ISSUE #31 JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2013
WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER?
2013 ELECTION WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TRADIES?
Andrew Jefferys Everest Electrical PLATINUM VIP MEMBER “From being stressed and losing money… to a systemised and profitable business with a reputable brand.
Life today is looking much brighter!!”
Proudly Australian
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Tough Bloke Challenge Memories
Work Shop Best Bits!
Welcome July and what a productive and fun first half of the year we’ve all had! With the end of financial year complete, it’s time to close off your 12months and meet with your accountant. Did you achieve your goals? Now that you know ‘where you are today’, it’s great that for many of you, you’ve invested the 8me ‘out of your business’ at the recent ‘Strategic Profits’ Work Shop to focus on ‘Where are you headed?’. The next 12 months has been created and a strategic profits path to follow has been set. Remember to share them with your accountability partner to ensure you stay on track. Seen quite a few come our way so we can whip some buE when needed (with love of course!). Congratulations on your outstanding input VIP Platinum and Platinum members at the Work Shop on 21st and 22nd June in Melbourne. It was certainly great fun…and many a laugh was shared at the Comedy Show. Ange is still laughing at Tony (H2Pro) laughing at the comics! Check out the highlights on page 19.
2013 Federal Election. Page 4
How we tradies can get in on the act?
It must be said, hats off to Andrew Jefferys from Everest Electrical, our VIP Platinum Member of the Month. If you want to see how one man can turn a serious corner then have a chat to him. His transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. We’ll let him share his story on page 7. Talking conquering challenges…a huge congratulations to all our Sydney Members who competed in the recent Tough Bloke Challenge. What a glorious day we had! We had blood (literally), sweat but thankfully no tears… even though Alexis was a tough chick competing on a broken ankle for the entire course without realising the damage. 6 weeks of crutches is her claim to fame! Overall, a great ‘Lifestyle Tradie’ team effort! Check out the photos on page 17. Looking forward to the next challenge…
Everest Electrical. Page 7
VIP Platinum Member Andrew Jefferys shares his journey in business.
Google Alerts. Page 9
All the answers you’ve been waiting for!
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In the essence of mentioning congratulations -‐ another worthy mention goes out to Brett and Kammi from StepUP Constructions. See their latest feat on page 6.
other will take to into the future… they are both equally cool and deserve to be in your Man Cave! Check them out on page 21.
As we focus on steering the ship through calm waters knowing that at some point, the storm will come and with it decisions to make, it’s a good time to think about your management style. How do you lead your team? Are you a Proactive or a Reactive leader? Find out your style on page 15.
When all is said and done, and you’ve been busy creating the future of your awesome business, at times you just need a decent dose of motivation, inspiration and thought stimulation – WELCOME Lifestyle Tradie Boot Camp, October 2013. It’s time to arrange those flights, register your attendance with us and book your accommodation. Check out the details to book TODAY on page 6.
Speaking of leaders, who do you think will be leading our country in the next few months? Your guess is as good as mine! Find out how you can have your say on page 4. Talking about your business: Have you ever stopped to think about your next employee? Trust me there are 10 key ques8ons worth asking yourself before hiring your next employee. Read them on page 11. What about your ideal customer? The one you targeted and spoke directly too the day you started your business… and now… well, seems to be all different. Know what I mean? Let’s fix it today and put you on the path for business success. Read more on page 13. And Man Cave… certainly from one extreme to the other… one will take you back to your childhood… the
Is Your Business Ready? Page 11
That’s it for now… call me if you need to chat! To your success, Andy P.S. Don’t forget to book your seat at the October Boot Camp! We’re preEy excited! Book TODAY at mylifesytletradie.com.au/ Events/Next Boot Camp
Proactive or Reactive? Page 15
y And
Other articles include; • Workshop Wrap Up! – The best bits! - page 19 • Lifestyle Challenge… All the pics you’re dying to see! - page 17 • October Boot Camp - page 6 • Who Is your Ideal Customer? - page 13 • The Entrepreneur Rollercoaster - page 14
10 Questions to ask yourself before employing a new team member.
Which leadership style are you?
• The Latest Gadgets You Need To See - page 21
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Lifestyle Tradie Helping You On The Road To Success MEMBERS – You are never far from help. Unlimited phone support on 1800 704 822.
Lay it on the plate...
The upcoming Election
‘Too Big To Ignore’
The Federal Election has been announced for Saturday, September 14th 2013, but with the recent change of Prime Minister (now what was that about really!!), let’s see if this will stick. With the election fast approaching there is no better time to ensure we, small business, are heard. Why? Because we are simply ‘Too Big To Ignore’ with over 2 million small businesses in Australia employing over 7 million people. That’s 60% of the Australian workforce.
So, how can we do that? ‘Too Big To Ignore’ is an ini&a&ve of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry that’s becoming literally that… ‘Too Big To Ignore’... and it’s all about YOU!
working families, they need to start making it easier for small businesses, like yours and mine to grow, provide employment and create opportunities for our communities to prosper.
Australia is the land of Small Business. It’s the back bone of the economy, the brains, the heart and the soul. Small business are the real entrepreneurs, the risk takers and the job creators. We hear regularly at a federal level about working families, yet 60% of those working families are employed in small businesses. If politicians really want to help TradeTalk 4
For too many years small business has been overtaxed, overregulated and overlooked by our government. Wrapped in red tape and taken for granted.
It is for this reason ‘Too Big To Ignore’ is a unified and posiFve message for ‘The Big 4 You Can’t Ignore’:
The upcoming Federal Elec&on presents small business with a rare opportunity to get on the poli&cal agenda.
How can we do this? Small business is, by nature, small. But ‘Too big to ignore’ is a campaign to unite these small business voices around the country and make a noise big enough to be heard in Canberra. The reality of Parliament shows that only 14 out of 150 members of the House of Representa&ves have been business owners (a stark 9.3%), only another 31 have had some experience in business. The result being that 70% of Australian poli&cians decide on laws that impact the private sector but haven’t had enough experience to understand what really ma[ers. The campaign has created a channel for the collec&ve voices of small business and their employees to be heard and respected. For their need to be acknowledged and made a priority. From discussions about tax, red tape, bureaucracy and barriers to business, the topics are broad and excep&onally relevant! The website www.toobigtoignore.org.au has been developed to bring together the personal accounts of small business operators. It’s also a forum to share your voice and an opportunity to ensure that small business get the fair go it deserves and the ‘big voice of small business’ gets heard this election. 5 TradeTalk
1. 2. 3. 4.
Cut Down on the Red Tape Simplify the Tax System Make It Easier To Employ People: and Build BeQer Infrastructure
With the hope that all political parties and candidates will take these BIG 4 issues and run with them all pushed and supported by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Make sure YOUR small business is heard. Register today… either on the website, facebook or twitter. www.acci.asn.au www.toobigtooignore.org.au
Boot Camp Friday 25th and Saturday 26th October, 2013 Are you ready for a couple of days of serious
inspiration, motivation and thought stimulation? SYDNEY is calling for our next Lifestyle Tradie Boot Camp. We are locked and loaded at Sydney Boulevard Hotel once again and Friday Frenzy with Jetstar and the like are ready to take your bookings! So do yourself a favour… BOOK YOUR SEAT TODAY… you don’t want to miss this… SPECIAL OFFER…for a limited time! The Sydney Boulevard Hotel is offering a special member rate of $195 per room per night for 2 people ($175 single room per night) inclusive of breakfast. This is only valid for a limited time…so be quick. Group dinner Friday night, VIP Platinum/Platinum dinner on Saturday night!
Check Out The Full details on mylifestyletradie.com.au Go to Events/Next Boot Camp
STepUP Constructions
have done it again! Another great achievement for Brett and Kammi Beuzeville… Congratulations guys. That multi-award winning goal is paying off! Super excited and well deserved! Northern Beaches Local Business Awards StepUP Constructions Outstanding Home Renovations/Improvements TradeTalk 6
Lifestyle Tradie Member Profile “From a tradie that was stressed from losing money but didn’t want to advertise or shave my beard… to a systemised and profitable business with a reputable brand. Life today is looking much better!!”
Andrew Jefferys Everest Electrical – Platinum VIP Member www.everestelectrical.com.au
1. Describe your business journey up until now, your family etc. My solo career began managing the electrical division of a plumbing company on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. My previous 5 employers to date had never provided any business training so I found myself in the deep end from day 1. I was forced to learn quickly managing quotes, invoicing, bad debts, suppliers and all the other ‘fun’ parts of essentially running a business. After a year I had the bright idea to go and do it for myself and hence started ‘Andrew Jefferys Electrical’. I had no plans to be big or ever employee anyone, I just wanted to do what I was doing then but for myself. I figured I could work less and earn more! I borrowed 20K, bought a van, tools and opened the doors, and for the first 6 months I did about 20 jobs. Within the next 2 years the business grew through word of mouth at which time I was making very good money but I couldn’t keep up with it all and I began to let people down. I launched ‘Everest Electrical’ in 2010 and against all advice hired a tradesman to work fulltime. I bought a second van but oddly enough I made less money and was working almost as hard dealing with customers who insisted on having me onsite at all times. Against
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all advice again I hired an apprentice to help the tradesman so I could manage the growing office workload. It was then that I noticed I was making no money at all and realised I wasn’t going in the right direction. I began looking at business in a new light after joining Lifestyle Tradie and started to market and systemise. I now have the help of an Office Manager which lightens my load a great deal – don’t know what I did without her! I’m not a millionaire yet but all the dots are lined up… It’s only up and up from here!
2. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the last 12 months? When I started ‘Andrew Jefferys Electrical’ I opened an account at a small wholesaler with two branches because two of my friends worked behind the counter. I was on top of the account until I hired the tradesman and was running two vans. The debt grew from 5K to a peak of around 47K in late 2011. If it wasn’t for the owner of the wholesaler believing in me and my promise to come good I would have gone broke. I carried that debt around for what felt like years until April of 2012 when I simply decided that it was going to be paid by Christmas 2012. I payed it in full in October with a full 3 months left to run.
3. How have you tackled that challenge? How do you feel about it? I set a goal to beat it, pictured the end result and just went for broke to reach the result I wanted. That was one of the best feelings walking in with the last 5K to close the debt. I am now one of the best payers at that wholesaler and am treated accordingly.
4. How have you and your business changed since joining Lifestyle Tradie Group (LTG)? What difference has this had on your personal life? When I met with Andy and told him about my debt and the state of the business, then said I didn’t want to advertise or shave my beard off, he called me a dickhead (in a nice way!). He said maybe I should start to think differently about my views if I wanted to get anywhere and should think strongly about implementing some changes. Two years later the phone is ringing with work that has sprouted from the marketing ideas and strategies we learnt and implemented. We’ve embraced the internet and technology as a whole having moved our finances to cloud based software Xero and implemented a CRM to help manage the business. In short, this has been GOLD! I’ve gone from someone that didn’t care about figures, marketing or the internet (or driving business at all!) to a person that is fixated on internet presence, acting on the marketing initiatives and I get excited about being able to reconcile in traffic! ha The overall result to date has been a profitable business with a recognisable brand on the Beaches and North Shore of Sydney, but most importantly, I have removed the stress levels and have my LIFE BACK! I think it’s really important to surround yourself with business people who have had many experiences and play the business game at higher levels than you do whenever possible. Getting to know the people behind their business makes you realise the qualities and mindset required to get to where you want to go. LTG has been great for that!
5. Where do you see your business in 5 years? After working for 6 different businesses over my career I have seen it all… from the largest electrical business on the beaches in 2001 who had a team of 43. He went broke overnight as a result of a few bad debts… through to the one man show tradesman who still swing the hammer every day.
6. What are the top 3 things you have learnt about business that you would recommend to others and WHY? 1. ACT! So many people in my life talk about what they want to do and plan to do, but the reality is it’s all talk until you start to DO IT. The book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ taught me to “Start where you stand, with what you have. More tools will become available along the way”. 2. Don’t follow in the tracks of others ahead of you… just because they’re ahead of you doesn’t mean they have done it all correctly. There have probably been 100 thousand people in your trade who have started a business just like yours and have probably done ok, and if you want, you can follow them and do ok as well… or you can do things your way and potentially end up better off than they did. If you want to do it their way then open a McDonalds. 3. Stop listening when people and peers criticise you. I have been told to my face many times that I am doing the wrong thing by people I trust and respect. If people decide to be afraid and sit in a corner quietly milling away at mediocrity then let them. When you sense the mood of a conversation turning that way just nod & smile and do whatever the hell you were going to do anyway.
7. Favourite tool and why? My German made hit gun. It’s not as exciting as it sounds, it’s just a little tool that expands special screws that hold onto gyprok but you can’t buy a decent one in Australia. I found this one in a hardware store in Paris and every time I use it I let whoever I’m working with know how good it is!
8. Tell us something quirky about yourself that your buddies don’t know. I Like tuna and vegemite sandwiches. A lot.
9. Who would you most like to have lunch with and why? I would work free for a year to sit for an afternoon with Napoleon Hill. He wrote “Think And Grow Rich” in 1937 and reading that book changed my life. I have the book on audio on my iPhone and still play it whilst driving today. After 150+ cycles of the audio over the past few years, I learn something new every time I listen to it.
I believe at present that a happy, efficient small team of tradesman each on a decent wage with an office that runs like a Swiss watch is the way to go. I would like to have 5-6 trucks with an apprentice floating around and two girls running the office. We currently have 2 trucks with 2 tradesman, 1 apprentice and an Office Manager.
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LOST Google IN THE WEB Alerts My mate Dave just said to me, “what’s with that comment about your business on facebook? Doesn’t sound good”. Immediately I responded with complete confusion, “what are you talking about?”. “Saw a comment, I think from a customer on facebook, that said some pretty bad stuff about you mate. You didn’t know?”. This is what you HAVE to prevent. No only the negative comments (if you do a great job you should never get them anyway…), but simply NOT knowing when any comment is made, good or bad. Solution: Google Alerts. This FREE tool helps you overcome this issue and ensures you are always ‘in the know’ when anyone comments about you. 9 TradeTalk
What is it? Google Alerts are emails sent to you when Google finds new results -- such as web pages, newspaper articles, or blogs -- that match your search term. You can use Google Alerts to monitor anything on the Web.
What can it be used for? • find out what is being said about their company or product. • monitor a developing news story. • keep up to date on a competitor or industry.
• get the latest news on a celebrity or sports team. • find out what's being said about themselves.
How it works? • Register the keywords you are interested in tracking. • Register the frequency you want to hear about the news: immediately, hourly, daily, weekly etc. • Google Alerts checks regularly to see if there are new results for your query/ keywords. • If there are new results, Google Alerts sends them to you in an email.
3. Confirm the alert you have created If you aren't signed in to a Google Account when you create an alert, Google will send you a verification email to prevent spam. Go to your email inbox, open the verification email and click the verify link to confirm your alert. If you can't find the verification email, check your spam folder.
Remember to register for variations of the keyword if the spelling is confusing, like Dr.DRiP. We register Dr.Drip, DrDrip, drdrip etc.
If you are signed in to a Google Account when you create an alert, you don't need to confirm it.
How to get started?
Done!
1. Enter your query Enter your query just as if you were doing a normal Google search. 2. Enter your email address Enter the email address you want your alerts delivered to. Google will protect your email address in accordance with their privacy policy.
That's it! Your alert is active, and you'll receive an email whenever Google Alerts finds new results for your search, based on your request keywords and frequency. Each email you receive contains a link to delete the alert, so you can cancel any time you want. TradeTalk 10
Are You and Your Business Ready??? 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Your VERY First Employee
T
he business is running pretty smoothly, but you don’t have time to scratch yourself being pulled from pillar to post… so you think you’re ready to expand, to find someone to ‘lighten the load’… but where do you start? It’s really easy to just accept the first person that comes along and ‘just get rolling’, but the wrong employee can become a huge burden on the business and a regrettable decision.
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To ensure you are 100% happy, here are 10 questions to ask before deciding to hire your first employee: 1. Do you need to delegate some of your tasks? As the business grows, you need to keep an eye on strategic matters. If you’re too stretched now, letting down customers and damaging the brand, perhaps it’s time to delegate the work. So what tasks can you delegate? Depending on what’s on your plate, the right person could be a tradesman or someone in the office.
2. Is the position full time, part time or a sub-contractor? Rather than committing to a full-time hire--with a regular salary and benefits--some businesses are better off employing someone on a part-time or casual basis for 2/3 days a week to begin, or a sub-contractor if a tradie. Once you have an understanding of what you need to delegate, this will become clear as day. 3. Do you have a defined role to fill? Don't advertise a vague job title. Instead, take time to come up with a job description that spells out the specific responsibilities of the new employee. That will help ensure that you pick a truly qualified candidate. 4. Can your network help you find your employee? Hiring an employee recommended by someone you trust in your network can take away much of the uncertainty and increase the chances for a successful fit. So, be sure to ask around. 5. Are you hiring someone with your skills? If office staff is your need, be careful to avoid hiring a candidate who excels in areas that are too similar to your own skills. They should have strengths that compensate for your weaknesses. For example, if your finance skills are not up to par, look for an employee with experience in that area. 6. Can you make a multi-year commitment to the employee? Hiring a full-time employee means you need to be prepared to provide steady income and developmental opportunities. You are responsible for someone else's motivation, pay, safety, training--and drama. So before you commit, be sure to have training goals in place, along with a plan for paying a salary over the long-term. 7. How will the new employee add to your bottom line? Your first employee is a huge financial investment, so you need to understand how the person can help make your business more profitable. Your new
employee needs to toe the line on helping you gain and retain more customers, and/ or lighten your load so that you can. 8. Would you spend time with the employee outside of work? We spend more time at work than with your friends or in bed asleep, so it’s important to get along on a personal as well as professional level. When you interview candidates, look for shared interests and approaches to solving problems. 9. Will the candidate be a good model for future employees? This one is important. Before committing to a new hire, make sure the employee possesses the necessary qualities to serve as a model to the workers you may hire down the road. You set the culture of the company with your very first employees. 10. Can you count on your first employee to stay a while? The first employee will come to know the company inside and out, so it's important that he or she is eager to grow with the business. Make sure you understand the person's reasons for joining and the experience he or she is seeking with your company. Less employee turnover means you'll save money on recruiting and training costs.
So now that you are armed with the right fuel, are you and your business READY? Resource: Entrepreneur.com TradeTalk 12
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 ’
Want A Successful Business?
Then Get Clear On Your Ideal Customer. So, you started your business and accepted any old job just to get yourself up and running. The strategy worked well… but 6 years later, are you happy with the customers you have? Are you owed money? Si]ng at 60,80 days + Are they difficult to work with? Cause you headaches day aaer day? Can you see yourself working with them in 12months from today? And from a markeGng perspecGve, are you struggling to aKract new leads? Simply because you’re not 100% sure who you’re talking to? Or what you’re talking about? Then STOP… before you do anything else, you need to Get Clear On Your Ideal Customer. Not knowing this can lead to wrong decisions, wrong communication, wrong pricing, wrong messages and subsequently following the wrong path for the business. That said, we CAN turn this around… Take yourself b ack t o when you f irst s tarted your business. D id you know then who you wanted to work for? T he o pportunity o f the market segment g eographically -‐ i n your a rea, your city, your country? D id you know h ow to reach them? Do you know their demographic? What age where they, sex, education, lifestyle? What income do they earn, what social status do they have? Do you understand their psychographic? What opinions, attitudes, activities and interests they have? Do you understand their needs, their frustrations, their priorities when it comes to dealing with a company like YOU? 13 TradeTalk
So, s&ll wondering why this will help your business succeed? With this i nformation i n h and you can clearly communicate the right message to your IDEAL customer i n their l anguage, at the right time, through t he r ight medium. A s a n e xample: Delivering a b ox o f m uffins a t 1 0:30am t o your local s trata company ( an a ll f emale o ffice o f 30-‐50 y ear old busy and stressed managers) with a p ersonalised n ote that reads ‘Morning tea on u s… L et me t ake t he s tress o ut o f your d ay! From <insert n ame>. Includes s hort b ullet p oints a bout y our b usiness and p roducts/services y ou p rovide. O ne o f y our TOP b ullet p oints would b e – 15 years experience with s trata i ndustry’.
Understanding your IDEAL customer will prevent a ‘scattergun approach’ when it comes to marketing. It will prevent wasting money on a customer you DON’T want plus it will ensure you are VERY clear on the message you are delivering. In short… it sets you up for success! So, you’ve made the d ecision about your IDEAL customer, a nd you even know how and where to find them to support a 10x l ead generation f unnel, b ut w hat d o y ou d o w ith your current customers? You c an’t j ust ‘drop t he a nchor’ a nd s ail a way to calmer waters… you have to play your cards r ight to r eplace your income f rom one customer to another… can’t b e l eft with a gapping h ole i n the P&L simply b ecause you moved o n too q uick... there are a few specific things you need to do.
We’ll share them with y ou n ext time.
‘Best Of’ Video The Entrepreneur
RollerCoaster Have you ever felt like giving up? If you’re riding the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, this video is for you! It will be the best two minutes you spend to remind yourself of how to ‘feed the fire’! As the saying goes: “Be careful what you say to yourself because your mind is listening”. Go to MyLIfestyleTradie for You Tube ‘Best of’ Videos. Check it out and let me know what you think.
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Proactive or Reactive Leadership – which one are you? We all find that at some time or another, things can get a little chaotic in our workplace. And sometimes, things just run smoothly (most of the time we hope!)
When you find yourself in either situation, how do you respond? Are you a Reac@ve Leader – responds to change when it happens and ‘tells’ the team how to do something? Or are you a Proac@ve Leader – Uses the unity of the team to solve a problem and find solu&ons, paints a vision for the future that is embraced by all and influences change using teamwork? Reactive Leader Needs to have and use own answers
A Proac(ve Leader is much more focused on achieving performance objec(ves rather than focused on finding and fixing immediate problems; that is the reality of the Reac(ve Leader. Unfortunately the seemingly urgency nature of the problems that come up day-‐in and day-‐out perpetuate the fire-‐figh(ng mode of the Reac(ve Leader. Let’s take a look at them both:
Proactive L eader → Understands the power of and uses team in solving problems
Is tell oriented
→ Is coaching oriented
Makes decisions by self
→ Requests that team members make decisions
Pushes for Results
→ Shares a vision so compelling the team wants to move towards it
Reacts to change
→ Foresees and influences change
Teaches team to expect direc8on
→ Teaches team to be self-‐reliant
Is concerned about self first
→ Models team work and concern for greater good
Produces reports first
→ Creates and communicates values first
Is afraid of losing control
→ Knows giving up control yields the best outcomes
Focuses on finding and fixing problems
→ Focuses on achieving performance outcomes
Quick to punish for mistakes
→ Helps team to learn from errors
Uses rules to make decisions
→ Uses principles to make decisions
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There is certainly a time and place for a Reactive Leadership style just as there is a time and place for a Proactive Leadership style. If the plane is about to crash, the last thing any of us would want the captain to do is to gather his/her team around him/her and ask them what they think we should do in this situation! However, be wary of being so comfortable with the Reac8ve style of leadership that you get caught up in ‘saving the plane’ every day.
TAKE A CTION:
A C hallenge f or you…
Using the table on the opposite page, have a think about the kind of leader you are. Decide if that’s the kind of leader you ‘aspire’ to be. • What would you need to undertake in the form of self improvement to move your style of leadership from one to another? • Which of the aFributes that you chose to focus on have the greatest impact on your team achieving its performance outcomes? • What specific acHon could you take TODAY that would make a difference? Source: CHP Leaders Blog
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s took on the obstacles A crew of mud-loving Lifestyle Tradie members and friend way to spend a Sunday, and 8km run over the weekend. Now if that isn't the BEST 1millionâ&#x20AC;Ś I don't know what is! Thanks for joining in the fun. Fun x
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Lifestyle Tradie 'Strategic Profits' Workshop Melbourne, 21 & 22 June 2013
A fabulous few days was had by the VIP Platinum and Platinum members 'creating' their Strategic Profits Plan for the next 12months ahead, PLUS enjoying a good belly laugh at the Comics Lounge to see 'Hughesy'.
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S I H T IS
R U O IN Y
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.
Bringing Back Old Times…
This is like a ‘blast from the past’ competing with space invaders and the like on an arcade game with a real joystick to really bring back those historic memories! The best part about it, it won’t take up your entire lounge room seeing this wee little arcade is only 3.5” x 5.5”.
✓ Compatibility: Phone 3GS, 4, 4S (Sorry, not 3G or 5.) iPod Touch 3 or newer ✓ Batteries: Not needed! Powered by your iPhone/iPod ✓ Dimensions: approx. 5.5" x 3.5" x Pi" Price: $24.95
The Arcadie Desktop is designed especially for iPhone and iPod Touch. You need only slide your device into the wee cabinet, pop it in the 30-pin connector dock, load up an Arcadie-supported app, and you're ready to play. More apps are being added every day, but for now there are games like Blasteroids, Alien Invaders, Ping, Stacker, and more. The 8-way joystick and two buttons will have you pew pew pew-ing the afternoon away, feeling like a jolly geek giant. Product Specifications ✓ Tiny arcade cabinet for your iPhone or iPod Touch ✓ 4:3 ratio screen looks just like a real arcade ✓ Joystick and two buttons for playing classic games ✓ Search "arcadie" in the App Store for free apps ✓ Play games like Blasteroids, Alien Invaders, Ping, Stacker, and more ✓ Rubber bumpers protect your screen from scratches while it's docked 21 TradeTalk
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef81/
The 21st century Customisable Watch Pebble The connected world has stepped it up again with the latest gadget, Pebble. Recently having been nominated within the top 10 of the ‘Top 100 Gadgets for 2013’ by World Tech Magazine T3, the Pebble is a watch with a difference. Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth. If you need to stay on top of things, Pebble can help with vibrating notifications, messages and alerts. Dismiss a notification with a shake of your wrist. ✓ Incoming Caller ID ✓ Email (Gmail or any IMAP email account) ✓ SMS on both Android and iPhones ✓ iMessage (iOS only) ✓ Calendar Alerts ✓ Facebook Messages ✓ Twitter ✓ Weather Alerts ✓ Silent vibrating alarm and timer
Cool iPhone Apps for Tradies and their Ladies
With apps you can turn the watch into a stopwatch, GPS, mp3 player and computer, to use while you're on the go. For example: • Cyclists can use Pebble as a bike computer, accessing the GPS on your smartphone to display speed, distance and pace data. • Runners get a similar set of data displayed on their wrist. • Use the music control app to play, pause or skip tracks on your phone with the touch of a button. • Golfers? Pebble has created a great golf rangefinder app that works on over 25,000 courses world-wide. Instead of using your phone, view your current distance to the green right on your wrist. You can pre-order one for $150 online for when more become available. www.getpebble.com
MapMyWalk Price: FREE
FEATURES:
✓ Fitness tracking using GPS ✓ Record workout details – duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories and route travelled ✓ Save your workout history and see your fitness improvement PROOF! THE #1 WALKING APP Interested to know if your fitness is improving? How many calories you’ve burnt? While training for the Tough Bloke Challenge, this little app was my best friend! MapMyWalk is a fitness tracking applica8on that enables you to use the built-‐in GPS of your mobile device to track all of your fitness ac8vi8es. Record your workout details, including dura8on, distance, pace, speed, eleva8on, calories burned, and route traveled on an interac8ve map. You can even save and compare your workout data to see how you have been improving! This mobile app has it all! TradeTalk 22
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