What if there is a way for you to train your tradies on how to fix electrical wiring without running the risk of electrical shock? What if you get to learn how to install a solar panel without having to be on site? As sci-fi as they may sound, with the digital transformation taking place all around us, it’s no longer hard to imagine these changes occurring in the workspace. Virtual reality is slowly creeping its way towards vocational education and training, and it’s making life for us tradies so much better!

This week, we’ll have another incredible and informative episode as we chat with Doug Donovan, CEO and Founder at Interplay Learning, about how VR and AR technology is slowly paving its way towards a better way of skills learning and training. Here, we’ll get to hear more about how this technology can make learning faster and safer as well as give us a sneak peek into what the future of the trades industry may look like.

Hop on to this episode as we take a deep dive into the fascinating world of virtual reality.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. Why schools should slowly tap into VR technology [05:37]
2. A brief background on Doug and Interplay [08:42]
   • Most European countries are way ahead in terms of R&D and VocEd [14:15]
   • The effect of the decreasing number of tradies in the US and AU [15:55]
3. VocEd requirements in some states in the US have slowly disappeared [10:37]
   • The advantages of  VR and AR training for tradies [18:50]
   • Most skills required in running a business are not taught at schools [22:16]
   • Most companies prioritise attitude over aptitude [25:01]
4. Simulation training condenses learning time [17:41]
5. Startups are starting to adapt sim training to improve business processes [28:11]
   • VR and AR make it possible to conduct community learning [36:58]
   • Book knowledge has yet to creep its way into VR learning [39:52]
   • Interplay’s secret way of handling new technology [41:19]
   • Most of their training are based on current market demands [42:56]
6. What makes virtual realit

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

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Isn’t it just hard to motivate yourself when you’re not even sure what kind of metrics you have to meet to achieve a certain goal? We all want our businesses to achieve greater heights. But without setting clear steps that you and your team can commit to, the journey might take you forever, if not never! So what can you do to make sure everyone plays their part in the journey towards achieving that goal?

We’ll know the answer as we reach the 3rd and final part of our “Measuring What You Manage: The Only Way to Run a Profitable Business at Scale” series with Danny Kerr. Today, we’ll talk about how you can keep you and your team accountable to ensure the growth of your business. We’ll be looking at the organisational chart and how that ties in with accountability.

If you want to accurately measure your company’s financial results, then you’ll find a lot of value and insight by listening to this episode now.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. Why is accountability important? [04:22]
2. • We all need someone to keep us accountable [07:02]
3. Holding yourself and your team accountable [08:13]
4. How to ask for a raise [09:39]
5. By presenting career opportunities, you can retain your best talents [10:09]
   • To give your team numerical goals, give them a bigger goal [13:52]
6. The link between the organisational structure and accountability [11:46]
7. The benefits of having an organisational structure [15:06]
   • How to identify what key metrics to include [22:01]
   • The key is to have measurable goals that have bonuses on them [24:33]
8. Why you need to bake your key metrics into the employee agreement [18:37]
9. Using tools to effectively communicate with your team [25:04]
10. No big idea can be created until it’s project-managed to existence [27:14]
11. The project management checklist is an ongoing work-in-progress [29:51]
12. Competency models for standard operating procedures [31:13]
    • Companies should link their budget, org cha

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

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One thing that tradies like us fear is the unpredictability of our business’ future. It’s like trying to cross the road with blindfolds on hoping you don’t get hit by a bus along the way. However, what if you have the ability to foretell your business’ financial future beforehand?

That’s what we’re here to discuss in Part 2 of our “Measuring What You Manage: The Only Way to Run a Profitable Business at Scale” series with Danny Kerr. Today, we’ll learn more about forecasting, what steps you need to take to make a sales plan, and what makes it so key in ensuring the survival of your business in drastic situations.

Take charge of the future by tuning in to this episode today!

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. What is forecasting? [03:19]
2. Data is the building-block of forecasting [04:11]
3. Start with your financials [05:17]
   • The difference between goal-setting and working on it is having a sales plan [08:05]
4. Stages in forecasting [06:01]
5. A sales plan is the contractor’s holy grail for tracking their business [10:48]
6. It’s alright to take a risk, just not a blind risk [11:59]

About the Guest:

Danny Kerr created his own success in life by starting his own trades business and used the profits to buy his first home. By age 20, he had taken a leadership position with a franchise company and grew sales by 225% in one year. He then spent the next 6 years scaling businesses before co-founding Breakthrough Academy as a way to open horizons for other trades entrepreneurs. 

Breakthrough Academy now works with over 300 contractors across the continent, managing over $900 million worth of revenue, and was rated Canada’s 16th fastest start-up by MacLean’s magazine in 2018.

Resources: 

• Come and visit my website at (https://www.thesiteshed.com/)
• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones (https://www.thesiteshed.com/podcasts/)
• Tradie Web Guys (https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/apply)
• Visit The Top 3 Mistakes Growing Trade Businesses Make series with Danny Kerr

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

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• Instagram: @thesiteshed
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One of the main reasons most tradies get into business is to earn more money. Yet ironically, financial education is one of the things we were never taught at school. So when we dive into the profit and loss statement, we end up staring at it with a puzzled look, not really knowing whether business is good or bad. Well, there’s no need to get dizzy just by looking at those numbers anymore.

In this week’s podcast episode, Danny Kerr—co-founder of Breakthrough Academy and a repeat guest—joins us once more in the first episode of the “Measuring What You Manage: The Only Way to Run a Profitable Trades Business at Scale” series. Today, we talk about budgeting and how it is essential to be able to interpret and break down your financial data effectively.

In this new fiscal year, nothing could be more important than knowing your numbers. Get into grips with your financials by tuning in to this episode now!

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. What’s new with Danny Kerr? [02:20]
2. The value of sharing learning experiences with other tradies [05:55]
3. A brief overview of today’s topic [07:23]
   • If your personal financials are a mess, so are your business financials [10:39]
4. Learning how to budget should be a tradie’s priority [08:22]
5. How Danny learned how to save [11:48]
   • The little changes you make in your trade can make a big difference [16:05]
   • Good budgeting can protect your from unforeseen circumstances [17:43]
6. The importance of percentages [14:22]
7. There’s a difference between what’s your account and what you’ve made [18:48]
8. Do a proper job costing [20:01]
   • More, less, or the same? Why? [22:58]
   • Once you see a pattern, job costing becomes fun [24:42]
9. How to do budgeting the right way [21:03]
10. Turning the budget into bite-sized chunks [26:00]
    • You should invest more in your accounting department [29:50]
11. It’s essential to also get into grips with your financials [27:57]
    • G

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

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Most of us believe that once you hit the ceiling with your skills, abilities, or even the service that you give for your business, there is no way you can get any further than that. But what if there is a way for you to push beyond your limitations? What if there is a way for you to make your business even better than what it was yesterday? 

In this week’s podcast episode, Paul Dunn, a world-renowned entrepreneur and TEDx speaker, joins us to share his incredible business insights and the value of doing great little things for you and your business that eventually builds up to bigger, more significant results. He also shares with us his philosophy called “towards awesome service,” and how that can make a great impact on your business.

Work your way towards a better self and tune in to this episode now!

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. Paul’s brief backstory [03:36]
   1. How you do one thing is how you do everything [09:32]
   2. Why you should show up on odd times [10:40]
   3. The essence of using odd times [12:52]
2. The concept behind ‘towards awesome service’ [07:10]
   1. The role of technology in punctuality [16:05]
3. Using odd times for your meetings [13:41]
   1. Why you need someone else to answer your phone for you [21:57]
4. The person who answers the phone for you will do a better job than you do [17:36]
   1. The essence of creating organisational structures in building client trust [29:33]
   2. No trust equals no sale [31:51]
5. The little things add up to significant victories [25:26]
   1. You can always get people to do a job you don’t have skills to [36:36]
6. People know how to do the business but not run the business [34:42]
7. The simple things can make great impacts on the world [37:57]
8. B1G1’s latest initiative [39:36]

About the Guest:

Paul Dunn is an award-winning entrepreneur, a four-time TEDx speaker, and a world-class keynote speaker. He is the co-founder and chairman of B1G1, a global initiative that helps 2,300 business

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

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Do you sometimes wonder why no matter how good a name you’ve made for yourself, you end up either plateauing or losing clients? As frustrating as getting your customers stolen sounds, it is a reality that happens to most of us. But what if I tell you there is something else you can do other than scratch your head in dismay?

In Part 5 of our ‘Protecting Your Trade Business From Legal Risk’ mini-series, Helen Kay joins us once again to discuss with us the clauses you can include in your contracts to restrain your sub-contractors from running off with your clients, why you need to do due diligence when starting your trade business, and the process of amending your existing contracts.

Don’t wait for your competitors to get their hands on your customers by tuning in to this show now!

Disclaimer: This podcast episode contains information that resonates specifically with the Australian legal system. If you are offshore and have inquiries about your market, please seek legal advice from qualified attorneys in your country or state.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. How your leads can get stolen [04:55]
2. 1. Do your research before committing to a business name [06:06]
   1. The effect of having the same social media handles as another business [07:44]
3. What makes social media prone to client-theft [07:16]
4. The essence of having a trademark [09:22]
   1. Include restraints of trade [13:01]
   2. You can’t restrain your clients but you can restrain your sub-contractors [14:32]
5. Establish an agreement with everyone in a business sense to protect your IP [12:08]
6. Preparing clauses for restraints of trade [16:15]
   1. The frequency in revisiting a contract [19:11]
   2. Signing contracts digitally [22:28]
   3. Telltale signs of an unwilling client [23:44]
7. How to amend a contract [18:03]
8. Will Helen deal with tradies without terms and conditions? [25:52]
9. The essence of having an NDA [27:03]
10. Protecting yourself

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

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With the emergence of technology, millions and millions of talent are now accessible at your fingertips. However, just when we thought things were getting easier, they actually got trickier. With a lot of contractors to choose from, it gets more and more challenging to find the perfect fit! But when you do find the right candidate and are now ready to start inking that legally-binding contract, you might want to consider a few things first before it starts becoming your nightmare.

Today, Helen Kay—a contracts lawyer and a repeat guest—is back by popular demand in Part 4 of our mini-series ‘Protecting Your Trade Business From Legal Risk’ to discuss with us the difference between a contractor and an employee, some of the risks that you need to weigh before getting into a contract with someone, and the practicalities when hiring a contractor.

Make wise onboarding decisions and start forging contracts with the right people by tuning in to this episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast episode contains information that resonates specifically with the Australian legal system. If you are offshore and have inquiries about your market, please seek legal advice from qualified attorneys in your country or state.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. What is Rise Legal? [03:45]
2. Legal disclaimer [04:47]
3. What makes today’s topic timely [05:14]
4. Don’t rush into it [06:35]
   • Why you need to get necessary legal documents in place [09:53]
5. Overview of today’s topic [07:26]
   • Identifying a contractor and an employee [11:45]
   • Hiring contractors vs hiring employees [12:40]
6. What is a contractor? [10:28]
   • The best thing to do is to err on the side of caution [16:19]
7. If 80% of your worker’s income comes from you, you should pay the employee benefits [15:08]
   • Contractors can delegate their work [17:34]
   • Contractors get paid based on a quote; Employees get paid based on work hours [17:44]
   • Contractors provide their own assets, employees don’t [17:55]
   • Contractors take commercial risks [19:22]

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

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When you set a goal for your company, most of the time, you’d like to charge into it right away without pause. Achieving it in the timeline that you’ve set only sounds natural. However, by charging into it without a real strategy, you’re only setting yourself up for failure. So how do you ensure that you and your team can efficiently work together to achieve those goals?

In Part 3 of the ‘Strategic Planning for Business Success’ mini-series, Kim Archer from BDR—a company that provides training and coaching services to the HVAC industry—joins us once more to talk about how to keep you and your team accountable for achieving your daily goals to set your company up for success. We will also learn the significance of having an accountability partner in making sure that those goals are met and why it’s important to celebrate when you meet those goals.

Efficiently measure results and start hitting your goals by tuning in to this episode now!

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. Why companies fall over when it comes to accountability [04:17]
2. • The difference between a dream and a goal is writing it down [05:10]
   • Strategy and discipline go together in achieving your goals [05:54]
   • Taking time in hitting your goals is okay [07:37]
3. Having an accountability partner makes you a better leader [06:30]
4. Staying focused on your gifts can help you get your goals faster [08:24]
5. Know how to celebrate when you hit your goals [09:59]
6. Involve your team in keeping accountability [10:38]
7. The frequency of which your team needs to revisit your goals [11:31]
   • How to better deal with rank-and-file team members [19:10]
   • The essence of organisational chart in handling your staff [20:24]
   • Love your team [21:01]
8. How team accountability plays into measuring results [12:29]
   • Why upselling is essential [22:59]
9. Finding out what results to measure [21:40]
10. How to keep accountability in small businesses [24:51]

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
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Many businesses all over the world have suffered tremendously in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. A lot of businesses were shut down and people were downsized. However, does it really just have to do with the pandemic? Or does it also have to do with how much effort business owners put into strategic planning?

This episode marks the second part of the ‘Strategic Planning for Business Success’ mini-series with Kim Archer from BDR, a company that provides training and coaching services to the HVAC industry. Today, we will learn the importance of strategic planning in preparing for contingencies, how to effectively build a business roadmap that can lead to business success, and how to build a roadmap that’s easily achievable for you and your team.

Convert crises into opportunities and tune in to today’s podcast episode.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. How strategic planning prepares you for contingencies [05:11]
   • The compounding effect of operating without a business roadmap [07:04]
   • Complacency is what makes businesses fail  [08:03]
   • Business planning is like exercise [09:34]
2. Understanding the depth of your financials is essential in business planning [10:16]
   • The first step in running a business is knowing how to [11:23]
   • Understanding financials is critical to your business success [12:16]
3. Most businesses fail because of cash, not their ability to make a profit [14:20]
   • Don’t waste a crisis [16:56]
4. How to build a business roadmap [17:37]
   • Determine how much you need to retire and when [18:05]
   • Determine how to get to your desired net profit [19:25]
   • The essence of using an organisational chart and sharing it with your team [22:27]
5. How to translate business goals into net profit [24:11]
   • Transactional costs and generating the most gross profit dollars [24:46]
   • The ‘Grow, No Grow’ strategy [25:28]
6. The value of mind mapping [27:28]
   • Mind mappi

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

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As business owners, most of our focus goes to turnover rates, revenues, and profit margins. However, we often fail to see the bigger picture and realise we’re nowhere near our business’ end-goal. Sometimes, you need to take your foot off the pedal, get in touch with the people that make up your team, and reevaluate whether you are still working towards the goal that you initially set for your business.

In Part 1 of the ‘Strategic Planning For Business Success’ mini-series, we have Kim Archer from Business Development Resources—a company that provides training and coaching services to the HVAC industry—to share with us the value of communicating with your team and how it is essential in bringing in the right talent. With her experience, she will share with us the essence of rediscovering your personal goals to better advance your business.

Reconnect with your team members and effectively work your way towards your end-goal by tuning in to this episode.

What’s Discussed in This Episode:

1. Regularly revisiting your strategies is a big turning point for your business [03:31]
2. • Business plans are built to support your personal goals [4:09]
   • Business requires perseverance to get to the end-goal [06:18]
   • It’s not what you turn over, it’s what’s leftover [07:29]
   • Training vs coaching [11:09]
3. BDR’s journey in the training and coaching industry [09:12]
4. Who can benefit from today’s topic [11:55]
   • How to keep the right talent [14:49]
5. Recruitment: The biggest challenge to any business [14:19]
   • The goal should be to get bigger, not to increase profit margin [18:37]
   • Unresolved turnover issues hinder business growth [19:41]
   • The essence of sharing your business plan with your team [20:40]
6. What and how to communicate better with your team [15:15]
   • The mission statement brings unity in your team [23:38]
   • A good value, mission, vision statement attracts good talent [24:22]
   • Maintaining good energy wit

Enjoyed the podcast? Take your trade business to the next level by incorporating AI! Don’t get left behind—explore Tradie Hub at tradiehub.net. Discover game-changing AI solutions designed to boost efficiency and growth for trade businesses worldwide. Check it out today! 

👀 Check This Out:
Thinking about adding AI to your trade business? Discover what’s possible with TradieHub.net

📲 Stay Connected:

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• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: The Site Shed
• Website: thesiteshed.com
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