Aussie Painting Contractor June 2016

Monroe Porter Aussie Sales Academy!

How to recover from

Setbacks in Business What’s your specialty?

Choosing an area of expertise

Successful Women in Painting Real Estate Styling

www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Anne-Maree Rusell • Caroline Miall • Dan Buzer • Daniel Wurm • Jack Josephsen • Jim Baker • Leo Babauta • Monroe Porter • Nigel Gorman • Robert Bauman

GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado

From the Editor Hi Everyone, Wow, what an amazing response we have had to the announcement of September’s Trade Expo and ‘Paint to Prosperity’ Conference. Suppliers from all areas of the industry have been contacting us to secure their stands. It’s going to be a milestone for the industry with most of the big names together for probably the first time ever. Come along to see them present their best products and deals and watch them all really bring it. We’ll announce details of all the organisations to date that have committed to the Trade Expo in the next edition of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.

Already we’ve sold tickets to the Conference to painters from far and wide. Delegates will be coming from as far as Western Australia. Our speakers are excited and really looking forward to being part of the events. The Brisbane Racing Club is the ideal venue located between the airport and the city, and we’ve secured great hotel deals near the historical Brekky Creek Hotel.

Painters are particularly excited about having the highly respected consultant to the Trades, Monroe Porter, coming out from the States.

We’ll be hosting an intensive workshop, dinners and keynote address with Monroe, so don’t miss out on these rare opportunities to see and talk to one of the best in the business. Keep checking back in coming months for more information about the events.

So, the election has been announced; lots of fun and games to come for the next month. In recent days we’ve been contacted by a painter who has been successful in securing a meeting to discuss National Licensing with Minister for Industry, Innovation & Science, Christopher Pyne. We will have more about that after their chat and the elections are done and dusted.

Lock up your babies and enjoy the electioneering.

Till next month.

Happy painting, Nigel Gorman

nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

07 3555 8010

Contents Why attend a Conference in the Trades?

6

8

The Face Everything Technique:

20

The problem with white glossy floors

11

Tuning Up Your Business

GETAPAINTER

19

Recovering, adapting and redirecting the failures

DECORATIVE EPOXIES

Why Avoiding Difficulties Doesn’t Work

Women in Painting

Setbacks in Business

12 16

24

How to Keep Your Organization Fresh and Avoid Plunder

Real Estate Styling

31

7 REASONS Why NOT to Have a Business Partner

34

What’s Your Speciality?

Industry Idiots

38

Important Contacts

39

26

Get more business for your business

Opinions and viewpoints expressed in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Aussie Painters Network’s staff or related parties. The publisher, Aussie Painters Network and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission.

Information contained in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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1800 355 344 07 3555 8010 info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au www.aussiepaintingcontractor.com

Why attend a Conference

IN THE TRADES?

With things hotting up in preparation for our Trade Show and Conference in September, I thought it would be a good time to investigate exactly what might be in it for you.

Why attend a Trade Show and Conference? Particularly in the trades/ construction sector, many of you might wonder, what is the point of attending events like this? Are they just a junket, an educational opportunity, or the chance to network with others in the industry?

It largely depends what you decide you want to get out of an event like this. All three benefits and other rewards are available to you, if you choose to take advantage of them.

Keeping up with industry technology

There isn’t an industry on the globe that hasn’t undergone change in the past few decades with the influence of available technologies.

From product development and the technical sides of a trade, through to communications and management of accounts; pretty much everything has evolved somewhat in line with the modern milieu.

Problem solving

If your business hasn’t adopted change, then you are being left behind, not functioning at maximum efficiency and very likely missing out on potential profits. One of the best ways for you to find out what you don’t even know that you’re missing, is to be at the forefront of information delivery designed specifically for you – at a conference exclusively targeting YOUR business.

6 | Aussie Painters Network

See, touch and experience cuttingedge products to make informed purchasing decisions. Get the best deals available by being at the conference ready to buy!

Investigating economising options

Find out about initiatives that could save your business loads of money.

Join buying groups, set up accounts with suppliers, and take advantage of trade show deals. More often than not, these are not available outside of conference/trade show!

There’s a lot to be said for being among those with common goals and practices and challenges. An opportunity to discuss, face to face, some of the issues you come up against is invaluable. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved!

Hearing from the experts in your field

You won’t often have the chance to hear the best speakers in the business. Most conferences have a keynote presenter that is sure to draw a crowd for a good reason – They have information and solutions that make the most difference to their audience. Learning opportunities exist at these gatherings that you may never experience elsewhere.

Perhaps you’ve been to plenty of conferences before and think you won’t gain much from attending.

This could be true; you might have a wealth of experience and don’t need a whole lot more information overload. Iif you walk away from such an event with even one little pearl of wisdom, then it’s worth your while, but I know I’ve felt ‘conferenced out’ in my past fields before, from exhibiting or attending as a delegate. If this is the case for you, there will undoubtedly be someone else in your organisation who would benefit from being backed by the business to attend.

What a great opportunity to show your staff you’re willing to invest in their professional development and let them gain something from the experience. You may be surprised as to the subsequent positive outcomes for the business as a whole.

The combination of events APN is hosting in September are more than your average conference. To combine the free admission trade show with the symposium style gathering, as well as the exclusive audience and intensive workshop with our international speaker means that there are opportunities for everyone to gain; Suppliers, apprentices, contractors and veterans of the industry alike.

Choose your level of involvement, and don’t miss out!

Caroline Miall

caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

This is the perfect event to attend with your business partner, husband/wife who works in the business, oďŹƒce manager, or anyone who works closely with you.

We are bringing Monroe Porter from the USA to headline the event. We have also engaged Andy and Angela Smith, a husband and wife team that runs multi award winning plumbing business and the award winning Lifestyle Tradie Group. Tas Moulis, is the Award Winning owner of QPaint and Mentor to all Painters Australia-Wide.

VIP Tic Ticket - Priority Admission to Event - VIP Seating (Best Seats In the House) - Pre-Event Meet the Speakers (Friday afternoon from 5-7pm, after the Trade Expo) - Pre-Event Photo Opportunity - Event Booklet - Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be supplied Standard Ticket - Admission to the Event - Seating behind VIP - Event Booklet - Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be supplied Visit : http://aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au/ paint-to-prosperity-conference/

2016 June Issue | 7

The Face Everything Technique: Why Avoiding Difficulties Doesn’t Work

We are, all of us, amazing at avoiding things.

Our minds are less “thinking machines” than they are “avoiding machines.” And the incredible thing is that we aren’t even usually aware that we’re avoiding thinking about something.

I’ll give you a few examples: • Right now you’re reading this article but probably avoiding the difficult thing you don’t want to think about.

• We are constantly checking messages, news, feeds, notifications … to avoid doing something we don’t want to face.

• When we’re facing difficulties in life, we try to tell ourselves that’s it’s OK because (fill in the blank), or get busy with some activity or numbing agent (like alcohol) so we don’t have to face the difficulties.

• When a problem comes up, our reaction is to want to go do something else, put it off.

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• We put off paying bills, doing taxes, dealing with long emails, dealing with clutter, because we don’t want to face these difficulties.

• We put off exercise because it’s uncomfortable.

In fact, there are thousands more examples, every day, that come up and that we don’t even notice, because our minds switch to thinking about something else.

Try this right now: pause for a minute and think about what difficulty you’re avoiding thinking about right now.

You will either notice a difficulty you don’t like, or your mind will quickly turn to doing something else before the minute is up.

What you’ve done is part of what I call the Face Everything Technique … which I’ll explain in a minute, after we talk about why avoiding everything is an ineffective strategy.

Avoidance Doesn’t Work Our minds want to run from whatever discomfort, pain, difficulty we’re facing… and this is a good strategy for temporarily not having to deal with difficulty and pain. We might feel some temporary relief.

But what it does is relegate us to a life of running. A life of distraction and never facing what ails us.

We keep ourselves busy, but never learn to deal with what’s inside us, what’s in front of us.

This means we are at the mercy of our fears, of our discomforts. We are like little children who don’t want to do any hard work, but want the latest shiny fun thing.

This results in not working on the important work (or at least putting it off until it starts to get painful). The same is true of exercise, healthy eating, finances, clutter, relationships, and more.

The Face Everything Technique This technique is based on the idea that it’s better to be aware of things, and to deal with them like an adult, instead of running.

And if we do, none of it is that big of a deal.

Here’s how it works: 1. Create awareness by asking, “What am I doing right now?”

Throughout the day, set reminders or put little notes that remind you to ask, “What am I doing right now?” The answer might be, “Checking Facebook,” or “Switching to a new browser tab,” or “Eating some chips.” Something simple and mundane like that, but just ask yourself what you’re doing, to start to bring awareness.

2. Next, ask yourself, “What am I avoiding?” When things get difficult or uncomfortable, we automatically switch to something else. We run.

We avoid, like crazy. You’re doing it all day long, but not realizing it. Ask what you’re avoiding: some fear,

some difficult task, some difficult emotion, some discomfort, or just staying present in the current moment? Name what you’re avoiding.

3. Now face it. Just stay with this fear, discomfort, difficulty, in the present moment. Not your story about it that you’re telling yourself in your head, but the actual physical feeling in your body in the present moment. How bad is it? You’ll find that it’s No Big Deal. Stay with it for a little longer. And a little longer after that — challenge yourself.

4. Take appropriate action. Now that you’ve faced it and have seen that it’s not such a big deal, you can act like an adult rather than a little child: you can decide what the best action is right now. If you’re afraid of doing some task, but you’ve faced it and seen that the fear is not such a big deal … you can remind yourself that the task will benefit you and others, and is much more important than your little fear. If you’re avoiding a difficult conversation with someone because you’re angry, you can see that the anger and offense is not such a big deal, and you can talk to the person calmly and appropriately, with em-

pathy and compassion, and figure out a solution.

Of course, not all problems will just evaporate using this method, but I can tell you that you’ll be able to face many more things as you practice this method. You’ll get better at dealing with discomfort, instead of running from it as most people do.

You’ll get better at not procrastinating, and doing uncomfortable tasks.

You’ll be more present and more willing to stay in the moment rather than needing distractions all the time. Not overnight, but with practice.

You might have the urge to dismiss this article, to avoid practicing this technique. That too is avoidance, and I urge you to face it this moment. _____________________________

Leo Babauta,

a successful ‘simplicity’ blogger & author from California, is the creator of top 25 Blog, Zen Habits, chronicling his insights from acting significant changes in his personal and working life.

www.zenhabits.net

2016 June Issue | 9

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TUNING UP

YOUR BUSINESS The wheels for the next federal election have been set in motion, and what that really means for business owners is that there will be no major decisions taken while the Government is in caretaker mode.

1. Bring forward your tax deductions 2. Use the Capital Gains Tax Discount 3. Writing off your child’s education expenses 4. Set up a Company

5. Set up a Trust While there have been many tax changes announced for small busi- 6. Use Tax Offsets and Rebates ness, they are not yet enacted. It will 7. Claim all possible car expenses and auto mileage to and from take until after the election before your office they will be enshrined in tax law.

8. Deducting vacation travel Despite being a little bit in limbo expenses right now, you can focus on many 9. Deducting phone, Internet other things to help put your busiservice, and utility bills ness on a straight path to boost 10. Cutting your taxes when selling your profits. appreciated assets 11. Self-manage your superannuation Create a Tax Plan Revisit the tax saving strategies 12. Use Negative Gearing and Positive Gearing you’ve used last year and check, if you have done all you can to mini- 13. Salary Sacrificing into Superannuation mise your tax bill. Here are some strategies to help you work out how 14. Plan for Your Taxes and Reap you can legally save more tax: the Rewards

For more information, visit our Resource Centre, www.adhamilton. com.au/ and download our FREE eBook “How to Slash Your Tax Legally”.

Create a Marketing Plan

It is always important to make sure you’ve got enough clients or customers to keep your business profitable.

When you want to stay ahead of your competition you cannot neglect your marketing, be that through the traditional methods or joining the social media marketing ring. If you’ve had a marketing plan last year, now is the time to review its effectiveness. Look at which strategies have worked best for you and develop a plan for next financial year to include more of these.

A D Hamilton & Associates www.adhamilton.com.au

2016 June Issue | 11

Women in Painting Speaking for most men if I can, we have all come across our problems while learning our trade or starting up our own business. Let’s face it, we have all moaned and groaned at some stage hoping to get some sympathy to whoever will listen.

I know myself it has been a hard climb to the position where I am now. But think about the ‘female tradie’ and the difficult times they have had, and are still having in this male dominated industry.

I am extremely fortunate to know some ladies that I met through an English Facebook group that have been through this and have become successful in their business. They have been kind enough to let me publish their stories of how they got through their early days in the workforce and how they coped working with the ‘opposite sex’.

This is Cait’s story.

“My company is based in Central Scotland in the city of Perth. My career began when I was about 18 years old; I am now 50. Having gained entry to one of the best Fine Art courses in the country, I couldn’t cope and failed my exams. After leaving, my passion was to work hard and make money and when I realised I could mix my artistic skill with a practical skill, it was instant addiction. I was drawn very early on by the creative side of the painting and decorating trade but realised that without the knowledge and ability to prepare your own work, that in the long term I would be limited in what I could do.

‘Carte Blanche’ is a company

operated by Cait Whitson in Perth, Scotland. Cait is a decorator specialising in wood graining, marbling and special finishes. As my wife and I were recently visiting Scotland, we decided to take a look at one of the jobs Cait had recently completed. The work performed was at ‘DunveganCastle’ on the ‘Isle of Skye’. She had to replicate timber finishes on panel doors and on a plaster board ceiling and cornice in the main entry. All I can say is, ‘amazing’. If I didn’t know it was imitation then I would have sworn it was the original timber.

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This was in the 80’s and the height of the decorative painting surge.

It took me a while to realise I was joining a ‘bandwagon’ - a fashion for decorative finishing started by ‘Jocasta Innes’ that was in fact on the downturn when I joined it. So if I was to continue in my trade, I had to have a more solid foundation in what I would ultimately do.

I was lucky to be adopted by a wonderful painting and decorating firm for a short period who took me through the initial part of an apprenticeship which is normally 4 years long in Scotland. After this there was little choice but to work for myself as employers were reluctant to take on female painters. One of the first jobs I was employed in I was dismissed because I moved in with my boyfriend and the second employer paid me short the first week...explaining ‘I couldn’t possibly expect the same wage as a man who had a family to support’. This is when the decision to start up on my own came about; 30 years ago.

I never marketed myself as a female decorator but I’m sure some domestic clients prefer a woman to a man, but on a commercial basis there are some issues that I would say play against you. Working with Interior Designers and Architects isn’t an issue but working with building contractors and other contractors is sometimes quite difficult. If you bear in mind that the only women who work in these sectors tend to be office or desk based then you can to some extent understand the inability to cope with women on site. You need a level of resilience to work with many of these companies. I’ve worked on a lot of larger more commercial projects over the years and it is still a tough call even now. I’m now at the stage when I can’t be bothered with the fight.

Restoration - matching original limestone.

About a third of the limestone you see here is painted.

This is a prestigious historic commercial building in Central Glasgow

Restored timber throughout - new timber on fireplace wall specially stained and patinated to match the old, hand mixed and coloured distemper applied to the walls in an Arts and Crafts home in Auchterarder

Carte Blanche www.decoratescotland.com http://decoratescotland.blogspot.com/ +44(0)1738 587600 2016 March Issue | 13

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If a man can’t cope with dealing with me, then I hand the situation over to my male business partner Gibson, who’s also my husband. Gibson and I deal with different parts of the business, but as an example - there are times when it’s my sphere of expertise and I am running the project, when speaking with construction management, I’ll ask a question and the manager will reply to Gibson.... it’s not a conscious discrimination, it is instinct but hugely indicative of an industry that needs to change. I have retained my maiden name which is handy in these particular situations.

Interestingly those that can’t work with me are usually the ones that are mismanaged, inefficient companies You can understand that the atmosphere in our industry has changed dramatically since I first started ....it is an exciting time to be young and training as a female decorator now and I don’t resent what happened to me. I believe ‘Women in Painting’ (and in construction generally) is on an upward trend and one I welcome wholeheartedly. What alarms me is that women are almost entirely working in the domestic market and after 30 years I still don’t see many working in mainstream construction, nor do I see them having the desire to head up larger companies or pitch for larger more ambitious projects.

The construction industry as a whole can only benefit from diversity. To me, it is currently one of the most inefficient, mismanaged industries and women should be playing a role in its reform. I can only be excited about the future for women and know that the more there are in the industry, the faster it will change.”

Working as a sub-contractor for a company - Cait Whitson

Kim’s story.

‘My name is Kim Teasdale and I trade under the name ‘Lady Painter and Decorator’. I am 48 years old and a professional painter and decorator in a suburb of London, England. I came to decorating through working as a scenic painter on a film set in Cape Town, South Africa, where I am originally from. In 2003 the decision to move to London was to make for a brighter future for myself and my son.

A small building company offered me an opportunity to work as one of their decorators but unfortunately after nine months, they closed down the company. I then joined a few construction recruitment agencies and proceeded to work for the next eight years on both big and small construction sites all over London and the South East of England.

I chose to work on construction sites assuming there would be a healthy balance of women to men but this was not the case. Working as a woman in the construction business is a tough call and unfortunately women in manual trades careers show an unrelenting downward trend.

Data from the ‘Office for National Statistics’ confirms that in 2012-13 there were 1,973 women identified as working in construction as painters and decorators out of a total of

95,700 in the workforce (2.06%). It is shame as there are so many opportunities but no encouragement for women to enter this exciting world.

While working on sites I purposely sought out the experienced painters to work alongside so I could learn as much as I possibly could. This ranged from preparation, paint systems and how to deal with site management.

But working on building sites is a challenge for any woman. There was an ever-present male chauvinism even though I worked hard and ran a few projects myself. I would often turn up to site and have no changing facility or toilet to use and I was mostly made to feel like an inconvenience. Speaking my mind and asking for my own facilities, usually led to me either having to put up with sharing with the men, or being asked to leave as I wasn’t needed. Working as a sub-contractor for a company didn’t give me any job security and you could be asked to leave at any time without pay. This then led to the problem of finding the next job and more often than not, I was told that they would need to check whether the main contractor would mind a woman being on their site.

I now source all my own clients and choose to work solely on private homes and staying away from commercial jobs and builders.’

These are not isolated cases. Majority of women do get a hard time in the construction business when working for a male employer. In my opinion it must change, otherwise women will become disgruntled and leave to do other work, and that would be a great loss for industry.

Jim Baker

www.mytools4business.com 2016 June Issue | 15

GETAPAINTER

Get more business for your business Getapainter

is an experienced independent on-line lead generator that’s been custom built by painters for painters. Getapainter, or GAP, captures online job leads and refers them to registered website members. In essence GAP links buyers (people or businesses who want painters) with sellers (you - the professional applicator). This new cutting edge website meets the needs of Do It For Me customers who are now, more than ever, looking online to find painters and professional applicators. Chris Munday, Getapainter’s General Manager explained the benefits of GAP and how it’s meeting the needs of its members.

“GAP is very cost effective in comparison to traditional advertising, but best of all its online lead generating platform is free to join with no obligation or lock in contract” Mr Munday said. “GAP does however have membership standards as it prides itself on delivering high quality standards of service and products to its customers. Our members must still go through a screening process to ensure our levels of professional standards will be met, it also means only professional applicators respond to our job leads.” he added.

So how does it work?

GAP captures customer enquiry details such as the lead location and the nature of the project (i.e. Small, Large or Commercial). This basic information is then sent out to registered GAP members who are accepting job leads in nominated

16 | Aussie Painters Network

areas/ postcodes. The first four members to accept the lead are given the job information along with all the customer contact details.

GAP ensures it delivers a premium service with all members who register agreeing to call customers back within a two-hour time frame of accepting the given lead.

At the same time the painters on-line marketing profile and business information is e-mailed to the prospective client along with their contact details. This enables customers to review the background, services and skill set of respective GAP members.

industry specific website we’ll also be in a position to offer our members rewards via our site sponsors – incentives such as bonus points and rebates will all be reviewed as part of our marketing efforts. We’re looking to drive added value for our entire membership base.”

Masoud Naami from Alpha Painting & Decoration Services in Melbourne a new members to Getapainter said “In the start I wasn’t sure about the website, but I became a member and started to purchase leads and connect with more customers. I’ve got my 3rd job just in one month.

And more opportunities are coming.

I’m growing my business . It was the right decision at the right time.”

Why waste precious marketing budget on advertising that does not guarantee a return? GAP only bills you for jobs you accepted and quoted Getapainter has launched in Melon so it delivers a far more efficient bourne and on the Sunshine Coast service than traditional advertising and is now recruiting members in platforms. Members are charged on NSW, Tasmania and South Australia. a points-based system depending on Register now as a new member with the size of the job and the nature of Get-A-Painter and you’ll be eligible the lead. GAP understands the needs for 100 Bonus points – that’s two of local painters; it ensures members free leads on us! For more informaget to pick the location and timing of tion visit: www.getapainter.com. the lead they want, when they want. au/painter or www.youtube.com/ Mr Munday went on to say, “As an watch?v=x1FzB4neLos

2016 June Issue | 17

The portable, inexpensive method to prevent paint waste-water polluting the environment.

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SETBACKS IN BUSINESS

Recovering, adapting and redirecting the failures Venturing out in business is a challenging thing that is inherently peppered with risk and sacrifice. Sometimes, regardless how great your business plan is, how high your level of enthusiasm and energy and no matter what you do right - in business, like in life, a lot does not go as you plan. Some of the most crucial things are outside your control, or even vague sphere of influence.

As painters you know the frustration of the weather impacting your job, or someone’s late/non-existent payment affecting your life. When you start out in a business and find risks are an unavoidable evil, you realise that you are very vulnerable to the ones you navigate carefully, as well as the ones you didn’t even see coming.

your business’ human factor that will stomp on your bottom line. The volatility of human nature can make growth in business very difficult.

You can’t control the weather, just as you can’t control the behaviour of other people. Hiring staff to contribute to your business is essential to any real growth, but as people have a habit of being unpredictable it can mean putting yourself in a world of pain. For example, extending your staff base to accept a greater scope of works might mean offering contractors permanent positions. Suddenly and inexplicably, the volume of work declines! Has a guaranteed weekly wage impacted on their motivation to finish their work sooner? Incentivising staff can be a tricky balance, and there are endless other scenarios that you can find yourself in with regard to

Recognise that some of the biggest setbacks actually create opportunity. It’s difficult to see this at the time, but look ahead to when this failure or issue is not occupying all your headspace, and realise that the future may yet have much more to tell you.

Any successful entrepreneur will probably tell you they’ve failed as many times as they’ve succeeded.

Have a read of Richard Branson’s autobiography and you’ll be on the edge of your seat wondering how he kept going! What then is the best way to get through the failures, so that you don’t fall in a heap and declare all is lost? Like anything it’s as much about attitude as learning from mistakes and 20:20 hindsight.

The way a business responds to adversity is what will define its future success or failure and is ultimately the key to its survival.

Analyse what has happened with a view to understanding and prevention, not blame. If nothing else, use this ‘fail’ as a learning opportunity.

Realise that optimism isn’t always your friend. Sometimes a healthy dose of scepticism and thoroughly exploring what the worst outcome could be can save you from a lot of

suffering later. It’s all well and good to be ‘glass half full’, but be sure that you ‘don’t count your chickens..!’

Ask for help. Someone else has been there before. Whether you join a business group on social media, seek a business coach, or even personal counselling. Don’t be of the mindset that you must go it alone on every front. Failure in business affects more than just the business owner too. Carefully consider the impact it has on the family or families that business is supporting and make sure they are being supported too.

Yes, all the platitudes and clichés come into play when you’re addressing pitfalls and setbacks in business. But they are well worn maxims for good reason… they sum up a general truth. If you are in any business long enough, attempting any significant growth, you can expect for things to go wrong. How you respond and what is done with that failure is what defines that business and its potential for success.

Caroline Miall

caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

2016 June Issue | 19

DECORATIVE EPOXIES

The problem with white glossy floors For as long as I’ve been doing decorative epoxies there’s been strong demand for pure white floors, particularly from homeowners. But, are they really a good flooring choice?

Now, I can certainly understand why the pristine white floor you see in glossy magazine spreads would capture the imagination of a lot of people. Those photos can certainly look amazing! However, after many years of doing them and seeing them done, I also realise that similar results are by no means guaranteed and these types of floors have a considerable downside.

The main problems with glossy white floors The following are four major issues that make me think twice about proceeding with a white floor 1 Defects - glossy white floors, more than any other, will show up defects in the final film. Of course measures can be taken to ensure the surface is meticulously prepared, high-quality application tools are used, and the floor is sealed off to prevent bugs and dust landing on the floor, however in reality perfection is very hard to achieve. All you need is a small dip, a few bubbles or a stuck insect and the dream of a glossy white floor can turn into a nightmare because most floor owners will have visions of a white mirror across the whole floor.

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2. Cost - installing a glossy white floor will generally require more coats or a very thick single coat, which means more product and a higher cost. There are two main reasons for this: firstly, white needs greater thickness to fully block out the surface underneath, and secondly, extra build is required to level out any unevenness and deliver a flawlessly flat finish.

3. Finish - speaking of flawlessly flat finish, perhaps the biggest hurdle for anyone chasing a glossy white floor is the fact that even with everything else falling into place during application, not all resins can actually deliver it. Just any old epoxy binder isn’t going to form a beautifully smooth, glossy finish regardless of how thick it’s applied and specialist decorative epoxies are the only hope.

4. Maintenance - no dirt is white and glossy white floors have a great knack of showing up even the slightest hint of everyday dust. Scuffing and yellowing also tend to take on an extra dimension when they have a white canvas to work with. All in all, those with a white floor can find cleaning becomes a full time job.

With all those points in mind, you can start to see why I’m cautious when people ask for the perfect white floor.

A more forgiving white floor So, if white floors aren’t necessarily the way to go, what do I recommend instead? The best thing contractors can do in these situations is to try to offer their client the same type of look/feel, but with a few changes to make the floor more forgiving and drag the odds in their favour.

Maintain Your Family’s Living Standard

2016 June Issue | 21

A good option here is the use of metallic effect pigments in combination with off-white colours – something like a shimmering pearl finish will add an extra dimension to the floor, help draw attention away from the surface itself, and, at the end of the day, appear very close to white when side by side with most décor. If the client isn’t sold on that sort of tweaking and insists on plain white as the colour, then I’ll turn my attention to the gloss levels and see if something less than a mirror is acceptable. The use of sacrificial polishes (or even clear non-slip topcoats) to create a semi-gloss look will be a massive help in concealing imperfections and dirt while at the same time providing improved scratch and scuff resistance.

Education is the key Although it may sound like it, I am by no means suggesting that beautiful glossy white floors are impos-

sible. They certainly can be done.

What I do want to stress, however, is that they aren’t easy and it takes high-quality preparation, application and decorative epoxies to do it, as well as a hint of plain good luck in some cases.

For contractors thinking about taking on such work, I highly recommend you educate your clients about the possible issues that can arise before you start and don’t sell yourself short when it comes time to quote because they can’t be done cheaply. The biggest problem with white floors is that expectations rarely match reality and to avoid disappointment you need to make sure you’re both completely on the same page.

Epoxy School founder Jack Josephsen has spent over 10 years formulating epoxies, manufacturing epoxies and helping epoxy users learn.

When he first entered the industry from an engineering background there seemed to be a few traditional mindsets and limitations holding it back. To this day he identifies the biggest of these to be the knowledge gap between the manufacturers and epoxy users that causes preventable failures and stops the industry from ever reaching its full potential.

To address this concern, Jack has created an online epoxy training platform in the belief the epoxy industry can only improve by sharing epoxy knowledge and experience.

Jack Josephsen 0408 877 256 2016 June Issue | 23

How to Keep Your Organization

Fresh and Avoid Plunder This is my 40th year to be a consultant to contractors. A lot has changed but a lot has stayed the same. The contracting business is an ever churning whirlpool of short term crisis and deadlines. The very nature of employing people, feeding those employees material and maintaining production deadlines is all consuming. Weeks have a way of turning into months and months turning into years. Keeping people within your organization and your organization itself fresh is not easy.

As people and organizations age, both have a tendency to get stuck, exhibit an unwillingness to change and over time can become outdated. The shear daily grind of getting things done makes it tough to improve. When you are knee deep in alligators, the mere thought of employing a more efficient way to kill those alligators is overwhelming.

How do you and your organization stay fresh? It starts with leadership and by implementing a process that forces change. We all are familiar with the I meant to get to it or “TUIT” problem. “I meant to get to training people.” “I meant to upgrade the software.” So what are some things you can do to force change?

First, if you, as owner and leader don’t force change, who will do it?

Management without leadership is like polishing the deck rail on the Titanic. At the time it seems really important but in the big picture it really doesn’t matter.

24 | Aussie Painters Network

Our networking groups have taught me some valuable consulting realities and tools. Our groups have several reasons for their tremendous success and we have contractors who started in the group 25 years ago that are still in it today.

never just writing a report. People scramble to get things done before you come back. Even if it is a couple days before you return, the public nature of accountability forces folks to get it done. Such public accountability will make it happen.

1. Get out of isolation. As a business owner and contractor, you are too close to the problem to see it objectively. Most contractors suffer from inbreeding and building internally. Having an outside set of eyes can be helpful. If you hire a consultant, make sure that person has small business experience. Consultants from large corporations do not necessarily give good hands on advice. Consider visiting an out of state contractor or a local sub not in your trade such as a mechanical or electrical contractor. Many of the processes are the same.

3. Inform everyone. Some of the mature employees may not be so quick to change but make them part of the public process and encourage them to participate. It is important to remember you are not doing these changes by public opinion. Rather the public process is to gain buy in. The information is public but it is the owner’s financial approval that is required. You are simply saying, “this where we are going and you need to be onboard.”

2. Be public. Meet within your company and set some public change goals. If you don’t make changes public, they won’t happen. My most successful consulting processes always involve more than one trip;

4. Hire some new blood. Technology usage is accepted in proportion to people’s age. Having younger people come on board and help with tech transition is a good thing. Nothing can foil implementation of a new computer system better than a 60-year-old bookkeeper or project manager who is not motivated to change.

Developed by Jim Baker 2013

2016 June Issue | 25

Remember, 55-year-old employees will probably not retire until 67 or later. They can’t hold the company hostage for 10 years or they themselves become a dinosaur. Make that clear, be patient, force change. If he or she is a good employee, pride is part of their DNA. Use that pride to move forward.

5. Set an example. As a leader, make it clear that this is the direction the company will take.Participate by exhibiting change and participating yourself. You cannot claim to be a leading edge company with an owner who has a flip phone.

Openly and publicly embrace the plan. Leadership is influencing others to accomplish organizational goals. Don’t let key employees who have been with you for years

26 | Aussie Painters Network

become sacred cows. Explain the importance, show compassion but insist on change. Your role is to set direction and provide guidance.

6. Start key employee succession: It never ceases to amaze me that key employees late in their career rarely think of the need to pass on that knowledge and how to do it. I held a strategic planning and brainstorming session some years ago for a very bright 45-year-old owner’s son who was president.

He was worried about the future leadership of the company. We included in the meeting a 63-yearold head estimator, a 61-year-old senior project manager and a 64year-old production manager and a 59- year-old accountant, none of which mentioned or felt succession

in their position was required. No one was trying to run anyone off, we were simply trying to plan for the future. By acknowledging the issue and planning, key employee development was a huge success.

As an owner or upper manager, don’t let the day-to-day grind or your own pride and ego get in the way of your business’s progression.

Your business’s future and your employee’s livelihood depend on you staying a leading edge company.

Monroe Porter

is president of a PROOF

Management Consultants.

Call at 804 267-1688

monroe@proofman.com

www.proofman.com

TRADE EXPO Friday 2nd September 2016 10am - 5pm We have come a long way in a short time at Aussie Painters Network.

Connecting with industry members through our tens of thousands strong database and the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine, we also now support the industry with quality, innovative training. This year we are taking it up a notch and hosting a full scale Trade Expo and the "Paint to Prosperity" Conference.

After co-hosting a one day event in March this year, APN received incredibly positive feedback and encouragement to stage something on a larger scale.

Therefore, the Aussie Painters Network’s inaugural Trade Expo and Conference was born; to be held on Friday 2nd September (Expo) and Saturday the 3rd September (Conference) 2016.

The Trade Expo has been organized to bring all the paint manufacturers and all industry suppliers together for this one day event.

We are having speakers throughout the day informing you of some of the latest things happening in the Painting Industry as well as the Construction Industry.

There will also be experts in their field speaking about business and marketing.

Painters from all over the country are expected to attend this event. Network with them and find out whats working for them and their businesses in other states.

FREE TO ATTEND Free Parking Free to listen to speakers presenting on the day Opportunity to network with other painters Talk to suppliers and see new products

2016 June Issue | 27

Real Estate Styling The wonderful thing about my work is that I get to create beautiful spaces that attract the buyers and then I have the privilege of seeing the sale through right to the end.

The staging and styling side of my business, the creative side, feeds my soul. I suppose my styling essentials, that I use time and time again, are what makes me ‘me’, when it comes to my way of adding style and character to a home that I am going to be taking to market.

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I took a little bit of ownership of every home I sell. I feel that I know the home so well (having all my pretties in it and having schemed the spaces so intimately) and am in a prime position to protect the owner’s price expectations.

It’s a great mix, my work, and I am ever so grateful to the Real Estate Trainer in the big brand agency I previously worked in, prior to going out on my own, who said, “you have to make up your mind AnneMaree, do you want to be a Stylist or a Real Estate Agent? … Because you can’t be both.

I went out and registered ‘Cape Cod Residential’ the morning after she said that to me and quit the agency that afternoon. I just had to have the freedom to be ‘both’. I am both!

I get wonderful feedback from buyers at my open homes and delight in seeing how they respond to my vignettes and my styling in general.

The greatest compliment I can receive at an open home is when a buyer stands in the middle of the room and scratches their chin asking, “Is someone living here or not?” It doesn’t look ‘staged’ enough to look ‘staged’ …. But it does not reflect the owner’s real life … only hinting at the wonderful new life the buyers could be living if they purchased the property!

Anne-Maree Russell

is the Principal/Owner of Cape Cod Residential - a bespoke approach to presentation & marketing of premium properties throughout Brisbane, as well as author of popular home design blog.

www.thehousethatambuilt.com

Trace My Business Keep a record of ALL your clients • • • •

•

Where the referral came from

The quote success and failure rates

•

Suburb comparisons

The different advertising campaigns

•

(what (wh works and what doesn’t) First projects vs repeat business

New vs existing revenue and projects

•

Yearly and overall client revenue

•

Growth analysis

Projects, who referred them, and the referrals they subsequently provided

Written and Developed by Jim Baker

Instant HR Policies and Procedures Manual Complete HR Policies & Procedures Manuals in Minutes Over 280 comprehensive pre-written HR policies and procedures templates Written in plain English – Easy to Understand Specifically written for Australian small to medium businesses Instant download – no waiting for books or discs Up-to-date with Australian IR, Privacy, Workplace Surveillance Anti-Discrimination Legislation and A Customisable Word format – Insert your company name and details with just a few simple clicks Researched & professionally written employee handbook templates by Australian HR experts 2016 June Issue | 29

Do you want to deal with an insurance company that has the best available, cost-effective insurance for tradies?

Aussie Painters Network has negotiated for get the best possible cover for your business. Contact us directly for more information and to get your cover today!

The security for this product is placed via Lloyds of London as well as other Australian authorised insurers.

30 | Aussie Painters Network

7 REASONS

Why NOT to Have a Business Partner This is a tongue-in cheek-rant. It’s been written with people in business in mind, however it could apply to many areas in life, such as sports, personal development and more. I hope you enjoy it and would appreciate any feedback or comments.

If you have had the pain of having a Business Partner, Coach or Mentor involved in your business affairs, I’m sure you will relate to this rant!

“7 Reasons Why NOT to Have a Business Partner, Coach or Mentor” 1. You’re constantly wondering about things like “Is my activity being productive” or “What actual results am I aiming to get, currently getting and did I finish up with?” It can be really annoying to be constantly thinking about whether or not you’re wasting time!

2. They’re always, constantly, neverendingly asking for a score of some sort! Like a Profit & Loss, or a Cashflow Forecast, or the number of inquiries that converted into sales.

JEESH! Although these things don’t take long to tally up (once they’re

set-up), it still forces you to look at “The BIG Picture” (in whiny groaning voice).

3. It makes it really hard to distract these people with personal emotional stuff. It was much easier to divert attention from the real issue (especially my spouse) when I could use emotional excuses like “I know I should have, but Johnny was on school holidays”. It’s annoying not being able to cloud the real issue with personal life stuff!

4. Then there’s the cost! If you don’t do what you said you’ll do, you still have to pay for their time! It makes much more sense to just not have that accountability at all and the added bonus is there’s one less bill to pay. It’s pretty simple really. Just work more hours IN the business to reduce the wages bill. Duh! 5. They never seem to let the small stuff go! Like insurance, intellectual property protection, putting money aside to pay an upcoming tax bill, etc, etc, etc. It’s like they have this list that they never forget and keep bringing your attention to until you do it! Seriously, it can bug the heck out of you!

6. When you have a bad day, the WORST of the bunch seem to have this ‘Jedi Mind Trick’. They just let you get it all out and then when you’re finished they ask for a positive way to solve the problem! Now, that might seem to make sense, BUT the problems give you something to stress about and this in turn makes you feel like you’re doing something. So it may seem like they’re being helpful but it makes it really, really hard to have a pityparty!

7. They can give you different options and ideas from their way of life, personal experiences and network of connections. This makes you think outside your box which sucks because it feels so good to be the smartest person in your business. Do you seriously have to ‘open your mind’ (in over-exaggerated whiny voice).

Rant over.

Dan Buzer

Profit Mechanics

Business Development Manager 0414 567 188

2016 March Issue | 31

What’s Your SPECIALITY? Talk to any successful painting contractor and they’ll tell you that they specialise in a certain type of painting or decorating. One of the keys to success is to choose a market and become really good at it.

I help painters start businesses, and part of the course they do involves them thinking about what kind of business they want to have. When I ask this question, the usual answer is ‘Oh, whatever comes up, whatever painting work I can get’.

That’s not really a good strategy at all, and if you aren’t prepared to think about it then you are better off working for someone else.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be good at everything, but it’s not reality. You will never be competitive at all the different aspects of the trade. If you talk to successful painters they will usually tell you they specialise in a niche market, or that they have developed their own brand in one market.

You need to pick a speciality and then work out how to become really competitive. Remember, there are tens of thousands of painters out there just like you, so it makes sense to choose a type of business and become really good at it.

Example, some painters specialise in house repaints. Other examples in-

32 | Aussie Painters Network

clude commercial projects, protective coatings, wallpaper hanging, project housing, heritage restoration, industrial coatings, decorative finishes, texture coating, asbestos encapsulation, anti-graffiti coatings, and lead paint removal.

Whatever you do, don’t try and compete on price. Specialising in being the cheapest is a mug’s game; it’s a race to the bottom and there will always be someone else who is even more stupid and prepared to work for nothing. Successful painters are never the cheapest, but they are the smartest, because they have figured out ways to structure their business to be efficient and get consistent results. They have also grown their brand in their chosen market.

Sometimes I hear painters complaining that there isn’t enough work out there, or that they are being undercut. If that’s happening to you, it’s time to take another look at what kind of market you are focused on.

Maybe it’s time to try a different market. What are some of the growing markets?

Geographically, the states with the most work at the moment are New South Wales and Victoria. Only two years ago painters in WA and NT were being run off their feet, but that is no longer the case. Meanwhile, painters

in NSW and Victoria are struggling to keep up with demand.

Other niche markets include specialising in ‘natural paints’ and ‘intumescent coatings’. I have always been able to find work when I need it because I specialise in natural paints. Natural paints are more expensive than ordinary paints, but I didn’t need to compete on price because I knew how to use them, and most painters didn’t want to take the time to learn how to use and market them.

Very few painters understand protective coatings and how to apply them. Protective coatings are industrial two-pack epoxies used on steel and concrete, and they are very expensive. The way they are applied is critical to their performance. Taking the time to specialise in this market can be lucrative.

Find out if the things around you are SAFE for humans and pets

You take the samples and send them to Sydney Analytical Labs. The lab analyses the sample and we explain the results.

www.lead.org.au

2016 June Issue | 33

34 | Aussie Painters Network

Anti-graffiti coatings are paints that protect a building from vandalism.

If a building is defaced by graffiti the graffiti can be easily cleaned off because the coating is resistant to graffiti and cleaning chemicals.

I’m amazed by how many painters don’t know this product exists. I’ll bet your local paint store sells it.

Learning how to market it and apply it is a great business opportunity because graffiti is everywhere, and both local councils and home owners want a solution to their problem.

Other growing markets include wallpapering, and intumescent coatings. Wallpaper is back in fashion, and intumescent coatings are fire resistant coatings that are now being specified on bush-fire prone areas. Talk to any painters who spe-

cialise in these markets and you will be amazed by how much they earn, and how much work they have.

your staff on-site. There are also regular practical workshops run in most major cities.

Once you have identified a market, focus on learning everything you can about that type of painting. Do courses, attend events, network with suppliers and retailers in that market and develop a reputation as the ‘go-to’ business for that product. Look after your clients and they will refer you to other people looking for the same service.

So, don’t paint harder, specialise and paint smarter!

Where can you learn about these coatings? The National Institute of Painting and Decorating and Like Minded Painters offer short on-line courses that you can do whenever it suits you. Aussie Painters Network has a mobile trade school based in Queensland, where you can train

Daniel Wurm Author: Daniel Wurm is training manager for the National Institute of Painting and Decorating. He trains painters across Australia in business management in preparation for licencing.

www.painters.edu.au

2016 June Issue | 35

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Painters JSEA s

2016 June Issue | 37

The Industry

Idiots

38 | Aussie Painters Network

Important Contacts Aussie Painters Network www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

Ph. 0430 399 800

National Institute for Painting and Decorating www.painters.edu.au

Ph. 1300 319 790

Australian Tax Office www.ato.gov.au

Ph. 13 72 26 / Ph. 13 28 65

Award Rates www.fairwork.gov.au

Ph. 13 13 94

Fair Work Building & Construction www.fwbc.gov.au

Ph. 1800 003 338

Mates In Construction www.matesinconstruction.com.au

Ph. 1300 642 111

Workplace Health and Safety Contacts Comcare WorkSafe ACT Workplace Health and Safety QLD Victorian WorkCover Authority WorkCover NSW SafeWork SA WorkSafe WA NT WorkSafe WorkSafe Tasmania

www.comcare.gov.au www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.worksafe.qld.gov.au www.vwa.vic.gov.au www.workcover.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ www.worksafe.nt.gov.au www.worksafe.tas.gov.au

1300 366 979 02 6207 3000 1300 362 128 1800 136 089 13 10 50 1300 365 255 1300 307 877 1800 019 115 1300 366 322

www.actcancer.org www.cancercouncil.com.au www.cancercouncilnt.com.au www.cancerqld.org.au www.cancersa.org.au www.cancervic.org.au www.cancerwa.asn.au

(02) 6257 9999 (02) 9334 1900 (08) 8927 4888 (07) 3634 5100 (08) 8291 4111 (03) 9635 5000 (08) 9212 4333

Cancer Council Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA

2016 June Issue | 39

Standard Membership • Five postcode listings in our online directory • Work, Health and Safety Plan • Risk Assessment and Safe Work Method Statements • Incident Investigation Forms and Incident Investigation Form Register • Instant access to our pricing and estimating guides • Quotation guide to assist you when quoting • Personal service and phone advice • Web Listing for prospective customers to find you easily • Free targeted online marketing & advertising • Back-links to assist you in SEO rankings • Assistance with Debt Collection and Discounted Terms of Trade • Discounts on Courses • Painter Help section if you are looking for work or looking for painters to help