[copysafepdf name=’mypwebsitelayout.class’ bgwidth=’600′ bgheight=’600′ prints_allowed=’0′ print_anywhere=’0′ allow_capture=’0′ allow_remote=’0′ background=’CCCCCC’]
We now have a range of business investment opportunities, either for owner-manager, under management or silent partners. Each opportunity has a confidential report prepared so you can review at your leisure and decide if it is right for you. Different opportunities come up from time to time – if you would like to discuss what is available now, or join our mailing list, then call or message us on the facebook page.
The transition is easier than you think. Tradies are taking up time saving job management tools and transforming their businesses.
There are a multitude of tools available. They fall roughly into two categories. Online booking systems which can be incorporated into a website, and end to end workflow management systems which run as an app on your phone.
The case study below is a true account of how an online booking system incorporated into a website can transform a business. But first, lets look at the second category, the phone apps.
In this category, work flow systems that work as an app on your phone, systems for tradies include ServiceM8, Aroflo, and Simpro. That list is not exhaustive, and if you have a favorite that is not mentioned then tell us in a comment. Each of these have their strengths and weaknesses.
If you don’t know where to start talk to other tradies in your industry and find out what they use, and then get a demo and test it for yourself.
Of those three, ServiceM8 and Simpro have trails you can download and test, and Aroflo has a demo booking service where someone will walk you thorough the application on the phone whilst sharing screens.
For the transition to an online system you need to set aside a bit of time to put your data in, and learn the ropes. If you are quiet now, then now is the time to test and incorporate such a tool into your business so you are better prepared for when times are busy. Most systems are quite cost effective for beginners to use, and offer great support.
These modern tools are available, built for tradies, and they will transform your business? If you need some advice about how to begin, just book a session with us here, using our simple online booking system! ; – )
Bob (not his real name), a furniture removalist, had been booking jobs in his paper diary for the last 16 years. Bob had a good system that worked for him. He would write the job in to his diary when it was booked, then circle it when it was confirmed. The phone number and address were right there on the day. It worked.
The problem was nobody else could make a booking except by contacting Bob, and all those names and numbers were spread through the diary pages, so past clients could not be easily contacted when times were quite. And times were quiet, and tough.
Bobs business coach suggested Bob test an online booking system. This was not hard. A simple website was created with an online booking system, so users could book a job without contacting Bob.
When Bob got phone calls he also added them to the online booking system. Bob had a login and password to the online calendar of the system, and could see the bookings coming in, plus he got an email when a new booking was made.
Before long, another removals company discovered they could easily subcontract work to Bob, by booking jobs directly in the on line booking system. Bobs business began to grow.
This system, combined with Bobs fantastic customer service, some social media engagement, and some other online enhancements, enabled Bob to go from having his worst month ever, to having is best month ever, in the space of just eight weeks!
The corner stone of this growth was Bobs willingness to embrace these online tools. Combined with Bobs winning attitude, and excellent customer service, it enabled Bob to transform his business.
“How can I make the money I know I should be making? I’m sick of slaving my guts out for less money than a wage! Where are the millions?”
When mentoring business owners I sometimes need to ask question “why are you in business?” Are you in business to make enough money to be able to stop being in business? In times when business is easy, that may well work, but when times are tough a business owner may require all the passion, tenacity and drive they can muster to stay afloat. If their true passion lies elsewhere, its may just get harder to keep on doing the hard yards in a business they don’t really want to do.
If you have recently been retrenched from your FIFO job, and alternative jobs are impossible to find, then you may think your only choice may be to start your own small business, compete on price.
Its a tough market. Well established business just create more attractive pricing models, and get more assertive in the market place. Most established businesses have an arsenal of exploited marketing options that they don’t even know about. For them the key is to learn about and leverage these additional strategies. That’s were a Business Coach or Mentor can be invaluable.
For the new entrants, ex FIFO workers for example, aggressive marketing and cost cutting are sometimes the main strategies used. But this can cause major problems for them in the medium term, as they promise big but then find they loose money trying to deliver, or cant deliver. The result is dissatisfied customers, and a consequent loss of opportunity of referrals. It can also damage an industry as customers lose faith in the ethics of practitioners.
New entrants should begin instead by taking careful strategic look at various industries, and match their skills, network, circumstances, capital and passion with market space which has the best opportunities and least competition. So ‘personal’ strategic planning session is what is required before they start in business. Then the journey will be better thought through, and better executed, and more likely to be successful.
Established firms suddenly having to compete on price need a business coach to help them come to grips with today’s reality, the digital economy.
Whether a new entrant or an established firm, for all business people the question must be asked. ‘why are you in business?’. A session with a Business Mentor or Coach is an invaluable part of the process.
We can help you either way, and we provide excellent service to a small number of clients. If you have found your way to this page, then take the next step and book a free initial Skype or face to face consultation in Perth. Its free, but its worth a million dollars. And who couldn’t use an extra million?
Book here https://mindyourprofit.gettimely.com/book
Or visit the website here mindyourprofit.com
Managing your board is a tricky area. Interpersonal relationships are key, and the best of intentions are often torpedoed by self interest.
A board can be an ugly beast. It can be a vibrant powerhouse for growth and success. A brief scour of search engines on this question sent me to websites with absolutely terrible advice on how to manage a board. The reference below is among the best I found, and in particular the four questions it asks up front give perhaps the best way to answer the question ‘ is my board running as best it can?’
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/1999/03/15/smallb2.html
Every business owner should have a mentor. Why? Think of a forest. When running a business you are in the thick of it, dealing with issues, managing problems, in among the trees with your staff. There is nobody from inside the business that can see the forest. It is impossible to DIY business mentoring.
Here is a great blog post from @emilyroseutter who tried DIY, then engaged a mentor and doubled her income. http://emilyutter.com/why-you-shouldnt-diy-business/ #businessmentor
#business #success #mentor
Today we are launching the new Mind Your Profit website. We wanted to deploy an online booking platform to make booking an initial coffee meeting easier for our clients, so today we have done that. Click through to the homepage to book http://mindyourprofit.com/
Easy.