The average Australian tradie is often stereotyped as being strong, unemotional and easy going. Expecting people to live up to this image is completely unrealistic at the best of times, and now more than ever.As a result of this pressure to meet the stereotype, many tradies try to be stoic and push negative feelings to the back of their minds, avoiding discussing any issues with friends and family so as not to appear weak. While tradies will openly chat about physical health, the discussion of mental health is still regarded as somewhat taboo (particularly on the job site) and as a result, is often avoided until someone's at their breaking point.This culture helps contribute to these alarming stats:

On the 8th of April 2020, legislation passed both Houses of Parliament for Workplace Flexibility and JobKeeper. For most modern Awards, Fair Work amendments have now been included. The basic summary of Workplace Flexibility Arrangements is:

As a business owner, as much as you would like to be, you can’t be everywhere at once. This means that you have to put total trust in your employees to be arriving and leaving the job site on time, and that they’re actually working during these hours. If you have an employee that you have your doubts about, providing them with this trust can be a hard ask.

While many tradies have already made the switch to take their businesses online with job management software, timesheets are often sadly forgotten in this process. If your company is using them (and regularly), you’re a step ahead of the rest. However, keeping a digital log of employee’s hours not only helps to increase efficiency, but can also save you time and money!

It should go without saying that in order to get paid, you need to be invoicing. However, too often we hear stories of electricians simply forgetting to bill their clients, and sadly, not all customers are honest enough to chase you up if this is the case.

All tradies need to start somewhere. For apprentices, the benefits are obvious. The individual is offered an opportunity to enter the workforce in paid employment and learn a trade while working towards a qualification. The benefits don't just end with the apprentice either. There are a number of advantages for employers that are considering taking on an employee that's new to the industry.

Building a business that customers can trust should always be a top priority for tradesmen, and with so much competition on the market and available at the press of a button, it’s now more important than ever.

Regardless of whether or not you have given a potential client an estimate on the spot, or attended a site to inspect and quote, you need to be following them up. Sitting around waiting for customers to call back will never win you jobs, which is why you will often need to make the move for a follow-up.

Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are vital in keeping you, your staff and your subcontractors safe at work when completing high-risk construction work, and are a central part of any worksite’s occupational health and safety procedures.