Resources
Straight-talking help for trade business owners.
No fluff and no jargon. Just the pricing, profit, cash flow, hiring and systems lessons that actually move the needle in a trade business.
How much should a tradie charge per hour?
There's no magic number — there's your number. Here's exactly how to work out your true cost per hour as an Australian t…
Read it → ProfitWhy is my trade business busy but not profitable?
Flat out, fully booked, and nothing in the bank? Here's where the money actually leaks in a trade business, and how to p…
Read it → SystemsHow to get off the tools without it falling over
If the business stops when you stop, you own a job, not a business. Here's the order to get off the tools: price for it,…
Read it → FinanceThe numbers every tradie owner should know
You don't need an accounting degree — you need about seven numbers, checked monthly. Here's the short list that tells yo…
Read it → Cash flowCash isn't profit: the tax trap that catches tradies
The money in your account isn't all yours — a big chunk is GST, tax and deposits for work you haven't done. Here's how t…
Read it → TeamYour first hire: cost or investment?
Your first hire isn't a cost, it's what buys back your time. Here's how to know when you're ready, who to hire first, an…
Read it → SalesHow to follow up quotes and win more jobs
Most tradies lose jobs they'd already won, by never following up. A real phone call beats automation every time. Here's …
Read it → The offerThe $100,000 guarantee: how it actually works
The strategy session is free. Come on as a client and your first paid session is guaranteed to find at least $100,000 of…
Read it → Worth itIs a Business Coach Worth It for Tradies?
An honest look at whether a business coach is worth it for Australian tradies. Real costs, the ROI to expect, red flags …
Read it → Honest takeAre Tradie Business Coaches a Scam? An Honest Answer From Inside
Some tradie business coaching is a scam, some is gold. Here's how to spot the difference, the red flags to avoid, and th…
Read it → PricingIf You Win Every Quote, You're Too Cheap
Winning every quote means your prices are too low. Here's the healthy tradie quote win rate, why losing jobs on price is…
Read it → BurnoutStill On the Tools at 70 Hours a Week? Here's the Way Out
Working 60-70 hour weeks and can't stop? Why trade business owners get stuck on the tools, plus the practical first step…
Read it → ComparisonBusiness Coach vs Mentor vs Mastermind vs Accountant: What Tradies Actually Need
Confused about a business coach, mentor, mastermind or accountant? Here's what each one does, what each costs, and which…
Read it → PricingMarkup vs Margin: What a Tradie Should Really Add to Materials
Markup and margin aren't the same number. Here's the difference, the formula, and how much an Aussie tradie should reall…
Read it → SystemsBuild a Trade Business That Runs Without You
If your business stalls the day you're off tools, you don't own a business, you own a job. Here's how to build the syste…
Read it → Getting paidCustomers Not Paying? How to Get Paid On Time as a Tradie
Chasing invoices instead of doing the work that earns you money? Here's how to set up deposits, progress claims and a fo…
Read it → Cash flowJobs Booked, Bank Empty? Why Your Trade Business Is Always Short
Diary full for six weeks but the bank account says otherwise? Here's how to close the gap between doing the work and get…
Read it → SystemsBest Job Management Software for Australian Tradies
ServiceM8, Simpro, Tradify, AroFlo or Fergus? Here's how to pick the right one for your trade, crew size and job type, n…
Read it → Per-tradeHow to Pick a Business Coach for Electricians in Australia
Not every coach understands compliance overheads, apprentice ratios or the margin gap between domestic and commercial wo…
Read it → ProfitWhat's a Good Net Profit Margin for a Trade Business in Australia?
Turnover isn't the number that matters. Here are realistic net margin ranges by trade type, and why most owners sit well…
Read it → PricingHow Do You Raise Your Prices Without Losing Customers?
Scared a price rise will cost you clients? Phase it in, handle pushback from regulars, and quote the job not the hours, …
Read it → GrowthHow Do You Scale a Trade Business Past $1M Without It Falling Apart?
Hit $1M and it feels worse, not better? Fix the systems, the team structure and the margin before you chase more revenue…
Read it → TeamHow Do You Stop Your Best Tradesmen Leaving?
Losing good staff to a $2/hr counter-offer? It's rarely about the money. Fix pay, culture and progression properly and y…
Read it → MarketingHow Do You Win Commercial Clients and Builder Work?
Sick of the one-off residential rollercoaster? Here's how to get on builder tender lists, build the relationships that c…
Read it → ProfitYou're Making Good Money — So Why Is There No Profit Left?
Turnover's up, the diary's full, and the account's still empty at BAS time. Here's where trade businesses actually leak …
Read it → Cash flowHow Progress Claims Fix Cash Flow on Bigger Jobs
Funding a long job out of your own overdraft? Here's how to structure progress claims so the client's money runs the job…
Read it → Getting paidSecurity of Payment: How Australian Tradies Force Slow Payers to Pay
Client sitting on your invoice for no good reason? Security of Payment law gives you a legal payment claim and fast adju…
Read it → SystemsEverything Goes Through You? How to Stop Being the Bottleneck
If every quote, site problem and approval waits on you, your team hasn't failed. You just haven't handed off the decisio…
Read it → SalesHow Fast Should You Send a Quote? Why Speed Wins the Job
The first tradie to quote wins more work than the best tradie who quotes last. Here's how fast is fast enough, and how t…
Read it → SystemsHow to Document Systems in a Trade Business When You're Flat Out
You don't need a manual to get your systems out of your head. Here's how to capture how work actually gets done, in minu…
Read it → TeamHow to Hire a Leading Hand or Foreman to Run Your Sites
Still the one opening every site? Here's what to look for in a leading hand, what to pay one, and how to actually hand o…
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