Toolbox Talk

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.

How to be a strategic tradie

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?  Jus...

If you believe the sh*ttier press (The Murdoch and Daily mail type papers) that we're heading for sh*ttier 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.

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.

Delegating effectively improves efficiency in the workplace - but how do you do it? It involves a written process and proper handover.

Automating your bookkeeping will help to free up time so you can work on more important aspects of your business.

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 Book A Money Maker Call - www.smallfish.com.au/chat

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 w...

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 th...

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. 

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.

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.

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 unde...

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 becom...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.