in his business. Procedures and processes. The Valve System Sales Strategy is a great example of how an every-day task has been refined to become a powerful selling tool.
We all sell, but how many of us have taken the time to create a detailed system from our process? Likely answer, not many.
Anyway, I know you’re going to get a lot out of this podcast and I hope that you can take some of the principles that you learn and apply them to your business.
Remember, genius is not about recreating the wheel, it’s about improving it. How can you take this process and make it yours?
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Building a Model That is Scalable
In the final episode of this series, we discuss solid, actionable steps on how tradies can build a million dollar business model that is scalable.
The most important thing to note here is finding a business model which can realistically be scaled.
"Any successful business has three components- The trifecta"
Leadership, team, and systems. These are the three main components of a successful business according to Fares.
We both agreed that it all starts with leadership though (winks).
Every business' success is sparked by the decision of the owner to take charge in all aspects.
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Stop Working for Free. Time is Money
In the second episode of this series Matt conducts with Farres Elsabbagh, they discuss the importance of time for all tradies and contractors out there.
Every hour of unpaid work, no matter what part of the trades you're in, will result in wasted time and assets."Processes and how you deliver on your job is what really makes a difference"
In this podcast, we talk about how important it is to value your time and how to make sure that your customers are part of a process that ENSURES that they value your business too.
Having the right frameworks and processes in place when it comes to time management ensures that your customers are not wasting your time and you're not wasting theirs.
Too often we hear about tradies that carry out free, detailed quotes, or work for 'the love of it'. It's not the way to grow a sustainable business and as business owners, we all need to start respecting time in every sense. In the previous episode
We discussed the importance of marketing and how if you want to create a business that has consistency, you need to invest in marketing. Here's the link. In the next episode
We wrap this awesome series off on the next episode by taking a step further into real-world scenarios. We discuss what it takes to build a scalable business model that will get you to MILLION DOLLARS.
Stay tuned!
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Building Won't Make You a Million Dollars, Marketing Will
In the first episode of this series I'm conducting with my man Farres Elsabbagh, we discuss how most tradies have this tendency to underestimate the importance of investing in marketing.
For us to generate this lucrative Million Dollar Design Build Business, a very important first step is to understand what marketing can truly do for your business.
What most business owners need to understand is that there is an infinite pool of possible customers out there."Marketing turns from expense to investment when done right"
At the end of the day, it's all about reaching your customers and that's exactly what marketing does for you.
Although there are other crucial aspects of your business, Marketing should never be left out of focus. Every tradie out there should remember this. In The Next Episode
We discuss how tradies and contractors can start adding more value to their time. It's entitled "Stop working for free, time is money".
That podcast is coming very soon. It's totally loaded with as many insightful discussions as this one.
Stay tuned!
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Prefab: The Future of Building
In the 170th episode, I brought in the legendary Warren McGregor as we discuss why Prefab is the future of building for tradies and contractors. As a former plumber, I have seen a lot of upcoming technologies starting to unfold in the trades- and that was quite a long time ago.
Bill Warren speaks of cases where a building is made in one country then transported to another. This is only a single example among many occurrences where Prefab has elevated the level of building."Prefab offers a solution by greatly simplifying the entire process"
How updated are you with the latest on Prefab and other building technologies as of this year?
The community is a very awesome place to start getting updated on stuff like this. Join us today if you still haven't.
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Execution will Trump Any Plan
In the final episode of this series on Strategic Planning, Ed Plant joins me as we discuss why execution will trump any plan. In the world of business, owners always get encouraged to make the most rigorous planning and preparations.
Although this is partially helpful, it also is important to not forget about the actual execution of what you’re planning for.
Being able to execute your plan correctly plays the most crucial role in the growth of your business. It is when you think of execution that you are also able to make adjustments to your plans accordingly.“It’s good to put a job in that you go out and do with the guys once a month or quarter.”
The Strategic Planning series has been a total treat to conduct with Ed. If you’ve missed out on one of the episodes, it would be helpful to watch those as every series is systematically tied up with one another.
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Defining and planning the key areas of your business
This second episode ties with the previous one about Beginning with the End in Mind. After being able to have an end goal in mind, it’s now a good time for business owners to define which areas of their business do they need to build a system for.
Edward emphasizes how much he favors simplicity in terms of building out systems for his business.
This for me is a very important insight because most business owners have this tendency to over-complicate systems which can be disruptive to the development of everything.“Systems stand for ‘save yourself time energy and money’.”
Coincidence or not, this acronym given by Ed is astoundingly fitting when you think of what the true value of systems really is.
Systems are the foundation and building blocks of your business. They help structure the flow and growth of most areas in your business.
If you’re interested in learning more about this, check out part 2 of this Strategic Planning series with my good friend Edward Plant.
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Beginning with the End in Mind
“You plan to fail if you fail to plan”. This saying applies to just about any trade business out there. Most of your business’ systems need to be planned out ahead of time for you to prepare contingencies in case things don’t turn out as expected.
This is where beginning with the end in mind becomes extremely handy and important.
In the first episode of this series on Strategic Planning that I’m conducting with my great mate Edward Plant, we discuss why beginning with the end in mind is a crucial first step to strategic planning.
Edward Plant was in the service for almost two decades so he knows much about the importance of preparation and using the end picture as a starting point for planning.“We don’t need a 28-page document that we never use. We need something we can pick up and run with on a regular basis.”
Ed speaks of this one big page in the military that contained all the current missions and a chain of command outline in case an official passes away.
According to him, this is similar to what businesses should have. Not multiple pages of documents, but a one-page blueprint that owners can pick up and run on a regular basis.
Beginning with the end in mind helps you create a timeline of goals that are realistically attainable. If you’re interested in learning more, just tune in to this podcast.
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Google Adwords can get very tricky for small to medium size businesses. In this podcast, I am joined by Ilana Wechsler as she discusses her vast experience with Adwords and how exactly can businesses take advantage of cost-per-click campaigns.
To enlighten our listeners out there, cost-per-click marketing is a strategy within Google that allows businesses to bid on high-traffic keywords. Google makes its earning by charging any website who bids on that keyword everytime the paid ad gets a click.
In this podcast, we use the keyword 'plumber sydney'. We discuss how the bid for this particular keyword exploded into $50 per click which just absolutely makes no sense for start-up businesses to invest on.
"You need to nurture those existing customers because they're the ones who are most likely to come back and refer you to people."
Despite being an expert in Google Adwords, Ilana emphasizes the true value of repeat customers. It is no secret that paid ads can increase the onpour of leads into your business.
However, being able to take care of your existing pool of customers might just take things to the next level.
As we wrapped off this insightful episode, Ilana mentions the importance of efficient location targeting when it comes to paid ads. According to her, it pays to create that extra layer of filter by specifically exculding locations you would not want to get reached by your ads.
Are you excited to learn more about this? Listen to this podcast today and scroll down to the bottom part of this page for a transcription guide.
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Moving Forward After An Incident
After discussing how business owners can respond to incidents at work, we wrap off this awesome series by talking about moving on after an incident.
It's almost a necessity for a business owner to examine the person who was hurt by the incident to ensure that they are completely back in shape.
The last thing you would want is for another incident happening to the same person just because he came back to work not fully recovered yet."If they're back to 100 percent health then back to work is the best place to be."
In this final episode, we wrap up this awesome series by tackling the ABCs of moving forward after an incident. Believe it or not, how you handle issues that arise after the incident is just as important as your actual response to it.
This has been an amazing series which raises a huge amount of awareness on WHS and all things connected to it. It has been a treat to conduct it with my buddy Shayne Connolly.
It's a wrap Site Shedders!
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Responding To Incidents Correctly
Incidents are an inevitable part of every business. This is the exact reason why business owners should be aware of what to do when incidents occur within the workplace.
In this episode, we go through a few real-life experiences of how people were able to move on from incidents at work. Shayne shares with us a previous worker who lost his arm due to a jet water accident.“The first thing is always to attend to the person.”
There’s just so many kinds of incidents which can happen at work. Whatever the case may be, the first and foremost thing to do is give attention to the person.
As the owner of your business, you should be aware of what to do when incidents happen Aside from that, it helps to know all these things to instruct the right people so they can manage incidents in the future.
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Establishing The Right Safety Systems For Your Business
In this series, Matt Jones and Sean Connolly go through the different factors in building out simple and correct safety systems for businesses. According to Shane, every business, at the very minimum, a workplace health and safety policy. This helps people within and outside of your company to recognize your business as one that takes these important things into consideration."The Wrong Safety Systems Are Those That Don't Fit Your Business"
In this podcast, Matt asked a very important question to Sean. "What are the wrong safety systems?". Sean emphasizes that it is important for you to know the nature and needs of your work to come up with a relevant safety system.
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Types Of Mental Health Problems
Mental health problems can be a silent killer because most victims feel very reluctant to seek help.
Like we talked about in the previous podcast, mental health is something everybody has. Just like everyone's physical health, our mental health is also prone to various illnesses.
Awareness of the different mental health problems will eventually equip tradies to help those who are still suffering from it.
This short list is a good start in understanding what other people around you might be going through. 1. Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health problems. According to the Mental health Organization, approximately 300 million people throughout the world suffer from depression.
The unfortunate truth is that barely half of the people inflicted with depression receives subsequent treatment or attention.
In general, here are the different symptoms of depression: Difficulty sleeping Substance abuse Self-isolation Trouble concentrating Suicidal thoughts
A major lifestyle change along with consistent therapy is considered a very effective way to fight depression. A support group may come in very hand for depressed people.
For those of you with depressed family members, set aside time at least every week to make sure everything is going alright with the person. An open and listening ear can go a very long way. 2. Bipolar Disorder
Associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder is a mental health problem that causes the person to drastically switch from being extremely happy, sad, or upset.
The negative effects of a person suffering from bipolar disorder are as follows: Excessive spending Feeling overly excited and euphoric Invincible mentality Hallucinations Extreme depression Frequent arguing Broken relationships
The same treatment that helps people with depression also goes a long way when it comes to bipolar disorder. 3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior are also considered a threat to people's mental health. This is due to the fact that it causes unusual behavior due to the mental state of the person.
Some obsessions that are usually observed are as follows: Reasonless worrying of family members' safety and well-being Violent and intrusive thoughts Excessive fear of food and water contamination
Some compulsions that are usually observed are as follows: Excessive washing of hands and/or mouth Repeating words in head Need for reassurance (excessive checking on peers and family members)
The best way to help someone with OCD is to resist affirming their behavior. The problem with OCD is that it has become so common that people often let it pass when they see a friend or family member with this disorder. In This Podcast
We wrap off this series which is dedicated to the mental health for tradies month of August by tackling all things related to mental health.
Aside from physical stress, tradies and contractors endure a lot of mental pressure in their businesses that they become prone to such mental health problems.
To all the awesome tradies and contractors out there, never hesitate to seek guidance and support from your loved ones.
Your mental health is a very crucial aspect of your life!
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The True Value of Mental Health For Tradies
Mental health is one of the things that you never take for granted as a tradie. Aside from the physical stress brought upon by continuous projects, it is important to keep an eye on how we take care of the mind. In this podcast, we collaborate on how tradies and contractors can strengthen their mental health while dealing with the daily challenges of their trade business. How Can Tradies Take Better Care Of Their Mental Health?
To accompany this amazing podcast is a brief list of practical things you can do for your mental health. Check it out: 1. Get enough sleep
It's no surprise that getting sufficient amount of sleep is one of the most effective ways of preserving your mental health.
Tons of research concludes that lack of sleep has a direct correlation with depression (especially the not-so-young bunch!) 2. Find an outlet for stress
Stress can eat up all the happy hormones out of you. This is why an outlet for stress is very crucial to your mental health.
And by 'outlet for stress', we don't mean partying and drinking the night away!
Boxing, travelling, hiking, skiing, and similar physical intensive activities are the perfect way to get your mind away from work-related tension. 3. Surround yourself with the right people
The word 'right' is the key-term in here. This is because everyone has different kinds of personality.
You may find yourself easily getting along with certain people at work. That's ok! It is very important to surround yourself with people that you truly understand and accept. On top of making friends at work, continuously nurture your relationship with family members.
People with strong connections in the family often find themselves less stressed than those who try to push away their family from their life.
On The Next Episode...
In the other half of this insightful podcast series on Mental Health, we go deeper into the effects of bad mental health. Aside from that, we also go through some real life examples of how observing proper mental-health has helped tradies be at the top of their game. Similar episodes
TSS131 - 8 Pillars With Stephen Scoggins TSS128 - Building a business and dealing with suicide TSS077 - Fit for work TSS075 -Tradies national health month
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How Helpful is Outsourcing in Trade Businesses?
The answer to such a question is always dependent on the nature and current situation of your trade business. In this podcast, I am joined by my good friend Charlie Valher from Outsourcing Angel as we discuss the positive and negative sides of outsourcing for your trade business.
Charlie and I got to tackle some pretty interesting and insightful topics related to outsourcing. Being able to identify which area of your business can use some offshore help will boost its potential to grow to a maximum."What I noticed is my email went from three hours a day to a maximum 30-minute phone call for me to dictate these replies."
How has outsourcing helped your trade business?
Are you interested in trying out this thing called outsourcing?
What are your concerns regarding outsourcing and its effect on your trade business? Let us know what you think!
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Being Financially Prepared
It is no lie that being financially prepared takes a lot of discipline and patience. However, the benefits to a financial account that is well taken care of can never be denied.
After the first and second episode, BIll and Matt hop back in the booth to finish their awesome podcast series revolving around tax and accounting for tradies.
"Being financially prepared is something that you constantly do."
Do you want to find the answers to all your questions related to tax and accounting? Learn a whole lot of new and interesting things in the culmination episode of this podcast series with Bill Petrovski.
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Structuring Your Financial Deals
Bill Petrovski returns on the second episode of this podcast series to collaborate with Matt Jones in discussing the importance of a well-structured financial deal.
After discussing the value of spending money wisely, they now go over what it truly takes to structure your finance deals in a way that favors your current situation.
"Cash flow is king because if you know what is your cash flow each week, each month, and ongoing; you know what you can spend and what you can't spend." - Bill Petrovski
If you are relatively new to the ins and outs of a finance deal, this podcast will serve you very well. Learn how to structure your finance deal today.
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Spending Money Wisely
Bill Petrovski gives valuable tips on how to spend money wisely by using all available resources to get the best tax rate that will still let you pursue bigger financial goals.
Tradies and contractors are included in the list of people who can get blind-sided by spending their funds incorrectly.
"The benefit comes from the deduction of tax, not a direct rebate"
Often times, tradies and contractors neglect the importance of accurate tax rate. He emphasizes that playing your cards right when it comes to your tax rate is of prime importance. To top it off, they finish off this episode by going through different efficiency and job management tools that can help you in Spending Money Wisely.
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How To Structure Your Finance
After episode one and two, Sean and Matt are back to discuss the culmination of this insightful podcast series. In this episode, they go over the do's and dont's in structuring your finance. When structuring a loan, it's not just about the welfare of the business. More importantly, you should consider your current personal situation before signing up for finance deals. Sean gives a lot of insightful tips on taking residuals and balloon repayments. He guides into the concept of how a car or house balloons in a matter of years. What a lot of people do is walk-in and trade the asset they borrowed to pay off the residual fee."The Best Finance Terms For You Depend On How Long You Intend To Keep The Asset."
In this podcast, Sean Fowler discusses the different finance deals and how you can structure one for yourself that fits right into your situation.
After going over the importance of asking the right questions and the reality of interest rates, Matt and Sean culminate this highly insightful podcast series by outlining the factors to consider in structuring a tailor-made finance deal for you. Similar episodes
TSS154 - Asking The Right Questions TSS155 - Reality Of Interest Rates
TSS032 - How To Take Money Off The Table And Invest It Wisely
TSS047 - Get A Grip On Your Financials
TSS133 - Lack Of Focus On Gross Profit Margin
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The Reality Of Interest Rates
Sean Fowler and Matt Jones return for the second part of the podcast series on finance for tradies and contractors to discuss the value of finding the right interest rates and being aware of other factors that affect the finance solution you will be offered. Speed, requirements, and other factors should also be considered as much as the interest rate of a financing deal. According to Sean, it's hard to get a legitimate answer when you ask for the interest rate. With the different type of interest rates being offered, you're simply taking the word of the person you're talking. With the existence of different interest rating systems; customer rate, base rate, flat rate, will not result in the same numbers/amount. "Interest Rates Are Not The Only Factor You Should Look Into"
In this podcast, Sean Fowler discusses the experiences he had with interest rates and how other important factors should be considered as well before signing up for financial deals.
After going over the importance of asking the right questions, now is a good time to look at our available options. In reality, interest rates are one of biggest things to look at. However, Sean emphasizes in this podcast that it is not the only place a contractor or tradie should look at. In This Podcast
Matt Jones and Sean Fowler discuss the reality of interest rates in getting the best finance solution for tradies and contractors. Interest rates come in different shapes and sizes. According to Sean, people nowadays are looking into the other factors that affect a financial deal aside from interest rates. This is a very interesting topic that has been going around the community for quite some time now. What are your thoughts? Let us know! Similar episodes
TSS154 - Asking The Right Questions
TSS032 - How To Take Money Off The Table And Invest It Wisely
TSS047 - Get A Grip On Your Financials
TSS133 - Lack Of Focus On Gross Profit Margin
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Asking The Right Questions
Tradies and contractors have always wondered how to get the best finance solution for their current situation. Sean Fowler from EquipFin joins Matt Jones in this 3-part podcast series to tackle the importance of asking the right questions to get the best financial deal or solution for tradies and contractors."It really boils down to conserving working capital to make sure you have sufficient funds to manage your business on a long-term basis."
According to Sean, finance deals or solutions can get very tricky and this is where asking the right questions become very important. When someone buys an asset, there's a lot of factors that person should consider before making the important questions.
A guide through the right funding lines and solution options will answer these questions according to him. Cash or financing? Sean shares scenarios where he has clients who are well-off that still opt for financing. At the end of the day, it's all about asking the right questions to avoid turning cash into a depreciated asset. Similar episodes
TSS133 - Lack Of Focus On Gross Profit Margin TSS032 - How To Take Money Off The Table And Invest It Wisely TSS047 - Get A Grip On Your Financials
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Distinguishing A Job From A Career
Once you have found the right people who you can trust to run your business and have helped them be consistent with their efforts, it's now a good time to let them know what their value to your business is.
One of the most striking differences between a job and a career is the pride you hold in owning the title. A job is merely a task that can easily be accomplished by any person who was given the same set of instructions and resources. On the other hand, a career is something you specialise in. Besides this difference, a career also has a progressive nature. One of the best ways you can value your team members is by giving them materials that will grow their skills and expertise. Great Business Owners Include Their Team Members In The Growth Of The Business
When your team members improve while working for you, it becomes a mutually beneficial relationship. Aside from that, you have to realise that passionate people are quite hard to come by.
If you find a person who has a passion and desire to become the best in what he/she does, it is your responsibility to nurture that as leader and owner of the business.
On top of generating more sales for the business, you are bound to find out that developing untapped potential is one of the best accomplishments you can get. In This Podcast
Matt Jones and Adrian Fadini discuss how to help your team members become more passionate about their role in your business. After the attracting the right team members and keeping them striving, your team's growth is now in the palm of your hands. Giving your staff a pathway to a brighter future is the main game plan.
They also discuss in this podcast how to maintain a low staff turnover and avoid the so-called "price war". Similar episodes TSS152 - Keeping Them Striving TSS151 -Attracting The Right Team Members TSS149 - Innovative Thinking Part 1 TSS150 -Innovative Thinking Part 2 TSS 139- Retaining Your A-Team
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Keeping Team Members Motivated
Attracting The Right Team Members is only the first part to building a modern team. Each of your team member's motivation level should be maintained at its highest degree if you are looking to take your business to new heights.
Every single member of your team will help the business run and keep going while you're away looking for better ventures.
This is the reason why it is very crucial that the first surge of motivation they get upon joining the team is continuously replenished and maintained at a high level. Building a modern team is one of the most certain ways of growing your business. For this to happen, you need to keep your team members motivated for the long run. The success of a business is directly affected by your team's motivation level
Some factors that have a massive effect on the growth of your business are intangible. One of which is the motivation levels of each member. Always remember that when your people are well taken care of, they will go the extra mile in doing their day-to-day tasks. A bigger payroll is not the only way to keep your team striving. In most occasions, non-money factors are what affect employees the most in terms of being motivated to work for a business or not. In This Podcast
Matt Jones and Adrian Fadini tackle the true value of keeping your team members motivated. After discussing the different ways business owners can find the right team members, they now move on to talking about creating consistency within the team. Your employees' initial boost of energy derived from working with a new business should never be allowed to fade away.
It is your responsibility as the owner of your business to nourish this motivation by letting them into the bigger picture. You will learn in this podcast how valuable is the level of determination of each team member in scaling a business and taking it to the next level. The Next Episode
On the next episode of this podcast series, we will discuss the difference between a job and a career. There really is an underlying difference between treating work as a job compared to owning it as your profession. On the 3rd part of this podcast series, you will learn how to draw the line between a mere job and a lifetime career. Being able to remind your team member Now that the importance of keeping your team striving, it's now time to make them realise that what they're doing is a career, not just a job. Tune in for more podcasts to help you grow your trade business- Only here at The Site Shed Similar episodes TSS137 - Recruiting Your A-Team TSS151 -Attracting The Right Team Members TSS146 - Creative Marketing with David Gatto TSS147 - Proof That Your Business Can Run While You Travel The World TSS145 - How To Systemise Your Trade Business
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Build a Modern Team The Right Way
Succesful people know that making it to the top is never a one-man climb. To scale your trade business, you need to find the right team members.
The people who you will work with are the exact same ones who will take charge of day-to-day operations when you're not around. That being said, you also need to keep in mind cultural and geographical differences when building a power team. Building a power team is never an easy task. However, it is one of utmost importance to the growth of your The success of a business is usually a product of both external and internal growth.
Believe it or not, the people who help run your business should be valued as much as the customers/clients themselves.
The success of a business is usually a product of both external and internal growth. Specifically, they will be the one to keep the day-to-day operations of your business going while you look for greater opportunities on the business development side of things.
The Next Episode
On the next episode of this podcast series, we will discuss the different ways to maintain your team's motivation levels. We tackle the importance of having good team members in this podcast while also looking at how business owners can become a mentor to the people they're handling. At the end of the day, attracting the right team members would boil down to what you can offer to people. The key is to not only show your team how money is made but also how one can put it to good use. Tune in for more podcasts to help you grow your trade business- Only here at The Site Shed Similar episodes TSS137 - Recruiting Your A-Team TSS138 - Onboarding And Training Your Team TSS096 - Identifying And Creating Positions Within Your Organization TSS149 - Innovative Thinking Part 1 TSS150 - Innovative Thinking Part 2
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The Importance of Innovation
Being able to think outside the box is very crucial to the success of your marketing efforts. To grab people's attention, we need to be innovative when it comes to the way we promote our products/services. To connect with more customers, it is very important to get noticed in the very first steps of your relationship with them.
On top of that, going the extra mile in maintaining a positive impression is key to achieving maximum success for your trade business. How Can Creative Marketing Help? Business need a reliable product and marketing strategy to get to the top. Grab your customers' attention with Innovative Thinking.
Today's episode focuses on Creative Marketing and why is it being considered as one of the emerging fields of marketing.
Witty titles, catchy slogans, and thought-provoking design are used nowadays to leverage businesses in terms of attracting potential customers.
Even if marketing efforts should also be based on numbers and statistics, it pays to also focus on doing something that has never been done before.
This is exactly what we're about to tackle. In this podcast
Matt Jones and Nils Visk hop on this podcast to emphasize the importance of innovation and creativity when it comes to taking a trade business to new heights.
Businesses thrive on new and exciting ideas. This is exactly what Nils stressed on this podcast by giving brilliant examples of how creativity and innovation can get your target audiences' attention. Similar episodes TSS089 - Creating innovative business models TSS146 - Creative marketing with David Gatto TSS088 - Using innovation to grow your business TSS090 - Creating an innovative customer experience TSS102 - The 3 key pillars to online marketing success
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How Often Do You Think Outside The Box?
Innovative Thinking is very crucial to the success of your marketing efforts. For people to take notice, you need to think outside the box when promoting the business. If you want your business to achieve longevity, the main aim from the get-go should be to create a remarkable impression.
On top of that, thinking of ways to stand above the competition through unique ways of marketing your product and/or service will make people even more curious about what your business has to offer. What is Creative Marketing? Business will not thrive by just having a reliable product. You need to find a way to get your customers' attention.
Creative marketing is one of the upcoming fields of marketing where businesses utilize uniqueness and innovation to stand out from the competition.
Witty titles, catchy slogans, and thought-provoking design are used nowadays to leverage businesses in terms of attracting potential customers.
As a business owner, you are bound to encounter various methods on how to collect data.
Based on my experience, it all comes down to verifying information and recording it in the most efficient manner.
How you make use of data can get a little tricky for those who are new to this topic. On the other hand, a higher chance of success can be expected for those who understand proper data usage. In this podcast
I discuss how business owners should collect and use data to take their businesses to the next level. By breaking things into categories, I was able to re-organize the entire process to a more efficient and understandable system.
I encourage contractors and tradie business owners to re-think your strategy when it comes to the collection and usage of data. With the looming changes and adjustments being made in the industry, we need to become adaptable to distinguish ourselves from the competition. Similar episodes TSS089 - Creating innovative business models TSS146 - Creative marketing with David Gatto TSS088 - Using innovation to grow your business TSS090 - Creating an innovative customer experience TSS102 - The 3 key pillars to online marketing success
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Building a Reliable Database
Is reliable data really that valuable to a business? Some may argue it is of utmost importance, some may beg to differ; In reality, it is as much of an asset to your business as you make of it.
Here's what I mean.
In some instances, businesses tend to overlook the importance of a database which you can depend on. When this happens, recorded data becomes a liability due to the confusion caused by unreliable information.
Successful businesses know how important it is to make sure that the data is not only 100% accurate, but is also completely safe from legal violations. Collecting & Using Data
To build a reliable database, you need to completely understand how to collect and use data to benefit your business.
As a business owner, you are bound to encounter various methods on how to collect data.
Based on my experience, it all comes down to verifying information and recording it in the most efficient manner.
How you make use of data can get a little tricky for those who are new to this topic. On the other hand, a higher chance of success can be expected for those who understand proper data usage. In this podcast
I discuss how business owners should collect and use data to take their businesses to the next level. By breaking things into categories, I was able to re-organize the entire process to a more efficient and understandable system.
I encourage contractors and tradie business owners to re-think your strategy when it comes to the collection and usage of data. With the looming changes and adjustments being made in the industry, we need to become adaptable to distinguish ourselves from the competition. Similar episodes TSS145 - Building your database TSS121 - Designing The Right Systems For Your Business TSS143 - Dominating Customer Service TSS090 - Creating an innovative customer experience TSS146 - Creative Marketing with David Gatto
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We all have the dream of having the business that runs regardless of whether, or not we’re in it.
The reality however is often a long way from our dream. In fact, it’s so far away, it’s probably more accurate to call it a wish.
As tradespeople, it can seem even more our of reach that other businesses. We normally work in a local area and to a degree, we’re kind of tied to that location.
So how can we create a business that runs without us when it’s so dependant on us being there?
There are a lot of roadblocks when it comes to stepping away from our business. Things like; Unreliable and untrustworthy staff; financial stress customers and clients; etc.
However, if we didn’t have those concerns, could it be possible that we could remove ourselves for a week or two? What about a month or two? What about a year or two?
In this podcast, I’m speaking with a humble kitchen builder on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, that has managed to build a business that enables him to live the life of his dreams.
I just want to reiterate that this gentleman is a KITCHEN BUILDER, so I can permanently remove the, “yeah but my business is so different” argument.
My guest on the show today is Darren McKavanagh, who is a very active member of our amazing private facebook community (if you’re not in that group, you should be). Here’s the Link.
Darren runs ‘The Kitchen Maker’ and is a partner in Total Polyurethane. Both are local Northern Beaches businesses, both have full-time staff and BOTH of them currently run without him.
In this podcast, I talk to Darren about his beginnings and how he managed to build his business in a way that has enabled him the freedom that he has today.
We discuss, organisation structure, team management, KPI’s and incentives, mentors, coaching, systems, processes and a lot more.
What makes this podcast really cool, is that while I was in Sydney recoding, Darren was on his yacht in Turkey, to where he’d just returned from 10 weeks skiing in the French Alps.
So, for all of you critics that say it can’t be done, this is proof that it can…and it is being done.
I hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as I enjoyed recording it. It’s amazing to hear stories of people that have achieved such amazing results with their businesses.
My hope for you is that you too build the business of your dreams, whatever that means for you.
In many cases, we’re our own worst enemies. If we can learn to get out of our own way, greatness awaits!
If you got something out of this podcast, please share it with someone.
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Creative Marketing with David Gatto
Every business owner should be aware of what creative marketing is about. A business or company without any creativity is expected to lack energy and life.
Creative marketers know how effective it is to approach a marketing campaign with strategies which are fresh to people's eyes and ears.
With the help of our awesome community, we are able to dive deeper into what creative marketing is all about. In addition, we will also discuss what Guerilla Marketing is about. Learn how to spice up your trade business here at Tradie Web Guys. Who is David Gatto?
If you're a member of The Site Shed's awesome, FREE, and private Facebook community, chances are you'll have seen David's posts. He's one of the groups leading contributors.
David runs Future Solutions. Future Solutions specialise in fencing and outdoor solutions for homes in Pennsylvania in the USA.
David's posts in the community spiked a lot of interest from other members as he has a unique approach to obtaining work and winning trust.
You might say, his expertise is thinking outside of the box, with creativity, resilience, consistency and very strong drive at the forefront of his success. In this podcast
During today's podcast episode, David Gatto tackles creative marketing and how using it in his business helped him make it to the top. Coming from a financially challenged background, he emphasizes the importance of going the extra mile with all efforts placed into a business or investment.
Having a background in real estate, he explains why you should always put a creative touch on your efforts towards potential or current customers.
If you are into topics that are centred on business, marketing, and success stories, then we got a lot more in store for you. Check them out below: From A to B with 'guerrilla marketer' Adrian Fadini Marketing your business The 3 key pillars to online marketing success
If you'd like any help with any of this stuff, I've set up a page just for The Site Shed listeners. Click here to visit.
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How to systemise your trade business
Whether you're the owner of a growing business or a well-established one already, being aware of how to systemise your trade business will always make costing less stressing than it usually is.
A well-systemised business thrives on the principles of order and organization. Everything from point A to Z which is in relation to the business should be structured in such a way where efficiency is maximized.
Here at Tradie Web Guys, we make sure that trade businesses who partner with us get a hold of up-to-date strategies on how to impose order in any chaotic workspace environment. We strongly believe that the key to systemising your trade business is through following a simple seven-step process.
In this podcast
During today's podcast episode, we've discussed the different things you can do to sytemise a business and be able to cut down on major expenses. Every business is always operated by multiple departments whose universal role is to make sure everything runs smoothly. That being said, it is important to tackle the ways we can maximize all the effort and investment you've put into your business.
To enlighten everyone on how to systemise your trade business, Dave and I have decided to collaborate in this podcast and explain exactly how to divide the different processes included in growing a business into a much-simplified system with the help of some game-changing tools.
If you are into topics that are centered on business administration and productivity tools, then we got a lot more in store for you. Check them out below: Designing the right systems for your business Business Essential Series with Bollo Empire Org Chart Wrong Prioritisation of Time Planning for Success
If you'd like any help with any of this stuff, I've set up a page just for The Site Shed listeners. Click here to visit.
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SEO. How to decipher the good, from the bad
The world of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) seems to have become a red-hot place for scammers to pull the wool over the eyes of those that don't know any better.
This podcast came from a post on The Site Shed's private Facebook community in relation to how legitimate SEO actually is.
Read the post here
As someone that runs a digital agency (Tradie Web Guys), we deal with SEO on a regular basis. Not in a negative light I might add. Our experience with SEO is fantastic, but sadly the companies we speak with on a daily basis are not always as 'enthusiastic'.
It's funny that even though I run a digital agency, if I go a day without getting an email from some company in India trying to sell me SEO or a website, it's a bloody good day.
I know you're all getting the same emails. The group told me.
Anyway, the point is, what's legitimate and what's BS? What's expensive and what's not? What are good results and what are bad? And so on and so forth.
In this podcast, I talk about where SEO was and where it is now. I talk about the problems that exist and the fundamental elements of SEO. I also discuss 'content creation' and how to go about making a start.
If you like the topic of SEO and Content, you'll probably love these too. Go check them out. The role of your website in SEO The role of your content in SEO Syndicating your content Authority Content Revealing SEO Myths How to make your business stand out with copywriting
If you'd like any help with any of this stuff, I've set up a page just for The Site Shed listeners. Click here to visit.
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Is your customer service up to scratch?
If you don’t have customers, you're not in business.
Like what we're talking about in this episode? Here are some others that might interest you. Ever wondered why you annoy people so much? Selling to the right customers
As tradespeople, we deal with customers on a daily basis. If you work in the residential space, you may deal with multiple customers in a single day, dozens in a week and hundreds in a year.
I remember as an apprentice plumber, my boss always used to tell me, "Jonesy, you're not in the plumbing business, you're in the people business".
Of course, as a seventeen year old, that pretty much meant nothing to me, however on reflection, it was pretty sound advice.
Ensuring that your customers are having a great journey is the single most important thing you can do in order to earn their trust and keep them returning.
Sadly, when we go to college, we're not taught how to deal with customers. We're not taught how to be well presented, we're not taught how to speak correctly and as a result, we often find ourselves having to fend for ourselves. Your service, or your customer service?
In most cases, customer service is more important than the service you provide itself.
Here are two scenarios to prove my point. You visit a restaurant and the food is incredible. The best you've ever had. The service however was atrocious. They screwed up your booking, the waiter was rude, they overcharged you and they wouldn't call you a cab. You visit another restaurant. The food was good, but not amazing. The waiter was super helpful, the atmosphere was fantastic, none of your orders were screwed up and they even offered a complimentary round of drinks.
The point is, for the better part, the way you treat someone will trump the service you deliver. Within reason of course. I'm not suggesting that you can be a total hack and be able to get away with it because you have a silver tongue.
If you want your customers to come back to you and talk about you with their friends, you need to be on your game when it comes to customer service. Are you active in training your team? Are you active in training yourself? Are you active in getting your customers feedback? Do you have policies in place that enable you to review and improve?
Customer service is the backbone of any great business and in today's podcast, we have a lady on the show that has made it her life.
Randi Busse is an expert in customer service. Working with corporate organisations over the years, Randi has developed processes that enable her to teach organisations of all sizes how to create an amazing customer experience.
If you're a tradie/contractor and you deal with customers on a regular basis, you'd be mad not to take on board what Randi teaches in this podcast.
She's an amazing woman, with a wealth of knowledge.
You can reach Randi at workdevgroup.com.
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The fastest way to stand out in a crowd. Copywriting.
With the internet being a necessary evil for every modern business, it’s no secret that ‘Content Is King’. If you want your content to stand out, you need to learn the art of copywriting.
If you like what we're talking about in this episode, go back and check out these: The Role Of Content In SEO Simplify Your Website Creating engaging content Authority Content
Let’s face it, there’s a lot of noise on the internet.
Everyone’s creating content in some form and whether we like it, or not, it’s getting published.
We’re constantly bombarded with blogs, podcasts, videos, images, facebook posts, tweets and dozens of other forms of content and for the better part, most of it goes totally unnoticed. We simply register it as ‘more noise’ and disregard it.
The art of copywriting has been around for a lot longer than you and I. Even longer than language as we know it.
Egyptian hieroglyphics and ancient cave paintings are examples of early copywriting, which told stories through drawings. More recently we have literature in the form of books, newspapers, magazines and encyclopaedias.
Of course like anything, there are those that stand out as ‘experts’ when it comes to copywriting. Benjamin Franklin, Gary Halbert, Rohal Dahl, and so on.
In a world that now gives anyone the right to create ‘content’ via the app on our phones, it’s important that we learn how to create content that stands out from the ‘noise’.
Creative copywriting is a skill that can be learned. No one is born knowing how to do it, it’s a skill that is refined. This means it’s likely that where you are right now, is probably the worst you’ll be. So where do we start?
In today’s podcast, I’m speaking with Owen Russell, who is a Sydney based copywriter. I’m speaking with him about the do’s and do not's of copywriting and content creation with the aim of helping you create less noise and start creating better content.
As business owners, we have a responsibility to educate. We need to educate our customers and we need to educate our ‘potential’ customers.
Copywriting is the way we do that. Maybe through our websites, maybe on our social media channels, maybe in newsletters we send out. The bottom line is, we ALL need to get better at telling our story and if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years it’s…
“Copywriting is not a destination, it’s a journey.”
There’s always room for improvement and there’s likely always someone who can teach you how to do it better.
In this podcast, the aim is to help you become better at copywriting, so take note and more importantly…apply what you learn. Your business will thank you. FREE download
Owen has generously left behind an eBook that he put together to help you learn and understand the basics of SEO. Fill out the form and grab your copy!
You can reach Owen at russell-writing.com
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Like travelling? Well, you're going to love this story.
In today's podcast, we meet a man that has made travelling a reality for tradies.
Like many young adults (and especially Australians), I embarked on my global pilgrimage as soon as I possibly could. I remember it clearly. I finished certificate four plumbing exam at college on a Wednesday and Flew to British Columbia, Canada on the same Friday. I missed my awards night and I missed everything else that happened at home over the next three years, as I gallivanted around the globe, living by the seat of my pants.
This was a time when Facebook was just becoming a thing and the internet speeds were so slow, it would take you 15 mins to open an email, so Skyping mum was like pulling teeth.
Regardless, they were the best years of my life. No worries, no stress, no responsibilities and lots of mountains to ski. Well, I suppose there was a couple of stresses. Mainly in the form of where the heck am I going to live and how am I going to survive on a shoestring budget?
In today's podcast, I’m speaking with a Melbourne based entrepreneur named Adam Valastro, who like me had similar travelling experiences as a young man, however unlike me, he set out to address the problems I mentioned above.
Adam’s company is called Travelling Tradies and he has developed a way that young, skilled workers can apply their trade in various locations around the world by trading labour for accommodation and food.
It’s a brilliant idea. When I travelled, we used to do a similar thing, however there was no structure behind it. In most cases, we’d just hope for the best. The idea of being able to have some sense of security would have been far less stressful
Anyway, if you’re a traveller, or if you hope of one day travelling, this is a great podcast for you.
Also, Travelling Tradies is running a competition where they’re putting up $20,000 to send 4 tradies to an amazing location. Click on this link to enter.
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Do you even LEGO®?
In today's podcast, we meet a man that has turned playing with LEGO® his life.
At the heart of every tradesperson is a desire to create something. Who knows. perhaps it’s even a primal urge that we’re not in control of. If you think back to the hunter-gathers, the early settlers, even the industrial age, men that were valuable to society were men that could build things. Most women could hold their own too. This was a time before “jobs” that we have today. We built homes and shelters to live in and we created things that made it possible for our families to survive and live safety. There were no ‘web designers’, there were no ‘marketing agencies’ and there was not a collection of restaurants for us to take our families to when we can’t be bothered cooking.
We created, we built, we cooked, we provided and we survived.
In my eyes, tradespeople have ‘real jobs’. Since hanging up my plumbing tool belt a number of years ago, I may no longer have what I labelled above as a ‘real job’, however at the roots of what I love to do and what I’m drawn to, is a desire to create.
I have a three year old nephew and the time I spend with him is time that I can reconnect with that creative desire. Perhaps not through creating things that we need to survive, however certainly developing skills that equip our minds with the mechanical, problem solving skills that we should all connect with.
At the risk of quoting a terrible pun, these skills really do form the ‘building blocks’ of what many of us set out to further develop as tradespeople.
Of course, I’m talking about LEGO®. The magical little bricks that bring us so much joy. Children and adults alike.
If you listen to this podcast, it’s likely that you’re a tradesperson of some sort and I’d be willing to bet my hat on the fact that 90% of everyone that listens to this podcast LOVES LEGO®.
In this podcast, I have the privilege of speaking with a man that has made LEGO® his life. Ryan McNaught is the ‘Brickman’ and he is the only certified LEGO® builder in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only fourteen globally.
I speak with him about the role that LEGO® plays in the development of children, the role that LEGO® plays in the development of tradespeople and the business that he has created from his passion.
The Brickman has a lego show called ‘AWESOME’, which is touring around Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. Get along to see some of the incredible creations that Ryan and his team have put together over a collective 4,500 hours, using over 1,500,000 LEGO® bricks.
There are 38 exhibits, including everything from life sized Harley Davidson motorbikes and a 7.5 meter tall Rocket Ship, through to Crocodiles, Koalas, Kangaroos and even a gigantic Orca.
Head across to TheBrickman.com/awesome to learn more and grab your tickets.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Implementing the correct onboarding and training process will set your business up for success.
Cohost: Al Levi - The Seven Power Contractor Series - The ultimate blueprint to finding, training and retaining A-Level Staff
If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, the name Al Levi will be familiar to you.
Al is by far our most requested guest on the show and he's also been on the show more than anyone. I almost feel like giving him a regular gig ;-)
The Seven Power Contractor is his book, which talks about the methodology that he developed while running a New York plumbing company with his Dad and brothers. You can actually get hold of the first chapter of that book through the form below...and I suggest you do because it's awesome!
Anyway, in this series, we're talking about staff. We tried to cover all of the important topics and we summarised it into the topics below. Recruiting your A-Team Onboarding and training your A-Team Retaining your A-Team
In this episode, which is the third and final episode of the series, we're talking about 'Retaining Your A-Team'.
Staff retention is the one area that most businesses today have huge struggles with. How do you prevent your staff from going to work for someone else, or going to work for themselves?
We spend so many resources and time in implementing what we learned in the last podcast, 'onboarding and training', then they just pack up and go.
The big takeaway from this podcast is the mindset shift from offering people a 'job' to offering them a 'career path'. The difference being that a career path is not very often something the next company can as easily offer. A job however in today's market are a dime a dozen.
In this podcast, we learn how to create a blueprint for your potential staff that help them tie their goals into the businesses goals. At the end of the day, employees aren't overly concerned with the goals of the business unless it in some way helps them get to where they need to go. Here's the link to part one - 'Recruiting Your A-Team' Here's the link to part two - 'Onboarding and Training Your A-Team' Other episodes from Al Planning Power Operating Power Staffing Power Org Chart Defining roles Steering the ship When is the right time to expand? If you'd like to hear Al's awesome and hilarious story, check out the link below. From A-B with Al Levi
Are you enjoying these podcasts? If so, please do us a favour and leave us a review at your choice of the links below. Google Facebook iTunes - Apple Stitcher - Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Implementing the correct onboarding and training process will set your business up for success.
Cohost: Al Levi - The Seven Power Contractor Series - The ultimate blueprint to finding, training and retaining A-Level Staff
If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, the name Al Levi will be familiar to you.
Al is by far our most requested guest on the show and he's also been on the show more than anyone. I almost feel like giving him a regular gig ;-)
The Seven Power Contractor is his book, which talks about the methodology that he developed while running a New York plumbing company with his Dad and brothers. You can actually get hold of the first chapter of that book through the form below...and I suggest you do because it's awesome!
Anyway, in this series, we're talking about staff. We tried to cover all of the important topics and we summarised it into the topics below. Recruiting your A-Team Onboarding and training your A-Team Retaining your A-Team
In this episode, 'Onboarding and Training Your A-Team', Al talks to us about the critical step that follows the staff recruiting stage, that being Onboarding and Training.
In many cases the success of an employee comes down to how they have been onboarded and trained. Don't fall into the trap of blaming staff and classing them as useless when in 90% of the cases, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the owner or manager. Do your employees have clear job descriptions? Do they have clear roles and responsibilities? Have they been inducted correctly? Have they been taught your way of doing things? Do they have someone they can turn to for help? Etc, etc.
Here's the link to part one - 'Recruiting Your A-Team' Other episodes from Al Planning Power Operating Power Staffing Power Org Chart Defining roles Steering the ship When is the right time to expand? If you'd like to hear Al's awesome and hilarious story, check out the link below. From A-B with Al Levi
Are you enjoying these podcasts? If so, please do us a favour and leave us a review at your choice of the links below. Google Facebook iTunes - Apple Stitcher - Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Want to build a sustainable business? Better start recruiting your A-Team
Cohost: Al Levi - The Seven Power Contractor Series - The ultimate blueprint to finding, training and retaining A-Level Staff
If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, the name Al Levi will be familiar to you.
Al is by far our most requested guest on the show and he's also been on the show more than anyone. I almost feel like giving him a regular gig ;-)
The Seven Power Contractor is his book, which talks about the methodology that he developed while running a New York plumbing company with his Dad and brothers. You can actually get hold of the first chapter of that book through the form below...and I suggest you do because it's awesome!
Anyway, in this series, we're talking about staff. We tried to cover all of the important topics and we summarised it into the topics below. Recruiting your A-Team Onboarding and training your A-Team Retaining your A-Team
This is the first episode, 'Recruiting Your A-Team' and in this episode, Al talks to us about the process that he uses to find the right team members for his organisations and the organisations that he coaches. Other episodes from Al Planning Power Operating Power Staffing Power Org Chart Defining roles Steering the ship When is the right time to expand? If you'd like to hear Al's awesome and hilarious story, check out the link below. From A-B with Al Levi
Are you enjoying these podcasts? If so, please do us a favour and leave us a review at your choice of the links below. Google Facebook iTunes - Apple Stitcher - Android
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Time to start selling like a $30 million organisation?
Cohost: Allan Furguson If you're in our awesome facebook community, you would have seen or been a part of many of the discussions that happen in there on selling and how to sell better.
Side note, if you're not in our group, you should be. Click here to apply.
There's a lot of smart cookies in that group and there's a lot of people with a lot of runs on the board in business. Not many, however as accomplished as today's guest.
For those of you that are worried about this being just another podcast on sales, you'd be wrong. Allan is the owner and CEO of The Omega Group, that's on their way to turning $20 million a year. They are a plumbing, heating and HVAC company located in Sydney and they're the real deal.
Allan's knowledge and expertise led him to set up Service Professionals Australia, which is a company that helps trade-based business owners grow and develop a successful and profitable business.
Allan's passion s selling and with a company that's turning over $15 million a year, it's probably fair to say that he's pretty good at it. This conversation is in relation to questions that arose in our facebook community and drew a lot of engagement.
It's a single conversation that I've split into to make it a little more digestible for you, so this is part two. Enjoy the talk and if you have any questions in regard to selling, comment in the show notes and I'll get them answered for you
Anyway, this is part two, so enjoy!
Here's the link to the first part of this conversation.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Time to start selling like a $30 million organisation? Cohost: Allan Furguson
If you're in our awesome facebook community, you would have seen or been a part of many of the discussions that happen in there on selling and how to sell better.
Side note, if you're not in our group, you should be. Click here to apply.
There's a lot of smart cookies in that group and there's a lot of people with a lot of runs on the board in business. Not many, however as accomplished as today's guest.
For those of you that are worried about this being just another podcast on sales, you'd be wrong. Allan is the owner and CEO of The Omega Group, that's on their way to turning $40 million a year. They are a plumbing, heating and HVAC company located in Sydney and they're the real deal.
Allan's knowledge and expertise led him to set up Service Professionals Australia, which is a company that helps trade-based business owners grow and develop a successful and profitable business.
Allan's passion s selling and with a company that's turning over $30 million a year, it's probably fair to say that he's pretty good at it. This conversation is in relation to questions that arose in our facebook community and drew a lot of engagement.
It's a single conversation that I've split into to make it a little more digestible for you, so enjoy the talk and if you have any questions in regard to selling, comment in the show notes and I'll get them answered for you
Anyway, this is part one, so enjoy!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Are you really spending your time in the right place?
Series: The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make Cohost: Danny Kerr from BT Academy
As business owners, we often have to wear a lot of hats. One minute we're sales, the next we're accounts, next we're HR. In this podcast, Danny runs through some frameworks that he teaches that can help you apply your time better within your own schedule and the schedule of your team.
This is part three of the three-part series. Here is the link to episode one - Attracting the right talent. Here's the link to spidoe two - Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin
Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we'll be talking about what Danny considers the Top 3 mistakes that trade business owners make, from his experience with dealing with hundreds of organisations. Those areas are: Attracting the right talent Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin The wrong prioritisation of time
If you're interested in attracting talent, you'll likely enjoy these past podcasts also: How to find the leaders in your organisation - Peter Cox Staffing Power - Al Levi Implementing an Org Chart - Al Levi Defining Roles in your family business - Al Levi Identifying and creating roles in your organisation - Greg Hamlyn How to find the right staff members for your business - Greg Hamlyn How to retain your staff - Greg Hamlyn When is the right time to expand? - Al Levi & Ellen Rohr Wrong Prioritisation of time
If we're honest with ourselves, there's a lot of day-to-day business tasks that we're not good at. In fact, it would be fair to say that we pretty much suck at a lot of them.
It's not really that hard to understand. Afterall, people are different. Some might like sales, some might like data, some might like leading, etc.
If we can agree on that, then we should also be able to agree that there are people out there that can and would be able to do these tasks considerably better than us...so let's go find them.
Importantly, what we need to figure out is where our time is best spent.
If your business depends on quotes getting created and your the only one that knows how to quote correctly, then don't waste your time jeopardising the business on admin. Get the quotes done! There's someone out there that can do your admin and chances are they'll do it better than you ever could.
In this podcast, Danny teaches us a method that we can use to figure out what needs to be done, what we need to do ourselves, what we can offload all together and finally, what we can outsource to another member of our team.
This is the final episode of the series, so if you enjoyed it, please do us a favour and leave us a review at your choice of the links below. Google Facebook iTunes - Apple Stitcher - Android
No joke, Danny has left behind FOR YOU the most amazing templates, frameworks and business tools, you'll likely ever get your hands on.
There's cut and paste templates for hiring and job posting, there are how to videos to follow and there's even an absolutely incredible figure tracking spreadsheet that took Danny and his team over 50 hours to create...and a video on how to use it. Amazing!
He's also made some time in his crazy busy calendar for you to have a chat with him and his team, so you can learn how to apply those documents directly into your business. Again, for FREE.
They've also got loads more awesome things that they'll be sending you, so fill in the form, grab your stuff and claim your calendar spot right now!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"What we measure, we can improve". Let's learn how to improve our profit margin in this podcast.
Series: The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make Cohost: Danny Kerr from BT Academy
Let's assume that we're all in business to make a profit. So why do so few of us have such a poor focus on our gross profit margin? In today's podcast, Danny runs us through the framework that he uses and teaches at BT Academy, with the hope that we start giving it the attention it deserves.
This is part two of the three-part series. Here is the link to episode one - Attracting the right talent.
Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we'll be talking about what Danny considers the Top 3 mistakes that trade business owners make, from his experience with dealing with hundreds of organisations. Those areas are: Attracting the right talent Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin The wrong prioritisation of time
If you're interested in attracting talent, you'll likely enjoy these past podcasts also: How to find the leaders in your organisation - Peter Cox Staffing Power - Al Levi Implementing an Org Chart - Al Levi Defining Roles in your family business - Al Levi Identifying and creating roles in your organisation - Greg Hamlyn How to find the right staff members for your business - Greg Hamlyn How to retain your staff - Greg Hamlyn When is the right time to expand? - Al Levi & Ellen Rohr Lack of focus on our gross profit margin
In the previous podcast, Danny taught us the fine art of attracting the right talent into our organisations. Stemming on from that episode is this one, where he talks to us about the importance of understanding money, cash flow and profit margin.
There's a misconception that turnover is the goal that we should all be chasing as business owners, however, it couldn't be further from the truth. Turnover means NOTHING unless there is profit in the business.
Your business might well be turning $20 million a year, however if your profit margin is only $100,000, that business sucks. Totally.
It's really important that we understand the difference, which is why I am so thrilled to be bringing you this podcast. Not only has Danny shared his knowledge with us, he's also left behind a spreadsheet that you take and make your own. It's absolutely genius.
Not only that, he's offered to spend some time with you, to help you get it set up correctly in your business.
If you don't take advantage of that, you're completely crazy. Also, do something nice for one of your friends. Copy the link to this page and send it to them.
No joke, Danny has left behind FOR YOU the most amazing templates, frameworks and business tools, you'll likely ever get your hands on.
There's cut and paste templates for hiring and job posting, there are how to videos to follow and there's even an absolutely incredible figure tracking spreadsheet that took Danny and his team over 50 hours to create...and a video on how to use it. Amazing!
He's also made some time in his crazy busy calendar for you to have a chat with him and his team, so you can learn how to apply those documents directly into your business. Again, for FREE.
They've also got loads more awesome things that they'll be sending you, so fill in the form, grab your stuff and claim your calendar spot right now!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
To build a solid team, you need to be good at attracting talent. In this podcast, we're spoonfed the ultimate framework!
Series: The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make Cohost: Danny Kerr from BT Academy
When it comes to building a successful business, there are few things more important than attracting talent into your organisation. Great staff can make, or break a company, which is why Danny has chosen this topic as part one of this EPIC three-part series.
Based out of British Colombia, Canada, BT Academy exists to teach businesses how to create a sustainable business structure, using the principles of a franchise model.
Franchises depend heavily on systems and processes, which serves as the fundamental lynch-pin in a franchises ability to operate out of multiple locations while delivering a consistent product/service.
My co-host in this series, Danny Kerr, has a background in franchising. A few years ago, he decided it would be a good idea to educate trade business owners how they can create similar frameworks in their own businesses.
As a result, BT Academy was born and they now help hundreds of organisations, right across Canada and the United States take their businesses to a level that is systemised, profitable and independent of any one person (in most cases the business owner).
In this series, we'll be talking about what Danny considers the Top 3 mistakes that trade business owners make, from his experience with dealing with hundreds of organisations. Those areas are: Attracting the right talent Lack of focus on Gross Profit Margin The wrong prioritisation of time
If you're interested in attracting talent, you'll likely enjoy these past podcasts also: How to find the leaders in your organisation - Peter Cox Staffing Power - Al Levi Implementing an Org Chart - Al Levi Defining Roles in your family business - Al Levi Identifying and creating roles in your organisation - Greg Hamlyn How to find the right staff members for your business - Greg Hamlyn How to retain your staff - Greg Hamlyn When is the right time to expand? - Al Levi & Ellen Rohr Attracting the right talent
In this podcast, Danny unleashes some absolute gold about attracting talent into your organisation.
Not only does he teach us his 'marketing for staff' tactics, he has also offered up for you guys some amazing frameworks that you can get hold of, for the grand price of NOTHING!
Danny has a brilliant attitude when it comes to hiring staff. One that I think we should all learn from.
To paraphrase the message that I took from this recording, it's not about 'offering a job', nor is it about 'getting your business to the next level'. If you want to hire a successful employee, you need to tie their goals into your businesses.
You need to make them see a clear path of how to get to where they want to go, by moving the business in the direction that you outline. If you can lay out a path for them, they can visualise it and monitor the progressional steps to helping them get there.
As both Danny and Al Levi say, it's not about giving them a job, it's about creating a career path. This means more than money to most people. Which means that when a competitor comes along offering them an extra few dollars an hour to come work with them, you have the upper hand.
You'll love this podcast, it's an absolute cracker!
Do me a favour, copy the link to this page and send it to someone that would benefit from hearing this.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Stephen Scoggins joins us back at the microphone to talk about the '8 Pillars' principle that got him to where he is today.
Back in episode 129, ‘From A to B with Stephen Scoggins’, we learned about his amazing journey in business. From living in the back of a friends car to running a $40 million/year company that employs 380 staff across America.
You see, it was a certain framework that enabled Stephen to achieve his success. A firework that he first learned, then adopted, and now refines into his life and business. With such a successful blueprint at his disposal, Stephen decided to make this method available to others that want to learn it.
Stephen is a large supporter of mental health. He believes that if people [like he was] get exposure to the right tools and people, then they too can achieve success. The Book that changed it all
Stephen went on to write the best selling book called 'The Journey Principles'. His editor said was so good that he should develop it into a program, so that’s what he did.
Stephen now takes those that want to learn 'The Journey Principles' through the blueprint that he has designed in a format that drives results. In this podcast, he’s sharing that framework with us. My hope for you is...
That you’ll love this podcast so much that it forces you to take action.
If you want details on the program, you can get them right here..
And finally, If you got something out of this episode, please share it with someone else?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is your business protected against a potential legal onslaught?
When I asked Eliot to come on the show, I was half expecting to hear a bunch of boring stuff about what to do when you find yourself in a ‘legal pickle’.
It was a pleasant surprise to hear the tone of the conversation that formed the fundamental basis of the entire episode was more or less, Eliot telling us how we can inevitably avoid ending up talking to him.
As Eliot jokes a number of times throughout the episode, “Do this, so you don’t have to pay some lawyer loads of money they don’t need”. The conversation
I approached this conversation with the angle of really trying to figure out what we, as business owners need to have in place from a legal perspective in our business.
I left with a strategy on how to be a better, smarter, more organised and less exposed business owner.
We covered things that I certainly didn’t expect to discuss.
Things like: how to employ staff correctly, how to let staff go correctly, how to establish contracts, how to remunerate staff correctly, etc. Are you a business owner?
If you’re in business, you must listen to this podcast. It’s amazing on every level.
In my eyes, Eliot certainly doesn’t fit the stereotype of a lawyer. He’s a great communicator and a funny story teller, who’ll keep you smiling the whole way through.
If you want to reach out to Eliot, you can do so at Wagonheim Law’s website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From living in the back of a friends car, to running a $40 Mill/yr business, this is the story of Stephen Scoggins,. A man that has done it all.
Coming from a broken family, Stephen Scoggins tells us about how he was heading down a path that followed in the footsteps of an abusive father.
That was until when he met someone that saw potential in him and took him under his wing. Stephen is a big believer that the success he has had, came as a result of having a great mentor in his life.
Stephen explains in this podcast, that when he was growing up, almost everyone else had succumbed to the motion that he was never going to amount to much. Stephen’s mentor however, saw a young man with lots of drive and ambition, who needed direction and someone to believe in him.
As Stephen quotes. “growing up, you don’t know what you don’t know”. I love that saying and I use it all the time myself. It’s not that [some] people don’t want to learn, it’s that they are not exposed to it at the right time, but the right people, in the right environment.
It’s one of the main reasons that I record these podcasts. The content that comes as the result brings an entirely new level of awareness to things that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
There’s a lot of power in believing in someone. Perhaps there's someone in your life that you could be breathing belief into. Maybe you should take that as a challenge. Who could you be sewing belief into right now? Who could you take under your wing?
Who in your life could you be sewing belief into right now? Maybe it's a staff member, maybe it's a friend, maybe it's a family member. Who could you take under your wing?
In this conversation, Stephen tells us of his amazing story. The good and bad times and the reality of growing and running a $40 million business with 380 staff across multiple states in the USA.
The systems, the processes, the hiring and firing, internal politics, financials and so on.
You can reach find out more about Custom Homes Exterior at teamche.com. Likewise, you can find out more about The Journey Principles at journeyprinciples.com
He’s also written a book named The Journey Principles, which you can get hold of at: Apple iBooks Amazon JourneyPrinciples.com
If you have any questions for Stephen, or if you’d like me to get him back on the show to ask any questions, post them comments below.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"It's never as bad as it seems guys" - Jason Spaull August marks'Tradies National Health Month here in Australia
With that in mind, I asked Jason Spaull to come on the show to talk about business, suicide and how to keep your head above the water when times seem tough.
Like a lot of you folks reading this, Jason runs his own business. Also like you and I, Jason experiences the ups and downs of running a traditional business.
As we all know, there are good times and bad in business, however for many the bad can seem so bad that it becomes all too much. No one knows this better than Jason. Jason's world get's turned upside down
You see two years ago, Jason's brother took his life by suicide.
"He was always the life of the party and everyone loved him", said Jason, however circumstances that (Jason is convinced) stemmed from his work led him down a dark path of depression to which he would never return.
In this podcast, Jason talks to us about his experience and he also talks to us about what he believes was the conrtibuting cause of his brothers mental health decline. Acknowledge something is wrong and take action
Jason is a firm believer that if we can get better at understanding how to run our businesses, our whole lives will improve as a result. if we're making money, then that's one huge stress that we don't have to encounter.
Education is the key. We don't know, what we don't know.
Jason quotes, 'If your car is playing up, you'll take it to a mechanic. If you're feeling sick, you'll go to ac doctor, however if you're unsure about something in your business, or our personal life, we normally bottle it up and try to deal with it ourselves."
Guys, it's okay to seek help.
This podcast is here as a resource for you and there are many other resources that you can turn to if you need help dealing with stress, anxiety, negative thinking, etc.
I am more than happy to speak with anyone that needs it, as are I'm sure many people around you. You just need to ask.
Remember, it's NEVER as bad as you think. People care about you, so if you're struggling with anything, don't be afraid to take the first step.
Here are a couple of resources for you: For business help - TheSiteShed.com/resources Mates In Construction Lifeline RUOK
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn how to Think Opposite with Alison Donaghey
"Figure out how to structure your days, so you don't miss anything important".
Does that sound like a wise motto?
What about "Be Your Own Customer"?
In this podcast, I'm speaking with Alison Donaghey from Vancouver Island in Canada about her amazing journey from being a single mum on welfare, through to when she started the home painting business that still runs today.
With the odds against her, Alison set out to build a business that gave her more time to spend with her son. Ironically, today Alison's son is 'Jonesing' to partner with mum as they plan to turn the business into a franchise.
After lots of blood sweat and tears, Alison created 'Sonshine Girls Painting'. Being a female run business in a male dominated industry, it had challenges of it's own. Not always bad challenges as we learn, but challenges none the less.
Working as a painter, Alison realised there was a need to help people with their colour selection. This realisation marked the launch of 'Your Perfect Colour', which is a program that educates people about the process of creating a colour scheme for their project.
More recently, Alison has been working on a book called, 'Think Opposite: Using the Domino Effect to Change Your Business, Change the world.'
The book that's set to launch in book stores later this year talks about what she has coined 'Thinking Opposite'. Thinking Opposite is the ability to suspend your belief, consider the opposite and proceed with perspective.
As Alison quotes on her website, "If we all spent a little more time thinking before acting our lives, businesses and the world will be all the better for it."
Alison also has a radio show (and podcast) called 'Think Opposite' which you can find at the links below: Apple Android
You can reach out to Alison at the following places: Websites - Domino Thinking | Sonshine Girls Painting Email Instagram Facebook Twitter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's time to engage your audience using the age old art of storytelling.
Learn how to implement the ultimate storytelling framework into your organisation today. How did this episode come about?
At a recent business workshop I attended in Sydney, I learned of a podcast that contained a brilliant framework to telling a great story. After doing some more research I found myself totally immersed in learning as much about an art form that literally dates back to the beginning of mankind - storytelling. The history of storytelling
History clearly shows us a common pattern of storytelling, that is evident in many different forms, throughout many cultures. The Indigenous Australian Aboriginal people were masters in story telling in the forms of rock paintings, corroboree (an ancient method of combining story with music and dance) and campfire storytelling.
In fact, back in episode TSS074, indigenous role model Ben Stainer talked to me about how his ancestors used to use storytelling to navigate.
Cultures right across the globe have been using storytelling for centuries. The Chinese, the Japanese, the Vikings, the Persian Empire and of course the Egyptians are very well known for telling amazing stories using their hieroglyphs and detailed carvings. Are you telling your story?
I was interested to learn in my recent discoveries that pretty much every story that we come across, old and new - follow a similar framework with a similar structure. The reason that successful stories follow a similar framework is because as humans, we're wired to respond to stories in a certain way. if you can get good at adopting the same framework, it will mean that you'll become the master of getting your message through to your ideal customers.
So here we are today and my question to you is how are you telling your story?
At Tradie Web Guys and The Site Shed, we work with tradies & contractors all day, every day. I can honestly tell you that 95% of the businesses that we work with really struggle with telling their story.
For example, when I ask our new building clients what they do, they tell me they build reliable homes at an affordable price. Or they tell me they do renovations and build decks and pergolas.
What they should be telling me is that they transform homes into the ultimate living space. Or, that they help bring families together. My sources for this podcast
The framework that I go through in this episode came from a recent podcast I heard on the 'Perpetual Traffic Podcast', with guest Donald Miller from StoryBrand [here's the link to the episode].
Donald is a world renowned expert on the topic of storytelling and has written many books on the topic. A couple of which I have downloaded.
I reached out to Donald to see if he'd be able to appear on the show, however he is in the middle of (another) book launch that has him pretty tied up at the moment. He did say he'd be happy to come on the show once the mayhem dies down a little though, so we can all look forward to that.
Anyway, I hope you can all go and apply this framework to your business. It would be the defining point in successfully communicating your message to the people that are out there looking for you ;-)
You can check out Donald and StoryBrand at the following links. Storybrand.com The Building A Storybrand podcast - iTunes
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Naked Marketing With Devon Dilly
Note: This podcast is an audio extract form this YouTube playlist. To see all of the frameworks that we speak about and run through in this audio, head across to YouTube and check out this episode.
Naked Marketing is where we get a client, or guest on the show to talk about how their current marketing might be improved.
We look into what's currently going on and what might be able to be done to make it perform better.
In this podcast, I (Matt Jones) am joined by our resident marketing guru, Will, alongside our guest, Mr Devon Tilley, from Mountain View Door and Window out of Colorado in the USA to talk about his business.
Devon also runs 'The Art Of Construction' podcast which largely speaks to Architects.
You can catch me on The Art Of Construction podcast at the link below.
https://www.theartofconstruction.net/single-post/show-55-with-Matt-Jones-site-shed You can catch Devon on The Site Shed podcast at this link:
https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/from-a-b-with-devon-tilly/
This is the audio extract from the recording that you can catch on youtube at this link
https://youtu.be/s7NhczR51jo
You can subscribe to the Naked Marketing playlist on YouTube by visiting this link
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FcLDKIFuO8zKzUl7rv6yOeP6heSX6RD
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this podcast, we learn about how a roof garden project turned into a community building exercise
Guest: Sonia Beder (Resident at 38 Westbury Street, St Kilda)
If you missed the last episode with Stuart Tyler from Fytogreen on ‘roof gardens’ and ‘garden wall solutions’, go back and check it out at [this link]. It was Stuart that put me in touch with Sonia and I’m glad that he did.
In the previous podcast we spoke about the wonderful world of green roofs and green walls, however in this podcast we hear about it from a different angle.
Today’s guest has ‘walked the walk’. Sonia Bedner resides at 38 Westbury Street in St Kilda East (Melbourne, Victoria), however unlike her neighbouring buildings, Sonia’s roof top has been turned into a roof garden.
Yes, that is a great story all by itself, however in this podcast Sonia shares with me the journey that 38 Westbury St enjoyed through out the process of transforming their otherwise unused rooftop into a flourishing ecosystem of flora and fauna.
We learn about the obstacles that had to be overcome, as well as the serendipities, including the incredible community that has developed and strengthened as a result of the project.
If you’re considering getting a rooftop garden on your property, this is the story you’ll want to hear.
You can check out 38 Westbury Street’s (awesome) blog at 38westburystreet.com.au.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Imagine if instead of going to the supermarket for our veggies, we could simply visit our roof gardens.
Guest: Stuart Tyler - Fytogreen
If you've been following this podcast for some time, you'd by now know a couple of things. I'm kind of a greeny I've been trying (in vein) for over a year to get someone on the show to talk roof gardens and vertical garden solutions.
As I occasionally visit various places around the world, I'm amazed at the amount of 'green solutions' that I come across. As you fly into Stockholm, Sweden, every second home had a roof garden. When I was in Vancouver last year, I learned that in order to get a development application approved on a new home, it needs to include a roof garden plan. (It's also worth mentioning that both of these cities are regularly covered in snow, or at best, they're subjected to subzero temperatures for the better part of 6 months every year).
So why is it that here in Australia, where our climate is pretty much perfect year round (for growing seasonal fruit and veggies) no one does it?
Well...as I learned in this recording, people are doing it.
Sure it may not be to the same scale as our global cousins, however it is a fashion that is starting to gain some serious traction both residentially and commercially here in Australia. So what is this roof garden and vertical garden hoo-ha?
As the names suggest gardens are now able to replace, or cover those empty wasted spaces that surround us in our home and work environment.
Think about how much space goes to waste on your roof alone. Imagine if you could have your entire veggie garden up there with a table and chair...and maybe a hammock. Could there be anything better than being able to walk up a stairway to your rooftop, to freshly harvest the parsley and oregano for tonights spaghetti bolognese?
Not by my book... About this podcast
In this podcast, I'm speaking with Stuart Tyler from Fytogreen.
Fytogreen are responsible for the amazing images you see above, along with many more I might add. 'Ecologically Sustainable Roof and Garden Solutions' is their thing and boy do they do it well.
I met Stuart at a trade show in Sydney not long ago and I was amazed at first by their stand. A floor to (10 meter high) ceiling mesh full of of amazing plants beamed out from beyond every other stand in the convention centre.
As we spoke more, Stuart started telling me about all of the awesome projects they had completed over the years. At that point I knew I had found my man ;-)
I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I enjoyed recording it. Stuart is a great communicator and a wealth of knowledge.
We talk about everything from the various products/solutions that are available and their best applications, through to many of the design and construct considerations that need to be recognised; regulations that need to be complied by; the environmental advantages; and even the practical advantages of owning your own roof garden, or green wall.
In closing I have two messages for two separate sides of the fence: If you're a home owner, that is excited about roof gardens and green walls as I am, or If you're a builder, landscaper, or any other trade that might see this as an interesting segue
I encourage you to reach out to Stuart and do your own research.
I'll go on the record right now by saying that roof gardens and vertical garden solutions will be the future of homes, apartments, buildings and everything in between at some time soon. It's already happening elsewhere around the world, so the question really is, "are you going to be a part of it"?
You can reach Stuart and the Fytogreen team at the links below: Website - fytogreen.com.au Email - info@fytogreen.com.au Phone - 1300 182 341
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No matter how big or small the business, no one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business and getting clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you'll likely need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series. So hopefully, when that (inevitably) happens, you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade'. So as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Here are the links to the previous episodes. Make sure you check them out, as each episode ties into the previous. Part One. TSS114 - Planning for Success Part Two. TSS115 - Personality Profiling Part Three. TSS116 - Knowing your customer Part Four. TSS117 - Defining your offer Part Five. TSS118 - Finding the right help Part Six. TSS119 - Defining Job Roles Part Seven. TSS121 - Designing The Right Systems For Your Business
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. Part eight of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Marketing Your Business
Well, we're now well and truly into the nitty gritty of what makes a business run. With the last episode on designing and implementing the right systems and this episode on marketing your business, it's fair to say we have the finishing line in sight and we're gunning for it.
Marketing is a very important part of any business and in this podcast Will and I dive into not only the common areas of marketing that we might be familiar with, but also the less 'obvious' areas, like our own personal brand.
What people and companies often tend to overlook is how the ecosystem works together. Sure many of us are familiar with 'AdWords', or 'SEO', however less of us understand how they affect each other. What role does your website play in this 'ecosystem'? What role does your uniform play in this 'ecosystem'? What role does your field technician play in this 'ecosystem'?
Find out in this podcast.
Also, stick around to the end, where Will offers us a framework that we can all benefit from on how to best go about marketing your business.
I hope you enjoy this episode and once again, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud, or YouTube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Part seven of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Designing The Right Systems For Your Business
Old or new, every business should work on designing the right systems and improving them along the way. It's the ability to optimise systems that enables a business to evolve and stay fresh.
When you look into designing the right systems for your business, you should consider the various areas of focus that systems and technology can potentially help you streamline.
For example, there's no point in keeping your WHS (work health and safety) documentation on your desktop computer at home if you need them on site. It just doesn't make sense.
Likewise how would you go about designing the right systems to ensure that your staff are not only invoicing correctly on site, but also taking payment for the work they have completed.
Over the years, I have had a lot of experience with various tools and programs and I have implemented many successful systems into my business to ensure that it runs as efficiently as possible. To say that I have been around the block when it comes to trying out different CRM (customer relationship management) software(s) would be the understatement of the century. I do, however appreciate the importance of the successful implementation of these tools into my organisation, so to me it's well worth the investment.
In this podcast I run through a framework of the different areas of a business that require systems, with the hope that whoever listens to it, can merely adopt ONE positive change as a result.
Some of the tools I mention in this podcast are listed below: Project Management Asana MeisterTask Mind Meister Trello Social Media Management BufferApp Hootsuite Meet Edgar CoSchedule MissingLettr Quuu Accounting Xero MYOB Intuit/Quickbooks CRM Prosperworks Podio HubSpot Misc G Suite Google Calendar Stripe
I hope you enjoy this episode and once again, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud, or YouTube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Evolution looks easy to hip new products, but what about the classics?
Guest: Greg Waters from Saniflo
If we look at some of the most successful products and services of the last 10 - 20 years, the majority of them are an example of evolution as opposed to creation. Does it appear that way on the surface? Not always, however if we dig a little deeper it's the reality.
When Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone back in 1876, he could never have imagined that his invention would turn into a device that 74% of us are using to consume this content on right now.
When Karl Benz created what we today know as the 'modern car' back in 1886, he could never have foreseen back then that it would evolve to a product that would see 18.4 million registered vehicles in Australia alone in 2016 and almost 300 million in the USA.
That's almost a car a person in the USA, who come in at 326,240,641 at the time of me writing this post.
You can check the population yourself at this link to see how much it's grown since.
Or what about something a little more close to home. If you're listening to this podcast (or planning to) from your phone, you'll be consuming data in the form of MP3.
MP3 was first publicly released back in 1993 but it never gained any traction until the early 2000's. Until that point it was not made clear why ANYONE would want, let alone need a device that could (back then) store 8 GIG of data.
Then in 2001 under the leadership of the late Steve Jobs, Apple Inc released the very first iPod. So, "How did Apple gain market traction in a environment that didn't care about having 8 GIG of storage in their pocket?", I hear you ask.
Simple. Messaging. Apple didn't try to sell a device that stored 8 GIG of data. They sold a device that stored your entire music collection in your pocket. So where am I going with this story of evolution?
In todays episode I'm talking about the evolution of something that's a little more relevant to The Site Shed.
Drum roll.....................The toilet.
Greg Waters joins me on the show today to talk about the journey that Saniflo have taken to evolve the humble toilet. With the release of their new Sanicompact unit, they had to jump through ALL of the hoops and cut through all of the red tape along the way. Everything from market research, through to compliance and certification...across multiple markets and authorities, I might add.
It was fascinating to learn about the crazy road that innovators like Saniflo travel down to bring improved products to our doorsteps. For those of you that are thinking about launching a new product, or innovating an existing, this podcast could potentially save you loads of time and money.
You can find out more about Greg and the Saniflo team and specifically the Sanicompact unit we refer to in this podcast at the Saniflo website.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No matter how big or small the business, no one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business and getting clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you'll likely need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series. So hopefully, when that (inevitably) happens, you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade'. So as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Here are the links to the previous episodes. Make sure you check them out, as each episode ties into the previous. Part One. TSS114 - Planning for Success Part Two. TSS115 - Personality Profiling Part Three. TSS116 - Knowing your customer Part Four. TSS117 - Defining your offer Part Five. TSS118 - Finding the right help
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. Part six of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Defining Job Roles This podcast is a repurposed podcast from episode TSS063 with the one and only Mr Al Levi.
I was going to record this podcast from scratch, then I recalled that Al Levi and I recoded an amazing podcast back in July of 2016 as part of the 'Why Most Family Business DON'T Work' series on the topic of defining job roles in family businesses.
If you've ever heard any of Al's podcasts you'll know they're hard to improve on, so I thought I'd just send that one back out.
The reason for this podcast getting a place in this series is pretty obvious. If you don't develop a team, you'e unlikely to develop an organisation. And if you don't have defined roles for your team, amongst other things you're going to run into some of the following problems. Unaccountability Lack of productivity Lack of direction Task crossover Staff friction Authority problems
Yes this podcast was created as part of a series that has to do with running a family business, however it's very relevant to any business. As Al eludes to early in the piece, Your business kind of becomes a family and like it or not, you become the parent.
I know you'll love this podcast because when I released it last time....well, you all loved it ;-)
Here's the links to Al's previous appearances on The Site Shed: https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss056_planning-power-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss057_operating-power-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/tss058_staffing-power-with-al-levi/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/org-chart/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/defining-roles/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/steering-the-ship/ https://www.thesiteshed.com/blog/when-is-the-right-time-to-expand/
I hope you enjoy this episode and once again, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud, or YouTube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No matter how big or small the business, no one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business and getting clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you'll likely need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series. So hopefully, when that (inevitably) happens, you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade'. So as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Here are the links to the previous episodes. Make sure you check them out, as each episode ties into the previous. Part One. TSS114 - Planning for Success Part Two. TSS115 - Personality Profiling Part Three. TSS116 - Knowing your customer Part Four. TSS117 - Defining your offer
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. Part five of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Finding The Right Help
In fairness, 'Finding The Right Help' could have appeared earlier in this podcast series, however it was kind of a late entry.
We've all heard the classic cliché, 'Nothing of any significance was ever achieved alone'. Well I'd totally agree with that as long as you're investing in the right resources.
Over the years I've been in many coaching programs and had a number of coaches/mentors and it would be fair to say that I've learned the hard way. Although I've had some amazing experiences, let it be know that I've had an equal amount of bad experiences.
In this podcast, I run through how I now go about seeking help and also the different forms that help comes in. Finding the right help does not always fall at the mercy of 'business coaches'. In fact, very often is right in front of you and you don't even realise.
Being open to improvement is the most important part of this discussion as when you're ready to take counsel from anyone, the fundamental lynchpin is having an open mind. You're going to get exposed to different ways of doing things and when that happens, it's going to challenge not only the way you've always done things, but also your pride.
Are you prepared to swallow your pride?
Enjoy this podcast and good luck in finding the right help in your business/ life.
I hope you enjoy this episode and once again, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud, or YouTube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No matter how big or small the business, no one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business and getting clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you'll likely need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series. So hopefully, when that (inevitably) happens, you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade'. So as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Here are the links to the previous episodes. Make sure you check them out, as each episode ties into the previous. Part One. TSS114 - Planning for Success Part Two. TSS115 - Personality Profiling Part Three. TSS116 - Knowing Your Customer
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. Part four of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Defining Your Offer with Greg Hamlyn
In the last couple of podcasts, we've been talking a lot about profiling. Specifically, personality profiling and customer profiling, however in this podcast, we're going to talk about 'product profiling' by defining your offer.
Once again, I'm joined by Greg from Trades Coaching as we embark on the process of getting to the core of how to design and define your offer. For the benefit of your organisation and certainly your customers (which we created an 'avatar' for in the previous episode, it's really important that you have considered all things when it comes to building a solution for a specific market.
As Greg eludes to in this recording, you don't want to be labelled as a 'Jack of all trades and a master on none". If you follow the principles in this podcast and better still, apply the (FREE and downloadable) framework that you can get form the material that Greg's left here in the show notes, your offer/service/product will have clarity and relevance to your audience.
If you want to contact Greg about 'Defining Your Offer', or anything else business related, you can get him at TradesCoaching.com, or via email at info@TradesCoaching.com.
Here are the previous The Site Shed podcasts that Greg has appeared on. Go check them out.
Series - How to stop competing on price and get paid for bids, quotes or proposals How to stand out from your competition Qualifying prospects, so they stop wasting your time Getting paid for bids, quotes and proposals
Series - How find a good contractors and team members Identifying and creating roles in your organisation How to find the right staff members for your business How to retain your staff
I hope you enjoy this episode in 'Defining Your Offer' and once again if you enjoyed the show, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud, or YouTube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No matter how big or small the business, no one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business and getting clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you'll likely need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series. So hopefully, when that (inevitably) happens, you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade'. So as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Here are the links to the previous episodes. Make sure you check them out, as each episode ties into the previous. Part One. TSS114 - Planning for Success Part Two. TSS115 - Personality Profiling
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. Part three of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Knowing Your Customer with Greg Hamlyn
Leading on from the previous podcast where we talked about personality profiling if this episode, where we're taking the focus off us as individuals and placing it on our customers and our clients.
I've asked Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching to come back on the show in this episode as I know in his paid coaching program, there's a significant section that relates to creating your customer avatar and really targeting your product towards a specific market.
In this podcast, Greg and I follow the framework that he uses in his program, which covers off on everything from defining the types of jobs that you want to do, right through to customer profiling, creating your avatar and how to establish if your solution will fit your location.
The framework that we follow is available in the section below, so be sure to grab a hold if it, along with a handful of other tolls that he's generously left behind for you folks in previous appearances on The Site Shed.
If you want to reach out to Greg, you can get him at TradesCoaching.com, or via email at info@TradesCoaching.com.
Here are the previous The Site Shed podcasts that Greg has appeared on. Go check them out.
Series - How to stop competing on price and get paid for bids, quotes or proposals How to stand out from your competition Qualifying prospects, so they stop wasting your time Getting paid for bids, quotes and proposals
Series - How find a good contractors and team members Identifying and creating roles in your organisation How to find the right staff members for your business How to retain your staff
I hope you enjoy this episode and once again, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud, or YouTube.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No matter how big or small the business, no one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business and getting clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you'll likely need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series. So hopefully, when that (inevitably) happens, you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade'. So as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. Part two of 'The Grow Your Perfect Business Series'. This is - Discover the ultimate business weapon, 'Personality Profiling'
**Before we start, if you like to learn more about the personality profiling, here are some resources for you. Episode TSS054 of The Site Shed podcast - Ever wondered why you annoy people so much? [LINK] Personality quiz (from Personality Plus) - [LINK] Discover your appreciation/ love language quiz (what makes people really tick) - [LINK]
Two simple books changed my life forever. And as a result, they are the two books that I've gifted the most over the years. - Personality Plus, by Florence Littauer and, - The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman
Thankfully, we're all different. I couldn't imagine living in a world that had two of me in it. I'm short tempered, I'm bossy, you can't tell me anything and if you interrupt me while I'm 'in the zone', you'll know about it.
As a young 20 something year old, living in Manly on Sydney's Northern Beaches, I can confidently say I was completely arrogant and I didn't really care that people knew it.
It wasn't until I started venturing into business that my friend and colleague (Peter) pointed out to me the facts and recommended that I did something about it. Or should I say, he insisted that if I wanted to get anywhere, I needed to do something about it. You see, luckily for me, Peter and I had very similar personalities, however unlike me, Peter (15 years my senior) didn't have anyone tell him at my age what he told me.
I am by no means the personality profiling guru, so I asked Peter to step in and answer some questions that I had in relation to personality profiling that was far beyond my pay grade.
If you like what Peter had to say, you can check him out further at his Leadership Consulting business, www.LeadershipDynamics.com.au, or his online leadership mentoring program www.Leading4Growth.com.au
You can also go back and listen to the series we recorded on Leadership last year. TSS036 - Allowing yourself to be led TSS037 - Finding the right people to lead you TSS038 - Are you the right person to lead your organisation? TSS039 - How to find the leaders in your organisation
I hope you enjoy this episode and once again, PLEASE leave us a review at iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube.
.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
About the 'Grow Your Perfect Business' series
Welcome to the the Grow your Perfect Business Series from The Site Shed.
This series has been methodically planned to help you through the various stages of business in an order at which (in my experience) they are likely to be relevant.
The whole idea is to leave you with a solid roadmap that you can customise to your business accordingly.
Why? You may ask... Well quite frankly, in my years of running businesses and speaking with hundreds of amazing business owners through mediums like the podcast, there is one thing that I've picked up on that is consistent across the board.
No one has all of the answers.
Now don't for a second think that I do... What I'm trying to communicate is that there is a lot of moving parts to a successful business. Getting some clarity around them will 100% serve you at some point.
Albeit, perhaps not all at once. However at some stage, you're likely to need to address one of the topics that we cover in this series, so when that (inevitably) happens, it's not going to be completely foreign to you.
We'll be covering a large number of topics, many of which are well and truly 'above my pay grade', so as always, I've recruited the expertise of specialised collaborators that can shed some light on their area of expertise.
As mentioned already, I don't have all the answers and I've created this framework off my own experiences. If you have feedback, suggestions, criticism, or praise, please let us know, so we can take it into consideration.
Also, if you're digging the work we do, please let us know by leaving a review on iTunes | Stitcher, Soundcloud, or YouTube. About this episode
Let's start with a classic cliché. 'Failing to plan, is planning to fail'
Okay, now we have that out of the way, we can talk about why I've kicked off this series with the topic of 'Planning For Success'.
Good things rarely happen by chance. Sure, occasionally they may, however for the better part a successful outcome is normally the result of a successful strategy.
Even instances that may sometimes seem like a lucky encounter on the surface are often the result of a well executed plan.
There's nothing more offensive than someone telling you that 'you're lucky to be where you are', or that you 'were in the right place at the right time', in relation to a success that you may have achieved.
If people really understood the hard work that goes into getting that result from behind the scenes.
Take The Site Shed podcast for example. After 5 days of being live, we managed to hit iTunes new and noteworthy category, which was a 5 week goal.
Did that happen by chance? Not at all. Does it look like luck on the surface...absolutely.
What most will fail to see is the detailed strategy that got us there. Months of planning and research, hours and hours of recording and editing, late nights, early mornings and a well executed delivery strategy, is but a few of the cogs in the wheel that helped us reach that success.
In this podcast (also recorded as a tutorial), I run through four key areas of the planning stage: Planning and framing Product, or service You Capital
Here are a few of the tools that I mentioned: MindMeister Lucidchart Draw .IO
Here are a few of the tools that I didn't mention, but are also totally awesome: Asana MeisterTask Trello
Get out there and get planning!
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Understanding when the right time to expand your business is critical to it's success.
So when Anthony Hunter form Plan B Plumbing Solutions in Melbourne Victoria, sent me an email asking me to cover the topic in an episode, I called on two of the most experienced people I know.
Al Levi (The 7 Power Contractor) and Ellen Rohr (The Plumbers Wife).
Both Al and Ellen have appeared on the podcast before and each time they come on the show, the ratings soar. Also, their giveaways have received some of the most downloads so far, so be sure to get a hold of them at the bottom of this page.
Here are the links to Al and Ellen's previous podcasts in case you missed them. They're good. Like, seriously good. Meet the Plumbers Wife, Ellen Rohr From A-B with Al Levi
Ellen Rohr Series - Business Uncomplicated Get a grip on your financials Business planning made easy D-Day (Decision Day)
Al Levi series - Powering Your Business with The 7-Power Contractor Approach Planning Power Operating Power Staffing Power
Al Levi series - Why Most Family Businesses Don’t Work Org Chart Defining roles Steering the ship The question
"When is the right time to expand? When the work is there, or during the planning phase".
To give you a bit of background on the question, Anthony is trying to create an exit strategy in his business, so he's trying to get the right people in the right place to that he can phase himself out of the operations. Pretty smart move. Probably something we all should invest more time into.
At the end of the day, if your business doesn't have systems in place, it makes it very hard for someone to acquire it. If everything is in your head, now would be a good time to start getting it out of your head and documenting the things that you and your staff instinctively do on 'auto pilot'. Why I asked Al and Ellen on this show
Both Al and Ellen have had extensive experience in knowing when the right time to expand a business is. If you go back and listen to Al's podcasts, you'll hear him talk about the family business he grew up in in New York and the systems that he created which later formed the foundation of The Seven Power Contractor methodology which he teaches at his company, Appleseed Business.
Ellen in her own right has also worked with organisations all over the USA to help them grow their businesses. EllenRohr.com is fantastic resource to go and check out Ellen's conquests.
Both Ellen and Al are now working with Zoom Drain, which is a franchise drain cleaning business in the USA. Zoom Drain is one of the fastes growing trade franchises in North America and much of their growth has come as a result of the leadership and structure that Ellen and Al have been able to implement into the organisation.
The bottom line is, they know how to grow a business and they know how to do in a way that's sustainable. What I learned from this podcast about when the right time to expand is
It seems that everyone was in agreement that the right time to expand is when the phone is ringing and you have the work. Yes, it might sound like a good idea to have the right people in place for when the magical switch get's flicked and the calls start pouring in, however the reality is, that approach is pretty risky.
So the first step is to get the phone ringing. Sure you can plan to put people on in the planning stage, however set your strategy around putting the people on, once the work is there. Related podcasts
If you like this topic, you might want to also check out the following recordings. The Big business series with Ben Stainer. Episodes 029, 030, 031, 032. in episode 33, Jeremy Dyer talks about franchising, which is a great business mindset for scaling and growth as it’s based of systems. Episode 097 and 098 with Greg Hamlyn. They're about how to find the right staff and how to keep them.
Anyway enjoy this awesome podcast and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at enquiries@TheSiteShed.com. Also, please don't forget to leave us a review in iTunes. It's all we ask ;-)
If you liked this episode, PRETTY PLEASE go ahead and share it with someone.
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We've how to set up our YouTube accounts and create great videos. Today we learn how to generate income from them.
Series: How to KILL it on YouTube Cohost: Stan Genadek from Dirt Monkey University
For as long as I can remember, I've been encouraging the tradies and contractors we work with to start leveraging YouTube as a way to promote their businesses. In this episode, we're going to talk how you can generate income from your YouTube videos.
Being that the majority of trade based businesses have in one way, or another a visual service, YouTube offers a brilliant opportunity to position yourselves as the expert through educational videos of sort.
Stanley was recommended to me by Tom Reber from Motor Hard, who you may recall from the awesome series we recorded on Goal Setting. Here are the links to those episodes, go check them out, they're sooooo good. Part one - Creating a game plan in your business Part two - Setting goals that count towards your game plan Part three - Keeping accountable to your goals
Stanley is a landscape gardener who has managed to create a huge YouTube following by basically documenting his business. You can check it out for yourself at this link.
It's a channel dedicated to all things landscaping, so if you're looking for motivation, or ideas on how to develop your own YouTube channel, you may as well mirror it off someone that's doing it.
If you enjoy this podcast, tell us. Better still, leave us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave allow us to keep going. Episode 3. Using YouTube to generate income
Welcome back to part three of this EPIC series on YouTube. In part one, Stan talks to us about how to set up your YouTube channel...the right way, In part two, Stan was teaching us about creating great youtube videos,And in today's third and final podcast, Stan is talking to us about using youtube to generate income.
It was very interesting to hear about how Stan has effectively created a double edged sword using YouTube to generate income in his business.
His YouTube videos are his only source of marketing for his landscaping business to which he now has a following of over 40,000 fans. So he's flat out busy form the lead generation that comes as a result of the videos he creates, however he also gets paid by YouTube to keep creating videos. It's pretty good position to be in.
It might sound like a far fetched goal, but as we discuss in this podcast, it's quite achievable if you have a plan and a strategy. Like most content creation forms, it's all about the planning. Creating content and syndicating it 'ad hock' is not a good approach as it results in inconsistency, which is paramount if you're trying to build a following.
Anyway enjoy part three of this series and as always, if you have any questions, let me know. Also, please don't forget to leave us a review in iTunes. It's all we ask ;-)
If you liked this episode, PRETTY PLEASE go ahead and share it with someone. Here's the link to part one - Getting Started with YouTube Here's the link to part two - How to create great YouTube videos.
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Now that we know how to set up our account, let's talk about creating great YouTube videos.
Series: How to KILL it on YouTube Cohost: Stan Genadek from Dirt Monkey University
For as long as I can remember, I've been encouraging the tradies and contractors we work with to start leveraging YouTube as a way to promote their businesses. In this episode, we're going to talk about what's involved in creating great YouTube videos.
Being that the majority of trade based businesses have in one way, or another a visual service, YouTube offers a brilliant opportunity to position yourselves as the expert through educational videos of sort.
Stanley was recommended to me by Tom Reber from Motor Hard, who you may recall from the awesome series we recorded on Goal Setting. Here are the links to those episodes, go check them out, they're sooooo good. Part one - Creating a game plan in your business Part two - Setting goals that count towards your game plan Part three - Keeping accountable to your goals
Stanley is a landscape gardener who has managed to create a huge YouTube following by basically documenting his business. You can check it out for yourself at this link.
It's a channel dedicated to all things landscaping, so if you're looking for motivation, or ideas on how to develop your own YouTube channel, you may as well mirror it off someone that's doing it.
If you enjoy this podcast, tell us. Better still, leave us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave allow us to keep going. Episode 2. Creating GREAT YouTube videos
In the previous podcast, Stan talks to us about how to go about starting up a YouTube channel, where in this episode, he talks to us about what's involved in actually creating great youtube videos.
As we all would have at some stage witnessed at some point, there is a load of terrible videos on YouTube. What you may not know is that the difference between a terrible video and a decent video, is often not much.
Sound and lighting are the fundamental components to a good video, however many, if not most of us never get that far because we're afraid of what it's going to cost. Well in this podcast, you'll learn that IT DOESN"T COST MUCH and you can do it on a budget.
The key lies in knowing the tricks, not spending the money. I hope you enjoy this episode and I look forward to seeing your next video.
If you liked this episode, go ahead and share it with someone. Here's the link to part one. DON'T miss it.
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YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world. It's time to take advantage of that.
Series: How to KILL it on YouTube Cohost: Stan Genadek from Dirt Monkey University
For as long as I can remember, I've been encouraging the tradies and contractors we work with to start leveraging YouTube as a way to promote their businesses.
Being that the majority of trade based businesses have in one way, or another a visual service, YouTube offers a brilliant opportunity to position yourselves as the expert through educational videos of sort.
Stanley was recommended to me by Tom Reber from Motor Hard, who you may recall from the awesome series we recorded on Goal Setting. Here are the links to those episodes, go check them out, they're sooooo good. Part one - Creating a game plan in your business Part two - Setting goals that count towards your game plan Part three - Keeping accountable to your goals
Stanley is a landscape gardener who has managed to create a huge YouTube following by basically documenting his business. You can check it out for yourself at this link.
It's a channel dedicated to all things landscaping, so if you're looking for motivation, or ideas on how to develop your own YouTube channel, you may as well mirror it off someone that's doing it.
If you enjoy this podcast, tell us. Better still, leave us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave allow us to keep going. Episode 1. Getting Started With YouTube
In this podcast, Stan talks to us about how to go about starting a YouTube channel.
We talk about finding your niche, we talk about finding your audience and we also talk about establishing your branding. There's quite a lot of things that 'should' be considered when developing a channel, so I really dive into some of the nitty gritty things that are important, yet often get overlooked.
In the following podcast, Stan talks to us about how to create great video's on YouTube and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you learn that you do not in fact have to spend a lot of money to get yourself going. In fact, you probably already have everything that you need, so be sure to tune in for that episode.
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Could Modular Building be the future? You decide. By: Matt Jones
It's no secret that I'm a pretty big advocate of innovation within the trades, which is why I was really excited to learn about modular building.
Now before we go on I need to clarify something. No, we're not talking about living in shipping containers.
I'm always looking out for people and companies that have developed a cool angle on an existing product, or service. Here are another couple of episodes that have a really cool innovative spin: Episode 50 - Turning firewood into furniture Episode 55 - Intelligent lighting
I stumbled across ArchiBlox on an Instagram post a number of months ago (credit to the folks at Green Elec) and I was very impressed with their product.
Imagine being able to build a home from spec, have it built off site and then have it delivered to location on a truck and installed. Sounds crazy, right?
In this podcast, I do my best to dive as deep as possible within a limited time to ascertain the pro's, con's and processes of modular building with Bill McCorkell of ArchiBlox.
Here are a handful of the topics that we cover in this podcast: Quality control Maintenance and repair Structural integrity and loading capacities DA and council related legalities Insurances Connection to other services Limitations Preferred locations/scenarios Renovation possibilities Comparisons to traditional development methods Thermal advantages (heating/cooling) Material sourcing Installation costs Maintenance costs Purchase costs Who would modular building suit? What is the future?
This is a really cool podcast, with a really interesting man, who has an amazing product.
If you enjoy the episode, please head across to iTunes and leave us a review and feel free to share this web page with someone else that might enjoy it.
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Congratulations, you've set goals! However are you keeping accountable to them?
Series: Goal Setting Cohost: Tom Reber from Motor Hard
With a new year upon us and setting goals being at the forefront of all of our minds, I thought it would be cool to create a podcast series on setting goals and keeping accountable to them.
I don't know if you're anything like me, however I have set so many goals in the past, to which many of them, for one reason or another, I just forget about.
We all know the importance of creating goals and we've all heard the cliché quotes relating to creating goals. You know the ones like; "90% of the goals you write down come true"; "Read your goals out loud every day", etc.
Well quite frankly, I call bullshit. I spent years doing this and nothing good ever happened because of a couple of reasons. They weren't goals, they were wishes, or dreams I hadn't been creating a game plan of steps to help me get towards my goals I had no accountability. To either myself, or someone else.
I asked Tom to co-host this series with me on goal setting because I want you guys to not just set goals this year, I want you to set the right goals and more importantly, I want you to achieve them.
If you do this right, it will change your life, not just your business.
I wish you all a fantastic 2017.
Set goals - Create a game plan to achieve your goals - Achieve your goals.
If you enjoy this podcast, please let us know by leaving us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave helps our rankings. Episode 3. Keeping accountable to your goals
This is the third and final episode of the 'Setting Goals' Series with Tom Reber from Motor Hard. If you missed the first two, make sure you jump back and listen to them before you dive into this one because they all tie into each other. Here's the first episode. Here's the second.
So where the first two podcasts were about creating a goal strategy and formulating goals that work towards your strategy and the bigger picture, this podcast is focussed on helping you remain accountable to your goals.
Right across the planet, it's without a doubt the number one thing that we all drop the ball on when we talk goals. Setting them is the easy part. Actually keeping them front and present so they're constantly in our peripherals is the key.
Let it be known, I certainly asked a lot of questions and raised a lot of topics that I have personally struggled with in the past throughout this series, however as selfish as that may sound, I'm sure that what you'll learn from Tom in these podcasts will help you form the foundation for a successful approach to setting goals and a as result, a successful year ahead.
In this podcast, we cover the following: Routines Calendars The power of association Mentors Accountability partners The 'Seinfield' method Tools and programs Dream boards and visualisation and more
If you're struggling with goal setting, email me at enquiries@thesiteshed.com. We'll be launching a product this year, designed to keep you on track, so we'll let you know when it's ready.
Also if you liked this episode, go ahead and share it with someone.
Here's the link to part one of this series - Creating a game plan in your business Here's the link to part two - Setting goals that count towards your game plan
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Are you setting goals that contribute to the bigger picture? It's all about setting the right goals to help you reach the right destination.
Series: Goal Setting Cohost: Tom Reber from Motor Hard
With a new year upon us and setting goals being at the forefront of all of our minds, I thought it would be cool to create a podcast series on setting goals...the right way.
I don't know if you're anything like me, however I have set so many goals in the past, to which many of them, for one reason or another, I just forget about.
We all know the importance of creating goals and we've all heard the cliché quotes relating to creating goals. You know the ones like; "90% of the goals you write down come true"; "Read your goals out loud every day", etc.
Well quite frankly, I call bullshit. I spent years doing this and nothing good ever happened because of a couple of reasons. They weren't goals, they were wishes, or dreams I hadn't been creating a game plan of steps to help me get towards my goals I had no accountability. To either myself, or someone else.
I asked Tom to co-host this series with me on goal setting because I want you guys to not just set goals this year, I want you to set the right goals and more importantly, I want you to achieve them.
If you do this right, it will change your life, not just your business.
I wish you all a fantastic 2017.
Set goals - Create a game plan to achieve your goals - Achieve your goals.
If you enjoy this podcast, please let us know by leaving us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave helps our rankings. Episode 2. Setting goals that count towards your game plan.
This is part two of the 'Setting Goals' Series with Tom Reber from Motor Hard. if you missed the first episode, make sure you go back and check it out because this episode ties into it.
We've all done it before. We go about setting goals or visualising things that look and sound great, but at the end of the day, have little, if any bearing on our businesses real goals.
For example, last year I set a business goal to speak and at international conference. That sounded like a 'cool' goal, but the reality was, it was not going to contribute to any of the major goals that I had set for the year. - - - It lacked framework, it lacked accountability and it lacked a pathway to a bigger picture - - -
In the last podcast, we spoke about creating a game plan and in this podcast, we speak about setting goals that contribute to that game plan. There's no real point in doing it the other way, it's like running before you can run.
We cover the following: Breaking goals into digestible bites The three main areas to goal setting (personal, Profit, Time) Being specific The compound effect Reverse engineering and a heap more.
If you're struggling with goal setting, email me at enquiries@thesiteshed.com. We'll be launching a product this year, designed to keep you on track, so we'll let you know when it's ready.
Also if you liked this episode, go ahead and share it with someone.
Here's the link to part one of this series - Creating a game plan in your business.
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The difference between setting a goal and dreaming is creating a game plan?
Series: Goal Setting Cohost: Tom Reber from Motor Hard
With a new year upon us and setting goals being at the forefront of all of our minds, I thought it would be cool to create a podcast series on setting goals...the right way.
I don't know if you're anything like me, however I have set so many goals in the past, to which many of them, for one reason or another, I just forget about.
We all know the importance of creating goals and we've all heard the cliché quotes relating to creating goals. You know the ones like; "90% of the goals you write down come true"; "Read your goals out loud every day", etc.
Well quite frankly, I call bullshit. I spent years doing this and nothing good ever happened because of a couple of reasons. They weren't goals, they were wishes, or dreams I hadn't been creating a game plan of steps to help me get towards my goals I had no accountability. To either myself, or someone else.
I asked Tom to co-host this series with me on goal setting because I want you guys to not just set goals this year, I want you to set the right goals and more importantly, I want you to achieve them.
If you do this right, it will change your life, not just your business.
I wish you all a fantastic 2017.
Set goals - Create a game plan to achieve your goals - Achieve your goals.
If you enjoy this podcast, please let us know by leaving us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave helps our rankings. Episode 1.Creating a game plan in your business.
This is part one of the three part series on goal setting with Tom Reber from Motor Hard. We've chosen 'creating a game plan' because if you don't have a strategy behind what you're striving to achieve, then it's destined to fail.
Tom runs through some very useful frameworks that we can use when setting a game plan. We cover the following: Communicating and clarifying your vision Keeping focussed on what's important Keeping on track Knowing where you want to end up Visualising and visualisation
This is the first chapter in setting your goals for the new year. Take an afternoon off and get it done if you want this year to be different from the last.
If you're struggling with goal setting, email me at enquiries@thesiteshed.com. We'll be launching a product this year, designed to keep you on track, so we'll let you know when it's ready.
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As we enter into the holiday period, some festive marketing ideas can help keep your customers happy and your bills to get paid.
With: Matt and Will from Growth Labz
Coming into the Christmas season, some companies get inundated with jobs from people that want things done before the break, while it's 'crickets' for others.
The aim of this podcast is two fold. First and foremost, how can you best serve your customers coming into the festive season? Secondly, how can you best service your business coming into the Christmas/New Year break?
Christmas can be a chaotic time for most of us and the last thing we need in the lead up is avoidable problems. As tradies and contractors, when your customers are coming to you with a problem, it's often can be a pretty gnarly one, so better to get to them, before they get to us.
Examples: Sewers are blocked, power is out, garden is overgrown, etc.
As a business owner, you have a responsibility to your customers to ensure that their previous problems don't recur. Especially at a time like Christmas, when family and entertaining is on the cards.
How proactive are you in making sure your customers are not going to run into problems this year? Have you reached out to connect? Have you put a reminder in your calendar to get hold of them prior to their problem coming back? If not, why not?
What do you think your customer would prefer? You approaching them offering to reduce the chance of a problem occurring, or them calling you with an emergency because a disaster has occurred? It's a no brainer.
And of course, it's a double edged sword. Sure you're being proactive in solving their problems before they arise, however you're also at the same time building professional rapport, while at the same time creating a nice passive income stream for yourself.
In this podcast, Will and I talk about how you can use your website, along with some smart festive marketing techniques to best serve your customer, while at the same time increasing your turnover. If you find a company on Earth that doesn't want to achieve that, please let me know, so I can get them on the podcast...and shred them.
If you like this podcast, you'll likely enjoy the following. Go check them out. Why you need to be marketing online The 3 key pillars to online marketing success Tried and tested online marketing campaigns for tradies & contractors Revealing SEO Myths
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It's time to dispel some of those 'SEO Myths' By: Matt Jones
I've recently had a lot of companies come to me making enquiries about SEO for their business so i wanted to take the time to dispel some SEO Myths that I commonly hear people bring up.
SEO is powerful tool to have in your arsenal, however there are a lot of scenarios that I regularly come across which are not overly relevant to the outcome of your SEO.
Often some of these scenarios once were considered an important indicator by search engines like Google, however as the algorithm has evolved, there has been many changes that have made past SEO practices redundant.
In this podcast, I run through a handful of SEO Myths that people commonly mistake for being vital to their online presence. Sure, some of them are still relevant to a degree, however they are not as important as one might think.
Hopefully you get something out of this podcast that you can apply to your SEO strategy.
If you'd like to have a discussion with an expert about your SEO, send an email to enquires@TradieWebGuys.com.au. Either myself, of one of the team will sort you out.
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How would you like to know what marketing campaigns have been successful for businesses just like yours?
Series: How To Grow Your Business With Online Marketing Cohost: Will Wang from Growth Labz
This was by far one of the best series that I've recorded. Not only was recording with Will a load of fun, it was also some of the best actionable content we've ever created. In this podcast Will talks to us about some successful marketing campaigns that he's run in the past for tradies and contractors. All of the episodes in this series are awesome. I can guarantee that you'll be totally blown away by what you hear.
If I can encourage you to do one thing, it would be to go away and apply one thing that you've learned.
If you like marketing related content, you'll enjoy the podcasts below. TSS003 - The role of your website in SEO with Dave Jenyns TSS041 - About Google AdWords with John Curtis TSS044 - How AdWords fits into the digital ecosystem with John Curtis TSS072 - Creating engaging content with Erin Haskell
If you enjoy this podcast, please let us know by leaving us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave helps our rankings. Episode 3. Tried and tested online marketing campaigns for tradies and contractors.
This is the third and final episode of the 'How To Grow Your Business With Online Marketing' series with the one and only Will from Growth Labz.
In this episode, Will tells us about a whole bunch of successful campaigns that he's previously run for other tradies and contractors for companies located in both Australia and the USA.
This entire podcast is Will talking to us about things that actually work. No guessing, no BS, this is factual stuff. Effectively, you can take what you'll hear in this podcast, implement it into your business and you'll get results. It doesn't get much better than that.
Let us know how you go with implementing what you learn in this podcast. If you want to email to us what you've learned, what you've implemented and what results you've seen, we'll be sure to read them out for you.
Here's the link for episode one Here's the link to episode two
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In this podcast, Will talks to us about the Three Pillars To Online Marketing Success.
Series: How To Grow Your Business With Online Marketing Cohost: Will Wang from Growth Labz
This was by far one of the best series that I've recorded. Not only was recording with Will a load of fun, it was also some of the best actionable content we've ever created. In this podcast Will's talking to us specifically about the Three Pillars to Online Marketing Success, however I can guarantee that you'll be totally blown away by what you hear in this series.
If I can encourage you to do one thing, it would be to go away and apply one thing that you've learned.
If you like marketing related content, you'll enjoy the podcasts below. TSS003 - The role of your website in SEO with Dave Jenyns TSS041 - About Google AdWords with John Curtis TSS044 - How AdWords fits into the digital ecosystem with John Curtis TSS072 - Creating engaging content with Erin Haskell
If you enjoy this podcast, please let us know by leaving us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave helps our rankings. Episode 2. The 3 key pillars to online marketing success
It's easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to marketing your business. There's so many things that need to be considered, which often leads to us throwing our hands up in the air and simply not doing it.
In this podcast, Will teaches us how to simplify the process by focussing on the three key pillars of marketing success. Sometimes less is more when it comes to marketing effectively. For one reason or another, it seems like human habit to want to unnecessarily over complicate things.
Like the first episode, this podcast is full of actionable and implementable tips, co rip in and get it done!
If you get something out of this podcast, go ahead and share it with someone.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this podcast, Will and I talk about why in 2016, you need to be marketing online.
Series: How To Grow Your Business With Online Marketing Cohost: Will Wang from Growth Labz
This was by far one of the best series that I've recorded. Not only was recording with Will a load of fun, it was also some of the best actionable content we've ever created. In this podcast we're talking specifically about why you need to be marketing online, however I can guarantee that you'll be totally blown away by what you hear in this series.
If I can encourage you to do one thing, it would be to go away and apply one thing that you've learned.
If you like marketing related content, you'll enjoy the podcasts below. TSS003 - The role of your website in SEO with Dave Jenyns TSS041 - About Google AdWords with John Curtis TSS044 - How AdWords fits into the digital ecosystem with John Curtis TSS072 - Creating engaging content with Erin Haskell
If you enjoy this podcast, please let us know by leaving us a review on iTunes. We really value your feedback and the reviews you leave helps our rankings. Episode 1. Why you need to be marketing online
Let's cut to the chase here. This is 2016. If you're not marketing online in 2016, you're kidding yourself.
We live in the world of "I want this, now". We don't wait until we get home to look through the phone book for emergency services. We don't call around to all of our friends to ask what plumbers they use. We jump on our computers, or cell phones and search the internet for whatever it is we're looking for, then we buy/order/book it.
Are you catering for that in your business, or are you still running ads in the local paper wondering why you're not getting the same amount of work that you used to?
In this podcast, Will talks to us about the importance of marketing online. It's not a case of A is better than B, it's more a case of A complimenting B. We're not saying you should stop running ads in the yellow pages if it's working, we're merely saying if you're not also marketing online, you're missing a huge chunk of the market.
This podcast is 100% applicable to anyone that's in business. Enjoy part one of the 'How To Grow Your Business With Online Marketing' series with Will from Growth Labz
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The Site Shed Podcast turns 100 (episodes) old! Thanks for being part of the journey.
It's hard to believe that The Site Shed podcast has reached the episode 100 milestone already. The first episodes went live on February eight this year (2016) and here we are now, not yet nine months old with 100th podcasts deep.
It feels like a month ago, I sat in my office and drew out a road map that would enable me to add consistent value to my industry. Being able to give back has always been a passion of mine and although we're able to help a lot of organisations with Tradie Web Guys (the company that funds The Site Shed), we're able to reach a much wider audience with The Site Shed.
I'm really proud with our efforts to day. Downloads and subscriptions have been great and after only 4 days of being live, The Site Shed hit the iTunes New and Noteworthy category, where it still remains at the time of me posting this blog (October 21, 2016).
Brag rights warning: As you can see in this screenshot, we're currently positioned seventh, which I might add is four places better than the man himself Mr Tony Robbins.
In this podcast, I take a minute to reflect on the journey we've had so far. I give snapshot of what's currently happening in my world, right before I run through some of the key episodes that we've recorded along the way.
I talk a little about the direction of The Site Shed looking forward, including the soon to be members portal and the cool initiatives we have coming up like Learn'N'Ski and Learn'N'Surf.
I want to say a big thanks to our followers and listeners. You guys are awesome. I also want to say a big thanks to al of the guests I've had on the show, contributing with their amazing content. You guys (and gals) are incredible.
Lastly, I want to say a big thanks to my editor Flo. Mate, you're the best and none of this would happen if it wasn't for you.
If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us an iTunes review and also share this with someone that you think would enjoy the fruits of our labour. It's not easy creating this much high quality content, but man is it worth it.
Thanks all and ENJOY!
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Meet Todd Reding. The man that provides a roadmap of success to architects throughout the USA and Canada. Guest: Todd Reding From: Charrette Venture Group
Back in episode TSS092 with Devon Tilly, Todd's name was put forward by Devon as a man that he's like to see appear on The Site Shed podcast.
Todd has a great story of self success and customer success. Charrette Venture Group works with Architects in the USA and Canada (hopefully soon the UK and Australia), by providing an 'incubator' type service that has been refined for Architects specifically.
Todd's team has a proven system that when plugged into organisations, it facilitates growth and development across 8 key areas of business. These areas have been derived from their own experiences, along with resources such as 'The E-Myth Architect' by Michael Gerber.
Todd explains in this podcast, there's currently around 60,000 architectural firms/companies in the USA and Canada, many of which have little to no idea about how to run a business. Sure they may be great architects, however as we all know, it takes more than mere skill in your trade, or professions to run a successful business.
Charrette Venture Group has goals and plans to be working with over 200 firms by 2018. Although they are a relatively new business at this stage, it's looking promising for them and the industry.
If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with someone.
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Knowing how to retain your staff can literally make, or break your business.
Series: How to build a great team Cohost: Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching
In this series, we welcome Greg Hamlyn from 'Trades Coaching' back to the microphone to discuss the ongoing battle around building staff and retaining them. In the previous episodes, we spoke about creating roles and positions, we spoke about about how to go about finding staff and in this episode we're discussing how to retain your staff.
You may remember Greg from these previous episodes, which formed the 'How to stop competing on price and getting paid for bids, quotes & proposals' series we conducted not too long ago. How to stand out from your competition Qualifying prospects, so they stop wasting your time Getting paid for bids, quotes and proposals
Greg has been working with trade base organisations for a very long time and his expertise is well regarded in both the local Australian market, as well as the USA. With offices and staff in both countries, Greg and his team constantly strive to add value to businesses they work with and in this series, I'm glad to say that some of that value will be past on to our listeners also. Episode 3. How To Retain Your Staff
I speak to a LOT of companies and business owners, right across the globe and if I was to honestly tell you the number one problem that 90% of these companies have, it's NOT finding good staff it's keeping them.
This podcast is an excellent compliment to episode TSS058 with the one and only Al Levi, where he talks about providing not just a job, but providing career options for staff members. Go back and check that out because between the two episodes, I'm confident you'll be able to draw some awesome conclusions for yourself.
In this podcast, Greg runs through some of the methods that he has personally used in the past, along with some of the methods that he teaches his clients around staff retention. Identifying and creating roles in your organisation How to find the right staff members for your business
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It seems like from time to time, every business has some kind of issues in finding staff. Well, it's time for that to end.
Series: How to build a great team Cohost: Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching
In this series, we welcome Greg Hamlyn from 'Trades Coaching' back to the microphone to discuss the ongoing battle around building staff and retaining them. In the previous episode, we spoke about creating roles and positions and in this podcast we're talking about how to go about finding staff.
You may remember Greg from these previous episodes, which formed the 'How to stop competing on price and getting paid for bids, quotes & proposals' series we conducted not too long ago. How to stand out from your competition Qualifying prospects, so they stop wasting your time Getting paid for bids, quotes and proposals
Greg has been working with trade base organisations for a very long time and his expertise is well regarded in both the local Australian market, as well as the USA. With offices and staff in both countries, Greg and his team constantly strive to add value to businesses they work with and in this series, I'm glad to say that some of that value will be past on to our listeners also. Episode 2. Finding AWESOME Staff
Finding people that fit your organisation is a true art form. Not only do they have to be able to be capable and competent, they also have to fit your culture and fill that missing spot in the team.
We forever hear the stories of staff coming and going because they weren't doing their job correctly, etc, however in most cases, a staff members failure comes as a result of the way they've been inducted and trained.
Taking responsibility of your team and on-boarding new members correctly is often the difference between a successful relationship, however the first battle is of course finding that person in the first place.
In this podcast, Greg talks to us about some of the typical pitfalls he sees with trade based businesses looking to bring on new team members and he also talks us through his process of bringing on new staff.
If you missed episode one of this series , you can click on the link below. Identifying and creating roles in your organisation
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To grow your business, you'll need a team. In this podcast, we learn how to create positions.
Series: How to build a great team Cohost: Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching
In this series, we welcome Greg Hamlyn from 'Trades Coaching' back to the microphone to discuss the ongoing battle around building staff and retaining them. Obviously, this episode is about identifying and creating positions in your organisation, however the entire series is about finding staff and more importantly, keeping them.
You may remember Greg from these previous episodes, which formed the 'How to stop competing on price and getting paid for bids, quotes & proposals' series we conducted not too long ago. How to stand out from your competition Qualifying prospects, so they stop wasting your time Getting paid for bids, quotes and proposals
Greg has been working with trade base organisations for a very long time and his expertise is well regarded in both the local Australian market, as well as the USA. With offices and staff in both countries, Greg and his team constantly strive to add value to businesses they work with and in this series, I'm glad to say that some of that value will be past on to our listeners also. Episode 1. Identifying and creating positions within your organisation
As businesses start to grow, it becomes more and more necessary to develop a team, however creating new positions in a business is not something that should be taken lightly.
In this podcast, Greg talks to us about how we go about firstly figuring out what positions we need to create, then how to create those positions for staff to fill.
By doing that, we're able to form a foundation that enables us to remove ourselves from that section of the business, so that we can focus o other areas.
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Is flatrate pricing the right solution for your business? In this podcast, we'll find out. Series: Flatrate Pricing. Friend, or Foe. Cohost: Steve Piper.
We've had loads of requests, from many of our listeners for us to create some specific content on flatrate pricing. We've touched on it in a handful of episodes, however we've not yet dedicated an entire episode, let alone an entire series.
If this episode interests you, chance are you'll enjoy the following episodes: Episode 19. Pricing for profit with Matt from Cube Consulting Episode 65. Knowing Your Hourly Rate, with Adrian From Trained To Sell Episode 68. Charging For Quotes. Again with Adrian From Trained To Sell Episode 84. More Trust equals more sales with Eve John
In this series I'm joined by Steve Piper, who formally owned a well known plumbing company called The Pied Plumber. Steve sold that business a number of years ago, when he decided to focus on further developing the quoting program they used so that other companies could benefit from it also. He and his wife Penny now run Plumbing Profits, where they teach plumbers how to implement the 'flatrate pricing' model into their businesses. Episode 3 Does your business suit flatrate pricing?
This is the third and final episode of the 'Flatrate Pricing. Friend, or Foe' series that i've been conducting with my cohost Steve from Plumbing Profits. In the first episode, we spoke about some of the myths, in the second episode, we spoke about the pros and cons and in this episode we're going to do our best to ascertain whether, or not flatrate pricing is a fit for your business.
Steve is confident that if you're business offers an emergency, or maintenance style service, then there is a flatrate product that would likely suit your business.
It's not really a fit for companies that carry out project work, due largely to the payment on delivery style that the flatrate model delivers, however with that said, the principles are relatively similar, so I'm confident that there will be something in this podcast for everyone.
If you enjoyed this series, please leave us an iTunes review and go and share it with a friend ;-)
Link to part one. Flatrate Pricing Myths Link to part two. Pros and Cons of flatrate pricing
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Let's weigh up the pros and cons of flatrate pricing so you can make your own mind up. Series: Flatrate Pricing. Friend, or Foe. Cohost: Steve Piper.
We've had loads of requests, from many of our listeners for us to create some specific content on flatrate pricing. We've touched on it in a handful of episodes, however we've not yet dedicated an entire episode, let alone an entire series.
If this episode interests you, chance are you'll enjoy the following episodes: Episode 19. Pricing for profit with Matt from Cube Consulting Episode 65. Knowing Your Hourly Rate, with Adrian From Trained To Sell Episode 68. Charging For Quotes. Again with Adrian From Trained To Sell Episode 84. More Trust equals more sales with Eve John
In this series I'm joined by Steve Piper, who formally owned a well known plumbing company called The Pied Plumber. Steve sold that business a number of years ago, when he decided to focus on further developing the quoting program they used so that other companies could benefit from it also. He and his wife Penny now run Plumbing Profits, where they teach plumbers how to implement the 'flatrate pricing' model into their businesses. Episode 2.Flatrate pricing Pros and Cons
In the previous episode, we spoke about some of the Myths associated with flatrate pricing and in this podcast, we talk more about the pros and cons.
Obviously every business is different and has different requirements. In this episode, Steve fills us in about some of the advantages and some of the disadvantages of flatrate pricing. It was interesting, but not very surprising to hear that many of the problems that arise with flatrate, or upfront pricing, comes as a result of technicians taking advantage of situations.
With the correct training and support, there is no reason why the flatrate pricing model wouldn't add a huge amount of value to the right organisation. I would encourage you to do your own research if you're considering adopting it into your business. People are happy to give you their opinions, however it's rarely accurate.
I hope you enjoy this podcast and I hope it helps you make an informed decision.
Link to part one. Flatrate Pricing Myths
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Flatrate pricing is a great tool for the right business. In this podcast, we dispel some of the myths. Series: Flatrate Pricing. Friend, or Foe. Cohost: Steve Piper.
We've had loads of requests, from many of our listeners for us to create some specific content on flatrate pricing. We've touched on it in a handful of episodes, however we've not yet dedicated an entire episode, let alone an entire series.
If this episode interests you, chance are you'll enjoy the following episodes: Episode 19. Pricing for profit with Matt from Cube Consulting Episode 65. Knowing Your Hourly Rate, with Adrian From Trained To Sell Episode 68. Charging For Quotes. Again with Adrian From Trained To Sell Episode 84. More Trust equals more sales with Eve John
In this series I'm joined by Steve Piper, who formally owned a well known plumbing company called The Pied Plumber. Steve sold that business a number of years ago, when he decided to focus on further developing the quoting program they used so that other companies could benefit from it also. He and his wife Penny now run Plumbing Profits, where they teach plumbers how to implement the 'flatrate pricing' model into their businesses. Episode 1. Flatrate Pricing Myths.
In this podcast we set out to dispel some of the myths that we commonly hear about flatrate pricing. You know the ones: "It's a rip off" "It doesn't work" "It's dishonest" "My customers won't like it" "My technicians won't use it", etc
Folks, like in most cases, what we hear on the street is BS!
Flatrate pricing is a very powerful tool that when used properly, can offer up some great rewards. Steve has an interesting perspective as he's not some software geek trying to flog a product to a market he has no idea about. Steve is a plumber and a successful plumber at that. He's coming to us from 'in the trenches'. It was working so well for him that he decided to close his successful business and build a business out of it.
Note: Although this product is currently aimed at plumbers, it's relevant to anyone in the maintenance, or emergency service business. Plumbers, Sparkies, Gardeners, Aircon, HVAC, etc.
If you enjoy this episode, share it with someone that could benefit from it.
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It's always an honour when I get the opportunity to collaborate with individuals that share a similar vision to myself.
My guest on todays show is a man that I have a lot in common with from a professional point of view. Devon Tilly runs of The Art Of Construction Podcast based out of Colorado, where together with his cohost Kevin Keefe, they invest heavily in educating Tradespeople, Contractors and Architects about business.
I was lucky enough to be a guest on their show a little while back (click here to check out that podcast) and it was fantastic to learn that we both share such similar motives. After speaking with Devon a little more, I approached him to see if he'd be willing to come on The Site Shed to speak about his business journey.
Devon has a really interesting and inspiring story and unlike many of the overnight success stories we regularly hear about today, Devon's success has come as a result of great leadership, having strong mentors, strategic planning and hard work.
Devon acquired his business five years ago, when at the time it was a two man show. Since then Devon his grown Mountain View Window & Door to a team of over 20 and they are now regarded as Colorado's premier prestige door and window supply and instal company.
In this podcast, Devon talks to me about his decision to Niche himself and he also talks about the approach he took to target the top end of the market, using strategic leverage with the strong partnerships he has formed and continues to form with suppliers and architects.
Like most of us business owners, the road has not been easy for Devon, however as he quotes in this podcast, "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger'. Devon's business is now growing steadily and the future is looking great.
If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review in iTunes. Also, while you're there, be sure to check out The Art Of Construction podcast. Give it a subscribe and share it round.
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Matt Jones appears on 'The Art Of Construction' podcast out of Colorado in the USA. Podcast Title: Where You Begin Is Not Where You End Up. Hosts: Devon Tilly and Kevin Keefe
Obviously, we create a LOT of content and produce a lot of podcasts at The Site Shed. It's great fun and I love doing it, however it's nice occasionally to mix it up a little.
I was introduced to the team at The Art Of Construction, through a listener of ours based in the USA (Shout out to Nick from Content Corps). Nick noticed some similarities in our podcasts and suggested that we meet.
It was a great experience for me to guest on their show and if you're listening to this podcast, you will love theirs. It's really quite similar apart form the fact that The Site Shed is located in Sydney, Australia and The Art Of Construction is in Colorado.
You'll love the dynamic that Devon and Kevin (or Dev and Kev) have. They have a very different, yet fun approach to the interviewing process, which was interesting to me. Obviously I'm used to doing things a certain way at The Site Shed, so it was a good experience for me to see how they run theirs and I'd be lying if I didn't say there are certain things they much better than I.
In this podcast we speak about a number of things, especially on the marketing front. Kev, Dev and I spoke about websites, local marketing, social media and content creation and I also left them with a useful framework for listeners that are interested in building an online profile.
I hope you enjoy this show and make sure you head across to the links to subscribe to their show.
Here's the link to the original podcast, complete with show notes, and relevant links.
You can reach The Art Of Construction at: iTunes Stitcher Facebook Email Desiree Website
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Are you creating an innovative customer experience? Series: Innovate your business Cohost: Nils Vesk from Innovation Blueprint
We've covered quite a lot in relation to trying to stand out in your market on The Site Shed in previous episodes. In episode TSS059, we covered off on some guerrilla marketing tactics with Adrian from Trained To Sell. In episode TSS071, we spoke with Erin from Heating Help about how to niche yourself. In episode TSS076, Dave Jenyns taught us about creating Authority Content and In episode TSS085, Greg Hamlyn spoke to us directly about how to stand out against our competition.
In this series, I'm joined by Nils Vesk and we're talking about how to us innovation as your differentiator. Being innovative is a powerful tool when it comes to standing out. If you're trying to be the green apple in the red apple basket, you need to do things differently.
Nils has coached all types of business owners, ranging from huge global organisations, right through to humble plumbers about employing tactics that make you the green apple.
I know you'll love this series. Nils is a master communicator and a globally recognised author and expert on the topic of innovation, so take lots of notes and be sure to get a copy of your FREE 'Innovation Strategy Map' from the section below. Episode 3. Creating an innovative customer experience
In this podcast we're talking about innovation, but from the perspective of the customer. What sort of customer experience are you providing? Is it the type that all of your competitors offer, or are you good at being creative in trying to differentiate yourself.
Nils is the master at creating an innovative customer experience and he has applied his framework in huge global corporations looking to improve things like conversions and feedback. As Nils states in this podcast however, it's completely relevant to anyone in business. It doesn't matter if you're a sole trader, or a business tycoon, innovation is what has the potential to: a.) make you stand out b.) keep your customers coming back c.) earn you referrals
Once again, enjoy the podcast and go innovate something ;-) Here's the link to the first episode Link to part two
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Using innovation is a fantastic way to stand out against your competition Series: Innovate your business Cohost: Nils Vesk from Innovation Blueprint
We've covered quite a lot in relation to trying to stand out in your market on The Site Shed in previous episodes. In episode TSS059, we covered off on some guerrilla marketing tactics with Adrian from Trained To Sell. In episode TSS071, we spoke with Erin from Heating Help about how to niche yourself. In episode TSS076, Dave Jenyns taught us about creating Authority Content and In episode TSS085, Greg Hamlyn spoke to us directly about how to stand out against our competition.
In this series, I'm joined by Nils Vesk and we're talking about how to us innovation as your differentiator. Being innovative is a powerful tool when it comes to standing out. If you're trying to be the green apple in the red apple basket, you need to do things differently.
Nils has coached all types of business owners, ranging from huge global organisations, right through to humble plumbers about employing tactics that make you the green apple.
I know you'll love this series. Nils is a master communicator and a globally recognised author and expert on the topic of innovation, so take lots of notes and be sure to get a copy of your FREE 'Innovation Strategy Map' from the section below. Episode 2. Creating innovative business models and processes
You've heard on many occasions both myself and my cohosts bang on about systems and processes, however I've never once attacked the topic with the angle of innovation.
Like anything, innovation can exist anywhere. If you want to improve certain, or specific areas of your business, chances are you can achieve that by putting an innovative spin on what you're currently doing.
In this podcast, Nils talks about how you can innovate your business systems, models and processes. Together we run through some specific examples of how innovation may apply to trade businesses.
Enjoy the podcast and go innovate something ;-) Here's the link to the first episode
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Using innovation is a fantastic way to stand out against your competition? Series: Innovate your business Cohost: Nils Vesk from Innovation Blueprint
We've covered quite a lot in relation to trying to stand out in your market on The Site Shed in previous episodes. In episode TSS059, we covered off on some guerrilla marketing tactics with Adrian from Trained To Sell. In episode TSS071, we spoke with Erin from Heating Help about how to niche yourself. In episode TSS076, Dave Jenyns taught us about creating Authority Content and In episode TSS085, Greg Hamlyn spoke to us directly about how to stand out against our competition.
In this series, I'm joined by Nils Vesk and we're talking about how to us innovation as your differentiator. Being innovative is a powerful tool when it comes to standing out. If you're trying to be the green apple in the red apple basket, you need to do things differently.
Nils has coached all types of business owners, ranging from huge global organisations, right through to humble plumbers about employing tactics that make you the green apple.
I know you'll love this series. Nils is a master communicator and a globally recognised author and expert on the topic of innovation, so take lots of notes and be sure to get a copy of your FREE 'Innovation Strategy Map' from the section below. Episode 1 Using innovation to grow your business
In this podcast, Nils talks to us about the methodology behind using innovation to grow your business. The old saying, "If you're happy with what you have, then keep on doing what you've always done" is certainly applicable here.
A change in results, requires a change in thinking and actions. It's a paradigm we all have to address if we're serious about heading down a different path. Nils runs through some excellent strategies and ideas that can help you innovate in this podcast. It's often small changes in the way that you've always done things that can make the biggest difference when it comes to results.
I challenge you to apply one thing you learn from this awesome podcast into your business to see if it has an impact.
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Do you ever feel like you should be getting paid for quoting, or bidding? Series: How to stop competing on price and getting paid for bids, quotes & proposals Cohost: Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching
With the recent ongoing discussions we've been having around firstly, competing on price and secondly getting paid for doing quotations, I've invited Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching and Builders Profits onto the show to discuss the tactics he teaches to his clients in these specific areas.
Greg has been working with trade base organisations for a very long time and his expertise is well regarded in both the local Australian market, as well as the USA. With offices and staff in both countries, Greg and his team constantly strive to add value to businesses they work with and in this series, I'm glad to say that some of that value will be past on to our listeners also. Episode 3.Getting paid for bids, quotes and proposals
A lot of work goes into preparing a detailed bid, proposal. If done correctly, there's a lot of variables that need to be taken into consideration and once that proposal has been submitted top the prospect (as they're typically not yet a customer), you're effectively handing over a whole bunch of detailed intellectual property.
The problem is that if your proposals are detailed and a lot of work has gone into them, once submitted, it leaves you exposed. The prospect basically has all of the information they need in order to simply hand it to the next builder and have them tender off the work you've done.
In this podcast, Greg and I talk about how to start charging for that service, so that you can justify the time you've taken to create it, while at the same time have the prospect qualify themselves with their wallet.
Enjoy the podcast and please, share it with someone else who might like it. Link to part one Link to part two
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How much time are you wasting, trying to qualify prospects and leads? Series: How to stop competing on price and getting paid for bids, quotes & proposals Cohost: Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching
With the recent ongoing discussions we've been having around firstly, competing on price and secondly getting paid for doing quotations, I've invited Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching and Builders Profits onto the show to discuss the tactics he teaches to his clients in these specific areas.
Greg has been working with trade base organisations for a very long time and his expertise is well regarded in both the local Australian market, as well as the USA. With offices and staff in both countries, Greg and his team constantly strive to add value to businesses they work with and in this series, I'm glad to say that some of that value will be past on to our listeners also. Episode 2. How to qualify prospects, so they STOP wasting your time.
You may recall back in episode TSS068, we had a listener call in asking about how he can start charging for quotes. He was spending, sometimes days preparing quotes for projects that didn't end up getting accepted, which basically turn into a huge waste of time for him.
It's a pretty common scenario for companies that tender on big projects, so I thought I'd ask Greg Hamlyn to come back on the show for part two of this three part series, to talk to us about his experience in how to better qualify leads.
The idea/mentality behind better qualifying your prospects is that when they get to the stage of asking you for a quotation, they're less likely to waste your time and energy.
If you enjoy this awesome podcast, let us know.
Link to part one
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In a competitive landscape, how do you plan on standing out? Series: How to stop competing on price and getting paid for bids, quotes & proposals Cohost: Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching
With the recent ongoing discussions we've been having around firstly, competing on price and secondly getting paid for doing quotations, I've invited Greg Hamlyn from Trades Coaching and Builders Profits onto the show to discuss the tactics he teaches to his clients in these specific areas.
Greg has been working with trade base organisations for a very long time and his expertise is well regarded in both the local Australian market, as well as the USA. With offices and staff in both countries, Greg and his team constantly strive to add value to businesses they work with and in this series, I'm glad to say that some of that value will be past on to our listeners also. Episode 1, How to stand out from your competition.
It's no secret that some trades operate in highly competitive markets. In my street alone, there must be 15 plumbing trucks that reside there.
The trick is really how we can make ourselves stand out from the rest of the noise. With so much competition around, what are you doing that separates you from the others? What makes you different?
In this podcast, Greg and I talk about ways that you can stand out from your competition by employing some tactics that go against the grain. Chances are if you're listening to this podcast, then you're the type of person that likes to think laterally, so enjoy the episode and if you have any questions, feel free to email them through, or post them in the show comments.
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It makes sense that we buy from people we know and trust. Are you leveraging that notion? Series: Quoting Mistakes That Are Costing You Thousands. Cohost: Eve John from Fully Booked Tradie
Chances are, we're all guilty of what we cover in this series. I know I certainly make mistakes in my quoting processes and I also know for sure that a very large number of my clients do. In this series we cover off on 'following up', 'why women control buying' and how 'more trust equals more sales' with the awesome Eve John from Fully Booked Tradies.
Eve is a master at helping trade based organisations improve their bottom line through increasing their conversions and in this three part series, she goes above and beyond to best communicate the principles of the philosophy that she teaches to her clients and followers, Episode 3, More trust equals more sales.
In this final episode of the 'Quoting Mistakes That Are Costing You Thousands' series with Eve John, we're talking about how important it is to build trust and rapport with our clients and prospects.
The bottom line is, if we know and trust someone, we're far more likely to purchase from them. We should be trying to build trust with everything we do, whether that's in answering the phone correctly, or being professional when we show up to a clients home. The way we present ourselves is paramount to a decision being made at their end.
In this podcast, Eve runs through an approach she teaches that's designed to build trust and rapport, with the aim of improving conversions.
Here's the link to episode one.Here's the link to episode two.
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We all know that women typically control the buying. Are you accomodating the ladies? Series: Quoting Mistakes That Are Costing You Thousands. Cohost: Eve John from Fully Booked Tradie
Chances are, we're all guilty of what we cover in this series. I know I certainly make mistakes in my quoting processes and I also know for sure that a very large number of my clients do. In this series we cover off on 'following up', 'why women control buying' and how 'more trust equals more sales' with the awesome Eve John from Fully Booked Tradies.
Eve is a master at helping trade based organisations improve their bottom line through increasing their conversions and in this three part series, she goes above and beyond to best communicate the principles of the philosophy that she teaches to her clients and followers, Episode 2, Why women control buying.
We're likely all aware of how much better most women are at buying that us guys, however I'd be curious to see how many of us are taking that into consideration on a daily basis.
The way we communicate and interact with our customers, or prospects needs to be receptive to the fact that it's very often the women that are signing the cheques.
Is your language simple and 'non-jargonny'. Do you use patronising undertones when you speak, or in your web copy? On a subconscious level, we'll often try to communicate to our prospects the way that we want to be communicated with, not considering that our level of experience is much higher than the average persons in our area of expertise.
In this podcast, Eve helps us sell to the ladies that control the buying.
Here's the link to episode one.
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So you're sending out quotes, but NOT following them up hey! Series: Quoting Mistakes That Are Costing You Thousands. Cohost: Eve John from Fully Booked Tradie
Chances are, we're all guilty of what we cover in this series. I know I certainly make mistakes in my quoting processes and I also know for sure that a very large number of my clients do. In this series we cover off on 'following up', 'why women control buying' and how 'more trust equals more sales' with the awesome Eve John from Fully Booked Tradies.
Eve is a master at helping trade based organisations improve their bottom line through increasing their conversions and in this three part series, she goes above and beyond to best communicate the principles of the philosophy that she teaches to her clients and followers, Episode 1 What NOT following up is costing you
Have you ever stopped to think about how much money you're potentially losing by not following up?It's pretty crazy how often we'll send out a quote, or a proposal then never make the effort to follow up on it. We've basically done most of the hard work, only to drop the ball in the final stages...and might I add, the most important stages.
In this podcast Eve runs through the importance of having a reliable process in place to ensure that you're following up on your quotes regularly.
It was interesting to hear about Eve's approach to using a combination of text messages, phone calls emails and even postal mail in the follow up sequence. I know sometimes when you're constantly calling clients, or prospects to follow up, it can make you seem desperate for the sale, however this approach kind of diffuses that a little.
Anyway, this is episode one of three, so enjoy and if you like what you hear, or if you have any questions, you can post them in the show notes.
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Your General Health and Wellness should be your number one priority. So is it? Series name: Keeping Healthy, Happy and Mobile
Guest: Cris Massis
Series Overview: To find out more about this awesome initiative, I have asked David Hall and Cris Massis to join me in a short series, where we break down specific parts of the program to get a better insight into the program. Tradies National Health Month is put together by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and it's designed to raise some awareness around issues relating to tradies health.
General Health and Wellness As the CEO of the Tradies National Health Month, Cris's number one responsibility is ensuring that our beloved tradies have a healthy, happy balance in life. Although Cris himself is not a physio, he certainly has a unique perspective on the realities that tradies face on a day to day basis, which is evident in his leadership position for the campaign.
In this podcast, Cris takes us on a holistic journey through the many areas of life that contribute to being happy and health. Considering things like fitness, diet, mindset, family, friendship and much more. Enjoy.
Head across to the Tradies National Health website and check out what they're up to. It's a fantastic program that's calling for support, so get involved.
Link to part one of the seriesLink to part two of the seriesLink to part three of the series
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On the job safety is everyones responsibility. Are you playing your part? Series name: Keeping Healthy, Happy and Mobile
Guest: David Hall
Series Overview: To find out more about this awesome initiative, I have asked David Hall and Cris Massis to join me in a short series, where we break down specific parts of the program to get a better insight into the program. Tradies National Health Month is put together by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and it's designed to raise some awareness around issues relating to tradies health.
Safety On The Job David Hall joins us once again on this episode of Toolbox Talks to discuss 'Safety On The Job'. In the previous episode, David gave us a good overview into what it means to be fit for work, which leads perfectly into this episode, where we're talking more specifically about safety.
Job safety is an ever present problem in any working environment, especially however in the trades. The use of machinery, dangerous tools and equipment, presents an additional element of danger. Not to mention the risks associated with the general environment that's typical of places like construction sites, etc.
As a physio, David is frequently reminded of incidents that arise as a result of a lack of safety on the job. People lifting things they should be using equipment for, over reaching, joint stress, injuries from falls are all scenarios that could be either reduced, or eliminated from safe work practise.
Head across to the Tradies National Health website and check out what they're up to. It's a fantastic program that's calling for support, so get involved.
Link to part one of the seriesLink to part two of the series
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Back in episode 74 for 'International World Indigenous Day' on August 9, I recorded an amazing podcast with Ben Stainer on his Indigenous upbringing and family history.
In that episode, he mentioned a state government funded program that's coming up in the not too distant future, designed around training, employing and housing members of the Jerrinja Aboriginal Community on the South Coast of NSW in the Shoalhaven area.
In today's podcast, I'm speaking with Mr Alfred Wellington, who is the CEO of the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council about the 'Tiny Houses Initiative' that has won the first round support of a $4 million state government grant.
Out of three hundred applicants for the grant, the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council came in the top twenty, which is a pretty big deal. Alfred states in this podcasts that their acceptance into the program was a testament to the innovative proposal that was submitted.
The proposal will see a series of small (2 bedroom) eco friendly homes build on the local land, however where the program gets interesting is in the space of how it's going to be developed.
Members of the community will be building these homes themselves.
Under the guidance of qualified and skilled mentors, members of the community will be taught the practical skills required to build the projects. The initiative will teach and educate new skills, it will create work (which is limited in the Shoalhaven area), while at the same time providing housing.
Enjoy this podcast.
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Injury Prevention is the best way to stay healthy
As it's currently Tradies National Health Month, I thought it would be appropriate to have a guest on the show that not only deals with post trauma, but also pre trauma.
It makes sense that the best way to treat an injury is not to have one in the first place, so a lot of our message this month is based around getting access to the right information and resources, in oder for you listeners to make some positive changes.
Amanda is a physiotherapist and a Pilates instructor, located on the South Coast of NSW. According to the Medical Dictionary, Pilates is a series of nonimpact exercises designed by Joseph Pilates to develop strength,flexibility, balance, and inner awareness.
As Amanda eludes to during this podcast, pilates is philosophy that builds strength in core muscles, stabilising muscles and the mind. The aim is to build a solid foundation so that when you need to perform everyday exercises (like lifting, reaching, crouching, running, even walking and sitting), your body mobile and strong enough in the right areas.
It was interesting to hear Amanda say that it's not uncommon for patients come in that may be fit and strong, but have weak foundations. The society we live in rewards six packs, but doesn't take into consideration the relevance of that six pack being correctly supported by core and stabilising muscles..
Amanda's unique approach comes as a result of being able to apply both what she knows from being a physio and what she knows from being a pilates instructor, which results in a holistic perspective on the ecosystem that is our body.
Enjoy this podcast and if you have any questions, you can comment in the show notes. You can also reach out to Amanda at the following places: Amanda@BodyAlignPhysio.com.au BodyAlignPhysio.com.au
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Being fit for work has nothing to do with how big our cannons are! Series name: Keeping Healthy, Happy and Mobile
Guest: David Hall
Series Overview: To find out more about this awesome initiative, I have asked David Hall and Cris Massis to join me in a short series, where we break down specific parts of the program to get a better insight into the program. Tradies National Health Month is put together by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and it's designed to raise some awareness around issues relating to tradies health.
Part Two: Fit For Work David Hall joins us in this episode of Toolbox Talks to talk about the factors behind being fit for work. As a exercise physiotherapist, David has a lot of first hand, practical experience with tradies that experience various types of fitness related issue tied to the type of work they do.
Things like being taught how to lift correctly are some of the more obvious ones, however in this podcast, David dives deeper into some of the common issues that we often overlook.
Things like mental health, diet, obesity, inactivity, etc are all factors that one way, or another affect how fit for work an individual may be.
We also touch on some of the leadership battles that come into play with management and supervisors.
Head across to the Tradies National Health website and check out what they're up to. It's a fantastic program that's calling for support, so get involved.
Link to part one of series
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Using Authority Content to stand out in a crowd.
As tradespeople, we're in some seriously competitive markets. Using Authority Content is a way that we can break through the noise.
Where traditional marketing is expensive and we're competing against companies that have huge budgets, it's not always viable to play on those terms.
The good news is, you may not have to.
In this episode of ToolBox Talks, I'm joined back on the show by Dave Jenyns, from Melbourne SEO Services, who is the author of newly launched book, Authority Content.
You may remember Dave from all the way back to episodes 003, 004 and 005 of Toolbox Talks, where he spoke about many of the amazing principles that he has outlined in his book.
Do yourself a favour and check out those episodes if you missed them. They're seriously good.
The concept behind 'Authority Content' is applicable to any industry, or vertical and Dave is a master of communication. I know you'll love this podcast and if you do, be sure to leave us some comments.
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Tradies National Health Month, 2016 is here! Series Name: Keeping Healthy, Happy and Mobile
August is upon us, which means Tradies National Health Month is here!
To find out more about this awesome initiative, I have asked David Hall and Cris Massis to join me in a short series, where we break down specific parts of the program to get a better insight into the program. Tradies National Health Month is put together by the Australian Physiotherapy Association and it's designed to raise some awareness around issues relating to tradies health.
In episode one, Cris talks to us about how the program came into fruition. He gives us an insight into the programs core values, highlighting many of the pain points that he has experienced from a professional standpoint.
We talk about some of the key areas that the program focusses on, including chronic illness, mental health and wellbeing, eating correctly, physical activity and how they all work together to form the ecosystem of what is a healthy, happy and mobile individual.
Head across to the Tradies National Health website and check out what they're up to. It's a fantastic program that's calling for support, so get involved.
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International World Indigenous Day
International World Indigenous Day is a day that we can reflect on the native cultures, people and communities that help shape the societies we live in, wherever we are on earth.
Being a white, British immigrant, my knowledge of Indigenous culture and history is limited to the (likely very inaccurate) 'propaganda' we're taught at school, so to help us gain a better understanding of how it really is, I've invited friend and colleague Ben Stainer back on the show.
As a proud member of the Australian Aboriginal community, Ben's story is not only impressive, it's hugely inspiring. Ben built and sold a very successful plumbing and electrical company a number of years ago, which at it's peak had 65 staff and 45 trucks on the road.
Since selling up his business, Ben's been working with indigenous communities as a mentor and leadership figure. It was great to hear about some of the initiatives that he has been working on, some of which we'll be hearing more about in future episodes.
I absolutely loved recording this podcast. Ben talked about his family history, the decision he chose to become a business man, social issues in indigenous communities, and a whole bunch of other interesting stuff that will keep your earbuds planted firmly in your ears.
A big thanks to my mate Ben for sharing this awesome story with us.
Also, I had Ben on the show earlier in the year to record a series we named 'Big Business'. It was the most popular series we had for months. Go back and check them out, he's a world of knowledge with a crazy story and super down to earth. Series Name: Big Business
Cohost: Ben Stainer Part One: How not to over capitalise and run a lean business Part Two: What it takes to build a 12million dollar business Part Three: How to handle negative media Part Four: How to take money off the table...and invest it wisely
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If you want to build authority, get good at building an audience. Series: Becoming an Industry Expert Cohost: Erin Haskell from HeatingHelp.com Becoming an Industry Expert Overview.
You may remember back in episode TSS060, when Dan Holohan, who is well regarded as the worlds leading expert on heating joined us on Toolbox Talks. Dan's journey is nothing short of remarkable. He's (so far) the author of 18 books on the topic of heating, and the website heatinghelp.com receives millions of views every month, however it wouldn't have gotten to where it has without his amazing daughter Erin.
When I last spoke Dan, he told me that Erin has taken the business to levels he never thought possible. After recording this series with her, I can see what he meant. Erin has an amazing knowledge of the online space and has been able to impart her skills into the business, thus turning it into a total machine.
Never before have we had someone on the show that can truly claim to be a world renowned expert in their industry/niche, so sit back and take some notes, because this is gold. Episode 3, Attracting an Audience If you want to be heard, you need to find people that will listen!
Experts have followers. If you want to become an expert, you need to start attracting an audience. Perhaps even more importantly, you need to get good at attracting the right audience. If you've ever been in that situation when you feel like you're working with the wrong people, then that's probably a significant contributing factor. You've got the wrong audience.
If you're actively creating good evergreen content and you're sharing it correctly, then people will start paying attention. It's this process that builds trust with an audience and if you've managed to niche yourself in a certain area, then it likely that you're well on your way to becoming an expert.
With a combined community of over a million humans, it's fair to say that Erin and the Heating Help empire are pretty handy at not only attracting an audience, but also retaining one. In this podcast, Erin talks to us about ways that Heating Help attracts their audience through the content strategy they have in place.
Episode One - Finding Your Niche Episode Two - Creating Engaging Content
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Engaging content keeps your customers interested. Series: Becoming an Industry Expert Cohost: Erin Haskell from HeatingHelp.com Becoming an Industry Expert Overview.
You may remember back in episode TSS060, when Dan Holohan, who is well regarded as the worlds leading expert on heating joined us on Toolbox Talks. Dan's journey is nothing short of remarkable. He's (so far) the author of 18 books on the topic of heating, and the website heatinghelp.com receives millions of views every month, however it wouldn't have gotten to where it has without his amazing daughter Erin.
When I last spoke Dan, he told me that Erin has taken the business to levels he never thought possible. After recording this series with her, I can see what he meant. Erin has an amazing knowledge of the online space and has been able to impart her skills into the business, thus turning it into a total machine.
Never before have we had someone on the show that can truly claim to be a world renowned expert in their industry/niche, so sit back and take some notes, because this is gold. Episode 2, Creating Engaging Content If you try to be everything to everyone, you'll end up being nothing to anyone!
We've all been in situations where we're sent something we simply don't care about. It might be a blog post, it might be a video, it might be an email, it might even be a podcast. Clearly not one of ours though...right?
Like it or not, content creation is the hart of relationship building, however engaging content creation is the heart and brains. If your audience is engaged, it's clear they're taking an interest in what you're doing. At the end of the day, it's all about adding value and if you can do that well, then you'll be on your way to successfully building the one thing that will reap you countless rewards, TRUST.
I don't know any platform that creates more engaging content than Heating Help and in this podcast, Erin talks about how with she's able to use content to break through the noise. With an active forum that boasts over 10,000 threads, it's pretty fair to say, she knows what she's talking about.
Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes.
Episode One - Finding Your Niche
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Finding your niche will help customers find you! Series: Becoming an Industry Expert Cohost: Erin Haskell from HeatingHelp.com Becoming an Industry Expert Overview.
You may remember back in episode TSS060, when Dan Holohan, who is well regarded as the worlds leading expert on heating joined us on Toolbox Talks. Dan's journey is nothing short of remarkable. He's (so far) the author of 18 books on the topic of heating, and the website heatinghelp.com receives millions of views every month, however it wouldn't have gotten to where it has without his amazing daughter Erin.
When I last spoke Dan, he told me that Erin has taken the business to levels he never thought possible. After recording this series with her, I can see what he meant. Erin has an amazing knowledge of the online space and has been able to impart her skills into the business, thus turning it into a total machine.
Never before have we had someone on the show that can truly claim to be a world renowned expert in their industry/niche, so sit back and take some notes, because this is gold. Episode 1, Finding Your Niche If you try to be everything to everyone, you'll end up being nothing to anyone!
We've all heard the saying before, however it's never been more true. Heating Help have niched themselves perfectly as the worlds leading authority on heating and it's for sure a testament to their success.
In this podcast, Erin talks to us about how to find your niche, how to market yourself and how to build authority. She also dispels the myth that niching yourself loses you work in other areas, which is a message that I have been preaching for a long time. If you can niche yourself at something in particular, you'll be amazed at how many windows it can open up in other areas. Often the perfect way to introduce other skills is by being really good at one.
Enjoy episode one and please leave some comments below, or a review on iTunes.
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Q&A - Managing Guilt From: Mike Piercey at Cornerstone Constructions Expert: Matt Jones from Cube Consulting
Firstly, thanks to Mike who just emailed us the amazing review below.
Hi Matt, I found your podcast via your episode on The Tradies Business Show, and have since listened to every one of your episodes. There isn't enough peer recognition in our industry, so I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how bloody good your product is. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and network with all of us.
Kind Regards, Mike Piercey Cornerstone Landscapes
I replied to his email thanking him and asking if there was anything that he might need any help with currently to which he replied,
I guess the thing I struggle most with is finding a reasonable work/life balance. I love working on the business and I love spending time with my family but I usually feel guilty when I’m doing one and not the other. Kind Regards,Mike PierceyDirectorCornerstone Landscapes
This is a problem that I feel we all suffer with from time to time.I experienced it myself first hand last year, when I went skiing with a couple of mates. The whole time I felt guilty because I was away from my business.I remember while I was away thinking, 'why do I feel like this? Surely I can justify a weekend away'. As a result of that experience, I put together the Learn'n'ski program that's happening next month in Wanaka, New Zealand. It was my way of making a great experience tax deductible for my friends and clients. Check out more about Learn'n'ski 2016 here. Excuse the shameless plug ;-) Anyway, the reality is, we all battle with guilt from time to time, so to help us find out why and what we can do about it, I invited Matt from Cube Consulting back on the show to help us get to the bottom of it.You might remember Matt from episodes TSS017, TSS018, TSS019 & TSS020. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to mindset and strategy and his podcasts were some of our most downloaded. Go back and check them out.
A big thanks to Mike for the question and to Matt for sharing his expertise with us once again.If you have any questions/queries, or needs, email them in to enquiries@thesiteshed.com and you may well get your own podcast out of it ;-)
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Claiming your real estate Overview
Over the years, many a time I have come across situations where clients and colleagues have been stuck in a position where someone else has set up an account, or registered a domain that belonged to them by name.
Not only is this a pain in the behind, it'a also potentially quite costly. Imagine if you had some dodgy business running around with a website that's your business name. This podcast is about how you can go about protecting yourself from those scenarios. Do you have your business name registered? Have you got registered trading names? Have you secured your domains? Have you secured domains that are close to yours? Have you secured your facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, Pintrest, Youtube accounts?
By doing this, you can prevent others from getting hold of them. Sure you may never use half of them, however at least if you own them, then someone else cannot come along and take them from under you.
Hopefully this episode encourages you to get out there and claim your real estate.
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Q&A - Charging For Qutes From: Dave at David Ferrari Constructions Expert: Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell Overview
David sent in an email asking if we might be able to record a podcast on how to go about charging for quotes. He is a builder and he currently spends a lot of his time stuck in his office, working on intricate quotes for potential clients. The problem is that when Dave does a quote, he goes into a lot of detail, including things like material lists, hour breakdowns, etc.
Often when he loses a job for one reason or another, he has not only lost his time (which he has not charged for), he is also equipping the owner and potentially competing companies with a detailed list of what needs to be done.
To help me answer this question, I have called on sales guru, Adrian from Trained To Sell once again, as I know he is fresh in everyone's mind after the previous series. We put our minds together in this episode and I believe we have come up with a great strategy for Dave. It involves some 'repackaging' of his quoting process, in a way that he can effectively turn it into a product.
Let us know you think that might work. Also, if you have any cleaver ways of charging for a quote, I'd love to hear it.
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Have you ever actually worked out what your hourly rate is? Series: Selling With Confidence. Cohost: Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell Selling With Confidence Overview.
Sales is NOT a dirty word! This is part three of the Selling With Confidence series, named Selling To The Right Customers, with Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell.
As a former plumber himself, Adrian has a very unique approach to sales. Adrian founded and sold a Sydney based maintenance plumbing company, named Plumber To The Rescue and since he left that company, he has been able to focus on his true passion of sales.
To hear more about Adrian's story, go and check out episode TSS059.
In this series, I have asked Adrian to enlighten us with some of his knowledge and teachings relating to sales within the trades. I hear a lot of people tell me they don't like selling, or they don't know how to sell correctly, however every trade based organisation on the planet is in the business of sales, so being 'good at it', or 'not liking it' is of little relevance.
We all need to get over our fear of selling. As Adrian says, "selling is about providing a solution to a problem". This series of podcasts are coming from a man that has certainly been in the trenches as a tradesman. Adrian managed to achieve in his plumbing business, what most business owners only dream of one day being able to do. Building a business that can be acquired. Episode 3, Selling To The Right Customers In the last podcast, we spoke about finding the right customers and in this podcast, we dive into how to sell to the right customers.
Adrian went down that path himself back when he was running 'Plumber To The Rescue' and he confirms the turning point for his business was when he was able to re-position himself, so that he targeted a different audience.
"It's okay to turn away work", Adrian says.
Understanding who you want to be serving is a valuable revelation as it allows you to not only position yourself a certain way, it also allows you to focus on serving that market with your full attention. You don't need to be everything to everyone. Often by doing so, you'll end up being nothing to anyone.
Sit down and work out who it is you want to be working for and then form a strategy around making that happen. if you don't know what it is you want however, then it's nearly impossible to work towards it.
Episode 1 - Knowing your hourly rate.Episode 2 - Finding the right customers.
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Have you ever actually worked out what your hourly rate is? Series: Selling With Confidence. Cohost: Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell Selling With Confidence Overview.
Sales is NOT a dirty word!
This is part one of the Selling With Confidence series, named Knowing Your Hourly Rate, with Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell. As a former plumber himself, Adrian has a very unique approach to sales. Adrian founded and sold a Sydney based maintenance plumbing company, named Plumber To The Rescue and since he left that company, he has been able to focus on his true passion of sales. To hear more about Adrian's story, go and check out episode TSS059.
In this series, I have asked Adrian to enlighten us with some of his knowledge and teachings relating to sales within the trades. I hear a lot of people tell me they don't like selling, or they don't know how to sell correctly, however every trade based organisation on the planet is in the business of sales, so being 'good at it', or 'not liking it' is of little relevance.
We all need to get over our fear of selling. As Adrian says, "selling is about providing a solution to a problem". This series of podcasts are coming from a man that has certainly been in the trenches as a tradesman. Adrian managed to achieve in his plumbing business, what most business owners only dream of one day being able to do. Building a business that can be acquired. Episode 2, Finding The Right Customers
I'll admit that it took me a good couple of years to find my ideal customer. When we start out in business, we don't always have the luxury of turning away work, so we tend to take whatever comes our way. As our business matures however, we get a better feel for the type of work that we want to be doing and also the type of customers that we want to be working with.
Finding the right customer is more of a journey, than a destination. Things change, we change, business changes and as a result, so do the variable that influence us.
In this podcast, Adrian talks about the factors that we need to consider when we're trying to find the right customers. For you it might mean finding more of the customers similar to the ones you have, or it could mean looking for a completely different customer avatar. Either way, it's a worthy exercise, so enjoy.
Episode 1 - Knowing your hourly rate.
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Have you ever actually worked out what your hourly rate is? Series: Selling With Confidence. Cohost: Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell Selling With Confidence Overview.
Sales is NOT a dirty word!
This is part one of the Selling With Confidence series, named Knowing Your Hourly Rate, with Adrian Fadini from Trained to Sell. As a former plumber himself, Adrian has a very unique approach to sales. Adrian founded and sold a Sydney based maintenance plumbing company, named Plumber To The Rescue and since he left that company, he has been able to focus on his true passion of sales. To hear more about Adrian's story, go and check out episode TSS059.
In this series, I have asked Adrian to enlighten us with some of his knowledge and teachings relating to sales within the trades. I hear a lot of people tell me they don't like selling, or they don't know how to sell correctly, however every trade based organisation on the planet is in the business of sales, so being 'good at it', or 'not liking it' is of little relevance.
We all need to get over our fear of selling. As Adrian says, "selling is about providing a solution to a problem". This series of podcasts are coming from a man that has certainly been in the trenches as a tradesman. Adrian managed to achieve in his plumbing business, what most business owners only dream of one day being able to do. Building a business that can be acquired. Episode 1, Knowing Your Hourly Rate
What are you worth? No I mean, what are you actually worth? Have you ever actually sat down and worked out what you hourly rate needs to be in order for you to make money?
It's really simple to start a business and think that by charging less than your competitors, you're cleverly outsmarting the rest of the market, however the reality is far more confronting. The majority of business today do not succeed due to the fact that they are not charging the right amounts of money. It might feel like they do, however once they dive in and look at the numbers, at the end of the day their often losing money.
Understanding your true overheads is paramount in the success of any business. If you're out there charging $80/hr, are you taking into consideration things like: Office expenses Tools Vehicle costs Staff Insurances Phone and internet Marketing Travel time, etc.
In this awesome podcast, Adrian breaks down the hourly rate barrier and pitches it perfectly towards tradies and contractors. Coming from that background himself, he knows how to make it very relatable and applicable.
Enjoy episode one and leave us some comments if you like it.
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Series: Why most family businesses DON'T work. Cohost: Al Levi from Appleseed Business Series Overview.
Al Levi, author of 'The 7 Power Contractor' returns to the microphone once again to invest his time and knowledge into educating us all about the vast business knowledge he has acquired over the years. Al has been an amazing asset to The Site Shed podcast, already appearing in the following episodes, which you should definitely go check out.
We get to learn about about Al and his background as a plumber in New York City in this podcast. Episode 46. From A-B with Al Levi
The 'Powering Your Business' Series offers an amazing insight into three of the seven specific areas of business that Al teaches in his book, 'The 7 Power Contractor'. Episode 56. Planning PowerEpisode 57. Operating PowerEpisode 58. Staffing Power
In this series, Al is teaching us all about family business and why so few of them work out. Al grew up working in a family business with his Dad and his two older brothers in Long island, New York and like any family run business, he experienced problems. It was these experiences that led him to develop amazing processes around making family businesses run optimally. This is first hand knowledge, from a very experienced expert. Episode 3. Who's steering the ship?
In the first two episodes, we discussed the importance of both creating an organisational chart and then defining the roles of everyone within the organisation.
In this episode, Al talks about the importance of everybody understanding what direction the ship is heading in. If employees and family by into the same goal, then they're all on board in working towards that goal, however if there is a one person making that decision, then it's likely that everyone else will not share the same passion towards achieving that goal.
Al is a master at communicating to every person the significance of what they do in the bigger picture. By doing this effectively, he's able to build a culture rich with accountability and drive.
Check out episode one on setting an Org Chart.Check out episode two on Defining Roles.
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Series: Why most family businesses DON'T work. Cohost: Al Levi from Appleseed Business Series Overview.
Al Levi, author of 'The 7 Power Contractor' returns to the microphone once again to invest his time and knowledge into educating us all about the vast business knowledge he has acquired over the years. Al has been an amazing asset to The Site Shed podcast, already appearing in the following episodes, which you should definitely go check out.
We get to learn about about Al and his background as a plumber in New York City in this podcast. Episode 46. From A-B with Al Levi
The 'Powering Your Business' Series offers an amazing insight into three of the seven specific areas of business that Al teaches in his book, 'The 7 Power Contractor'. Episode 56. Planning PowerEpisode 57. Operating PowerEpisode 58. Staffing Power
In this series, Al is teaching us all about family business and why so few of them work out. Al grew up working in a family business with his Dad and his two older brothers in Long island, New York and like any family run business, he experienced problems. It was these experiences that led him to develop amazing processes around making family businesses run optimally. This is first hand knowledge, from a very experienced expert. Episode 2. Defining roles in your family business.
In a scenario where you have multiple family members working in the same business, it's critical that everyone knows what their job is. Defining roles and allocating them to specific family members, or employees for that matter is a concise way of making sure that there is no crossover with work that is getting done, while at the same time making sure that everyone is accountable for specific tasks.
For example, if you have someone that is good with numbers, then it makes sense for them to manage account related tasks. While if you have someone that is excellent with people, then it probably makes sense for that person to be in charge of customers service and sales.
Problems arise, when there is a lack of communication in the space of who does what and who is responsible for what. By defining those roles and applying them to the different areas of the Org Chart that we spoke about in the last episode, there is little confusion.
Check out episode one on setting an Org Chart.
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This coming Saturday, the second of July, 2016 there is a federal election in Australia.
Every Australian over the age of 18 is obligated by law to vote however there is a lot of us that don't really understand what we are actually voting for.
In this podcast, I have asked Michaela from The Tradies Business Show to join me on Toolbox Talks, so that she can share with our listeners her insight on the upcoming election.
Michaela is a self confessed 'political nerd' and not only does she follow it like a hawk, she also absolutely loves it. I, on the other hand, have no idea when it comes to politics, however I do appreciate it's importance and also the importance of our votes when it comes to an election. We all have to do it, so I think it's valuable that we do it in a way that makes our votes count.
Too many scenarios occur, where people are either guessing, not voting at all, or voting for someone, not understanding that that vote actually goes to another party.
In this podcast, Michaela fills us in (generally) on what the two major parties represent and she also has sound sound advice as to how to go about choosing who it is that you want to vote for.
If you're like me and you're not politically minded, hopefully this podcast sheds some light on what is for a lot of us, a typically confusing and inconvenient event.
I know for myself, if it was clearer to me what it is that the various parties represented, it would make voting a lot easier, so I'm hoping this podcast arms you with the knowledge to make your vote count.
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Series: Why most family businesses DON'T work. Cohost: Al Levi from Appleseed Business Series Overview.
Al Levi, author of 'The 7 Power Contractor' returns to the microphone once again to invest his time and knowledge into educating us all about the vast business knowledge he has acquired over the years. Al has been an amazing asset to The Site Shed podcast, already appearing in the following episodes, which you should definitely go check out.
We get to learn about about Al and his background as a plumber in New York City in this podcast. Episode 46. From A-B with Al Levi
The 'Powering Your Business' Series offers an amazing insight into three of the seven specific areas of business that Al teaches in his book, 'The 7 Power Contractor'. Episode 56. Planning PowerEpisode 57. Operating PowerEpisode 58. Staffing Power
In this series, Al is teaching us all about family business and why so few of them work out. Al grew up working in a family business with his Dad and his two older brothers in Long island, New York and like any family run business, he experienced problems. It was these experiences that led him to develop amazing processes around making family businesses run optimally. This is first hand knowledge, from a very experienced expert. Episode 1. Org Charts (Organisational Charts)
Having an Org Chart (Organisational Chart) in your business provides clarity around what everyone needs to be focussing on to help the business move forward to reach it's goals.
In this podcast, Al talks about back when he was working in his family business with his brothers, there were many scenarios where more than one person was doing exactly the same task because they thought it was their role. By communicating what each individual was responsible for and in what specific area of the business, Al was able to make the business far more efficient and far more profitable.
Interestingly, Al believes that every business of every size needs to have an organisational charts implemented, even if it's just a single man band because as the business grows, it makes it clear, what roles someone needs to fill.
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Author, world renowned heating expert, husband, father & grandfather – Dan Holohan. Fair to say that Dan Holohan is a qualified ‘expert’ when it comes to heating. Living in Long Island, New York, Dan has had an impressive journey.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Dan entered the world of heating when he came to a cross road in his life. Like many of us, he was unsure what to make a career out of, however his Dad left an impressionable thought with him.
“Dan, get into heating, because wherever there’s snow, there’s going to be a need for heating”.
It’s funny how small things and passing comments can have such a life changing impact on us. I myself probably would never have become a plumber if I hadn’t of mentioned my interest to the mechanic at the garage station I was working at when I was 17. That comment in passing inspired him get on the phone and get me a meeting with the boss of the plumbing company that his brother worked for. Next minute I was serving a plumbing apprenticeship. Where Dan’s story is extraordinary is in the space of his vision.
Dan was working with heating systems in New York that were hundreds of years old and all of the people that knew how to operate and maintain them were checking out…permanently. With limited people who were armed with the knowledge of how to work on these systems, Dan started researching. The more problems he’d discover, the more research he’s have to do and before long, he was becoming the go-to man for heating information.
Wanting to document his findings so that his knowledge could be passed down, Dan started writing a book. However in order to get the book published he needed to come up with a huge sum of money which he didn’t have. His Friend Al Levi (who you may remember from episodes 46, 56, 57 & 58) loaned him the money in good faith to get going and the rest is history. Dan Holohan, the internet wizz
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It's not easy to stand out in a competitive market and it doesn't get much more competitive than being a maintenance plumber in Sydney.
In this podcast you'll get to meet plumber turned sales training guru, Adrian Fadini as we learn about his journey from running a successful plumbing company, through to when he was acquired and then into what he does today with his company Trained To Sell.
Adrian is a true 'guerrilla marketer' and you'll be amazed to learn about some of the amazing things he's done in the past to build a brand, grow a reputation and stand out against the competition.
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Series: Powering Your Business with The 7-Power Contractor Approach Cohost: Al Levi from Appleseed Business Series Overview.
You may recall meeting Al back in Toolbox Talk 46 a couple of months ago. I was so impressed with Al’s knowledge and communication skills that I asked him to come back and collaborate with me on a series to teach a little more of his ‘7 Power Contractor’ philosophy. It’s such an amazing blueprint to getting results and I really wanted him to dive a little deeper into what he teaches.
The thing I love about Al, is that he has been there and done it all. He ran a successful plumbing business with his brothers in New York and he created a system within his own business that managed to entirely remove him from it. So much so, that he now lives in Arizona with his family.
Al, now teaches that system to other organisations and in this series, he’ll be giving you a healthy taste of it. Episode 3. Staffing Power
I don’t come across too many companies that don’t share similar problems in relation to staff retention. It’s a common complaint that I hear across the board and I’d be lying through if I said that I’ve not been there myself on both sides of the equation.
Al has a very different approach when it comes to staffing. While growing the family plumbing, heating and HVAC company in New York, Al created an amazing system that created amazing opportunities for his staff, therefore retaining them.
One of my favourite quotes from Al is, “Don’t provide jobs, provide careers”.
It doesn’t get more real than that and in an industry where well trained staff are consistently being poached by other companies, Al boats that was never a problem in his organisation, as even though his staff were being offered more money elsewhere, they had more opportunity to progress within his company.
The biggest deterrent for anyone with a job, is the reality of it being a dead end. I know, because I’ve been there myself.
Episode one – Planning PowerEpisode two – Operating Power
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Series: Powering Your Business with The 7-Power Contractor Approach Cohost: Al Levi from Appleseed Business Series Overview.
You may recall meeting Al back in Toolbox Talk 46 a couple of months ago. I was so impressed with Al's knowledge and communication skills that I asked him to come back and collaborate with me on a series to teach a little more of his '7 Power Contractor' philosophy. It's such an amazing blueprint to getting results and I really wanted him to dive a little deeper into what he teaches.
The thing I love about Al, is that he has been there and done it all. He ran a successful plumbing business with his brothers in New York and he created a system within his own business that managed to entirely remove him from it. So much so, that he now lives in Arizona with his family.
Al, now teaches that system to other organisations and in this series, he'll be giving you a healthy taste of it. Episode 2. Operating Power
All the planning in the world is useless without action. Likewise, action is useless unless it's the correct action.
In the last podcast, Al taught us about the importance of setting a plan and working towards collating all of the things that you feel are important and need to be achieved, then funnelling them down into a top 30, then a top 5 list.
In this podcast, Al teaches us how to implement policies and procedures, to get those tasks executed effectively. The reason we create policies and procedures is so that we can get some consistency in the way that we carry out projects within an organisation, while at the same time, taking your intellectual knowledge and turning it into intellectual property. By doing that, you're actually building an asset into your company that can potentially be acquired.
Your businesses operation should not be dependant on any one individual. If that is the case and that person leaves, then the business basically falls over. Systems, processes and procedures are there to take the pressure off individuals and allow the business to run regardless of who is currently filling a certain position.
This podcast is a great insight from a very qualified man, that has certainly earned his stripes.
Episode one - Planning Power
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Series: Powering Your Business with The 7-Power Contractor Approach Cohost: Al Levi from Appleseed Business Series Overview.
You may recall meeting Al back in Toolbox Talk 46 a couple of months ago. I was so impressed with Al's knowledge and communication skills that I asked him to come back and collaborate with me on a series to teach a little more of his '7 Power Contractor' philosophy. It's such an amazing blueprint to getting results and I really wanted him to dive a little deeper into what he teaches.
The thing I love about Al, is that he has been there and done it all. He ran a successful plumbing business with his brothers in New York and he created a system within his own business that managed to entirely remove him from it. So much so, that he now lives in Arizona with his family.
Al, now teaches that system to other organisations and in this series, he'll be giving you a healthy taste of it. Episode 1. Planning Power
Nothing of any significance happens without some degree of planning.
"Work on the right things, at the right time" - Al Levi
Al has a unique approach to establishing what is taking up everybody's time and then working together collectively to focus down on the most important things that need to get done, in the best interest of the client and the company. Once there's clarity around that, it then get's allocated to certain representatives.
The beauty and genius of what you'll hear in both this podcast and the two episodes to follow, is how Al manages to get everyone to buy into the process. It's a fantastic example of effective collaboration.
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Could LED lighting be our planet's saviour? What if you could save your customers 75-90%, while saving the environment?
In a world where everything is becoming more and more expensive, it's not very often we come across scenarios, where you can potentially be saving 75-90% off something you can't, or certainly don't live without.
As a global nation, we're become more and more aware of environmental circumstances and our attention is often directed back to the topics of energy sources and energy consumption. With the general understanding that if by improving the way we operate electrically powered appliances, we can reduce the amount of power consumption, which in effect will achieve two main things: It will save us money It will be better for the environment
The harvesting of fossil fuels like coal has huge implications on our planet on many different levels. Procedures like 'coal seam fracking' and open mining, leaves irreversible damage on our planet, however it's still necessary because we need the fuel to supply our energy sources.
In this podcast, I'm joined by Greg Jones from Outdoor Lumination and we're talking about a solution that can see you save up to 90% on the energy you use on your lighting bills.
Of course, the less power we require, the less energy creation is needed, so it's a double-edged sword in the sense that it's effectively saving you and your customers money, while at the same time saving our planet.
Greg specialises in LED lighting solutions and it would be fair to say that I was completely shocked to learn about some of the things that he speaks that about in this episode.
If you're an electrician, or a builder, I'm sure you're going to be blown away by this podcast. Not only does Greg give us some amazing foresight into the existing world of lighting, he also gives us a look into the future, which is absolutely staggering.
You are not going to believe what is coming in the space of LED technology in the very near future and let me give you a hint...it's got nothing to do with light.
Enjoy the podcast, it's amazing.
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Have you ever had those relationships with people that you just can't seem to get along with?
Many years ago when I was starting out in business, I was introduced to a book called 'Personality Plus' by a lady named Florence Littauer.
The person that introduced me to the book was leadership expert, Peter Cox from Leadership Dynamics, who recently co-hosted me on the 'Leadership' series on The Site Shed podcast in episodes 36, 37, 38 and 39. Peter and I have a similar personality and he knew with his own experience that sometimes, we have trouble getting along with others. To save me from learning the hard way, he suggested that I read the book and man was I grateful that I did, because it became a turning point in my life.
The book relates specifically to the ancient Greco-Roman theory that we are all made up of a combination of the following four fundamental personality types. Sanguine, who are fun going. Choleric, who can be short tempered and irritable. Melancholic, who are analytical. Phlegmatic, who are chilled.
You see we all respond differently to things and what may appeal to us, may not necessarily appeal to others. As I read on, I finally started understanding why I annoyed and offended so many people. It was because I didn't understand how to relate to them.
Interestingly (but according to everyone else, not surprisingly) when I took the test, it showed that I was predominantly Choleric, which explained why I thought everyone was stupid and anything that wasn't done my way was completely incorrect. Believe it, or not, this used to piss people off.
The reason I posted this blog and recorded this podcast is because I know the power of relationships and I know how much it can help you in life and in your business. It's the only book, I have consistently recommended to people and given away by the box load over the years, I encourage you to get hold of a copy and give it a read. It's available online in many places, including eBay, Amazon, Booktopia, etc.
It certainly changes my life and I'm convinced it will also change yours.
Would you like to know what type of personality you are right now?
Go to this link and take the test.
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Series: OH&S Made Easy Cohost: Shayne Connolly from Keep It Simple Safety Series Overview.
Occupational health and safety is an area of business, that no one can afford to neglect. With increasing onsite compliance, it's never been more important to not only protect yourself from potential occupational risks, but also protect your employees.
Although it's a topic that most of us don't like to address, realistically it's relevant to all of us.
In this series on joined by Shane from Keep It Simple Safety. Shane is an expert in occupational health and safety and he also is an expert at simplifying, what can be a complicated business necessity. Episode 3. The Future Of OH&S
One thing is for sure, OH&S is not going anywhere.
Will it get more strict? Perhaps. Will there be more and more red tape to comply with? Perhaps. In this podcast, Shayne and I talk about the direction that OH&S is heading and what we can do now to be prepared for it. It's never going to disappear, so we may as well learn how to best embrace and implement it.
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Series: OH&S Made Easy Cohost: Shayne Connolly from Keep It Simple Safety Series Overview.
Occupational health and safety is an area of business, that no one can afford to neglect. With increasing onsite compliance, it's never been more important to not only protect yourself from potential occupational risks, but also protect your employees.
Although it's a topic that most of us don't like to address, realistically it's relevant to all of us.
In this series on joined by Shane from Keep It Simple Safety. Shane is an expert in occupational health and safety and he also is an expert at simplifying, what can be a complicated business necessity. Episode 2. Capturing and Recording OH&S Documentation
If there is one this that remains consistent in every site office I've ever been in, anywhere in the world, it's this. There is always at least one bookshelf that's completely full of ring binder folders, the majority of which are made up of OH&S documentation.
As technology advances, it brings with it a whole new world of opportunity in the way of cloud related solutions that at the end of the day, make these old filing systems completely redundant. It's literally now possible to access all of your records from your phone, from where ever you are in the world.
In this episode of ToolBox Talks, Shayne and I discuss the modern ways to capture OH&S documentation.
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Series: OH&S Made Easy Cohost: Shayne Connolly from Keep It Simple Safety Series Overview.
Occupational health and safety is an area of business, that no one can afford to neglect. With increasing onsite compliance, it's never been more important to not only protect yourself from potential occupational risks, but also protect your employees.
Although it's a topic that most of us don't like to address, realistically it's relevant to all of us.
In this series on joined by Shane from Keep It Simple Safety. Shane is an expert in occupational health and safety and he also is an expert at simplifying, what can be a complicated business necessity. Episode 1: What is OH&S
English episode Shane and I talked about occupational health and safety is and how it relates to businesses today.
We talk about some of the more common OH&S scenarios and requirements, especially in the space of compliance certification in a modern business.
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In this episode, I'm talking with Nick Peardon from Tree Incarnation in Melbourne Australia about his fantastic idea to turn timber that would normally be turned into mulch, or firewood, into beautiful pieces of furniture.
As an arborist (tree surgeon), Nick was used to reducing gigantic trees down to stumps. However one thing he could never get used to was the constant waste of perfectly good timber as a byproduct.
Nick had an idea one day to instead of disposing of the trees through traditional means, he would extend the life of the trees he's chopping down by turning them into useable furniture.
"So many home owners become attached to the trees on their property and it's heart breaking for them when we have to remover them," Nick said.
"By turning these trees into furniture, we're giving the owners a way to keep these trees in the household".
If there is anyone out there looking for some motivation in regard to niching yourself, then this is a fantastic podcast. Nick's managed to not only niche himself, but also do it in a way that's in the interest of the environment. Maybe you can too.
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Series: Business Uncomplicated Cohost: The AMAZING Ellen Rohr Series Overview.
As humans, we have a tendency to over complicate things. We do it in our jobs, we do it in our relationships and we do it in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes we need to take a step back so that we can see how we’re doing things, in order for us to make improvements.
In this series, I’m joined by Ellen Rohr who you may have met back in episode 42. If you didn’t hear that episode, I suggest you go back and check it out because it was one of our most listened to episodes. Ellen has had an amazing journey from being ‘the plumbers wife’, to where she is now as the President of the Zoom Drains franchise company. Ellen has a world of knowledge and has worked with some huge organisations throughout her career, including Wells Fargo bank. She has an amazing ability to communicate in simple terms what most of us would be beating our heads against the wall trying to understand and she delivers it all with a smile and a laugh. I love any chance to get on the other end of a phone with her and I know you’ll all love this amazing series.
Ellen consults with companies and individuals through her company EllenRohr.com and has generously offered a special gift for anyone that listens to the show at EllenRohr.com/shed. Episode 3: D-Day (Decision Day)
We've all ben through that stage in business where we feel like throwing in the towel. maybe you're tired of chasing payments, maybe you're tired of clients, maybe you're sick of being the decision maker, perhaps you're lifestyle is not what you imagined, maybe you're not making enough income, maybe your bored and tired of doing the same thing.
Whatever the reason, we all experience times like these at some stage. In this episode, Ellen talks about how to attack the reality of moving on with a level headed approach. Ellen is quoted saying "never quit on a bad day", which basically means that you need to be responsive, as opposed to being reactive.
Again, be responsive, not reactive.
There's not point in coming home after a bad day at work, when you're all upset and throwing it all in. If you're serious about moving on, Ellen suggests you do the following: Set a date in your calendar 6-12 months down the track, where you're going to revisit your status. Between now and that point, implement a business plan and work towards it, monitoring and measuring everything along the way. Start to think of alternative options for you to move into if you close your business.
The reason she suggests we do this, is because when that date comes around, you need to have clarity in knowing that you've done everything in your power to make the business work. There's little point in quitting on your business if you have not done everything possible to make it work. This way, if you decide to close the doors, you're doing so knowing that you've given it a decent shot and you're making the correct decision.
Anyway, dive right into this episode. You're going to love it!
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Series: Business Uncomplicated Cohost: The AMAZING Ellen Rohr Series Overview.
As humans, we have a tendency to over complicate things. We do it in our jobs, we do it in our relationships and we do it in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes we need to take a step back so that we can see how we’re doing things, in order for us to make improvements.
In this series, I’m joined by Ellen Rohr who you may have met back in episode 42. If you didn’t hear that episode, I suggest you go back and check it out because it was one of our most listened to episodes. Ellen has had an amazing journey from being ‘the plumbers wife’, to where she is now as the President of the Zoom Drains franchise company. Ellen has a world of knowledge and has worked with some huge organisations throughout her career, including Wells Fargo bank. She has an amazing ability to communicate in simple terms what most of us would be beating our heads against the wall trying to understand and she delivers it all with a smile and a laugh. I love any chance to get on the other end of a phone with her and I know you’ll all love this amazing series.
Ellen consults with companies and individuals through her company EllenRohr.com and has generously offered a special gift for anyone that listens to the show at EllenRohr.com/shed. Episode 2: Business Planning Made Easy
The difference between success and failure often comes directly back to the amount of planning that's involved.
Look at successful athletes as an example. In 99.999% of the time, they are successful because they've planned ahead and put in the work to get where they are. The have planned their training routines, they've planned their diets, they've planned their rest days, they've set plans and strategies with their coaches, etc.
Business is no different. If you don't have a clear vision of where you want to go, then how do you intent to get there? Or, worse still, if you have not planned where you want to go, then you'll have nothing to strive for, so you'll never reach any milestones.
In this podcast, Ellen wonderfully articulates some of the barriers that we encounter when setting a business plan and she also talks us through how to go about creating one as simply as possible. Remember, as the name of the series states, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED! Less is more and simple is better.
Enjoy the episode
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Series: Business Uncomplicated Cohost: The AMAZING Ellen Rohr Series Overview.
As humans, we have a tendency to over complicate things. We do it in our jobs, we do it in our relationships and we do it in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes we need to take a step back so that we can see how we’re doing things, in order for us to make improvements.
In this series, I’m joined by Ellen Rohr who you may have met back in episode 42. If you didn’t hear that episode, I suggest you go back and check it out because it was one of our most listened to episodes. Ellen has had an amazing journey from being ‘the plumbers wife’, to where she is now as the President of the Zoom Drains franchise company. Ellen has a world of knowledge and has worked with some huge organisations throughout her career, including Wells Fargo bank. She has an amazing ability to communicate in simple terms what most of us would be beating our heads against the wall trying to understand and she delivers it all with a smile and a laugh. I love any chance to get on the other end of a phone with her and I know you’ll all love this amazing series.
Ellen consults with companies and individuals through her company EllenRohr.com and has generously offered a special gift for anyone that listens to the show at EllenRohr.com/shed. Episode 1: Get a grip on your financials
In this episode, Ellen talks about the importance of understanding your numbers and how to keep a finger on the pulse. As business owners, it’s sometimes easier to turn a blind eye to what we don’t want to acknowledge and very often it’s to do with how much money we are, or are not making.
Understanding your numbers is paramount if you plan on making improvements. If you’re not tracking everything that’s coming in and out then you’re setting yourself up for disaster.
Ellen says in this episode, “commit to getting your financials in order”. If you need help to achieve that, then go and seek help. There’s plenty of professionals that can assist you with understanding your figures, it’s just a matter of you seeking them out. Maybe reach out to your accountant, or chat to a coach that can help steer you in the right direction.
Anyway, enjoy this episode.
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Back in episode 42, the beautiful Ellen Rohr told me that she would love to see this episodes guest on the podcast because of the fantastic work he does with trade organisations in helping them develop systems and scale their businesses.
Formerly a plumber, Al grew up working in a Long island, New York company that his Grandfather started back in 1936. Al's father worked in the company, as did his Al's uncles, and today he proudly told me that now the forth generation is learning the ropes as his nephew climbs the ranks.
Al noticed that as a technician, three were not enough processes in his business, which was causing bottlenecks in the way the company was operating. As a notorious, self confessed strategist, Al set out over the course of 12 months to develop and implement systems and processes into the business that eventually ended up replacing him.
Al now lives in Arizona and runs Appleseed Business, which he set up to help trade organisations do just what he did. He's worked with companies as small as sole traders, right up to organisations that employ hundreds and turn 400 million in revenue.
Al's book, 'The 7 Power Contractor' is available from his website and you can reach him at.
https://www.appleseedbusiness.com/ al@appleseedbusiness.com
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Asset creation should be at the forefront of every business owners mind.
This podcast is directed at anyone in business as it's completely relevant across the board. If you're not building an database into your organisation, then you need to start now.
You can work on building your database from a number of places. Primarily your website should be at the forefront of your strategy as it gives people a chance to opt in and become part of your mailing list. Social media is another great vehicle for building a database, especially when you're sending them back to your website. There are cloud based invoicing tools that allow you to build a database by emailing your customers their invoices. Networking events and networking in general are a great way to build a database, as long as your entering the people you meet's details into a program of some description. Of course marketing and advertising will help you build your database, provided your capturing details correctly.
There are many ways that you can go about building a database, however the bottom line is, you need to be doing it. You can use tools like CRM (Customer Relationship Management), email marketing programs, job management software, project management software, accounting programs, even excel if you want, but just get it done.
In this podcast, I list a few examples of some tools that you can check out if you're not sure, so dive on in and take some action.
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Google AdWords
Series Overview
In my experience of owning a company that builds websites for tradies and contractors, over the years I’ve observed a number of scenarios where people may be familiar with a certain phrase, or word by it’s name, however they’ve lacked a true understanding of what that word represents.
A prime example of that would be websites. Very often when we scope a company, I’ll be told that they need a website because they want to make their phone ring more. Having a website will help in the sense that now you have a tool that can allow youth be found on a search engine in a direct search, however it’s unlikely that it’s going to make your phone ring unless you apply a marketing strategy to the website.
Another very misunderstood ‘buzzword’ is AdWords. In this series, I’m joined by John from Reach Local as we shoot to break down the myths around Google AdWords and paid marketing. We explore what types of business AdWords suites and we discuss the reality of how much money you need to be spending to make your campaigns affective. We also discuss how paid marketing (also commonly referred to as SEM and Pay-Per-Click) fits into what I like to call the ‘digital ecosystem’.
Episode 3:
When you hear me refer to ‘The Digital Ecosystem’, I’m referring to the multiple variables that work together to form a product. Yes a website is a website, AdWords is AdWords and SEO is SEO, however it’s important to understand how they all affect each other.
I’m always preaching ‘Beware of specialists’ and by that I mean the following. If you go to an SEO agency and what you need is an AdWords campaign, chances are you’ll leave with an SEO agency. Having an understanding of the ‘digital ecosystem’ will empower you to ascertain where you might be dropping the ball in relation to your online representation. It will also arm you with enough general knowledge to not be led astray by ‘specialists’.
This episode brings a close to this series, however if you’re questioning what the next steps are for you and your organisation, in relation to setting a marketing agenda, reach out to us as we can certainly help you make the correct decision. Likewise, if you’re currently running an AdWords campaign and you’re questioning it’s effectiveness, we can potentially help you improve your conversions and as a result make your dollar go further.
Reach out to info@TradieWebGuys.com.au and make a reference to this Google AdWords podcast series. From there, we’ll steer you in the right direction.
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Google AdWords
Series Overview
In my experience of owning a company that builds websites for tradies and contractors, over the years I’ve observed a number of scenarios where people may be familiar with a certain phrase, or word by it’s name, however they’ve lacked a true understanding of what that word represents.
A prime example of that would be websites. Very often when we scope a company, I’ll be told that they need a website because they want to make their phone ring more. Having a website will help in the sense that now you have a tool that can allow youth be found on a search engine in a direct search, however it’s unlikely that it’s going to make your phone ring unless you apply a marketing strategy to the website.
Another very misunderstood ‘buzzword’ is AdWords. In this series, I’m joined by John from Reach Local as we shoot to break down the myths around Google AdWords and paid marketing. We explore what types of business AdWords suites and we discuss the reality of how much money you need to be spending to make your campaigns affective. We also discuss how paid marketing (also commonly referred to as SEM and Pay-Per-Click) fits into what I like to call the ‘digital ecosystem’.
Episode 2 In Episode 2, John and I explore one of the more misunderstood elements of Google Adwords. That being budget. Contrary to what you have have ben told by dodgy marketing companies that are only interested in taking your money, your potential results are very dependant on budget. A smarter way to look at how to ascertain what you need to spend on a campaign is to reverse engineer it like this.
Now you can roughly work out a budget 10 leads at $20/lead = $200/day $200/day at 5 days = $1000/week $1000 at 4 weeks = $4000/month
You can see from this example that it can be an expensive outlay and if you conversion product, or service cost is less than your spend, then you should potentially spending that money elsewhere.
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Back in episode 28 with Kenny Chapman from The Blue Collar Coach, Kenny Chapman said that he would like to see Ellen on the show and we conveniently managed to tee it up so that it also tied into mothers day.
Ellen has an inspiring story in the trades, which started when she started working with her husband Rod (or Hot Rod as she prefers to call him) in his plumbing company.
Ellen received great grades in business related studies during college, however she was thrown in the deep end with the real world experience of running a small business.
This is a great podcast with a beautiful woman that talks us through her brilliant journey from working with 'Hot Rod', right through to where she is now in her consulting business.
Ellen has also generously offered to anyone that wants it, a copy of her 'Financial Quick Check' at this link. Go grab it, it's a great tool.
Don't forget to leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud if you're enjoying the show.
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Series: Google AdWords Co Host: John Curtis from Reach Local Episode 1: What is Google AdWords
Series intro. In this series, John and I shoot to break down the myths around Google AdWords and paid marketing. We explore what types of business it suites, how to budget realistically and how paid marketing Episode one.
I very often get companies coming to us that ask for AdWords, without really understanding what it is and how it works. It's a bit of a 'buzz word' that many people have heard of, however not everyone really understands if it's the right tool for them. This episode is about shedding some light on Google AdWords, so that you have a good understanding of what is actually is and how it works.
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Format:Technical Tips Topic: Google Apps for Work Synchronised emails across all of your devices, Cloud storage, enabling you to permanently throw awayyourfiling cabinet, Sharable calendars, allowing you to plan both your daysandyour teams, IP protection with permission setting control on documentsandfiles, Collaborate in real time with Google Docs and Sheets. Plussomuch more. Today's episode marks EPISODE 40 for The Site Shedpodcast.
And what a ride it's been! I though in this episode, I'dtrysomething a little different as there has been a lot oflistenerscommenting in the show notes, asking for some practicaltips ontools they can implement. For many years now, we have beennot onlyusing Google Apps for Work, but also setting companies upwith it.I move around a lot, so I love the flexibility of beingable toaccess any business related documentation, from any deviceI'musing, from wherever I am in the world. For example, right nowas Itype this email, I'm sitting in Winnipeg Canada, referring toaseries of work documents that I have saved in Google's cloud.Everytime I create a new podcast episode, I have a folder set upin'Google Drive' that has all of the information and recordingsIneed to for my podcasts. It doesn't matter where I am, I canaccessthat information from my phone, computer, or tablet as longas Ihave internet connection. If you're someone that likestokeep all of your work documents saved in your officefilingcabinet, in this episode I'm presenting you with aparadigmthat will change your life and turn your business into ascalable,secure asset. Google Apps will remove thesescenarios fromyour vocabulary, completely. "Yeah, I have that file on my computer. I'll email it toyouwhen I get into the office." "I don't have that invoice handy, however I can get theofficeto send it across." "Why are there three versions of this spreadsheetfloatingabout?" "No don't let Bob see that document because he might takeitwith him if he leaves us." "I have no idea where Tom is heading first thing this morning,Ididn't put it in my diary." "Call the office and ask them to send the job details acrosstoyou."
If you’d like to get Google Apps set up in your business,wecan help.Tradie Web Guys is a reseller, so simply followthesesteps: Send an email to enquiries@TradieWebGuys.com.au Quote TSS040 to receive a 20% discountforthe month of May
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Cohost: Peter Cox Introduction.
Welcome to the Leadership Series with Peter Cox. Peter is an accomplished author and world renowned leadership consultant. He was referred to the show by Allan from Omega Services in episode 22, as Peter has worked closely with Allan and many other trade based companies over the years, implementing his leadership strategies into all levels of the organisations. He worked with the Manly Sea Eagles from 2005 – 2011, leading them to two NRL premierships and he currently works with the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s, who he’s already helped to one NRL premiership in 2014. He’s been working with the Australian womens soccer team, The Matilda’s in their world cup campaign and he also works with professional golfer Taylor Cooper. Peter has helped one of his client grow their business from $5 million to $100 million in the space in 6 years, so yes, he is very qualified in offering expertise in the space of leadership.
Enjoy this episode and this series and PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. You have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 4: How to find the leaders in your organisation
If you’re not developing leaders within your organisation, you’re effectively committing yourself a permanent job. If you’re not training up people to firstly, replace you; and secondly, lead the new people coming into your organisation, then it’s forever going to be on your shoulders.
In this episode, Peter talks about the importance of building systems and processes around recognising and developing leaders in your company. He discusses the personality profiling and how to evaluate which types of people suit the roles that you’re looking to fill.
This is the final episode of the Leadership series that we have recorded with Peter and we believe it’s the final piece in the puzzle. I hope you enjoyed the series and if you did, please share it with someone, or leave a comment in the show notes below.
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Series:Leadership Cohost: Peter Cox Introduction.
Welcome to the Leadership Series with Peter Cox. Peter is an accomplished author and world renowned leadership consultant. He was referred to the show by Allan from Omega Services in episode 22, as Peter has worked closely with Allan and many other trade based companies over the years, implementing his leadership strategies into all levels of the organisations. He worked with the Manly Sea Eagles from 2005 – 2011, leading them to two NRL premierships and he currently works with the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s, who he’s already helped to one NRL premiership in 2014. He’s been working with the Australian womens soccer team, The Matilda’s in their world cup campaign and he also works with professional golfer Taylor Cooper. Peter has helped one of his client grow their business from $5 million to $100 million in the space in 6 years, so yes, he is very qualified in offering expertise in the space of leadership.
Enjoy this episode and this series and PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. You have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 3: Are you the right person to lead your organisation?
When we start our business, we’re everything. We’re the CEO, the Director, the CFO, the accountant, the admin, the HR, the despatch, you name it. As our businesses grow and evolve, we gradually begin to offload those tasks to others so that we can focus more on doing what we’re good at less of what we’re not.
Leadership, like most things is a skill that can be developed, however there are very often individuals that are stronger than others. This might be because of experience, this might be because of natural ability, however regardless of who they are, the reality of the situation is…IT MIGHT NOT BE YOU!
It’s nothing to take offence at, it’s more of a paradigm that you need to come to grips with. Have a look at some of the most successful companies on the planet and you’ll see that the Director/Founder has employed a CEO to lead the organisation, so that he, or she can focus on doing what they’re better at.
In this episode, Peter and I dive further into that reality.
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Series:Leadership Cohost: Peter Cox Introduction.
Welcome to the Leadership Series with Peter Cox. Peter is an accomplished author and world renowned leadership consultant. He was referred to the show by Allan from Omega Services in episode 22, as Peter has worked closely with Allan and many other trade based companies over the years, implementing his leadership strategies into all levels of the organisations. He worked with the Manly Sea Eagles from 2005 – 2011, leading them to two NRL premierships and he currently works with the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s, who he’s already helped to one NRL premiership in 2014. He’s been working with the Australian womens soccer team, The Matilda’s in their world cup campaign and he also works with professional golfer Taylor Cooper. Peter has helped one of his client grow their business from $5 million to $100 million in the space in 6 years, so yes, he is very qualified in offering expertise in the space of leadership.
Enjoy this episode and this series and PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. You have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 2: Finding the right people to lead you
Everywhere you look today, it seems there’s someone proclaiming to be a business coach, who’s trying to sell you into some program.
While it’s extremely important not to take advice from the wrong person, it’s equally important that you’re taking the right advice from the right person. Finding the right person is paramount if you plan on expanding your horizons and growing your knowledge base.
In this episode, Peter talks about how to go about finding the right people to lead you and he also delves into what you should be looking for. Peter has refined his leadership techniques over the course of the last 30 years in the industry, so he understands what qualities MUST be present in anyone that is taking on the responsibility of leading someone in any area of life, be that business, or personal.
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Series:Leadership Cohost: Peter Cox Introduction.
Welcome to the Leadership Series with Peter Cox. Peter is an accomplished author and world renowned leadership consultant. He was referred to the show by Allan from Omega Services in episode 22, as Peter has worked closely with Allan and many other trade based companies over the years, implementing his leadership strategies into all levels of the organisations. He worked with the Manly Sea Eagles from 2005 – 2011, leading them to two NRL premierships and he currently works with the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s, who he’s already helped to one NRL premiership in 2014. He’s been working with the Australian womens soccer team, The Matilda’s in their world cup campaign and he also works with professional golfer Taylor Cooper. Peter has helped one of his client grow their business from $5 million to $100 million in the space in 6 years, so yes, he is very qualified in offering expertise in the space of leadership.
Enjoy this episode and this series and PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. You have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 1: Allowing yourself to be led
One of the fundamental traits of a successful leader is his, or her capacity to be led. If you look back in history at any prominent leader, you’ll see that they all had mentors, guides, coaches, consultants, counsels, confidants, whatever.
As business owners, it’s very common to be the one that comes up with all the ideas and executes all of the strategies, however having an outsiders neutral perspective on what you’re planning to do can often be the difference in hit, or miss.
In this episode, Peter talks about the importance of allowing yourself to be led and how you can become more teachable. Chances are if you’re listening to this podcast, then you are teachable, so I trust you’ll get a lot out of this episode.
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Topic: After the mining Boom Segment: Chit Chat
Chit chat is a new segment, where my friend Nathan Cooper from and I discuss and issue that's currently circulating the news, or current affairs. Nathan runs a plumbing company in Brisbane Australia and he's a wealth of knowledge and experience on many interesting topics. These podcasts are 100% unrehearsed. We literally choose a topic to talk about and have the discussion. They're designed to break up the format a little, so let us know what you think in the show notes. Co-host: Nathan Cooper from Citi Plumbing Brisbane
In the news lately there was a discussion about young tradies that were working the mining boom and what has happened to them since the mines have taken a downturn.
Here's the article
It's an interesting read as it talks about young people that have worked in the mines in the midst of the Australian mining boom. They were making huge amounts of money and living the fly in, fly out lifestyle, with little expenses, then once they lost those jobs, they were forced to face a reality that not many of them ever had.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this podcast and let me know if you dig the 'Chit Chat format'.
You can reach Nathan and I at: Nathan's TwitterMatt's Twitter
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Topic: Quality Hosting
Guest: Braydan Willrath
If you were to ask me, "Matt, what is the most misunderstood area that you come across in the digital space?", without a doubt I would answer 'hosting'.
Quality hosting can make, or break your websites performance, yet there is very few people that truly understand; What hosting actually is, What the difference is between high quality hosting and budget hosting, Why you need hosting How to compare hosting plans
In this episode of Toolbox Talks, I'm joined by Tradie Web Guys Head Of Technology, Braydan as we uncover some of the myths and get some of the facts out in the open in regard to hosting and it's features.
If you'd like more information about the amazing Tradie Web Guys managed hosting service, which included membership to The Site Shed, you can contact them at support@TradieWebGuys.com.au
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Sometimes it's impossible to comprehend where you could potentially take your business. As business owners, we all too often get caught out thinking too small and not lifting the lid on what our true potential really is.
So, what's the difference between someone that goes on to achieve extraordinary results as opposed so someone that achieves regular results?
In this episode of Toolbox Talks, I'm speaking with a young man, located up in QLD, Australia that has done a couple of things very well over the years. Firstly, he was smart enough to be teachable and seek coaching when he needed it and secondly he surrounded himself with people that complimented his skill set.
Jeremy Dyer from Total Fit Outs has managed to build an empire out of what most would consider a localised, brick and mortar style business. With the help of his partners, he's been able to develop a franchise that now spans across Australia and New Zealand and is set to double over the next 12 months.
This is a fantastic podcast with a down to earth Aussie bloke, who's kicking goals.
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Series: Big Business Cohost: Ben Stainer Introduction.
Welcome to the Big Business Series with Ben Stainer. Ben formerly ran on of Sydney's largest service business, 'Australian Five Star Trades', which later became 'General Trades'. At it's peak, Bens company was turning a million dollars a month, so it's fair to say that Ben is More than qualified to talk about Big Business. Throughout Bens journey, he's encountered highs and lows, going through everything from large profits, right through to getting smashed in the media.
If you've ever had aspirations to build a big business, you'll love this series as Ben Shares all and drops some absolute bombs along the way. Don't forget to PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. you have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 4: Taking money off the table...and investing it wisely.
"The idea of getting into business is to make money" Says Ben. Don't confuse the reason you're in business. Too often we get caught up in what Ben calls 'the fluffy stuff' and we lose focus of what we're doing.
Yes, you have to deliver a great service and a fantastic product, however when you company is making money, you should be talking money off the table. More to the point, when you're taking money off the table, you should be investing it in something that can diversify your income streams.
In this podcast, Ben gives some solid advise on why you need to be taking money off the table and what you should be doing with it. Man I wish I had have heard this 15 years ago!
Link to episode 1: Running a lean business Link to episode 2: Building a 12 million dollar business Link to episode 3: Handling negative media
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Series: Big Business Cohost: Ben Stainer Introduction.
Welcome to the Big Business Series with Ben Stainer. Ben formerly ran on of Sydney's largest service business, 'Australian Five Star Trades', which later became 'General Trades'. At it's peak, Bens company was turning a million dollars a month, so it's fair to say that Ben is More than qualified to talk about Big Business. Throughout Bens journey, he's encountered highs and lows, going through everything from large profits, right through to getting smashed in the media.
If you've ever had aspirations to build a big business, you'll love this series as Ben Shares all and drops some absolute bombs along the way. Don't forget to PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. you have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 3: How to handle negative media
We've all seen the television shows where tradies get picked on for various things. It's normally current affair style programs that have a disgruntled customers angle on a scenario.
As Ben states, the bigger your company is, the bigger a target you become. Your peers don't like you because you're taking work from them, if your customers make complaints, it's rarely dealt with by the technician who was on site, resulting in conflict and that can sometimes result in negative media attention (which they love and thrive on).
On two occasions, Ben was targeted by the media. In the first instance, he was not prepared and as a result learned an expensive lesson, however in the second instance, they had built systems around these scenarios and avoided the episode airing.
This is great podcast, which can teach you how to be prepared for the worst and avoid getting in those scenarios in the first place.
Link to episode 1: Running a lean business Link to episode 2: Building a 12 million dollar business
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Series: Big Business Cohost: Ben Stainer Introduction.
Welcome to the Big Business Series with Ben Stainer. Ben formerly ran on of Sydney's largest service business, 'Australian Five Star Trades', which later became 'General Trades'. At it's peak, Bens company was turning a million dollars a month, so it's fair to say that Ben is More than qualified to talk about Big Business. Throughout Bens journey, he's encountered highs and lows, going through everything from large profits, right through to getting smashed in the media.
If you've ever had aspirations to build a big business, you'll love this series as Ben Shares all and drops some absolute bombs along the way. Don't forget to PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. you have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 2: Building a $12,000,000 business
Lots of us have aspirations to make a lot of money, however we don't always consider the fact that the bigger the business, the bigger the problems. Sure the rewards can be grander, however as Ben discusses in this episode there's bad that comes with the good, so you need to be prepared.
It's it's peak, Bens company was turning $12,000,000 a year and in this episode he discusses what comes with that package. The systems that need to be in place, staff, management, customers, becoming a target to your peers and media, etc.
Too often we hear only about the good times associated with running a business, which is why this episode is a refreshing and honest portrayal of both the good and the bad aspects, coming from a man that has been there and walked the walk.
Link to episode 1: Running a lean business
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Series: Big Business Cohost: Ben Stainer Introduction.
Welcome to the Big Business Series with Ben Stainer. Ben formerly ran on of Sydney's largest service business, 'Australian Five Star Trades', which later became 'General Trades'. At it's peak, Bens company was turning a million dollars a month, so it's fair to say that Ben is More than qualified to talk about Big Business. Throughout Bens journey, he's encountered highs and lows, going through everything from large profits, right through to getting smashed in the media.
If you've ever had aspirations to build a big business, you'll love this series as Ben Shares all and drops some absolute bombs along the way. Don't forget to PLEASE leave us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. you have no idea how much it helps us with ratings. Episode 1: Running a lean business
In this episode Ben and I discuss how to run a lean business and how to NOT over capitalise. Very often when you're making money, it's easy to over spend. The more you make, the more you seem to spend and the cloud of success seems to cover it up.
Ben has been there and done that and he says that if he had his time agin, he'd tighten the screws on spending, especially when you're making lots of money as more often that not, you'll have more leverage with suppliers, etc.
Running a lean business means having a firm understanding of your costs, which in return affects everything right down to what you're charging and what you're paying your staff.
We've chosen this topic to be the first of the 'Big Business' series for a reason. Enjoy.
Episodes to follow:
Episode 2: Building a $12,000,000 business Episode 3: How to handle negative media Episode 4: Taking money off the table...and investing it wisely.
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Guest: Kenny Chapman
There are few people on the planet that are more qualified to speak on the topics of building a lifestyle, service based business than today's guest, Kenny Chapman.
Located in Colorado, Kenny built his plumbing business from a small scale drain cleaning operation, to a business now that operates without him. Kenny is the founder of BlueCollarCoach.com which is a company that specialises in educating and training trade based organisations in the art of Sales, Marketing and Leadership and he is a world of knowledge.
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review on iTunes, or Soundcloud.
You can reach out to Kenny at http://thebluecollarsuccessgroup.com/ Kenny@TheBlueCollarCoach.com
Also, you can check out his book, 'The 6 Dimensions Of C.H.A.N.G.E' at this link.
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Warning! If your website is NOT mobile friendly as of May, 2016, you're in BIG trouble.
This has been a long time coming, however now it looks like we're about to see some serious action from our friends over at Google.
'Mobilegeddon' as it was named by the industry last year refers to the algorithm update that Google released last year, favouring websites that are mobile friendly.
Due to the increased use of mobile devices like phones and tablets, Google released an update that favours websites that are optimised to mobile, over those that aren't on searches that come through a mobile device.
This basically means that if someone is searching for you from a mobile device and your website is NOT mobile friendly, then it has less chance of showing up in a search query than another website that has been optimised for mobile.
As of May, 2016, Google has announced that it is going to be progressively increasing this signal, meaning that if you're not mobile responsive, you're in big trouble.
This is going to have a serious effect on businesses that choose not to act, so I strongly encourage anyone that this is going to effect, click on the link below, so we can get your mobile friendly website set up for you ASAP.
Visit www.TheSiteShed.com/mobile for a special deal that Tradie Web Guys are offering exclusively to The Site Shed listeners.
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Trades come in many types and forms.
It's common to associate a trade with industries like builders, plumbers, electricians and mechanics, however there are other trades that tend to fly under the banner somewhat, like butchers, hairdressers and in the case of today's guest, chefs.
Chris Cranswick-Smith is a well known celebrity chef that has literally done it all. From working in Michelin Star restaurants through out Europe, through to running his own restaurant in Sydney through to working on Super Yachts and sailing around the world for 6 months of the year.
This episode is a true indication of what's possible with a trade behind you. If you enjoy, please leave us a review.
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In this episode, we're talking about building a power remote team.
Nothing of any significance has ever been done alone, which is why it's so important to build a power team around you. This might not only mean in the field, it could be in the office, it could be remotely, it could be a combination of all of the above.
The old saying, "if you try to be everything to everyone, you'll end up being nothing to anyone", has a lot of merit. In this podcast, Warrick, Michaela and I talk about putting the right people in the right place so that you can collaborate and grow, by leveraging the power of a team. More to the point, how you can build a team that's remote, meaning you can save on all of the traditional expenses that come as part of the package with full time local staff.
This podcast is the perfect segway from the last, where we were talking about creating systems and processes that empower your staff to take over tasks that you should not be doing.
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Having business processes in place allows you the freedom of being able to step away from certain tasks, knowing that they'll be done your way by someone else.
By documenting processes you're creating intellectual property, that; Empowers your staff to carry out tasks the way you want then carried out. Builds an asset into your company, so that it can potentially be acquired down the track. Free you up from tasks that hold you back form more important things. Means the business can operate without you.
This is a great podcast, so tune in, take note and TAKE ACTION!
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Series: Outsoucing Cohosts: Warrick and Michaela from 'The Tradies Business Show'
In this series of Toolbox talks, I'm joined by our friends Warrick and Michaela from The Tradies Business Show, where we're talking about Outsourcing.
I asked them to join me on this series because they both formally ran a company called Tradies VA, which was a business that helped trade based organisations leverage the use of assistants, so that the business owners could free themselves up to take care of the more important areas of their businesses.
Waz and Michaela both a wealth of knowledge in this field and I'm sure you'll learn a bunch from what they have to say. Episode 1: Discovering what your business strengths are within your own business.
In this episode, Waz, Michaela and I talk about the power of discovering what your own strengths are within your business, so you can spend your time doing what you're good at and not all the other things that can be delegated. So often, we find ourselves wasting time in our own business, but doing things that others can do so much better. Some examples of this might be: ANSWERING PHONES!!! Accounting Invoicing Following up late payments Estimating
This is a great podcast that drives home the point that if you waste time doing what you're not great at, you're doing more damage than good.
Coming up in following episodes:
TSS024 - Developing processes that can replace you in your own business. TSS025 - Building a power remote team
You can reach Warrick and Michaela at Tradies Business Show
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Ever dreamed about running a huge company?
Everyone starts somewhere and in this episode of Toolbox Talks, I'm taking with Allan Furguson from Omega Group, who owns and runs one of Australia's largest plumbing, electrical and HVAC companies?
This is a seriously successful business that turns tens of millions every year and has over 50 trucks on the road in Sydney. Allan shares his amazingly humble story with me, telling me about where he started in the trades working for his father, then diving into his own business and growing that into the empire that it is today.
If you want to know what it takes to build and run a mammoth organisation, then you're going to love this podcast.
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There are a lot of unethical business owners out there.
In this episode, I'm talking about an experience that I am currently going through with an IT company in Neutral Bay, Sydney, who have proven themselves to be not only unprofessional, but also straight up destructive to my business and some of my clients.
The reason I share this story is so that I can hopefully help many of you NOT get into the same situation yourselves, because at the end of the day, it was completely avoidable and it's caused a ridiculous amount much unnecessary grief.
The key takeaway's from this podcast are: Don't go into business with someone, just because they're mates. Always insist on terms and conditions. Always have a contract in place. Stand up for what you believe. Go legal if you have to.
This scenario is not yet over, so I'll keep you posted on proceedings as they update.
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Series: Cubify Your Business
Cohost: Matt Jones from Cube Consulting
Episode 3: Brand Planning
Back in episode 1, we spoke about Business Mindset and in Episode 2, we spoke about 'Pricing for Profit'. Now in Episode 3, which is the final episode of this amazing series with Matt jones from Cube Consulting, we're talking Brand Planning.
Brand Planning is a critical part of business because it affects everything you do. From uniforms, to pricing, to the copy on your website, right through to the way you train your technicians to communicate to your customers.
This is a really powerful podcast that dives deep into how you should go about brand planning.
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Series: Cubify Your Business
Cohost: Matt Jones from Cube Consulting
Episode 2: Pricing for Profit
Back in episode 1, we spoke about Business Mindset. You can check it out here.
In this episode, we're talking 'Pricing for Profit', which basically means understanding your overheads. All too often I deal with tradespeople that don't have an understanding of what their true costs are. Have you taken into consideration overheads like phone bills, vehicles, insurances, electricity, petrol, tools, material, etc?
In this episode, Matt and I discuss what's involved in getting your pricing right so that you're making a living from what you're doing.
Enjoy.
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Series: Cubify Your Business
Cohost: Matt Jones from Cube Consulting
Episode 1: Business Mindset
Mindset plays an extremely significant role in the success of any business. I know it can kind of sound like unicorns and rainbows, but if you can get the mindset of you and your team right, half of the battle is won. In this episode, Matt from Cube dives into what business mindset really is and the effects it has on performance.
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Back in episode TSS006, when I interviewed Clinton from TradiePad, in the final question when I asked him who he'd like to see on the show, he said asked Matt Jones.
The funny thing about that answer is that I am not the only Matt Jones that's located in Sydney and works with Tradespeople, so when I asked Clinton to clarify who he was referring tom he said "Both of you".
So in response to that, I asked Clinton to Interview me on my show, which was episode TSS010 (Click here to listen). Now in this episode, we're speaking with Matt Jones from Cube Consulting about his journey from humble plumber to business coach extraordinaire.
Hope you enjoy!
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As business owners, it's easy to fall into the trap of over complicating things. Sometimes we think that our customers want to hear what we want to hear, however it's often far from the truth.
Websites are no different. Simplifying your website is often the first step in working towards improving your conversions. In this episode I dive a little deeper into how set about to making that journey better for you and your visitors.
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Women play such a vital part in the running of many trade based businesses.
Often our wives and girlfriends are placed in a position where they are basically forced to run the entire business for their partners, regardless of their lack of experience in not only the trade, but also the tasks that they're being asked to perform. Bookkeeping Invoicing Quoting Inbound Marketing Outbound Marketing Payroll HR, etc, etc
In this podcast, Matt speaks with Kiri Tringham from KT Business Solutions about how she runs her business, how she helps run her husbands and how balances her children with her work life.
This is a fantastic podcast that we've timed to coincide with International Womens Day. Thank you to all the wonderful ladies out there that truly are the backbone of many businesses. You fly more flags than we ever could and on behalf of men everywhere, I want to say thanks for everything you do and we appreciate you.
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Series name: Business Essentials
Co-host: Scott Gellatly from Bollo Empire
Episode 3 of 3: Knowing your metrics
Having a clear understanding of your metrics is paramount in any business and it stems much farther than simply knowing how much money you've made.
In this episode, Scott and Matt discuss the importance of metric tracking and they also dive into different areas that need to be considered when you're measuring and monitoring.
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Series name: Business Essentials
Co-host: Scott Gellatly from Bollo Empire
Episode 2 of 3: Database
To make your business acquirable, you typically need to have two things in place. Firstly, you need to have a systems and processes in place, so that your business can operate without you. And secondly, you need to have a database.
In this episode, Scott and Matt discuss the importance of building a database and how you can start doing it too.
Here's a hint also...most of you are doing it, without knowing it. Learn how to leverage that.
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Series name: Business Essentials
Co-host: Scott Gellatly from Bollo Empire
Episode 1 of 3: Systems
In this episode, Scott and Matt talk about the importance of implementing systems into your business. They talk about everything from using systems to train staff, right through to automation.
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In this Q&A, Dave from David Ferrari Constructions sent in the following enquiry.
"Matt, I wanted to ask you about the pros and cons of creating content on facebook vs my website."
Background: Dave owns and operates a domestic building company on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, specialising in renovations and additions. He's looking into some content strategies and saw somewhere a platform that can take your content from facebook and post it to your websites blog. He wanted to know if this sounds like a good way to go about it.
Content: In this podcast, I address the reality of creating content that you own and control by putting it on your website first, then syndicating it to other platforms (like facebook) if you wish. Remember, you don't own facebook, but you do own your website. Tune in to hear more.
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Back in episode TSS006 when Matt interviewed Clinton Cowin from TradiePad on Toolbox Talks, Matt asked him who he'd like to see on the show and Clinton replied Matt Jones. Now there is a twist there, because there's actually two Matt Jones', so when Matt asked Clinton which one, he replied "both".
Obviously if Matt himself was going to be interviewed on his show, someone was going to have to conduct the it, so Clinton got thrown in the deep end.
In this interview, you'll hear about Matt's background, his drive, his focus and what his vision is with The Site Shed. It's a fun interview with many laughs along the way.
And yes, the other Matt Jones is in an upcoming podcast series which is a confusing, funny and informative group of episodes. Stay tuned for them!
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Series name: Cloud
Co-host: Clinton Cowin from TradiePad
Episode 2 of 3: Project Management
In this episode, Clinton and Matt talk about what Project Management is, how it's different to job management and how it applies to various types of businesses. They discuss features that Project Management programs can offer and how you can save time and money by implementing it into your organisation.
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Series name: Cloud
Co-host: Clinton Cowin from TradiePad
Episode 2 of 3: Job Management
In this episode, Clinton and Matt talk about what job management is and how it applies to various types of businesses. They discuss features that Job Management programs can offer and how you can save time and money by implementing it into your organisation.
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Series name: Cloud
Co-host: Clinton Cowin from TradiePad
Episode 1 of 3: An overview of 'The Cloud'
In this episode, Clinton and Matt talk about what the cloud actually is and how it's changes the landscape for tradespeople and small business. They discuss the advantages and the features of cloud computing, along with how those features can practically add value to an organisation.
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In this podcast, Matt speaks to Clinton Cowin from TradiePad about his journey and his transition from a being a Sydney based plumber, to becoming a 'Cloud Evangelist' with a global vision.
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Series name: Understanding SEO
Co-host: Dave Jenyns from Melbourne SEO Specialists
Episode 3: Content Syndication
In this episode, Dave and Matt talk about what you should do with your content once it's been created. Where to create it, where to share it, how to share it, etc, etc. It's a valuable insight from Dave, who's well regarded as one of the industries key thought leaders in the space of 'Authority Content'.
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Series name: Understanding SEO
Co-host: Dave Jenyns from Melbourne SEO Specialists
Episode 1: Content
In this episode, Dave and Matt discuss content and the role it plays in your digital strategy. Content creation is a great way to build rapport with your audience, as well as building a reputation as a thought leader within your industry. Matt and Dave dive right into the nitty gritty around what works, where to start and how to create content.
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Series name: Understanding SEO
Co-host: Dave Jenyns from Melbourne SEO Specialists
Episode 1: The Website
In this episode, Dave and Matt discuss the fundamental components to having a great website and how the website is a major piece in the puzzle when considering the digital ecosystem. Together they discuss how you can leverage your website to form a marketing platform, as well as the place for you to create and own your content.
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In this Q&A, Brad from Pacific Plumbing sent in the following enquiry.
"Matt, I was wondering if you have any advise on what would be the best phone solution set up for my business?"
Background: Brad is a Sydney based plumber that runs a small company specialising in small commercial projects. He currently has his mobile/cellphone as his contact number, however wants to create a more professional appearance by getting a business phone number.
Solution: Matt called upon Nabil from Hypen Group for his expertise on this matter to learn a little more on the space of what is available and what is recommended for different types of organisations with different types of structures.
Content: In this podcast, Matt and Nabil discuss different types of phone systems, such as Landlines, Mobile phones and VoIP (internet phones). Nabil and his team also put together a great infographic, which will be available within the show notes.
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Welcome to the first episode of Toolbox Talks from The Site Shed, where curator and founder Matt Jones talks a little about his background and the main drive behind The Site Shed.
Matt talks about how he began as a plumber and later ended up in sales and marketing within the plumbing industry, at which time he observed many tradespeople that were not representing themselves, or their companies correctly in the online space. That revelation led him to start Plumbing Web Guys, which later morphed into Tradie Web Guys, which is a company that helps Tradespeople and contractors enhance their online presence.
Matts experience as a former tradesman, combined with his sales and marketing background, form a powerful combination of knowledge and expertise that he is sold out to delivering to listeners via this podcast.
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