Knowing the cost to secure each potential client is essential.
Business success depends on building an efficient, productive workplace.
Working harder or invoicing more won't build wealth. Instant Technique
Welcome to the 153rd issue of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.
For APN Members, we have fully updated the Membership area to make it more user friendly. If you haven’t checked it out yet we suggest you do. If you need assistance just contact the team and we will assist you.
Another massive month with training and expansion. Everthought Education has secured a contract to train apprentices in NSW, so guess what? I am coming to NSW to start training in the New Year.
The month started with a bit of fun, the rear axel of the Painters Training Wheels trailer decided to snap on my trip to North Qld. This made some fun and games with the training to get done. I managed to complete all the training from the truck without impacting on the apprentices training. So the trailer is getting a rebuild and it will be on the road early in the New Year ready to go South.
We are getting some great feedback about BrushHand, suggestions from subscribers is driving the direction of it. It is simple to use with everything you need to run your business. Remember, its not a subscription per user, it’s a subscription per business. Try it out and see how simple it really can be to run your business. 'Til next month, Happy Painting!!
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
• Adam G. Arian
• Ang Li
• Anthony Igra
• Jim Baker
• John Sands
• Leo Babauta
• Nigel Gorman
• Oliver Kay
• Robert Bauman
• Sandra Price
EDITOR
Nigel Gorman
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
J. Anne Delgado
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
or
before
you November incur directly or indirectly as a result of
Understanding how you attract new leads and customers is vital for any small business. It's important to assess not only the methods you use to acquire clients but also how much you are investing to bring them in.
Are your marketing campaigns truly paying for themselves? Do they generate actual profit for your business? Knowing the cost to secure each potential client is essential for evaluating the success of your marketing strategies.
For example, if your advertising budget last year totalled $8,000 and you have no clear idea whether it led to a growth in customers or boosted your business revenue, this represents a significant problem that needs addressing. Without tracking these metrics, you risk spending money without understanding its impact or return. Ensuring you have systems in place to measure the cost and effectiveness of your marketing efforts is fundamental to long-term business growth.
Securing a customer for $50 when the lifetime value of that customer reaches $20,000 is a clear indicator of
a highly effective business and marketing strategy. In contrast, if the cost to acquire a customer outweighs their lifetime value, the business model becomes unsustainable. The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer. This highlights the importance of not only attracting new customers but also retaining them over time.
Many business owners pay close attention to essential financial metrics such as profit and loss statements, cash flow, and balance sheets. While these are critical for managing day-to-day operations, few focus on the numbers that directly contribute to business growth. Growth-oriented metrics include sales forecasts, conversion rates, tracking results, forecasting detailed marketing budgets, and measuring return on investment (ROI). Monitoring these figures offers several benefits:
• Anticipating potential increases or decreases in revenue and adapting strategies accordingly
• Optimising marketing activities to achieve the lowest possible cost per lead and cost per sale
• Identifying which sources deliver the most and least profitable customers
Establishing a system for tracking and measuring marketing performance provides valuable business intelligence. This information not only helps grow your business but also assists in lowering marketing costs per customer. Effective tracking can lead to better decision-making and more efficient allocation of marketing resources.
When assessing marketing performance, consider monitoring the following:
• Source of all leads
• Value of each sale
• Location of leads and sales
• Repeat sales compared to new sales
• Cost associated with each lead and sale
• Website traffic and relevant keywords
All information collected on marketing performance should feed into your forecasting and marketing activities. At the end of each year, set aside time to develop spreadsheets and systems designed for forecasting and tracking these metrics. This approach allows you to focus on running a growing and successful business, rather than simply managing existing operations.
Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com
Lately I’ve been practicing with a very simple (yet profound) technique that helps me feel less stressed, frustrated, overwhelmed, and it works instantly.
The technique is based on my study of Buddhism, and the idea that the separate self we all assume for ourselves is an illusion. In other words, the idea that we’re a distinct person separate from everyone and everything else is something we make up in our heads.
As I reflect on this, I almost always see that our view of any situation is also made up in our heads — we construct our perceived reality.
Let me give a few examples:
Someone says something to me that feels like criticism. I get frustrated because it feels like all they do is criticize me. This isn’t necessarily false … but it’s just one way of interpreting things, and it’s something I’ve created in my head. For example, you could interpret it as this person is expressing a need to me, or they’re hurt and trying to ask for help, or perhaps they think they’re being helpful with the feedback they’re giving, or just unaware of how it’s making me feel.
I’m stressed about an upcoming meeting because I’m not sure if people will like my presentation. In my mind, they might think my presentation is dumb, and I’ll feel like an idiot. This stresses me out, and so
I either work 10 times as long on the presentation as needed (overprepare) or avoid working on it because it’s stressful. But the way people might react to my presentation is completely made up in my head. Even if they do react negatively, the idea that their reaction says something bad about me is just one interpretation. Maybe they just don’t like the colors I used, or are allergic to the word “technically” unbeknownst to me, or are having a bad day.
I fail to stay consistent with a habit change. Maybe I wanted to eat healthy every day, and exercise every weekday, but I missed a few days this past week … and that makes me feel bad about myself. If I investigate my interpretation, I might notice that I somehow believe that not doing perfectly at my habit change means something bad about me — I’m not good enough. That’s made up in my head. Instead, missing a few days in my habit change could mean that I need to set some reminders, or that I’m overwhelmed or too stressed, or that change is hard!
These are just some examples — pretty much all of our stress, frustration, anger, anxiety, overwhelm, guilt, shame and disappointment come from the way we’re interpreting things, and that’s created in our heads.
It doesn’t mean it’s wrong, or that it’s fake. It means it’s created by us — it’s a mental construct. And if we create it, we can change it.
So here’s how I practice with this:
When I recognize that I’m feeling stressed in some way, I notice how I’m feeling. This is the key — if I don’t notice, I can’t do this technique.
Then I say to myself the word “Imaginary.” (You can choose a different word.)
Saying this reminds me that I’ve constructed a reality in my head, and that it’s causing me to feel upset, stressed, overwhelmed, etc. Seeing that it’s created in my head helps me to realize that I’m in a constructed world of my own creation.
This helps me to not take it too seriously. I feel more spaciousness in the moment. I feel more peace.
I know that in that moment, there is nothing to stress about, because if I remove all of my constructed reality (what I’m imagining in my head) … it’s just a beautiful moment that I’m living in.
Without our view of things, without all of the things we’re making up … we’re left with a moment of peace and beauty.
That can happen in an instant, if you let it.
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
The success of any business, large or small, depends largely on nurturing an efficient, productive workplace. While improving employee productivity should be always be a priority when the ultimate goal is a sustainable and profitable business, the process is easier said than done.
Below are some of the most effective methods of managing a productive, happy workplace while increasing output:
Productivity depends on every employee understanding that the jobs they do come with specific responsibilities, and that their actions have consequences. Employees that lack accountability are more likely to slack off, procrastinate, or blame others for their shortcomings. Establishing accountability from the beginning results in higher-quality work output and an increased focus on informed, efficient action.
There is no denying that management is absolutely crucial, but too much of a good thing can have adverse effects on productivity. Excessive micromanaging creates employees that feel as if they are not trusted and that their decision-making processes are not valued. Instead of encouraging employees to put forth their best efforts, it results in an eventual dependence on micromanagement that can sink productivity levels.
Just as employees must be held accountable for their actions, they should also be recognised for their success. Even small efforts, such as verbal recognition or occasional awards, can encourage employees and make them feel like their hard work is being rewarded. For businesses that can afford it, larger rewards, such as holiday parties, improve morale and create camaraderie in the office, all of which leads to happier, more productive employees.
While it is generally advisable to assign tasks based on an employee's particular competencies, keep in mind that doing the same tasks repeatedly over an extended period of time can make even a skilled employee feel as if their work has become monotonous. If possible, it may be useful to expose employees to other tasks. This renews motivation, offers new skills to learn and apply, and grants the employee a broader understanding of how the company operates.
Oftentimes meetings serve as nothing more than temporary breaks from productive work. If a meeting does not have a specific purpose, an organised agenda, and a plan of action, it will probably only function to diminish productivity. Meetings can be a great way to share ideas and establish goals, but don't let them get in the way of delivering actual results.
While many workplaces still see new technology as unnecessary or even distracting, the simple truth is that they can have a significant positive impact on productivity. Updated hardware, software, and machinery ensure that work can be performed in less time and with minimal error. While it may not seem like a big
deal, even minor issues such as temporary connectivity problems or hardware breakdowns can quickly add up through the course of a fiscal year.
Studies have revealed several productivity-boosting techniques that may seem counterintuitive at first glance. Providing such perks can pay off tremendously if it means happier, more motivated employees. Balancing the needs of a business is never an easy job, but a focus on increased productivity can have a positive impact on nearly every other facet of the workplace. By using the techniques above, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary pitfalls and ensure that employees are personally invested in efficient, quality work output.
Running a trade business can be a great way to earn an income—but if you want to build real financial security for the future, your business income is just the beginning.
Many tradies focus all their energy on their business, without thinking about how to turn their hard work into long-term wealth.
Here’s the truth: you won’t build wealth just by working harder or invoicing more. To build wealth, you need a plan to take money out of your business and put it to work elsewhere.
Here’s how to do it.
1. Start by Paying Yourself First
If all your business profits are going back into tools, vehicles, staff or fixing last month’s problems— you’ll never build wealth.
The first step is to regularly pull money out of the business and into your personal wealth plan. This doesn’t mean draining the business dry, but it does mean treating yourself like your most important employee.
Set up a regular transfer (weekly or monthly) to a separate savings or investment account. Automate it.
2. Build a Cash Reserve
Cash is the buffer that helps you stay in control—especially in seasonal or up-and-down industries like construction.
Before investing in anything long-term, aim to build up a cash reserve outside your business. This gives you flexibility, peace of mind, and stops you dipping into credit cards when things are tight.
Aim for at least 3–6 months of personal expenses saved.
Before investing, pay off any high-interest or non-productive debt (like personal loans, car loans, or credit cards). These often cost you more in interest than you’ll earn from most investments.
If you’ve got business debt, talk to your accountant or adviser about whether it’s helping you grow or just weighing you down.
Once you’ve got a cash buffer and your debt under control, it’s time to put your money to work. Here are a few popular options tradies use to build wealth:
• Property – A long-term favourite for many tradies, especially if you understand building or renovation.
• Shares or ETFs – A good option for those looking to diversify, especially through super or managed funds.
• Superannuation – Often overlooked, your super is one of the most tax-effective ways to build wealth.
• SMSF (Self-Managed Super Fund) – Allows you to invest in property or other assets inside your super (with the right advice).
• Business investments – Just make sure they’re producing a return, not just adding to your workload.
Tip: The best investment is the one that aligns with your goals, time frame and appetite for risk. Not someone else’s.
5. Use the Right Structure
Wealth building isn’t just about what you earn—it’s also about what you keep. Using the right legal and tax structures (like family trusts, companies, or SMSFs) can help you: • Reduce the tax you pay on investment income
• Protect your assets from legal or business risks
• Set your family up for future generations
⚠ Always get advice before moving money or setting up investment structures. One wrong move can undo years of good planning.
6. Have a Clear Plan (And Review It Regularly)
The key to building wealth is consistency. You don’t need to invest $100,000 tomorrow. But you do need a plan that helps you make progress every month or every quarter.
That plan should include:
• How much you’re saving or investing
• Where that money is going
• What you’re working toward long-term
• Who’s helping you stay on track
Tip: Many tradies find that having a quarterly check-in with their accountant or adviser makes all the difference.
Your Business Is the Vehicle—Wealth Is the Destination
Your trade business is a great income source. But wealth happens when you use that income to create financial freedom outside the day-to-day grind.
Start small. Get consistent. And get the right advice.
At Straight Talk Accountants, we help trade business owners build plans to grow their business, reduce tax, and build long-term wealth—both inside and outside the business.
Download our FREE 21-Step Tradie Success Checklist or book a free intro session to get started.
Please Note: Many of the comments in this article are general in nature and anyone intending to apply the information to practical circumstances should seek professional advice to independently verify their interpretation and the information’s applicability to their particular circumstances.
Copyright © 2025 Robert Bauman.
If you’re spending tens of thousands on materials and equipment each year, and even tax payments, you’re missing out if you don’t have the right credit card.
Now before I go any further, I need to stress that this article is NOT financial advice! We deal in insurance services, not finance or credit cards.
What this article is, is a basic guide based on my experience of maximising our points earning via credit cards here at Trade Risk. It is based purely on my own experience, does not take into account any of your needs and objectives and should not be relied upon.
Now that we have the formalities out of the way, it’s back to the good stuff…
So if you run a trades business, there is a good chance you’re spending tens of thousands (or hundreds of thousands) on business expenses every year. If you use the right credit cards in the right way, you
could be earning yourself hundreds of thousands of points every year, that could be going towards flights, holidays or all sorts of other rewards.
Before you get too involved in this, the first step is to consider whether chasing points is really the right thing for your trade business.
Credit cards can be a great way to manage cash flow in your business, but that only works effectively when you’re paying the full balance each month to take advantage of the interest free period.
Cards that earn points often have higher fees and sometimes higher interest, so if you are carrying a balance from month to month and copping interest, you should probably forget about points and just find the card with the lowest interest rate.
If you do clear your balance each month, then you can start to forget about the interest rate and just consider the annual fee (if any) and the points earning potential.
Not all credit card awards points programs are the same, and not all awards programs pay the same number of points for all transactions.
So the next step is to complete an audit of which cards you currently have and what points they are paying, if any…
One of the cards I use at Trade Risk is the AMEX Business Platinum. It gives me a different number of points for various types of payments. For example payments for insurance premium give quite a low earn, whilst payments at supermarkets give a good earn.
So in my audit I identified that paying for our business insurance on my AMEX was not a good idea, but using it at the supermarket when buying office supplies was a good idea.
Another card I use is the CBA Business Platinum MasterCard. It works out best for payments to the ATO, so I only use that card for ATO payments.
On that point, payments to the ATO are a tricky area, so I’ll cover that in more detail in a dedicated section later in this article.
Essentially what you’re doing here is working out which card you should use for the different types of payments in your business, therefore maximising your earning potential.
Another area that must be considered during the audit process is the points earning caps that some cards have. Our CBA card has a cap, so I avoid using it for anything that isn’t getting the best earn rate from it.
Surcharges on your different card types also needs to be considered. For example, an AMEX will often have the highest earn rate, but will also typically attract the highest surcharge.
So you need to weigh up both sides. You might be better to use another card that earns less points if the surcharge is proportionally less.
I know this all sounds quite complex, but it only took a few hours once I got stuck into it, and the extra points earning makes it well worth it.
No one likes making payments to the ATO, but if you run a decent business, some of your chunkiest payments each quarter (or month) will be to the ATO.
In years gone by there were plenty of different credit cards that would give you points for payment to the ATO, but many have dropped off.
One card that still offers points is the CBA Business Platinum Mastercard. It’s important to use the business version of this card, as the personal version will not give you points for ATO payments.
This is a tricky area, so I’m not going to go into any great detail other than to raise it as an issue.
The question here is whether or not the credit card surcharges you’re paying in order to chase the rewards points are tax deductible. Whether or not they are could have an impact on if this whole thing is worthwhile.
You should really speak with your accountant for further information on this one, but here’s what I’ve been told from various sources:
If you’re paying for business expenses on your credit card purely for person gain (i.e. credit card points that will benefit you personally) then it’s very questionable whether the surcharges are a legitimate business expense, and therefore tax deductible.
But if you’re paying on credit cards for genuine business reasons (i.e. to manage your cash flow more effectively) and your business is benefiting, then they could well be a genuine business expense and therefore tax deductible.
Again, this is really something you should speak with your accountant about, but I just wanted to raise it as something you need to consider.
Is it all worth bothering with?
Of course you have better things to worry about in your trade business than earning credit card or frequent flyer points.
But if you’re potentially leaving tens or hundreds of thousands of frequent flyer points on the table, and
you could change that by spending a few hours getting on top of it, then it’s certainly worth thinking about.
Personally I do think it’s worthwhile, especially if your business has reached a size where you’re spending tens of thousands each month on business expenses.
Advice warning…
I know I’ve already mentioned this, but again, this article is not advice! Neither I nor Trade Risk are qualified or licenced to provide advice on credit cards or taxation. The articles takes into account none of your personal (or business) needs or objectives, and should not be relied upon in any way. You should do your own research and speak with suitably qualified professionals before taking any action.
The article is based purely on my personal experience and may or may not be correct.
Easily
Guessing your costs, leads to underquoting (loss of profit) or overquoting (loss of work).
• No accurate job costing system.
• Not factoring in site challenges.
• Competing only on price.
The Cost of Not Fixing It
• Jobs that cost you money.
• Damaged reputation from mid-job price changes.
• Reduced profitability.
1. BrushHand App – Calculates materials, labour, and margins automatically.
2. Estimating Workshops – Learn advanced quoting skills to protect your profit.
3. Industry Benchmarks – Pricing data and spread rates for accurate estimates.
4. Scope Definition Tools – Templates to lock in what’s included in your quote.
• Track actual job costs to compare against quotes.
• Always include a contingency margin.
If you’re winning every job you quote, you’re too cheap. You only need to win 30% of the work you quote to keep yourself busy. You can’t do every job.
"BrushHand gives me a better understanding, I’m getting my quotes right every time and now making profits." – Tom, Melbourne
Finding reliable, skilled painters and apprentices is a constant battle. You advertise, interview, hire… and sometimes within weeks you’re back at square one. The result? Project delays, unhappy clients, and the owner stuck back on the tools instead of managing the business.
• Shrinking Talent Pool: Fewer school leavers are entering painting.
• No Structured Recruitment System: Hiring is done reactively, not strategically.
• Poor First Impressions: Without a proper onboarding process, new hires feel lost.
• Limited Career Growth: If staff can’t see a future with you, they move on.
• Missed deadlines and project overruns.
• High recruitment and training costs.
• Increased stress for owners and staff.
• Damage to your business reputation.
APN’s Complete Solution
1. Targeted Recruitment Service – Access a database of pre-screened painters and apprentices ready to work.
2. School-to-Work Pathways – Painting Your Career introduces motivated young people to the trade.
3. Retention Mentoring – Employer and employee mentoring programs to improve engagement and retention.
4. Onboarding Tools – 90-day training plans, safety induction checklists, and skills tracking templates.
• Create a reusable job description.
• Keep an “ideal hire” list of traits.
• Write a one-page “Why Work For Us” handout.
Recruit before you desperately need someone — you’ll make better hiring decisions.
"APN found me 2 apprentices in under two weeks. They are still with me 12 months later and now doing all aspects of painting I need. They are also both making me money. Thanks, APN."
– Mark, Brisbane
When we talk about diversity in business, it’s usually in moral or social terms – fairness, inclusion and representation. But our new research suggests diversity also pays off in a very practical way: helping companies make better financial and investment decisions.
Company boards often get the attention in discussions about corporate leadership. Yet much of the real decision-making happens within smaller, specialised board committees – groups of directors responsible for areas such as audit, risk, remuneration and sustainability.
These committees are where many of the big investment and governance decisions are debated and ultimately shaped.
Our study looked at the effect of diversity within these board committees across Australia’s 300 largest listed companies (the ASX 300).
The results were striking. Firms with more diverse committees – in terms of gender, independence and professional background – made smarter and more efficient investment decisions.
Board committees are smaller, specialised decision-making groups within a company. Ali mkumbwa/Unsplash
To conduct our research, we built a detailed index to measure how diverse committees really are. This went beyond simple gender counts.
We considered whether companies had key committees in place, how large they were, the proportion of women, the diversity of professional backgrounds, and the mix of independent and non-executive members.
We then linked this “committee diversity index” to how well companies invested their capital.
In simple terms, we looked at whether companies were putting their money to productive use. That is, investing in projects that would generate long-term value, not wasteful spending or short-term gambles.
Across our study period (2018–2020), the results were consistent. Companies with higher committee diversity achieved better returns on invested capital and returns on equity. Both are measures of how efficiently they use their funds to generate profits.
More importantly, the benefits appeared in strategic investments, not just in day-to-day operations. Diverse committees were more disciplined and forward looking when deciding where to allocate resources.
They were less likely to overinvest when times were good or underinvest when markets turned. Put simply, diversity improved judgement under uncertainty.
Why would having a mix of people around the table make such a difference? It’s likely because complex decisions benefit from a wider range of perspectives.
Think about how a company decides whether to expand into a new market, buy a rival firm, or launch a risky product line. A committee made up of people who share the same background and experience may overlook risks or alternative strategies.
A more diverse group – bringing together financial experts, engineers, marketers and people with different life experiences – is more likely to ask hard questions and spot blind spots early.
Our results suggest this mix leads to less waste and more focus on long-term value. Larger, mixed-experience committees helped avoid over-investment and misallocation of resources. In contrast, smaller or more homogeneous groups were more prone to inefficient decisions and short-term thinking.
These findings add to a growing body of research showing diversity isn’t just a moral imperative but a governance advantage. Studies have linked genderbalanced boards to lower risk-taking, better innovation, and improved financial performance.
Diverse teams of employees also tend to outperform more homogenous ones because they bring different viewpoints to problem-solving.
When people with different backgrounds and expertise work together, companies see more sides of the story before committing to a particular path.
Our findings fit within a wider global conversation about diversity in business leadership. For years, researchers have debated whether diverse boards and workplaces actually perform better financially.
Some studies find strong evidence, others less so –partly because most research has focused on the main board rather than the specialised committees where many critical investment decisions are actually made.
But committees are often where the real decisions happen. Audit and risk committees oversee financial integrity; nomination and remuneration committees shape leadership and incentives; sustainability committees increasingly guide long-term strategy.
As organisations face uncertain markets, economic transitions and growing scrutiny, the ability to see problems from multiple angles is becoming a core strength.
In Australia, regulators and investors are placing more emphasis on transparency, governance quality and environmental, social and governance (ESG) accountability.
As these expectations rise, companies are under pressure to show not just that they have diverse boards, but that this diversity extends into their decisionmaking structures.
For investors, our research has a clear message: diversity is a signal of sound governance and smarter resource allocation.
For companies, it’s a reminder that inclusive leadership is more than a reputational box to tick. It’s also a practical way to build resilience and long-term value.
Adam G. Arian
Lecturer Accounting & Finance, Australian Catholic University
John Sands
Professor of Accounting, School of Business, University of Southern Queensland
Personalised SWMS for Platinum
Members Beta version available for Gold
Let’s get one thing clear right from the start: profit is not what’s left over.
Too many business owners make the mistake of thinking profit is simply “whatever’s left after paying the bills.” But let’s be honest—how often is there anything left over?
No. Profit is not an accident. Profit is not a leftover.
Profit is your reward for risk.
What Have You Risked?
Think about it for a moment.
What have you risked to be in business?
• Your hard-earned savings?
• Your reputation?
• Maybe even your family home?
• And yes, the countless hours you’ve sacrificed— time you can never get back.
That’s the reality of entrepreneurship. You’ve invested more than just money—you’ve invested your life.
So if you’ve taken on that level of risk, you deserve he right return.
Reward for Effort vs. Reward for Risk
Here’s the difference every business owner must understand:
Reward for Effort is your salary or wage—what you earn for showing up, for doing the work, for putting in the hours.
Reward for Risk is your profit—what you earn for being brave enough to step out, take the leap, and build something of your own.
You should be earning both.
Most of us start as technicians—we roll up our sleeves and do the work ourselves. Over time, we
grow into managers, leading others to do the work. But ultimately, the goal is to become a business owner—someone who earns not just for effort, but for the risk and vision it takes to create opportunity.
Profit is the return on that courage.
Don’t Discount Your Worth
Don’t fall into the trap of slashing prices just to make a sale. You can’t discount your way to success.
Instead, package and position your business so that people see the value you bring.
Price with confidence. Market with conviction. Deliver with excellence.
Your profit must reflect the risks you’ve taken and the value you provide. Anything less isn’t fair—to you, your business, or your future.
Profit is not a dirty word. It’s not greed. It’s not luck.
Profit is the reward for courage. It’s the reward for believing in yourself when others didn’t.
It’s the return for the nights you stayed up worrying, the mornings you started before sunrise, and the weekends you worked when everyone else was resting.
Profit is your thank you from the marketplace—for having the guts to risk, to build, and to lead.
So, as you step into this new season, remember: Don’t work for leftovers. Work for the reward you’ve earned. Because profit isn’t what’s left— it’s what you deserve.
Quoting is one of the most important parts of running a successful painting business. In this video, we break down the process of creating accurate, professional quotes that win jobs and keep your business profitable.
Finding and keeping the right people is one of the biggest challenges for painting and decorating businesses.
Smoko isn’t just a break – it’s a tradition in the trades. In this video, we take a look at what smoko means on site, why it’s important, and the stories that come with it.
When you are a leader, it is obvious to you that the success of your team can increase your own success.
People often confuse having a sense of humility with being insecure. But in truth, being a humble person is simply about considering others more and thinking of yourself less. By being humble and thinking of the people you are expected to lead more, you can increase their confidence, security and ultimately, increase their performance level. Here are a few ways you can develop more humility and become a better leader.
Practicing self-control is more than saying no to dessert. It is about controlling your reactions and not allowing yourself to always say the first thing that comes to mind. When your self-control increases, the people around you will see you as the type of stable and approachable leader everyone likes to follow.
Using your manners is probably not something that you would instinctively associate with being humble. When you are leading others, they know that you could simply tell them what to do, but asking them respectfully and displaying gratitude when they do what is expected of them shows them that you are a secure person who thinks highly of them and is not too proud to say so.
Apologizing can be an uncomfortable task for anyone, but, one of the most important things you can do as a leader is recognize when you have made a mistake and be humble enough to apologize. Occasionally, leaders set themselves apart from the people that are following them so much that it seems like they have placed themselves on a pedestal. When a leader apologizes, it does not diminish the level of respect their employees feel for them, it substantially increases it.
Remember that you are not solely responsible for the successes you've achieved
As a leader, it may be easy to look at your history and feel responsible for the success you have had. But in truth, the most successful leaders often had a team of people cheering them on and helping guide them to where they are in life. It could be a high school coach that wouldn't stop pushing you, a spouse that never stopped believing you, or a child that always looked up to you. Whoever it is that helped guide you towards success, remind yourself of them often and don't be afraid to humbly attribute your success to their role in your life.
Be willing to make the right choice, even when it is the hard choice
As a leader, you may find that there is a delicate balance between doing what is ideal financially and doing what is ideal morally. Whenever possible, take the moral highroad and allow your company to take the temporary hit. There may be times where you cannot provide the biggest raise or cheapest benefits to your employees, but when you humbly seek to do what is best for them as often as possible, they will feel loyal to you as a leader.
Humility is not a skill that is developed or honored in society the same way it once was, but the effects of being a humble person are still far-reaching. Making the choice to become a more humble leader will improve the morale around you and increase your inner happiness. Doing the best you can for others can be tiring and even frustrating at times, but behaving with humility is always a worthwhile investment that it will not go unnoticed!
I’ve talked with a number of people recently who have gotten caught up in fretting about something in their lives — something stressing them out and causing them to overthink.
Maybe they’re worried about a stressful situation, or they’re worried they’re not doing well enough in life. They get caught up in rumination, stressing, spinning around in circles.
I tell them that it’s just fear.
It’s just fear that makes us overthink, worry, ruminate, spin around in circles. It’s fear that we’re not good enough, that we’ll fail, that someone will be unhappy with us, that we’ll look like idiots. Just fear.
I don’t mean to dismiss the fear or invalidate it — fear is natural, and a part of being human. It’s OK to have fear, and it’s a part of doing anything meaningful or difficult.
But fear also doesn’t have to be a big deal. That’s why I say it’s “just fear.” It’s not significant unless we make it to be. I like to say No Big Deal when I notice my fear.
When we notice the fear, we can also notice the stories our fear tells us: I’m not doing good enough, maybe I should be doing what those people are doing, maybe people are going to judge me, maybe I should quit.
And I can decide not to take the stories too seriously. It’s just fear.
Noticing the fear, and the stories from the fear, helps me to calm my fear down.
My fear also wants me to do something about the scary situation — but often there isn’t too much I can do. I might try to take action, but more likely I’ll either lash out at someone else … or get caught in overthinking. Neither is helpful, of course.
If I’m overthinking, here’s how I can deal with it:
Start with noticing the fear and the overthinking. The fear isn’t a big deal.
Pause and breathe. Slow down the breathing.
Reassure my fear: we got this. No big deal. We can handle the situation, even if we don’t know exactly how it will turn out. This is a practice of trusting ourselves to handle whatever comes.
Relax any tensed muscles, and continue with the slower breathing.
Focus on something lovely in this moment. The light in the room, the nature around you, nice company, something to bring curiosity about, something to be grateful for.
This is how to practice. Keep doing these things: noticing, breathing, reassuring, relaxing, and focusing on the present moment. If you do these things, you’ll drop from the overthinking into the present.
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
climate change is affecting our homes – and our health
This year, ten days of extreme heat in Europe killed roughly 2,300 people, severe flooding on the New South Wales coast left more than 48,000 stranded, and wildfires in Los Angeles destroyed at least 16,000 homes and other buildings.
Events such as these signal what climate scientists have long warned: climate-related extremes are becoming more frequent and intense.
Poor housing can leave us more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. So in today’s warming world, it’s increasingly important our homes and our housing system are climate resilient. This means they must protect us from heatwaves, floods and bushfires, and keep out air pollutants. And the housing system must function to provide affordable and secure housing.
Location is important too. Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment, released this week, estimates 8.7% of residential buildings are in very highrisk areas (prone to hazards). This proportion is projected to increase to 13.5% by 2090 in a scenario with a high global warming level.
Housing and health are inextricably linked. In a new paper published in the Lancet Public Health, my colleagues and I identify several ways climate change affects our homes, and in turn, our health.
On a basic level, housing shields us from the elements. But when we look at the bigger picture, resilient housing and housing systems have a key role to play in helping us face the challenges of climate change.
Climate change can lead to deterioration in the indoor conditions in our homes.
For example, extreme temperatures can compromise air quality by making building materials more likely to degrade and generate pollutants. Particulate matter and other hazardous air pollutants from bushfire smoke can infiltrate indoor environments. Both of these processes can contribute to poor indoor air quality. This is not to mention that extreme heat outside can lead to unbearable temperatures indoors.
Meanwhile, floods, storms and cyclones can cause structural and water damage to homes. This can expose occupants to toxins, for example from contaminated water, and increase the risk of allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and infectious diseases (such as water-borne and mosquito-borne diseases).
The risks associated with climate change can also influence housing security and affordability.
Both housing insecurity and unaffordability are significant predictors of poor mental health and wellbeing, and both are already significant problems independent of climate change.
But a changing climate exacerbates these problems. Equally, the housing crisis leaves us more vulnerable to climate change.
Climate-related disasters put a strain on housing costs and general cost-of-living pressures. Residents may need to pay for maintenance and repairs alongside their mortgages and rental payments. Meanwhile, increasing extreme weather events push insurance premiums higher. All this puts pressure on housing affordability.
Extreme temperatures also increase the risk of energy poverty. Not being able to adequately heat or cool a home can negatively affect both physical and mental health for its occupants.
What’s more, climate-related disasters can drive forced relocation, with flow-on effects to health and wellbeing through disruption to family life, loss of income, gender-based violence, social disconnection, and reduced access to services.
Notably, the effects of climate change reduce the supply of affordable housing, especially affordable rentals, which are more likely to be damaged or lost from hazards, for example due to lower structural quality. Lower-income renters as a result find it harder to compete for the remaining stock.
There are also other examples showing the effects of climate change on housing are inequitable, with the consequences flowing disproportionately to less advantaged groups.
When areas with low climate risk become more desirable, this can drive up housing and other costs in an area. Climate “gentrification” can displace low-income households to higher risk and less protected areas.
We’ve seen this happen in countries including the United States and Denmark.
Housing needs to protect people from the growing risks posed by climate change. In a physical sense, this means it must be robust enough to bear more intense weather conditions, be energy efficient, and have good thermal performance that allows for both ventilation and climate control.
To achieve this, climate-resilient housing should include features such as:
• well-constructed foundations, walls and roofs
• ventilation and insulation
• energy-efficient cooling and heating
• exterior shading and roof reflectivity
• building materials that are fire- and heat-resistant.
Building codes need to be cognisant of the changing climate, while existing housing may need to be upgraded.
We’ve seen some signs of progress. For example, updates to the National Construction Code in recent years have accounted for the increasing impact of climate change, by raising energy efficiency and thermal performance standards, among other measures.
There is also a need for stronger tenant protection policies. Rental housing is disproportionately of poor quality, yet it houses a large portion of the more vulnerable people in the population. Minimum standards for rental housing must be climate resilient.
But housing people well isn’t just a question of the physical construction of homes.
Climate-resilient housing should be affordable, secure and provide residents the chance to access opportunities for work, education and social connection that sustain wellbeing.
So much public discussion has focused on the need to meet housing supply targets, but we can’t forget that people need to be housed well to flourish.
Ang Li
ARC DECRA and Senior Research Fellow, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Housing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne
Aussie Painters Network aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
National Institute for Painting and Decorating painters.edu.au
Australian Tax Office ato.gov.au
Award Rates fairwork.gov.au
Australian Building & Construction Commission www.abcc.gov.au
Mates In Construction www.mates.org.au
Comcare
WorkSafe ACT
Workplace Health and Safety QLD
WorkSafe Victoria
SafeWork NSW
SafeWork SA
WorkSafe WA
NT WorkSafe
WorkSafe Tasmania
comcare.gov.au worksafe.act.gov.au worksafe.qld.gov.au www.worksafe.vic.gov.au www.safework.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ worksafe.nt.gov.au worksafe.tas.gov.au
actcancer.org cancercouncil.com.au cancercouncilnt.com.au cancerqld.org.au
cancersa.org.au cancervic.org.au
cancerwa.asn.au
