Flexible Education Revolution Singles ‘Trading up’ for Valentines!
Protecting Your Business
Against Owner Illness and Other Setbacks
Are you a
Likeminded Painter?
www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Caroline Miall • Jack Josephsen • Jim Baker • Justin Barlow • Leo Babauta
From the Editor Hi Everyone, It’s been a great start to 2016. We’ve had 28 new members join us for the month of January, which is a fantastic show of support. I would like to welcome all those new members, and thank you for joining. If you need anything, just contact us. The team wishes to congratulate apprentice Shane on completing all the requirements of his Certificate III in January. Shane is one of only a couple of apprentices to have completed with us to date, as our training is extensive. We’ll be watching their careers with anticipation. Good luck with what the future brings! As you can see on the cover of this month’s Mag, we utilised the Painters Training Wheels as a simulated building, whilst teaching a group of apprentices how to build Restrictive Height Scaffolding. A big thanks to Quick Ally who have provided the amazing scaffolding trailer pack to use whenever required. This enables us to knock out the Restricted Scaffolding competency for individuals or groups of apprentices any time, which is great if it’s not something they gain experience with on their regular worksites.
• Nigel Gorman
Congratulations to Clayton Coughlan on launching the painting revolution with Likeminded Painters Australia, the buying group for the painting industry. You might want to look at what he is doing as it could potentially save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in paint per year.
• Robert Bauman
I would finally like to ask all our readers to support those that support us. We couldn’t do what we do without them.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado
Happy painting,
• Monroe Porter
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
Seeking an apprentice?
We are receiving a steady flow of calls from prospective students looking for an apprenticeship; we generally post on our Facebook page as soon as we have someone looking. ‘Like’ our Facebook page to see these as they come in. Please contact us if you are looking for an apprentice and we will endeavour to assist you in finding one.
Contents Protecting Your Business
6
Against Owner Illness and Other Setbacks
Unconventional Productivity
Is your business compliant? Create a Business Launch Platform
Flexible Education Revolution
Epoxy Application
20
Good application habits
9 12 15 16
Rebuild Frank’s House
What are VOC’s?
25 29
Signage and Advertising
SINGLES “Trading up” for VALENTINE’S DAY!
32
The Industry Idiots
35
Important Contacts
The Particulars of Pantone®
Likeminded Painters Australia
36 38
42 43
Opinions and viewpoints expressed in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Aussie Painters Network’s staff or related parties. The publisher, Aussie Painters Network and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. Information contained in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Just-In Hi Good people, Aussie Painters Network anticipate a big year of training ahead, now with over 100 apprentices on the books. The Painters Training Wheels, featured on our cover this month, will no doubt be clocking up a thousands of kilometres on the road, visiting numerous Qld regions and Taubman’s Trade Centres for apprenticeship training. Our Painters Training Wheels will hopefully soon be utilised to encourage high school students and job ready candidates to get an insight into the Painting and Decorating trade, encouraging a new generation of promising young adults into our industry. It was amazing to see Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett from Brisbane be awarded Young Australians of the Year this Australia Day, for creating the compassionate and innovative idea of a mobile laundry service for homeless people. Putting things on the move is a great and simple way to help service our community, in particular those in need. Obviously we are on-board with innovation going mobile too! Well done lads and best of luck for an amazing future and inspiring us all to help others. 2016 will provide a big year for vocational training as the Australian National World Skills Competition will be held in Melbourne in October. Many of our best apprentices and trainees from around the country will be mastering and fine tuning their skills in the lead up to the competition, trying to find a winning edge for the opportunity to become a Skillaroo to represent Australia. I wish all competitors luck in their training. The dedication and commitment put into training over the months could create a world of opportunities that you maybe never dreamed of. Good Luck! I hope that 2016 is a great year for all of stakeholders within the Painting and Decorating industry, bringing success and happiness. Whether you’re an apprentice, a tradesperson, a business owner, a sales representative, retail employee or a trainer, we all play an important role within our industry, maintaining its professionalism, prosperity and bright future.
Justin Barlow 07 3555 8010 / 0433 724 794 justin@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS
Against Owner Illness and Other Setbacks
A lot is written about working “on your business”, rather than “in your business”. I totally agree with this philosophy but you also must come to grips with the reality of your being able to achieve such independence. For most small businesses, the owner is the engine that makes things happen. Obviously, the size of your business plays a role in this reality. Smaller contractors tend to drive the day to day and large contractors suffer strategy loss without the owner. Throw in the fact that most owners are driven, confident, self-made individuals who act like they are invincible and the problem multiplies. Many years ago one of my consulting customers took over the business minutes before the owner was being wheeled into life ending surgery. Even though the owner had been sick for a few months, no plan or discussion were
6 | Aussie Painters Network
ever put into place. While business continuation has no guarantees, there are certain things contractors can do to improve the odds of their business surviving their being out for an extended period of time. Start with sound personal financial security practices. Try to have six months living expenses set aside to cover such emergencies. Maybe you should have a little more cash in savings before buying that building or a fleet of new trucks. Next, buy disability insurance from a reputable firm. It is one thing to have your business struggle to survive but it is even worse to have your family suffer. The following simple things may help your business survive: 1. Don’t be cheap. Sometimes the most frugal of business models can be ok but they tend to be too owner
dependent. Fortunately, frugal individuals tend to set money aside and that will help the business through the illness. However, working out of your home with a $9 weak administrator who is little more than a phone answerer leaves little to run without you. Failure to spend the wages to have a foreman learn how to estimate and help with things can also be short term thinking. 2. Be responsible. We just had a company branch partner die from hitting a tree on a four wheeler. This person had no insurance and leaves a non-working wife with four kids. Remember, you are not only responsible for your livelihood but those who work for you. You don’t have to quit skiing the trees or doing adventure sports but wear a helmet and stay within your limits. People trust their livelihood with you.
3. Learn to be a little less of a control freak. Delegate and let people do their job. Have folks who can think without your every minute control. Makes for better business and less worry should you become sick. Ask yourself, “if I let this person do this on their own, what is the worst that can go wrong?” 4. Consider having someone other than a family member be your office manager or administrator. Your spouse or daughter are going to want to be at the hospital with you and don’t need the added stress of keeping payroll and other stuff going. Even if you never become sick, a non-family administrator can allow you to go on vacation and the business to continue. The stronger the administrator, the better off you are. A good office person can call customers, work with key employees and be a tremendous value. 5. Train someone to measure jobs and do estimates. You can be bedridden and help price a job but you can’t climb up and down a ladder and measure things. Having some-
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one that can measure jobs and schedule crews is a must. Don’t be surprised that when you try this with a foreman or sub, how poor they are at it. Most tend to underestimate the amount of time the job takes and forget about things such as travel and set up. It’s not a bad business practice to have crews buy into the time required to do the job even if you never become sick. It is hard for crews to be on time, when they never knew what on time was. 6. Have someone in your organization who can schedule work and organize crews. There has to be some type of leader in place. Someone in charge. Maybe it is merely a senior foreman but the place cannot run by committee. Most of your employees are loyal and will rally around you but they still need guidance and direction. 7. Can you have a friend or backup? Our networking group participants are very close to one another. On more than one occasion they have flown in and helped run the company in the owner’s absence or death.
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Possibly you can form a pack with a fellow association member, family member, former employee, etc. 8. Larger contractors need to make sure there are procedures in place to authorize day to day practices such as check signing and purchasing. More important, all deals and strategies need to be communicated and not just in the owner’s head. If your head is sick, make sure others know what is in the works. In summary, none of us are going to live forever and we are all human. Some simple structural changes to your business may go a long way in helping survival if something happens to you.
Monroe Porter is president of a PROOF Management Consultants. For consulting or a seminar, just call 804 267-1688 or email him at monroe@proofman.com
www.proofman.com
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2016 February IssueCentre| Name 7
Do you like working outside? Wouldn’t it be good to be out of an office or not on the same site 48 weeks of the year?! With today’s apprenticeships you can even do your theory without going into a classroom situation by enrolling in a course offering online learning. You do all the under-pinning, theoretical part of an apprenticeship on your computer. These videos show how the theory component of pai painting and Decorating can be undertaken online giving students and employers greater flexibility in training.
Roll-on Texture Coating Application
Trowel on Texture Coating
8 | Aussie Painters Network
Unconventional PRODUCTIVITY
There isn’t a productivity guide in the world that will solve the problems that pretty much all of us face daily.
I’m the same as you — I face these obstacles to getting stuff done: 1. Doing busy work, instead of important work. 2. Going to distractions instead of doing difficult work. 3. Being tired and not feeling like tackling hard tasks. These are all really the same problem: when you have important but difficult tasks to do, you run to distractions, or do busywork, or just goof off because you don’t have the energy. I deal with this every day, and I don’t always solve it. But what if we could dive into this problem, and figure out what was going on? We’d be masters of the universe.
Pause Training
In truth, we face this problem of running from discomfort all the time, but we just don’t normally see it happening. This is why meditation is such a great training ground for the mind — you sit there and have nothing to do but notice the mind running from the discomfort of the present moment. Over and over. And in time, you learn how to work with this. So I suggest you use your important tasks as meditation training, so that you’ll learn to work with the discomfort that arises.
Here’s how: 1. Pick one important task you really should get done today. 2. Clear space in front of you to do this task. Close the browser, or all browser tabs except the one you need to deal with this. Shut off the phone, clear everything else away, focus your mind on this one task.
3. Sit there and do the task. 4. Watch your mind want to run. Now we’re going to do “pause training,” where instead of running from the discomfort, you pause. Breathe. Turn your attention to this discomfort — it might be fear, frustration, uncertainty, self-doubt, tiredness. Drop your story about this discomfort, and just notice how it feels physically, in your body. Where is this feeling of discomfort located? What quality does it have? You’ll notice that the discomfort actually doesn’t feel that bad, even though you habitually want to run from it. It’s just energy. It’s not actually good or bad, but just energy that’s in your body, one that you normally don’t want to have and normally judge as “bad.” Try this pause training for yourself. It won’t work to just read about it, you have to work with it. Get to know it, become intimate with it.
2016 February Issue | 9
Unconventional Productivity Once you’ve started to work with the discomfort, you’ll see that it’s No Big Deal. Nothing to worry about. It’s just a feeling, just energy. You’ll relax a little around it. Try to develop a friendly attitude toward it, instead of being harsh on yourself. Just notice, just smile, just breathe, just be gentle.
How do you turn this No Big Deal into productivity? Here’s a system to try: 1. Set your 3 Most Important Tasks (MITs) every morning, first thing when you start work. List a few other “should do’s” after that, but focus on the MITs first.
2. Pick one of the MITs, and clear space to do it. Before you check email.
3. Do some pause training. Notice when you want to run from this task, pause, investigate the physical feeling of discomfort with gentleness, friendliness and curiosity. 4. Set a heart intention. When you relax into the discomfort, and see it’s not a big deal, set an intention around the task — are you doing it to improve your life, to do something good for someone else, to help the world? Find the heart in your intention — it’s ultimately coming out of love. Say to yourself, “It is my intention to do this task out of love for __” (fill in the blank: yourself, someone else, the world, etc.). 5. Work with love. Open your heart and do this task with the love that comes out of your intention. Notice when you’re feeling discomfort and want to switch to something else,
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relax, do pause training if you need to, and then start again. 6. Take breaks. Every 10-15 minutes, get up and walk around. Stretch. Drink water. Check in with yourself and see how you’re doing. Then return to the task or pick another MIT. You won’t be perfect at this, so don’t expect perfection. Just work with it, gently, and you’ll get better and better with practice.
Leo Babauta,
a successful ‘simplicity’ blogger & author from California, is the creator of top 25 Blog, Zen Habits, chronicling his insights from acting significant changes in his personal and working life.
www.zenhabits.net
2016 February Issue | 11
Is Your Business
COMPLIANT
All business owners at one time worked for someone. The one thing they all had in common was to make sure they got home safely after a day’s work. For those that are now in business for themselves, the responsibility now falls on you as employers to ensure the safety of your employees to make sure they get home safely. There are legal responsibilities that must be adhered to in order to protect your employees and your clients. The employer is liable for any accidents that are caused on a worksite (or office) that could have been avoided through enforcement of health and safety. It is imperative that you understand what the importance of health and safety is to your business. It is in your best interest to avoid accidents as they can cost you money and affect productivity. Under WHS legislation you are obliged to provide: • safe premises • safe machinery and materials • safe systems of work • information, instruction, training and supervision • a suitable working environment and facilities. Complying with these duties can prevent you from being prosecuted and fined, and help you to retain skilled staff.
12 | Aussie Painters Network
WHS authorities in each state and territory and Safe Work Australia have responsibilities for enforcing the WHS legislation. They provide education, training and advice on health and safety at work. You can get information about your workplace health and safety obligations and other valuable WHS/OH&S resources both in hard copy and online from their websites.
CLICK HERE
Requirements of compliance and your legislative obligations. Listed below are the major items that a business must have in place (and keep on file) to help minimize accidents that could occur in a workplace. These records should be kept on all work sites and accessible to site managers, employees and WHS officers if they happen to visit. Having these records will show you are making a concerned effort to eliminate or reduce workplace accidents and that you are complying to legislative obligations.
1. Induction
Training must be provided to new employees in order to assist in adjustment to their new job tasks and to help them become familiar with their new work environment and the people working around them. This type of training will also outline the basic overview of the business and its services as well as the new employee’s role.
Induction is also required on new job sites to familiarize the employees with any safety issues and to identify potential hazards.
Items necessary to record are:
Induction record; Induction register; Site safety rules; Site induction agenda.
2. Risk Management
A Risk Analysist must be completed on every job performed. For works carried out on a regular basis, a generic JSEA may be prepared and used for those job activities. The content can be refined over time and include consultation with the workers. Prior to each new activity though the JSEA must be reviewed and revised to ensure it applies to the high risk construction work and the actual site you are working at. When I first encountered these myself it was quite daunting and I was unable to get my head around it, but after contacting ‘Aussie Painters Network’ (many years ago), ‘the penny dropped’ and it suddenly became quite easy to understand. It is a simple process of documenting every activity performed ranging from setting up a work area, the use of equipment, public safety and awareness of the surroundings. You then have to document the ‘Potential Hazard’, ‘Risk Analysis Rating’ (before and after) and ‘Control Measures’ (eg. See the chart).
Items necessary to record are: Risk assessment, Site safety inspection and JSEA (Job Safety Environmental Analysis)/ SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement)
3. Incident Management
Accidents can happen in the workplace at any time in any place, and when they do occur, you have a legal responsibility to record them and/or report them. Items necessary to record are: Hazard report log; Emergency report log; Evacuation plan; Register of injury; Accident investigation report
4. Hazardous Substances
These can be sourced from the paint manufacturers website. Items necessary to record are: Hazardous substance register (MSDS- Material Safety Data Sheets)
5. Plant & Equipment
All equipment and tools should be checked regularly before use and all leads and power tools must be ‘tagged’ according to state rulings. Items necessary to record are: Plant ID register; Electrical equipment inspection register
6. OHS Consultation
Toolbox Meetings (Pre-Start on each job) This form is used to document attendance and topics covered at Toolbox Talk meetings. The supervisor shall track issues and
actions raised from these meetings with a focus on corrective actions. Each meeting shall include a brief overview of safety matters including safety performance and/or previous incident that occurred (in the previous week), Toolbox Talk topic, and other matters the Supervisor needs to convey to his team. Items necessary to record are: Record of toolbox meetings; OHS consultation statement
7. Record of Revision
Any revisions or updates made to the WHS Plan are to be recorded. Items necessary to record are: Version number; Date; Section and page number; Revision details If you are a paid member of the ‘Aussie Painters Network, the following templates are downloadable from the ‘Members’ link. All you have to do is fill in the required areas. The
‘Risk Assessments’ have been fully completed in the JSEA form so you won’t have the same ‘daunting’ experience I encountered. You can either use it ‘as is’ or it can be tailored to suit your individual job site. 1. APN Work Health and Safety Plan 2016 2. APN JSEA’s 3. APN Incident Investigation Form 4. APN Incident Investigation Register 5. APN Tool Box Meeting Record Sheet
If you are not a member I suggest looking into it as $75 is extremely affordable to fulfil your legislative obligations.
Jim Baker
www.mytools4business.com info@mytools4business.com 2016 February Issue | 13
We are Painters working with Painters to improve the industry. You receive information designed to assist in advancing your business practices and maintaining a high degree of professionalism. We keep painting businesses up to date on the latest government legislative changes whilst assisting you in running your business with tips and tricks to
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14 | Aussie Painters Network
How to create a
Business Rocket Launch Platform for 2016
The beginning of the year is always so full of promise, and I’m not sure about you, but I really enjoy turning onto a new page and make a business plan for the next year. As this time is also midway through the financial year, I can look back on the last six months of solid business data and adjust my budget according to the emerging trends. One important thing to remember when planning or setting goals: To be successful in business, or any other life area, you MUST take the time to write down your plan or goals and refer to them often. Have a print out placed where you can easily see and review it. Let me explain why: A case study was undertaken on achieving goals. The study divided 100 people into two groups who were asked to consider what they wished to achieve in the next five years. The first group wrote down their goals and referred to them regularly. The second group discussed their goals, but didn’t write them down. Five years later both groups came back together to discuss what they had achieved.
Of the first group,who were told to write down their goals and refer to them regularly, 96% of the people achieved all their goals. The second group, which only discussed their goals, 16% of the people achieved all their goals. So, as you can see this is a clear example of how writing down your goals and referring to them regularly is incredibly powerful. It keeps us focused. It’s the corner stone to any success you can achieve in life. It’s also the start of any business development activity. You look where you’re at, then decide where you want to be after a certain period of time, and then you put the pieces into place to make it happen. Incredibly, this is where a lot of business owners get lost. They are not sure how to turn their plans into reality. Their initial enthusiasm is slowly evaporating, as the daily grind gets them roped in again. Our Team has seen it all, we have been in the trenches with business
owners and dug around to find the gold with them. To help you maximise your business profits we use a process that’s easy to follow, we roll up our sleeves and give you straight advice, in a language that you will understand. We don’t talk accounting speak, when we know we need to speak your language to be understood. New Year’s Gift for the first 5 business owners who send us their business budget! To kick-start 2016 and create your business rocket launch platform,I have an exciting offer: Create your business budget for the year 2016 and send it in to us at info@adhamilton.com. au. We will assess your critical business numbers and give you the first process elements of our Business Accelerator program completely FREE of charge. How is that for an offer to really crank it up this year? I already look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your goals and turn your business plans into reality.
A D Hamilton & Associates www.adhamilton.com.au 2016 February Issue | 15
Flexible Education
Revolution! There is a lot expected of us these days. With just a mobile phone in our pockets, we now walk with the burdens of voicemail, email, and social media in our pockets; time consuming tasks that didn’t exist a decade or two ago. With this level of connectivity, we almost have to maintain two lives; one online and one off. The level of engagement with this crazy new world (that is, the World Wide Web) is the choice of each individual, and such choices often dictate a fair part of one’s lifestyle these days. What is so refreshing about all of the options we have today is the freedom to choose from such a great range of experiences depending on your preferences, and which options help streamline your existence. This is as true of education, as it is of all other facets of modern lives that are enhanced and supported by digital technology. There will always be courses like painting that require lots of hands on training and troubleshooting with an expert, and then thorough assessment to confirm knowledge gained. But why wouldn’t the trades take advantage of the technologies available to better assist their students, employers and trainers to make the face to face training more effective?
Even large chunks of a medical degree can be done with heavy reliance on an online platform. Why not the underpinning theory in a Cert III?
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Ever-evolving Education
I entered tertiary education at a time when PC’s were not in every home and the internet was a distant dream for the general public. Each and every assignment I wrote, usually around 3000 words, was typed on an electronic typewriter. If I stuffed up the flow of the assignment, I literally cut and paste bits of paper because I couldn’t face retyping it all. Students would have to fund the use of lots of paper, photocopies, and text books, and for further information you needed to actually leave your home and visit the library – frequently the State library as nowhere else housed the information. Education delivery was in large impersonal lecture halls and smaller tutorials that many never attended. The very first computer labs were only just appearing and I didn’t know how to use them. Years later I began working for universities both here and overseas, administering course delivery that was unrecognisable from those I had attended, and the changes kept coming. As technology became available, universities would devour it, and create more and varied Learning Management Systems! I suppose because universities are where a lot of the research and development is done to bring about just such change.
Pretty soon teaching, learning and administration had all gone digital within intranets, and so much of study resources made available online that the culture of education had changed. Suddenly lots of courses could be offered external in full. Usually what succeeded is a combination of online resources, (video lectures, web chats and limitless other forums), with direct contact with a tutor, whether face to face or online/phone etc. A great deal of study goes into the most effective modes and methods of this delivery and universities are constantly assessing the efficacy of their methods. There is no reason why training in construction should be any different. And this is why training practices are changing. There is a lot of work that goes into these systems to ensure compliance, authenticity, integrity, and effectiveness. The LMS that we have adopted, Ammonite Education, is an Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQUA) and Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard (AVETMISS) certified system that has become the benchmark in training and assessment solutions, providing the functionality and support to succeed in the flexible training revolution. Already successfully in use across the construction industry, it is the ideal platform for our apprentices.
Ammonite is a cloud based TOMS (Training Organisation Management System) which incorporates a Learning Management System, Student Management System, Content Management System, AVETMISS Recording and Reporting System, Workplace Activity Tracking System and ASQA Compliance System. There is little doubt that not all study methods will be a good fit for all kinds of apprentices. Surely common sense will dictate that a painter or apprentice who wishes to never have to turn on a computer should opt for a class room and workbook setting and have an extensive amount of time to focus on the material. Others may have average computer skills, but would rather spend time perfecting their skills in a real work setting, and perhaps making their apprenticeship more valuable to the employer (and not spend their entire term doing prep), and not having to go off site for weeks. And then there will be individuals, growing in number (with our young generation Y and Z on the way) who do everything online, and so why shouldn’t they have the opportunity to learn their theory this
way? Isn’t it great that now we all have more choice? It would be irresponsible to run any course in a way that a student doesn’t feel supported and capable in what they are learning. This is why we have an office with a large training room and board room – any student who would like to have assistance is welcome to visit us at the office, or even better, we can send out our trainer in our Painters Training Wheels; the truck with the simulated work place inside it. Wallpapering, decorative finishes and every other competency but EWP can all be effectively taught here. Your trainer and employer can see what you’re up to in the truck, on the job, and your theory online and how you are going so you don’t fall behind. Contact with the trainer online, and guidance through the course is provided anytime. As always the outcomes and experience of the student is the real proof of the pudding. We asked our Apprentices for their impressions of the training and how our delivery compares to traditional mainstream painting programs.
Here’s what some had to say; “At my former training, we were given books to read and answer, and had to take photos of us using equipment that we didn’t have access to.” Jordan “I didn’t see my old trainer much; were just given the workbook and had to go away and do it.” Shane “I think it’s a hundred times better with APN visiting onsite to see how we are going, and the videos make it so much easier to follow now.” Brock “Aussie Painters Network provides well-paced training and up to date learning with friendly and helpful trainers and staff always willing to assist apprentices. Their online resources are easy to understand and instructional videos help to stimulate learning. I can work at my own pace and I’m not stuck in a classroom or with slower paced workers.” Liam
Caroline Miall
caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
Watch our video for more great feedback from our apprentices!
2016 February Issue | 17
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Painters JSEA s
2016 February Issue | 19
Epoxy Application
GOOD APPLICATION HABITS
There’s nothing I love more than simple stuff that makes a big difference. You know, those warm and fuzzy moments when you think to yourself, “Wow, that’s gonna make things a whole lot easier!” In the previous post, Epoxy application - bad application habits, I gave you some of the worst pound-for-pound application habits going around; the stuff that bobs up time and again as the cause for very avoidable problems. As promised, here is the other side of the coin. The following are all pretty simple application habits that may not sound particularly ground-breaking, however they’re guaranteed to give you those moments I speak of and make your life as an epoxy contractor a whole lot easier. Enjoy!
Use cotton “inners”
I always insist on wearing disposable gloves, typically latex because they are cheap and readily available. There are a couple of things I don’t like about them though – 1. Sweat – a big problem with these gloves is the sweat, which can do a couple of bad things: it can run down your arm and onto a wet film, and, it can react with the powder in the gloves to cause skin sensitivity. I buy powder-free gloves to avoid the sensitivity issue, but these are near impossible to put on with sweaty hands. 2. Padding – the other problem is they are no good for holding onto tools because they offer no padding or protection. Here is a great tip to overcome both of those pains: use thin cotton gloves underneath. You won’t realise how much of a difference it makes in both of these departments until you give it a shot!
Wear an apron over work clothes
I actually started wearing an apron as a bit of fun for my decorative flooring range, Floorchef, but the more I used them the more I liked the idea. Not only did they protect my work clothes, but the pockets were very handy
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for storing rags, gloves etc., and I no longer needed to walk off the floor to replace the consumable items because I carried them with me. While you’re at it, you might also want to grab yourself some sweat bands and even head bands. Items like these are a blessing when you’re at full throttle in hot, humid conditions and trying to stop sweat dripping all over the floor. On clothing, I’d like to quickly comment on the broader topic of presentation. Work clothes are always going to cop a bit of punishment, but it isn’t a good look to have finger prints all over and smears everywhere. The client will probably be thinking, “If they can’t keep their work clothes clean, what will they do to my walls?” My suggestion is to have a nice, clean set for meetings and inspections because it will set you apart from others turning up in their soiled gear.
Squirter bottles for clean up
Here’s a great little tip for contractors wanting to take their cleanliness and safety to the next level: put your solvent in a squirter bottle. It gives you so much more control over the amount used and is far better for your health than slouching over an open bucket. The pointed nozzle also gets into all the hard-to-reach places for a thorough clean of your tools!
Roll out the carpet!
Contractors who like to work clean will use some form of dropsheet, with most being made of plastic that can be slippery, light and flimsy. If you’re after something more robust and easier to control, I’ve known a few contractors that carry around a roll of old carpet instead. The carpet is simply rolled out at the start over a plastic dropsheet and back up again after they’re done. All the little drops and drips are absorbed into the pile and there’s nothing to dispose of. Brilliant!
Get your diamonds right
One of the best tips to save you time, money, and perhaps even your sanity, is to develop a better understanding of your grinder and be willing to invest in the right set up. The fact is there can be a big difference in how concrete grinds from one slab to the next. For instance, hard concrete tends to produce ultra fine dust, which doesn’t abrade well and can result in hard discs glazing over and losing their efficiency. With this in mind, hitting every slab with the same grinding disc because you don’t want to fork out on multiple sets of diamonds will only end up costing you more in extra labour and perhaps even coating failures.
One last bonus tip...
Just to finish off I thought I’d hand over one last tip mainly because it’s such a simple fix for a rather costly mistake. If you use a drill mixer and you’re not able to release the mixing paddle each time, tape up your chuck so that when you lay the drill down the resins don’t run along the shaft and into the chuck. Funnily enough, this tip actually came from one of my more experienced contractors who had to replace two drill chucks within a very short space of time and was desperate to avoid a third! So, there we go... five very simple, yet very effective application habits I know you’ll love if you give them a try. What other simple, good application habits do you have? I’m sure we’d all love to hear more!
Jack Josephsen 0408 877 256
www.epoxyschool.com
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www.consolidatedi .com.au Phone: +61 7 3292 1100 | Fax: +61 7 3292 1110 Email: contactus@consolidatedi.com.au I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for referring me to Consolidated Insurance Pty Ltd. I spoke to Scott about our Business Insurance and with little time, Scott emailed me back a comprehensive package for our Business and we saved over $1,000.00. Thanks again Aussie Painters Network for the great referral and all your ongoing help. Sonya Baker www.bakerbrosmasterpainters.com.au
Rebuilding
Franks House
The Help Frank Rebuild facebook page is about assisting a pensioner who lost almost everything 5 years ago in the 2011 Queensland floods. Five Years have now passed since the floods devastated Brisbane in 2011 and sadly some are still struggling to rebuild their homes and lives in full, and the fallout for many goes far beyond the damage to homes and material possessions.
Clayton Coughlan of Likeminded Painters recently heard on talk-back radio, about a pensioner in Brisbane whose house was totally submerged in the deluge. His insurance company wiped him like they did many others. His home is still a mess. His wife left him as she couldn’t handle the situation they were in. His entire world was turned upside down.
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Deciding to help an old bloke doing it tough, Clayton put out the call on social media to rally some tradespeople. He is currently assembling a team to fix up Frank’s home and, give it a fresh paint job and hopefully give him hand in moving forward. The plan is to assemble carpenters, plumbers, asbestos removal specialists, tilers, painters etc., to give the place a reno in the next month or two. Thank you to those who have put their hand up to assist. The generosity has been heartening and offers
generous. Clayton has also had some very generous pledges from businesses to support such a worthy cause. Domino’s Pizza head office called to offer to provide lunch for all of the volunteers gathered for the task. Woolworths has very kindly offered to donate $1500 towards building materials. If you’re able to help Frank out, or for more information, go to the facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/HelpFrankRebuild/?fref=ts or contact http://www.likemindedpainters.com.au
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What are VOCs? As painters I imagine you hear the term VOC’s; Volatile Organic Compounds, more than the rest of us, particularly if you’ve given much consideration to ‘going green’ in your work practices, or thought about toxicity of the products you work with. Outside the industry, I just don’t hear people discussing VOC’s very much, considering how ever present and insidious they can be. Perhaps we do talk about toxic substances, carcinogens and teratogens, and VOC is really just the term for the airborne particulate version – where inhalation is the major risk. So, what exactly are VOC’s? Volatile Organic Compounds are a large group of carbon-based chemicals that easily evaporate at room temperature and well below, resulting in ‘off-gassing’ of potentially toxic chemicals. It is the reason we wash our clothes, sheets etc., before we use them. It’s that new car smell! The stuff you can see floating in the air with the dust, the stuff you can’t see; stuff you can smell, and the stuff you can’t. Remember Chlorofluorocarbons, which got a huge amount of press in the 80s for carving holes in the ozone layer? Those VOCs, now banned or highly regulated, were used as propellants, in cleaning products and refrigerants. Other VOC’s commonly emitted from a wide variety of common items or products; from cosmetics and air fresheners, to plastics and fuel. A major source of man-made VOCs are coatings, especially paints and protective coatings. Solvents are required to spread a protective or dec-
orative film. Approximately 12 billion litres of paints are produced annually. Typical solvents are aliphatic hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate, glycol ethers, and acetone. Motivated by cost, environmental concerns, and regulation, the paint and coating industries are increasingly shifting toward aqueous solvents. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/ eh/indoorair/voc/
When you work in this industry, and probably anywhere in the building industry, a harm minimisation approach must be taken due to the necessity of working with many potentially toxic substances used. Look into quality low or no VOC paint. Ventilation is key, ensuring air flow will reduce the impact significantly. Take advantage of all of the safety equipment available; Use extractor fans, masks, gloves. Read Material Safety Data Sheets. Do the proper risk assessments and hold Tool Box Talks to ensure everyone is aware of the risks associated with the products they’re being asked to use. Safely and legally discard unused chemical products at a hazardous materials collection site. Building Materials and VOC’s • Carpets and adhesives • Composite wood products • Paints • Sealing caulks • Solvents • Upholstery fabrics • Varnishes • Vinyl Floors The fact is that VOCs are pretty much everywhere; both natural and unnatural, some benign, others not
so much. Perhaps relatively harmless is each individual exposure, but the cumulative affect over long periods of time is a completely different story, with a lot yet to be discovered. With connections to incidences of liver, kidney and central nervous system damage, and cancer, there has been a welcome shift towards natural alternatives so as to reduce the exposure, but sadly much of this has been commercially hijacked for profit rather than real wellbeing. It was always an instinct of mine to avoid things that just generally aren’t a necessary addition to the body’s toxic load. About 20 years ago I put on a dry cleaned garment, and felt a nasty furry/prickly feeling in my throat. I haven’t had a garment dry cleaned since; Perchloroethylene (PERC) was something I felt I didn’t need to risk exposure to for the sake of pressed ‘clean’ clothing. There are plenty of ways to reduce exposure to such substances in daily life. Limit the use of sprays, especially indoors. Choose more natural alternatives in paints, pesticides, cleaners, make up, air fresheners etc., and actually look at the chemical ingredients. If you spend time in an office, try not to sit near photocopiers and printers. And what a good reason to buy second hand items and cheaper floor stock! ‘Off-gassing’ has already largely occurred. Makes me all the more glad that my home is filled with mostly pre-loved vintage items! Caroline Miall
caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
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Trace My Business Keep a record of ALL your clients • • • •
•
Where the referral came from
The quote success and failure rates
•
Suburb comparisons
The different advertising campaigns
•
(what (wh works and what doesn’t) First projects vs repeat business
New vs existing revenue and projects
•
Yearly and overall client revenue
•
Growth analysis
Projects, who referred them, and the referrals they subsequently provided
Written and Developed by Jim Baker
Developed by Jim Baker 2013
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Lead Kills 674,000
People Every Year
GLOBALLY Find out if the things around you are SAFE for humans and pets
You take the samples and send them to Sydney Analytical Labs. The lab analyses the sample and we explain the results.
www.lead.org.au
2016 February Issue | 31
The Particulars of
Pantone® I’d often heard graphic designers talk about pantone and ‘what on earth did they do before it!?’ I thought it must be a program or… really I didn’t know what they were referring to, but it seemed like something important that I, with a keen interest in colour, ought to have known about. So, Pantone® it turns out is a revolutionary trademarked system to match colours particularly for use in specifying printing inks and paint colours. A ‘paint communication’ tool to take the guess work out of getting it right.
Since then, Pantone® has expanded its colour matching system concept to other colour-critical industries, including digital technology, textiles, plastics, architecture and interiors. Having been adopted globally in practices across dozens of industries, the system is now incorporated into loads of programs and applications. As the list of colours is deemed their own intellectual property however, Pantone is generally not incorporated into cheaper or open source software. In 2006 Pantone® enabled designers to specify and match colours in
nations’ colour standards groups. After two days of presentations and debate, they choose a colour for the following year. The colour purportedly connects with the zeitgeist; for example, the press release declaring Honeysuckle the colour of 2011 said “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues.” The results of the meeting are published in Pantone View, which fashion designers, florists, and many other consumer-oriented companies purchase to help guide their designs and planning for future products.
2016 Colour of the Year
Having his beginnings in printing, Pantone’s founder, Lawrence Herbert, created this system of identifying, matching and conveying colours in 1963, to assist graphic designers solving problems of colour matching. He created a book of standardised colour in fan format, PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®, to address an insightful observation that the colour spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual.
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premium-quality paint in partnership with ‘Fine Paints of Europe’. Partnerships with other international paint manufacturers followed. With the status of global colour authority, Pantone® announces a “Colour of the Year” annually. Twice a year the company hosts, in a European capital, a secret meeting of representatives from various
Pantone Colour Institute quite literally comb the world looking for future design and colour influences, watching out for that one colour seen as ascending and building in importance through all creative sectors. Influences can include the entertainment industry, upcoming films, art, emerging artists, travel destinations and socio-economic conditions and also stem from technology, lifestyles, new textures and effects that impact colour, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.
Perhaps even more interesting though is how Pantone’s Colour of the Year influences product development and purchasing decisions in so many industries, from fashion to the home, as well as packaging and graphic design. “Colour plays a critical role in consumer purchasing decisions. It’s the first thing the consumer sees – the thing that will determine whether or not they go one step further to try something on or pick up the product to take a better look. With today’s consumers much more educated about colour and colour trends, they want to make sure they are on trend. Product developers and retailers want to make sure they have the right colours in their assortment to satisfy consumer demand.” Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute http://www.psfk.com/
It’s fascinating that an organisation can have such a profound ripple effect on the aesthetics of our lives year by year, by both looking carefully at the world around them, as well as because of having set a select trend, which consumers are seeking to follow to remain in vogue. Interestingly, award winning blogger Christopher Jobson of http://www. thisiscolossal.com recently wrote an article “271 Years Before Pantone, an Artist Mixed and Described Every Color Imaginable in an 800-Page Book.” In 1692, a Dutch artist known only as “A. Boogert” published the book that would certainly be the most comprehensive guide to paint and colour of its time, and for a long time after. He described how to make colours and change hues in watercolour, in incredible scope
and detail. You can see the book at http://www.e-corpus.org/notices/102464/gallery/ Jobson writes, “It’s hard not to
compare the hundreds of pages of colour to its contemporary equivalent, the Pantone Color Guide, which wouldn’t be published for the first time until 1963!” nearly 300 years later!!
Caroline Miall
caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
Sources: http://www.psfk.com/2014/12/ how-pantones-color-of-the-year-influences-product-development-and-purchasingchoices.html, www.Wikipedia.com, www. pantone.com http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/05/ color-book/
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Likeminded Painters Australia It can be hard to encourage change, especially in an industry where the foundations of major players have remained undisturbed for years, and the old routines of ‘the business’ become entrenched. Though sometimes it doesn’t matter how deep the stumps are buried; occasionally a big idea floods in with the potential to change everything. Industry veteran Clayton Coughlan is the architect of an ambitious plan to help out the smaller to medium guys in the painting and decorating business. The launch of his buying group, Likeminded Painters Australia initiative marks the creation of an online community for industry professionals – a place for painters to network, share tips and ideas, and get better deals that lead to better profitability. A multi-award winning painter, Mr Coughlan says his idea came from seeing so many smaller players struggle with unfair deals on materials. “It’s time for a change, and time to shake the industry up,” he says. “I’ve gone out and spoken to PPG (owners of Taubmans, Bristol, White Knight and Flood Products) about… getting discounted pricing for the members of the buying group – which they’ve done. Their pricing is pretty amazing to be honest.” Some of the people Mr Coughlan has spoken to say they could save up to $40 a drum under the deal, compared with their current arrangements.
painters, in an industry where builders and painting companies often dictate the finer details of a job. “With the Facebook Group it’s good to see painters talking, because painters never used to. It’s good to see painters try to set a benchmark in the industry… to say ‘well we don’t have to drop prices and bend over benchtops’ to get things done’,” he says. “Each painter can set their own rates and try and rule the industry a bit more.” Brett Smith of AMK Painting Solutions, a thirty-year veteran, says painters have been treated “like idiots for too long” and people finally have an equal opportunity to be a part of something “where everyone cares”. “It’s been a long time coming… for every tradesmen to get together and have a fair go,” he says. You can find Likeminded Painters Australia on Facebook, and on the web @ www.likemindedpainters. com.au. Membership costs $220 per year, with a oneoff $25 joining fee that goes to supporting charities like Orange Sky Laundry and Youngcare. Members of Likeminded Painters Australia can also get an Aussie Painters Network Gold Membership for $100 (normally $150). Visit our website or catch us on Facebook to join the REVOLUTION.
“And that’s only on paint. We’re setting out to negotiate for scaffolding, finance, insurance, clothing, printing… web guys for websites… so a whole business package they’ll have access to,” he says. Lette Painting’s Tyson Lette is hopeful the plans will see some flexibility and profit being given back to
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Signage and Advertising REGULATIONS STATE BY STATE
Visibility in a competitive market is crucial to growing your business, so your advertising and your onsite signage are key tools for achieving maximum exposure. It is also, in some states, compulsory for contractors to prominently display licensing and other information in their signage, in fairly specific ways (right down to the size of the text), as well as for advertising material to list a Contractor’s licenced name and number.
Given the variations in licensing laws across the nation, these requirements for signage and advertising, and potential penalties for noncompliance, differ from State to State. So, we’be compiled a few useful links to check you’re across the necessary information in your area. Be sure to check them out when establishing your signage and marketing material.
The portable, inexpensive method to prevent paint waste-water polluting the environment.
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Queensland
https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/Advertising%20Requirements%20for%20Licensees.pdf
South Australia
http://www.cbs.sa.gov.au/occupational-licensing-andregistration/industry-information/#e054bfad00eabd8ff
Western Australia
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-commission/signage-0
New South Wales
http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Businesses/ Advertising_and_marketing/Advertising.page?
Vic, Tas, NT, ACT:
No licence requirements in these states/territories. Unable to find specific trade industry advertising requirements.
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SINGLES
“Trading up”
for VALENTINE’S DAY! In many ways, it’s never been a better time to be a Tradie. You’re in demand professionally, you can adjust your hours and rates to help fit your lifestyles, and you’re really handy at home… potentially. At last, all the benefits of being in control of your vocation are becoming obvious and the choice to go down the trade’s route can be a really good one for lots of people. And apparently if you’re in the market for Luurve this Valentine’s Day, then you’re all looking like a good prospect there too! The Aussie Tradie’s image has undergone a fair bit of welcome changes in recent times, perhaps in reaction to all the metrosexual overtones that came into vogue and as unusual fashions like the hipster come and go. I suppose when a ‘man-bun’ has made it to the Australian fashion cutting edge, then something softer has to rub off on the rest of the Aussie blokes! And thanks to the new breed of TV host on DIY reality programs, the tradie seemed to suddenly possess a new sense of creativity, flair, and sex appeal that perhaps hadn’t been so exploited before. These attractive individuals were sharing their tips and tricks at prime time and providing inspiration for a lot of weekend warriors. And they highlighted the desirability of our tradies, who were pursuing lucrative career opportunities. For singles it has meant the focus was less and less on the suits and more on the steel caps and tools and the possibilities of a partner who could build things and fix stuff! Thus, now it is a great many singles I know that would give their right arm for a tradie in their romantic future. Many waiting for Mr or Mrs Right are now more highly valuing a good sense of humour and down
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to earth personality, physical fitness and strength, skills and usefulness that make for an attractive all-rounder, and are qualities often possessed by our trades-people. I’ve read that in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, the number of tradesmen bookings increases significantly, up to 15%. An interesting trend indeed; We’re all familiar with the stereo type lonely woman propositioning the tradie… maybe it’s like that, or perhaps it’s just a good time to get something done and distract oneself from the day designed for couples.)
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Maintain Your Family’s Living Standard
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But stereotype or not, every so often the real thing strikes out of the blue, like this story I came across on the web; a WA painter who met his future wife over a painting quote: ‘Ray Teraci, a tradesman from Indian Ocean Painters in Perth is proof cupid can strike while on the job. While he recalls one over-enthusiastic client who showed up wearing short shorts and a T-shirt each morning he arrived saying she had decided to “help him,” it was when he went to provide a quote for a woman in 1995 that he met the love of his life. “Mr Teraci said when Karen Smith opened the door it was almost love at first sight. He ended up staying at Ms Smith’s house for four hours chatting and organising the quote to paint the outside of her house. “We had a cup of tea and we found that we had a lot in common,” he said. Mr Teraci asked Ms Smith out the next day and the couple now live together in the house
that he painted for her, which has since been painted at least three more times.’ http://www.watoday.com.au So, go forth tradies, and know that you are hot property this Valentine’s Day! Great with your hands, independent and skilled… whats not to love? Spoil your loved ones and woo your would-be’s with confidence.
The Valentine of the Painting world…
In 1860, early founders of Valspar in were Henry and Lawson Valentine! The company was first known as Valentine & Company; ‘Valspar’ was originally the name, derived from their surname, for the first ever clear varnish to be developed. The Valspar varnish was the company’s main product for the next thirty-plus years. wikipedia
Caroline Miall caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 2016 February Issue | 41
The Industry
Idiots
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Important Contacts Aussie Painters Network www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
Ph. 0430 399 800
National Institute for Painting and Decorating www.painters.edu.au
Ph. 1300 319 790
Australian Tax Office www.ato.gov.au
Ph. 13 72 26 / Ph. 13 28 65
Award Rates www.fairwork.gov.au
Ph. 13 13 94
Fair Work Building & Construction www.fwbc.gov.au
Ph. 1800 003 338
Mates In Construction www.matesinconstruction.com.au
Ph. 1300 642 111
Workplace Health and Safety Contacts Comcare WorkSafe ACT Workplace Health and Safety QLD Victorian WorkCover Authority WorkCover NSW SafeWork SA WorkSafe WA NT WorkSafe WorkSafe Tasmania
www.comcare.gov.au www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.worksafe.qld.gov.au www.vwa.vic.gov.au www.workcover.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ www.worksafe.nt.gov.au www.worksafe.tas.gov.au
1300 366 979 02 6207 3000 1300 362 128 1800 136 089 13 10 50 1300 365 255 1300 307 877 1800 019 115 1300 366 322
www.actcancer.org www.cancercouncil.com.au www.cancercouncilnt.com.au www.cancerqld.org.au www.cancersa.org.au www.cancervic.org.au www.cancerwa.asn.au
(02) 6257 9999 (02) 9334 1900 (08) 8927 4888 (07) 3634 5100 (08) 8291 4111 (03) 9635 5000 (08) 9212 4333
Cancer Council Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA
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Standard Membership • Five postcode listings in our online directory • Work, Health and Safety Plan • Risk Assessment and Safe Work Method Statements • Incident Investigation Forms and Incident Investigation Form Register • Instant access to our pricing and estimating guides • Quotation guide to assist you when quoting • Personal service and phone advice • Web Listing for prospective customers to find you easily • Free targeted online marketing & advertising • Back-links to assist you in SEO rankings • Assistance with Debt Collection and Discounted Terms of Trade • Discounts on Courses • Painter Help section if you are looking for work or looking for painters to help