trade business

How to Make AI Your Business Advisor, Not Just Another Tool

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There are now plenty of AI tools being marketed specifically to tradies now.  

Some promise to help with quoting, invoices, customer communication, documents, job management and even answering questions on site. Others offer more complete AI systems designed to automate parts of the business.  

There can absolutely be a place for these tools. 

But before you start paying for another piece of software, I think there’s a more important question: 

Have you actually taught the AI you already have how your business works? 

Most business owners I speak to are already using AI in some way. They’ll ask it to write an email, tidy up a document, create a social post or answer a question. 

That’s useful, but it’s really only scratching the surface. 

The bigger opportunity is to give AI enough information about your business that you can start having much better business conversations with it. 

Imagine your AI already understood who your best customers are, which jobs are most profitable, your average job value, where your leads come from, your team structure, your competitors, your biggest challenges and where you want the business to be in 12 months. 

Now the questions can become very different. 

Instead of asking: 

“Write me a Facebook post.” 

You could be asking: 

“Based on our most profitable jobs and the customers we want more of, where should we be focusing our marketing?” 

Instead of: 

“Write a job ad.” 

You could ask: 

“Based on our current team structure, workload and growth plans, what position should I be looking to recruit next and why?” 

Or: 

“Here are our sales figures, quote conversion rates and sales forecast. What patterns can you see and what questions should I be asking?” 

That’s where I think AI starts getting interesting for a business owner. It moves from being something that helps you write things faster to something you can use to challenge your thinking, analyse information, identify problems and help you make better decisions. And you don’t necessarily need a different AI tool for every part of your business to start doing this. 

You need to train the AI you’re using properly and keep giving it relevant information about your business. 

That doesn’t happen in five minutes! Just like a new employee, the more useful information and context you give it about your business the better the conversation can become. 

This is something I’m spending a lot more time working through with trade business owners. 

Not simply “how do I use AI?” The better question is: 

“How could I use AI to help me run this business better?” 

That answer is really different for every business. 

If you’d like some help working out what that could look like in yours, get in touch. 

Hugh Bowman
ActionCOACH Geelong 

From Ideas in Your Head to a Business That Can Run Without You

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One of the biggest parts of succession planning is turning what you know as the business owner into something the business itself can use.

For many established business owners, there are years of knowledge, ideas and experience sitting in their head. But if the business is going to grow, operate with less reliance on its owner and eventually be passed on or sold, that knowledge needs to become plans, processes and systems.

That’s something I’ve worked on with Chris Beretta from D.A. Beretta, a long standing Geelong plumbing and civil works business.

When Chris first came to me, he already had plenty of ideas. What he needed was help getting those ideas down on paper, building plans around them and, importantly, actually implementing them.

Since then, we’ve worked on future growth, goal setting and streamlining systems within the business. Chris has also successfully developed a new traffic control arm within D.A. Beretta, turning what had previously been a cost to the business into another source of profit.

As Chris explains in the video, one of the biggest benefits of coaching has been having someone there to help move those ideas from his head into action.

That’s also an important part of building a business for the future.

Succession planning isn’t simply deciding who will take over one day. It’s about creating a stronger, more organised business with the systems, plans and people in place so everything doesn’t continue to depend on you.

Watch Chris’s story below to hear about his experience working with me and the changes they’ve implemented at D.A. Beretta.

Thanks
Hugh

Succession Planning Starts Earlier Than You Think

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When most business owners hear the words succession planning, they think it’s something to worry about when retirement is just around the corner.

In reality, that’s one of the biggest mistakes I see.

The businesses that achieve the best outcomes don’t suddenly become valuable in their final year. They become valuable because of the decisions their owners make over many years.

In this short video, I explain why succession planning is really about creating options. Whether your goal is to eventually sell your business, pass it on to family, install a management team or simply step back from the day to day running, it all starts with building a business that isn’t completely dependent on you.

I also share some of the key areas I work on with business owners, including developing leaders, documenting systems and increasing the overall value of the business.

If you’ve never really thought about succession planning, or you’d simply like to understand what makes a business more valuable, I encourage you to watch the video below.

Because succession planning isn’t just about leaving your business one day.

It’s about building a business that’s stronger, more profitable and gives you more freedom long before that day arrives.

Reach out if you’d like to start your succession planning.

Thanks
Hugh

Struggling to attract good staff?

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Many business owners blame the job market, a lack of applicants or the younger generation. But in this short video, I share a recruiting principle that can be confronting, but incredibly powerful:

You get the people you deserve.

The quality of people you attract is often a reflection of the business you’ve built. Leadership, culture, the type of work you offer and the environment you’ve created all play a role in whether great people want to join your team.

In this video, I explain why attracting better talent starts with looking inward and what business owners can do to become the type of business that great people want to work for.

If you’re finding it difficult to recruit and retain quality staff, this video will give you a different perspective on where to start.

Thanks
Hugh