This week we have the absolute honour of having Hib on the lounge. 

Hib runs an awesome crew out of Hobart and specialises in a range of different commercial, residential and solar projects. 

Cam and Hib discuss what it takes to start a business, maintain a business, find work, run an admin team, build relationships, maintain relationships, the importance ofworking with A players, the importance of diversifying, the importance of knowing your numbers, + much more. 

To know Hib is to love Hib, he is truly a great human who runs a great business. 

Enjoy the pod x 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Brad Hibberd and Community Involvement

02:58 Journey into the Electrical Trade

05:45 Experiences in Commercial Projects

08:50 Transitioning to Residential Work

11:56 Challenges and Rewards in the Electrical Industry

14:41 Business Evolution and Key Influences

17:56 Diversification and Solar Energy Expansion

32:03 Training and Competency in Solar Energy

36:06 Building Relationships in the Industry

40:49 Diversification and Daily Operations

46:30 Understanding Numbers for Business Growth

54:23 Memorable Projects and Experiences

A couple of weeks ago we put out a pod called “Forecasting Like Tim Bailey”. 

It was basically encouraging everyone to sit down and take control of their schedule for the rest of the year. 

If you have not much work on, this is a good thing to do coz it will help you see what you need to do for the upcoming busy season. 

If you have lots of work on, this is a good thing to do coz it will help you see what you need to do for the upcoming busy season. 

But when is enough work actually enough? Is there a limit to what you can say yes to? 

Do you just raise prices? Do you shut up shop and take on no new jobs? 

Do you hire a tradie? An apprentice? An admin? A trade assistant? A journeyman? A journey woman? A journey person? Or maybe just someone on a journey somewhere? 

Do you jump back on the tools? Coz ain’t nobody does it better than you am I right or what!! 

Or should you just say no? 

The answer of course, is completely subjective. 

You may even say there is no answer. Just like the Matrix, where the child says “there is no spoon”. 

But we all know there is a spoon, and we may just need to deep dive and chat around the “saying yes” subject to help shed some light on the topic. 

Whatever you’re doing and whatever you’re up to just remember this: the money is made or lost in the office. 

Office time = money time. 

Planning time = awesome. 

Enjoy the pod and get after it x 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Context Setting

01:05 The Question of 'When is Enough Enough?'

03:26 Forecasting and Planning for Workload

06:37 Personal and Business Balance

09:29 The Importance of Product Quality

10:47 Client Relationships and Business Growth

13:02 Long-Term Business Strategy

16:19 Managing Labour and Resources

19:49 Profitability vs. Quality

24:50 Final Thoughts and Considerations

Our mantra here at Sparky Coach is quite simple: make money, build wealth. 

And how do we do that? 

We do that by buying labour + materials, selling them at a good margin, being kind, then repeating the process. 

Essentially at its core, the running of a good business is relatively simple. 

Sometimes though, we can make it a lot harder than it needs to be. 

One of the ways we can make running a business a lot harder than it needs to be is by making one bad, or multiple bad, decisions in a row. 

One bad decision can cost you a lot. 

And don’t underestimate the negative compound effect that multiple bad decisions in a row can have across all aspects of your personal + business life. 

It might be the wrong client, the wrong tradie, the wrong quote, the wrong apprentice , the wrong advice, the wrong admin, the wrong “insert business decision here” and so on. 

Bad decisions can make good people end up in average places.

So maybe one of the major goals of business can be summed up quite simply: to consistently make good decisions. 

One good decision can profit you a lot. 

And don’t underestimate the positive compound effect that multiple good decisions can have across all aspects of your personal + business life. 

Good decisions can make good people end up in good places 

And the goal is to not make one good decision, or two, or three; but to make 100 good decisions in a row. The repeat the process. 

If your next 100 decisions were good ones, imagine where you could end up? 

Oh, the places you’ll go! To infinity, and beyond. 

Get after it. 

Enjoy the pod x 

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Consistent Decision-Making

02:48 Understanding Rates and Job Quoting

05:43 Growth and Comfort Zones in Business

09:01 Making Informed Decisions Under Pressure

11:51 The Role of Data in Decision-Making

15:05 Learning from Mistakes and Accountability

17:57 The Impact of Bad Decisions

20:51 Contextualizing Revenue and Profit

23:49 The Ripple Effect of Decisions

26:48 Creating Consistency in Good Decisions

Guess who’s back? Back again? Tommy’s back. Tell a friend. 

Aw yeh you guessed it this week back in the hot seat aka the lounge we have our good friend and fellow coach Tom Ryan from Ryelec Automation. 

We discuss electrical, home theatres, automation, business automation, SOP’s, staff annual leave, hiring, real estate, getting clients, and much much more. 

Tommy is a full time weapon. 

It’s an absolute pleasure getting to chat to him and hear his thoughts on all things business and the current happens across our industry. 

Enjoy the pod xx 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Casual Banter

01:23 Upcoming Events and Networking Opportunities

03:50 Business Vision and Coaching

06:55 Home Automation Insights

09:56 Learning and Growth in Business

12:34 Understanding Cinema Design

15:50 Navigating Client Relationships

18:50 Hiring Challenges in the Industry

21:45 Focus and Time Management Strategies

24:31 The Importance of Standard Operating Procedures

27:33 Instagram and Content Strategy

30:58 Hiring and Team Development

33:58 Future of Automation and Business Growth

36:51 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Kind of a touchy / controversial subject here but let’s go with it. 

I think it’s interesting that any coaching company can say whatever they want from an office (or a boat), BUT it may not be applicable or relevant to your real life business situation.

You hear people say “never work on an hourly rate always flat rate pricing!!”. 

But ask anyone who has accomplished anything of substance in the electrical world and they will always accept a high end residential, commercial or industrial job at cost plus if there is an option for it. If your margins are good on your labour rates and materials (+ other revenue streams), then essentially there’s nothing to worry about. 

You hear people say “you need to charge $250+ per hour!!”. 

But sometimes you can price yourself out of the job ands lose good clients this way. Also, sometimes a break even rate that someone else came up with can be wrong. 

You hear people say “don’t break down the quote”. 

But sometimes the excellent clients need some transparency. 

You hear people say “get this much per day per truck or die tryin’!!” 

But not all company figures are the same. In some cases $100 per hour can be hyper profitable, while in other cases it can be diabolical. 

Once again, I think the real problem is thinking that there is only one way to see everything when we all know that there are multiple ways to skin the cat. 

The business method should be relatively simple: buy labour and materials, sell them at a good margin, be kind, repeat. 

If what you are doing is working, double down and do more of it. 

If what you are doing isn’t working, then either change it or stop doing it. 

My gut feel is that we all need to take a step back from talking in “hourly rates”, and we need to start talking in “gross profit” and “net profit”. 

Do yourself a favour and have a scroll through our insta where you can see some of our members recent results. 

Look after yourselves out there. And remember, everything is easy to say from a boat (insert wink face here). Lol. 

Enjoy the pod xx 

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Profitability at $120 an Hour

03:09 The Importance of Break-Even Analysis

05:56 Labour Efficiency and Its Impact on Profit

08:48 The Role of Apprentices in Business Profitability

12:03 Navigating Market Rates and Client Expectations

14:55 The Complexity of Pricing Strategies

18:09 Long-Term Sustainability in Business

21:02 The Interplay of Net Profit and Labor Efficiency

23:58 Finding the Right Balance in Pricing

26:48 Conclusion: Know Your Numbers and Market Value

While only SOME of you may get the obscure emo reference from the mid to late 2000’s, my guess is that ALL of you will understand what it means to lose control of your schedule. 

Growing up in a pentacostal church the classic line from the pulpit was always “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. 

While I am not debating that at any length, the business comparison may be “show me your work calendar, and I’ll show you your business future”.

As business owners, it’s very easy to do anything and everything without giving it too much thought. 

But it’s time to repent and let go of your old ways. 

It’s time to change that. Let’s flip the script. You get to decide what you do. You are in charge. You are the big dog. You are the boss of your time. 

Taking back Sunday? Nah my sparky lords, it’s time to take back control of your schedule. 

Enjoy the pod! 

Ps this is a three part series x 

Today on the lounge we speak to Simon Thorn from PKF who specialises in small business restructuring. 

Simon walks us through what a “small business restructure” is, when to reach out for help, and the option/s that may be available to a director who is under serious financial stress. 

If you’ve ever found yourself under financial stress, it’s very important that you hear this: you’re not alone, there is help, it’s going to be ok, don’t be scared to put your hand up and ask for help. 

Obvs it’s very important that you reach out as early as possible and you take advice from the right people, but yeh it’s super important for us all take the stigma out of suffering alone. No one should suffer / walk alone in this. 

If for whatever reason you haven’t reached out for help yet, and you are still breathing, read this: IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO ASK FOR HELP. 

Most successful people have been either bankrupt or on the verge of it at some point in their life. That’s not to honour or make light of the matter, it’s just explains the serious risk that business owners walk around with every day of their journey. 

Enjoy the pod xx 

While only SOME of you may get the obscure emo reference from the mid to late 2000’s, my guess is that ALL of you will understand what it means to lose control of your schedule. 

Growing up in a pentacostal church the classic line from the pulpit was always “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. 

While I am not debating that at any length, the business comparison may be “show me your work calendar, and I’ll show you your business future”.

As business owners, it’s very easy to do anything and everything without giving it too much thought. 

But it’s time to repent and let go of your old ways. 

It’s time to change that. Let’s flip the script. You get to decide what you do. You are in charge. You are the big dog. You are the boss of your time. 

Taking back Sunday? Nah my sparky lords, it’s time to take back control of your schedule. 

Enjoy the pod! 

Ps this is a three part series x 

While only SOME of you may get the obscure emo reference from the mid to late 2000’s, my guess is that ALL of you will understand what it means to lose control of your schedule. 

Growing up in a pentacostal church the classic line from the pulpit was always “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. 

While I am not debating that at any length, the business comparison may be “show me your work calendar, and I’ll show you your business future”.

As business owners, it’s very easy to do anything and everything without giving it too much thought. 

But it’s time to repent and let go of your old ways. 

It’s time to change that. Let’s flip the script. You get to decide what you do. You are in charge. You are the big dog. You are the boss of your time. 

Taking back Sunday? Nah my sparky lords, it’s time to take back control of your schedule. 

Enjoy the pod! 

Ps this is a three part series x 

Chapters 

00:00 Understanding Time Management

03:04 Identifying Productivity vs. Busyness

05:50 The Importance of Time Audits

09:09 Taking Control of Your Time

11:52 Drafting Your Ideal Week

15:01 Accountability and Ownership

17:55 Creating a Sustainable Work-Life Balance

Oh yeh back on the lounge we have Joe Pratt aka Joey from Benchmark Electrical Co based out of northern NSW. 

Joey has just started doing a day a week here at Sparky Coach. He runs our Wednesday help desks where he specialises in Service M8, Simpro, finding work, workbook training, profit + much much more. 

On this episode Cam + Joe talk through a whole bunch of on site + off site items that will no doubt bless you into maximum enlightenment. 

It’s always a pleasure taking the time to chat with Joe and we hope you enjoy the pod xx 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Tools in the Electrical Trade

03:09 Essential Tools for Electricians

05:48 The Importance of Quality Tool Belts

08:50 Battery Tools and Brand Preferences

11:43 Accessories and Additional Tools

14:49Final Thoughts on Tool Selection

24:21 Tool Selection and Control

26:53 Time-Saving Tricks on Site

38:08 Labeling and Organization Techniques

42:09 DIY Disasters and Lessons Learned