From the Editor Hi everyone, Welcome to our 3rd anniversary edition of the Aussie Painting Contractor eMag; that’s 36 mags in 36 months! In three years, we’ve come a long, long way from our humble beginnings, to publishing the number one Painting Industry Magazine in Australia. We have had our doubters but this has just spurred us on to keep persevering with our magazine and providing support to fill a gap we found in the industry. This month we welcome Brian Carroll, of Brian Carroll’s Painting Services, as a new contributor. Brian is a painter from Victoria who approached us with his musings on the job; we loved his initiative and insights into the industry, and we look forward to sharing his thoughts with our readers. Brian has some excellent hints and tips that will help out too. If you would like to contribute to the Magazine feel free to contact us and we will endeavour to share your thoughts. It’s Fathers Day this month; check out the article on The Essence of Fatherhood by Leo Babauta – some powerful stuff and a reminder of what is really important. I hope all the Dads out there have a great day and get indulged by their nearest and dearest.
EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Anne-Maree Russell • Brian Carroll • Caroline Miall • Colin Thompson • Daniel Wurm • Jennie Gorman • Jim Baker
Also in this issue, Jim Baker follows up his sobering article of a few months ago, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.I was amazed to find out that more men die from prostate cancer per year, than women from breast cancer. With it being father’s day ‘Man Up’ and go and get checked out. (visit http://www.prostate.org.au/) It’s only a couple of weeks till the WorldSkills National Competition is being held in Perth. Good luck to all competitors involved. I am sure you will do yourselves and the industry proud.
• Leo Babauta • Monroe Porter • Nigel Gorman • Sandra Price
GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
Contents Page 07 Competitors for the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition Page 08 Impact of Trades and insolvencies on employment Page 10
Estimates : On The Spot vs. Email
Page 13
European Paintings
Page 16
Cloud Accounting
Page 19 Are you on track to Financial Freedom? Page 20
Digital Visualisation Tools Designing a Happy Customer
Page 23
Prostate Follow Up
Page 26 The Essence of Fatherhood: 5 Simple Lessons Page 28
“But I Meant To Get To It”
Page 31
Hazards of using Linseed Oil Putty and Steel Frame Putty
Page 33
Your company’s Domain Name...
Page 35 What is Products & Public Liability Insurance? Page 38 There’s White And Then There’s White Page 40
Portable Long Service Leave
Page 43
A Painter’s Pitch
Page 44
Where are you in your life now?
Page 46
The Industry Idiots
Page 47
Important Contacts
In the Chair Hello Fellow Painters! It’s our BIRTHDAY! Aussie Painters Network has now been online for 3 years and when I look back at some of the original eMags, I have to say we have improved tremendously. We now offer far more benefits to our Members and have the support of more varied and wonderful advertisers, enabling us to grow. The team has spent many hours bringing to fruition the concepts for the new website and all credit to them. The feedback has all been positive, despite a few minor teething problems. Check it out at www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au . If you are experiencing any problems when accessing the Members Area or logging on, please call us so we can iron them out. It’s great to see that many of our Members taking up the offer of the free Aussie Painters Network Vehicle Stickers. We are really excited to see these on the roads soon! They’re about 180mm square and ideal size for the back of your vehicle or trailer. I’ve contacted as many Members as I could to see who wanted them; if you’d like one and I haven’t got through to you, let me know and I’ll post some out. If you haven’t become a member of Aussie Painters Network yet, give us a try. Our membership is just $75.00 per year and it is money well spent. Check out the back cover of the magazine for the list of benefits we offer, you won’t be disappointed. Happy Painting
Colin Thompson colin@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au Aussie Painters Network Your Partners in Painting 0433 724 794 07 3555 8010 1800 355 344
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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 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.
6 | Aussie Painters Network
Competitors for the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition Category : Painting & Decorating
Training Company
TAFE/Training Provider/Institute
Region
State First Name
Last Name
Employer
Adelide
SA
Russell
Turbill
Image Painting & Decorating
TAFE SA
Brisbane
QLD
Molly
Close
Usher & Son Painting Contractors
TAFE Queensland
Canberra
ACT
Stewart
Jones
Homeworks Australia Pty Ltd
Canberra Institute of Technology
Hunter
NSW
Jarrod
Wardle
Lucas Painting Services
Illawara
NSW
Matthew
Bird
James Hickey Painting & Decorating
Macquarie
NSW
Cory
Tobin
Touch-up Painting Painting Services
Perth North WA
Sharlene
Kidd
G.V. Painting
Perth South WA
Cameron
Creagh
Esplanade Hotel Fremantle
Sydney West
NSW
Anthony
Top Gun Painting & Phonlamuang Decorating Services
Wide Bay
QLD
Rachael
Anderson
All Trades Queensland
TAFE NSW Hunter Institute, Newcastle Campus TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute, Wollongong Campus TAFE NSW Western Institute, Orange College MPA Skills
MPA Skills
Polytechnic West TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute, Granville College All Trades Queensland
Master Painters Queensland
Website : www.worldskills.org.au Phone: 03 9249 1000 | Fax: 03 9249 1033 Email: info@worldskills.org.au 2014 September Issue | 7
Impact of Trades and insolvencies on employment • Job losses due to small business failure larger than big companies failure • Push to encourage more tradesbased careers The attention of the media and the public goes out to the big layoffs. The businesses that used to employ hundreds or thousands of people and are letting (some of) them go. A silent yet bigger problem is the many people that are out of a job because of the collapse of a small business. Insolvency Report 2014, a study commissioned by Jones Partners, experts in insolvency and business recovery, states it as follows: “Most of these insolvencies receive little or no broader public or media attention, standing in stark contrast to the enormous exposure given to large corporate failures,” In comparison, in 2012-13, the failures of large companies (over 200 workers) led to a loss of about 6250 jobs, where smaller businesses (employing less than 19 workers) were responsible for the loss of over 74,000 jobs. As the report says: “The loss of jobs which is perhaps the largest popular media issue surrounding large corporate failures is actually smaller by many orders of magnitude than overall employment losses involved in smaller company insolvencies.” When it comes to the pattern of assets and liability, this also is skewed towards smaller companies.
8 | Aussie Painters Network
In the last financial year, 85% of corporate insolvencies hit businesses with assets in an amount less than $100,000. 43% of them had liabilities of less than $250,000. The industries involved are less surprising, the insolvencies concentrate around construction, retail trade and service companies (both personal and business services), these are all seen as the most important sectors in the domestic economy, but also are the sectors that are hit over and over again in the last years.
Surprisingly, with the service sector chiefly among the sectors that are hit the heaviest, recent research showed that only one in four West Australians wants a trade-based career. Being a “tradie” is snubbed. A campaign has started to target that perception. Bricklaying, plumbing, painting, hairdressing and hospitality are being put on a
pedestal and are shown to be rewarding jobs that can offer excellent pay and are important for the economy. The research was commissioned by WorldSkills Australia, a none profit organization that is preparing its National Competition, to be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in September. In this competition, the best apprentices from around the country will compete against each other. WorldSkills’ survey revealed that most young Australians believe that a degree from a university provides more career options than a vocational career. WorldSkills Australia chief executive Mark Callaghan said jobs that required TAFE or other vocational training still suffered a stigma. “At its heart it’s a perception issue, but it reveals a problem that needs to be addressed – we’re not educating people on the fulfilling pathways that vocational and educational training (VET) can offer,” he said. “There are many unseen trades and skills that keep Western Australia running, and there is a misguided view that these careers are less valuable or less skilled.”
ABIS
Phone: 1300 887 959
www.aubis.com.au
Contact Graco Australia: 03 9468 8500 | 0417 723 360 darren_jones@graco.com
2014 September Issue | 9
Estimates: On The Spot vs. Email
Last month we discussed the importance of professional quoting; the presentation of it, the necessary information. Another consideration you now need is to weigh up how you transmit this info to your customer. From discussions with painters, there are definitely two distinct schools of thought on this; some will generally provide a quote on the spot, whilst others deliver it later, usually by email.
There are pros and cons to both, and various different approaches we’ve discovered. Only a decade or two ago and most quotes would have been done by hand, jotted on a business card, carbon copy form book. So, many painters who have been in business a while may still prefer the benefits of a face to face quote. So what are the advantages of giving your figure on the spot? Many find that they are able to review the final number directly with the customer and answer their queries or objections immediately. Some feel that whilst the appointment might take longer, they’re not leaving their customer hanging, anticipating a cost. There
10 | Aussie Painters Network
is a lot to be said for being present and able to read the non verbal cues of your customer, having eye contact and reading their body language. Probably the best advantage is being able to close the deal on the spot and lock it into your schedule.
There are a few potential cons to such a practice; it is easier to make errors on pricing by trying to do it on the fly, increasing the risk of losing money on the job. Quotes may not be as professional looking and the appointment might be more involved and take far longer than getting back to the customer later. Also, there is a risk that you could look like you haven’t considered the scope of the job thoughtfully enough (then again, you might seem that you know exactly what you’re doing by giving a price then and there; it all depends!) In the other camp, we have those who always take the information away to devise a quote and email it to the customer (or deliver a printed copy) usually within 24 hours. Understandably many feel that there is a lot going on during a walk though estimate and that a verbal or on the spot quote isn’t
as effective and leaves too much room for error. Many operators feel that email helped them to provide a more professional looking and more “thought out” estimate.
Providing a printed quote can assist in laying out why something might be more expensive and take longer. You can include a qualitative paragraph or two on the steps required to get the job done correctly; that way they can read it over, research it if they like and take the time to understand the service being provided. It helps them evaluate multiple quotes too, so they can make fair comparisons on price and professionalism. Other benefits can be that the appointments are quicker, you can consider exactly how much time and money the job will cost you without any pressure, and a professional looking quote can be presented easily. The negatives of doing it this way are that you may wonder if you have secured the work, or if they even got the quote successfully, you can’t address questions straight up, and you haven’t the benefit of seeing your customer’s reaction.
Some resourceful painters have devised their own, mobile way to present their quotes professionally, quickly, in hard copy and electronically! By including in their vehicle’s ‘tool box’ a mobile office system; a small digital printer and laptop or tablet, they can take information back to their truck, think carefully about the information, or enter into quoting software, all whilst being able to view the actual job. They may then choose to deliver it personally or email it. Done! Whichever way works best for you, there are a few key points to remember. Follow up: Always call or email your customer following provision of a quote. If no reply is given to your emailed quote, you need to call to ensure it was successfully received. Ask if they have any questions or concerns about the quote or queries about pricing. Find out what they’re really looking for or needing: Ask them specifically what problems they see or what they dislike about the current paint job. What would they like to see done differently? Have they had any issues with painters in the past? Asking some key questions shows you care about what they want, and will engender confidence that you’re not going to stuff them around. Give your customer time and information about you: Most people when deciding who to spend thousands of dollars with will want to take some time to consider their options. It’s a good idea to have some printed material, testimonials, photos, presented in a basic folio for them to peruse. And, even if you provide all the information in a professional manner, on the spot don’t expect an answer right away, and resist putting pressure on them for a decision. To truly test what works best for your business, you could simply compare your closing numbers against each system to see which you get better results with. Let us know if you try this; we’d like to know what you discover!
by : Caroline Miall caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
12 | Aussie Painters Network
Painting
in Europe Anyone who has been lucky enough to travel to Europe can only be impressed by the incredible artistry and craftsmanship of European painters and decorators. Indeed, our industry here in the South Pacific owes a great deal to the amazing skills that painters have brought here from all over the world. European buildings in particular have a rich history of architectural and decorative styles that most of us can only dream about. I was lucky enough to recently travel through central Europe, where the painting and decorating trade has reached the pinnacle of craftsmanship and beauty. The major towns and cities display some of the finest examples of decorative painting and wall-coverings anywhere in the world, with some buildings still containing original designs and decoration from hundreds of years ago. As early as the 14th century, tradesmen and craftsmen in Europe set up guilds to protect their industry, and thus began the formation of painting and decorating as a recognised profession. Being a painter and decorator is a proud trade, and being a ‘Master’ of the trade requires many years of experience and training with a mentor, who passes on the skills and knowledge to his apprentice.
From about the year 1475, the development of oil paint drastically improved, allowing it to be used as a decorative architectural coating and for art. The Renaissance period of the 16th and 17th centuries brought about the development of the Baroque style of architecture, which featured extensive frescoes and elaborate decoration. Paint was used by the ruling class and religious leaders to inspire awe in the common people, and it was during this period that the painting and decorating trade reached its zenith, with massive amounts of money being spent on impressive Trompe l’oeil (meaning ‘trick of the eye’) large scale Grisaille (grey monotone simulated sculpture) decorative murals, and lavish gold gilding that drips from every door, wall, ceiling and stucco plaster molding. Visit any cathedral or palace in Europe that was built during this period and you will be blown away with the exquisite detail and scale of the projects. On display in Hellbrunn Palace in Salzburg Austria, you can see original wall-coverings dating back 250 years. These wall-coverings were designed and hand-made in China, and were favored by the imperial Hapsburg dynasty, who controlled much of Europe at the time, and opened up trade routes with Asia in the 18th century. The popularity of silk in Europe led to European
craftsmen experimenting with new fabrics for wall coverings, nd it was so favored by the aristocracy that eventually silk worms were imported from China to spin the threads that would be used to weave the incredible wall coverings and textiles of the imperial palaces in Vienna, Austria, and Budapest in Hungary. These can still be viewed today. I recently interviewed a ‘Master Painter’ in the city of Wels, Austria. Thomas Pechlof operates a painting and decorating business and promotes himself as a ‘qualified’ tradesman. He specialises in restoration and maintenance of historic buildings, and decorative finishes. Thomas explained that apprenticeships in Austria take 3 years, and that apprentices need to attend a college in Vienna to become fully qualified. A qualified painter earns between A$54 and A$70 per hour. In Germany it is still common for a painter to spend another 3 years of training with various employers before qualifying to be called a ‘Master Painter’. In the past, this could only be achieved by the student completing a final project for assessment, from which we get the English expression ‘masterpiece’.
Continue to Page 14... 2014 September Issue | 13
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Painters in Europe must learn to use a wide variety of paints and finishes, because modern acrylic paints are not designed to be applied over some traditional finishes. Painters have been using mineral silicate paints on exterior masonry surfaces for hundreds of years because these finishes penetrates the surface and actually become part of the substrate. They have extremely good colourfastness and durability, with up to 30 year life expectancy. Check out below some photos of Thomas working, and some of the amazing buildings in his hometown of Wels. You can learn more about advanced decorative finishes, and how to create Trompe l’Oeil, gilding and large scale decorative finishes by enrolling in the NIPD Advanced Decorative finishes course, either on-line or at the Gold Coast campus. Find out more at: http://www.painters.edu.au/Training-Courses/ Apply-Decorative-Finishes.htm Find out more about the history of painting in Britain and Australia here: http://www.painters.edu.au/History-of-Painting/
The National Institute of Painting and Decorating would like to thank Thomas Pechlof, the City of Salzburg and Stadt Vienna for permission to photograph. Daniel Wurm teaches decorative finishes and wallpapering at the IS Australia painting faculty in Darwin, and the Masters in Building Training, based in Sydney. Connect at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Painters-Institute/253499481396136?ref=hl
2014 September Issue | 15
Cloud Accounting Cloud accounting is increasingly being embraced by business owners as an innovative method of data storage and record keeping. You are almost certainly already making use of other cloud computing software such as email, internet banking and document storage like Dropbox, Apple iCloud or Google Drive. Cloud accounting has the potential to provide equal benefit to your overall business output. An immediate and obvious convenience is that you are able to access real time data from any device that is internet enabled, meaning your accounting information is always current and up to date. You control who has access to your cloud accounting data so team sharing becomes simple and providing records to your accountant or book keeper- a dream! Purchasing cloud accounting software is a one off expense and because you will always have access to the latest online versions, the cost of regularly upgrading software packages is eliminated. Making use of cloud based software also frees up space on your hard drives. Data integrity and security is increased with cloud accounting as records don’t need to be transported via external drives or physical copies. In fact, records
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16 | Aussie Painters Network
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2014 September Issue | 17
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18 | Aussie Painters Network
Are you on track to
Financial Freedom? If you have a full time job or equity in your home, you’re on your way to owning a multi-million dollar property portfolio.
There is a very high chance that you pay more for your tax and your debts (mortgage, credit cards, cars etc.) than you should. To find out we invite you to attend a JDL Strategies Massive Gains Property Program event. The best two hours of financial intelligence you will ever experience including wealth management, buying investment property and investment property management advice.
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Our seminars are Australia-wide! Melbourne - Tuesday 2nd September 2014 Sydney - Tuesday 2nd September 2014 Brisbane - Tuesday 16th September 2014 Perth -Tuesday 16th September 2014 WHO ARE WE? JDL Strategies are a specialised team of Wealth Strategists with a unique approach to creating financial freedom and a pathway to retirement planning. It’s is our mission to raise the financial intelligence of all Australians.
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www.jdlpropertyevent.com/apn/ 2014 September Issue | 19
Digital Visualisation Tools
Designing
a Happy Customer When advising your customers, or if it’s your own home you’re redecorating, renovating or painting, be sure to check out the latest in digital resources. Created to help with design, decision making and generally trying out what works before you commit to anything, online visualisation tools can assist you with layouts, styles, colours and textures, and help to avoid disappointment with the final result. Use resources designed specifically to assist with colours for painting, arrangements in online room planners, and image sharing hubs to inspire and plan your space in extraordinary detail. What a great way to cut through the uncertainty with your customer. At the end of the job, it could really help save you having a customer who no longer likes their choices because they didn’t understand how the colour would look. It’s not your fault, but nonetheless, you have a dissatisfied customer! If you have a client who is still considering their design and colour options, suggest they browse some home design Blogs and Pinterest albums for ideas. On Pinterest you can seek inspiration by ‘following’ others with similar aesthetic taste. These are great ways to get your client to visualise what they want for their own space before they make firm choices. Crystallise their intentions for the space to narrow decisions to be made. Even simply entering key words into a Google image search can turn up some great pictures for random inspiration – give it a try. A search for “teal and white rooms” located some stunning interiors! Your customer will think you’re a genius.
20 | Aussie Painters Network
Don’t be timid of engaging with the growing number of applications and web tools being released by major paint manufacturers. Taubmans has recently devised a tool specifically for Professional use for colour matching and selection; the Taubmans Colour Galaxy, (see www.Taubmans.com.au/ColourGalaxy). Many programs provide an interactive experience where you can upload pictures of your home or room, and see exactly how combinations of colours will appear. Similarly, there are hundreds of three dimensional online room planners that allow you to try out different arrangements of rooms and furniture, as well as colours, without having to move a thing. Even better, your mobile phone or tablet can replace bulky fan decks and brushouts.
2014 September Issue | 21
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22 | Aussie Painters Network
Prostate Follow Up
I was reading through the Queensland Master Builders magazine recently and came across an organization that I didn’t know existed. I want to share this with you for the simple reason that (as many of you would know from my article in the December issue of Aussie Painting Contractor Mag) I have Prostate Cancer. First some important facts about the disease that you may not know: • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian men • 1 in 5 Queensland men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime • Prostate cancer claims almost 3,300 lives per year • There are more than 100,000 men living with prostate cancer in Australia • More men die from prostate cancer than women die from breast cancer The Community-based registered, not-for-profit organisation is called ‘ManUp’ and it is dedicated to tackling prostate cancer by; • Raising awareness of prostate cancer • Educating the community about prostate cancer and the need for testing • Raising vital funds to establish a program of prostate cancer care nurses to support men already living with prostate cancer. At the moment the general population are not being well enough educated or well-informed about prostate cancer by the means of screening, the treatment options and the need for support once diagnosed. Statistics show that we are not capturing men in the age group of 40-55 years as these are the ones who are dying far too early. From the end of August to early October, ManUp is taking part in a six week awareness-raising campaign in rural and remote Queensland known as ’ManUp on
the road tour’. The tour organisers are committed to reaching men in regional and rural Queensland as men in these areas have a 21% higher prostate cancer mortality rate than those in capital cities. An awareness and educational program is vital in these areas if we are to save the lives of a significant proportion of the population. Two of the men taking part in this tour driving two vintage cars, tell their story of when first diagnosed. My name is Carl and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 39 in December 2008. This was only detected because at the time my wife was pregnant with our second child and while visiting her doctor she noticed l was looking tired. She ordered some blood tests which included PSA. My PSA count was higher than normal and after more tests, found I had a fairly aggressive prostate cancer. In March 2009 I had a full removal of my prostate. Since then I have regular PSA checks to monitor the progress making sure it hasn’t spread. Having the prostate removed caused some side effects but it only lasted for approximately six months. My name is Brian and I was diagnosed at age 57 from a routine blood test that I have every year. My GP always included a PSA test which I was unaware of. The results showed the PSA count was high enough to be of concern so I underwent robotic surgery to remove the prostate. I am doing very well now and while you can never be sure there will not be any issues down the track, my surgeon is very hopeful the cancer was caught at a very early stage. I had some incontinence for about 2 months but have had no other lasting side effects. I would like to thank Jill (Brian’s wife)from ManUp for supplying me with this information. If you would like to know more, go to www.manupqld.com.au
Continue to Page 24... 2014 September Issue | 23
Prostate Follow Up It has now been over 12 months since the diagnosis from my doctor telling me I had prostate cancer. Because my PSA count is not at the critical stage, I have decided not to have an operation just yet. In saying that, I am fully aware there will be a time when an operation will be necessary. It could be 6, 12 or 18 months away but my urologist suggests for the time being, not to rush into it. He is keeping a close eye on it through regular PSA checks, but in the end though the final decision does come down to me and what I feel comfortable with.
I would like to thank again all the people that have been concerned about my health in the past six months. A few weeks ago I attended a Conference on the Gold Coast run by Dulux and I was overwhelmed by the number of people came up to me to enquire how I was coping. The scary thing is I have no symptoms. If it wasn’t for the check-up 12 months ago, I would not have known about the cancer. It may have been another 3, 5 or 7 years in which I found out, but by then it would be too late for a cure. Again I urge all men reading this to ‘ManUp’ and make an appointment to see your doctor. Life and family is too important to stick your head in the sand by saying that, ‘It won’t happen to me!’ I assure you, it can. by : Jim Baker
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www.mytools4business.com/mycostingguide 24 | Aussie Painters Network
2014 September Issue | 25
The Essence of
Fatherhood:
5 Simple Lessons I’ve been a father for more than 21 years, and have 6 kids altogether, and have loved every messy minute of it. And now I have a young brother who’s becoming a father this month, and is deeply scared by the prospect of fatherhood. He’s not sure if he’ll do a good job, worried he’ll fail. I can tell him this: being a father is the scariest thing I’ve known in my life. All of a sudden, I was 19 and in charge of a fragile human life, so precious and dear but so flickering and easily put out. And I was completely unprepared — no class in school taught me what to do, and I had very few life lessons by that time. It was a terrifying experience. And it’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. More rewarding than getting married, than running an ultramarathon, than starting a successful business, than helping thousands of people change their lives through my example.
But to be honest, I sucked at it at first. 26 | Aussie Painters Network
My biggest problem, apart from a dreadful lack of knowing what the hell I was doing, was a sense of entitlement. My child should do what I say, behave a certain way, grow into the person I want her to be. That’s ridiculous, I now know, but it caused me all kinds of conflict in the beginning. I now see a father not as a shaper of clay, but a herder of cats. A father isn’t molding a child into the perfect ideal of a human being he’d like her to be … he’s trying to keep her alive, and feel loved, as she grows into whatever she already is. For young men who are becoming fathers, and young women becoming mothers as well (because there’s not much difference other than anatomy) … here are my thoughts on herding cats. Just know that I’ve violated all of these ideas repeatedly, and learned these lessons the hard way. Your first job is to love them. And to be there for them. This is above all other duties. Of course, we need to keep them safe and fed and clothed and change their diapers — keep them alive — and that’s important. But let’s consider
that the baseline — it’s not hard to keep a child alive into adulthood. Anyone can do it with a smidgen of effort. What’s important is whether the child grows into an adult who is loved. This is trickier, because in our entitlement to having the child behave the way we want her to behave, become who we want her to become, we tend to push, to judge, to expect, to scold, to drive wedges between our heart and hers. But in the end, all of those things just get in the way of the main duty: to have her be loved. If at the end of your life you can say that you were there for your child, and she or he felt loved, then you’ve succeeded. Your example is more important than your words. We often tell the child to be considerate as we yell at him, and so he doesn’t learn to be considerate but to yell (only if he’s the more powerful in the relationship). When we punish, they learn how to punish and not whatever other lesson we think we’re teaching. When we put them on restriction, they aren’t learning to share like we think they are.
If you want the kid to grow up healthy, exercise and eat healthy foods. If you want the kid to find work that he’s passionate about, do that yourself. If you want the kid to read, turn off the TV and read. If you don’t want the kid to play video games all day, shut off your computer. A hug is more powerful than punishment. A hug accomplishes your main duty (to love), while punishment is the example we’re setting for the kid (to punish when someone makes a mistake). When a child behaves badly, this is a mistake. Are we adults free from mistakes? Have we never been upset, never behaved badly, never given into temptation, never told a lie? If we have done any of these things, why are we judging our child for doing them, and punishing her for them? What’s more important than judging and punishing, when a child makes a mistake and behaves badly, is understanding. Empathy. Put yourself in her shoes. What would help you in that situation? Have compassion. Give a hug. Show how a good person behaves, though the example of a hug. And yes, talk about the problem, get them to understand why the behavior wasn’t so great, get them to empathize with the person they’ve hurt, but learning to empathize must start with your example. Trust them. Let them take risks and fail, and show them that it’s OK to fail, it’s OK to take risks. Don’t give them the neuroses of being afraid of every little risk, of worrying constantly about safety, of making a mistake and getting punished for it. They will fail, and your reaction to that failure is more important
than the failure itself. You must show them that the failure is just a successful experiment, where you learned something valuable. If you trust them, they will learn to trust themselves. They will grow up knowing that things can go badly but trust that all will turn out OK in the end. That’s a trust in life that’s incredibly valuable. Let them be who they’re going to be. You aren’t in control of that. You might care deeply about something but she doesn’t. You might think what she cares about is trivial, but that’s who you are, not who she is. Let her express herself in her way. Let her figure out things for herself. Let her make choices, mistakes, take care of her own emotional needs, become self-sufficient as early as she can. Read with them. Play ball with them. Take walks and have talks with them. Gaze up at the stars with them and wonder about the universe. Make cookies with them. Listen to their music and dance with them. Greet them in the morning with a huge smile and a warm, tight embrace. Do puzzles together, build a robot together, get into their blanket forts, pretend to be a prince or a Jedi with
them, tell them stories you made up, run around outside, draw together, make music videos together, family newspaper, help them start a business, sing badly together, go swimming and running and biking and play in the monkeybars and sand and jungle. Each moment you have with your child is a miracle, and then they grow up and move away and become their own person and figure out who they are and get hurt and need your shoulder to cry on but then don’t need you anymore. And so in the end, fatherhood is being there until they don’t need you to be there, until they do again. And it’s not a thankless task, because they will thank you every day with their love, their presence, their simple smiles. What a joyful thing, to be a dad.
by Leo Babauta, a success-
ful ‘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 September Issue | 27
“ But I
Meant To Get To It”
Business owners are busy and even with the best of intentions, there are things we meant to do, that we just never get around to. Failure to do some of these things can cost you a small fortune and be disastrous. Here are some friendly reminders. Death and taxes: Facing our mortality is never easy but death is inevitable for all of us. Remember, your death is already a tremendous ordeal for your family, so don’t put further stress by being unprepared. Failure to have a will means the government and bureaucratic processes will prevail. Also, if you have not updated your will in the last 5 to 10 years means it may be out of date. If you have small children, a custody directive as to who will take care of them in the case of both spouses death is also wise. A living will is also in order. Powers of attorney are complicated documents and should never be taken lightly but is your business covered if something happens to you? Being in a coma in the hospital is bad enough but losing your business while you are asleep because no one can sign checks or take care of things just adds to the disaster. Hire a professional. Get some advice and make sure the basics are covered.
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Consider funeral preplanning and payment. It can be a wonderful parting gift for your family. Prescription lists: Do you have a prescription list in your wallet and readily available? If you have an adverse reaction or a car accident, such a list could save your life. Physical: No matter what your age, set a doctor’s appointment and have a physical. Finding out your vital statistics may save your life. Offsite computer backup: It would astonish you how many contractors have a manual back up system, think they are covered, crash and have not backed up the system in several months. It is not a question of if your computer system will crash, but when. It is important to have a backup system you don’t have to remember to copy. And it also is important to make sure it works and you can restore the data. Systems have to be restored offsite. Even if you put a disk in a fireproof cabinet, the heat of a fire will destroy the disc. Also, what happens if thieves take all of your computers and also the fireproof cabinet because they thought something important was in it? Estimating help: If you are the only person who can measure and put
together a job and something happens to you, you are going to be out of business once your backlog disappears. If a key employee can do a takeoff, you can advise them on how to mark up the job. Have your spouse or office call me and I will offer some guidance but I am not a technician and I don’t do square footages or count units. Document what you own: Have a fire or disaster and it can take forever to count all those missing items and you probably never get it all. With digital photos and videos, it is extremely easy to video tape your office, shop and home. Make a note to do so once a year and make sure the information is kept offsite. Open cabinets and doors to take photos of what is inside. Just takes a minute and if you ever need them, they are a godsend. Safety program: Put together a simple safety program and have access to a safety consultant. If someone falls and dies on one of your jobs, it is too late to start thumbing through the yellow pages to find someone to help guide you. Make sure you have safety log books and follow the appropriate systems. By the way, don’t assume if you use subcontractors you are exempt from safety issues. Hire an expert.
Make annual retirement contributions: Contribute to some type of IRA and start early. Countless contractors I encounter think one day that they will sell their business and use the proceeds for retirement. Contracting businesses are hard to sell. Putting all your money into trucks, buildings and other business assets may not be the best long term strategy. Try to balance your wealth. If 5k a year was put in an IRA at age 19 and the return was 5%, you would have over 1.3m at 72. Compounding returns on investments is a wonderful thing but you have to start early and look to the long haul. Review your insurance: Have a business professional review your insurance. Remember that the purpose of insurance is for disasters not fender benders. Yes, it is expensive but the lowest price may not be the wisest choice. Good business insurance agents are detailed folks who look closely to make sure all the loop holds are covered. Are you insured if an employee has an accident in their vehicle on company time? What about theft and embezzlement? Are you insured if you have a spill into a waterway and have to pay for clean up? What is your liability cap? Working on a 5m house is not uncommon and having an accident that burns it down is easier than you might think.
Electronic bank theft protection: Were you aware that many of the consumer laws that apply to personal banking may not apply to your business account. Have your banker put in writing that if someone hacks into your account, they will cover it. You may be surprised at the response. I am not trying to be a worry wart but you must be a realist. A little bit of protection can go a long way to protect your loved ones and all those things you have worked to build up. 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.
www.proofman.com
www.mytools4business.com/howtobecome
30 | Aussie Painters Network
Hazards of using Linseed
Oil Putty and Steel Frame Putty circa 1970’s and earlier.
I have been in the painting and decorating trade for 37 years and thought I had seen and heard everything with regards to our trade until a fellow painter and friend of mine suggested we undertake the master painters lead management course. The course was a one-day lecture with a test at the end on safe lead paint management. I reluctantly agreed to attend, however was very pleasantly surprised with the information presented as I did learn quite a few things about lead paint. The biggest surprise to me was the fact that linseed oil putty contained asbestos up until the late 70’s. I assume it was used as a thickening/bonding agent to make window putty more durable.
with a hammer, chopping it into a fine consistency with my putty knife before adding linseed oil and mixing the consistency with my hands. This rejuvenated the putty back to its original soft consistency. I think back now of the potential health risk I may have inadvertently been exposed to not knowing about asbestos fibers in the putty.
I remember my first jobs as a first year apprentice painter, was to soften up putty for the tradesmen to use. It was supplied in a 4 litre can and after a few months use it started to dry out near the bottom because of the continuous opening of the lid.
These days, modern putty does not contain any harmful additives however old putty is still found in many older homes so everyone should be taking necessary precautions and refrain from sanding it.
It was my job to scrape out the semi hard putty from the can with my scraper. Then I recall pounding it up
by : Brian Carroll Brian Carroll’s Painting Services
2014 September Issue | 31
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Your company’s...
www.DomainName.com it can be even more prevalent business info than your phone number, and possibly even your actual company name at times. Not only is it key to your internet presence, it will appear on everything you print from invoices to work vehicles. It should be recognisable and relate to your business name, brand, product, and/or activities. There are loads of factors to consider when landing on a domain name. Here are just a few.. Imagine seeing it for the first time... It’s often your domain name that a customer sees first. Choose carefully the name or wording that works without spaces or capitals and doesn’t spell something you didn’t plan for! If it isn’t simply your company name, ensure it is relevant and represents who you are and what you do. You can’t underestimate the importance of how it reads and that it needs to ‘be’ you, be relevant and to represent your business in a positive light. Make it memorable or build on your branding... the name is, crucial, going to either follow on from existing successful marketing, thereby using your company name as-is or something snappy and original that will be easy to recall and enter into a browser to result in few similar sites. Do plenty of web searches to see what is already out there.
for those making typos and for others who haven’t recalled your business name accurately in the first instance. If even a vague search for something like your name results in locating you, then it is money well spent. How does it end...? Whilst there are hundreds of companies that buy up domains as their product, to be sold to businesses later seeking the ideal name, there are now those securing dozens of brand new generic suffixes - ‘Top-Level Domains’ (‘gTLDs’) which is a fancy name for the endings of a domain name .com .edu .gov etc.). Perhaps overly descriptive endings like .painter, .clothing, .plumbing, .singles are becoming available. Be wary of jumping on this band wagon though, as research suggests that consumers are comfortable with the fewer, basic ones that already exist, and that new ones, despite being descriptive, do not inspire trust and confidence in the site or the business. Caroline Miall caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
Practical considerations... your domain name shouldn’t be lengthy remembering it will be printed in numerous places, and you will have to relay it verbally. If your business name is known and long, consider whether you’d be wiser to use the main word in your title, or to abbreviate to an acronym; chances are though that its not available, or isn’t what your business is remembered as, which can present problems. Cover all your bases... Choose a name that you will be happy to incorporate in your email address – that way you are marketing yourself with every email you send. Register multiple versions of your business name, even common misspellings! You want to allow
2014 September Issue | 33
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
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What is Products & Public Liability Insurance?
Jason Norris Golf Pro
Almost every painter has a liability insurance policy. Some insurers call it “broadform liability,” some call it “public and products liability” or even “general liability.” But what does it all mean? Let’s work backwards and look at the second word first. Liability. It’s one of the insurance companies’ favourite words, and you’ll see it pop up in your home insurance, car insurance, truck insurance, business insurance and pretty much everywhere else. All it really means is that you’re responsible. So if you drove your car into a house you are liable, or responsible, for the car-shaped hole in someone’s living room. With that in mind, what your liability insurance actually covers makes a lot more sense. It’s a “public and products responsibility” insurance – protecting your business when it is responsible for damage to the public, or damage from your products. It includes things like a pedestrian tripping over a can of paint you put down or one of your workers breaking a plasterboard wall. It isn’t faulty workmanship insurance, but it can protect against unexpected events like paint spilling on concrete and staining it. Some of your contracts might require you to have an active insurance policy for $5 million, $10 million or $20 million dollars. This means that if something does go wrong, your contractor knows regardless of your business’ current assets, the repairs will get done and the bill will be paid. Perhaps more important, it also means your business does not have to pay for solicitors or legal defence costs if lawyers got involved.
Jason has been playing the professional circuit for over 15 years. He was the winner of the 2010 Victorian Open, the 2007 Western Australian PGA & the 2007 New South Wales Open.
We’re proud to have Jason sporting our logo!
Get a chance to
Play with a Pro
So whether it is called “broadform liability,” “general liability,”or “public & produc ts liability,” you are protecting your business when it is responsible for damage to the public, or damage from your products.
www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 2014 2014September February Issue | 35
36 | Aussie Painters Network
Lead Alert:
The six step guide to painting your home Here is the latest edition of the
‘Lead Alert: The six step guide to painting your home’.
We were contacted by Government in regards to assisting in upgrading the 5th edition and assisted in supplying additional content that we can happily say they have added. We supplied a copy of the Aussie Painters Network Lead Check List which is now also available in the back of the book. Both the Department of Environment and Aussie Painters Network both felt it was imperative to supply consumers with a checklist after the increasing amount of Lead exposure incidence that has occurred in the recent past.
How much does your business need to earn to cover its expenses?
www.mytools4business.com/myhourlyratecalculator
2014 September Issue | 37
There’s White And Then There’s White It is no secret that I love white and neutrals. I lathered the interior of my house in Antique White from top to bottom. It is such a perfect warm white that complements everything I love… timber floors, neutral slip-covered sofas, natural stone, white French doors and silver/rattan accessories. I must admit I have been itching to learn more about colour so when I had the opportunity to spend some time with a Colour Consultant, last week, I jumped at the chance. My consultant discussed what was involved in a Colour Consultation and how the most important thing is getting a good brief from the client. A qualified Interior Designer, she takes into account the whole vision of the client’s project… the layout of the home, lighting, floor coverings, planned accessories…. before even discussing colour. Choosing colour is all about creating ambience. It can enlarge or reduce spaces, reflect more light and create mood and illusions. I pounced on her colour book as soon she got it out and went straight to the neutrals as I was so keen to hear her take on the ‘wonderful world of whites’. Cooler whites, those with blue/ green undertones, tend to suit more modern contemporary homes, with lots of light and modern reflective surfaces, whereas the warmer
38 | Aussie Painters Network
whites (with cream, yellow and pink undertones), tend to suit a more traditional aesthetic, with possibly lower lighting and more warm finishes like timber and stone. It was great to be able to look at large A4 sized swatches of colour and see the difference in their undertones. The larger swatches, available through a consultant, are not printed colour but actual “brushouts”… real paint…. so they are as accurate as accurate.
What works? What doesn’t work? I wandered around with the large swatches, holding them up against accessories seeing how the colour took on a different life when up against various materials… timber, rattan, linen, silver. It all goes to show that paint colour choice needs to be done in your home, ‘at the scene’, in the light that you are going to be living in, surrounded by the things that you are going to be living with.
We did discuss bolder colours… briefly. The general gist is that anything bolder is more likely to date. So I sort of changed the subject pronto. I’m a sucker for ‘timeless’ and needed to discuss whites more! Perhaps not surprisingly, whites and neutrals are the most popular colour range. They are ideal for creating a clean, classical backdrop which provides a good basis for adding your most favourite colours to any room. To help you on your way with colours, there is a wonderful gallery of hues on the Dulux site HERE or go to their ‘Colour Atlas’ HERE if you are after the serious stuff!
Anne-Maree has been passionately blogging about beautiful homes and her community at her popular lifestyle and property blog, www. thehousethata-mbuilt. com for over 6 years. With over 200,000 visitors/month to her blogs, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook and having proudly achieved a record suburb price for her last residential project (featured on the cover of Australian Home Beautiful), Anne-Maree’s experience and resources offer a real estate experience that is simply unsurpassed.
www.thehousethata-mbuilt.com
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www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 1800 355 344 | 07 3555 8010
2014 September Issue | 39
Portable Long Service Leave
As painters, it’s often in the nature of how we operate that many of us will work for sometimes dozens of different employers in the industry. As a result, for a long time painters simply missed out on the benefit of long service leave; that is, additional paid time-out from a job due to lengthy service to the one employer. Is that fair? No. That is why the states and territories responded with a solution of Portable Long Service Leave, entitling tradies to accrue, pro-rata, the amounts within each period of employment, to the equivalent of what would otherwise be accumulated over time. Most employees’ entitlement to long service leave comes from long service leave laws in each state or territory. These laws set out: • how long an employee has to be working to get long service leave (eg. after 7 years) • how much long service leave the employee gets. In some states and territories long serving casuals are eligible for long service leave. To find out about long service leave entitlements, contact the long service leave agency in your state or territory: • ACT - ACT Leave • NSW - NSW Industrial Relations • NT - NT Government • QLD - Queensland Industrial Relations • SA - SafeWork SA • TAS - Workplace Standards Tasmania • VIC - Business Victoria • WA - Commerce WA Long service leave is paid at the employee’s ordinary pay rate. The ordinary pay rate is the employee’s base pay rate for their usual hours of work and doesn’t include allowances, shift loadings, penalties or overtime.
For more information see: www.fairwork.gov.au/Leave/long-service-leave
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2014 September Issue | 41
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A Painter’s As business people, and tradespeople, it’s a fact that the role includes a certain amount of finesse with regard to sales. Most of us wouldn’t include “sales” in a description of our skills, but the truth is if we are the ones meeting the customers, providing the information to win the quote, then we are also sales people and, therefore, need to possess interpersonal skills for the task. You may be the most brilliant, technically skilled painter on the planet, but if you can’t engage a customer, communicate effectively, and engender confidence and trust, then it’s unlikely you will get the work.
Pitch
Having said that, it’s crucial that you don’t try to employ sales strategies that make you something you’re not. You are first and foremost a skilled tradesman, so the most relevant thing is that you know your stuff. Imparting this to the customer is your first job, but in a way that they will understand, and not feel condescended to. You should switch on the charm if that’s your style, because no one wants to have to interact with someone devoid of personality, disrespectful or dismissive. One word answers are unacceptable. And it doesn’t hurt to smile! If you’re not the kind to charm the pants off every person in the room, you’re shy or introverted, then listening carefully to your customer and reaffirming what they say back to them can be the best tact; in fact listening skills are every bit as important as any others in this game. This is so often forgotten that a customer can wonder if they were understood in what they want. Ineffective communication at this starting point can result in issues with your customer at completion. Be genuine and be yourself, but not too familiar; This could put off many a customer, especially of older generations. If you have confidence and pride in the job that you do, and trust in your own ability to make the person’s house/room/office look fantastic, then you only need speak the truth, and your sales pitch is done!
2014 September Issue | 43
Where are you in your life now? Our lives are like the seasons and/ or lessons to learn. If you understand where you are at, you can be supported to move through the process more easily. For me personally, I have both my personal life and my business in the season similar to winter at the present time … this is when we need to stop, contemplate, ponder and wait quietly for spring to come. This is the time we are reaping what we sowed. We need to ask ourselves, what is the lesson or season and have we learnt it? We are all on a journey and if you are a business owner it is not easy to have yourself and your business in winter at the same time. If you find yourself, as I am experiencing now, know that it will change and you will come to the spring when the time is right. There is no particular time length for any season, and we can move through them fast or slow, dependant on what is happening around us. The only thing we DO know for certain is that all the seasons will come around in not only our business but also in our life. Jim Rohn, in his innate wisdom, was the first to speak about the ‘Seasons of Life’ giving business owners the insight to understand how they
could support themselves, during these times. For me MasterMinding and my personal friendships have been the catalyst to support me to move through more easily my ‘winter’. How long I am there depend on how I handle it. I have been able to get the support from friends and fellow masterminders to stop and listen to what I am meant to be doing before the next season starts! Understand that we start out in ‘spring’, and hopefully we learn to take advantage of the opportunities that come with it. Just as the animals come out of hibernation ready to start again, you have this chance too. This is your time to plant the seeds that will move you forward so you can become who you want to become. Life starts again, and by having watched nature in the past, you can recognise this as you will be energised. Take full advantages of the opportunities that come your way for your higher good. Once ‘spring’ has gone and you move into ‘summer’ you need to become protective of the seeds you have sown. This is when you reap the benefits of what you created in the ‘spring’. If you do not protect what you created it can be easily destroyed or ruined. This is the fun time of your life as you
start to relax from the work done in your ‘spring’. Is not this the time we take holidays, have fun and take time out? Eventually though we will move into ‘autumn’ when things start to slow down and we start to gear up for another ‘winter’. During ‘autumn’ though it is necessary that you take responsibility for what you have created in the last season. Whether these things have been good or bad is irrelevant. Just learn the lessons from the experiences. Keep building on the seeds you sowed in ‘spring’ as these will be what will help you through your ‘winter’ when it comes. This is the time when you make sure you have everything cemented into place. And as you will realise, ‘winter’ always comes, and if we can recognise it, we can deal with it. Just as we change our wardrobe to be comfortable in every season we need to be ready for ‘winter’ when it comes too. This can be easier if we prepared for it, just like the squirrels do. Be prepared to handle the ‘winter’ with all its challenges when it comes. Let your network support you until you move into ‘spring’ again.
by: Jennie Gorman 0414 278 344
www.connexionxunlimited.com.au 44 | Aussie Painters Network
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2014 September Issue | 45
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 September Issue | 47
OUR MEMBERSHIP 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