Aussie Painting Contractor September 2016

Celebrating our

Paint to Prosperity with us!

Painters Expo

catch up on all the latest in your trade

Ladder comp claims on the up!

Networking Success Mistakes Foremen Make www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Caroline Miall • Dan Buzer • Jennie Gorman • Jim Baker • Leanne Macnamara • Leo Babauta • Monroe Porter • Nigel Gorman • Robert Bauman • Sandra Price

From the Editor Hi Everyone, So this is it, people! We’ve put everything we’ve got into bringing the events of the 2nd and 3rd of September to the industry and now only time will tell whether you all take advantage of it. The Painters Expo will be a fun way to finish off a working week, as well as learning and networking opportunity for anyone in construction. You can see the man himself, Monroe Porter, free as well as other great speakers. It is the perfect precursor to Saturday’s Paint to Prosperity Conference, for those who are serious about moving forward and earning what they are really worth.

Of one thing we are certain; those who make the effort will be truly rewarded for the experience, which may never be repeated.

It is often quoted that a country elects the government it deserves, and we feel that the analogy could be said of people in their work... they will get the industry they deserve. Without your involvement and support, nothing will change. You will continue to earn what the builders say, compete with cowboys undercutting you, maybe miss out on new technologies and products available and perhaps continue to work harder for less. In the end, as always, it’s really up to you. But the return on your investment in these events tailored specifically to your business, could be invaluable.

So, come on down and meet the Aussie Painters Network Crew!

We’re looking forward to making both events amazing.

Till next month.

Happy painting,

GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado Nigel Gorman

nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

07 3555 8010

Contents Are you ashamed of YOUR TRADE? Tips for creating GREAT INVOICING Mistakes Foremen and Supervisors Make Tips for Successful NETWORKING BUSY At Work backs HIGGINS COATINGS

8 11 12 15 16

with employment of apprentices

Give the B.S. in Your Business the Boot

19

3 Little Tricks to Deal With People WHO OFFEND YOU The ‘Which Way’ Debate WORDS OF WISDOM From the Amateur House Painter To Create a Habit, TELL A GOOD STORY Roadside Electrical Boxes

22

35

What will you do when YOU’RE TOO OLD TO PAINT?

24

39 Climbing Workers’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS

27

How Do You Increase 42 Your Sales, While Charging More Than Your Competition?

28

Industry Idiots

46

Important Contacts

47

32

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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2016 September Issue | 7

Are you ashamed of

YOUR TRADE?

How do you react when you are asked what you do for a living? Are you ashamed or embarrassed to say you are a painter? Do you wish you could say ‘I’m an electrician or a builder or that you work in an office?’ Well, for the first 15 years in the painting trade, I felt exactly like that. Whenever anyone asked me what I did for a living I told them, ‘I’m just a painter.’ I held my profession in such low esteem that I felt I was ‘below’ everyone else.

My feeling at the time was that painters were looked down on as the bottom end of the building trade force. Everyone I knew had good office jobs and had a general idea of where they were heading in life. Myself, I just plodded along and hoped for the best. I started an apprenticeship with my father in 1969 because I failed (terribly) at school.

The path to University then was, after leaving primary school you entered high school to attend Years 1-3. At the end of Year 3 you sat for your ‘Junior Certificate’ which, if successful, got you entry into Years 4 and 5. In Year 5 you sat for your ‘Leaving Certificate’ which, if successful, gained you entry to University. Well! I couldn’t even pass the Junior English test (49%), and I was born in bloody England. So I felt there was nothing else that I could do than to take the easy way out and become a painter in my fathers’ business. (My preferred job

8 | Aussie Painters Network

was to become a Customs Officer as searching through peoples’ bags appealed to me at the time -sic).

This feeling of ‘being looked down on’ was with me until I was 32 years old, but that all changed when I started to see a turn-a-round in the way painting businesses were being operated and that having a painting trade was becoming highly regarded as any profession. Dulux I feel, realised what was happening too and introduced the ‘Preferred Professional Painter’ program around 1999-2000 where selected painters were chosen to join. This was revolutionary! Painters now had a way to meet and talk with each other and learn more about running a successful business, without any fear of communicating with the opposition. Before you would purposely avoid any contact with another painter, but now with the internet, there are numerous Social Media Groups specifically for

painters where you can freely chat about business, ask questions, post photos of your projects or, help out those in need.

So after years of struggle, I am now proud of what I have achieved in life and where I am in the business world and it doesn’t matter what trade or line of work you are in either. If you are earning an ‘honest’ living, then there is nothing to be ashamed of. You can be proud and keep your head up high also.

(When I started my painting company (James W Decorating) in 1986, I came from being ‘I’m just a painter’ to, ‘Not Just A Painter’. This has been displayed prominently on all my stationary, vehicles and website since that time).

Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com

2016 September Issue | 9

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10 | Aussie Painters Network

TOP TIPS FOR

GREAT INVOICING Getting paid and having steady cash flow is the backbone of every small business. It’s not always as simple as invoicing monthly. You will be watching the bank balance rise with these

1. Discuss payment terms before you get started

This sets the clients expectations and removes all confusion before you start the work.

2. Make the invoice simple and easy to follow

Format the invoice in a way that is easy to read and follow. Have everything clearly marked out and don’t forget to add your logo, address and bank details.

3. Set appropriate payment terms

Xero recently revealed that if you want to receive your payment within 30 days, your terms need to be 13 days or less. Most debtors pay on average 2-3 weeks late. You need to take this into consideration.

4. Address the invoice to the person paying Find out who is in charge of paying the bills and address the invoice directly to them.

5. Invoice as soon as possible

Send your invoice as soon as possible. Don’t leave it for weeks then send it. The quicker you invoice, the quicker you get paid.

6. Keep on track with debtors

Have a procedure for following up. Send out reminders and statements and follow it up with a phone call.

Most times they have simply forgotten and just need a reminder. It also gives them an opportunity to address any issues.

www.pbks.com.au 2016 September Issue | 11

Mistakes Foremen and Supervisors Make

Managing people has always been and will always be a challenge. The good news is that contracting cannot be outsourced to China, so there will always be a market for contracting services. The bad news is that fewer and fewer Australians see the trades as a career opportunity. Such shortages have placed more and more challenges on front line supervisors and foreman. This article is designed to identify some of the more common mistakes foreman make.

impact people’s learning and communication styles. In many ethnic cultures, asking a question can be seen as a sign of ignorance or disrespect. Make sure your expectations are clearly understood and communicated back to you.

Gifted craftsmen can quickly become frustrated by others inability to see the obvious. For the gifted, technical things may have come too easy for them. The same thing applies to craftsmen. Just because you are a great craftsman, doesn’t mean you Don’t assume you are managing will be a great supervisor. My Dad yourself. Common sense is not al- was one of the most gifted tradesways so common. Everybody is dif- people I have ever known. I am ferent and communicate differently. not a gifted tradesperson. MyDad Learn to adapt to individuals and would do and see things; I just did understand how they communi- not grasp as easily. Such graphic cate, what they are good at, not so and mechanical thinking was just good at and willing to learn is key not my gift. Once I got it, I had it to being a good manager. Culture but he had a hard time understandand learning differences can heavily ing why I didn’t see what he saw.

12 | Aussie Painters Network

Don’t “should on” people. No matter how hard you try, correcting a field employee’s past job performance can be taken as criticism, not coaching. People don’t like to be “should on”. You should have done this or you should have done that. No matter how hard you try, some employees are going to react negatively.

The best way to train people is prejob. Ask people how they would do the job. Pre-job training is a phenomenal training tool. Where would they start? How much will they get done each day? What type of obstacles do they see?

You can gently correct and coach their answers. “Well, what about this?” “Or have you considered this?” Collaborate and agree on r easonable goals and then hold the foremen or craftsperson accountable to meet the goal.

Your job as supervisor is to make stars, not be a star. Many great athletes don’t make great coaches.

As a supervisor, you must make the transition from doing great work yourself to the satisfaction of seeing your mentors do great work.

Your ego has to shift. It’s not about you, it’s about them. This can be tough because it is easier to say the heck with it, I am just going to do it myself. There is only one of you.

No matter how hard you try there is never going to be more than one of you. All you give is 100%. Your 100% and someone else’s 80% still produces more.

Failure to set daily work plans. A few years ago, a study was made on site with construction workers.

When asked how much an individual should get done each day, the reply was merely as much as I can.

Setting daily production goals will increase production. If you and I were going to have a race, the first thing you would want to know is how far. Most people strive to meet a reasonable goal. More importantly working to set daily plans allows you to see what obstacles might be

in your way and allow time to avoid them. The value of planning is in the process, not the actual answer.

Think of planning as a visualization of your goals. If you were going to drive from Philadelphia to Boston, not hitting New York at rush hour would be a key component of your plan. Construction is no different.

about their performance. Employees are a little like children, they need to see you and know you care about what they do. Such a process need not be overwhelming but abandonment will ultimately leave you with a damaged child. Employee abandonment eventually leaves you with a damaged employee.

Planning does not come easy to some blue collar folks. Living from paycheck to paycheck, lack of education and a four o’clock and pay day attitude can be hard to overcome. Your role as supervisor is to being able to build a planning mentality. If they can teach Shamu, the whale at SeaWorld, to ring a bell for a fish, you can teach supervisors how to plan. It merely takes a repetitive process.

Managing people is never easy. Hopefully, these tips can prove helpful.

Delegation is not abandonment.

You cannot merely walk away and expect people to perform flawlessly. First, you must ensure they know what is expected and how to do it. Delegation progresses as the employees’ knowledge and experience grows. People want to see the boss and know that he or she cares

is president of a PROOF

________________________

Monroe Porter

Management Consultants.

Call at 804 267-1688

monroe@proofman.com

www.proofman.com

2016 September Issue | 13

14 | Aussie Painters Network

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL

NETWORKING

Networking or the ability to connect with other people is very essential if you want to become successful in your chosen career, your business or just to develop your personal skills and relationships. Events on networking play an important role in helping build personal and lasting relationships with others with proper interaction. However in order to be able to interact properly with other people, you need to have the skills and techniques first in order to succeed at networking. Below are five tips that I will share with you on how to become a successful networker.

ing the networking group that will fit you and suit your skills well.

Determine your goals first. Know your goals and plans first before joining networking groups. Reassess and ask yourself, “Why do I need networking?”, “Is it for business purposes?”, “Will it help me develop my skills?”, or “Will it help me land a good-paying job?”

Whatever your reason, just be sure of what you really want as well as what you need. By doing so, this will become as a basis for you in choos-

Build personal relationship with others. Meet new people and build personal relationship with them.

You can do so by starting up a sense and wholesome conversation. Try out general topics such as sports, about the family, their favourites or just anything that you think is interesting for them. You will be surprise to know that there are also others who share the same interests, ideas and principles as yours.

Select the right kind of network.

Once you have your goals fixed and determined the reasons you have in joining a network, now is the time to choose the right and suitable group which you will join. Choose groups that have the same goals and interests as yours. Not only will you be inspired in mingling with the group but you’ll be also motivated to reach all your goals by helping each other with shared thoughts, knowledge and different approaches that would work effectively.

Follow-up. After meeting new people, you can start following-up within 24 hours. You can do so by dropping a quick email, giving them a short call, or simply sending a text message to greet them. Followingup shows interest and professionalism. After doing so, you can connect with them again by scheduling a face-to-face meeting.

Schedule Meet-ups. After making further contact and wishing to learn more, you can then schedule a time to connect in person. Choose a place that is convenient not only to you but to others as well. This will make you both comfortable and at ease. If there is a distance and you are unable to connect face-to-face, why not use Skype as an alternative?

I hope these simple tips that I have shared will help you succeed in your ‘art of networking’.

Jennie Gorman

www.connexionsunlimited.com.au

2016 September Issue | 15

BUSY At Work backs

HIGGINS COATINGS

with employment of apprentices Family owned painting business Higgins Coatings know the value of employing apprentices and what they can bring to a business.

As one of Australia and New Zealand’s premier commercial painting contractors with over 65 years of experience the company is continuing to grow and provide secure job futures for its expanding workforce.

BUSY At Work Industry Training Consultant, Jasmine Elms said BUSY had built up a strong working relationship with Higgins Coatings and the partnership had gone from strength to strength.

“We have been working with Higgins Coatings for a number of years in supporting apprentices and providing a one stop shop service for all their apprenticeship and recruitment needs.”

“We have been able to provide them with relevant information about Australian Apprenticeships and the Government Incentive Program’s available through our Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) and as a result Higgins Coatings have been able to recruit over 30 apprentices through BUSY At Work,” Ms Elms said.

Human Resources Manager for Higgins Coatings, Michael

16 | Aussie Painters Network

O’Shaughnessy said the company had worked hard to promote apprenticeships and create a dynamic skilled workforce ready to provide complete painting maintenance solutions to a broad range of industries across Australia.

“We are a growing company and through our apprenticeship program we aim to create a highly trained and committed workforce who are flexible and can provide tailored painting solutions to handle every aspect of the job no matter the size or nature of the project.”

“Our goal is to provide a team of qualified and licensed building experts capable of undertaking a broad variety of pre-painting repairs as well as specialised services including colour consultancy, graffiti removal and special access services,” Mr O’Shaughnessy said.

Michael said the value of undertaking a painting trade was sometimes underestimated so it was important to educate school leavers and potential employees about the benefits of the trade.

“We have a mixture of school based and mature aged apprentices right across Australia and they can be working on commercial projects from cruise ships, to tropical islands or even at places like Uluru.”

“Every job has its own unique characteristics and no matter how well a building is constructed, in the end it can depend on the specialised skills of the painter.”

“Quality painting requires intensive training and each painter must know the various application techniques and choose the correct one for each project. Understanding

how to use the tools can also expedite the project and produce the most attractive surface.”

BUSY At Work CEO, Paul Miles said

BUSY was pleased to partner with Higgins Coatings to help new trainees and apprentices “Good painters understand colour harmony and know how different gain employment in the painting colours or tints will look when they and construction business. are adjacent to one another. They must know how surfaces respond to different weather conditions and how to read blue prints and properly prepare a surface for painting,” Mr O’Shaughnessy said.

Michael said he was thankful for the support provided by BUSY At Work.

“We have appreciated their support in helping us to get the right apprentices to match our business needs and we are looking forward to continuing this partnership in the future,” Mr O’Shaughnessy added.

“BUSY At Work to continue to play a key role in growing apprenticeships right across Australia and we are delighted that Higgins Coatings have been able to significantly increase their uptake of apprenticeships and provide a wealth of new skilled workers within the company,” Mr Miles said.

Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator 0438 173 960

leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au

2016 September Issue | 17

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18 | Aussie Painters Network

Give the B.S. in

Your Business the Boot Have you been flat out lately and cursed all the non-core business activities that you need to keep up with?

Wouldn’t you like to give the boot to all those activities and just be done with it?

I talk to many tradies and business owners and the one thing that keeps coming up is: the dreaded paperwork! All the things you need to do to satisfy the taxman, to keep your books in order, to lodge your BAS or PAYG on time, to have sound payroll systems, the list goes on. Generally, anything that’s part of the engine room of a business is what people tell me they like the least.

Frankly, I don’t blame them. I know most business owners haven’t gone into business to spend hours doing

stuff they don’t like doing, or may not even be good at. They opened up a business because they are particularly good at their trade or enjoy delivering quality services in their special field of expertise, and they wanted to be their own boss.

Many people have also told me that they would rather go fishing or spend more time with their families, instead of sitting up till late and working through the paperwork. They also tell me that at times, they just let it slide and have a lot of catching up to do. Right away, I am concerned for them, because I know from experience what can happen if you let the financial side of things slide. Once you’re on your back foot, it’s doubly hard to get everything back into order. You know you’ve got a problem when you want to enter a financial trans-

action from a docket where the print has faded and you can hardly see the dollar amount, let alone the date of purchase.

Another thing that people tell me is that they find it hard when they have a bookkeeper and an accountant who don’t know each other.

Just the other day, someone told me how they weren’t sure whether to contact their bookkeeper or their accountant to get answers to a particular question, all the while fearing that they might incur costs they don’t need, and maybe even from both.

I understand that people who’d rather do an excellent paint job for their customer may not have the same passion for crunching their business numbers.

2016 September Issue | 19

If you find yourself in that situation, the best advice I can give you is to build a good relationship with a bookkeeper and an accountant, and ask them for help to set up the right systems and tools so that your paperwork becomes a breeze. You wouldn’t use a tape measure to drill a hole, so it makes sense to get the right help and use the right tools for your bookkeeping and accounting. If you don’t get your financial business sorted you could be throwing money down the drain.

Systematising your work processes in the ‘engine room’ will ultimately eliminate all the B.S., because once it’s done, you don’t need to worry about it anymore, and you can be confident that your business is not at risk. Let’s face it, the stuff you know is waiting to be done can become a mountain to climb – in your head – and that’s when it will suck energy from you that you need to stay on top of your game.

Eliminate the B.S. in your business and your mates will be asking… “How do you have time to go fishing on the weekend!?”

I hope to see you at our display at the Aussie Painters Network Trade Expo and Conference. We’ll be launching Tradies Advantage, a service that combines bookkeeping, accounting and financial planning all under one roof.

I look forward to meeting you there and talking about the issues you currently face. If you need to chat before then, you can also arrange a FREE NoObligation Meeting with me. Just visit our new website at www.straighttalkat.com.au and complete your details on our Home page to request an appointment.

Copyright © 2016 Robert Bauman.

Call Us: (07) 3399 8844

20 | Aussie Painters Network

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2016 September Issue | 21

3 Little Tricks to Deal With People

WHO OFFEND YOU

Challenging experiences and people are more often than not the ones that define who we are and what we stand for and how we handle ourselves with others. They also tend to highlight the difference between people’s behaviour and the expectations we had for them, (expectations we may not realise we held) and the difference therein.

Something that we struggle with daily, that eats us up and causes stress and anger: annoying people.

You know those people: they cut in line, are rude to you in the office or at the restaurant, cut you off in traffic, talk loudly about obnoxious things, play loud music when you’re trying to concentrate, and so on.

These offenses are violations of the way you think people should act.

And so it burns you up. Don’t worry, I’m the same way.

If you just keep letting these offensive people get to you, you’ll always be mad or annoyed. Life won’t be very good. But it’s something you can learn to deal with.

I have to admit I’m not perfect at this, but here are three strategies I use that are helpful: 1. Get Big. I learned this one from Zen teacher Robert Thomas, who uses “Get Big” as one of his slogans that helps him to be mindful. Imagine you’re a 2-year-old toddler, who

can’t have a toy or some ice cream right this minute. This problem is your entire universe, because you have no perspective, and so … you throw a fit. This is the world of a 2-year-old (I should know, I’ve had 6 of them).

But as adults, we know that this is a very small problem, and in fact there are lots of other things the 2-year-old could do to be happy. Sure, that’s easy for us — we have a bigger perspective.

But when someone offends us, we have a small perspective — this little offense is the biggest thing in the world, and it makes us very angry.

We throw the equivalent of a 2-yearold fit. But if we get a bigger perspective (Get Big), we can see that this little thing matters very little in the bigger picture. It’s not worth being angry over. So remind yourself to Get Big, then widen your perspective.

2. Float Down the Stream.

When I drive and other drivers do rude things, I often get angry. Then I remember a trick: I imagine myself floating down a stream in a raft, and the other cars are just twigs and leaves floating past me one way or another on this stream. They don’t have to treat me a certain way, be-

cause they’re just twigs. And so I serenely float down this stream, not worrying about how the twigs float around me (though I try not to hit them, because, you know, safety first). And in truth, this is how life is — other people aren’t trying to offend you, don’t even worry about you most of the time. They are just twigs floating by. Be nice to the twigs though.

3. Give Them a Mental Hug. This little trick can transform the way I feel about someone who makes me angry. Let’s say someone has just said something rude to me.

How dare they! Don’t they have any consideration for my feelings? But of course, in this reaction, I’m not having any consideration for their feelings — only mine matter. And so I try to empathize with this rude person, and realize that they’re angry, or scared, or both. They are

being rude as a coping mechanism for their fear. And so, mentally (and once in a while physically), I give them a hug. I have compassion for this scared person, because I too am often scared. We’re the same.

We need a hug, some compassion, a little love.

Try one of these three tricks the next time someone makes you mad or offends you. And then smile in serenity, armed with the comforting knowledge that, like me, you are superior to the rest of the world.

Leo Babauta, a successful

‘simplicity’ blogger & author from California, 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 September Issue | 23

The ‘Which Way’ Debate It’s not often I pick up a paint brush to actually paint with, but recently I needed to help out one of my guys because I was a man short. There were interior walls to paint on a two story house and while I chose to do the cutting in, my employee came behind to do the easy job of rolling. Being an old bloke, I felt pleased with myself that I was able to keep ahead of him, but as you can imagine, he caught up when it came to the passage and wet areas where naturally, there was a lot more brushing and less rolling involved.

It’s something very natural to me that when I enter a room, I will paint in an anti-clockwise direction. I am right-handed and so is my employee, but he prefers to paint in a clock-wise direction. It may not seem a problem but when two of you are painting (cutting in) in different directions, there are basically no walls ready to roll until you both meet up with each other.

Now I feel the correct way is that the ‘painting arm’ should be the closest to the wall to be painted. So my procedure is to climb up the right hand side of the step ladder and move forward in an anti-clockwise direction.

It seems to me the logical and right way because you’re painting arm is not crossing over your body to paint the surface but, there were painters that disagreed. So I put out the question on Social Media, ‘Which direction do you go?’ and ‘Are you right or left handed?’

And the results are; Right Handed 47

Clockwise 26

Anti-Clockwise 21

Left Handed 17

Anti-Clockwise 4

Clockwise 13

Total 64

Away from wall 30

Closest to wall 34

By this, it is more popular (but not by much) to have your ‘painting arm’ closest to the surface you are painting. A surprising result I thought.

Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com

24 | Aussie Painters Network

My Hourly Rate Calculator

www.mytools4business.com 2016 September Issue | 25

26 | Aussie Painters Network

WORDS OF WISDOM

From the Amateur House Painter We had to have a laugh at some of the musings of a friend who took on the job of painting his own home. Its always nice to have a bit of affirmation for the difficulties painters encounter, and appreciation for the professional. Too good not to share.

Things I learned from painting my home…

(1) My comment from 2015 that “drop sheets are just bullsh!t” is not entirely accurate.

(2) The special $10.00 assorted roller bucket from Bunnings is not a very good ‘special’ at all.

(3) When rollers get too full of paint they stop rolling and just slide. But you can keep painting.

(4) It is possible to paint lying down, eating chocolate.

But not recommended.

(5) Paint defies gravity. It can drip away from the surface of the Earth and end up on the ceiling, from nearground level.

(6) Simple Minds music has a beat more conducive to rhythmic paint application than Cindy Lauper.

(7) When you stir a tin of paint by power lifting and violently shaking it, make sure the lid is on tight.

(8) The reason that there is so much paint on the floor is the previously undetected hole in the roller tray!

(9) To adopt a quote from a good friend who is a painter… “There’s a bloody good reason it’s a four year apprenticeship”.

2016 September Issue | 27

To Create a Habit,

TELL A GOOD STORY

If you want to create a new exercise habit (for example), you might tell yourself something like this: “This is going to be amazing, I’m going to get fit and look incredible and be super healthy!”

This is a story you’re telling yourself. It’s not real, but it has tremendous power to affect your feelings about your habit, and to change your action. You have a positive story about the habit, and it motivates you to take action.

But perhaps the exercise you did one day was really tough, and you didn’t enjoy it. Your story might change, to something like, “Wow, that was super hard. It sucked!”

Now your story about the habit is not so good, and you’ll be less enthusiastic about doing the habit from now on.

Maybe you also missed a couple of days of exercise because you got busy. Your story changes to, “Damn, I screwed up, I’m not as good at this habit as I thought, why am I not disciplined?”

The story isn’t so good. Now you might actually try not think about the habit, and you are much more likely to skip the habit from now on.

The story you tell yourself about your habit matters more than most people realize.

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So the key is to shape the story, become your own habit storyteller, and create a story that will make you more likely to stick to the habit.

Telling a Good Story The truth is that none of these stories is actually true. They’re just narratives we have made up, in our minds, about what’s going on. The reality is what’s happening right now, and in an “ideal” world we would just drop the stories and be present with the moment, experiencing reality as it is.

There’s no such thing as an ideal world, though. We tell stories.

That’s what we do. So the key is to realize when you’re telling a negative story that’s going to make you quit the habit, and instead create a more helpful story.

Try this: Ask yourself how you feel about the habit you’re creating.

1.

Are you psyched about it? Are you discouraged? Looking forward to it or dreading it? Feel strong about it or feel like you’re doing lousy? Is it a wonderful experience for you or are you ploughing through the suckiness? This is all an indicator of what story you’re telling yourself.

2. Start creating a better story

by focusing on the things you love about the habit. You could

focus on how much you hate the habit, or you could focus on what you love. It’s your choice. Find things to appreciate about the habit. Look at your successes and think, “Man, that’s awesome that I’ve done those things.”

This is not to say that you should only think positive thoughts, or that you should ignore the negative. But if your story is on the balance more positive than negative, you’ll be more resilient. You’ll be able to handle the negative stuff with grace, because you have a positive feeling about the habit.

If you resent doing the habit, or see it as a sacrifice, you’re more likely to blow the negative aspects up when they happen. But people with a strongly positive story will be likely to weather the storm of negative aspects of the habit.

Do you have an apprentice?

What does your apprentice do on rained out days, or down-time between jobs when you’re paying them?

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The Positive Story Exercise Try to think about some of the following thoughts when you’re working on your habit: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

This makes me feel strong/healthy/ empowered (or some other positive trait).

I am proud of doing this habit.

I have had some great successes with this.

I’m learning a lot with this habit.

I’ve had good experiences with this habit.

There are some exciting things about this that I’d like to share with people.

I can appreciate the little things about this habit.

There are things I genuinely love about this habit.

This can sometimes be a struggle but it’s definitely worth it.

This habit is improving my life a multiple ways.

I’m lucky to be able to do this habit.

There are things about this habit that I look forward to.

I’ve missed doing this habit sometimes, but over the long run it doesn’t matter.

Doing this habit makes me more resilient.

When I’ve done this habit, I feel accomplished and satisfied.

16. I feel like a better person when I do this habit.

Just think about one of these each time you do the habit, or just after. And then try another one on the next time you do the habit.

Slowly, with thoughts like these and others you might think of, you’ll start to have a more positive story about the habit.

And that will make all the difference — not only will you want to stay with it longer, you’ll enjoy it more each time you do it.

Leo Babauta, a successful ‘simplicity’

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

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Roadside Electrical Boxes A large part of our time is spent on a road or a footpath, being in a vehicle, public transport, a bike, walking or jogging. We are mainly looking straight ahead and not really taking much notice of what we are passing.

But every now and again something will catch our eye and we’ll take mental note of it. For me, the one thing that has always caught my eye is the colourful artwork on the sound-proof highway-barriers, lamp posts and roadside electrical boxes.

At the front of my house is a small Telecom Communication Box and it has been ‘tagged’ twice in the last twelve months. You will notice that this will never happen if a surface is artistically painted. ‘Taggers’ at least have respect for an artists’ work (which is the only thing I admire them for) and is why councils pay people to paint murals on prone sites (check my June 2015 article on ‘Graffiti Solution’).

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Recently I was driving along a dualcarriageway on my way home from work and I noticed a person painting an electrical box on the other side of the road. For many years, just out of curiosity, I have always wanted to stop and strike up a conversation with the artist. As I was going in the opposite direction, I didn’t know if I should just carry on or turn around. It took me about 400 metres to make up my mind to do a U-turn. I parked and introduced myself and told him I would like to do an article about this type of work. He was more than happy to tell me all the information I needed.

He was commissioned to paint this particular box with the requirement being that the design had to blend in with the local surroundings, in this case, he chose a bush theme as it was close to a parkland.

He had a sign advertising he was an artist and some of his paintings

were on display. This attracted a few people in the short time I was there.

It was quite a drawcard. As I looked closer, the signature on his work sounded and looked familiar, ‘Graham W. Smith.’ I suddenly realised I had one of his paintings at home which my wife and I purchased 15 years previously in a Brisbane art gallery. What a co-incidence, and I was going to drive right by.

‘Graham W Smith’ has been painting for over 40 years and has won 160 first prize awards totalling $98,000. He is also an art judge and tutor and displays his paintings in his studio in Wynnum, Queensland.

Amazing where your curiosity can take you! You can see his work at

www.facebook.com/grahamwsmithartist/

Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com

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Maintain Your Family’s Living Standard

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What will you do when

YOU’RE TOO OLD TO PAINT?

Do you daydream about the time when you can kick back and retire?

Sadly for many though, it’s starting to seem like little more than a lovely ideal that moves further out of reach with the retirement age ever-increasing; At this point, those born after 1965 will not be able to claim the age pension until they are 70 years old.

Anyone in the trade’s world who has given it any thought will have realised that the age for retirement that the government nominates as the earliest one can access a pension, is going to cause problems for some of those who are trying to earn a living in a physically demanding job in his or her seventies and beyond.

Last month, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison warned those who might

find themselves in this category to consider what alternatives they’ll use to secure their livelihoods into their older age. He told the Courier Mail “The idea that you worked over your lifetime and it got to there and it just stopped and (you) played golf, it doesn’t work like that anymore,” Mr Morrison said that those in their 40’s now, needed to plan for a second job prospect when they were physically unable to pursue their current one.

Sounds reasonable in theory I guess, but those who have had to search for work at a mature age will tell you how unbelievably difficult it is just to get a look in. Finding work in a new area where you may not have much of a proven track record, (i.e. a new role that would be possible for an ageing body) could be next to impossible!

Common sense would suggest that the problem is not limited to just the Trades and “blue collar workers” either. Whilst its particularly pertinent for those toiling outdoors in a harsh Australian climate, what about nurses, orderlies and paramedics, or anyone who routinely lift heavy items or lugs equipment up & down stairs? It’s unlikely they will successfully and safely perform such tasks until 70. And the reality is that not many employers look to hire someone in a new pursuit in their 60’s.

We’d like to know what you think.

Have you planned for an alternative income in your later years?

Caroline Miall

caroline@aussiepantersnetwork.com.au

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

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Fireside chat with Tas covers:

Strategies on how to avoid discounting Why building relationships is crucial in business

The power of getting off the tools and focussing on what’s going to generate the big bucks Some serious business courage

Meet Tas at APN’s

Paint to Prosperity Conference 9-5pm, 3rd September 2016

Charge full freight and see your business thrive because of it.

http://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/how-to-avoid-discounting/ 2016 September Issue | 37

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Climbing the ladders sees climbing workers’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS Lower leg, knee/upper leg, and back injuries made up 37%* of injuries to painters and decorators in Queensland in the last financial year. Unsurprising considering the amount of time spent on ladders – either climbing up or down, or standing at the top.

Workers’ compensation claims for painters/decorators in 2015-16 jumped by 43% to 290, the highest number of claims for many years.

But, although the number of claims had jumped, the length of time before an injured worker gets back to work is thankfully falling, according to WorkCover Queensland Customer Service Manager, Construction, David Semple. The time off work fell from 53.5 days in 2012-13 to 40.7 days in 2015-16.

“This fall could be attributed to an increased focus by WorkCover Queensland and the individual employers to encourage a return to work on suitable duties, until they are fit to return to their pre-injury role,” he said.

The highest proportion of injuries (47%) came from musculoskeletal injuries, second was wounds and lacerations making up almost 25% of injuries.

David said back injuries were the most common, accounting for almost 18%, and hands and fingers getting injured almost 16% of the time. “We also see wrist and lower arm (10%) and shoulder/upper arm (9.7%) injuries are possibly occurring over a period of time from strains of painting,” he said.

Most of the injuries were to those in the 20-30 year age group (30%), 30 to 40 year old age group made up 26% of claims.

All together workers’ compensation payments for the painting and decorating industry in 2015-16 were $4.4 million, an average of $13,864per claim.

Getting injured at work is just part of the picture – the time off work to recover and rehabilitate has an impact on both the worker, and your business.

Just 34% of those who were injured at work managed to stay at work during their recovery – most likely due to no other alternative duties being available.

There’s evidence that says ‘doing’ promotes recovery**, so trying to be active during rehabilitation can actually help workers recovery

more quickly, and get back to their pre-injury role more successfully.

How to get back to work

You’re probably wondering what other suitable duties could a painter or decorator do if he’s been injured and can’t climb a ladder? David offers some suggestions: • Attending training courses • Trying to win work or doing quotes • Assisting on site with other jobs, such as paint mixing • Helping in the office, such as invoices or schedules.

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An option David suggests if there’s no suitable duties available for an injured worker, is to consider a host placement. This is where WorkCover arranges for the worker to work for another employer, for a short period, while they build their strength to return to normal duties.

WorkCover pays the wages during the host placement. We also make sure we look at what duties they can do, what a host can offer that’s within their abilities.

“It’s a good step for somebody to build their work fitness if they can’t go back to their normal job straight away,” says David.

The best defence is a safe workplace

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But as always, the best defence is a safe workplace in the first place.

However, for painters, when that workplace is often someone else’s house or office, it does throw up a new set of challenges, and a common sense approach to risk assessment is needed.

But relying on workers to use common sense alone does not equal effective risk management. The myth about common sense is that it is common; one person’s instinct might differ greatly from another’s, particularly if they are a young or inexperienced worker.

Good sense is acquired through knowledge and experience. That’s why safety inductions, toolbox talks, and regular communication between workers and supervisors are all vital ingredients for safe workplaces.

For information on workers’ compensation visit : www.worksafe.qld.gov.au *WorkCover Queensland data 2015-16

** Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ position statement, ‘Realising the health benefits of good work’

See you at the Painters Expo WorkCover Queensland will have a stand at the Aussie Painters Network Expo on 2 September, so please come and say hi to our team and ask us anything you need to know about workers’ compensation.

Aussie App Store will develop a state of the art mobile app/website to grow your business using our integrated social networking applications.

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“How Do You Increase Your Sales, While Charging More Than Your Competition?”

The better your business communicates that your products or services deliver benefits the customer wants - in a way that they want it, the higher the price you can ask. When you take the time to understand the needs and wants of your target market you can begin to establish your uniqueness in the market place.

A Grade customers prefer to pay more for benefits they want. If your customers baulk at your prices, they either don’t care about the benefits you are expecting them to care about or they simply are NOT A-Grade customers. C-Grade Customers (Challenging) tend to want cheap, not extra benefits.

In business, your Unique Selling Point

Think of the car manufacturer, Ferrari. Why is Ferrari able to sell its cars for up to twenty times the price of many cars on the market? Is a Ferrari twenty times faster, more fuel efficient or more comfortable than other cars on the market? The answer is no. So why does Ferrari have the ability to charge twenty times more than most cars?

Wikipedia describes The unique selling proposition (USP) or unique selling point, as “a marketing concept first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern in successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. The USP states that such campaigns made unique propositions to customers that convinced them to switch brands”.

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Because Ferrari is unique!

Ferrari focuses on developing a reputation of a unique, high quality brand. Their USP of excellence is not only reflected in the cars they sell. Ferrari demonstrate their USP of obsession with quality to every area of their business. For example; who they sponsor and how they present themselves, their website, letters, brochures, show room floor, customer service and even on their factory floor.

Your USP should be so powerful and identify with your ideal customers so clearly that you can confidently “shout it from the roof tops”. Your USP should be on your stationery, signage, vehicles, banners, business cards, radio or TV ads, promotional material, etc. Your USP could even be a headline to your advertising.

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Some successful businesses have even use their business name to share their USP! What is unique about your business that your customers would consider a fantastic benefit? Here are some examples to consider …

• Absolutely, positively overnight!

• Get it first time or get it free!

• At your door in 30 minutes or it’s free!

• If we waste your time the appointment is free AND we’ll pay you $50 for wasting your time!

• Coke is it!

• 11 Secret Herbs and Spices Once you have established your USP, next task is having a strategy to integrate it into your business.

Some things to consider are …

• How will you insure that your market place knows about the ways that make you unique from your competitors?

• What systems need to be adjusted to make sure your USP is being delivered consistently?

• When will you ‘check in’ with your customers to make sure your USP is perceived as being an important factor to them?

Your USP may stay the same for the life of your business, or it may change regularly. Develop a system to monitor the effectiveness of your USP.

Take the time to get this right. It is a key element to your sales, marketing and business success. Your USP is your unique businesses identity.

How do I know my USP is not working?

Answer … you start competing on price! If your price needs to be dropped to make sales, something is not working the way it should be. The goal is to continually innovate and find ways of adding value to your customers so that they are happy and willing to pay more for the experience of dealing with your business.

If you would like to experience a complimentary review of your business that takes less than an hour, call Profit Mechanics on 1800 838 767 and we’ll rush an easy to understand Business Diagnostic Tool to you!

Remember … “Business is More Fun When There’s Profit!”

(PSSST … that is our USP ) ___________________________

Dan Buzer

Profit Mechanics 0414 567 188

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The Industry

Idiots

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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

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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