Toolbox Talk: Recent Episodes
Jon Dale
This podcast is for tradies and builders who want to put structure and systems into your business so you can grow it properly.
Watch more videos at smallfish.com.au and check out the Big Numbers Workbook to learn about the important numbers in your business.
Your tradie mindsets helped you be successful as a tradie and even to build your business up this far – but that won't help you take your business to the next level – you need business mindsets.
Check out the rest of this week’s Toolbox Tip.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
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YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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This week's Toolbox Tip podcast is Your Money Mindset.
You've got mindsets around money, are they helping you or holding you back?
Check out the rest of this week’s Toolbox Tip.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Assess yourself - what's your mindset or pricing? Is it holding you back?And how can you shift this mindset to something more practical, more beneficial to both parties? A pricing mindset that covers all your business costs … Listen to this week’s Toolbox Tip. And if you want help changing this mindset, we can help you - book a chat with us to talk about it. ---------------If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chatFOLLOW US AT:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Do you ever think about how your mindset affects your business? You could harbour s#!tty mindsets and attitudes without even realising it, and these are making it harder for you to grow your business and get the success you want.Having productive mindsets is a tool to better yourself and your business. These mindsets can be categorised into four different types. Two are psychologically based and the other to are business-focused. They’re the scarcity and abundance mindsets and the Fixed vs. growth mindset. I go into more depth in this week’s TTblog and I’ll be doing a series, where I break down all four of these. We also have a mindset resource - want it? Comment “mindset’ -----------------If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chatFOLLOW US AT:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Customer says 'Too Expensive' means something entirely different (Often)Listen here to find out why.---------If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chatFOLLOW US AT:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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How many hats are you wearing?Too many?Too many hats costs you and your business.“How many hats are you wearing? Too many? Too many costs you and your business.”By hats I mean all the different jobs you do in your business and I know, if you’re a trades business owner you’re doing too many. I often see it with my clients. They’re juggling too many things at once.The solution here is to hand over jobs to others who are more suited. Hire an admin person, an estimator, get a job management system or a bookkeeper. Start by watching this week’s TTblog here. Want this week’s worksheet? Comment ‘HAT ME’ and one of the team will get it to you. -------------If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chatFOLLOW US AT:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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“If you let yourself get swept up in the immediate, seemingly more urgent jobs you avoid those big, important jobs that grow your business.”
Putting your head down and churning through work is detrimental to business growth….
Why?
You not getting any of the important work done.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Who are you accountable to? Accountability is one of those buzzwords we hear all the time in business. You hear constantly that as the boss you should be accountable for your team, and your employees; your whole business. Yet who holds you accountable? Who makes sure you’re getting the jobs done? Who checks that you’re actually doing those big projects that will create growth and success in your business? There should be someone. Accountability as a business owner is hard. You’re the big boss and no one tells you what to do but this is to your own and the business's detriment. If you don’t have someone (a partner, a business colleague, a business coach) to hold you accountable then it's easy to let projects, jobs and hard difficult tasks slip through the cracks. This is also because those bigger tasks, the ones that push progress, don’t have immediate consequences if they’re not done, so they get replaced by the immediate urgent things. We all do it but this is why your business coach, I mean accountability buddy is so important. We help keep our clients accountable through 1:1 and group sessions… we touch base with them regularly. Because it’s embarrassing to fess up to not doing a job in front of your coach or the other clients. Find someone to help hold you accountable. I've made a task accountability checklist.Say, 'Hold me… accountable' and I'll sling it your way.----------------------If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chatFOLLOW US AT:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Unicorns and normals - what do I mean by that?
The unicorns are the anomalies but we ‘normals’ can still build sustainably successful businesses.
How? For s start you could download the 7 Systems guide. Comment and we’ll send it through.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Your business is primarily about emotions - even a trades business.
Your business exists because of the way it (and you) make people feel about the work it does.
Your business exists; it makes money because of how you treat your customers and your team (as well as yourself).
If you want help bringing more emotion to your business book a call - we help with mindset in our program.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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‘Jon, how do I get more sales, consistently?’
A question I’m asked often by my clients and one answer is - stop jumping on the tools at the sign of trouble and think about your opportunity cost!
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Miscommunication - how to avoid it with your customers and avoid the headaches that come with it.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Let’s Talk Guarantees and Warranties
What is the difference between these two terms? People often get them confused or think they mean the same thing when they are different.
A warranty is something you legally have to have whereas a guarantee is something you can choose to provide.
Why? Find out in this week’s podcast.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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How to grow your capacity.
To make your trade business more successful you need to increase your capacity and there are several ways to do this.
Listen to this week’s podcast to find out more.
If you’re interested in growing your trade business, head over to our website and you can read some more of these Tradies Toolbox
Tips: https://www.smallfish.com.au/trades-business-coaching/
Book a money-maker call: https://www.smallfish.com.au/chat
FOLLOW US AT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallfishcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallfishcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallfishbusinesscoach/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/smallfishau
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Where Should You Spend Your Time As Your Business Grows?
It’s an important question to ask yourself - listen to this week’s podcast to find out...
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What’s a job management system and why have one?
They’re exceedingly useful tools if you don’t already have one or know about them… I’d highly advise getting one.
But first - why?
Well, they help automate all of your admin tasks - quoting, estimating, scheduling, job tracking, etc… it's all in one place.
And so much more...
Listen to this week’s blog post to understand why I am a huge fan.
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Company Get-Togethers - why do them?
We do one quarterly and it’s always an important event to get our clients together and away from the hurly-burly so they can focus on their business instead of continuing to be caught up in its grind.
As well as an opportunity for us to showcase our program to trades business owners who may be interested in it - i.e. you.
My Quarterly Intensive helps my clients get more out of my program which means they stay in it longer and helps them build bigger, better more successful businesses.
It also builds community where the people on the same journey of growing their business can network, learn from each other and help each other grow.
It helps build your confidence to talk to someone who's done the thing you're thinking about doing.
Listen to this episode to find out more.
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'Level up your trades business in 2024'
I've got some exciting news for you!
I've made some changes in my coaching program to help you grow your business more quickly and efficiently.
I'll explain to you in detail what this program means for you and how it can help you resolve some pressing issues with your trades business.
Listen to this episode to find out more.
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For this week's toolbox tip, I talk about fun - 'How to make work fun for your team'.
And there are some benefits to doing so.
Listen to this episode to find out more.
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Despite the changes in comparing yourself (making you feel bad unnecessarily, ruining your motivation) it can also be useful.
I’m sure you spend a bit of time thinking about what you’re doing right and wrong – I certainly do.
Listen to this episode to find out more.
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Comparison is the thief of joy - More often than not, these days we are comparing ourselves to others and this is no different as a business owner.
Comparison can be helpful but to be doing it in a way that is often not accurate or reasonable is unproductive.
Listen to this episode to find out more.
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The important question you should ask yourself.
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Do your people think your business makes much more money than it actually does? They probably do.
In the absence of real information, people make up their own interpretations based on what little information they have.
each your team how much employees really cost a business and show them all the other costs a business has to cover before it makes any profit because there’s a lot more than just what happens on-site
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How's your motivation? Is it a bit rubbish at the moment?
Seems to be that way for quite a few people. If you've been feeling a bit flat or not very motivated, don't just plough on with work. You'll do a shitty job and you'll stay pissed off.
Listen to this episode and do these things instead.
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It can be challenging to let go of control and trust others to handle tasks, but it's necessary for growth and scalability.
By focusing on growth and development, business owners can build a strong foundation for their businesses and create a sustainable future.
Listen to this episode.
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Hang up your toolbelt - start finding and winning more work for your team not just doing the 'work'.
How might you do that?
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To prioritise effectively the first thing you have to do is divide up your priorities. I like to think of them as divided into three things - your money, your capacity and your time:How might you do that?
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]There are a number of reasons you may feel unmotivated when it comes to your trades business and whatever these reasons are, they are normal however, it can be hard to pull yourself out of a tired slump.
In this week's podcast, I'll chat about how to get yourself back on track.
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How much is enough?
It's a question that obviously elicits a personal response from each of us so I’m not going to attempt to tell you the answer to what I think it should be.
But I will point out how much could lead to making a mistake.
Which begins when you blindly remain on a forward trajectory, getting lodged in that perpetual cycle of needing more - more money, more work, more success.
But this want is never satisfied. There’s always more. Bigger, better things to buy.
Though, I think it would be a shame to chase the dollar and realise later in life that materiality wasn’t what you were after.
So when do you know when enough is?
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[Toolbox Tip] Why Cost Plus Is A Shit
This podcast will help you understand why Cost Plus is risky and bad. As a business coach for tradies, I recommend fixed price quoting.
Find out WHY.
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Are you thinking of quitting because you're not making any progress and plans aren't working?
Losing the desire to keep going is normal, but my advice is not to give up. Think about what you can do to help yourself, and seek help.
Listen to this podcast.
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You should be paying your tradies the correct amount and you should be charging them out at a rate that covers your costs and leaves you with a decent margin but what is that?
I detail all of this in this week's podcast, tune in.
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How to be a strategic tradie
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A large percentage of trade business owners employ their tradespeople as subcontractors, as they believe it to be a less risky and more economical way to run their businesses - this is incorrect.
Why? Because these trades business owners have failed to see the potential risks involved.
Want to know more? Listen to this week's podcast.
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How do you know whether it's a smart decision to buy a business asset or not?
It can be tricky as your accountant might put forward an enticing offer but knowing whether you're actually saving money or if it will be economically good for business is more than just a nice offer.
Want to know why...
Listen to this week's podcast.
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You shouldn't be doing everything yourself, as the trades business owner - it's not a viable solution - to scale your business you need to build your team and build it with the right people.
Want to know how?
Listen to this.
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GST can seem confusing however it's quite simple to understand and I'll illustrate two ways to do so in this week's podcast.
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What has made you successful so far won’t help you take your business to the next level.
When you start your business, you feel confident in your skills as a tradesperson but less so in your skills as a businessperson or a salesperson or a leader.
Your focus is on finding and winning work and doing it well, and keeping busy - rightly so.
But.. you can’t keep working even harder, can you?
Just doing the same stuff, running your business the same way is likely to leave you frustrated, burnt out and not likely to help you take your business to the next level.
The next level is systematised, people - capable, smart people - are doing their jobs well, supported by you and by the systems you’ve built in your business. So systematise !
How? Listen to this!
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If you believe the shttier press (The Murdoch and Daily mail type papers) that we're heading for shttier times - interest rates are on the rise to curb inflation caused by a red-hot economy.
So how does one survive this? Well, there are plenty of ways to counter this inflation - listen to this podcast to find out how.
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Confidence is a term that many tradespeople think they can't apply to themselves, especially when referencing price.
I want to tell you that you can be confident as a tradesperson and in your price. Follow these steps.
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Delegating effectively improves efficiency in the workplace - but how do you do it? It involves a written process and proper handover.
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Automating your bookkeeping will help to free up time so you can work on more important aspects of your business.
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An easy 5 step process that creates a consistently profitable business with fatter margins and fairer prices.
- Without hours in the office and thousands out of your pocket.
- Without hours at your accountants office.
- With having to spend hours in excel.
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The term 'The Great Resignation' has been floating around the media a lot lately.
Now, I don't think it's something that the trades industry or even Australia has to worry about for the minute, as it's mainly affecting the US and those who work office jobs there.
There is, however, a problem that has become more prominent in the trades industry; the issue of employment; of finding good people to work for you - this is presenting as a difficult task.
Why? How? Listen to this podcast.
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Do you go into work, jump on site, sit down in the office and just let that tidal wave of tasks sweep you up and carry you off?
If you do, well, firstly it's normal - it's hard not to get caught up in the job and it's not that terrible too: you can run your business like that but it won't progress to where you may want it to go..
However, you can take control of this form of procrastination (as that is what it is) it's not that hard.
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Motivation and procrastination go hand in hand, you are less likely to procrastinate when you are motivated, aren't you?
Now part of motivation is knowing where you are in three years' time - you need to set your vision, your end goal. It's important so you know the right things, the right jobs so your business doesn't give you more stress.
And so that it'll be easy to measure your success.
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Last week, I talked about how to spot when you're procrastinating. This week, I'm delving into why we choose to complete one job over another.
And how that's a monumental form of procrastination.
Listen to this episode.
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Do you avoid the big tasks? Maybe you spend your day doing all the little, menial jobs? Either way that's a sure sign that you're procrastinating.
Procrastination isn't just an avoidance tactic, you're also diverting your attention away from the big tasks. The important tasks that will help progress your business.
Watch the video for more on this.
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Do you feel like you've got to be on top of every aspect of your business? Managing every little thing? That you have to be on the tools and in the office - every day?
When your business has become an extension of youself instead of you managing it, the obvious truth is that you need to let go. But how do you do that?
Start treating your business like a garden.
Listen to this to understand what I mean...
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Letting go of control is something all business owners find challenging. I understand.
You're scared of relinquishing control because they might not do it to the same standard as you. You're scared they'll make mistakes and customers will be unhappy.
But that simply isn't true and can put a big fat pin in the progression of your business. It can stump your success.
How will you ever grow and become more successful if you're trying to manage it all? There won't be time to grow or space.
You HAVE to let go of control in your business if you want it to be successful.
How - shift your mindset.
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This week we’re talking about Business Identity and how you can get a clear picture of what your business identity is and what you want it to be.
Now, part of it is you as a leader. And how you conduct yourself as this leader figure. How you look/behave is important as it denotes how others see you and how your business is conducted.
Check this as I explain this concept further.
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As a trades business owner, do you focus on your priorities and put them first or do you make the mistake of reacting to every little thing that comes up?
If you struggle to keep your priorities a priority then check out this video, as I talk about how to get back in control of your priorities and ultimate business goals.
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Hiring good people is difficult.
Everyone I know has cocked it up at some point and hired someone unsuitable and when you do cock it up, it's costly and frustrating.
Which is why it's SO important to have a hiring process.
What does that look like? I'll explain in this podcast.
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Tradesman or Apprentice; which to hire? Which hired role is going to help you grow your business the way you want it to grow? And which hired role will free you up to grow the business instead of being stuck on the tools? We'll figure out who's better for your business.
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Getting the word out makes it easier to publish your job postings to a broader audience and hire qualified employees. Here are some strategies to help you find job seekers, immediately.
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Do you need help hiring the right people in your business? Hiring the wrong person is expensive. So you should have a proper system in place that makes hiring the right people easy. Which will help your business grow. I've explained how to do just that in this episode.
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Customer conflicts are inevitable, there's no gettng around that fact. But the way you handle conflict is important if you want to keep the job and your reputation in tact.. I'll explain how to handle a conflict.
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We all know margins are really important in your trades business. So in this video, I'll show you how to calculate your margins properly so you know whether you are profitable on a job or not. Here's how:
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The number one problem tradies and builders get frustrated by is having skinny margins and the effects this has on their businesses. You need to make sure your margins are healthy, tradies. And here's how:
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The price increase of building materials puts the industry under a little threat, however, it doesn't mean you should put your projects on hold. There's a better way to manage price increases.
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Do you find yourself frustrated because you're not making enough money? There are factors you need to be aware of - one is pricing. In this video I'll tell you how you should be pricing your jobs. Watch this.
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Do you conduct a yearly or six-month performance review for your team? You need to be able to select a time of the year to make it happen - it is an integral part of performance management and there are key points you should cover. Watch this.
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Do you doubt fixed price quoting, think it might make your profitability fall apart? Here, I discuss how to use and manage it to protect you along the way.
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When quoting for a project, which structure would you prefer - a fixed price or cost plus? In my opinion, fixed price is better. I'll tell you why in this story.
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Time to make your business plan for 2021! Have you assessed what's been working and what hasn't? I can help you improve your plan. Watch this video.
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As a trade business owner, your aim should focus on growth. It sounds scary but you need to embrace it, you need to drive change. Here's how you can achieve it.
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An office Christmas party - it's what we all look forward to this Christmas season! And while it's about great food, and having fun, a Christmas party has a real purpose that can benefit you. Learn why here.
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If you put too much pressure on yourself to make your customers happy this Christmas, stop and listen. You need to set boundaries and actually stick to them. Learn how to in this video .
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It's very important that you normalise your Profit and Loss Report otherwise, you won't really know whether your business is actually doing okay or not. Let me show you what I mean by normalising it.
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Interesting question, isn't it? 'When should you write off a bad debt?' There are many things to consider before doing so. I'll explain it in this video.
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The customer buying behaviour is important to take account into your sales process. You should understand their buying cycle and what’s going on for them at the various stages of it. Watch this video.
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In this week's video, there are two points I want to make in how you become a good leader. Check it out in this video.
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Branding is vital for every business. But the question is will your branding be remembered? In this week's video, I discuss how investing in your branding is very important. I call it Site-Specific Marketing. Check it out!
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I bought a new lawnmower and whipper snipper at Mitre 10 in Mullumbimby and I was thrilled by their great customer service. I'm sharing you my experience in this video.
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Now is the perfect time to invest in your trades business. If you're wondering what investment you can do, I'll show you in this short video.
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There have been news articles that talk about how much tradies earn. This week we're going to investigate if those numbers are true becasue there's a lot more to it.
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Tradies, how you present yourself matters to us customers. It improves the quality of your sales process so you can also charge a bit more.
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This home builder grant could help you boost confidence in rolling your trade business amidst the pandemic.
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Have you ever scratched your head trying to understand why a customer ghosted you? Don't let that happen. Send them a closing message? Here's a sample.
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Been ghosted by your prospects before? Having a proper sales process can help you avoid this. Here's how.
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Trade business growth hack...There's one thing you need to do to make your business become successful.
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Are you masking your losses? It's common for tradies to think they are profitable but they don't count how many hours they are working in their business. Here's how to avoid this.
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This week, I'm going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being a sole trade vs a proprietary limited trade so you can decide what's the best structure for your business.
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Unprofessionalism - it's very common in trades business. But if you get your systems organised and are disciplined about it, this is how you can win against your competitors.
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Tradies, learn to build up systems that will keep your trades business from drying up. Avoid these common mistakes.
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When you understand your margins, you will see how this affects the price you should charge in your business. Make sure you cover all your costs.
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Customers may ask you to drop your price because of the crisis, but I'll give you 3 reasons why you should say NO to discounting.
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I told you why it's important to invest in your marketing now I'll give you some examples you can use in your strategy.
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Everything has changed since the pandemic arose, affecting the economy all over the world. But that doesn't mean you should stop marketing and here's why.
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Most of the tradies I know are a bit hesitant to apply for a stimulus package because they don't think they qualify. But I think you should try and here's why.
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They say your physical state is very important to fight this virus but don't forget your emotional state is also important too. Here's why.
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If you've gone quiet as an effect of the pandemic, it's time to spend your time and effort doing more marketing.
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Our webinar about email marketing with Matt Jones from The Site Shed is out. Have a listen to it and see if he changes my mind.
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Email marketing is a type of relationship marketing and I believe it's not a good investment for tradies. But Matt Jones has something to say about it - let's see if he can change my mind.
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Nurturing your trades business leads is very important, particularly when your customer is researching (aka tyre-kicking). Learn more.
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You need to understand the value of your business before you can sell it. This video will help you understand how having a database of customers can add great value into your business.
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Customer lifetime value helps you understand whether your marketing and sales process is effective or not. Find out how to calculate it.
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I'll show you why knowing the value of your service helps you confidently stand up for your price, particularly, when a customer says you're too expensive.
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Are you able to defend your pricing when prospects start to question you about it? If not, here are 3 steps to help you be confident with your pricing process.
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During a quiet period, I don't think you should have a side hustle to earn extra money. But, there is one thing I suggest you do. Watch this.
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What happens if get sick? Can your business survive? Here are 2 things you should do to reduce business dependency.
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During a quiet period, I don't think you should have a side hustle to earn extra money. But, there is one thing I suggest you do. Watch this.
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Charging on a time and materials or hourly rate basis can put you and your customers at risk. Let me explain why in this short video.
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This season people are busy trying to deal with Christmas rush projects. So, here are some option on how to manage it effectively.
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The best things in your business require time and effort which is something I'm learning again with my new dog. Here's the story.
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Variations in a project are common and they can cause many headaches if they aren't scoped out appropriately. Here's how you can fix your variation process.
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Your language matters as it affects how your customers perceive you, so be clear with your words in proposals, on your website and even in your marketing.
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Goal setting is important for your trades business - if you don't aim at something, you can end up going nowhere.
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It's your responsibility to follow-up your customers after you've submitted a quote and close the deal. If you neglect this, you're losing opportunities.
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Once you understand how much a trade apprenctice actually costs you, it's easy to determine how much you should charget them out at.
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Hiring a trade apprentice seems conveniet because they can be cheaper, but is it good for your trades business? Let me tell you more in this video.
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Knowing your numbers helps you understand the profitability of your business. Are you gaining or losing money? It's important to know this and here's why.
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Understanding your business costs play a very important role in planning your pricing to make sure your business is profitable and keeps running in the long run.
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Do you actively do marketing? Do you have a process for sales lead follow-up? If not, then you should watch this video. I'll show you why it works.
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In this video, I'll show you why you need to know your numbers in your business through an experience I had with my client. It's not as scary as you think.
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Is there really a secret of success in a trades business? Let me tell you the truth in this video.
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If you believe that being cheap will help you win work, think again. When you do your quotes,you shouldn't only focus on price. Here's how you can do your sales process properly.
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It's important to have systems and structures in place. Here's why it will help you build a scalable trades business.
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There are several paths you can take for your trade business growth. Learn what they are in this video so you can make an informed business growth decision.
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There's a danger in selling yourself short and you can stop doing it by building self-confidence. Here's how to do it.
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How often do you get caught up working on things that don't really matter? Here's an approach to help you choose what really matters.
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Investing in building a good culture is important not only for big businesses but even for small businesses. Here are some ways you can provide a good culture for your tradespeople.
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it's very important that you manage your team well because of you don't, you'll be disappointed in the performance you get from them. Here's how you can do it properly.
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If you don't hire properly, you'll end up disappointed. So here are 5 steps you can use in your hiring process.
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A trades business is a people business and it is important to lead your team properly. Here are 6 steps you can do to make sure you have a team that's committed to you and the business.
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Here's a story to demonstrate why charging a bit more means stability in your trades business.
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Someone asked a question on Builder's Talk Group if it's a good idea to leave his people do the jobs so he can have more time to himself. Some think this guy is an idiot for asking it because obviously, he can. But I think it's a fair question. It's a real frustration that everyone has to deal with. Every trade business owner who wants to grow comes up against this issue. Let me tell you the whole story in this video.
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It's important to know who your target market is so you can decide where to spend your marketing money. You’ve got to be specific to someone or you end up being nothing to no one. So, how do you choose your target market? First, you need to define who they are and there are three ways to do this. Watch this video and I'll explain it in detail.
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I was asked in one of my youtube videos how to deal with frustrating customers. This is quite common in a trades business where do a quote for someone only to find out that they're just wasting your time. You can avoid these type of customers and I'll tell you how to do it with these 4 responses.
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How much are your margins when you finish a job? If not enough, then you should charge more. I know it's a bit daunting and you're afraid you'll lose your customers if you do so. But you know what? My client did just that without any resistance from their customer. They have better margins now and they're happy. You just need to be confident. You can do it too. Watch this video.
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Are you doing enough marketing? I see most tradies only rely on relationships and word-of-mouth. They only do a bit and end up lacking confidence when faced by somebody who's being unreasonable especially when they do price negotiaton. This is why marketing is so important.
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Today I wanna share my experience when my air-conditioning was installed in our room. 2 guys came to our house and checked which AC best suits our space. We found the 1st guy online and the other was referred by my friend. Both of these guys gave similar suggestions and they also promised a quote right away. So the waiting game is on. Who do you think came back to us with a quote?
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How do you treat your people in your business? I want to share a true story. This is from an infographic I received last week comparing 2 well-known chicken restaurants in the US. As I was reading it, I was amazed at how the smaller company beat the other in terms of revenue. Wanna know what they did? Let me show you.
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I saw a post on Capenter's Talk Group from a guy who asked where he could borrow money to grow his business. Lots of people gave some funny ideas, but there were others who made a fair point too. So I thought of sharing some options where you can get the funds you need for your business. Each of these options have their own pros and cons so let me run you through them.
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When you make a mistake do you apologise immediately? It can feel quite confronting, can't it? Sometimes we make excuses so as to not put the blame on us. But this could make things worse. Here's a story I have about a referral I gave to my client. There's an important lesson here...
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As the owner of your trades business, you're most likely doing more work at the office than in the field. What does your office environment look like? Do you have a desk and proper chair to make you feel comfortable while working on your laptop or computer? I know it sounds a bit silly to ask but it's important. If you wear safety gear on site, you also need to make sure you take the necessary precautions at your office to avoid injury. Here's how bad posture injured me.
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I like to use the analogy of: "fit your mask first". We've heard this a couple of times when we fly on airplanes at the start of safety check to fit our mask first before we help somebody else. Let's take it across business. Our business is dependent on us. We work so hard to make sure it's working properly. Often, we end up neglecting our self. We forget that our self needs some attention to. Are you guilty? Here's the truth.
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Let's continue the talk on how to look after yourself better. I'm sure you'll love the topic because today it's all about utes. There's a buzz going on around about this new Mercedes X class ute. It's big muscular-looking ute but it costs $80,000 too. Do you think it's worth it? Here's what I think about it.
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You need to look after yourself because you don't want to get sick of running your business. There's more to life than work and we know that. So let's start at the bottom... Your work boots.
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I saw an interesting post on Facebook about a tradie who sent an invoice for work he did over a year and a half ago. And so, he asked this question: Is there an expiry date for an invoice? What do you think? Does he have a chance to be paid? Let me tell you in this week's video.
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How's your company's culture? Did you do a Christmas party in the office? If you did, you've already made a small investment in having a great business culture. But it's not enough. There are two things you need to consider to have a good culture in your business.
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How's your holiday? Are you ready to get back to business? Here's an interesting article I read from @hubspot about the flywheel in business. I'm sure most of you in trades business know what a flywheel is. But how is it related to a trades business?
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Merry Christmas! I know it's Christmas, so this will be short, but I want to share some stories of my client's wins this year. They made it by being confident to stand for what's best for their business. Hope this encourages you to do the same.
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The news is on again about rogue tradies roaming around the country, knocking on people's doors and ripping people off. This is not a new story after all. I know I've mentioned this stuff before, but it bears mentioning again. Not all trades business owners are good and decent people like you and your tradespeople.
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Today, let's talk about having a business structure and how it gives you an edge from other trades business. Let me share with you a good example from the experience I had with this plumber.
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I saw this post on a Facebook group for tradies the other day about a guy who unintentionally damaged a luxury car while working on site. You bet it was not his lucky day. Bentley SUV worth a £150,000 and the damage to be fixed to the paintwork and the bodywork was £30,000. If that was you, what would you do? Here's a lesson you can learn from this guy.
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Today's topic is about the mistake of not charging enough. It's easy to make it, particularly if you're new, small and don't have any costs. But... It's the wrong thing to do and let me tell you why.
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It's tradie mistake # 3 - not being true to your word. And this habit damages 2 things: - Business opportunities; and - Your reputation However, this is a common human behaviour. Almost everyone does this from time to time. And here's the reason why people do it.
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In last week's episode, I talked about tradies not showing up to their pre-arranged appointments when they said they would. Or promising to prepare quotes for their customers but then they don't. It's a bit disappointing and I blame it on how they manage their time. They're very disorganised. There's only one solution to this.
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Who likes unreliable people? Of couse, no one does! The first mistake tradies commit is failing to show up. I know that not only tradies do this thing, but most of us who are in business are guilty too. But you can stop this from happening again, here's how.
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One of the strategies to increase your work capacity is to hire people. I understand that you all have lots to do in your trades business and you can't wait to hire more people to do the work for you in order to grow and scale.
This leaves you vulnerable to making poor decisions and rush decisions. I'll give you a warning and I know I've said this before: if you hire without discipline, you'll regret it in the end.
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Trades Business Growth Strategies - How To Increase Your Work Capacity
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I'd like to talk today about 'Sh*tty Email Marketing -- Don't do this!' People seem to think it works but don't do it! Email is not a good way to start a relationship. It's a great way to maintain a relationship.
For my business, email is useful because the service I'm selling is about teaching you stuff that you want to learn: marketing, and sales, and how to grow and scale your business. But that's not true so much for trade business.
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As you know, from last week's Toolbox Talk, I'm in Spain at the moment because of my dad's heart surgery. And I'm glad he's doing okay now 🙂 But, before my trip, sh*t things happened. I have to deal with my cold that I got from my holiday.
My poor dog was dying. I had to go and euthanise my dog, which was very distressing, bury him in the garden, drive to Brisbane, fly to Spain. And I started to worry about the meetings scheduled with my clients - what am I going to do with them? I was worried about letting people down. Negative thoughts started to sink in. It was stressful. There was a bit going on. So how did I manage it?
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I'm sorry if I made you think about the song from Oasis but that's not what I'm pointing out here. I'm talking about your business :) If you're like me and you're trying to grow and scale your business, looking forward to the future, then you're already taking steps on how to get there.
The journey is a bit difficult and I understand that. There can be some discouraging moments along the way. But I'm encouraging you to look back - not in anger but to see how far you've come. It will help you feel better. I'll show you how to look back and see your progress.
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How many of you heard this line from McDonald's saying, “Would you like fries with that?” I bet most of us say yes to this simple upsell question, right? I think this strategy is good for your business and using it is a powerful revenue increaser for you. Now, I know there's a little bit of discomfort here but I'll help you overcome it in this short video.
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I read the news recently which said tradies are earning more compared to other professions. This caught my attention because if you read the news carefully, they're clearly missing some points.
I bet you wouldn't want your customers thinking you're ripping them off just because you're charging more than $90 an hour, right? So here's my thought on how you can defend yourself with how to charge your customers.
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What do you do when there's no more work to do? Are you back to cleaning the shed? Cleaning the shed isn't fun. You don't want to be cleaning this sh*t, right? It's a very stressful place to be.
Of course, what we want is to always have work to do so we can earn money to pay for our staff, our business and family's need. What happens is, we end up cleaning the shed if we don't build our marketing machine properly. I'll explain a bit more what I mean.
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Is your business too complex right now? Do your processes require too much time and energy for you and your staff to accomplish? If so, I encourage you to avoid complexity at all cost.
It's known in bigger business to be a cause of cost, and in smaller business, I think sometimes we allow it to creep in and we shouldn't. Now, I'll tell you it's not easy. It takes a bit of discipline. Let me explain to you more.
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Today's blog is about small trades business vs big trades business. There's a lot of difference between a small and informal trade business, and a structured and systematized one. I have read from Seth Godin's articles that the small business kind of works, and the big business kind of works, and then in between is a bit sh*t. Do you agree? Let me explain to you a bit more.
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How's business going? Is there a lot going on right now? What I mean is, sometimes you have to do a lot of things. You start doing some more marketing and you get a bit busy and then, you have to go and work on your operations machine and grow people, hire people, or make it more systematic or take yourself out of it, and so on.
Everything you do has another effect and sends you over to somewhere else and that's what I mean by the juggle. I'll explain a bit more about it and how I think you can manage it.
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I often hear people say that they get their business through word-of-mouth marketing, but is it enough? If you're a small business, I don't blame you if that's the only thing you do. But if you're ambitious to grow bigger with your trades business, I don't think you can rely on word-of-mouth alone. Let me tell you why in this video.
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My girlfriend, Michelle, who's a PhD in psychology, tried to build a website on her own. She did a good job building it. but not as great as she was in her field. Recently, she noticed that her website wasn't bringing any leads and when she tried to Google herself she was nowhere to be found. And so, my lesson for today is about websites and why doing-it-yourself is not a good idea.
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How's your day today? I've been sending emails about improving your cash flow, has it helped you a bit? I'd like to know :) Today, I'll be talking about the 4th way on how to loosen tight cash flow. Clue: it's the subject of this email. Yes, I'll share with you how to track money coming in and out your business. Plus, I've got a free download for you that you can use to help you do it.
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Today's topic for Cash Flow is a bit exciting and confronting :) We will be talking about how to get paid sooner than never. And I see this crime that people commit often - it is to do work, raise their invoice, and leave it, and let it dragged out and not get paid and be owed a considerable sum of money. If that's what you do, I urge you to stop and try these better solutions instead to keep your money coming in.
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It's Episode 2 of our Cash Flow Series! Last week, I shared with you that the first step to improve your cash flow is to have better margins. Have you started doing it? If not, I think you should and I believe you can. The way to get different results is to do something different. So let me continue my topic with this one - It's important to know your numbers.
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I asked people joining the 'Tradies Business Toolshed' group on Facebook about what areas in their business they want to improve (if you haven't joined the group yet, click here. And I got this very common answer: CASH FLOW. So I decided that for this whole month of June, I will be talking about 'Cash Flow' because I know it is very important. It is the blood that runs the life of every business. Today, I will start discussing how to have better margins.
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Last week I spoke about 'Price vs Risk' or 'Choosing Between Cheap Tradies And Expensive Tradies'. I want to emphasize that sometimes when choosing a cheap builder, the customers expose himself/herself to a lot of risks compared to the expensive ones - those who have included everything in their quote, who they can trust and rely, and all other things.
But, let me make myself clear, I am not saying expensive is always better than cheap, because it is not always the case. Today, I want to continue exploring this topic and I call it the 'Building Game'.
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Today's topic is about Price vs Cost. I know when it comes to pricing tradies can feel a bit pressured, especially when someone else comes in much cheaper than you for the same job.
So I've made this to explore one of my favorite themes - resisting price pressure, and what you can do to make sure you have enough money to sustain your business. You need to take a risk you know and it's not that hard :)
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It's been a while since I done Jon's Journey episodes for you. For those who are new here, these episodes are about my experience as someone who's bought a house and using tradespeople as a customer, being on the other side of that fence and seeing what I learned so I can share it with you and you can use it to improve your business.
But today, I cheated... I haven't used the trade but my neighbors have. So I'm going to show you what the trades who worked on their house did.
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Today, I've made a short video about what I call "The Marketing Building Blocks for a trades business" and I'm going to - explain the different types of trade business - What the building blocks are - Which type of building blocks should you use for your trades business I hope the video makes sense to you. Or have a chat with me if you have questions :)
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In today's topic, I'm talking about social media. I know there's so many choices out there you can use to market on social media. There are many people trying to sell a service to do it for you, and often they're biased because they have a preference or an understanding of one platform and not so much the other. But are these platforms good for you? I'll tell you how to use social media based on how a buyer behaves online.
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You might be wondering what I mean by my title. 🙂 It's a cute 😊 story but I'm making a point about inertia and taking action - are you sitting on a nail? 🤔 There's no denying that we all experience pain at some point in our lives, even in our business. Sometimes it's obvious what's causing us this pain.
And sometimes the pain is disguised. Do you know what's causing you pain in your life, particularly in your trades business? What have you done so far about it? 🤷♂️
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Do you find it hard to let go (of control)? I know most tradies do. In fact, ""Control Issues"" is something most of my clients will identify with. Fair enough - you got this far by being in control but you'll scale by letting go - in a controlled fashion.
I'll show you how to: - Let go of your control issues - Delegate the work to your people - Create systems and processes If you want me to show you how, watch the video :)
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I was inspired to write something about I read in a Facebook thread of a group I joined about tradies. It's a question about Google AdWords or Pay-Per-Click advertising. Many of you have heard of this, but I'm sure that not all of you have figured out how to do it. It's okay because you are not supposed to be good at it. You'd do better by learning how to develop your skills to become a better tradesman.
And I don't recommend you DIY this stuff or else you'll only be wasting your marketing money. But, if you have someone who can do it for you, I'll show you how to apply it to your trades business.
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Last week I talked about the ways your customers lie just to get a cheaper price which leaves you at your disadvantage. I wanted to explore a bit more on that. Your customers may lie if they want to win you over at a cheaper price but don't you know they do same thing if they don't give you the job anyway? Why would they do that?
I know it's probably what you're asking right now so I'm here to tell you the REASONS why 'people tell lies'. I'll spill you the beans in this short video.
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Can you tell if your customers are lying just to get a discount? If you're not so sure how they do it, I'll tell you the signs. Don't fall in the trap or you'll end up losing.
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I hired a plumber for some small jobs at home. The guy is nice but the experience I had from their service is not so good. And I learned some important lessons from it that I want to share with you.
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Lead aggregation sites are very popular among small businesses who want to get more leads and bring in more work. But, is it really worth investing your marketing money?
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You might be wondering what the customers do before they decide to hire a tradesman. Let me share with you my own experience as a customer of trades businesses. Hint: there is a process.
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Most of the time we hear our customers asking for a discount for cash transactions. As a trades business owner, should you be doing it? Well, I don't think you should discount and I'm going to tell you WHY.
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Sometimes conflicts arise and often the cause is a misunderstanding, having two different understandings of the situation. But I believe you can avoid conflicts if you have a proper communication system in place. Let me show what it is.
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Remember last time I had a nasty experience with a tyre guy? They sent me an offer recently and I was tempted to do it. Their strategy is clever even though I feel bad about them. Let me show what they sent.
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Let's run a quick website analysis of your trades business. If it isn't bringing enquiries or reassuring people that you are what they thought, then it's not doing its job. Here are some thoughts on what to do about it.
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Today, I'll show you what I do when I don't use tradies. I tried to do some DIYs at home to make a quick fix on things that bother me a lot. Want to see my work?
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Are you guilty of buying into urgent matters in your trades business all the time? Don't panic, I've got a hack to share with you in managing interruptions in the workplace.
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This is episode 4 and today I'll talk about how well you do your sales process. Are you wasting your marketing money or not?
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There is an internet meme going around about the definition of insanity. But I don't agree to it at all. So I tried digging more into it and here's what I found.
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Everytime I run the Tools Down workshop, I always ask the attendees how they respond to a busy period or a difficult situation, and I got the same answer most of the time, 'just putting my head down and getting on with it.'
It's funny because their wives start to nod too. They say, "He does that Jon. He does that all the time."
I know it's a common thing and it's tempting. But it doesn't help you scale your business, does it? There's only so much work you can do.
You're probably thinking right now, 'I can't help it Jon. No one does it better than me.'
I say that you can change that. Let me tell you a simple way how to do it.
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Is a 'Quiet January' a common theme in your trades business? It doesn't have to be. Here's what you should do.
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Have you ever heard of 'Vanity' marketing? I think that many people are guilty of doing it.
I'm sure you haven’t heard about it yet because it's a term I just made up myself. And I like to call it ‘vanity’ because it's just a way of making people look good, having to spend all their money, time, and effort without getting any value from it.
And it's sad to see that many people fall into this trap because they think it's the right thing to do and everybody else is doing it.
Well don't get me wrong. I know some of you may not agree with me on this but let me explain my stance. And let me define 'Vanity' marketing for you because I know you're already so much intrigued about it.
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It's the time of the year - Christmas rush projects for trades business! You're probably busy and your business (and your customers) are in charge, not you.
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I just had a bad experience with a tyre company last time so I want to emphasize the importance of integrity in your trades business.
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Do you follow up your quotes properly? Research says, 80% of sales closed after 5 follow-ups. And so you need to have a good follow-up system for leads.
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Value your time and make your customers value it too.
Check this out.
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If you recall from the last journey I had, I was talking about moving into a new house and the experienced I had with the flea guy. This time it's the removalists. I engaged in a removal business in Byron Bay to move us from one house to another before when some unpleasant things happened in my life.
It was a positive experience I had with these guys. I'm moving houses again so I hired them one more time because I like and I trust them. What made me feel so positive about them? Here's why.
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I have a funny story again. My old client and a friend of mine runs a car mechanic workshop in Mona Vale. And he likes to give discounts to his customer (I'm sorry mate if you're reading this, you know who you are).
One time, we were sitting at his workshop and the customer came, ready to pick up the car, and pay for the labor and cost to fix it. My mate said, "Your car is ready, the bill is $450 but I'm giving you a discount so just pay $400."
And so the guy peeled a $50 of his little bundle and put it inside his pocket then handed the rest over to my friend. And you can imagine my reaction to that, "F#$k!ng Apes#!t." My friend got embarassed to me with what happened I can sense it. Anyway, my friend went to Byron Bay recently where I am living then we decided to catch up again.
And this is what he told me. Check it out.
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A story... I'm moving house and so I need a lot of tradies to help me with this transition. I feel quiet excited about it and I have been very busy packing our things but GUESS WHAT? S#!t things happen to me (I know no one's to be blamed but me) and I wish everyone knew what I've been through that day. So I decided to share my story with you of what it's been like for me to be a customer and see what things you can get out of this experience to improve your business. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to share your thoughts.
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Sick of being told you're too expensive? Get some certainty behind you and you'll feel better.
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Get yourself an Upsell Question and Stop Leaving Money on the table.
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Find Your Passion! You'll be successful if you do. Bullshit, I say.
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Big Changes Scary - Small Ones Work too! I'll show you how.
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If you submit your quote and your customer goes quiet, it's not much fun.
You can't eliminate it completely but you can make it happen a whole lot less if you do two things...
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Customer not happy with invoice? Your fault.
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Here’s your four-point plan to be more gritty and to be more gritty and to be more successful in your business.
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Ever hired on a handshake and regretted it later? Do this instead.
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Swipe my framework for growing your trade business - simple, effective and yours for free.
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The Difference Between a Tradesman and a Gifted Amateur - know it, be proud of it, charge for it.
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Sick of customers asking for a discount and feeling pressure to give it? Try Value Engineering instead. It's a real thing!
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Are you like Jamie, a bottleneck? See what he did to fix it.
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Have you seen this new way of buying steel and concrete?
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I’ve continued with my theme of giving people certainty - it makes it easier for them to make a decision (to get you do their job).
A guarantee is one way - (last week’s way).
Price certainty is another way. If someone knows how much a job is going to cost them, with certainty, they are much more able to make a decision to buy.
Are you giving people price certainty? I think you should try.
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Are you using a guarantee to de-risk your business?
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People are scared of hiring a tradie. Are they scared of hiring yours?
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Do you suffer from Magpie Syndrome? It’s not a medically recognised thing but I see it all the time. It’s dangerous and it’s costly for business owners and you need to resist it. I'll explain it.
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Are you a global business? You could be, easily - which means saving money. Cloud services are how.
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It’s easy to get frustrated when you’re making slow progress (or even when it feels like no progress at all). But the temptation to chuck it in and try something else should (usually) be resisted. Sometimes the slow progress is the best way forward.
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Growing and scaling your trade business means more money for you and a business that can carry on without you having to be there ALL the time. It also requires you to do things differently. The Tradies Toolbox Coaching Program will help you make those changes and the videos in this YouTube channel will give you an insight into what those changes are and (I hope) help you make some of them right now. Enjoy and, of course, get in touch if you want to ask me anything.
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It’s hard to resist the downward price pressure if you’re not sure whether the pressure is fair or not. Maybe you’re too expensive. Maybe there’s something you don’t know or don’t understand and you’re out there in the marketplace charging too much.
If you truly understand your costs, you’ve got part of the picture clear - you need to do profitable business, covering your costs and your overheads and making some profit is a necessary part of doing good business. Knowing this and being confident helps you stand up to the bullies.
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These days, though, outsourcing is your friend. The big guys have been doing it for years but it’s becoming easier for us little guys to do it. I’m doing it and you can too.
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How much do your employees really cost you? I’m thinking in particular about the trades whose time you charge for - are you charging enough to cover what they truly cost you? Do you know how much they cost you - not per hour that they work but per hour that you get to charge them out? I'll show you how to calculate it.
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You've only got so much marketing money - In this video I'll tell you how to make sure you don't spread it too thinly.
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Make sure your customers know what kind of trades business you are - spell it out for them.
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How to say NO to mates rates. Negotiate like a pro.
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So many tradies kid themselves that they are too busy - too busy to make changes to their business, too busy to do the difficult jobs that will take their business to the next level. They aren’t. They are choosing not to do them and giving themselves an excuse for not doing them. Could this be you? Are you procrastinating but pretending you’re too busy? Procrastination is one of many things that get in the way of growing your trade business. There are lots more and there are lots of things you can do to get past them.
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There's two ways of calculating your margin - mark up and gross margin. One of them is wrong, and if you are calculating yours this way, you are elaving money on the table.
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Make them the things that are going to take your business further, towards where you wanted to go. They might be marketing, they might be a big quote, they might be hiring somebody new or writing job descriptions. Those kinds of things that you might otherwise defer because there’s so much other shit to get done.
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I just wanted to talk quickly today about some “Find Me” marketing. I’ve talked about it before. If you’re a trade, people know what you do, often anyway, and often they know what they want. They know if they want plumber or an electrician, or concreter or builder. So it’s important that your marketing enables you to be found when people go looking.
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I want to talk specifically about site-based marketing. I’ve probably banged on about this a little bit in some previous videos. I certainly talk about it in my workshops and I certainly encourage all my coaching clients to consider spending some of their money and some of their energy on this site-based marketing. And what prompted me was...
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I don't believe in working when you should be on holiday and I always believe that life is more important than work but, if you get a bit of time to yourself over the holiday, then this is worth doing. It will make next year go a whole lot better. Watch the video or read the transcript and feel free to let me know how you go with it.
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As a business owner, you have the responsibility to do the best you can in your business.I think you need to take whatever help you can. Getting a business coach is not a kind of weakness. Let me tell you why.
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Today's topic is about recording your sales opportunities. I call it keeping a sales forecast or a quotes register. And the point really is to keep you focused on that important way of bringing money into your business.
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Today's topic is why the old ways are dying and what you should be spending your money on instead. And look what arrived today!
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I just learned what SIPs are (I'm a business coach, not a builder, give me a break :)). I learned how they can make a build a lot quicker.
And I just met someone who designs SIP-based houses and needs builders to build them.
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I'm going to explain how changing one simple thing you do can help you make sales more easily. If you're sick of doing lots of quotes and waiting for an answer, try this one thing. It's not the only thing by any means but it will make a big impact on how many jobs you get. And it's SO simple!
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This is important, people are searching for trades and you need to be found. I'll explain why it's important and where they are looking and what you need to do.
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I do a lot of networking with builders and trades and other people who help you with your businesses. I consider it my job to learn more about the industry and what’s available to you so I can be more useful.
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As a trades business owner it’s easy to lose money in ways you’re not even aware of. Ways that can seriously affect your margins. And without good margins it’s hard to have a profitable and sustainable business. Here's how to make more money and then support you to actually do it.
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Would you like to maintain or make better margins?
I’d like to help! This will help you get your head around charging more without losing the jobs
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Who does your digital marketing? Does anybody? Does your website bring you leads because it should? How much traffic does it get? How do you get traffic to it? Do you pay for adwords? Do you pay for SEO? Or you just kind of leave it to chance.
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There’s a lot of noise about #faketradie. I’m a business coach but I made this just to make a point. We don’t like fake, do we?
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Do you feel like you always keep looking around in your business trying to find the quickest solutions for all your frustrations?
Take a look at this bush turkey maybe you can get a lesson from this creature.
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This helps you understand how a functioning business will make you feel less like you’re gouging when you up your prices. There are two simple elements that I talk about - and this can be the difference between having low (shit prices) vs having a higher rate but still winning more business.
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Jim increased his hourly rate from $50 to $60 (+GST) and his margin from 10% to 15% and won a $600,000 project the very next week. You can too. Find out how.
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Have you read the How to Charge More Worksheet yet? I’m aware that telling you to charge more might be challenging for you - charging more is scary and probably leaves you concerned that you’ll lose business. Don’t feel like you need to rush it. Watch these 3 videos and, if you are still reluctant, give me a call and we’ll talk about it.
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Have a listen and tell me if you think you can justify a small price increase.
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I know January is a bit quieter than December. December was a big rush (wasn’t it?) of finishing stuff off for people in time for Christmas. And January gives you a bit of a rest and a bit of time to think. I hope you’ll be using it to think about what you want to be different for this year. I’m doing the same, I’m reflecting on my business, writing down some plans, thinking about what I want to do differently. And I’d like to encourage you to do the same.
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I know it's a bit scary and most trades business owners don't do it because you're not confident with your pricing or you're afraid you'll lose customers if you charge more.
But what if I told you that you can do it? My client just did and now has better margins as a result.
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I’m aware that telling you to charge more might be challenging for you - charging more is scary and probably leaves you concerned that you’ll lose business. Don’t feel like you need to rush it
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I’m talking today about how to counter the game when somebody plays the game with you. And by the game I mean coming in with a real low ball quote, so beating you in the project, winning the project, winning your customer, that’s whether you’re in the trade, selling to a builder or whether it’s a contractor a prime contractor selling to a consumer and then to an end customers.
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I’m going to talk to you about the problem today of having to do quotes that you don’t win. I know it’s frustrating,lots of project tradies and lots of builders. Tell me if it pisses you off when you do all that quoting, you spend all time doing a quote and you don’t win the job? Or even worse, you win the job and you spend all this time working really good?
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Today I’m going to complain. This is something you shouldn’t be doing. I heard this story from a friend of mine the other day...
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I met Dallas a year or so ago, Revenue was about $200,000 and he had a couple of guys working for him. Profit was OK but less than he could have been being paid if he was working for someone else.
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So the first three shifts were marketing and sales and delivery (or operations). Build scalable machines that can grow bigger than your ability to hold each one together and extract yourself from them so you can enjoy yourself.
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Jon again, fresh from a hard day trying to get people to change the way they run their business so they can get themselves a better business. One that makes them more money and takes less time and gives them fewer ulcers.
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One thing that is very clear about running a trade business is that it is very stressful. Soooo many balls to keep in the air.ress and busyness are a funny thing. It’s a known fact that you’ll never have all the work done.
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I’ve been talking about how you can spend less time quoting and more time on the selling part - remember, price is only a small part of why people choose one supplier over another. It is mostly about trust.
So if you put all your effort into quoting - giving someone a price - and you neglect to work through the rest of the decision with them, you are doing yourself a disservice.
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Today I’d like to think about corporations because they spend a lot of money and are, of course, worth your attention but they are a peculiar, don't just quote. Build relationships with the people who are running the projects and don’t believe very much of what the procurement people tell you.
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Often, people ask for a quote because that’s all they know what to ask of a tradesman, right? OK, a little aside. There are different types of trade businesses and this discussion about quoting applies to them in different ways.
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Quoting for jobs you don’t win is a waste of time. Most tradesmen do lots of it and regret the time they waste. Is this you? So what to do instead?
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This is the art and science of not spending your time measuring up and writing up a quote for someone who isn’t going to buy from you. We’ll talk later in this series about what to do for them instead but this week, I’m thinking about how to spot the time waster.
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When your time is money, wasting it on people who end up buying the same thing from someone else instead feels like crap. So wouldn’t it be good if you could spend less time doing it and win just as much work?
Of course it would, who wouldn’t like that? I want to ask you to think about is this - Qualifying out.
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