time management for tradies

Hiring an Admin Person for Your Tradie Business

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Hiring an Admin Person for Your Tradie Business: When and Why?

Many tradie business owners often wonder when the right time is to hire an admin person. It’s a common question that arises when businesses are in the growth phase or have just started out. Often, the concern revolves around affordability. However, from a strategic perspective, NOT hiring and admin person is holding the owner and the business back.

Let’s explore the benefits of hiring an admin person and discuss when it’s the right time to bring them on board.

The Value of Time

By employing an admin person for a significant portion of the work week, you can regain valuable time to focus on more critical activities. In just a couple of months, the admin person’s support should allow you to reclaim additional days that can be utilised more effectively, whether it’s generating income or tackling essential tasks. As a tradesperson, your expertise lies in your trade, not in administrative tasks like bookkeeping. Allocating these responsibilities to an admin person who excels in such areas ensures that the work is performed efficiently and allows you to concentrate on activities that align with your skill set and income potential.

Leveraging Expertise

As a plumber, electrician, or any other tradie, your primary income comes from performing your trade. However, tasks such as bookkeeping or administrative duties might not be your strong suit. Hiring an admin person allows you to tap into their expertise, ensuring these critical tasks are handled proficiently. Rather than spending time on activities that aren’t your core competency, you can entrust them to someone who specialises in those areas. This not only improves the quality of the work but also enhances overall business efficiency, as the admin person can devote their full attention to these tasks.

Delegating and Expanding Responsibilities

Once you’ve hired an admin person, you can gradually delegate various activities, freeing up your time to focus on more crucial aspects of your business. To assist you in this process, I have prepared a list of tasks that you can delegate or train your admin person to handle effectively. By downloading this list (available at the end of this blog post), you can identify specific areas where their support can make a significant impact. Furthermore, as you become accustomed to working with your admin person, you’ll likely identify additional tasks to add to their responsibilities, creating a dynamic and productive working relationship.

Employing an admin person for your tradie business can be a game-changer. It allows you to regain valuable time, leverage your expertise, and focus on income-generating activities. Instead of trying to handle all aspects of your business, delegating administrative tasks to a skilled professional empowers you to excel in your trade and drive business growth. If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities of hiring an admin person, download the list of activities that you can delegate and maximise the potential of your business.

More tradie tips can be found in my book “The Wealthy Tradie Book 2- How To Make Your Business Rake In The Cash”, you can grab a copy by following this link.

admin lady

What Is A Default Diary?

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What Is A Default Diary?

Are you looking for ways to accomplish more tasks efficiently in your day? Allow me to introduce you to a powerful tool called the default diary. Let’s delve into the concept of a default diary, which can help you optimise your time management without the need for delegation. By implementing this simple yet effective strategy, you can enhance your productivity and streamline your workflow as a tradie business owner.

This happens to be one of the topics in my book “The Wealthy Tradie Book 2- How To Make Your Business Rake In The Cash”, you can grab a copy by following this link.

Understanding the Default Diary

The default diary is a valuable tool among many others that can revolutionise how you utilise your time. Its principle is straightforward: dedicating uninterrupted blocks of time to specific activities significantly enhances your productivity. For instance, if you often find yourself conducting quotes throughout the week, you may experience disjointed workflow and inefficiency. With a default diary, you assign a fixed time for tasks like quotes. When clients inquire about quotes, you can respond by saying, “We handle quotes on Tuesday mornings. Does that work for you?” By scheduling activities in your default diary, you establish a consistent routine that optimises your time and improves your efficiency.

Streamlining Meetings and Business Tasks

Utilizing a default diary can also help you streamline meetings and important business tasks. For example, you can designate a specific time each week, like Monday mornings or Friday afternoons, for team meetings to discuss project updates and site work. Moreover, you can allocate time for essential business activities that often get overlooked, such as business planning, marketing, or system design. By reserving a specific time slot, like Friday mornings, you can prioritise these tasks and ensure they are consistently addressed. Communicating your default diary to your team or admin staff will help everyone understand your availability for particular activities, allowing for smoother scheduling and improved productivity.

Tailoring the Default Diary to Your Business

The beauty of the default diary lies in its flexibility. You can customise it based on the unique needs and size of your business. For instance, if you operate as a two-person team, you might allocate more time to working on the tools, while still dedicating specific blocks for crucial business-related tasks. On the other hand, if you have a larger team, you may assign specific days for managerial and administrative duties, allowing you to focus solely on the business’s growth and development. By aligning your default diary with your business requirements, you can strike the perfect balance between on-site work and essential managerial responsibilities.

Implementing a default diary can revolutionise your time management as a tradie business owner. By strategically scheduling activities and dedicating uninterrupted blocks of time, you can enhance productivity and streamline your workflow. Whether it’s conducting quotes, holding team meetings, or working on vital business tasks, a default diary ensures consistency and allows for effective planning. Take advantage of the power of the default diary and witness the positive impact it has on your productivity and overall business success.

Get A Free Copy Of Default Diary Template

If you're interested in a template that's an Excel file that you can build up your own default diary fill in your details below and its yours.

default diary

How Much Time Should You Spend Working on Your Business?

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Finding the Right Balance: How Much Time Should You Spend Working on Your Business?

As a tradesperson-turned-business owner, it’s natural to find joy in the hands-on work of your trade. However, for your business to thrive and achieve long-term success, it is essential to dedicate sufficient time to working on your business rather than just in it. Let’s now explore the importance of allocating time to focus on the growth and development of your business. By striking the right balance between working on and in your business, you can unlock its full potential.

The Love for Your Trade:

Many business owners are drawn to their trades due to a genuine passion for their craft. The immediate gratification of performing tasks and earning money can make it tempting to spend most of your time on the tools. However, it’s important to recognise that working on your business is equally vital for its long-term success. It involves tasks that may not offer immediate rewards but contribute significantly to growth and profitability.

What Does Working on Your Business Entail?

Working on your business means focusing on activities beyond the physical tasks of your trade. Here are a few examples:

a. Job Management Systems: Optimising and configuring software systems like “Simpro” or “Fergus” to enhance efficiency and streamline operations.

b. Defining Culture: Developing a strong organisational culture that attracts and retains the right employees, fostering a positive work environment.

c. Pricing and Recruiting Systems: Analysing and improving pricing strategies or implementing effective recruitment processes to support business growth.

These tasks, while not as immediately rewarding as hands-on work, are crucial for expanding your business and maximising its potential.

The Importance of Time Investment:

Working on your business is the key to accelerating its growth rate. The more time and effort you invest in improving systems, refining processes, and building a solid foundation, the faster your business will progress. These endeavours are the limiting factors that determine your business’s ability to scale and thrive.

Determining the Right Balance:

The amount of time you should allocate to working on your business depends on various factors, including the nature of your trade and the size of your team. While there is no definitive answer, here’s a general guide:

a. A 2/3 man business: probably needs at least 4 days a week on the tools

b. A five man business: Suppose you own a business with a team of approximately five employees. In that case, it is advisable to limit your time on the tools to no more than three days a week. Dedicate at least two days to working on your business, focusing on crucial growth-oriented tasks.

c. A ten man plus business: the owner shouldn’t be working on the tools at all (except for training staff) but should be running all aspects of the business.

Finding the right balance between working on your business and working in it is essential for the sustainable growth of your tradie business. While it’s tempting to get on the tools your business will require more of your time on the business the more your business grows.

To explore more practical tips and strategies, order a copy of my book “The Wealthy Tradie – How To Make Your Business Rake In The Cash.”

 

hugh bowman and client