From the Editor
Hey Everyone,
Welcome to the 146th issue of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.
What an amazing month I have had. From rushing home from Far North Qld in the first week of the month to juggling training once back in Brisbane to see 5 of the apprentices that I have been training throughout their apprenticeships complete their time in training with me. A couple of them were extra special as they can through programs that we ran 4 years ago. This is one of the greatest achievements I have is seeing these amazing people work and study to become the tradespeople they have. I just love seeing the growth from day 1 that I meet them.
Tomorrow to see out the end of the month I am heading up to Central Qld with a few days training in Rockhampton.
The team have attended many events this month and had assisted painting business owners find staff. This week alone 8 people have started trials with employers. If you are looking for staff contact the office and they will be able to assist you.
We have been getting great feedback from Members using the online SWMS. If you are after some info about them contact us or go and have a look at the website and watch the video to see how it works. 'Til next month, Happy Painting!!
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
CONTRIBUTORS
• Bess Schnioffsky
• Caroline Miall
• Gemma Hamilton
• Gordon Parker
• Jim Baker
• Leo Babauta
• Nicola Henry
• Nigel Gorman
• Oliver Kay
• Robert Bauman
• Sandra Price
EDITOR
Nigel Gorman
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
J. Anne Delgado
and
those of the
or
or
The
Painting a Path Forward: School to Work Transitions Program Update
The School to Work Transitions Program, funded by the Queensland State Government, continues to empower and inspire the next generation of painters and decorators across Queensland. This term, the program welcomed students from Yeronga State High School, Loganlea State High School, Hymba Yumba Independ School, and the Murri School — and the feedback has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Students jumped into the program with curiosity and energy, engaging fully with every hands-on task. For many, it was their first time picking up a paintbrush — and they absolutely loved it.
“I never really thought of painting, but now I really think I could do this as a job,” said one student.
“This is the first time I’ve felt like I’ve found something I’m good at,” shared another from Loganlea.
Around 75% of participants have expressed strong interest in continuing in the trade, either through school-based apprenticeships or transitioning into full-time opportunities after graduation. This response speaks volumes about the value of practical, real-world experience for students who may not thrive in traditional academic settings.
At the heart of this success is Trainer Matt Christopher, who has an undeniable knack for connecting with young people. Matt brings humour, heart, and a whole lot of hands-on know-how to every session, creating a learning environment where students feel seen, supported, and excited about their future.
“Matt’s the best teacher I’ve had. He actually listens and makes it fun,” one student commented.
Our dedicated team is now working hard to support those students eager to take the next step, linking them with employers and helping them transition into meaningful, hands-on work experiences and career pathways.
Calling All Employers
If you're a painting business owner looking to give back to the trade and take on an apprentice, now is the time to get involved. These students are eager, enthusiastic, and ready to learn — and with the right guidance, they’ll grow into the skilled professionals our industry needs.
We welcome those interested in offering short term work experiences (paid), and/or the potential for full time apprenticeships in and around the Brisbane area. Interested employers can get in touch via office@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au to learn more about how to support this valuable initiative.
This program continues to prove that with the right encouragement, exposure, and mentorship, we can inspire the next generation of skilled painters and decorators — while making a lasting difference in the lives of young people.
Caroline Miall Founder, Women In Painting caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
5 CHEAPER WAYS to Advertise Your Business
Advertising is an essential component of success for any business. Proper advertising ensures more sales, but if you choose the wrong options, it can be a very expensive proposition. Let's look at five ways you can reduce your business's advertising expenditure without affecting your results.
Referrals
A referral program encourages your current customers to send their friends to your site, and to earn rewards for their efforts. It's a great way to generate low-cost advertising: your customers send visitors and earn a small percentage of every sale (or another reward), then those new customers refer their friends, who refer their friends, and so on!
Before long, you can have an army of loyal customers actively promoting your business - with every new referral, you exponentially increase the chance of getting more customers. And all for the price of a small commission on each sale or some other loyalty reward.
Joint advertising
A joint advertising campaign works like any joint venture: you find a related business and you share the
cost of the project. At the same time, you share target audiences, increasing the number of interested people who see your mutual ad campaign.
Good examples of this kind of advertising build on complementary industries. For instance, if you run a home aquarium cleaning service, you could work with a local pet shop. Together, you could offer a discount on your cleaning services, provided the customer buys their equipment (and fish) from the associated pet shop. Both businesses benefit: you get access to the pet shop's clientele, and they get a chance at more sales to people who would love an aquarium, but don't like the idea of doing their own maintenance.
Note that joint advertising is rarely an equal proposition: one party almost always pays more than the other, as they stand to gain more from the advertising or bring less to the combined project. Be flexible and ready to compromise.
Most relevant advertising medium
Choosing the most relevant advertising channel is absolutely critical in decreasing your advertising costs. You'll have to do thorough demographical research, or invest a little money in trial-and-error learning to figure out the best medium for your business.
For example, television and radio offer a massive return on investment for some companies, but if your business targets young adults who spend the majority of their time online, they may be a bad choice. You would almost certainly be better off investing in online advertising, or a social media marketing campaign.
Create loyalty
It is often said that it is more expensive to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. For this reason, it is important that you strive to build a relationship with your customers. Answer queries quickly, make sure complaints are dealt with swiftly and always try to exceed their expectations. This will ensure that you build a positive, rewarding relationship with your clients, and allow you to decrease your advertising costs in the long run.
Don't forget the real world
Depending on your target market, "real world" advertising- as opposed to online, virtual adverts- can still be the best choice. For example, flyers and leaflets can be a very successful, yet inexpensive, form of advertising.
The important thing is to ensure that your ads reach the right audience.
For example, if your target market is women, you should distribute your flyers or leaflets in areas frequented predominantly by them. Ideal areas are near beauty stores, clothes shops, hairdressers, and gymnasiums. This will help ensure that your flyers are reaching the right audience, and are therefore more effective.
Most successful businesses spend a large chunk of their money on advertising, so it is critical that you get the best possible returns. Don't just assume that throwing money at an ad campaign will make it work better: research the best medium, consider all the options, then run tests to figure out where and how to invest most effectively.
Sandra Price www.tradiebookkeepingsolutions.com.au
7 Keys to Effective MENTAL TRAINING
There’s a certain group of learning activities that I like to classify as “mental training,” because we’re retraining the brain. It’s got a lot in common with physical training (learning a sport or martial art, for example), but it’s all about the mind.
Some common types of mental training:
• Learning a language
• Studying an academic subject deeply
• Learning chess or go or poker or bridge
• Getting good at focusing on work despite inner resistance
• Studying history or geography for fun
• Memorizing a bunch of facts (like trivia)
• Learn to become a writer (or other kind of creator)
I’ve put myself through fairly intensive mental training in most of these areas — I studied chess and go,
attempted to learn a few languages, learned to focus despite my innner resistance, became a writer, etc.
And here’s what I’ve been finding are most important to getting good at this kind of training — which isn’t easy!
1: Let Yourself Be a Beginner & Suck At It
When I start some kind of mental training — say I’m trying to get decent at chess or writing — I always hope that I’ll get good at it really quickly. This is misguided, because as a beginner, I won’t get even halfway decent for a long time.
In fact, I’ll suck at it for awhile. That’s expected. If you hope to be good in a short time, you’re going to be disappointed and discouraged.
So encourage yourself to embrace this beginner stage — you won’t be good for awhile, so let yourself enjoy the learning itself, as opposed to needing to perform well to enjoy yourself.
2: Immerse Yourself
Sometimes people have hopes that they’ll learn something in just a few minutes a day, or maybe a good long weekend of hard work. Neither of these work very well.
What works is immersion, on a (nearly) daily basis. Imagine if you wanted to learn Italian, and looked at vocabulary flashcards for 5 minutes a day … or alternatively, you could instantly travel to Italy for an hour every day. In the second scenario, you’d be surrounded by people speaking Italian, you’d be immersed in it, and you’d be much more motivated to learn.
This works not just with languages but with anything. If you surround yourself with good chess players and lots of games and puzzles, you’ll learn much more than if you just browsed a book for a few minutes a day. Same with chemistry, writing, or high-performance focus work.
You don’t need to be immersed all day long. But you do need to immerse yourself regularly. I’d say 30 minutes or more on a mostly daily basis is the minimum for strong progress.
3: Be Consistent with Your Training
The mistake I’ve repeatedly made over the years when I’ve taken on a learning project is that I give up when I get derailed or discouraged. It’s hard to get myself back into it.
When I give up, it means I don’t get very far. When I stick with something for a long time, I can really impress myself!
So a big part of the consistency I’ve found important is not giving up, even when you get discouraged. But another part of this consistency is doing it on a neardaily basis. It’s much better to study or practice most days of the week (say 5-7 days) than it is to do it once a week or a few times a month.
Small consistent efforts pay off with mental training. It’s like compound interest — it compounds over time.
4:
Let It Be Play
If you’re grinding out your mental training, and it’s just hard hard hard, you’ll drain yourself. It becomes a “should” instead of something you want to do. But the problem is … you need to do hard work!
The solution for me is to bring a sense of play to the training. If you’re trying to get better at a sport like
basketball, soccer or pickleball … the hard training can be a ton of fun, because the whole thing is playing games!
So make language learning, or studying an academic subject, or learning chess or writing, become that kind of play. It can all be a game!
For example, can you make it a game to see how many language flashcards you get right every day, and try to beat or match your best score? Can you find a learning partner and bring a sense of play and humor to your sessions with them?
It can be a challenge to find ways to bring play to your mental training, but I think it makes a huge, huge difference.
5: Get Over the Fear of Embarrassment
One of the biggest obstacles to learning is that we don’t want to look or feel stupid. We don’t want to make embarrassing mistakes. But of course, at the beginner stage (and even in later stages), we’ll make plenty of mistakes!
The problem is not that we’re going to make mistakes — it’s that we’re afraid of making them. Making mistakes is a crucial part of the learning process, but we let the fear of embarrassment stop us.
The key then is to let yourself make mistakes, and even let yourself be embarrassed. It’s OK to be embarrassed! We’re human, we make mistakes and fall on our faces. A key part of this kind of training is learning to brush yourself off and learn from the mistakes. Encourage yourself when you feel embarrassed — be proud of falling on your face!
With practice, we can get over this fear, and falling becomes an integral part of our process.
6: Don’t Be Afraid to Do Hard Work
I said to turn the training into play … but that doesn’t mean we should think that everything should be easy. We want to be able to focus and put in the hard work, because that’s where the biggest gains will be found.
If you’re lifting weights, and you only do easy lifts, you’ll still get stronger — but if you do sets of hard lifts where you don’t have any more to give, you’ll get stronger much, much faster.
The same is true if you were practicing for a sport — the athletes that give it their best will get better much faster. And the same is true of mental training — if you’re being lazy about it, you won’t progress very quickly. But if you’re willing to do some hard work, you’ll see impressive progress.
7: Use Your Stumbling Blocks as Learning Tools
You’re going to make mistakes — and those are your best lessons for growth! What holes in your knowledge or skills do these mistakes show you? What can you learn from them?
You’ll also find other stumbling blocks: fear of embarrassment, discouragement, frustration, and more.
That’s a part of the process. Mental training includes learning to deal with these, so that you don’t give up.
How can you train yourself to be better at each of these stumbling blocks? By just practicing. Let them be lessons in themselves.
By using every stumbling block as a place to practice, you’ll grow with leaps and bounds.
Mental training isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding if you let yourself trust in the process, and really pour yourself into it. Immerse yourself. Play in the midst of the hard work. And enjoy the process.
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
Why a Tech Stack is the Best Digital Toolbox for Tradies
A tech stack can be a game-changer for a painting and decorating business, helping to streamline operations, improve financial management, and ultimately increase profitability.
Here’s how investing in the right digital tools can make a real impact:
1. Improved Job & Project Management
Using job management software like ServiceM8, SimPRO, or Tradify allows tradies to:
✔ Schedule jobs efficiently
✔ Track job progress in real-time
✔ Assign tasks to team members
✔ Store important project details in one place
With everything centralized, there’s less paperwork, fewer missed appointments, and better communication with customers and staff.
2. Better Financial Control
A solid tech stack integrates accounting software like Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks, which helps with:
✔ Invoicing and payments automation
✔ Real-time tracking of income and expenses
✔ Simplified tax reporting and compliance
✔ Cash flow forecasting
This reduces admin time and ensures you always have a clear financial picture of your business.
3. Faster and Easier Quoting & Invoicing
Quoting apps like QuoteEase or Fergus allow tradies to:
✔ Generate professional quotes quickly
✔ Store pricing templates for recurring jobs
✔ Convert quotes into invoices with one click
✔ Accept digital signatures for approvals
This improves cash flow by speeding up payments and reducing back-and-forth with customers.
4. Enhanced Customer Relationship Management
A CRM system like HubSpot or Jobber helps keep track of customer interactions, job history, and follow-ups. Benefits include:
✔ Automated reminders for servicing and follow-ups
✔ Better customer communication and satisfaction
✔ Increased repeat business and referrals
5. Inventory & Supplier Management
Tools like Unleashed or Cin7 can help track materials and stock levels, reducing waste and ensuring you never run out of essential supplies.
✔ Automates stock tracking
✔ Reduces unnecessary purchases
✔ Keeps projects running smoothly
6. Workforce and Payroll Management
For businesses with employees, using Deputy or TSheets can help with:
✔ Digital timesheets & payroll processing
✔ GPS tracking for mobile workers
✔ Managing overtime and leave requests
This ensures employees are paid correctly and on time while simplifying compliance with labor laws.
7. Digital Marketing & Online Presence
To attract more customers, tradies can leverage:
✔ Google My Business for local SEO and reviews
✔ Website builders like WordPress or Wix for a professional online presence
✔ Social media tools like Hootsuite to schedule posts and engage customers
Final Thoughts
A well-integrated tech stack removes manual work, reduces errors, and increases efficiency. By leveraging digital tools, tradies can save time, get paid faster, and focus more on growing their business rather than handling admin tasks. Investing in technology isn’t just about making life easier—it’s about boosting profits and staying competitive.
We have given specific examples in this article of technology solutions that are being used in the current business environment by many tradies and other business owners. This may help you get an initial understanding of what’s on offer. Ultimately though, you’ll need to make a decision on which solutions would work best for YOUR business, and how they can be integrated with your current systems.
Get in touch with us if you are struggling to upgrade or integrate your digital tool box. Call my office on (07) 3399 8844, or you can visit our website at www.straighttalkat.com.au and complete your details on our Home page to request FREE Business Ssytems Check.
Please Note: Many of the comments in this article are general in nature and anyone intending to apply the information to practical circumstances should seek professional advice to independently verify their interpretation and the information’s applicability to their particular circumstances.
Copyright © 2025 Robert Bauman.
What’s the difference between BURNOUT AND DEPRESSION?
If your summer holiday already feels like a distant memory, you’re not alone. Burnout – a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion following prolonged stress – has been described in workplaces since a 5th century monastery in Egypt.
Burnout and depression can look similar and are relatively common conditions. It’s estimated that 30% of the Australian workforce is feeling some level of burnout, while almost 20% of Australians are diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives.
So what’s the difference between burnout and depression?
Burnout is marked by helplessness and depression by hopelessness. They can have different causes and should also be managed differently.
What is burnout?
The World Health Organization defines burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” resulting from excessively demanding workload pressures. While it is typically associated with the workplace, carers of children or elderly parents with demanding needs are also at risk.
Our research created a set of burnout symptoms we captured in the Sydney Burnout Measure to
assist self-diagnosis and clinicians undertaking assessments. They include:
• exhaustion as the primary symptom
• brain fog (poor concentration and memory)
• difficulty finding pleasure in anything
• social withdrawal
• an unsettled mood (feeling anxious and irritable)
• impaired work performance (this may be result of other symptoms such as fatigue).
People can develop a “burning out” phase after intense work demands over only a week or two. A “burnout” stage usually follows years of unrelenting work pressure.
What is depression?
A depressive episode involves a drop in self-worth, increase in self-criticism and feelings of wanting to give up. Not everyone with these symptoms will have clinical depression, which requires a diagnosis and has an additional set of symptoms.
Clinically diagnosed depression can vary by mood, how long it lasts and whether it comes back. There are two types of clinical depression:
• melancholic depression has genetic causes, with episodes largely coming “out of the blue”
• non-melancholic depression is caused by environmental factors, often triggered by significant life events which cause a drop in self-worth.
When we created our burnout measure, we compared burnout symptoms with these two types of depression.
Burnout shares some features with melancholic depression, but they tend to be general symptoms, such as feeling a loss of pleasure, energy and concentration skills.
We found there were more similarities between burnout and non-melancholic (environmental) depression. This included a lack of motivation and difficulties sleeping or being cheered up, perhaps reflecting the fact both have environmental causes.
Looking for the root cause
The differences between burnout and depression become clearer when we look at why they happen.
Personality comes into play. Our work suggests a trait like perfectionism puts people at a much higher risk of burnout. But they may be less likely to become depressed as they tend to avoid stressful events and keep things under control.
On the other hand, those with depression report lowered self-esteem. So rather than helpless they feel that they and their future is hopeless.
However it is not uncommon for someone to experience both burnout and depression at once. For example, a boss may place excessive work demands on an employee, putting them at risk of burnout. At the same time, the employer may also humiliate that employee and contribute to an episode of nonmelancholic depression.
What can you do?
A principal strategy in managing burnout is identifying the contributing stressors. For many people, this is the workplace. Taking a break, even a short one, or scheduling some time off can help.
Australians now have the right to disconnect, meaning they don’t have to answer work phone calls or emails after hours. Setting boundaries can help separate home and work life.
Those with burnout generally feel overwhelmed by demands or deadlines they can’t meet, creating a sense of helplessness.
Excessive workloads can contribute to burnout. tartanparty/ Shutterstock
Burnout can be also be caused by compromised work roles, work insecurity or inequity. More broadly, a dictatorial organisational structure can make employees feel devalued. In the workplace, environmental factors, such as excessive noise, can be a contributor. Addressing these factors can help prevent burnout.
As for managing symptoms, the monks had the right idea. Strenuous exercise, meditation and mindfulness are effective ways to deal with everyday stress.
Regular exercise can help manage symptoms of burnout. alexei_tm/Shutterstock
Deeper contributing factors, including traits such as perfectionism, should be managed by a skilled clinical psychologist.
For melancholic depression, clinicians will often recommend antidepressant medication.
For non-melancholic depression, clinicians will help address and manage triggers that are the root cause. Others will benefit from antidepressants or formal psychotherapy.
While misdiagnosis between depression and burnout can occur, burnout can mimic other medical conditions such as anemia or hypothyroidism.
For the right diagnosis, it’s best to speak to your doctor or clinician who should seek to obtain a sense of “the whole picture”. Only then, once a burnout diagnosis has been affirmed and other possible causes ruled out, should effective support strategies be put in place.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Gordon Parker Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney
Can You Lose Your Domain Name?
Why Proving Your Trademark Rights Matters
Learn why Australian businesses risk losing domain names without trademark protection. Discover how registering a trademark secures your domain rights.
Can You Really Lose Your Domain Name?
For many Australian business owners, a domain name isn’t just a URL—it’s the digital face of their brand identity. But here’s something many don’t realise: registering a domain name alone doesn’t guarantee you’ll keep it.
If another party holds a registered trademark that’s identical or similar to your domain, they could legally challenge your right to use it—and win.
Why Your Domain Name Might Be at Risk
Owning a domain doesn’t automatically give you exclusive rights to use that name. In fact, domain name disputes are common when a domain:
• Is identical or confusingly similar to someone else’s registered trademark.
• Is registered by a person with no legitimate rights or interests in the domain.
• Was obtained or used in bad faith (often referred to as cybersquatting).
Such disputes are typically resolved through legal processes like the Uniform Domain-Name DisputeResolution Policy (UDRP) globally, or via auDA’s Dispute Resolution Policy (auDRP) here in Australia.
How Trademarks Protect Your Domain Name
Wondering how to prevent someone from taking your domain? Registering a trademark is the strongest protection.
A registered trademark gives you exclusive legal rights over your business name, brand name, or product name in Australia. This strengthens your case if a dispute arises over your domain ownership, making it easier to prove legitimate rights.
Search engines also favour businesses that have strong brand authority—and a registered trademark helps establish that authority both legally and digitally.
Key Steps to Secure and Protect Your Domain Name
Here’s how to avoid losing control over your domain:
1️ Register Your Trademark
This is your first line of defence. A registered trademark prevents competitors from claiming rights over your business name or domain.
Learn more about our Trademark Registration services
2️ Use Your Domain for Legitimate Business Purposes
Ensure your domain links to genuine business operations. Avoid registering domains simply to block competitors without actual business use.
3️ Monitor Your Brand Online
Regularly check for domain squatters or competitors registering similar names. Set up alerts for new domain registrations or potential infringements.
4️ Take Action Against Infringers
If someone is infringing on your trademark or has registered a confusingly similar domain, you may be able to recover it legally through auDA’s Dispute Resolution Process (auDRP).
Why Choose Rise Legal for Domain and Trademark Protection?
At Rise Legal, we specialise in protecting Australian businesses’ intellectual property—including trademark registrations and domain name disputes.
We help you:
• Register your trademark
• Defend your domain rights
• Recover domains from infringers
Don’t wait until it’s too late to protect your brand’s most valuable assets.
Need help securing your domain and trademark rights? Contact us today for expert advice.
Email us or book a free consultation today!
Remember, while this information provides a general overview, legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances is invaluable. Don’t hesitate to contact Rise Legal for personalised guidance or book in a free Discovery Call.
Oliver Kay 1300 064 707 | riselegal.com.au
Women in Painting Post-Launch Update
Following the successful launch of Women in Painting, I’m thrilled to share that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The feedback from everyone I’ve connected with since the event has been full of encouragement, energy, and excitement for what’s to come.
Now the real work begins!
We're focused on turning ideas into action – building partnerships, establishing meaningful collaborations, and securing funding to bring our goals to life. Based on the valuable feedback received, we’re working towards education and workshops for both apprentices and employers, creating a hub of valuable resources and continuing to build a supportive social and professional network.
To keep the momentum going, we’re planning a series of face-to-face catch-ups across South East Queensland. We want to continue the amazing vibe and sense of connection felt at the launch – and keep growing our community.
Also this month, join us in offering a huge congratulations to Kellie who just this week completed her apprenticeship – an incredible achievement and milestone!
If you haven’t already, make sure to follow our Facebook page and sign up for Women in Painting –the next steps are just around the corner!
�� Facebook Page �� www.womeninpainting.com.au
Caroline Miall Founder, Women In Painting info@WomenInPainting.com.au
How to Feel More at Peace
A lot of people I’ve talked to want to feel more at peace throughout the day. We are often overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, or feeling bad about ourselves.
But when you share with them the ways to achieve that inner peace, very few people want to do what it takes. It’s either too obvious, too tedious, or too much out of our comfort zone.
This article is written for those of you who not only want that inner peace, but you’re willing to do the work to achieve it.
So what’s needed? I’ll share 4 things that I’ve found to really help.
Slow Down, Enjoy the Moment
We’re often in a rush, trying to get everything done all at once. Or we’re distracted, lost in busywork, hyperfocused on whatever has grabbed our attention.
The antidote is to practice slowing down. I don’t mean dump your whole life and go live on a beach (though that might be nice!!). I mean do things just a little more slowly. Take some breaths. Start to notice what it’s like to be alive in this moment.
There is wonder and gratitude to be had in each moment, if we take the time to appreciate it. What could that practice look like for you?
Let Go of What’s Not Your Business
Byron Katie puts things into 3 categories:
My business — my actions, thoughts, words, whatever is directly under my control Your business — someone else’s life, actions, thoughts, words God’s business — things that are out of our control, like the weather and world events
Too often, we are focused on the latter two — stressing about things we don’t control, frustrated because people aren’t acting the way we want, trying to control the world.
What if we focused just on our own business?
This is a very Stoic approach. Let go of what you don’t control.
That’s like doing life on easy mode. You become very Zen-like. Easier said than done, of course, but it’s a practice.
Find Stillness & Connection to Nature
How often do we sit still and just let ourselves breathe in peace? I highly recommend you do a short (or long) sit every day, and it’s twice as good if you do it out in nature.
You don’t have to necessarily do formal meditation — though that is an incredible practice for all of this — but just sit still. Without looking at your phone, or listening to music. Just sit, and let yourself feel the peace of the moment. Could just be for a few minutes a day.
Feeling a daily connection to nature is also incredible for peace of mind. If you do it separate from the stillness, that works too — sit still at home, then go out for a nice hike or jog in the midst of nature. Winning either way.
Practice Relaxing Your Mind
This will take practice: relax your mind. For instance, you might notice that right now, you might have tension in your body (in the chest, throat, stomach areas for example). And if you pay attention to your head, there might be tension there too — in a physical sense, but also mental.
You can relax the tight muscles in your body, and you can relax the tight tension in your mind. Try both right now. What does that feel like? It’s a relaxed, open sense of peace.
Practice this multiple times a day, any time you feel stress, frustration, tension. Notice what this can do for you each time you practice. Can you hold it a little longer, for a few minutes?
With these rituals and practices, you’ll find peace. It might be momentary, but these moments add up. And with practice, you’ll hold that inner peace for longer.
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
GROWTH HACKS for your small business
Deciding on an online marketing plan can be overwhelming for small business owners looking for affordable ways to nurture steady, sustainable growth. With time in short supply, the key is to find one or two growth strategies that will get results at minimal cost.
These proven growth hacks offer business owners a few simple, cost-effective ideas for attracting new customers, increasing brand awareness, and ultimately, getting more sales.
Build your email list
Recent research shows that e-mail marketing works; in fact, it’s been shown to promote a 17% greater conversion rate than social media marketing. Permission-based marketing is based on a friendly exchange – your customer’s email address for a promise to provide value. As you nurture a positive relationship via
your newsletter, with special offers, useful or inspiring content and discounts, over time your customers will be more inclined to buy from you. Incentivize new customers to sign up with contests, giveaways, referral bonuses and webinars. The bigger your list, the greater the return when you have a new product to promote –so if you decide to launch a company e-newsletter, be sure you make a consistent effort to attract new subscribers. This Forbes article offers 50 ideas on how to grow your list.
Offer social proof
One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is converting online leads into paying customers. It comes down to convincing people you’ve never met that you deserve their trust – which is why social proof is so important.
Adding testimonials to your website is a simple way to convince potential customers they won’t regret buying from you. In fact, it’s been shown that this simple form of social proof can increase conversions by 34%.
Let your customers know you’d like their feedback, and ask for permission to include their positive comments on your company website. Other kinds of social proof you can use to win over customers online include:
• Case studies
• Media mentions
• Customers logos
• Accreditations and certifications.
Create partnerships
This simple growth hack is effective both on and offline. Initiating a partnership with a company that provides complementary products or services can quickly increase each of your email lists – give your sales figures a big boost. There are many ways a business partnership could work – you might negotiate a joint venture, host an event where you promote each other’s products, run a giveaway together or launch a combined product or service.
Final Tip
As you try out some new ways to market your business, be sure to set actionable and achievable goals. For instance, you might make 1,000 newsletter sign ups over the next quarter one of your priorities – or increasing your blog traffic by 50% by end of the year. Make it a habit to review your metrics on a regular basis to see how well your strategies are working. Then use that data to set new goals to keep winning over customers and expanding your business.
Understanding your Operating Costs and Project Profit
Have you ever looked at your bank statements and thought, ‘Why isn’t there any money in the account? I don’t have many days off, I work long hours and on weekends and I have people working for me. There should be buckets more in there.’
Many business owners are in the same situation and cannot understand why this is happening. The solution is not to work harder, longer, or take less days off. Doing this will cause you to feel tired, grumpy and stressed, and it doesn’t give you much of a family life either. All these together will lead to mental health issues and, a possible heart attack.
The two main concerns are:
• People don’t fully know their operating costs and what it breaks down to as an hourly figure.
• How much they have made (if any) after a job is completed.
One of the main expenses, excluding your wage of course, is the work vehicle. It doesn’t matter if you own, lease or hire your vehicle, you must allow approximately $5,100 a year on repayments alone. This amount allows for the interest you pay on the purchase and the depreciation of the vehicle that will incur. Registration and insurance could set you back $2,000, yearly mechanical maintenance $1,000, tyres (spread over a 4-year period) $200, tolls and incidentals $400, and fuel (at an average $60/week) $3000 a year.
Adding this up, the total running cost of a vehicle calculates to approximately $11,500 per year. To work out what it relates to as an hourly cost to your business, you need to divide the expense amount into your actual working days. If you exclude weekends, holidays, sick days, time quoting and bookwork etc, the days you are physical working may only amount to around 200 days. To calculate an hourly cost, divide the 200 days into $11,500. Going by these figures, to run a vehicle per year as a single operator, is actually costing your business, $7.40/hour (this of course will differ if you have multiple employees or if you have more than one vehicle).
If it costs this much just to run a vehicle, imagine what your Break-Even expense per hour would be if you totalled ALL your other business expenses. So! Is the hourly rate you charge covering all your out-going expenses?
On the second concern, I receive many calls from painters that work on a fixed, or a square metre rate. They ask me if the price is fair but when I enquire how much does it work out to per hour once the job is completed, they can’t answer me. They do the job, get paid, and go to the next one having absolutely no idea if they made a profit or not.
In case you don’t know, this is very simple to work out.
No matter if you’re given a set price or square metre rate, you need to keep a track of the time on the job from start to finish, including touch-ups and, the cost of materials used. First, deduct the materials cost from the contract price, then divide the hours spent into the remaining amount. This will calculate how much you are making per hour. If you find the rate lower than your expected hourly rate that you would normally charge, then I would go to the negotiating table and ask for an increase. (If you would like an Excel Spreadsheet that will automatically do this calculation, email me at info@mytools4business.com and I will send you a copy).
There’s no point in working on a project if you’re going to lose money, so my advice is ‘up’ your prices or change the type of clientele you work for, and if that means downsizing your company, then so be it. You are better off working by yourself, or with one other, at a higher price, than having multiple employees working on properties that you can’t make a profit on.
Get paid for what you are worth and survive in this market, otherwise you’ll be one of the statistics as a failed business owner.
Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com
How to Set Your Goals & Make Them a Reality
Setting a goal and then making it a reality are two different things. It is easy to set the goals, as most people who have ever made a new year’s resolutions will know. Making them happen is another thing.
Goal setting is all about firstly setting goals that are attainable, realistic, achievable and measureable. I find that if you have a mastermind group supporting you, then you are more than likely to achieve those goals as the group will keep you motivated and supported so that you can achieve what you set out to do. Accountability is the main aim of the group.
A mastermind group will help you be accountable for your goal setting and this is where the correct group for you will be life and business changing. Being able to share your goals and dreams with others, will keep you on track to achievement. No one likes to appear a failure, so a group will encourage and support you to achieving if you let them.
By knowing your life and business Vision and Mission will help you to and vocalise it to your mastermind group. This is the first important step to take. Then document this so you can keep yourself on track.
I then suggest an Action Plan that is broken up into 3 month cycles. All the steps that any goal will have need to be broken into bite sizable chunks. It can be quite overwhelming to visualise a goal in its entirety, but broken down into easy steps helps make it a reality and more easily accomplishable.
Then you need to set the goals that you want to achieve to reach both the vision and mission. Your vision is the picture you see in your head that you want to create in your world with the mission being the work you need to do to create that vision.
The goals you need to achieve must be set in their individual areas … next 6 months, 12 months, 3 years and 5 years. As the world is changing so fast, ten year goals are a long way out, but it is good to have them in place too.
It is important that you have a start and finish date for each part of your goal. This way you become obliged to achieve what you set out to do.
Brainstorming and discussion around each goal will be effective in helping you gain the information, resources, suppliers and maybe the money you need. It is easier and quicker to do this with a group than wasting time trying things out that may in the long term take you much longer to achieve. Use your mastermind group to short circuit and create what you want quicker.
It is important at each mastermind group session that you review your action plan so that you all keep on track. Your achievements are important to your group and if each participant is achieving, it means that your group is flowing and a success.
5 Reasons why tradies need Public Liability Insurance
Most tradies and trade business owners know they need public liability insurance.
But knowing you need it, and knowing why you need it, are two different things!
So we’ve put together a top five on why you should be shelling out hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of dollars each year on public liability insurance.
1. You damage someone’s property
When you’re working with power tools, moving building materials and just going about your work, there is always a risk that you’ll damage someone else’s property.
No matter how careful you are, the risk is still there. We see it here at Trade Risk. Tradies who haven’t had a claim for ten years, then one day a little slip ends up causing ten grand worth of damage.
Having public liability insurance in place means that you’ll only be paying a few hundred for your excess, rather than the full ten grand for the claim.
Things can get a lot worse too. We’ve been told about a claim for an electrician (not one of our clients thankfully) that could climb into the millions.
Without public liability, such an event would easily bankrupt most businesses.
2. You injure someone
If you think damaging someone’s property could be costly, causing personal injury can take things to a whole new level financially.
Again you might think you are super diligent and careful in everything you do, and that you would never hurt another person whilst plying your trade.
But it can happen, and we see it happen to good tradies all the time.
One of our largest claims was for a flooring contractor. There was an issue with some flooring installed in a restaurant, and a customer of the restaurant tripped and suffered serious injuries.
After months in court, the total damages awarded was over $300,000 and our client was found to be partially responsible. Their portion was over $100,000 plus legal costs.
Thankfully they had the right public liability insurance in place and did not have to dip into their own pockets to pay the claim.
3. You need it for your licence
Depending on your trade and which states you operate in, you might need public liability insurance in order to obtain your licence.
Electricians and plumbers are the trades most affected by this. Most Australian states will require evidence of public liability insurance before you’ll be able to get your licence.
Some states have even stricter rules, such as Queensland where Qld electrical contractors must have a special form of public liability before they can even apply for their licence.
4. You need it to get on site
Many builders and project managers are all too aware of the dangers on construction sites, and as a result they require that any trade entering their site must have public liability insurance.
This won’t apply to employees who will be covered by their employer’s insurance, but if you’re a subcontractor or otherwise self-employed, you’ll need to show evidence of holding the right insurance cover.
Even if you’re not working on a typical “site” you might still need cover. For example if you’re doing work for real estate agents or property managers, they will generally need you to hold public liability before you’ll be able to enter any of their properties.
5. You care about your clients
The first four reasons are really all about you. They’re about saving your bacon or allowing you to get the right licence or worksite access.
This last reason is about your clients. If you’re serious about your business, and serious about your clients, you should never work without the right insurance.
Why? Think about this… Say you doing some work for a client and a freak accident causes serious injury to your client. Or maybe your client’s children. They’re going to need money for their recovery, for their rehabilitation, to replace future earnings. All sorts of things.
They could go through the court process and maybe a judge will award them $500,000 in costs. Money which they need to continue their lives.
If you have insurance, it will pay out and that family can carry on life, whilst you can move on.
But if you don’t have insurance, and you don’t have a spare half-million, you’re going to end up bankrupt. Than means you’re stuffed, and so are the family that suffered the injury.
So now on your conscience it’s not just the initial event, but also the fact that you’ve left the family in financial difficulty because you worked without the right insurance in place.
We can get you covered
Given that most single-person trade businesses can get $5 million cover for well under $500 a year, it’s simply crazy to work without public liability insurance.
At Trade Risk we insure over 3,500 trade businesses and would love to help you out too. For an instant quote on public liability insurance please click here or call our team on 1800 808 800. We can get you covered quickly with no paperwork and a super-sharp price.
Diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace are under attack.
Here’s why they matter more than ever
As International Women’s Day approaches, we must redouble our efforts to champion social justice and the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). These are under unprecedented attack by some political leaders.
In the United States, President Donald Trump has recently dismantled DEI measures, claiming they are wasteful and discriminatory. Without evidence, he even blamed diversity hirings for a deadly collision between a military helicopter and a passenger plane that killed 67 people.
In Australia, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is echoing a similar agenda with his criticism of “culture, diversity and inclusion” positions in the public service.
We must resist attempts to tear down all the progress that has been made and remind ourselves of the many good reasons why we pursue DEI in the workplace.
Women, racial minorities, people with disability and others continue to face barriers to equal opportunities at work. Too often, they remain excluded from leadership and decision-making roles.
DEFENDING DIVERSITY
Given the assault on DEI measures, it is worth restating why they are so important to a truly inclusive modern workplace.
DEI initiatives work to address obstacles and correct disadvantages so everyone has a fair chance of being hired, promoted and paid, regardless of their personal characteristics.
They ensure every person has a genuinely equal chance of access to social goods. They can be seen as “catch up” mechanisms, recognising that we don’t all start our working lives on an equal footing.
Gender equality initiatives address discrimination, stereotypes and structural barriers that disadvantage people on the basis of their gender.
These initiatives call into question the idea of “merit based” hiring, which often disguises the invisible biases which are held by many people in power – for example, against someone of a particular gender.
AUSTRALIA’S STORY
In Australia, we have a mixed story to tell when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The federal workplace gender laws require companies with more than 100 employees to report annually on gender equality indicators, including pay gaps and workforce composition.
INCREASED RECOGNITION
But in a cross section of fields, including politics, sports, medicine, media and academia there have been positive changes. Gender equality is being promoted through a wide range of initiatives that seek to push back against centuries of patriarchal dominance.
In Victoria, the Gender Equality Act 2020 promotes “positive action” to improve gender equality in higher education, local government and the public sector, which covers around 11% of the total state workforce.
Despite these laws, Australia is behind on gender equality indicators compared to other countries such as Iceland, Norway and New Zealand. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report, Australia is ranked 26th out of 146 countries, albeit a step up from 54th in 2021.
The report shows continuing and significant gender gaps, particularly regarding women’s representation in various industries such as science and political leadership.
Workplace policies around paid parental leave, flexible working arrangements, part-time work, breastfeeding and anti-discrimination are part of the broader agenda to make workplaces more inclusive for women, gender-diverse people and working parents.
DEI initiatives are already being dismantled in the United States. Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock
Many workplaces accommodate the needs of working mothers. Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
While many would not consider these improvements specific diversity initiatives, they are clear examples of the ways in which workplaces now recognise the different needs of women and working mothers.
Today, we see more women in the workplace and in positions of leadership across sectors.
But as feminist Sara Ahmed has noted, it is often the marginalised employees who carry the burden of doing all the “diversity work” in the workplace.
Diversity becomes work for those who are not accommodated by an existing system.
REDOUBLING EFFORTS
Despite the welcome advances made, inequalities persist in the workplace.
We recognise many in positions of power are not willing (or able) to acknowledge their own privileged
positions. Therefore they do not see the barriers that exist for others.
Social justice will not simply be gifted by those in power.
Given the challenging political climate, it is more important than ever that we continue to strive for gender equality – rather than simply uphold the status quo.
Gemma
Hamilton Senior Lecturer, RMIT University
Bess Schnioffsky
Research fellow, RMIT University
Nicola Henry
Professor, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, & Deputy Director, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University
IMPORTANT Contacts
Aussie Painters Network aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
National Institute for Painting and Decorating painters.edu.au
Australian Tax Office ato.gov.au
Award Rates fairwork.gov.au
Australian Building & Construction Commission www.abcc.gov.au
Mates In Construction www.mates.org.au
Comcare
WorkSafe ACT
Workplace Health and Safety QLD
WorkSafe Victoria
SafeWork NSW
SafeWork SA
WorkSafe WA
NT WorkSafe
WorkSafe Tasmania
Workplace Health and Safety Contacts Cancer
Council Australia
comcare.gov.au worksafe.act.gov.au worksafe.qld.gov.au www.worksafe.vic.gov.au www.safework.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ worksafe.nt.gov.au worksafe.tas.gov.au
QLD
VIC WA actcancer.org cancercouncil.com.au cancercouncilnt.com.au cancerqld.org.au cancersa.org.au cancervic.org.au cancerwa.asn.au
(02) 6257 9999 (02) 9334 1900 (08) 8927 4888 (07) 3634 5100 (08) 8291 4111 (03) 9635 5000 (08) 9212 4333
