Tradies In Business

When so much seems uncertain it's helpful to work out what we can, and can't, control. Making a plan for when (not if) conditions change can put you back in charge and perhaps make things seem a little less crap. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As SA goes into another lockdown while this podcast episode was literally being recorded, we feel it's more important than ever to share some of the stories from the past 18months. One such story is a business that was on the brink of closure going into the longest lockdown we've seen so far being Victoria's 111 day stretch. Adrian shares his insights, personal trials and perhaps some hope for the...

With the latest lockdown in Sydney and the direction that all construction is also stopped, Nic and Waz want to start some different conversations than the ones we're seeing in many forms of media. We'll come at you daily until the trades are allowed to return to work in one of Australia's largest cities! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years we've been told to keep work life and home life separate. To literally quarantine our time between the two and for years business owners have struggled to actually achieve this. What if it's just not realistic? What if, rather than creating some sort of mythical boundary between our work and our life... we acknowledge that it's all one and the same? What if it's about our headspace rathe...

Coxie and Waz love a good Friday riff and today they're shining the rechargeable worklight on taking a stand about an issue you might have, having an opinion (and should you?), taking the p*ss and how to do it properly. Or should you even do it at all? Answering life's great questions and providing a bit of Friday entertainment because... who needs another C___ update on the radio anyway?! Remembe...

If there's one thing Waz loves more than coffee and Coxie more than a good glass of bubbles, it's a listener success story! Even better is a listener who's gone on to become a 'Tradiepreneur' - a trade business owner who's ticking their own boxes. Whether it's getting time back to spend with family, sorting out cash flow issues, getting the business running with less stress or all of the above, ou...

How DO you do it ALL? As a Tradie Wife/Partner/Spouse you're possibly also a mother, bookkeeper, house keeper, cook, delivery driver, medical first responder, Uber driver, tutor, systems developer, IT guru, counsellor AND pet carer. So how on earth can you be Wonder Woman while preserving your sanity, dignity and sense of self? It's not easy, but Waz chats with our resident Builder's Wife to find...

It's a concept that strikes fear into the hearts of business owners (and salespeople!) everywhere. Increasing prices or raising rates. We immediately break out into cold sweats and shallow breathing at the prospect of losing half our clients, being peppered with objections from prospects and finding cashflow and profit even more challenging. While this is one possibility of course, Nic and Waz hav...

We reference this episode a lot in conversations with our Tradiepreneur clients so we thought it would be worth bringing it back to the top of your feed! If you are serious about getting off the tools then have a listen to Adam Sand from Roofing Business Partner. In particular, Adam has worked out how to find and retain the right employees in arguably one of the toughest labour markets around... t...

One massively overlooked area of marketing in many trade businesses is repeat purchasing and customer loyalty and retention programs. With many companies solely focused on winning new business, the customers we had last month or year sometimes get neglected. From a chance meeting in an Uber to more than 50,000 users on their reminder platform, David Wareing from repeatbooking.com.au has learned a...

Safety. Most of us admit it's important. Critical even. Yet many of us in business are mystified as to how to 'do safety' properly, how to make it more than just paperwork and more importantly, how to get our employees, subbies and other support team truly engaged in safe attitudes and behaviours. The team at HazrdCo have developed some tools that make safety simple and best of all, a part of runn...

It's no surprise to many of our listeners that there's a looming problem for trade businesses in Australia and New Zealand. With the massive spike in housing activity thanks to the cash splash from the government, there's now a serious materials shortage on sites around the country. We take a look at how this is playing out for trade businesses and how, coupled with rising wage costs, the time is...

We're hitting the road (ok, the skies) and heading to Sydney for the 1st Tradies In Business LIVE meetup since, like, ever! Waz and Nic will be live and in person at beautiful Coogee Bay to hear from you about how the materials and labour issues are affecting your business. There'll be a sneaky beverage on the bar for you and we're gunning for some industry reps to come and share their thoughts an...

Shortly after his daughter's first birthday, Jason Sotiris noticed his little girl acting ill. Several visits to 4 different doctors resulted in a trip to Westmead children’s hospital where after days of testing they found she had a rare type of cancer, Langerhans Cell Hystiocytosis. The only way to deal with it, was for Jason to stand up for her, knowing she was barely able to walk. She had a 20%...

We all know systems are THE way to create a successful business. Well, we heard it somewhere from someone who said so... even author of The e Myth, Michael Gerber told us... but where to start when it comes to actually CREATING systems that work for small business? Today's guest has devoted his whole business to solving this problem for you. Remember, if you're ready to make change but aren't sure...

In another episode focused on change and how to make it in business and life, Waz and Nic take a look at the stories we tell ourselves. Especially the ones we tell ourselves that keep us 'stuck', afraid and uncomfortable. With many business owners feeling alone and isolated in their struggle, we shine the light on some client stories and techniques that might help you 'fight the tiger' in your lif...

Do you have unfinished projects around the home? What about your to-do list... is that completed at the end of every week? Maybe you feel like you have a thousand things to 'remember' in your head? Plenty of people struggle with finishing what they've started so you're not alone! Problem is, it could be leading to bigger issues in your business and personal life. We share some insights that might...

It seems a lot of people think business success comes from luck, inheritances, natural talent or all of the above! While it can often appear as though this is the case when looking at those who have succeeded, today's guest is here to tell you why nothing could be further from the truth. Dan Pollard knows a thing or two about success... and failure. Having lost everything more than once and the en...

You've probably seen the graphic showing the 2 circles, one being your comfort zone and one being way outside it... and that's where the magic happens? Problem is, so many people are stuck in their comfort zone and they don't even realise. They either they've gone outside their comfort zone but haven't or worse still, they've convinced themselves that there's too much risk to move to discomfort so...

Yuk. Cyber crime. It just feels so icky when someone makes a fraudulent transaction on our card or copies our Facebook profile and tries to set up a fake account. If it's never happened to you then you can count your lucky stars... and take some action now so that it (hopefully) never does. It's more than just our online banking and social profiles at risk though and sadly, many business owners ar...

As a former CrossFit trainer, Waz saw countless people come to the gym wanting to get fitter and stronger, only to have them leave and say "I'll come back when I'm fitter and stronger". What the? It's true. many of us don't want to start something new or different until we've already mastered at least some of the skills or made some progress. Even though we know it's not rational, it's hard to ove...

In the era of 'everyone gets a prize' is there really any point to business awards? Waz and Nic have both entered, won and judged business awards and have some interesting and perhaps surprising lessons from their experience. Are awards worth the effort to enter? Are they just a w*nk? Do they actually do anything for your business whether you win, lose or draw? See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Nic and Waz know a thing or two about change. And pain. And fear. Not only have they experienced a ton of these things in their own lives, both business and personally, they've worked with thousands of business owners and individuals over the last decade who have 'hit the wall'. So many people find it so hard to 'make a decision' when faced with uncertainty and a multitude of choices. How on earth...

We think it's time trade business owners were celebrated, not criticised! We also think it's time there was a business awards for ALL trades together, whether you're a plumber, tiler, builder, cabinet maker, landscaper.... even an asbestos removal specialist... we should all be coming together as trade business owners to raise each other up. Waz and Nic are excited to announce details of exactly t...

Everyone loves a quickie... a quick coffee, a quick nap, a quick sambo and even a quick... business tip episode! Waz and Nic love a quick one and this is their first of a few quick tips on topics that seem to drag on for many trade business owners. TIME! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.