Ask a business owner what their goals are, and you’ll get a quick answer: “I want a profitable business that runs well, makes me good money and gives me financial freedom.” Confident nod. Now ask what their objectives are, and that nod might shift to a head tilt. “I just told you my objectives… didn’t I?” Mmmm, no. So, what’s the difference between business goals and business objectives? Business goals are the big picture of what you want to achieve in the future. It’s what the business owner described – the broad, long-term aims of their business. Business objectives, in contrast, are the sp ..read more

Ask a business owner what their goals are, and you’ll get a quick answer: “I want a profitable business that runs well, makes me good money and gives me financial freedom.” Confident nod. Now ask what their objectives are, and that nod might shift to a head tilt. “I just told you my objectives… didn’t I?” Mmmm, no. So, what’s the difference between business goals and business objectives? Business goals are the big picture of what you want to achieve in the future. It’s what the business owner described – the broad, long-term aims of their business. Business objectives, in contrast, are the sp ..read more

Remember your first job when you started as an apprentice working for a tradie business? You spent the day looking for left-handed spanners, doing the Dare iced coffee run and trying to remember what you’d learnt at trade school. Now you’re the boss of your own tradie business — whether plumbing, electrical contracting, HVAC installation, landscape construction, carpentry, or residential building – you realise that trade school didn’t teach you about managing employees. Trade schools are essential for developing the knowledge and skills of tradies to do quality work that’s essential for every ..read more

Remember when you enrolled at trade school because you knew you wanted to be a… marketer? Wait, what? Nah. You signed up to be an electrician or a plumber or a landscaper or a chippy or to learn HVAC or roofing. So it wasn’t a surprise to you that marketing wasn’t in the TAFE curriculum. Yet now that you’ve got your own tradie business — whether plumbing, electrical contracting, HVAC installation, landscape construction, carpentry, or residential building – you realise that maybe they should’ve taught you something about marketing. Trade schools give you the knowledge and skills to do your jo ..read more

“They’re so much bigger than my business, how can I possibly compete?” If you’ve ever thought that about your small business before, you’re not alone. It can seem daunting to submit a tender bid knowing you’re up against a multi-million dollar (and multi-generational) business. But size isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As a seasoned business coach based in Australia, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs of small B2B businesses navigating the competitive landscape dominated by larger corporations. The journey of guiding these businesses towards growth and success has been incre ..read more

Remember the days of trade school? Still half asleep as you shuffled in to 7-Eleven to grab a coffee and a sausage roll for brekky before knuckling down to learn. When it comes to the world of tradies — whether plumbing, electrical contracting, HVAC installation, landscape construction, carpentry, or residential building — trade schools are the entry to technical education. TAFEs and vocational schools equip tradies with the practical skills and technical know-how required to excel in their chosen field. However, as tradie business coaches one of the most common things we hear is, “I didn’t l ..read more

When it comes to branding, the common misconception among small business owners is that impactful branding requires a $$$$$ budget—think big bucks for flashy logos, high-end marketing materials, and expensive advertising campaigns. However, in my 20+ years of coaching small business owners across Australia, I’ve witnessed firsthand that branding excellence doesn’t have to cost a bucket. In fact, with a strategic approach and savvy investment, small businesses can achieve remarkable brand recognition and loyalty within a budget of $5,000 to $10,000. This free guide, “Brand Building Basics: Ess ..read more

As business coach, I’ll often find myself at a barbecue or a school sports day with people asking me about profit margins; how do you calculate them?, what’s a reasonable profit margin for a small business?, and what can I do to improve my profit margins? Ah, profit margins. The bread and butter of any small business conversation, right up there with “How’s the cash flow?” and “Any tips for dodging those tax headaches?” If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re hunting for the lowdown on what a decent profit margin looks like, how to crunch those numbers, and perhaps most crucially, how to pu ..read more

As business coach, I’ll often find myself at a barbecue or a school sports day with people asking me about profit margins; how do you calculate them?, what’s a reasonable profit margin for a small business?, and what can I do to improve my profit margins? Ah, profit margins. The bread and butter of any small business conversation, right up there with “How’s the cash flow?” and “Any tips for dodging those tax headaches?” If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re hunting for the lowdown on what a decent profit margin looks like, how to crunch those numbers, and perhaps most crucially, how to pu ..read more

Welcome to the first briefing of 2024, I hope you had relaxing break and are re-energised for the year ahead. I thought I’d start the briefings this year by giving you my insights on what economic conditions are likely to influence our businesses in 2024. To do so, we need to look at the two big factors that are driving the economy: interest rates and immigration. The increase in spending from the record level of immigrants is balancing out by the reduction in spending by the rest of the population, who in general have cut back on spending due to the higher interest rates. Many people and m ..read more