Owner independence·Trades
How I run a $4M trades business from another country
My trades business runs in Perth. I live in New Zealand. Here's the exact machinery that makes that possible — and why none of it is magic.
6 min readRead
Resources
The playbook behind a business that runs itself.
No fluff — just the systems, automation and habits we used to build a business that runs without its owner. Steal what works.
Websites·Trades
Do tradies need a website? (And what should it cost?)
Straight answers from someone who runs trades businesses: when a website matters, what it should cost, and the difference between a site that books jobs and an online brochure.
5 min readRead
Growth·Trades
How to grow a tradie business (without working more hours)
Growth advice for tradies usually means “work harder” in disguise. Here are the four levers that grew a real trades business to ~$4M — none of them involve more hours on the tools.
5 min readRead
Systems & tools·Trades
Is Xero good for tradies? Yes — but it's one third of the stack
We run Xero across our own trades businesses, so: yes, it's good. But it only covers the money. Here's the full three-part stack — and the third part most tradies are missing.
4 min readRead
eCommerce·Any business
What Shopify actually costs a $200k store (the full fee breakdown)
The plan price is the smallest number on the bill. Here's every fee a Shopify store actually pays — added up for a real $200k/yr store — and what the alternative looks like.
6 min readRead
eCommerce·Any business
86% of your market isn't searching your brand. Here's how to find what they do search.
Before spending a marketing dollar, find out what your market actually types into Google. When we did this for a real store, the answer rewrote the whole strategy.
5 min readRead
Lead capture·Any business
How to stop losing customers to missed calls
Every call you don't answer is a customer dialling the next business on the list. Here's how to make sure that never costs you a sale.
4 min readRead
Reputation·Any business
How to get more 5-star reviews without chasing customers
More reviews mean more customers — but asking for them by hand always falls to the bottom of the list. Here's how to make it automatic.
4 min readRead
Systems·Trades
How to systemise your trades business so it runs without you
If everything routes through you, you don't own a business — you own a job you can't quit. Here's how to build one that runs without you.
6 min readRead
Sales pipeline·Any business
How to get more quotes accepted (and get paid faster)
Every quote sitting in someone's inbox is a job you haven't lost yet — but probably will. Here's how to get more of them over the line.
4 min readRead
Follow-up·Any business
How to follow up with leads so none ever go cold
Most leads don't reject you — they just go quiet and you forget to chase. Here's how to make follow-up automatic.
4 min readRead
Communication·Any business
One inbox: stop losing customers across calls, texts and email
When customer messages are spread across your phone, email and DMs, things slip. Here's how to pull them into one place.
3 min readRead
Retention·Any business
How to turn one-off jobs into repeat customers
Your past customers are your cheapest source of new work — if you stay in touch. Here's how to make that automatic.
4 min readRead
Analytics·Any business
How to know which marketing actually makes you money
If you don't know where your customers come from, you're guessing with your budget. Here's how to see what actually works.
4 min readRead
Systems·Any business
5 signs your business has outgrown spreadsheets and sticky notes
Spreadsheets and sticky notes get you started. Here are five signs they're now costing you more than they save.
4 min readRead
Scheduling·Any business
How to stop no-shows and double-bookings for good
Every no-show is a paid hour that vanished. Here's how to keep your calendar full and accurate without the back-and-forth.
3 min readRead
Systems·Trades
SOPs for trades: document your business so anyone can run it
If the job only gets done right when you're on site, you're the system. Here's how to put it on paper so your team can run it.
5 min readRead
Owner freedom·Trades
How to take a holiday without your trades business falling over
If two weeks off means the business wobbles, you don't own it — it owns you. Here's how to change that.
4 min readRead
Lead capture·Any business
What a missed lead is really costing you
One missed call feels minor. A year of them is the most expensive habit in your business. Here's the maths.
4 min readRead
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