Working with your partner without killing each other Lifestyle Tradie Group tells how. Top 4 Hazards in Business for tradies to avoid Holiday-proof your business Can it run successfully without you? How to be Present When the present is tough!
EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Caroline Miall • Dan Buzer • Jim Baker • Leo Babauta • Michelle Russell • Monroe Porter • Nigel Gorman • Robert Bauman • Sandra Price
GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado
From the Editor Hi Everyone, Well, this is it! We’ve taken the plunge. The Painters Expo and Paint to Prosperity Conference are only weeks away now. We are excited to announce the participation of so many amazing businesses that contribute to our industry. The conference line up is set to educate, inform and entertain even the most veteran painter with new ideas, business approaches and smarter ways to make business flourish in balance with a prosperous lifestyle.
Now it’s up to YOU! We look forward to seeing the industry out
there in force supporting this event. Entry to the Painters Expo is totally FREE, includes plenty of well-known speakers and will host opportunities for promotions, deals and competitions. Bring your staff along and learn about the latest and greatest our industry has to offer. The Paint to Prosperity Conference is a well-priced, ticketed, one day event, which will be well worth attending for anyone looking to advance their painting (or other contracting) business. Among a great line up of sought after speakers, Monroe Porter will present his internationally renowned discussions on how to make your contracting business thrive.
Nothing like this has been staged for the Painting industry in Australia before. Don’t miss out! Till next month. Happy painting,
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
Contents 6
How to Make Your Business Holiday Proof
8
How to work with your partner
Meditation for Beginners:
22
Dumb Things People Do
10
PAINT TO PROSPERITY Conference & Trade Show
13
How are my Millionaire Clients are different to my Want to be Millionaire Clients?
14
35
Top 4 Hazards Tradies can avoid in their Business
Tips for Understanding the Mind
without killing each other
Re-discover our World Wide Web
18
ASBESTOS FOUND
24
in Brisbane building under construction
How to Build a WINNING TEAM Is Your ‘Hourly Rate’ CORRECT?
28
38
How to Be Present When the Present is Difficult Worker fatalities so far..
42
Industry Idiots
44
Important Contacts
45
30
Opinions and viewpoints expressed in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Aussie Painters Network’s staff or related parties. The publisher, Aussie Painters Network and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. Information contained in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Advertise with us...
1800 355 344 07 3555 8010 info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au www.aussiepaintingcontractor.com
How to Make Your Business
HOLIDAY PROOF
Have you ever asked yourself: If you went away for a couple of months on holidays, or (heaven forbid) had an accident involving weeks in hospital, what would happen to your business? I’m sure you’ve had situations in your life where you’ve suffered a minor injury and had to somehow manage to continue to deliver to your clients. You probably would have asked someone to help you get through this time, but you were still holding the reins of your business, because only YOU knew how things were done.
business owners (though most of I know of a gardener who was us just think they will never happen a sole operator in Brisbane. He to us), and it’s wise to think about suffered a bad leg fracture and your contingency plans well before his business immediately came to an emergency. Better still, make a screeching halt. It was immedi- your business holiday proof! ately evident that it would take months before he was back on his My simple answer to this question feet, and that meant the demise is: you need to have systems and of his business. He had to call all processes in place, so that the busiclients and let them know that he ness can almost run itself without could no longer do their gardening you being there. Preparing a busiwork, and that they needed to look ness to weather unexpected events for a replacement. There was no or to allow you to go on an extended backup, no transfer of clients to holiday will give you so much more another colleague, and as a result, freedom and peace of mind, that there was not even the option to it’s well worth doing. When you’ve try and sell the business as a going got staff then you must also invest concern... it no longer was one. the time to train your staff in the processes and procedures you are So what can you do to ensure that setting up. you still have a business to come back to from a period of absence? Here are my top three recommendations for systems and processes The above example demonstrates that will keep your business tickthat major events do happen to ing along while you’re away:
6 | Aussie Painters Network
1. Use the right Financial Systems If you are using bookkeeping and accounting systems that don’t allow you to look at your financial data from anywhere, and I mean anywhere in the world really, then you will always be tied to your business location. Structure your financial business administration seamlessly by using cloud-based bookkeeping software to collect money from clients, reconcile your bank statements, track your spending and pay money to your providers. You can do this very easily and “on the go” from anywhere you can connect to the internet. XERO, MYOB, Sasus, Reckon and Quickbooks are just some examples of bookkeeping programs that can even provide integration with your business bank accounts in real-time.
The major advantage of using such technology is that it will avoid double handling of your administration tasks. You enter a transaction online and your business figures will update throughout, so you can see the net figures immediately, and the program does the rest for you. When your staff can manage these tasks in your absence using such systems, you can still keep an eye on how your business is performing from where ever you are at the time. your profitability and makes for Management (CRM) system. Such happy customers who get a supe- systems allow you to store unique The system alone, however, is not rior service. Examples of this type data about the contact points with the silver bullet. In addition to train- of programs areGeeOP, i-man (or your customers, ie each conversaing your staff in the use of the sys- AroFlo), Tradify, Freshbooks, and tion, what it was about, what tem, you’ll also want to develop Invoice2Go, just to name a few. the next step is etc. Most of the task processes you want your staff CRMs on the market these days are to follow. Document them in ‘desk- These will allow you to keep an eye also cloud-based systems, so you top manuals’ that describe which on what’s going on and continue could –technically speaking -follow actions to take in particular situa- to give your staff guidance from a what’s happening with client X from tions, eg how to manage your debt- remote location. the beach in Hawaii. ors when invoices haven’t been paid, what reports to run at the end 3. Document Sales Processes and If this sounds a bit daunting, reof the week or month, how to pay Follow up member that your accountant can your own staff and contractors and When you’ve got your business help and guide you in many of how to pay your own supplier bills. running smoothly, your marketing these areas. There’s nothing like an plan is bringing in leads and you have informal chat to give you further input 2. Start using Job Management established an edge over your com- into your thinking, and how making Systems petition, you’ll continue to receive your business ‘holiday proof’ could There are also plenty of new enquiries from potential customers work for you. I will definitely be programs that you can use for while you are away... and now you at the Aussie Painters Network managing jobs, projects, pur- want your staff to follow up enquir- Trade Expo and Conference and chase orders,time sheets, invoicing, ies and prepare a quote in your ab- look forward to meeting you there scheduling, inventory, assets, client sence. For you to have confidence and talking about the issues you communications and more. that they tick all the boxes, it’s best currently face. If you need to chat to document what you do from the before then, you can arrange a Quoting, scheduling and invoicing point of receiving an enquiry to clos- FREE No-Obligation Meeting with has never been this easy and are of- ing the sale, and the subsequent cus- me. Just visit our new website at ten seamlessly integrated with cloud tomer care or nurturing processes. www.straighttalkat.com.au and based bookkeeping programs. The complete your details on our Home advantages include real time shar- An integral part of having a sales page to request an appointment. ing of job information from field funnel is a Customer Relationship workers with your office, eliminating double entry and time spent completing job sheets after the job is done. It saves time for both the field and office worker, increases Call Us: (07) 3399 8844
2016 August Issue | 7
8 | Aussie Painters Network
2016 August Issue | 9
Only 4 weeks until the
PAINT TO PROSPERITY Conference & Trade Show When it comes to ‘workshops’ or ‘networking’ painters in general are very reluctant to take the time or effort to attend any organised events; even when it is free. The common excuses are generally, ‘I’m too busy!’ ‘Don’t have the time!’ or ‘What could I learn? I already know how to run a business.’ If you have used one of these lines in the past, then you are definitely missing out and most probably is the very reason why, ‘you can’t spare the time.’ I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be in the position now with my business if it wasn’t for the networking between other like-minded operators and attending regular seminars. Now there’s a good possibility that you’ve never been to an event which had guest speakers in attendance, or never had the chance to network with other painters. You may not have even realised these events occur, but let me assure you this is the best way to learn; from the professionals and from people like yourself. When first attending seminars and conferences 18 years ago myself, I truly felt nervous talking to other painters. I was afraid that they would think I didn’t know how to run a business and treat me like an outsider or an idiot. That quickly changed as I realised many others felt the same way as myself. I found we had a lot in common and that we actually felt comfortable in sharing information. We also realised we weren’t a threat to each
10 | Aussie Painters Network
other as imagined and by listening and talking, we gain valuable insight and talking, we gain valuable insight of how each business operated and how we could implement some of those ideas into our own business. Although I have worked for myself for over 36 years now, even at the age of 62, I am not ashamed to say I am still willing to learn new things. The latest is getting my head around Facebook and using it as a means of promoting my business. This is very new to me and was brought about talking to other painters on social media. So when a business event arises, please do not say, ‘I don’t have the time’ because you are the ones that really should attend, as you will learn how to manage yourself so your business can operate without you.
I highly recommend you to attend Aussie Painters Network’s Painters Trade Show and Conference. For all these reasons and more, I give my full support to the events coming up on 2 & 3 September. Aussie Painters Network’s Painters Trade Show and Conference is going to be a unique, informative two day event. I highly recommend you take the time to attend all or part of this, as there will be guest speakers, trade suppliers, valuable business information and, the networking
(my favourite part), all in the one place. I will have a stand there too so come and introduce yourself! Entry to the Trade Show is free for all and includes guest speakers as well as dozens of exhibitors; this free event alone will benefit you, your staff and your business in ways you may never imagine. My philosophy has always been, if I can learn even just one thing from listening to or speaking to others that I can use that in business to my advantage, then attending functions like these has been a very worthwhile exercise.
Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com
Insurance for painters... Are you covered?
Do you want to deal with an insurance company that has the best available, cost-effective insurance for tradies? Aussie Painters Network has negotiated the best possible cover for your business. Contact us directly for more information and to get your cover today!
The security for this product is placed via Lloyds of London as well as other Australian authorised insurers.
Fireside chat with Tas covers:
Strategies on how to avoid discounting Why building relationships is crucial in business
The power of getting off the tools and focussing on what’s going to generate the big bucks Some serious business courage
Meet Tas on APN’s
Paint to Prosperity Conference 9-5pm, 3rd September 2016
Charge full freight and see your business thrive because of it.
http://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/how-to-avoid-discounting/ 12 | Aussie Painters Network
How are my MILLIONAIRE CLIENTS different to my WANT TO BE MILLIONAIRE CLIENTS? I spent an intensive ½ day with one of my millionaire Clients last week. After our meeting I offered to drive him over to another of his business sites. On the way back to my office I took a moment to think about how he and my other successfully wealthy Clients are different to my not so wealthy Clients. Here’s what I came up with … • They’re not big users of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media tools. They have people manage those tools for them (very well), but are not into it themselves. • They’re prolific users of the phone, as are their friends. Their phones are almost constantly ringing. They use email to help lead into conversations on the phone (which lead to business), to transfer information and to have documented records. • They spend their lives ‘solving problems’. Nearly every word out of their mouths revolve around identifying, solving or reflecting on the solving of a problem of some kind. Problems with tenants, staff, sales, marketing, cashflow, supply, product quality, efficiency, etc. • The number one difference!? They are PRODUCTIVE! They generally hate (and I know that’s a strong word) wasting time on fluff, crap and maybe’s. They mean what they say and get things done. If they need more sales, they go and get them. Full stop!
• Lastly, they love leveraging by using experts in their field. They don’t see it as a cost if the expert gets them the results they want. My millionaire Clients are also passionate! They generally love what they do. They’re products and services are an extension of them. They’re busy people, but they don’t see it as work. If they didn’t work in/on their business, they would be busy doing something else. They are also forward thinkers, community aware and family conscious. Some of my Clients could comfortably (very comfortably) retire and live off their current income streams. However many of them are driven by the idea of leaving a legacy and an ongoing opportunity for their family, employees and even their suppliers & customers.
My ‘not so financially successful’ Clients have some commonalities as well … • They often get distracted by bright and shiny objects, new ways of doing things and promises from other people who are not successful. • They don’t know how to accurately measure where they are in terms of what results they’re aiming to get, what they’re progress is to achieving results and how to get back on track quickly without losing momentum.
• They use their time to save money, rather than use money to save time. They see spending money as a risk because they often don’t have past experience to learn what to spend money on. • They sometimes get distracted from the ‘learning experiences’ on their journey to getting the results they want. I asked some of my successful Clients what their suggestion to those who would like to be successful. They’re answers were surprisingly similar. “Learn to be the leader of a smart Team. If you’re the smartest person in your business, you’re probably doing things harder than you need to be”. I hope these ideas help you to either identify why you may be achieving your goals, or not. Mention this article for your copy of the Profit Mechanics Sales & Marketing Diagnostic Questionnaire along with a 30 minute phone chat to help guide you through the tool and apply your business objectives to it. Remember … Business is More Fun, When There’s Profit!
Dan Buzer
Profit Mechanics
Business Development Manager 0414 567 188
2016 August Issue | 13
Re-discover our
World Wide Web
and all its random madness! So there’s this crazy thing called the internet that only a matter of a few decades ago was kind of science fiction to most of us. We could we barely have imagined the limitless things we can do on it via all the pages that we call the World Wide Web. Now that it is global and ubiquitous it should beg the question WHY is it that outside of business, it seems the majority of what we humans do with this technology involves ‘adult’ content, shopping or watching cats being adorable? The web often feels as vast as our very universe to me. No matter how long you spend wandering its wormholes, you’ll never know ALL of its wonders! So distracted are we by the habitually visited social platforms and other routine timewasting places, and there are simply too vast a number of pages to ever be able to view them all. But, if you haven’t yet had a good look, there is so much more to discover. Sure, some of it is purely idiotic, but other pages are creative genius, educationally invaluable and some provide a simple and free way to help others. The great news is that so much on the web supports the idea of self-directed, life-long learning or empowerment. Or, just wasting a lot of time having pointless fun. You choose!
Learn!
Take a course, any course: https://www.coursera.org/
14 | Aussie Painters Network
Learn to code: https://www.codecademy.com/ Enlighten yourself with a TED talk (short for Technology and Education): https://www.ted.com/talks Get instructions on how to do… just about anything: http://www.instructables.com/ http://www.wikihow.com/MainPage
Create!
Get your paint on in a different way to normal. Do some digital art! You can create anything you want, and save it as a jpeg file. Try your hand at graphics, logos, flyers without the complex professional graphics programs! www.onemotion.com/ flash/sketch-paint/ A place where you can make visual art with your words! tholman.com/texter/Ever wanted to be a cartoon character? Now you can be: www.Cartoonize.net
Go Places!
Randomly, virtually visit anywhere in the world. Even indoors so you can literally see how ‘the other half (of the earth) live’ http://www. mapcrunch.com/ Or drop in an address and you’re instantly there: http://www.instantstreetview.com/
Spread some good will
Donate food with a click: http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1990 Support charities with no effort at all: http://www.thenonprofits.com/
Get therapy (or pop some virtual bubble wrap, which is probably just as good!) https://www.7cups.com/ http://www.virtual-bubblewrap. com/popnow.shtml Pass the time with the silly, fun and plain weird Check out some awesome digital artwork: http://zoomquilt.org/
Want to find out your Dothraki warrior name in Game of Thrones? http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/14783 Can you never think of that quick, unique comeback? Visit the Shakespearian Insult Generator: http:// www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/ Or indeed, the more contemporary Donald Trump Insult Generator! http://time.com/3966291/donaldtrump-insult-generator/ Or of course you could just check out the hilarious cats. Caroline Miall
caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
2016 August Issue | 16
High quality fit-out products for light commercial vehicles.
Superior fit-out products designed especially for Renault, FIAT, VW, Mercedes Benz, Hyundai, Peugeot, Citroen and Iveco light commercial vehicles are now available in Australia. Motexion van bulkheads/vapour barriers, flooring and wall panels are designed and manufactured for optimum durability, security and safety. Designed and produced in the Netherlands to the German DIN standard, these van accessories are available exclusively through Motexion Australia, a based in Sydney.
www.motexion.com.au 0433 97 55 44
Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Understanding the Mind
So, it has been proven to be as good for your goals and your business as it is for your health and wellbeing! The Harvard Business Review describes the search for mindfulness as a billion dollar industry! While meditating can be a simple, truly cost-free practice to help achieve mindfulness, most of us find it near impossible to discipline our busy selves to do it! This is why some readers might find this useful... Could meditation be for you? The most important habit I have formed in the last 10 years of forming habits is meditation. Hands down, bar none. Meditation has helped me to form all my other habits, it’s helped me to become more peaceful, more focused, less worried about discomfort, more appreciative and attentive to everything in my life. I’m far from perfect, but it has helped me come a long way. Probably most importantly, it has helped me understand my own mind. Before I started meditating, I never thought about what was going on inside my head — it would just happen, and I would follow its commands like an automaton. I am aware of what’s going on. I can make a choice about whether to follow the commands. I understand myself better (not completely, but better), and that has given me increased flexibility and freedom.
So ... I highly recommend this habit. And while I’m not saying it’s easy, you can start small and get better and better as you practice.
18 | Aussie Painters Network
Don’t expect to be good at first — that’s why it’s called “practice”! These tips aren’t aimed at helping you to become an expert... they should help you get started and keep going. You don’t have to implement them all at once — try a few, try one or two more. 1. Sit for just two minutes. This will seem ridiculously easy, to just meditate for two minutes. That’s perfect. Start with just two minutes a day for a week. If that goes well, increase by another two minutes and do that for a week. If all goes well, by increasing just a little at a time, you’ll be meditating for 10 minutes a day in the 2nd month, which is amazing! But start small first. 2. Do it first thing each morning. It’s easy to say, “ I’ll meditate every day,” but then forget to do it. Instead, set a reminder for every morning when you get up, and put a note that says “ meditate” somewhere where you’ll see it. 3. Don’t get caught upin the how — just do. Most people worry about where to sit, how to sit, what cushion to use ... this is all nice, but
it’s not that important to get started. Start just by sitting on a chair, or on your couch. Or on your bed. If you’re comfortable on the ground, sit cross-legged. It’s just for two minutes at first anyway, so just sit. Later you can worry about optimizing it so you’ll be comfortable for longer, but in the beginning it doesn’t matter much, just sit somewhere quiet and comfortable. 4. Check in with how you’re feeling. As you first settle into your meditation session, simply check to see how you’re feeling. How does your body feel? What is the quality of your mind? Busy? Tired? Anxious? See whatever you’re bringing to this meditation session as completely OK. 5. Count your breaths. Now that you’re settled in, turn your attention to your breath. Just place the attention on your breath as it comes in, and follow it through your nose all the way down to your lungs. Try counting “ one” as you take in the first breath, then “ two” as you breathe out. Repeat this to the count of 10, then start again at one.
5. Count your breaths. Now that you’re settled in, turn your attention to your breath. Just place the attention on your breath as it comes in, and follow it through your nose all the way down to your lungs. Try counting “one” as you take in the first breath, then “two” as you breathe out. Repeat this to the count of 10, then start again at one. 6. Come back when you wander. Your mind will wander. This is an almost absolute certainty. There’s no problem with that. When you notice your mind wandering, smile, and simply gently return to your breath. Count “one” again, and start over. You might feel a little frustration, but it’s perfectly OK to not stay focused, we all do it. This is the practice, and you won’t be good at it for a little while. 7. Develop a loving attitude. When you notice thoughts and feelings arising during meditation, as they will, look at them with a friendly attitude. See them as friends, not intruders or enemies. They are a part of you, though not all of you. Be friendly and not harsh. 8. Don’t worry too much that you’re doing it wrong. You will worry you’re doing it wrong. That’s OK, we all do. You’re not doing it wrong. There’s no perfect way to do it, just be happy you’re doing it. 9. Don’t worry about clearing the mind. Lots of people think meditation is about clearing your mind, or stopping all thoughts. It’s not. This can sometimes happen, but it’s not the “ goal” of meditation. If you have thoughts, that’s normal. We all do. Our brains are thought factories, and we can’t just shut them down. Instead, just try to practice
focusing your attention, and practice some more when your mind wanders. 10. Stay with whatever arises. When thoughts or feelings arise, and they will, you might try staying with them awhile. Yes, I know I said to return to the breath, but after you practice that for a week, you might also try staying with a thought or feeling that arises. We tend to want to avoid feelings like frustration, anger, anxiety ... but an amazingly useful meditation practice is to stay with the feeling for awhile. Just stay, and be curious. 11. Get to know yourself. This practice isn’t just focusing your attention, it’s about learning how your mind works. What’s going on inside there? It’s murky, but by watching your mind wander, get frustrated, avoid difficult feelings ... you can start to understand yourself. 12. Become friends with yourself. As you get to know yourself, do it
with a friendly attitude instead of one of criticism. You’re getting to know a friend. Smile and give yourself love. 13. Do a body scan. Another thing you can do, once you become a little better at following your breath, is focus your attention on one body part at a time. Start at the soles of your feet —how do those feel? Slowly move to your toes, the tops of your feet, your ankles, all the way to the top of your head. 14. Notice the light, sounds, energy. Another place to put your attention, again, after you’ve practice with your breath for at least a week, is the light all around you. Just keep your eyes on one spot, and notice the light in the room you’re in. Another day, just focus on noticing sounds. Another day, try to notice the energy in the room all around you (including light and sounds).
2016 August Issue | 19
20 | Aussie Painters Network
15. Really commit yourself. Don’t just say, “ Sure, I’ll try this for a couple days.” Really commit yourself to this. In your mind, be locked in, for at least a month. 16. You can doit anywhere. If you’re traveling or something comes up in the morning, you can do meditation in your office. In the park. During your commute. As you walk somewhere. Sitting meditation is the best place to start, but in truth, you’re practicing for this kind of mindfulness in your entire life. 17. Follow guided meditation. If it helps, you can try following guided meditations to start with. My wife is using Tara Brach’s guided meditations, and she finds them very helpful. 18. Check in with friends. While I like meditating alone, you can do it with your spouse or child or
a friend. Or just make a commitment with a friend to check in every morning after meditation. It might help you stick with it for longer. 19. Find a community. Even better, find a community of people who are meditating and join them. This might be a Zen or Tibetan community near you (for example), where you go and meditate with them. Or find an online group and check in with them and ask questions, get support, encourage others. MySea Change Program has a community like that. 20. Smile when you’re done. When you’re finished with your two minutes, smile. Be grateful that you had this time to yourself, that you stuck with your commitment, that you showed yourself that you’re trustworthy, where you took the time to get to know yourself and make
friends with yourself. That’s an amazing two minutes of your life.
Meditation isn’t always easy or even peaceful. But it has truly amazing benefits, and you can start today, and continue for the rest of your life. If you’d like help with the meditation practice, join my Sea Change Program today, and take my Daily Mindfulness Practices course that’s going on right now!
Leo Babauta, a successful
‘simplicity’ blogger & author from California, the creator of top 25 Blog, Zen Habits, chronicling his insights from acting significant changes in his personal and working life.
www.zenhabits.net
2016 August Issue | 21
Dumb Things
PEOPLE DO
I recently completed 40 years of consulting and I thought it would be fun to share some of the bizarre things I have encountered. Possibly, these incidents will make you feel better about some of your own bizarre business encounters. The Near Execution: Years ago, I had a contractor attend a seminar, raised his prices and made somewhat of a budget but couldn’t understand why he still was not making money. Upon some consultant digging, I found that the same amount of material was missing every day from the warehouse. I said the warehouse manager had to be stealing. He said it was impossible that he was his best man in his wedding and they were deacons in the same church. When I confronted the warehouse manager he admitted it. Suddenly, I heard a shell inject into a shotgun behind my head. The owner was a hunter and retrieved it out of the closet. He said, “I am going to kill you, you #*&”. But about that time; it gets even better, the secretary could see us through an office window and runs in screaming, “Don’t shoot him, I love him.” After some calming down and tense moments,
22 | Aussie Painters Network
I discovered the long term secretary and the long term warehouse guy, who were both married, had been having an affair for years. When their kids graduated from high school they were going to run away together. The good news was that all the money was in an account and recovered. The moral of this story is to do job costing and keep your eye on things. Even people you trust can have emotional drama and be tempted if the business has no cross checking system. Attrition Promotion: Years ago, we were interviewing supervisors at a very large company. We asked one foreman, whose name happened to be Bubba, how he was promoted. His reply was, “I was hunting the day the crew dumped chemicals in the river, killed the fish and were all fired.” The moral of this story is just because someone is big doesn’t mean they have better people than you. Also, promotion by attrition may not be the best strategy. The Art Enthusiast: One of our customers had a great craftsman who
was not the brightest bulb and talked too much. He entered a house in Beverly Hills and there was a Picasso on the wall. He said he liked the painting and his wife “had bought one just like it a Kmart.” The customer threw him out of the house. When the boss asked why he said that, he said it didn’t look like anything much and it had to come from a cheap place. To this day, I bet he still wonders why he was fired. The moral of this story is to never under estimate the ability of a dumb craftsman who likes to run his mouth to get you in trouble. It seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: One of our roofing customers sent a seasoned two-man crew to do a repair on a high roof in a rural area. A couple of days later the customer was driving down the interstate and noticed giant initials on the roof. He called the owner who was flabbergasted. This crew was a little rough around the edges but dependable and trouble free for years. When he asked his crew why they did it, the reply was, “we were sitting up there eating lunch it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
The moral of this story is that you can make a redneck into a worker but no matter how long they work for you, there still is still some redneck logic stuck in their head. But I had a work order: A hard working citizen bought a house from the city for a $1 to be rehabbed. After months of his own labor, it was almost ready to move into. The city mistakenly left it on a list of dilapidated houses to be torn down. A contractor was contracted to tear it and others down. The poor house rehabber showed up and his house was gone. The police where not sympathetic when he called to say someone stole his house. When the owner asked the demolition foremen, didn’t the house look good to him. The reply was, “Yea it looked great, not like the others but we had a work order…” The moral of this story is to be careful what you tell employees to do, some will do it even if there is a mistake and it doesn’t make sense. She Looks Ok to Me: One of our customers does service work and has a paperless system. A custom-
er’s daughter ordered a repair and said her father had just died. Her Mom was upset as the father usually handled repairs. A note to be sensitive was written on the service ticket. The tech did the work and then wrote on the ticket, “she’ll be ok as she has lots of money with two Cadillacs sitting in the driveway”. No one caught and erased the note, the bill was sent. The owner received an angry phone call from the daughter, the lady’s preacher and even giving away the service call still left the business with a bad name.
we found a sensitive item in an audit he might want to be aware of. The last time, I was told by his secretary that she had a direct quote for me from him, “to stop #!&# calling and trying to sell him something.” A year later I learned they had closed due to financial problems.
The moral of this story is to never underestimate a tradesperson even with the latest technology.
I hope my stories have provided some chuckles and thanks for listening to me all these years. With some luck and good health, I plan to be around a few more.
Don’t Ever Bother Me Again. As consultants, we discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars of theft in a bizarre complicated scheme. We were working at a large subcontracting company. We highly suspected the thieves were stealing from another subcontractor company. Not wanting to be sued, we left messages for the owner of the other company. We explained that we were not selling anything but just wanted to talk for a moment as
The moral of this story is that not everyone is trying to sell you something or take advantage of you. Sometimes taking a moment to really understand the situation or return the call might be in your best interest.
Monroe Porter
is president of a PROOF
Management Consultants. Call at 804 267-1688
monroe@proofman.com
www.proofman.com
2016 August Issue | 23
ASBESTOS FOUND
in Brisbane building under construction
The controversial new Brisbane building, set to be its tallest and affectionately known as the Tower of Power has been in the news recently due to metal skirtings and gaskets used, that were of Chinese origin, being found to contain asbestos. The building was commissioned by the LNP in 2012 to house public servant offices, though the government will only be a tenant of the building. This is one of a number of issues we’ve reported on in the past year relating to cheaply sourced imported building materials, which have included cladding that failed to pass fire ratings after being pinpointed as responsible for uncontrollable infernos. The company that supplied the suspect material, Yuanda Australia
24 | Aussie Painters Network
- a subsidiary of Yuanda China Holdings limited and one of the world’s largest manufacturers and installers of primary constructionrelated products - also provided roof panelling for a Western Australian Children’s Hospital, which last week were also reported to contain the deadly substance.
ported thousands of cement sheets several years ago that have only last year been found to contain the deadly substance. This is the biggest supplier of portable accommodation facilities to major projects around Australia, but the company claims few of the sheets were actually used due to being substandard.
Yuanda was involved with two other government funded projects in South Australia, the ABC reported in mid-July. The CFMEU is calling for a thorough assessment of these sites to ensure the same has not occurred, particularly in another major hospital, though a hospital representative has stated that this has not been the case...
It seems this problem is not going away any time soon and that imported construction materials need to be subject to greater scrutiny before being released for use in Australia. We will be keeping a close eye on the response to the issue as more information comes to light.
It has also recently been reported in The Australian that the company, Australian Portable Camps im-
Caroline Miall Aussie Painters Network
caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
2016 August Issue | 25
A home grown business that's committed to doing what we do best - keeping people BUSY At Work. Graco Inc. is one of the world's premier manufacturers of uid-handling equipment and systems.
Paint specialist website that only deals in painting and paint related services.
A rm of accountants based in Norman Park, Brisbane, servicing clients all over Australia. Born in Ballarat in 1935, our family run business is now in the hands of the fourth generation of Haymes. Jim Baker developed applications on how much you need to be earningto cover its regular outgoings and more. Let’s Clean Pty Ltd drawing its depth of u paint and coatings removal expertise. Masters in Building Training (MiBT) is Australia’s leading Registered Training Organisation (RTO) for the building industry
26 | Aussie Painters Network
MATES in Construction is a charity established in 2008 to reduce the high level of suicide among Australian construction workers.
We produce protection systems for all types of delivery vans to protect the van itself, the load and the passengers.
Our mission is to provide a service that businesses can trust and rely on.
Established in 1946, is an international company with manufacturing operations in Australia and Fiji
The National Institute of Painting and Decorating is the peak professional body.
Singtel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecom company in Australia.
Uni-Pro oer an unequalled range of products – from Professional Trade to weekend DIY renovators.
Snap Rocklea can help with brand identity development.
A national suppliers of painting and decorating applications and accessories.
Valspar has been dedicated to bringing the latest innovations, the nest and the best service.
2016 August Issue | 27
How to Build a WINNING TEAM
to Produce Consistently Profitable Work Finding quality staff can be a challenge, regardless of what industry you’re in. You require a solid recruitment strategy and process, the right staff training and finally a plan to minimise staff turnover. Building a great team is essential for continued (smooth) growth in a business. Having the right team impacts the bottom line more than people realise. Especially when you’re selling labour. To assist you in building a winning team here are five points to proven strategies used by us and our clients.
1. Always be looking
The first challenge most business owners face is the
28 | Aussie Painters Network
urgency of finding a new employee. If an employee leaves suddenly or you get a surprising influx of work, there will be a natural urge to hire the best of a bad bunch. Use the good times to build relationship with good tradespeople in your industry. Build you network and get to know them before they are employed.
2. Build a brand that attracts the right team
Consider, that all the good trades people are currently employed. So, build a brand and reputation in the industry that will attract quality. Make a name for yourself in the industry as an employer of choice. Someone that has great working conditions. Please note that great working conditions doesn’t mean the highest pay rate.
3. Have clear expectations from the start
Hiring the right team is only half the battle, now you need to manage their performance. Two simple strategies for managing performance, clear position descriptions and clearly defined policies. Position descriptions are simple an agreement of your expectations and what they are responsible for. Don’t a list of expectations about their behaviour. For example, smoking on site, uniforms, drug and alcohol, etc. Set clear expectations from the start and you will have foundation for performance.
4. Train on customer service
Regardless of what position anyone holds in a business, we are all in the business of customer service. It’s important however to train your team on what good customer service means in your business.
5. Clear set of values or philosophies
Old school saying like “measure twice cut once” are lessons that effectively manage behaviour. Create your own philosophies or values and speak them over and over again until they sink in. This may sound strange, but it really works. Think about how you want your team to behave, then make a list of mantras to match.
If you would like some more information or guidance on hiring a great team, contact one of the team at PROTRADE United.
www.protradeunited.com.au hello@protradeunited.com.au 1300 767 774
Is Your ‘Hourly Rate’
CORRECT?
This is a huge concern to me as I have found many business owners still do not know their true cost of operating a business. I wrote an article in a 2014 edition and feel I must bring up the subject again as a lot of people, ‘just don’t get it’. Many go out on their own because they are fed up with working for someone else. They feel they are not being paid enough and that the boss is reaping in huge profits. (They also feel that working for yourself is quite simple). Fair enough! I guess I had the same conclusion many years ago. The problem in most cases with ‘going out on your own’ is the belief that if you are earning $30$35 an hour with an employer, a charge-out rate of $40-$45 is a nice increase in income, so therefore starting your own business could be quite a worthwhile proposition. This is definitely not the case as many established, long-time business operators will agree with. So many ‘start-out’ business people, do not take into consideration of all expenditures. To give you an idea I will show you one example of a business expense; let’s say a vehicle for instance, and how much it would cost to operate
30 | Aussie Painters Network
per hour over a twelve-month period.
(Even if you own the vehicle, you still have to factor it into your expenses.)
It doesn’t matter if the vehicle is new or second hand, but let’s say it’s a brand new model that was purchased for $30,000 and you took a loan through a finance company. If you keep it for 10 years (normally paid out within 5 years) the interest could be another $10,000 on top of the purchase price. After 10 years, the vehicle is most probably only worth about $6,000, so you have to account for the lost $34,000 in your business expense.
So how much does this cost per hour?
The vehicle payments calculate to $3,400 per year ($34,000 divided by 10 years). On top of this yearly cost you have car registration (approx. $800), servicing and tyres (approx. $1,100 averaged over 10 years), insurance (approx. $800) and fuel, (which if you look at approximately $45 a week will work out to around $2,400). Your total vehicle cost is now $8,500 per year. To work this out to a cost per hour, you have to calculate how many days you are actually working ‘on the tools’. I call these ‘Productive Days’ (quoting, bookwork, holidays, etc, are not producing an income so are not included). There are 260 working days in a year (taking out weekends).
You now have to subtract all the days you are not physically working, which includes the quoting, bookwork, holidays and sick days etc. Depending on the days you have taken off, this could work out to be about 208 days that you are actually ‘on the tools’ earning money. If you now divide the 208 days into the vehicle cost of $8,500, you will see that the cost to just run your vehicle is over $5.10 per hour. This is only one item in many in your charge-out rate, so when you add all your expenses (including the personal income you would like to make and an amount for superannuation to be put aside), you will see that it is a great deal more than the $40-$45 you thought was a ‘nice income’.
Some costs you may have overlooked.
Co-Invest). Each State is different so you need to check your area and include it if required.
Take into account that the various states of Australia can all have different costings, especially if you have employees. On Social Media recently, I brought up the subject on ‘QLeave’ (Queensland Long Service Leave) and asked the question if Queensland employers had filled in their yearly employee forms. (Once an employee has reached 10 years of service, which is transferable from company to company, they are entitled to 8.6 weeks of long service leave). For Queensland employers, this cost does not have to be calculated into your hourly rate as it is fully funded by the major building companies, but in other states, such as Victoria, employers have to contribute 2.7% of an employees wage into a fund (called
Road Tolls are something else that people forget to factor in. What I have been told, in NSW it can be quite expensive over a twelvemonth period, so this also has to be added to your yearly expense. To sum it up, every business is different and expenses can vary quite substantially from one to another, so you need to know exactly what your business costs are and calculate it to an hourly rate to cover everything. There is nothing worse than at the end of the year you find there is no money in your account.
Jim Baker
www.mytools4business.com
2016 August Issue | 31
Do you have an apprentice? What does your apprentice do on rained out days, or down-time between jobs when you’re paying them?
32 | Aussie Painters Network
Developed by Jim Baker 2013
34 | Aussie Painters Network
Top 4 Hazards
TRADIES CAN AVOID
in their Business As a Tradie you have to take advantage of business opportunities when and where they arise to keep your business profitable. When the construction industry is going strong, there are plenty of jobs going around as big companies often need contractors to get through their projects on schedule. A construction site can be a hive of activities with more than one company working on site. You might have contractors coming in for a short time or over a few days, and moving from project to project. All this will need to be managed and scheduled well to make it work. If you’re new to working in the construction industry, you’ll want to make sure that you get started on the right foot, as there are many pitfalls that can get your business undone rather quickly. And when that happens, it will not just affect your business, but also the life of your employees or contractors. To help you avoid some of these pitfalls of working in the construction industry, here are our tips.
Keeping on top of payments
With many construction projects Tradies often hire as sub-contractors to form a big enough team to get the job done. Whether you’ve got staff on your payroll or have a team of contractors, you’ll need to be able to have enough cash flow to pay them when they’ve done their job for you. The key is to keep a really tight rein on your financial administration. This will allow you to cover the payment time lag you may experience from project to project. The old way of doing your admin is long gone and has been replaced with powerful new accounting software which is accessible on the go via your mobile devices. You can issue invoices and take payments on the spot, when you’ve got the right systems set up.
Get expert help with your financial systems and company set up If you’re not sure how to get started using “cloud-based” software such
as XERO, find a team of experts to set it up right to start with. This will put you in good stead to weather any storms that can hit the construction industry due to its unpredictable nature. Make sure you hire a bookkeeper and accountant who work with the latest online software, so that you can have peace of mind knowing you’ve got a true handle on your cash flow, what’s coming in and what’s going out. The biggest advantage of using this type of online software is that everything is happening in real time. If you enter a payment for wages or payment to the supplier, it will immediately show on your bottom line. A really important aspect to working in the construction industry is to have the right company structure and insurance set up. You can also protect your company assets by incorporating your business, and your accountant can give you the best advice on what is the suitable for you and your operations.
2016 August Issue | 35
Get in first and stand out from the crowd
When people are looking for a Tradie, they often ask their mates or other people they know for a recommendation. The same applies to companies who are looking for sub-contractors for a large building project. If the Site Manager has had a particularly positive experience with your company, he will more than likely want to work with you again and refer you on.
Building a good rapport and reputation with the companies you work with is a great way to encourage word-of-mouth referrals. Use mobile job management and quotation systems to get in first with your quotation… and it doesn’t hurt to keep a clean shirt in your Ute to make a lasting first impression. They might have other people attending as well, and being well presented just adds to a professional image.
36 | Aussie Painters Network
Keep updated
Last but not least, make sure you don’t neglect your knowledge of safety laws and other building regulations. Keep your certifications up to date by going on training courses. This is important whether you’re a builder, electrician, plumber, carpenter or other worker. Your insurance may also depend on upto-date certification – and you’ll probably get more work, too.
www.pbks.com.au
Find out if the things around you are SAFE for humans and pets
2016 August Issue | 37
How to Be Present When the Present
IS DIFFICULT
family member? How do you practice present-moment awareness when you’d really rather not be present at all? I’m going to share five tips with you about living in the moment, the first of which is bound to sound a bit counterintuitive . . . 1. Relax into the discomfort I know, I know. That sounds crazy. But bear with me. No one wants to experience distress. But unfortunately, no one can escape it. So if you can accept whatever is happening, you will be more at ease.
Courage doesn’t always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow. – Mary Anne Radmacher By now you’ve probably heard it hundreds, if not thousands, of times. It’s been expressed in many ways by self-help experts and by spiritual teachers through the ages, but at its heart the message is always the same: The importance of living in the moment. This is essential if you want to live a full and rich existence. If you’re mired in thoughts about the past or caught up in ideas of the future, then you’re not really there for your own life as it unfolds.
38 | Aussie Painters Network
And it’s pretty easy to be mindful of the present when things are going well. A delicious meal, beautiful music, a picturesque view, time spent with good friends . . . why would you not want to be fully in the moment to savour these kinds of things? Even when you’re not having wonderful peak experiences—when things are “just okay”— present-moment mindfulness isn’t all that tough. You have to remember to practice it, which in the very least is what, I guess, we call gratitude; and when you do, you’re in a relatively pleasant state. But what about when you’re in a difficult relationship? Or seriously ill? Or stuck in a job you can’t stand? Or deeply worried about a friend or
Now here’s the key, which is absolutely vital to understand—acceptance does NOT mean that you’re okay with whatever is going on. It simply means you’re acknowledging the undeniable fact that it’s occurring. Strangely enough, you’ll discover a sense of relief when you stop struggling so hard to deny it. Whatever is happening is happening, and you’ll need all your strength to deal with it. Don’t lose energy for that battle by having a wrestling match on the side trying to wish the unstoppable out of existence. 2. Stop “shoulding” on yourself I’ve just finished several months of chemotherapy. This isn’t easy for anyone, but it really knocked me flat for quite a while. Among many other side effects of the process, I’ve had no energy. And I mean none. There were times when I simply lay there all day and stared at the wall.
We are Painters working with Painters to improve the industry. You receive information designed to assist in advancing your business practices and maintaining a high degree of professionalism. We keep painting businesses up to date on the latest government legislative changes whilst assisting you in running your business with tips and tricks to
SAVE YOU MONEY!
2016 August Issue | 39
40 | Aussie Painters Network
I didn’t even have the mental stamina to read or watch movies. I was alone with myself and my thoughts for weeks on end. Ruminating endlessly about all the things I felt I should be doing with all that time I had at my disposal. I eventually learned the hard way to stop fighting my own thoughts, because my body and mind simply weren’t able to do what I wanted them to. My chemotherapy is an extreme example, but it illustrates how, whenever we’re going through difficult times, our reserves are much lower and we simply can’t handle things the way we normally can. And you know what? That’s okay. We live in a society that encourages us to try to be superhuman. We often try to do far too much even when we’re happy, healthy, and on top of our game. Throw just one problem into the mix and the whole house of cards can come tumbling down. So don’t torture yourself with what you think you “should” be doing. Honour the fact that simply dealing with your difficulty is hard work . . . even if most or all of that work is internal. It really is okay to take off your superhero cape. The world won’t crumble to pieces, and neither will you. 3. Ask yourself how you feel in this moment Very often, even when the overall situation is uncomfortable, the specific moment you’re in isn’t all that bad. So ask yourself what’s okay— not great, maybe not even good, but just okay—about this moment. Are you clean and warm and dry? Well-fed and not hungry? Do you have the ability to take a few deep
breaths and make a conscious choice about how to respond to your situation? Do you know that, no matter what is going on, there are people who love you? What do you have to be grateful for right now? And even if this exact moment really is horrible, you can still do two things: think about ways to change the situation, and understand that the moment will pass. I’m not saying that either of those things is easy to do, but they are possible. However, chances are that right now things aren’t quite as bad as you thought. 4. Don’t hide your pain We tend to want to conceal how bad things are so that others will see us as strong and capable. We want to be brave, and we think of courage in terms of being tough. But there’s a different kind of courage that comes from being vulnerable. At first it feels very uncomfortable to take off the mask and let others see how needy we feel. But that neediness isn’t bad—like pain, it’s just a part of being human. We all need love, acceptance and help. Can you be brave enough to admit that? Vulnerability opens you to receive warmth and concern from others. So take a deep breath and find the courage to ask for the support you need. You may be surprised at how readily people respond. 5. Find simple ways to distract yourself We’re talking about present-moment awareness here, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a martyr. You don’t have to be present with what’s hard at every single moment. When you’re facing a difficult situation, it’s perfectly okay to divert your attention to other
things and give your mind a break. When I was going through chemotherapy, for example, I rediscovered jigsaw puzzles. I couldn’t work on them for very long at a stretch, but there was something soothing about them that kept my mind off what my body was going through. Some days, those puzzles saved my sanity. Maybe for you it will be a great book or movie, or a walk or workout. Maybe you’ll draw, paint or write poems—not to become a great artist or writer, but simply to lose yourself for a little while in a different form of self-expression. Be in the moment with the distraction for a while instead of your troubling situation. You’ll come back fresher and better able to handle things. How to be Present – Strength in Resiliency There’s no doubt that maintaining presence during life’s hard times is hard to do. But remember that you’re strong. Not in the sense of being hard, but being flexible and resilient, bending with the circumstances while staying firmly rooted in yourself. And when the going gets tough, remember these tips: So the next time life serves you up a slice of struggle—or if you’re going through a rough period right now— you have tools to help you deal with it. When times are bad, living in the moment won’t be fun. It won’t be easy. But it is possible.
And you’re stronger than you know. About the author: Michelle Russell is a freelance editor who also blogs at Enoughist.com, where she writes about what it means to have, do, and be enough.
2016 August Issue | 41
Worker fatalities so far.. Safe Work Australia this month released preliminary figures of the estimated number of deaths of Australian workers by industry for 2016 to date. As at 26 July, 86 Australian workers have been killed at work this year; according to media reported fatalities, to be confirmed by authorities once investigations are concluded. Updated information is used to publish Safe Work Australia’s annual Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities
report which includes finalised work-related fatalities from 2003 onwards. These annual reports provide details on the number of people who have died in Australia from work-related injuries, including those that occurred while travelling to and from work and bystanders killed as a result of another person’s work activity. These reports are based on information from a number of sources: workers’ compensation data, coronial information, notified fatalities and the media.
Year-to-date 2016: worker deaths by industry of workplace Industry of workplace
Preliminary worker deaths Preliminary worker deaths Preliminary worker deaths 2015 year-to-date 2015 year-to-date 2016
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
55
27
25
Transport, postal & warehousing
54
30
27
Construction
26
10
10
Miningb
12
8
2
Manufacturing
10
4
0
Arts & recreation services
7
3
5
Electricity, gas, water & waste services
7
4
4
Administrative & support services
6
3
0
Other services
4
3
3
Public administration & safety
3
0
1
Accommodation & food services
2
2
1
Health care & social assistance
2
2
2
Retail trade
2
2
2
Government administration & defence
1
1
0
Education & training
0
0
0
Financial & insurance services
0
0
0
Information media & telecommunications
0
0
2
Professional, scientific & technical services
0
0
2
Wholesale trade
0
0
0
Total worker deaths
191
99
86
• Ranked in descending order, and then on alphabetical order for industries with no fatalities. • Mining fatalities include fatalities that occur in the coal mining, oil and gas extraction, metal ore mining, gravel and sand quarrying, and services to mining sectors. • Includes notifiable fatalities that occurred overseas.
42 | Aussie Painters Network
Safe Work Australia also collects and reports on a range of other work health and safety and workers compensation statistics.
View the Safe Work Australia statistics page
2016 August Issue | 43
The Industry
Idiots
44 | Aussie Painters Network
Important Contacts Aussie Painters Network www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
Ph. 0430 399 800
National Institute for Painting and Decorating www.painters.edu.au
Ph. 1300 319 790
Australian Tax Office www.ato.gov.au
Ph. 13 72 26 / Ph. 13 28 65
Award Rates www.fairwork.gov.au
Ph. 13 13 94
Fair Work Building & Construction www.fwbc.gov.au
Ph. 1800 003 338
Mates In Construction www.matesinconstruction.com.au
Ph. 1300 642 111
Workplace Health and Safety Contacts Comcare WorkSafe ACT Workplace Health and Safety QLD Victorian WorkCover Authority WorkCover NSW SafeWork SA WorkSafe WA NT WorkSafe WorkSafe Tasmania
www.comcare.gov.au www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.worksafe.qld.gov.au www.vwa.vic.gov.au www.workcover.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ www.worksafe.nt.gov.au www.worksafe.tas.gov.au
1300 366 979 02 6207 3000 1300 362 128 1800 136 089 13 10 50 1300 365 255 1300 307 877 1800 019 115 1300 366 322
www.actcancer.org www.cancercouncil.com.au www.cancercouncilnt.com.au www.cancerqld.org.au www.cancersa.org.au www.cancervic.org.au www.cancerwa.asn.au
(02) 6257 9999 (02) 9334 1900 (08) 8927 4888 (07) 3634 5100 (08) 8291 4111 (03) 9635 5000 (08) 9212 4333
Cancer Council Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA
2016 August Issue | 45
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