Toolbox Talk

Toolbox Talk

By Jon DaleBusiness
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Toolbox Talk episodes

  • 276 - [OPERATIONS] Where Can You Find The Good Tradespeople?

    I just made a guide on where to advertise your jobs to attract the people who aren’t looking on SEEK.

    Want a copy?
    (Same with “I just made a video”)
    You can’t just ‘put the word out’ or chuck a basic ad on SEEK or Indeed and expect to get loads of good applicants for your jobs.
    You’ll have to work a bit harder
    -Watch the video
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    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

    7 min
  • 275 - [MARKETING] Marketing & Sales Strategies For Tradies & Builders

    It’s Quieter

    BUT!
    There’s work to get but you have to work to get it.
    Are you doing ENOUGH work to keep your team busy?
    (Book a call and we’ll check)
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    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

    5 min
  • 274 - [OPERATIONS] WTF is this Circle of Coaching?

    This week’s Toolbox Tip is the ‘Circle of Coaching’.

    To be honest, it’s really the circle of any focused activity.
    Decide what to do
    Figure out how to do it
    Actually Do it
    Listen here on podcast to see how we do it in my coaching 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

    6 min
  • 273 - [MARKETING] How Tradies Can Do Business Properly

    Do you want to know how to do business properly?

    That’s profitable, without too much stress and too much work and with people in their jobs doing a good job and liking it.
    You’re a tradie or a builder. You run a business. You’ve started growing and you have a team.
    Is this YOU?
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    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

    10 min
  • 272 - [MARKETING What's The Intensive And Why Should You Come?

    What’s the intensive and why should you come?

    It’s a workshop for my clients, most of them (those who can’t make it come via Zoom) to get together up in Byron Bay for 2 days (in November) to work on their businesses.
    I know that for a lot of you that can be quite difficult - to spend the time working ON your business rather than just IN it (yes a cliche bit it’s valid).
    This Intensive is a challenge for you to find the time to make changes that will improve your business.
    You are constantly pushed to defer the tasks you should be doing to improve your business and the Intensive is a chance for you to change that.
    Want to come as one of our guests?
    Comment “LFG” and we’ll get you registered.
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    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

    4 min
  • 271 - [BACK OFFICE] How to Collect on a Debt: A Bad Debt A Bad Payer

    How to Collect on Bad Debt

    This isn't unheard of, especially in the trades industry.
    You do the work in good faith and submit your invoice, but the payment never comes...
    This week I’m detailing your options if a client refuses to pay.
    There are a couple of approaches you can take. Starting more gently and progressing to stronger tactics involving outscouring to lawyers, chasers or specialist construction lawyers.
    Want more information on this topic? Comment 'DEBT' and we'll send you this week's handout.
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    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

    7 min
  • 270 - [MARKETING] Understanding the Trade-Off: What You Lose When Choosing Cheaper Options

    The Price Trade-Off - what happens when someone is cheaper?

    There has always been tension around price in the trades industry, hasn't there?
    You're charging enough to cover costs and risks and make a profit - you're doing what's right and what you have to do to keep a business running and profitable. Otherwise, what would the point be?
    YET there's downward pressure everywhere, from all around.
    And there are a few reasons for this, for people pressing you to be cheaper.
    Want help understanding what and why and a solution. Book a call, and let's chat coaching. This is what my program is about.
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    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

    9 min
  • 269 - [MARKETING] Effective Branding Strategies for Your Trades Business

    How you present yourself is important

    For a trade business or a building business, how you present tells your customer a lot about what to expect from you and your business in terms of the quality of the job you’re going to do, the level of care you’re going to take and how you and your team are going to conduct yourself when you’re on their site or in their business or their home.
    It tells them a lot about how good you are and it tells them a lot about how much you’re going to cost.
    And in a good way.
    If your business presents poorly – dirty, unkempt people and vehicles and job sites – people will assume your work is like that and they will expect your price point to reflect that.
    If your business presents well — well-dressed and tidy people, newish with good vehicle signage, clean job sites, nice looking signage and website and socials and the office, etc., people naturally imagine that the job you’ll do is going to be good and that your price will be somewhat higher.
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    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

    4 min
  • 268 - [MARKETING] Your Competitors (Other Tradies) Are Not The Enemy – They Can Be Very Helpful

    There’s a narrative that is apparent in everything that tells us that our competitors are the enemy.

    You’re all out there competing for the limited business on offer – like seagulls fighting over some chips.
    It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
    That’s the story, isn’t it?
    It engenders a suspicious, jealous, play your cards close to your chest, kind of feeling.
    “Don’t tell people what you charge, they might come and undercut you on deals and you’d lose and you’d be chump as well.”
    That’s out there, isn’t it?
    It’s in what we read – this view that business is competition between business
    especially track business for the customers.
    Sites like HiPages encourage it and the pricing fee, in particular, is everywhere.
    But it’s not really true.
    And if you let yourself be too influenced by this narrative, you miss out on some stuff that will probably help you.
    I see it everywhere and I’ve felt it myself.
    I see the ads of my competitors and I feel a bit threatened or defensive or critical (sometimes, anyway).
    If they post pictures of customers at events and they’ve clearly got more people there than I get to my events, I feel a bit jealous.
    But it’s bulls%*t.
    I’ve met some of the other trade and builder business coaches.
    I’ve liked them all.
    And every single one of them has shared information to help me with my business. And I’ve shared too.
    A bunch of us all share the same business coach for business coaches.
    This makes me think (of course) about how this might be for my clients.
    And it’s the same for them!
    The narrative is there, “Don’t tell people your prices or your margins”, and “Be careful”.
    But, by and large, they also know their direct competitors and mostly like them.
    If I read between the lines, there’s cautious and high-level sharing of information about market conditions and suchlike but not much sharing about more detailed or sensitive stuff.
    My clients share information with each other – they’re in a business coaching program together and on the same journey of growing their business and their profits and building the systems necessary for that.
    And mostly, they aren’t in direct competition with each other, either, so that’s not such a big effect and it makes sharing easier.
    My message is this:
    Join my program and network with your peers here and learn from each other, of course.
    And talk to your competitors, open a dialogue and share some knowledge about what’s working and not, about pricing and how you’re really doing.
    Yeah, there’s a risk someone will set their prices lower than yours and run around undercutting you and stealing your jobs.
    But it's very small, really.
    Most of your friends wouldn’t.
    Talk to the decent ones and not the ar$eh*l%s.
    Use your judgement.
    It’s more likely that you’ll help each other and make each other braver to charge a bit more, (you know you probably need to) and learn things from each other that will help you both improve and grow your business.
    Also, it’s a nice way to be in the world.
    Buy my thing.
    Book a call to learn 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

    5 min
  • 267 - [OPERATIONS] Are You Doing Your Bookkeeping Properly and Who is Doing it?

    Your bookkeeping is important and if you’re doing them properly, they are a hugely valuable resource for understanding your business’s profitability.

    That’s important.
    Not just because it’s nice to see how much money you’re making, although it is…
    BUT also because of the danger of not knowing when you’re NOT making money like you’re supposed to be.
    Early warnings are good, they give you time to fix a problem before it costs you too much money and puts you in the s#*t.
    If you don’t know there’s a problem, things can get worse and worse over time, and the problems may compound. They get bigger and bigger if you’re losing money or not making much.
    You need to know if every month is profitable and as profitable as expected and, if not, why not?
    You need to know if every job is as profitable as it should be, too.
    You need to use your numbers to help you find out why there’s a profit problem and where that problem is in your business.
    I’ll stop myself from diving into that hole.
    That’s why your books are important.
    So your accounting system should be a live, up-to-date view of the lifeblood of your business, for you to use regularly to ensure everything is going as it should.
    I see people's books where it’s all over the place and we can’t easily understand what costs are what.
    Things get coded to the wrong place, that kind of thing.
    Now, if you’re just doing the bookkeeping for compliance, that doesn’t mean very much BUT once you start wanting to understand your numbers and what money is going where, it does.
    Another thing that happens is they’re not up-to-date.
    You or your bookkeeper does everything once a month or something and they’re up-to-date for a few days then they get less and less useful.
    This is really common.
    I rarely see accurate and up-to-date books and I see a lot of them.
    So are yours useful to you?
    Are they correct and are they up-to-date?
    So they should be correct and they should be up-to-date and if I’m your coach, I’ll be pushing you to get that happening.
    But who should be the one to do it?
    The right answer is, “NOT YOU”.
    You’re probably not very good at it. I’m sure you either do okay or you could – it’s not harder than a trade.
    I’m not very good at it.
    I’m not patient enough, I find it frustrating and annoying.
    I would rather spend the time on other work.
    And I’d rather you did, too.
    You need to know these numbers, not be the one monitoring them and reconciling them.
    So, someone else, not you.
    A bookkeeper is an obvious candidate.
    There are lots of them around – lots of good ones too.
    And lots of less good ones, so interview them and check that they understand a bit about business not just about the compliance part of bookkeeping.
    My partner Michelle, runs a bookkeeping business for tradies, (for my clients, principally).
    So there’s an option for you.
    They’ll set your books up the way I like them so you and I can use them to figure out what’s going on.
    They’ll update them weekly.
    They’ll call your debtors for you and speak to you regularly.
    So, if that’s something you want to explore, comment ‘Books’ and I’ll connect you.
    There’s a bookkeeper options guide, too.
    Because Michelle's team is not your only option, of course.
    Comment ‘Guide’ if you want that and we’ll send it across.
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    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

    7 min

About Toolbox Talk

From the publisher's feed

This podcast is for tradies and builders who want to put structure and systems into your business so you can grow it properly.