THE #1 TRADESMAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Brad Erskine
Achieve 10x More In Less Time
Issue #20 June 2011 Proudly Australian www.tradesmaninnercircle.com.au
Get Your Customers Eating Out Of Your Hand
+
Find Hidden Cash In Your Business With IMS and I-Man
Secure Your Digital World Data security and Storage Strategies
TIC Member Support Line
Help When You Need It To#our#Members, You#are#never#far#from#help. Unlimited#Phone#Support#
Call#us#whenever#you#need#us#on#1800#704#822 Your%direct%access%to%pick%our%brains,%ask%ques3ons%or%simply%to% bounce%some%ideas%o%us,%whatever%the%reason.%
Unlimited Email & Fax Support Email us today on info@tradesmaninnercircle.com.au If email is preferably your thing, then at the dead of night when the questions pop into your head, email us with your thoughts and questions. It is our commitment to help you develop your business into whatever you want it to be.
This$Month
Goodbye'May'and'Hello'June!
Boot'Camp.'Yes,'the'2nd'buzz'topic' at'TIC.'Three'words'spring'to'mind' when'I'think'about'our'up'and' coming'event'–'Friday'21'and' Saturday'22'October,'Sydney,'which' is'–'Blow'Your'Mind!
With'it'fast'approaches'the'end'of' financial'year.'That'said,'how'is'the' list'of'things'to'complete'before' 30June'going?'Are'you'making'the' most'of'your'24hours?'Trust'me,' !me$is$on$your$side!' Don’t'believe'me?'–'then'read'my' arKcle'over'the'page'and'I’ll'share' with'you'my'thoughts'on'this'one… The'office'is'buzzing'here'at'TIC!'The ' level'of'excitement'makes'me'think' of'a'kid'the'night'before'Christmas!' Why'you'ask?'Well,'the'most' exciKng'is'the'feedback'we’ve'been' receiving'from'you,'our'members! We'love'connecKng'with'you'all'R' hearing'of'your'successes,'the' challenges'you'have'overcome'and' the'plans'for'the'future.'It’s'great'to' hear'the'moKvaKon'you'have'to'put' plans'into'acKon'with'such'posiKve' effects'on'your'business,'your'life,' your'family'and'best'of'all,'yourself.' They'have'been'excepKonally' inspiring'for'us,'so'much'so,'we'just' have'to'share'them... This'has'lead'to'the'birth'of' ‘Tradesman'Inner'Circle'Member' Profile’,'a'new'secKon'within'the' Magazine'to'share'with'you' the'life'of'a'member'(and'a' chance'to'brag'to'your' mates'that'you’ve'made'‘the ' front'cover’)! This'month,'PlaKnum' member'Brad'Erskine'from' Silhoue\e'Kitchens,'blows' us'away'with'his'acKons'of' the'last'18months'plus' shares'a'secret'about' himself'that,'with'the'Boot' Camp'only'months'away,' he’ll'wish'he'didn’t'menKon!' (rock'‘n'roll'wrestling' anyone?'–'just%kidding%Brad.% Will%be%sure%to%only%bring%it% up%once!)
Lay'it'on'the'plate...................2
Always'on'the'path'of'improvement,' we'have'a'line'up'of'guest'speakers,' that'are'professionals'in'their'game' (one'even'having'won'an'Olympic' Gold'Medal'–'any'guess'who?),'to' share'their'secrets'to'help'improve' your'business'(more'details'within).' This'is'one'not'to'be'missed'–'if'I'do' say'so'myself!
Spill'the'beans........................5
So'what'else'happens'in'June?'I’m' sure'you'know'it…yes,'it’s'another' public'holiday'(we'live'in'the'lucky' country).'I'do'quesKon'at'Kmes,’' lucky'for'who?’'Seeing'we'have'to' ‘foot'the'bill’'on'employees'taking' the'day'off.'Maybe'have'a'think'in' advance'about'what'you'can' schedule'in'that'week'to'sKll'make' the'weekly'target.'You'can’t'get'rid' of'it,'so'may'as'well'work'with'it! ' So.'What'does'the'June'issue'bring' us?''How'about'we'turn'the'page' and'check'it'out…
Dose'of'living........................12
Member'profile......................6 Lost'in'the'web'R'IMS..............8 Achieve'10X'more' in'less'Kme............................11
Member'Kp'of'the'month....14 Shaun’s'Man'Cave................16
w
re d An
TradeTalk 1
Lay it on the plate.........
TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE T
ick,'Kck,'Kck…'the'' ' '''clock'never'stops' counKng'the'hours,'the'minutes,' the'seconds.'There'is'one'thing' you'can'say'about'Kme'–'it'is'a' constant.'Twenty'four'hours'in'a' day,'no'more,'no'less.'The' challenge'is'about'how'you' maximise'their'use'–'and'it'is' possible'to'get'more'done'if'you' know'how…want'to'know'the' answer? Gehng'Kme'on'your'side'is'as' simple'as':1.'the'goal,'2.'the'plan' and'3.'the'acKon. Sounds'simple,'but'really'it'is' these'three'stages,'working'in' sequence,'that'help'to'get'you' be\er'organised'to'squeeze' more'our'of'your'twentyRfour' hours.'
2 TradeTalk
Let’s'take'a'closer'look: 1$The$Goal These'need'to'be'clearly'defined' with'specific'tasks/acKons'to'be' undertaken'with'realisKc' Kmeframes.'(see'Gehng' Started:Module1'for'more' detail) 2.$The$Plan It'is'criKcal'to'understand'the' overall'picture'with'regard'to'the' goal'(such'as'it'will'take'2months ' to'complete),'but'in'reality'you' need'to'break'this'down'to'the' next'2'days'for'this'is'where'your' immediate'focus'will'lie. 3.$The$Ac!on Yes,'the'most'criKcal'of'all'the' stages,'for'‘without'acKon'the' plan'is'just'a'plan’.
That'said,'there'are'four'Kps'I' want'to'share'with'you'to'ensure ' you'effecKvely'manage'your' Kme'to'take'acKon: 1. Set'your'Kmelines'and' sKck'to'them 2. Delegate'any'tasks'that' you'really'don’t'need'to' do. 3. Avoid'over'commitment' by'being'realisKc'about' what'can'be'achieved' within'the'Kme'available. 4. Make'a'habit'of'biKng' the'bullet'and'just'DOING' it.' I'have'personally'been'obsessed' with'this'last'one'of'late.'I'have' ditched'the'‘bu\erfly'effect’'of' flihng'from'one'job'to'another'
omen'resulKng'in'no'acKon'at'all,'and'have'tried' hard'to'put'a'stop'to'procrasKnaKon,'as'this'is'the' one'single'reason'that''drains'us'from'prime' effecKveness. I'have'found'that'simply'just'DOING'IT,'like' reacKng'when'a'gun'is'triggered'at'the'start'of'a' race,'has'seen'my'producKvity'improve'ten'fold! That'said,'we'can’t'kid'ourselves'to'think'that' everything'will'be'perfect'all'the'Kme.'That'you’ll' always'be'a'bundle'of'energy,'totally'focused'and' moKvated'to'take'acKon.'The'reality'is'we’re'all' going'to'fall'off'the'horse'once'in'a'while.'The' plans'will'fall'apart,'the'goals'may'change,'the' acKon'may'stagnate. But'what'happens'when'you'fall'off'the'horse?' You'get'right'back'on'buddy!
Side note: Procrastination is so ripe in our lives that I think I’ll cover this a little more next month. How to end it once and for all!
Animal Dreams! Just for laughs…
Yes,'that’s'right.'Be'the'‘whip'cracker’'you'need'to' be'on'yourself'to'STOP'immediately,'recognize' what'you’re'doing'and'leap'back'on'with'gusto! (and'if'you'can’t'be'the'‘whip'cracker’,'then'give'us ' a'call…'I’m'posiKve'we'can'help'you'out!) If'you'can'get'these'stages'down'pat'in'the'right' sequence'–'goal,'plan'and'acKon'–'you'will'be'sure ' to'squeeze'out'more'within'your'twentyRfour' hours!
!
Quote of the Month: “It’s'not'necessarily'the'amount'of'Kme'you' spend'at'pracKce'that'counts;' it’s'what'you'put'into'the'pracKce”.' ~%Eric%Lindros TradeTalk 3
TRADE SECRETS IN YOUR POCKET
d fo r a o l n w o D ! FREE now
INTRODUCING'THE'TRADESMAN'INNER' CIRCLE'IPHONE'&'ANDROID'APP Now'you'can'access'our'free'content'all'in'the'one' convenient'locaKon.'Allow'us'to'help'you'make'the'right' moves'to'ensure'your'business'and'life'success If'you’re'on'your'iPhone'you'will'find'it'in'the'app'store'by'searching' Tradesman'Inner'Circle.'For'Android,'search'for'us'on'your'handset'in'the' Android'Market.
SPILL THE BEANS.....
‘MIND-BLOWING S E C R E T S F RO M A M A R K E T I N G M AV E N ’
How to get customers eating out of the palm of your hand.
I
kid you not when I tell you there is a secret to making this become a reality. Want to know what it is?....
The key to ‘flattery marketing tactics’ is to speak directly to the customer, tapping into what makes them feel good.
Before I share the answer with you, let me ask you a question: Have you ever been at a restaurant and the waitress commented they loved the smell of your aftershave?, or a stranger at a friend’s BBQ comments how much they liked your shirt and asked where you bought it? How did this make you feel? Well, as long as the comment was legitimate and sincere, you were probably flattered and you instantly liked them right.
The best way to do this is to keep your eyes open as you walk into their home as you’re bound to trip over numerous things that are obviously important to the customer. As Robert Collier says; “Enter the conversation already going on in your customer’s mind”.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," prospects who want to appear strong-willed would say, but actually, flattery can get you almost anywhere.
If you really think about it, that 30year old was nodding his head in agreement when you said “I know exactly what’s wrong here <name>. It’ll take no more than 30minutes to sort it out. You’ll be on the open road in that awesome Porsche I saw out front in no time! So, how fast does it drive?”.
The reason: people want to feel good about themselves... and if you give them a legitimate way to do it, you immediately get their attention. The thing is, it’s human nature to then be receptive to communication in return.
Now the point about being genuine is critical here – you couldn’t say the same sentence if the vehicle you passed was a little red Charade! Such a comment would only leave the customer thinking ‘how odd’ you are. A feeling that’s clearly not conducive to building rapport, and hence not great as a base to selling.
This interest in return increases if the flattering comment was delivered with a genuine smile, enthusiasm in the voice and friendly eye contact; all massive ticks when it comes to building RAPPORT.
So, can you recount an incident where the customer was more receptive to you simply based on your honest ‘flattery’ of something within their home, or on their person?
So, if it works in our social life, to make new friends or attract the opposite sex (Mmmm, interesting that!), then how about it working in our professional life?
Tap into that ego, fuel it appropriately, and you can get people figuratively ‘eating out of the palm of your hand’ ... Yes, Flattery will get you everywhere.
‘Flattery marketing tactics’, for want of a better explanation, works well with every customer – regardless of their status in life, where they live and how old they are. Why? Because, like it or not, we are all egotistical in one form or another. And that’s a fact! Don’t tell me the 80year old customer wasn’t chuffed that you loved her well kept flowerbeds, or the 30year old customer didn’t straightened a little when you passed comment on the new Porsche in the driveway!
5 TradeTalk
Tradesman Inner Circle Member Profile It’s time to get to know your fellow TIC members
Brad Erskine Silhouette Kitchens, Platinum Member TIC$Q:$Tell$us$a$little$about$your$situation,$ business,$family$etc. '
A:$I'started'my'apprenticeship'after'finishing'school' in'year'12.'My'first'job'was'with'a'company'in' Wyong,'but'after'3'years'of'driving'there'every'day' (1.5'hours'each'way),'it'was'time'to'call'it'quits.'From' there'a'stint'with'a'company'in'Balgowlah'on'the' Northern'Beaches.'After'2'years'the'company'was' dissolved'after'my'bosses'had'a'falling'out.'This'was' the'perfect'opportunity'for'me'to'start'my'own'thing. I'was'never'great'at'taking'orders'from'anyone,'so'I' figured'the'best'thing'for'me'to'do'was'to'run'my'own' business.'That’s'when'Silhouette'Kitchens'began. We've'been'in'operation'for'13'years'and'the'business' has'really'only'started'to'take'off'in'the'last'18' months'since'becoming'a'member'of'TIC.'I'have' grown'the'team'and'turnover'has'probably'tripled.'I' am'no'longer'on'the'tools'and'work'from'home'in'a' separate'office'that'I'built. My'family'consists'of'my'wife'Kathy,'and'2'daughters,'' Ava'(3yrs)'and'Gracie'(16months). ' Working'from'home'has'it’s'good'and'not'so'good' points.'The'good'is'certainly'the'flexibility.'I'spend'a' great'deal'of'time'with'the'girls'and'in'summer'we' can'shoot'down'the'beach'if'it’s'a'nice'day. The'girls'generally'know'that'dad’s'working'when'i’m' in'the'office,'but'will'yell'out'to'me'when'they'want' some'daddy'time.'If'it’s'not'a'great'day'I'resort'to'a' wiggles'DVD'whilst'I'continue'to'work. ' Living'with'3'females'can'be'challenging'at'times'so'it' is'handy'to'have'the'office'down'the'back'when'I' need'a'bit'of'Brad'time,'I'can'tell'them'I'need'to'do' some'work'and'escape!
6 TradeTalk
TIC$Q:$What’s$the$biggest$challenge$you’ve$faced$ in$the$last$12$months? '
A:$The'biggest'challenge'for'me'over'the'last'12' months'was'probably'the'rate'at'which'the'business' grew.'One'thing'that'I'have'always'stressed'with'my' business'is'to'always'show'my'face'at'the'beginning'of' each'job'right'thru'to'the'end.'So'finding'the'balance' and'the'time'to'still'see'clients'(even'though'they'had' tripled)'as'well'as'stay'on'top'of'the'design'and'office' side'of'things'was'a'huge'challenge.
TIC$Q:'How$have$you$tackled$that$challenge?$ A:$I'have'managed'to'outsource'some'of'the'office' duties'which'has'worked'well,'leaving'me'to' concentrate'specifically'on'the'clients.'There'was'a' period'last'year'for'about'6'months'where'I'was'still' doing'the'office'and'the'clients.'Clients'would'take'up' most'of'the'day,'then'I'would'come'home'be'a'dad,' bath'and'feed'the'kids'and'once'they'went'to'bed'I' would'head'down'to'the'office'till'late'to'catch'up'on' paper'work. ' TIC$Q:$Where$do$you$see$your$business$in$5$years? A:$The'business'in'5'years'could'be'running'itself.'I' want'to'still'be'involved'in'the'business,'but'maybe'1' or'2'days'a'week.'I'may'then'look'at'starting' something'else. TIC$Q:$What$are$the$top$3$things$you$have$learnt$about$ business$that$you$would$recommend$to$others$and$ WHY?$ Tip1:'Spend%more%;me%ON%your%business%versus%IN%your% business. Andy'and'Ange'asked'me'‘How'much'Kme'do'you'spend' IN'you'business'compared'to'ON'your'business?’'when'
TIC$Q:$Who$would$you$most$like$to$have$lunch$ with$and$why?$ A:$'I'would'have'to'say'Richard'Branson.'I'think'he'is' an'incredible'business'man'and'still'looks'like'he' knows'how'to'have'a'good'time.'Running'a'business' can'be'stressful'at'times'but'he'never'seems'fazed.'I' would'pick'his'brain'about'a'lot'of'Stuff.'(He'also'has'a' bevy'of'beautiful'women'surrounding'him'so' hopefully'they'would'come'to'lunch'R'sorry'my'girls). we'first'became'involved'with'TIC.'My'response'was' 100%'IN'the'business.'I'was'just'an'employee. This'led'to'having'no'direcKon'and'no'future'planning.'If' the'economy'fell'over'we'would'fall'with'it. So'now'thanks'to'them,'I'spend'95%'of'my'Kme'on'the' business'and'are'constantly'looking'for'ways'to'market' the'business'and'build'new'&'nurture'current'client' relaKonships. ' Tip2:'Always%follow%up%your%quotes%and%constantly%keep% the%lines%of%communica;on%open%with%any%prospec;ve% client%or%lead. Even'though'we'have'around'18months'worth'of'work' ahead'of'us,'I'sKll'treat'every'client'and'every'job'like'I' have'no'work.'I'follow'up'everything'we'quote,'even' those'worth'less'financially.'They'could'possibly'lead'to' something'bigger'down'the'track. ' Tip3:'Set%goals%and%do%business%and%life%plans. You'need'to'know'where'you’re'headed'if'you'want'to' end'up'in'a'be\er'place'both'in'business'and'in'life.'And' to'make'sure'you'enjoy'what'you'do,'if'you'are'happy'in' your'life,'then'you'have'greater'chance'of'being' successful'in'business. These'Kps'are'something'that'I'didn’t'follow'previously' in'my'business'and'I'believe'it'is'the'major'reason'why' we'are'successful'today.'Thanks'again'guys'for'showing' us'the'way. ' TIC$Q:$How$have$you$and$your$business$changed$since$ joining$TIC? With'only'$28,000'of'business'in'front'of'me'at'the' Kme'of'joining'TIC,'the'future'looked'bleak.'We' had'our'2nd'baby'on'the'way'and'were'about'to' become'a'single'income'family.'Today,'with'set' goals'and'structure,'I'am'passionate'about'my' business'once'again.'With'now'over'$1'million' dollars'worth'of'work'in'front'of'me,'I'certainly'feel' more'comfortable'and'are'reaping'the'rewards!
I'would'also'say'Greg'Norman.'I'would'love'to'have'a' game'of'golf'with'him'and'pick'his'brain'about' business'and'definitely'grab'some'tips'for'my'golf' game.
TIC$Q:$Favorite$tool$and$why? A:$My'favorite'tool'these'days'would'have'to'be'my' iPad.'It’s'a'sign'of'where'the'business'and'myself'are' heading,'if'you’d'asked'me'a'couple'of'years'ago'I' would'have'said'any'of'the'power'tools'floating' around'in'the'back'of'my'ute. '
But'the'iPad'has'replaced'some'many'old'fashion' ways'of'running'my'business.'I'wouldn’t'say'I’m'an' expert'on'these'things'at'all,'but'if'you'keep'an'open' mind,'adopting'new'technology'can'really'make'your' business'a'lot'more'efficient. ' I'have'basically'deleted'the'paper'diary'I'had'wedged' in'the'front'seat'of'the'car.'Now'when'I'go'out'to'see' clients'I'have'all'of'my'portfolio'shots'on'ipad'for' them'to'flick'thru,'instead'of'them'carefully'turning' the'pages'on'what'looks'like'a'wedding'album. ' All'the'websites'of'my'suppliers'and'ideas'on'what’s' in'and'fashionable'at'the'moment'can'be'accessed'by' me'immediately,'and'if'they'like'what'they'see'I'can' take'a'snapshot'of'the'page'and'email'it'to'them'on' the'spot.'So'definitely'the'iPad'(sorry'electric'plane,' your'finished).
TIC$Q:$Tell$us$something$quirky$about$ yourself$that$your$buddies$don’t$know? A:$Don’t'have'many'quirky'stories,'I'do' remember'thinking'that'rock'n’'roll'wrestling' was'fairdinkum'up'until'I'was'about'16!
TradeTalk 7
Find The Hidden Cash In Your Business! Every now and then we come across some
pretty clever tools to help you run your business more efficiently and thanks to one of our star Gold Members in Sydney, Dave Paul from Get Plumbing, we are able to introduce to you IMS from i-Man in Melbourne. Most of us don't get the most out of the technology at our disposal! We may have a computer, mobile phone, GPS, and a few other gadgets but, like our brains, we only use a small percentage of what they’re actually capable of doing. For instance, if you’re using an outdated or paperbased job booking, billing and accounting system that relies on your memory and takes up your weekend sifting through notes, invoices, and the like, while your computer sits idly on a desk at home or in your office, you are definitely not taking advantage of available technology. And when a company has already done all the hard work for you by developing a software program that tracks jobs, billable hours, inventory and compliance requirements, you should look at it. And when you find out that it costs less than $1,000 to start using immediately, then you need to look at it closely. Guy Arrowsmith, from i-Man has developed IMS – a complete project management and mobile field management system developed specifically for the service-based industry. The IMS program is an endto-end solution allowing small and large businesses to track projects from quotation to invoice. One of the beauties of this product is that Guy is a former electrical contractor, so he knows 8 TradeTalk
what other contractors need in a program to help them run successful businesses.
IMS is a web-based product built to streamline business processes and allows customers to gain access to their business data remotely 24/7. It was developed 10 years ago and has been widely available in the field for the past five years. Guy explains that for a small upfront fee of less than $1,000 and an ongoing subscription, it puts it within reach of most small businesses. “Most companies we deal with have a low IT base and may not be too familiar with computer programs. If ever they have queries or get stuck, they simply ring us up and, using software that allows us to view their screen, we can talk them through any problems they have instantly and in a few minutes they’re back working at full strength,” Guy says.
“This saves contractors lots of time instead of having to wait for a costly site visit to fix a simple query or get just a little bit of help.” Guy says he’s noticed that most companies using the IMS system remark on the increase in billable hours – around 20-30 percent “because their staff aren’t having to come into the office nearly as often, especially for simple administration tasks. And when personnel can invoice on-the-job, cash flow is greatly improved. “Even fuel savings are noticeable with crews not having to drive to the office nearly as much,” he says. The system is constantly being upgraded, probably weekly. That’s the beauty of a centralised system, we can do development work on the model that will benefit all our customers, from their feedback.
Who uses IMS? Guys says that around 80 percent of his customers are electrical or plumbing contracting businesses. They appeal to the administration, management and service staff sections within most businesses. “Each of these groups value different aspects of the IMS product. Management is likely to utilise the IMS diagnostic functions to analyses business profitability and loss, inventory and stock control factors and also keep an eye on staffing productivity,” says Guy. “Administration benefits from a streamlined easyto-use process that ensures accuracy and leaves less room for human error between the quote, the job and final invoice. “Service Staff like the interface specifically designed for hand-held devices. They also can track hours accurately and do not have to rely on memory to do so. No longer is time wasted by dropping paperwork into the office as it all can be transmitted instantaneously and remotely 24/7.
But how does it work? IMS is a completely electronic and automated system that is reliable and easy to use. The IMS product allows admin staff to enter a job, assign it to a date and specific service staff. The project can then be accessed on site and the hours automatically tracked. Invoices can be generated on completion of jobs and payment can even be received on site. This eliminates much of the messy Friday arvo paperwork, where collation of invoices, inventory, billable and non-billable hours, extras, etc, takes place, when most people are tired and looking forward to the weekend. IMS makes managing reoccurring jobs, or unfinished jobs, inventory of stock and compliance forms much easier. The GPS tracking module allows for additional functionality in terms of project planning and service personal organisation. For example; an urgent job can be assigned to the nearest service personnel located simply by the GPS tracking module. I-Man also provides an integration link between IMS and most mainstream accounting packages, so you can keep using a program you’re already familiar with.
“Our clients see substantial increases in profitability after the implementation of IMS. Less hours of administration, increases in billable hours, quicker turn around in invoicing, and a more comprehensive picture of the overall profit and loss of the business, ensure success.
“We often hear from new clients about an upsurge in jobs, billable hours and profit since implementing IMS,” adds Guy. He says that i-Man customers must be willing to spend the time to implement IMS properly, and that they must be positive about the process? A little bit of pain for a lot of gain. How it works In the office: The moment the phone is answered and a potential new job or query is made, IMS is opened and the data is entered. A task is then generated either to TradeTalk 9
follow up, quote or a job is scheduled to a service personnel. Once the job is undertaken, service staff log their hours and parts used and any other additional costs. This information is instantly accessible to the administration staff. An invoice is generated, sent from IMS and can be transferred through the integration link between IMS and their accounting software. Based on information received through IMS from service personnel, a job may also be rescheduled, parts ordered or a selection of other outcomes. On the road: Work starts on site with IMS, not in the office. Service personnel access IMS, jobs are uploaded and information pertaining to each one is logged, ready to go. IMS offers a specifically designed PDA interface
allowing service personal to access information, order parts, log hours and even fill in compliance forms while on site. After hours: IMS streamlines business process to such an extent that tasks can be completed quickly and efficiently – even remotely. This means less time in overtime! Guy says many of i-Man’s customers now have the confidence to take on more staff and quote on complex projects as they know they can be carefully managed by the IMS system. IMS ensures that our customers can grow their business to the next level. Increasing profitability and productivity of staff is a hallmark of good business practice. IMS enables our customers to achieve excellent levels of business practice and become leaders in their field. He says the software is constantly being updated and that subscribers have instant access to any beneficial changes. Visit i-man’s website to read up more details of the program and some detailed case studies (Velocity Electrical, Penguin Air, Five Star Electrical) and judge if IMS is right for your business. www.i-man.com.au
i-man Development fitting all the service software pieces together
Lets make it clear, TIC is NOT getting any kickbacks from this article, however, if you want to contact them and mention Tradesman Inner Circle, you will receive your first months subscription FREE. Contact David or Guy on 1300 794 818
Shaun’s Quick TIP linda.com People often say to me, Shaun, how did you become so smart and know so much about how to use different software? Well, here’s the scoop, www.linda.com on line tutorials. I pay 25 clams a month to get access to easy to follow tutorials that cover all types of software including; Business, Web Development, Microsoft, Adobe, Video, Audio editing and more. TradeTalk 10
How You Can Achieve 10x More In Less Time. We show you proof it works! In his book, "What They Don't Teach
You at Harvard Business School," Mark McCormak made an
interesting discovery about the 1979 graduating MBA class. Within the group, 3% had written goals, 13% had thought of some goals and the balance were just thrilled to be out of school (I am sure you remember those feelings). The interesting part was what happened ten years later. Here are the results of their success after a decade: The group that had non-written goals were making TWICE in the field compared to the 84% of those who had no goals leaving Harvard. The group with written goals was making TEN TIMES what the other 97% were making on average. I think you would agree that the folks at Harvard have a long history of knowing what they are doing. So if the top 3% were able to make TEN TIMES the money as everyone else by simply writing out their goals, why aren't we all doing it? With the end of financial year fast approaching, there is no better time to make one single commitment; to schedule some time THIS MONTH
to set new goals for the business and for yourself (why wait for New Years!). Goals with enough detail that you can incorporate into your 90Day Success Plan (See Getting Started: Module 1) so that you can actually track your progress on a consistent basis.
5 Tip’s to making 10x MORE: 1. Write down ALL your goals you have for the next year. Prioritise them from 1-3 (1 being the most important). Focus on the #1 goals first. 2. With each #1 goal: write milestones and tasks associated with each one. 3. Include these on your 90Day Success Plan. 4. Find someone to share them with on a monthly basis/quarterly basis. Someone who will keep you accountable for taking action (business partner, life partner). 5. Chip away a little everyday so the overall picture doesn't seem so overwhelming. If you do this, then it won't be long before you are making TEN TIMES more than your competition. Food for Thought: What’s stopping you from having a 90Day Success Plan for your personal life?
Proof It Works: My 20year School Reunion is set for this year, and the organising committee has dug out our ‘where will I be in 20years’ questionnaire: This is mine… Angela Smith (nee Baker) - "Living in Sydney in a beautiful coastal home, with a view & easy access to the beach. A wonderful family - gorgeous husband & kids (all happy and healthy). Busy with a great job, with a good income" I share this with you simply to prove it works: My friends are amazed at how true this sentence is; for me it immediately reminds me of the power of a plan!
11 TradeTalk
A Good Ole
Dose Of Living
s ton Top g in r r a B l Beautifu
Andy & Ange retu rning from a chilly horse ride!
Hannah horse riding
12 TradeTalk
Isaac
n girlfrie s i h d an
i
d, Lex
CHANGING ADDRESS?
Don’t miss out on a single issue! If you’re changing contact details then ensure to let us know -- simply give us a call or send an email. This way we’ll keep you plugged into a world of knowledge, tips, news and views.
Each month TradeTalk is uploaded to iTunes.You will also find the entire Q&A back catalogue there for you to listen to wherever and whenever you want
TradeTalk 13
Member Tip of the Month Adam McGown Pro Action Plumbing, Melbourne Platinum Member
Adam'has'been'using'SMSit'and'
thought'some'of'our'members'might'find'it' useful'as'well.'He'uses'this'web'based' service'to'communicate'to'his'field'team.' ' SMS'is'a'great'inexpensive'way'to'get'info'to' your'crew,'but'it'can'be'a'pain'to'tap'out' individual'messages'one'at'a'Kme.'This'is' where'SMSit'becomes'a'soluKon'for'Kme' efficiency. Whenever'Adam'needs'to'get'a'message'out' he'just'logs'into'the'SMSit'website.'This'can' be'done'from'any'computer'or'internet' connecKve'device'such'as'smartphone'or' iPad.''
compared'to'sending'text'from'your'mobile' phone,'and'an'even'bigger'saving'if'you're' calling'your'customers'on'their'mobile' phone's'as'a'short'call'to'a'mobile'phone'can' cost'over'40'cents'for'just'30'seconds. 1.'Free'account'set'up 2.'Your'SMS'credits'never'expire. 3.'10'cents'per'message'(160'Characters).' Max.'message'length'480'characters'(3' messages). 4.'MulKple'user'access. 5.'Once'you'create'an'account'you'can'top' up'your'credits'instantly. Nice,'thanks'for'the'Kp'Adam.
www.smsit.com.au
You$can$send$SMS$messages$at$a$low$rate$of$just$10$ cents$per$sms$message. 'You'are'not'locked'into' any'plans.'You'just' recharge'your'account'as' required.$Minimum$credit$ recharge$is$just$$10. Just$10$cents$per$SMS$ message Sending'1'SMS'message' to'1'recipient'will'deduct' 1'credit'from'your' account'at'just'10'cents.' That's'a'huge'saving' TradeTalk 14
Take Your Business To The Next level Tradesman Inner Circle Boot Camp Friday 21 & Saturday 22 October 2011 Vibe Hotel, North Sydney Be Prepared For An Awesome Line Up of Special Guest Speakers
FREE to Tradesman Inner Circle members and their guests
S ’ N U A H S MAN CAVE This is where we talk about all cool things that should or could be in the man cave. Gadgets, new tech, cool tools, new inventions or big boys toys, if it’s cool and fun we’ll talk about it.
STORAGE GADGETS & STRATEGIES You can never have to much storage space, whether its in the man cave or under the house and the same goes for your digital storage. Today, we are going to explore some possible solutions. There is no denying it that storage, backing up and archiving your computer’s data can be a bit boring, but if you don't do it, it can spell disaster for your business or heartache at home especially as our digital libraries grow. But, before we start it’s important that you understand the difference between storage, backup and archiving.
Storage. This is like the man cave, where you dump all your junk - bike, boards, mower, garden tools etc, big things that you don't want in your house. 16 TradeTalk
QNAP‑TS‑112 Turbo‑NAS‑S
Backup. Think of this as your filing cabinet in the office. It holds all your important stuff such as tax returns, customer records, your day to day items you may use to run your business. These are regularly replaced and the originals change and it would be a big hassle to lose them.
Archiving. This is like your secret stash in the man cave, you put stuff here that can never be lost. Now let’s have a look at some potential strategies. Your options are a NAS system (Network Attached Storage), Internal Drives, External Drives, USB Drives or offset copies such as DVD or Blu-Ray. A NAS system is essential for any small business with more than one user that needs to access their storage from in the office or at home. This type of system is great for documents and data bases
These days external drives are becoming a more affordable option.You can get 2TB drives for less than 500 bucks. Connected with a Firewire or Thunderbolt cable, they can be very fast as well. There are plenty of options, however, I prefer to use Lacie drives. They are fast, reasonably priced and there after sales service is very good.
western_digital_fatbook.j
For TIC I have a 1TB internal drive. I back that up regularly to a 2TB external Lacie Quadra and then archive onto Blu-Ray disk (more on that shortly).
however can be slowed by large files such a video and photos. For basic NAS drives you can look at a QNAP TS-112, Buffalo’s LinkSTation, Western Digital’, My Book Live or Apple’s Time Capsule. Setting up a NAS drive can be a little tricky and I would advise talking to an IT provider if this is what you need. If your sick of having to delete movies and photos off your main internal hard drive then you may just need to look at extra storage and these days it’s not a big deal to drop in a second hard drive. This can also have a huge impact on your computers speed. There are plenty of good quality drives from Western Digital, Lacie, Seagate, Samsung or Hitachi. If you work with a lot of large files, look for a drive that runs at least at 7200RPM.
Portable external drives can be handy if you need to transfer or store large files from one computer to another.You must make sure you buy one that is built for the job, nice and robust that can handle being knocked around. USB drives are a handy way to boost your storage capacity and can’t be over looked.You can get 8 gigs for under $20 and these can be kept on your keyring to be accessed quickly.
Strategies. There is no getting around the fact that one day one of your disks will die. It’s happened to me more than once so I have learned from my painful mistakes. The wife still hasn't forgiven me for the loss of all our honeymoon photos. I don't have the balls to tell her about the Europe videos! For this reason you don't have to cram your entire digital content onto one drive. Use the technology at hand to give you peace of mind. I mentioned earlier that I archive onto Blu-Ray. This is our security blanket. I burn all of our important, can’t be lost files onto 25GB disks and store them off site. This is a good disaster strategy in case of massive failure, fire or theft. The most important thing about a back up strategy is you must have one no matter what.
d2‑Quadra Ref: Australian Macworld
lacie‑d2‑blu‑ray‑drive‑recorder TradeTalk 17
NEXT MONTHS ISSUE 7 simple techniques to end procrastination and improve your effectiveness immediately. These are guaranteed to help in both business and in life. What does Oprah Winfrey, Andrew Smith and Obama have in common? And you will too after putting these words into action… Thanks for your company this month…
To our PLATINUM members, remember to book your next monthly meeting. Speak soon. AND REMEMBER: BOOK your calendar NOW for the October BOOT CAMP! Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one!
Smith a l e g An ew & r d n A
Q&A$OF$THE$MONTH ' Don't$forget$to$send$in$your$business$questions$to$ info@tradesmaninenrcircle.com.au$ and$you$can$have$them$answered$on$the$next$recording
TradeTalk'is'published'by'and'©'copyright'by'Andrew'&'Angela'Smith,'Tradesman'Inner'Circle'Pty'Ltd'2011.'All'Rights'Reserved.'This'newsle\er'and'any'accompanying' material'are'for'general'informaKon'purposes'only.'It'is'the'responsibility'of'the'reader'to'comply'with'any'local,'state'or'federal'laws.'SKck'with'me'here'while'I'conKnue' with'this'legal'blahRblah.'The'Publisher'has'taken'all'reasonable'measures'to'ensure'that'the'material'contained'within'this'newsle\er'is'correct.'The'Publisher'provides'no' representaKon'and'gives'no'warranty'as'to'the'accuracy'of'the'informaKon'and'does'not'accept'any'responsibility'for'errors'or'inaccuracies'in'the'informaKon'contained' herein'and'shall'not'be'liable'for'any'loss'or'damage'arising'as'a'result'of'any'person'acKng'in'reliance'on'informaKon'contained'herein.'All'done!
For more information, contact: Tradesman Inner Circle Pty Limited!! Ph: +61 1800 704 822! ! !
! !
Email: info@tradesmaninnercircle.com.au Web: www.tradesmaninnercle.com.au!