Special WHS Edition •In the news •What price, Safety? •WHS forms for your business
Scaffold Collapse
A RED FLAG for Health & Safety
Do you suffer from
“Entrepreneurialitis”? Tradies Go Pink
Reaches double their fundraising target!
www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
From the Editor Dear Readers , Welcome to the March issue of The Aussie Painting Contractor; the publication that speaks directly to you, the Painter! This month’s mag is a special edition focussing on health and safety in the workplace. We may bang on a bit about it most months, but we’ll keep doing so as long as we keep seeing risks being taken, standards being ignored and disasters occurring. To encourage good WHS practices, we’ve recently developed for our Members, a Work, Health and Safety Plan and a range of other easy templates to use to help keep compliant in their obligations. Contact us for more information on how we can assist. Of all our Member benefits this could be the one that is most important for your business. The building and construction industry has been in the news quite a bit lately, and not all for desirable reasons. Speculation of corruption in the unions, protests against potentially unfair laws, and near disasters occurring on site. Read on to find out what’s happening. Aussie Painters Network Paint Inspection Services We all get difficult jobs. Customer dissatisfaction must be dealt with and paint defects, if any, rectified. To provide services of assessment, mediation and resolution to sort the issue out quickly, we are launching Aussie Painters Network Paint Inspection service. If you are having problems with an unhappy client we can carry out an inspection of the job so you can reassure them you have completed the work to the industry standards. If you are the unhappy client, call us to look at the job and we will make recommendations to resolve. We are seeking to add further services for our Members as the demands arise, so we welcome your input.
Happy Painting!
EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Amanda Dawes • Ann-Maree Russell • Caroline Miall • Colin Thompson • Debra Jarvis • Jennie Gorman • Jim Baker • Leo Babaut • Monroe Porter • Nigel Gorman • Scott Robertson
GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
Contents Page 06
Workplace Safety
Page 09
Turn Your Office into a
Powerhouse of Success
Page 10
Scaffolding Collapse
a red flag for work health & safety
Page 13
Master Painters & Decorators Australia
Family Day at Adventure World
Page 14
ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Page 17
Tradies Go Pink
Page 18
The Flexible Mind
Page 21
Australian Business
Apprenticeships Centre
Page 25
Van, Ute, Trailer & Car Insurance
Page 26
5 Fabulous Mud Room Ideas
Page 29
Entrepreneurialism…
A Disease That Can Ruin Your Business and Life
Page 31
Wet Rot and How to Treat it
Page 35
Alleged Union Corruption
Attracts a Royal Commission
Page 36
MUA Rally to Protect Jobs
Page 38
The Industry Idiots
Page 39
Important Contacts
In the Chair Welcome to another edition of our monthly E-Magazine, As you would have noticed over the past few month Aussie Painters Network (APN) has been touching base on several Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) issues that are currently occurring across your state. As the number one issue currently being ignored within the ‘Construction Industry’ APN has decided to assist you ‘Educate, Implement, Reduce and Eliminate’ WHS Issues within your workplace. After talking to many painters across Australia, it has become evident that even the basic questions regards WHS are being over looked…. - Are you aware of your WHS obligations to employees, customers and the general public while working on site - Do you have a Safety Management Plan in place? - Do you have Safe Work Method Statements? - Do you conduct Toolbox Meetings? Over 70% of the answers I received back were either ‘No’ or ‘she’ll be right’ WRONG!!! All business owners need to remember - You can’t put a price on safety and there is no profit to be made from ignorance As of 1st March APN will offering Tradesman, Painters and Apprentices affordable and reliable WHS documentation / templates as part of your yearly membership.
These documents / templates include full Safety Plan, Safe Work Method Statement; Incident Investigation & Register Form and more…. Please beware more documentation / templates will uploaded each month. Over the next six months my goal is to ensure tradesman, painters and apprentices Australia-wide are: Provide affordable membership supported and guided with industry issues; assisted with increasing business and profit margins; have access to relevant and reliable documentation the opportunity to network nationally In other news, we had a great day on Saturday the 22nd of February at the launch of the Aussie Painters Network Tweed Heeds Seagulls Rugby League Club, APN’s newly sponsored team. Our sincere thanks go to Shaun McRae and the other executive members of the club for their warm welcome. We hope to meet more of you individually as the season progresses. Colin Thompson colin@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au Aussie Painters Network Your Partners in Painting 0433 274 794 07 3555 8010 1800 355 344
Opinions and viewpoints expressed in Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Home Painters Info staff or related parties. The publisher, Home Painters In fo and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. Information contained in 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 any 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.
Workplace Safety WHAT ARE YOUR STAFF WORTH TO YOU? I was prompted to write this article recently after one of the apprentices I mentor told me that his employer did not regard safety as a priority. For example, the employees are made to work on 16 foot trestles using only one plank with no use of safety rails. The apprentice felt all employees would easily be more productive if they had that reassurance of a hand rail system behind them. I know myself as an employer it only takes 15 minutes to set up a handrail system, so why take the risk and short-cuts just to save a few dollars? Is the safety of your employees really worth it? As a business owner and employer, no matter what size the job, it is your obligation under workplace health and safety legislation to ensure that your employees are not exposed to safety risks and hazards. This not only displays commitment to your employees regarding their safety and wellbeing but promotes motivation, morale, positive attitudes and regard for WHS, which in itself can assist in reduceing the occurrence of accidents. As an employer, a safe work environment provides foundations to a productive team of employees and eliminates costly Work-Cover expenses.
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To start, it’s a good idea to organise regular tool-box or safety meetings to keep up-to-date on potential dangers that may exist on a work site. Also always ensure you have the correct documented WHS Policies for each job. If the work you carry out is similar from job to job (eg, new or existing residential properties) then generic Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) or Tool Box Meetings (TBM) can be created. All is required is to add any additional/specific potential hazards that may exist. If you are a member of Aussie Painters Network, a blank SWMS can be download for free. Note that it is a legal requirement to have these in place as fines could be incurred if you do not. WHAT IS YOUR SAFETY WORTH? Even if you don’t have employees, you still have to ensure that your business complies with the latest workplace health and safety legislation. One area that is often forgotten is ensuring the safety of your customers and the general public. The last thing you or any company wants is to be sued by a client for failing to take necessary precautions regarding their safety. The minutes it takes to implement
correct precautions to eliminate or minimise a potential risk are worth it, especially compared to the split second it would take for someone to trip or fall and the legal ramifications that would follow. Myth: Don’t think that just because you have insurance that failure to comply with WHS requirements won’t be costly. Any negligence to safety will be substantial and have a HUGE financial impact on your company and also increase your premiums. So the advice I give you is ‘Educate, Implement, Reduce and Eliminate’. This will not only ensure a happy and safe work environment for all parties but also financially assist your back pocket. Safety is critical to the success of running a business and and knowing and understanding the Work Health and Safety (WH&S) legislation requirements will help. To me, it is a ‘no-brainer’. Look after yourself and your staff. Remember, there is no profit to be made when accidents occur and you can’t put a price on safety!!!!! By Jim Baker
www.mytools4business.com
2014 March Issue | 7
2014 January Issue | 8
• • • • • • • for more details, visit our website!
8 | Aussie Painters Network
www.paintershrpolicies.com
Turn Your Office into a Powerhouse of Success (Part 2)
Last month we touched on some Feng Shui principles to maximise your office space’s potential; here is part two of the article to help improve your surrounds in striving for success
you come by it because that’s all you could afford or find at the time, are you still in good relationship with the person it come from, would something else be more suitable?
Step 4. Desk and chair combination to be comfortable. These items are worth spending money on. Invest in a good quality chair, one that is comfortable for you to perform the tasks you perform while seated. The desk should be at a comfortable height and large enough for you to organise yourself without feeling cramped. I recommend 1500mm x 900mm.
Step 7. Condition Audit. Does everything work and is everything kept in optimal condition. In Feng Shui it is very important that we either attend to the repair of items immediately or where we are not prepared to do this we discard them. An item that is less than ideal is said to begin negatively impacting after 28 days.
Step 5. Clean and Clear Clutter. Maintain a clear desk top. Paperwork is relentless in its onslaught. Separate the personal and business paperwork. Deal with it immediately, use TRAF. Toss, Refer, Act or File. Creating a pile to deal with later creates clutter and clutter is bad Feng Shui. Step 6. Remove Obstacles. Make the area inviting to come into. In Feng Shui we consider that opportunity flows to us in direct proportion to ease of entry and the welcome that is experienced in our environments. Feng Shui tells us that everything is alive with memories, feelings and associations. What are the objects in your office saying to you? Question their origin, did
Step 8. Lighting. Use natural light as much as possible. If you have fluorescent use full-spectrum (daylight) bulbs. Step 9. Plants absorb potentially harmful gases and clean the air. Golden cane has been shown to be one of the more efficient plants at recycling our expelled air. Plants also make offices more pleasant spaces to spend time. When people feel good, they perform better. It is important that the plants are well cared for and that they remain healthy and vibrant. No plant graveyards please.
Debra Jarvis
www.DebraJarvisFengShui.com
2014 March Issue | 9
Scaffolding Collapse a red flag for work health & safety
If anyone needed any convincing that workplace health and safety in Australia is going through somewhat of a crisis, you need only note the news from the last week in February. Scaffolding being dismantled on a twelve story building collapsed at five levels up, with two people experiencing a terror ride to the ground. The accident occurred on a usually busy Sydney street that is a main access road for Sydney Airport. Given the tonnes of mangled steel spilled into the road, landed on cars and brought down powerlines, it is nothing short of miraculous that no one was killed, and only one seriously injured. A CFMEU spokesperson said the site was closed down late last year due to concerns about the safety of the scaffolding; however the building company involved is disputing the claim. It was also stated that Workplace Health and Safety had attended the site on a number of occasions. It will be interesting to see what the Work Cover investigation reveals. This incident should serve as a real wakeup call for everyone in the building and construction industry. The consequences of an accident like this are potentially catastrophic for workers and unfortunate passersby, and next time those responsible are unlikely to be as lucky. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/21689753/workcover-investigatessydney-scaffolding-collapse-after-two-injured-at-mascot/
Did you know the term...
CROCODILING/ALLIGATORING
This happens when the initial coat of paint is applied without allowing the primer to fully dry. Do not let the excitement of completing a project cause you to rush the process. Let each layer dry. Alligatoring/crocodiling paint occur when you use incompatible forms of products. Glossy paints or enamels do not work well when applied to a latex paint. Paint alligatoring/ crocodiling happens when oil-based paints are exposed to fluctuating temperatures. Oil-based paints provide little elasticity and don’t usually work well in an outdoor environment without proper preventative measures.
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Aussie Painters Network is a proud sponsor of
Tweed Heads Seagulls
Become a Member for a chance to Win Tickets!!!!
2014 March Issue | 11
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Family Day at Adventure World
Master Painters & Decorators Australia had a fantastic family day at Adventure World on Sunday 23 February. Our annual family day was very hot, but what a perfect place to be in 37 degree heat, at a water park! We thank MPA Skills Apprentice Training and Employment and EBM Insurance for their support of the event. The association executive has kicked off the year in a very positive fashion, with the introduction of three new executive committee members. Gary Cox from Castle Painting & Decorating, Adrian Gallo from Liquid Coats Painting & Decorating and David Gorton from Exclusively Painting join the team. Each one of these gentleman bring youth to the committee which we believe will help us to strengthen our value to businesses as they represent a large percentage of our membership. We say thank you to Steve Mackie, Omero Combi and Paul Lane, who leave the committee to dedicate their time to their businesses and in Steve’s case hopefully his retirement. Members had the opportunity to up skill with our first Painters Estimation course at the beginning of the month. The course, created and delivered by Paul Funnell OAM was designed just for painters. Feedback
was fantastic and we look forward to delivering the course again later in the year. Our next event is our Industry Outlook breakfast/ AGM on Wednesday 25 March 2014 at the Pan Pacific Hotel. Invitations go out this week to members, but if you aren’t a member and would like to hear Craig James, Commonwealth Banks chief economist talk about the Australian economy and in particular the painting and construction industry, please contact Lucy Clement on (08) 94716621 to reserve your seat. No matter where you are in Australia, please feel free to keep up with Master Painters & Decorators Australia by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, where we enjoy topical conversation and comments about our industry. When you do, don’t forget to share us with your friends so we can make sure all consumers think about contracting a Master Painter & Decorator to do their paint work. by Amanda Dawes painters@mpawa.asn.au
www.masterpainters.asn.au 2014 March Issue | 13
ST. PATRICK’S DAY March 17 is St Patricks Day, when the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the world celebrate all that is Irish with parades and festivals. Aussies love a good excuse for a party, so don’t mind celebrating what began as a feast day marking the arrival of Christianity in Ireland! Shamrocks and leprechauns will abound and everyone will wear green, (though originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue according to Wikipedia) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick’s_Day)
In honour of St. Patrick
A painter by the name of Paddy Murphy, while not a brilliant scholar, was a gifted portrait artist. Over a short number of years, his fame grew and soon people from all over Ireland were coming to him in the town of Doolin, County Clare, to get him to paint their likenesses. One day, a beautiful English woman arrived at his house in a stretch limo and asked Paddy if he would paint her in the nude. This being the first time anyone had made such a request, Paddy was perturbed, particularly when the woman told him that money was no object; in fact, she was willing to pay up to $10,000. Not wanting to get into any marital strife, Paddy asked her to wait while he went into the house to confer with Mary, his wife.. In a few minutes he returned. “T’would be me pleasure to paint yer portrait, missus,” he said “The wife says it’s okay. “I’ll paint ya in da nude alright, but I has to at least leave me socks on so I have a place to wipe me brushes.”
Did you know the term...
DE-NIBBING
Removing, by rubbing with fine abrasive paper, any small particles of foreign matter that stand proud on the surface of a paint film.
14 | Aussie Painters Network
Paint Roller Supplies Direct has been established by Construction Industry Professionals, to provide real savings on quality Painting Equipment and Construction and Maintenance Adhesives Wholesale Factory direct to the Trade. Paint Roller Supplies Direct RollX range of Premium Roller Sleeves and Paintable Adhesives, are manufactured Exclusively for Paint Roller Supplies Direct for the Australian market place, and this allows us to have ďŹ rst hand responsive product support. We are continuing to bring new brands and products into the range on a regular basis. All trades persons who have tried our products have all commented that the RollX brand of rollers are a great premium product at more than fair prices.
Our competitive pricing is achieved through the eďŹƒciencies of Carton Quantity ordering - shipped direct to your preferred location, at everyday below Trade-Prices, because our prices are true Wholesale factory direct prices. For all products in stock, we dispatch most orders next working day on Monday through to Friday, excluding Public Holidays, and we can arrange delivery Australia-Wide. Large project Pricing quotations are welcome Please call Chris on 0429 802 979 / 1300 919 638
www.paintrollersd.com.au 2014 March Issue | 15
How much does your business need to earn to cover its expenses?
www.mytools4business.com/myhourlyratecalculator
FUMES or DUST in your van?
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Tradies
Go Pink
Last month we let you know about a Breast Cancer Charity Event spearheaded by a couple of Mackay Tradies with event organiser, and cancer survivor, Natalie Fitzgerald. From Mackay Queensland, Painter James Roger (known as Yogie) and Bricklayer Col Sommerfeld put themselves out there for the cause to dye their signature dreadlocks bright pink prior to the full shave. The Mackay business community really stepped up with generous with monetary donations, items and vouchers for a charity auction and donating their services for the event. The fundraising goal was $20,000 ($10,000 per tradie) and the grand total reached was a phenomenal $48 713.23!!! What an amazing effort in a few short months; Congratulations to all involved.
Kudos to the event’s major sponsors Debbie’s Seafoods, Gemini Homes, Central Signs and Graphics, T&G Insurance Brokers, Kennards, Urban Trend Construction, Raptis and Harvey Norman. Organisers were also overwhelmed by the depth of support from around the country and overseas. Half the money raised from the Tradies Go Pink event will go to the McGrath Foundation while the other half will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for research into this disease. The McGrath Foundation provides health professionals specially trained to manage the care of breast cancer patients throughout the course of their treatment. They are the principal liaison between the patient and the specialists and offer vital emotional support to the patient and their families during an extremely difficult time. https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/
We will have more news from this committed group of people in the future, as they hint that they are conjuring up more ideas already. “Now that Col and Yogie have had their dreadlocks shaved off we’re getting back to our day jobs for a few weeks, before planning 2015! We have a couple of ideas and they’re unbelievable!! Watch it Space! See more at www.tradiesgopink.com.au or Like their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/tradiesgopink/info
www.tradiesgopink.com.au 2014 March Issue | 17
The Flexible
Mind by Leo Babauta
When I reflect back on how much happier I am these days compared to my life about 8 years ago, I realize it’s not all a result of better habits (though that’s a part of it). Here’s what I’ve changed that makes me happier: Instead of stressing out about meeting goals, deadlines, timelines, I have learned a way of flowing. Instead of getting mad at people not meeting my expectations, I’m looser with what I expect of others. Instead of getting mad at things not turning out how I’d like, I accept that things are unpredictable, and accept what happens. Most of the time, that is. In other words, I’ve developed a flexible mind. This is one of the best changes I’ve made, because it gives me more peace of mind and happiness. It took some time to develop this mental habit, and I’ll share with you here why and how I did it. Why Develop Flexible Mind The root cause of frustration, irritation, anger, sadness is an inflexible mind — one that wants to hold onto the way we wish things were, the ideas we’re comfortable with. When things don’t go this way, we are then frustrated, angry, sad. So developing a flexible mind is a way to be open to anything, happy with change, prepared for any situation. Think about it: if there’s a major disruption in your life, it’s only a bad thing because you’re holding onto the way you wish things could be, what you’re comfortable with. If you let go of that wish, the change isn’t bad. It’s just different, and in fact it could be good if you embrace it and see the opportunity. It’s about developing the ability to cope with change, to be flexible, to simplify.
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How: Small Practices You don’t develop flexible mind overnight — your mind isn’t as easy to change as your outfit. You have to develop mental habits with small changes, consistently over time. Here’s how: 1. Make a commitment, for one week, to try to let go of what you’re holding onto when you get irritated, frustrated, sad, etc. 2. Make a list of the things that trigger these emotions — being interrupted, someone cutting you off in traffic, someone being loud when you’re trying to work, people not washing their dishes, etc. 3. Create reminders for when those triggers happen — paper notes, a bead bracelet, something written on your hand, a sign on your car’s dashboard, etc. 4. When the trigger happens, pause. Notice the emotion rising. Feel it, but don’t act. Breathe. 5. Try to see what you’re holding onto — wishing the driver would be more polite, wishing you could do what you were doing without interruptions, wishing other people would be perfect in cleaning up after themselves. These wishes are fantasies — let them go. Be open to the way things are, to changes that have happened. Breathe, open your heart, accept. 6. Now respond appropriately, without wishing things were different, with compassion. Repeat however many times you like during the week, or a minimum of once a day. Please note that you will not be perfect at this when you start. It’s a difficult skill to learn, because we have emotional patterns that have built up over the years. It’s good enough to become more aware of it, and to attempt this method once a day. Be flexible in your desire to get this exactly right. Practice it when you remember for the rest of the year.
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. We are delighted to share some of his observations in this months’ eMag.
2014 March Issue | 19
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Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre It’s always pleasing to report when a good program is granted continuing funding these days. In the past week the Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre has confirmed that the Australian Apprenticeship Support Services contract has been extended till June 2015. The service is the one-stop-shop for employers and apprentices providing ongoing assistance. They will help you with the signing of training contracts and also administer the incentive payments to eligible employers and benefits paid to eligible Apprentices, specifically to assist them in the early years when their wages are at the lowest. The Apprenticeship Support Services also has established relationships with Job Services Australia providers, Group Training Organisations, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), schools and community organisations. Apprenticeships and traineeships are open to anyone who can legally work in Australia. There are a range of options available to school students, mature aged entrants, people with a disability and people from an Indigenous background. To find your local Australian Apprenticeships Centre, simply type your postcode into the Australian Apprenticeships Centre search or call 13 38 73. http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/australian-apprenticeships-centres
Did you know the term...
FLASHING
The development of patches glossier than the general finish that develop in the film of a coating material, especially at joins or laps in the coating.
2014 February Issue | 21
‘My Costing Guide’ is a fully automated program where all you have to do is add or change the variables and the total price will appear in an instant. It is simple to use and can be personalised to your own business. How many times have you gone to a job and found that it will take longer because of exterior obstacles or excessive furniture to work around? ‘My Costing Guide’ allows you to add extra time for those situations. It even calculates a workers allocated break time of 20 minutes a day.
www.mytools4business.com/mycostingguide
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2014 February Issue | 23
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
24www.bakerbrosmasterpainters.com.au | Aussie Painters Network
Van, Ute, Trailer & Car Insurance
2014 March Issue | 25
5 Fabulous
Mud Room Ideas
Install soft glide drawers for easy access to footwear … minimises the scratches associated with baskets on 2 pak (speaking from personal experience!). Don’t you love compass decal on the floor? Attention to detail.
If you plan a glamorous mudroom, don’t tuck it away. Make it a beautiful feature that can be seen by all. Just in from the front entrance of your home perhaps? There’s the dark timber/textured basket theme again! The secret is keeping it tidy and presentable for impromptu admirers! I love the idea of a mud room … an easy to clean space between the outside and the inside of your home, that provides storage for shoes, coats, hats and school bags. Popular in countries with snow and wet winters, they are becoming more common here in Australia. We need mud rooms just as much as the colder climate people do! … with our outdoor lifestyles, swimming pools, backyard cricket games. Mud is mud! Here are a few of my favourites. This first image I have had in my files for years. I love the contrast in tone and texture created with the timber and baskets. The dark cabinet hardware finishes it all off so beautifully. And of course, so does the stunning ladder! Create a mudroom in a spare nook/empty wall space in your home. This mudroom nook is so pleasing to the eye … simple and uncluttered. A trip to Bunnings for some MDF, moldings and white paint and ‘Bob’s your uncle’. You want to build a mudroom? Thrifty Decor Chick has you all sorted, HERE
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Incorporate storage for more than just clothes and shoes. Run the home from your mudroom! Create a space where everything has it’s place … school notes, bills, keys, small change. What you would find in that cupboard if I was in charge of this room? … beach towels, the tool box, the medicine kit, candles, torches, batteries, car cleaning bits and pieces … a serious utility room. Now there’s an idea for next time! I am so doing the utility cupboard thing in my next mudroom.
It’s raining outside. Of course it is! I have 500 Open Home Invitations to deliver around a house I am listing today. At least it will be cooler on foot. I will head home between the rain and the office. I have a feeling it’s going to be a very bad hair day! Happy Tuesday!
Anne-Maree Russell
a-m@capecoddesigns.com.au Click HERE to visit her website Call 0403 766 822
Advertisements are placed for free! 2014 March Issue | 27
Aussie App Store
Why go mobile? • Over 8.5 million smartphones are in use in Australia today • 98% of them are used at home, 85% on the go and 73% at work • 94% have been used to research products or services • 78% visit social networks • 74% never leave home without it. • 63% have performed a search on their mobile after seeing an offline ad • 59% make mobile purchases at least once a month • 58% access the Internet every day on their smartphone • 48% look for local info at least once a week, 18% look daily. 43% search Restaurants, Pubs, Bars
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1300 494 188 • info@aussieappstore.com.au
www.AussieAppStore.com.au
Entrepreneurialism… by Monroe Porter
When you own a business, your business life and personal life can all mesh into one giant ball of string. It can be tough to tell where your business life begins and the personal life stops. If your business is messed up, your life is messed up and vice versa. I want to dedicate this article to unraveling this giant mess and using some basic business practice suggestions that I feel can help you get off this entrepreneurial treadmill. Entrepreneurialism is a crippling disease, it may not kill you but it can destroy your life. So why do so many contractors suffer from entrepreneurialism? Several reasons really. Let’s start with ease of entry. If you have several tools, a truck and some waiting customers, you are in business. Maybe your life plan was to own a business but that is not always the case. If you lack the self-discipline to have a real job, if your old boss fires you, you can’t stand authority or you are just a plain good old fashioned dreamer; off you go into the world of entrepreneurialism. I have been amazed at the number of contractors who year after year do not improve their performance. Further investigation showed the cause to be a personal health or personality issue. Ten years of working with contractors in an intimate manner has uncovered numerous cases of sleep apnea that can cause ADD like symptoms. Others suffered from adult ADD. Some were depressed because of the years of hard work and no money. Of course you have to throw in a couple for
addictive behaviors like alcoholism. Maybe even the addictive behavior of being in business and the rush of the sale. We even found a contractor who was going deaf and that was driving many of his issues. It is interesting that almost everyone has some type of issue but if you work on the assembly line at the local factory, you can hide these problems much easier than a business owner can. It is also hard to tell which came first, the chicken or the egg. Did the contractor’s personality cause the entrepreneurialism or did a poor business model break the contractor down and cause the disease over time? Regardless of the cause, if you do not have your head screwed on right, you cannot expect to be successful. Welcome to entrepreneurialism. Another scenario we see is people who are too smart for their own good. Contractors who make money one year and then get bored and buy a big shop or start a new division only to shoot themselves in the foot and create financial problems all over again. Self-discipline makes you successful in business; not the idea of the month. Being smart can be as much if not more of a curse than being dumb. What about those guys who are so driven that they are trying to prove something? Maybe their brothers and sisters are doctors and lawyers and they are trying to prove something. Maybe he or she was dirt poor growing up and they are scared to death of poverty. We all have snakes in our head that can drive us to be entrepreneurs. I was a smart kid and athlete who grew
up in a semi-rural setting with few friends and a depression era Dad who did not attend my football games because he was too busy working. I saw it as lack of support and in reality he just did not understand. It took me years to figure out that I needed to do things for me; not to seek his approval. It is important to understand that motivational seminars can help feed your issues and lack of balance. If you are not careful, motivation becomes just another form of denial and not the inspiration it was intended to be. Having a good business structure can help with the disease but I also have customers who have spent their whole life trying to make their business successful. Suddenly they make more money than they ever dreamed possible and now they have to deal with the real problem which is themselves. With all this said and done, I have to do what I do best which is offer business advice and solutions to help cure the disease. Do you run your business or does it run you? How is tomorrow going to get better unless you learn to change? The following tips can you help change your business and it will help change your life.
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2014 March Issue | 29
Entrepreneurialism…A Disease That Can Ruin Your Business and Life Learn your numbers: How do you control entrepreneurial enthusiasm? By knowing your numbers you know where you make or lose money. Get rid of the pieces of the business that are not profitable. What were your numbers last year? How much money did you lose, make, etc? How much more would you like to make? Add up all your costs line-by-line and decide what costs will go up, what will go down, etc. Focus on reality and not pie in the sky. The numbers will hold your optimism in line. Keep a time card on yourself: Entrepreneurialism is a time related disease where understanding where you invest your time is critical. Keep a time card on yourself for three days. Do it in 30-minute increments to see where you are spending your time. Put a dollar value on what you do. If you are worth $50 an hour when you are selling or running jobs and someone else could pick out materials for $15 an hour, you are losing $35 an hour. If you want to make 100k a year, you cannot be an overpaid delivery person and babysitter. You must make the maximum use of your time. This is one of the first things we teach people in our networking groups. You can’t be financially successful by doing the job of a labourer, babysitter or delivery person. Raise your prices: If you are going to go broke, do it playing golf or fishing, not working on the job. I talk to contractors everyday that are absolutely convinced they can’t charge more. Why are you so intent as an industry to keep rich people’s
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houses pretty while they are on a cruise or playing golf? It can be this simple, if you do $250,000 a year in sales and make $40,000, raising your prices 10% generates 25k in additional salary and raises your income to 65k. What about the people you lose? Market to new people and sell the holes where people drop out. Also, the people who are the greatest pain are usually the people who want it done cheap. Stop making rich people richer and instead charge more and find the people who will gladly pay for your services. Know your renewal and closing rates: Track your closing ratios for quotes. What percentages of the jobs that you quote are you awarded the job? Make sure your get the structure right. This is the absolute most important thing I want to discuss. Too many contractors try to solve their stress issues by throwing bodies and middle managers at the problem. Too many field people think all you have to do to be a manager is ride around with a cell phone and white hat. The solution to growth issues is not more middle managers. The solution to growth is better structure and control. Your growth path should look something like this. When you get more administrative tasks than you can do as owner, you need to hire a part time office person to help you. This person should answer the phone, track costs, qualify leads on the phone, help with customer contact and scheduling, help order materials, and in general run your life. Most contractors are disorganized. If you are disorganized, accept it and hire someone to help run your life. While this might be your spouse, this can be difficult as the
two of you may resent your telling each other what to do. Hire a good office person prior to hiring a salesperson or field supervisor. Get your house in order prior to growing. Again a part time person can be a huge help but pay them well. Use what you pay a craft person as a pay guideline. Later you can hire a full time person. I would rather see you have a great person at $16 an hour for 10 hours a week, than a weak person at $10 for 25 hours. You have a strong personality; you need someone you cannot sell or boss around, this needs to be a team effort, not a dictatorship. Work Set Crews and Hold Foremen Accountable: Everyone knows it is difficult to find good help but you have to get a handle on the realities of field leadership prior to growth. If you are not going to be in the field making decisions, you must have someone else take your place. It is just that simple. If your plan is to ride around and babysit the crews or hire someone to do this for you, you are spending a ton of money trying to make your field people accountable. Each crew needs a leader who is held responsible for what they do. Think in terms of crew leaders, not employees. Simplify, Don’t diversify: Don’t let your customers and operations drive your business plan. Slow down. Another division, more growth, another service is not going to help. Monroe Porter is president of PROOF Management a firm that teaches seminars and runs networking groups for painting contractors. Several Aussie painting contractors travel to the US each year to participate in his programs.
monroe@proofman.com
www proofman.com
Wet Rot
and How to Treat it
Wet rot develops where timber is in direct contact with wet or damp surroundings. Exterior joinery where the paint fill has cracked allowing water to penetrate, is a typical starting point for wet rot. The remaining paint film prevents any water drying out by evaporation, so the wood swells, joints open and wet rot spores enter the cracks. To detect the first signs of wet rot, inspect any cracked paint on window sills or door frames. A thin veneer of surface wood may conceal a soft, dark mass of rotted wood dust beneath. The fungal strands of wet rot fungus are thinner than those of dry rot and are dark brown in colour. When growing over wood, these strands often develop a fern-like shape. Outbreaks of wet rot are much more frequent than those of dry rot but are seldom as difficult to treat. The fungus stays around the original damp wood in which it germinated, making it easier to isolate. The treatment itself is less drastic than that required for dry rot. If the cause of dampness is rectified and the timber is allowed to dry out, there should be no further growth. Therefore, it is necessary to cut out affected wood, which has been seriously weakened by rot. However, it is essential to make sure that timbers around the affected areas are treated with fungicide. As the timber dries out the moisture content falls until conditions are just right for dry rot to occur.
Jim Baker
James W Decorating
www.notjustapainter.com.au Phone 0413 703 395
2014 March Issue | 31
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32 | Aussie Painters Network
Planet Paints can save you money and do the right thing for the environment at the same time. Planet Paints use revolutionary technology to turn waste paint into solvents and high quality paints.
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2014 March Issue | 33
aust plan financial services
First Chartered Capital
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Alleged Union Corruption Attracts a Royal Commission
It was announced earlier this year by Tony Abbott that he will “shine a great big spotlight, into the dark corners of our national life” with a Royal Commission following allegations of corruption within unions; particularly the Australian Worker’s Union, the Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union, the Electrical Trades Union, the Health Services Union and the Transport Workers Union. Late February the government also announced a national police taskforce comprising the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission and state police to work with the commission on union corruption. As reports become more frequent of organised crime spilling into the industrial sectors, these moves will give the enquiry far reaching powers to delve deeply into associations, organisations and individuals deemed to be behaving badly. Investigating bribery, extortion and underhanded deals the commission will have the authority to summon witnesses under oath and pursue anyone against whom credible allegations
of misconduct are made. Additionally, the commissioner has the power to summon witnesses under oath, impound evidence and offer protection to those who co-operate. The Labor Party and Australian Council of Trade Unions do not agree the enquiry is necessary, labelling it a political witch hunt. With the commission likely to cost upwards of $100 Million, opposition Leader Bill Shorten argued that the police are better positioned to handle allegations of corruption and should be left to follow the process. Prime Minister Abbot has accused him of running a protection racket for a protection racket, given Bill Shorten is a former union official himself. See article at: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/ political-news/pms-great-big-spotlight-to-use-on-unions20140209-32abl.html#ixzz2uOOYKyaL
Caroline Miall caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 2014 March Issue | 35
MUA Rally to Protect Jobs and protest Napthine’s ‘Silencing’ Act & fight VLAD laws.
On February 19, Maritime Union Australia’s Victorian Branch Secretary, Kevin Bracken, told a crowd of 5000 about proposed anti protest laws, which give the police more powers to move-on protesters, with potential for jail time for those who don’t comply. He described the moves as an attack on maritime workers by employers, supported by their conservative ‘cronies’ in State and Federal Parliament. Also under the new laws, Employers can apply to the Federal Court to stop unions and individuals from taking unprotected industrial action, and personally sue people for pickets which they say harm their businesses. The gathered protestors agreed to continue to fight against Napthine’s silencing act until such laws were dropped. Victoria’s proposed act comes on the heels of Queensland introducing the stringent Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013; the MUA has helped fund a high court challenge against these laws, along with groups aligned with the Electrical Trades Union. MUA state secretary Mick Carr has stated the contributions are to bring down Laws which will impact on more than just criminal bikies, and will also ban anyone with gang links from working in certain industries. Read more: http://www.mua.org.au/
Did you know the term...
BLUSHING
A milky opalescence that sometimes develops as a film of lacquer dries and is due to the deposition of moisture from the air and/or precipitation of one or more of the solid constituents of the lacquer; usually confined to lacquers that dry solely by evaporation of solvent.
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2014 March Issue | 37
The Industry
Idiots
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Important Contacts Aussie Painters Network www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
Ph. 0430 399 800
Master Painters & Decorators Australia www.masterpainters.asn.au Ph. 08 9471 6662 National Institute for Painting and Decorating www.painters.edu.au Ph. 1300 319 790 Australian Tax Office www.ato.gov.au
Award Rates www.fairwork.gov.au
Ph. 13 72 26 / Ph. 13 28 65 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 STATE ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA
Website www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.workcover.nsw.gov.au www.worksafe.nt.gov.au www.deir.qld.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au www.worksafe.vic.gov.au www.safetyline.wa.gov.au
Phone (02)62073000 13 10 50 1800 019 115 1300 369 915 1300 365 255 1800 136 089 1300 307 877
Cancer Council Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA
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 2014 March Issue | 39
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info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
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