From the Editor
Hey Everyone,
Welcome to the 145th issue of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.
I can’t believe its almost March. What has happened to time?
This last month with the Women in Painting Launch. It was a great success with industry getting behind it and painters and their partners attending and being part of the day. Check out all about it inside.
For APN Gold and Platinum Members we launched the Automated SWMS that take all the hard work out of them.
We have continued this month with the School to Work Transition Program and have had over 20 students in trying out painting. From that we have had a couple get School Based Apprenticeships. That’s one of the most exciting things is seeing the change that these programs make.
On top of all that I have completed the training of 5 apprentices this month that are now qualified tradespeople. Congratulations to you all.
CONTRIBUTORS
• Caroline Miall
• Isaac Gross
• Jim Baker
• Kathryn Page
• Leo Babauta
• Nigel Gorman
• Oliver Kay
• Robert Bauman
• Sandra Price
• Timothy Colin Bednall
EDITOR
Nigel Gorman
'Til next month, Happy Painting!!
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
J. Anne Delgado
Setting and tracking financial goals FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS
Setting financial goals for your business may be one of your most important responsibilities as a leader and business owner. Your financial goals serve as far more than wishful projections, they form the backbone of your road map for success, internal and external. Financial goals are something that every single business should possess regardless of its market, model or size. Let’s explore how you can set and track financial goals that empower your business to thrive.
Why financial goals matter for your business
Financial goals are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. They are the roadmap that helps you plan and make strategic decisions and are intricately linked to your business plan. Without clear goals, it’s like driving without a destination in mind. Think about it—how do you know if you’ve arrived if you never set out where you wanted to go?
First, financial goals offer clarity. They transform your vision into actionable targets. When you know exactly what you want to achieve, it becomes easier to lay out the steps necessary to get there. It’s akin to plotting the course on a GPS; you need a specific endpoint to calculate the best route.
Second, having financial goals motivates you and your team. A shared goal brings people together, fostering collaboration and boosting morale. Your business benefits from the focus and drive that comes with working towards a common objective.
Lastly, financial goals prepare you for the unexpected. By regularly tracking your finances, you can identify trends and anticipate potential pitfalls before they become crises.
The benefits of financial goal setting
Setting financial goals is a powerful tool for business owners, offering a host of benefits. Not only do they provide direction, but they also enable you to measure success and maintain focus.
Clarity and focus
Financial goals bring clarity and focus to your business operations. With well-defined objectives, you can concentrate your efforts on activities that align with your overarching strategy. This clarity makes decision making easier and more efficient, reducing the clutter of distractions.
Motivation and accountability
Goals serve as a source of motivation and accountability. Having clear targets keeps you and your team motivated to achieve them. It also creates a sense of
accountability, as everyone understands their role in reaching the collective goals.
Risk Management
Financial goals help in identifying and managing risks. By setting tangible targets, you are better prepared to anticipate potential challenges. This foresight allows you to develop contingency plans and make informed decisions, reducing the impact of unforeseen events. It’s the business equivalent of having a backup generator ready to kick in during a power outage.
Getting started with financial goals
Setting financial goals may seem daunting, but it’s easier than you think. Start by assessing your current financial situation. Understanding where your business stands financially is the first step to setting realistic and achievable goals.
Assess your current financial situation
Before setting goals, take a deep dive into your financial records. Look at your income, expenses, cash flow, and debts. This comprehensive overview will give you a clear picture of your financial health and highlight areas that need improvement.
Define clear and specific objectives
Once you have a grasp of your current situation, it’s time to define your financial goals. Ensure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound (SMART). Instead of setting a vague goal like “increase profits,” aim for something concrete such as “grow net profit by 20% over the next 12 months.” Align goals with your business strategy
Your financial goals should align with your overall business strategy. Consider your company’s mission, values, and long-term vision. Ensure that your financial objectives support and contribute to these larger goals. For instance, if expanding into new markets is part of your strategy, set financial targets that reflect this growth ambition.
Breaking down goals into achievable milestones
Large financial goals can feel overwhelming, but breaking them down into smaller, manageable milestones makes them more attainable.
Create incremental milestones
Divide your larger financial goals into incremental milestones. For example, if you aim to increase annual revenue by $100,000, set quarterly targets of $25,000. These milestones act as stepping stones, providing a clear path toward achieving your ultimate goal.
Assign responsibilities and set deadlines
Assign specific responsibilities to team members or departments and establish deadlines for each milestone. This delegation ensures accountability and encourages collaboration. When everyone knows their role and timeline, the team can work cohesively toward the shared objective.
Celebrate small wins
Celebrate the achievement of each milestone. Acknowledging small wins boosts morale and motivation, reinforcing the progress made. It’s like celebrating each mile during a marathon—it keeps spirits high and momentum going strong.
Tracking and measuring progress
Setting financial goals is only half the equation; tracking and measuring progress is equally crucial.
Implement a tracking system
Establish a system to regularly track and measure your progress. This could be through financial software, spreadsheets, or other tools that provide real-time data. Regular monitoring allows you to identify trends, make adjustments, and stay on track.
Review and adjust goals periodically
Financial goals are not static; they should be reviewed and adjusted periodically. Changes in the market, industry, or internal factors may necessitate modifications to your goals. Conduct regular reviews to ensure your goals remain relevant and aligned with your business strategy.
Use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Incorporate key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your progress. KPIs are quantifiable metrics that reflect your success in achieving specific objectives. They provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your strategies and guide decision-making.
Use technology to help you reach your goals
Technology can play a pivotal role in managing financial goals effectively. Explore financial management software
Consider using financial management software to streamline goal setting, tracking, and analysis. These tools offer features such as budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, enabling you to make data-driven decisions.
Automate processes for efficiency
Leverage automation to enhance efficiency in financial goal management. Automation can handle tasks like
invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting, freeing up time for strategic planning and decisionmaking.
Gain insights through data analytics
Use data analytics to gain valuable insights into your financial performance. Check trends, identify opportunities, and uncover potential risks. Data-driven insights empower you to make informed decisions and fine-tune your financial strategies.
Final thoughts
Setting and tracking financial goals is essential for small business success. They provide clarity, motivation, and risk management, guiding your business toward growth and sustainability. By assessing your current financial situation, defining clear objectives, and breaking them down into achievable milestones, you can pave the way to success.
Remember to track and measure progress regularly, leveraging technology for efficiency and insights. With well-defined financial goals and a strategic approach, your small business can thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Start setting your financial goals today and watch your business flourish!
For further resources and guidance, reach out to us. Your business’s financial success begins with proactive planning and strategic execution.
Get in touch with us if you are struggling to implement your business plan. Call my office on (07) 3399 8844, or visit our website at www.straighttalkat.com.au and complete your details on our Home page to request FREE Business Health 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.
The Art of Completing a Meaningful Project
If you could regularly complete your most meaningful projects, what would that be worth to you?
For many people, they’d be creating the impact they want, and would be going much further in fulfilling their purpose in life. It would go a long way toward creating the life that you want.
But of course, there are some tough challenges that stand in the way of that:
• Self-doubt and fear of failure
• Distraction, avoidance, procrastination
• Focusing on smaller, less important (but easier) tasks
• Not making time for focusing on the project
• Feeling overwhelmed and not taking action
• Losing focus and getting discouraged
• Feeling a lack of progress and a feeling of pointlessness
These kinds of challenges get in the way for all of us. In this post, I’ll share crucial strategies for dealing with these challenges, and also invite you to join my Fearless Mastery 2025 program to get support to finally complete your most meaningful project.
Get Clear on Purpose
The mistake many people make at the start is not having any clear direction. What would you like to accomplish this year? If you set a direction for yourself, you’ll have a clear sense of purpose.
If you don’t know what project you’d like to take on this year, spend a few days contemplating it.
Then just choose something. Anything. It’s better to choose something from your gut than it is to get caught up in indecision and choose nothing.
Create a Weekly Ritual
You can get really good at completing projects if you build a few key habits. The first one is a weekly planning ritual:
• Review how your last week went (did you hit your targets?)
• Make a note of what you learned & what adjustments are needed
• Make commitments for this coming week
• Block off time to focus on the project & hit your commitments
This should take about 20 minutes each week. I recommend Sundays or Mondays.
If you do this ritual every week, you will move this project forward.
Get Good at Daily Focus Sessions
The next habit to form is daily focus sessions (let’s say, 5 days a week). This is the time you’ll spend working on the project — whether it’s 30 minute sessions or multiple hours. Here’s the habit:
• Every morning, spend a few minutes getting clear on what you’re going to accomplish today (with regards to your project commitments for the week)
• Also get clear on what time block you’ll use
• When the time block starts, practice getting into the project with as little distraction or avoidance as possible
This takes practice. You won’t be good at it at first. Just practice.
Learn to Emotionally Regulate
The main reason people don’t do the focus session — and thus fail at their projects — is that there’s some emotion they don’t want to deal with. Fear, anxiety, frustration, disappointment, a feeling of pointlessness, etc. These emotions are natural and universal, and yet we often don’t know how to deal with them.
The answer is simple: emotional regulation. All you have to do is acknowledge the feeling, let yourself feel it, breathe, and soothe yourself. If you can do that, the feeling becomes less intense, and not such a big deal.
Then you can move forward with the next step in your project. Open a document, do the first action. It becomes much more possible if you learn to soothe the emotion that would normally block you.
Get Support & Accountability
Another habit that people resist is accountability — making commitments to one or more people, and then holding yourself accountable for how you did with those commitments.
We resist this because we fear looking bad or feeling bad about not holding to the commitments. But we’re practicing emotional regulation! So it’s cool if we feel bad sometimes — it’s going to be a part of any meaningful work.
So instead, make yourself more effective by using the habit of accountability to move yourself forward and to see where you’re getting stuck.
If you’re getting stuck, get some support from others. Let yourself be humbled, and don’t feel like you need to do this alone. It’s hard enough as it is.
In my Fearless Mastery program , the key to our effectiveness is that we support each other’s big goals. I offer coaching for anyone who is stuck, and there’s a group of people supporting each other on their shared journeys. It makes a huge, huge difference.
Celebrate Progress & Milestones
A great habit to form is to celebrate any progress, no matter how little. We’re not taught to do this, but if you do, it will help you to feel a sense of progress. There’s nothing more motivating than feeling like you’re making progress.
Celebrate small victories, and big milestones. Make it a non-negotiable habit.
Embrace Challenges to Create Transformation
You’ll inevitably get stopped at some point. Maybe at a lot of points. That might be taken as a sign of failure, and feel discouraging. But instead, use these challenges to grow beyond your current limitations.
Join Fearless Mastery to Complete Your Big Project
Completing a big, audacious, meaningful project can be incredibly transformative. That’s why it’s the focus of Fearless Mastery 2025 — every member of my small group coaching and mastermind program is focused on completing a big project or launching a business.
Would you like to be a part of this?
Here’s what the program offers:
• Weekly calls (every Tuesday) to get coaching, support, accountability, teachings and more.
• Thursday office hours for more coaching and support
• Daily focus sessions
• Small group accountability
• 1-on-1 coaching with me each month
• A retreat in Mexico in May
• Video teachings from me
• A community forum for weekly accountability, celebrations of victories, and more
Check out Fearless Mastery 2025 , and apply today to set up a call with me to explore whether this is a good fit for you.
Early bird discount: if you sign up in the next week (by Feb. 5, 2025), you can get a 10% early bird discount.
This is the year to make things happen for yourself. Let’s do this together.
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
Changing jobs is a big move but it’s worth considering if your workplace is toxic
Returning to work after a summer break can be jarring, especially for the many workers dissatisfied with their jobs. Almost half report high levels of job-related stress.
Dissatisfaction can be tied to an unhealthy, even toxic workplace where negative behaviour and poor leadership harm employee wellbeing and productivity.
Key indicators include bullying, harassment, lack of trust, poor communication and high job strain.
The impact of toxic workplaces
If you think your workplace is toxic, it is worth considering the impact it is having on your mental health. You might also consider how committed your organisation is to supporting its employees’ mental health.
Toxicity can develop gradually through subtle patterns of micromanagement, exclusion, or eroding morale. These dynamics create a draining environment that undermines individual wellbeing and business success.
As well as affecting employees’ mental health, there is growing evidence workplace stress may lead to serious physical health problems, such as cardiovascular disease.
According to Safe Work Australia, mental health-related workers’ compensation claims have increased by over a third since 2017-2018.
In 2021-2022, there were 11,700 accepted claims relating to mental health conditions. These cases proved highly costly for employers, with the median compensation paid being A$58,615.
The International Standards Organisation released a global standard in 2021 to help manage psychological health and safety risks in workplaces.
A number of countries, including Canada and Australia, have introduced laws and standards making employers responsible for preventing and managing work-related stress.
To support a safe workplace, some researchers (including one of the authors) have recommended an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to ensure companies respond appropriately to mental health risks.
What your employer is doing in the following three areas can show how committed they are to protecting mental health.
Excessive workloads can contribute to a toxic culture. Artfully Photographer/Shutterstock
1. Preventing, minimising or managing the negatives
Most work, health and safety legislation and standards in Australia relates to protecting employees from physical hazards, including slips, trips and falls.
More recently, attention has turned to psychosocial hazards.
Safe Work Australia and Comcare, as well as state and territory regulators, keep a list of common hazards.
These include bullying, excessive workloads, low job control, lack of role clarity and exposure to traumatising events, for example, witnessing an accident. These lists are not exhaustive and there are some problems unique to specific jobs. For instance, teachers are often isolated from their colleagues, face big administrative loads and sometimes have to deal with abusive students and/or parents.
Most employers can make necessary improvements including creating fairer workloads, redefining job roles and providing more support to individual employees.
2. Responding to employee mental health issues
Despite efforts to minimise the impact of psychosocial hazards, some employees will nonetheless experience mental health issues.
Employers should not try to treat an employee’s mental health problems. They should support them and direct them to appropriate mental health care.
Managers can also help by identifying signs of distress, having sensitive conversations with workers about the impact of mental illness and making reasonable changes to their roles.
Giving employees access to support services through employee assistance programs, which can offer confidential short-term counselling, can also help.
Establishing a critical incident investigation procedure for events that have compromised employee mental health can help identify the cause of incidents and shape responses.
3. Promoting the positive
As well as managing the negative aspects of work, organisations can create conditions that promote employee mental health and wellbeing.
One approach for doing this is to provide flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid work, which
can offer employees greater choice in work location and scheduling.
Another approach involves fostering social connectedness and inclusion among employees. This could involve team-building, social events and opportunities for employees to build relationships.
Leaders can also promote a culture of psychological safety – where employees feel able to bring their authentic selves to work and speak their minds freely. This has been linked to greater employee wellbeing.
The SMART model suggests employees will be most satisfied in jobs that provide stimulation (for example, solving meaningful problems), mastery (receiving mentoring or constructive feedback), autonomy (creative freedom), social relationships (supportive colleagues) and tolerable demands (lack of psychosocial hazards).
Should I stay or should I go?
Making the decision to leave a workplace requires careful consideration.
In addition to your own wellbeing, you should consider whether your organisation prioritises mental health and how comfortable you would feel initiating a discussion about mental health.
Remember while changing jobs is a big step, staying in a toxic workplace can have serious long-term consequences for both mental and physical health.
Consider seeking advice through your employee assistance program or an independent career counsellor.
Whatever you decide, prioritising your mental health and wellbeing should be central to your decision making.
Timothy Colin Bednall
Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology
Kathryn Page
Adjunct Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology
Why You Shouldn’t Use ChatGPT to Prepare Your Contracts: The Hidden Risks of AI-Generated Legal Documents
In today’s digital age, AI tools like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly popular for automating business tasks, including drafting legal documents. However, the risks of AI-generated legal documents can be significant, especially when it comes to legally binding contracts such as Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policies, Website Terms of Use, Employment Contracts, and Supply Agreements. While AI has its place, relying on ChatGPT for contracts can be a costly mistake.
Here’s why relying on AI for legal documents can put your business at risk—and why working with an experienced commercial lawyer is the smarter choice.
1. AI Lacks Legal Expertise and Context
ChatGPT may be great at processing vast amounts of information, but it doesn’t “understand” the law the way a trained lawyer does.
• No legal interpretation – AI lacks the ability to analyse complex legal principles, case law, or industry-specific regulations.
• No jurisdictional awareness – Laws vary by state, country, and industry. AI may not tailor your contract to your specific legal environment.
• No negotiation strategy – A lawyer helps you secure better terms based on real-world commercial risks, whereas AI simply generates a generic contract.
A contract isn’t just about words on a page—it’s a strategic safeguard. Without professional expertise, you could end up with a document that fails to protect your business.
2. AI-Generated Contracts Lack Customisation
A well-drafted contract should reflect your unique business model, industry, and specific risks. AI-generated contracts are often:
• Too generic – AI produces one-size-fits-all contracts that may not suit your business.
• Missing key clauses – Critical protections like limitation of liability, dispute resolution, warranties, and indemnities could be omitted or incorrectly worded.
Not aligned with business goals – A lawyer ensures your contract supports your commercial interests, rather than just providing basic legal wording.
3. AI Can’t Spot Legal Loopholes or Business Risks
A contract isn’t just about what’s included—it’s also about what’s missing. AI-generated contracts may:
• Contain ambiguous or unenforceable clauses that leave you legally exposed.
• Overlook contractual loopholes that could be exploited by the other party.
• Fail to include risk mitigation strategies like structured liability clauses.
For example, if you’re drafting a supply agreement, AI won’t advise you on whether you need:
• A liquidated damages clause in case of supplier failure.
• Performance warranties to protect your business.
• Adequate force majeure protection for unexpected disruptions.
• A lawyer ensures that your contract covers all legal and commercial angles—AI does not.
4. No Accountability if Things Go Wrong
If an AI-generated contract fails to protect you, who takes responsibility?
• AI doesn’t offer legal advice, so you can’t rely on it as a professional service.
• If a dispute arises, AI won’t defend your contract in court.
• AI lacks professional indemnity insurance, which law firms provide for added protection.
A lawyer is personally accountable for your contract’s accuracy and compliance, ensuring that you are legally covered.
5. AI Can’t Keep Up with Changing Laws
Legal regulations change frequently, especially in areas like:
• Privacy laws (e.g., Australia’s Privacy Act, GDPR, US state-specific laws).
• Employment law (workplace policies, unfair dismissal risks, and award compliance).
• Consumer protection laws (Australian Consumer Law updates, unfair contract terms regulations).
ChatGPT doesn’t update in real time, meaning your contract could be outdated and non-compliant. A lawyer ensures your agreements always meet current legal standards.
6. AI Poses Confidentiality and Data Security Risks
When you enter sensitive business information into an AI tool, where does that data go?
• AI models store and process data, which creates privacy concerns.
• Your confidential business information could be exposed or used to train future AI models.
• AI tools aren’t protected by attorney-client privilege, meaning there’s no legal confidentiality safeguard.
A lawyer provides strict confidentiality, ensuring that your business remains protected.
7. AI Can’t Offer Strategic Legal Advice
Contracts aren’t just about legal wording—they must work in real-world scenarios. A lawyer provides practical legal advice, including:
• Negotiation strategies to secure better terms.
• Alternative contract structures that offer stronger protections.
• Guidance on enforcement —because a contract is only useful if it holds up in a dispute.
AI-generated contracts may look fine on the surface, but without strategic legal input, they could fail when you need them most.
Why You Should Always Use a Lawyer for Your Contracts
A properly drafted contract is an investment in your business protection—not just a formality. When you work with a lawyer, you get:
• Bespoke contracts tailored to your business—not a generic template.
• Full legal protection to avoid loopholes and ensure compliance.
• Risk mitigation strategies to protect against legal and financial exposure.
• Accountability from a legal professional, unlike AI.
• Confidentiality to safeguard your business information.
Need a Legally Sound Contract? We Can Help.
At Rise Legal, we specialise in business contracts that are legally sound, commercially practical, and tailored to your unique needs. Whether you need:
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policies
• Website Terms of Use
• Employment Contracts
• Supply Agreements
• Shareholder Agreements
We provide fixed-fee legal services, so you get transparent pricing with no surprises.
Book a consultation today to ensure your contracts protect your business the right way!
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.
6 Proven Ways to Improve Your Content Writing
When it comes to writing for blogs, not all content is created equal. Many articles are rushed, poorly written, and lack the research to back them up, all of which can drive away traffic and leave visitors with a negative first impression.
The good news is that with the right know-how and a bit of effort, virtually anyone can dramatically improve their writing skills. Below are some of the most important tips and techniques for honing your writing in order to create high quality, search engine optimised content.
Create an Outline
Many writers think of outlines as something reserved for much longer projects, but even a short article can benefit greatly from a bit of planning beforehand. An outline allows you to lay out the main points of your article to ensure that the message isn't being lost or obscured. It can also drastically improve the flow of your writing, since using an outline means you are less likely to randomly switch topics or repeat information.
Do Your Research
All of your content writing efforts will be for naught if you aren't willing to spend some time researching your topics. Providing accurate, fact-checked information shows readers that you are a voice of authority and that your content can be trusted. There are millions of blogs looking for traffic, and if your site gains a reputation for rushed, uninformed articles, that traffic will go elsewhere.
Look at Other Successful Writers
One way to get a crash course in content writing skills is to observe the skills of others that have proven themselves successful. Find articles that hooked you and that you enjoyed reading, then take the time to dissect them.
How did the author introduce their main ideas? How did they structure their article and present information? By asking these questions while you read, you will begin to absorb the elements of style that contribute to quality writing.
Provide Something Unique
Ideally, your articles should provide something unique to lure in readers and keep their attention. Write about things that genuinely interest you and things that others in your chosen niche would enjoy reading about. Put effort into creating a compelling title and an introduction that hooks viewers right away. Your first few lines should be short, to the point, and never misleading. Try to start off with an unpopular or interesting opinion, an important question, or a profound statement, and then spend the rest of your article delving into it.
Always Edit and Proofread
No matter how short the piece is or how close you are to a deadline, never skip out on editing. Most word processing programs provide basic spelling and grammar checks, but it's still quite possible for things to slip through the cracks. An article full of mistakes reflects poorly on you, and enough mistakes over time
could permanently tarnish your reputation. Editing allows you to check for any potential errors, tighten up any overlywordy sentences, and streamline your message. Never underestimate how much impact the editing process can have on your skills as a writer.
Pay Attention to Formatting
It may seem like a minor detail, but poor formatting can cripple an article that would be fine otherwise. Many blogs feature articles that are one long, unbroken wall of text. If your content is a chore to read, very few people will be willing to stick around. Instead, try to keep your paragraphs to an average of 5 or 6 lines each, with clear breaks between them. Also pay attention to other formatting details, such as proper capitalisation and use of bold, italics, or underlining.
Becoming a better writer isn't something that happens overnight. It requires time, effort, and the willingness to do what it takes to learn and improve. However, by following the advice above, even beginners can speed up the process and take the initiative in their quest to become better writers.
Sandra Price
www.tradiebookkeepingsolutions.com.au
SOCIAL MEDIA and how to make a difference
To foster a relationship, it’s essential to invest time and energy. Starting a relationship online has become one of the most effective ways to market our businesses today. Did you know that when people frequently see you on social media, they begin to feel as though they know you? This creates an excellent foundation for building a relationship, allowing you to meet face-to-face for coffee, dinner, or drinks without any preconceived judgments. By the time you meet in person, they already have a mental image of who you are and your story.
Leveraging social media is the most cost-effective and time-efficient method for achieving business success. You can engage at any hour of the day, unrestricted by traditional business hours. This platform opens doors to connect with individuals you might never have met otherwise, expanding your circle of influence.
This approach is also the best way to gain social proof, which is crucial for establishing strong, lasting relationships. Obtaining written and video testimonials, reviews, and daily interactions from your “friends” sets you apart from the competition. The way you present yourself, your business, and your interests will reveal your true identity to others. Be approachable and engage in conversations that captivate your audience; after all, people are less interested in mundane details like what you had for breakfast. They want to know about your connections, whom you support, and how you promote others.
Being able to speak freely and appreciatively about the individuals in your network enhances your own prominence within that circle.
So, find a way to establish your online presence and become a significant sphere of influence in your business community. Remember, authenticity is key. People are drawn to genuine stories and sincere interactions. Share your journey, your challenges, and your triumphs in a way that resonates with your audience. Encourage meaningful conversations by asking
open-ended questions and responding thoughtfully to comments. This not only strengthens your relationships but also builds a community around shared interests and values.
Keep in mind that consistency is crucial. Regularly updating your social media profiles with engaging content helps maintain visibility and keeps your audience interested. But, it's not just about frequency; quality matters. Share content that reflects your expertise and passion, whether it's through insightful articles, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business, or stories that highlight your values and mission.
Additionally, collaboration is a powerful tool. Partner with others in your field to create mutually beneficial relationships. Collaborations can introduce you to new audiences and add credibility to your brand. Whether it's through guest blogging, joint webinars, or co-hosted events, working with others can amplify your reach and impact.
Lastly, never underestimate the power of gratitude.
Show appreciation for your followers, customers, and partners. A simple thank you can go a long way in building goodwill and loyalty. Remember, nurturing relationships is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process. Stay committed, stay engaged, and watch your business relationships flourish.
CHANGE
After 41 years of living in the same house, my wife and I have ‘pulled up sticks’ and moved. The whole episode was kind of traumatic, a bit sad, scary, but also exciting. As we’ve only owned one house in our lives, you get used to the familiarity and surroundings of where you are, so we may find it difficult at first to go out of our comfort zone.
It’s exactly the same when it comes to business. You do something for so long, your brain tells you it’s too difficult and not worth the effort to do it any other way. I must admit, I was once guilty of that. It must have been around 1975 when a mate of mine were in business together in Perth. Our local Dulux Rep invited us to an exclusive demonstration of a new product called, ‘No-More-Gaps’. What ‘ALL’ painters were doing to fill cracks back then was mixing up plaster (spackle in those days) and applying it with your finger. When we tested this new product, neither of us liked it and said it would never take off. It took two years until we changed our minds and accepted that it was ‘pretty good’ and that it was here to stay. Although a trivial thing, it goes to show we weren’t prepared to ‘change’ and give it the benefit of the doubt.
In my 54 years of being in the painting industry, I have had to adapt to the constant changes in the methods of running a business, for instance, the way I quoted projects. Because I knew how long a particular substrate would take to paint and know approximately how much paint I would need, I’d just jot it all down on paper, go home, and spend an hour handwriting out the quotes. To make a duplicate, I used ‘carbon paper’ so I had a copy for the customer and one for yourself. Later I bought myself a typewriter which ‘lo-and-behold’, had a function to erase; that’s technology for you. When completed, I put it in an envelope, stuck on a stamp, and then took it to a post box to send to the customer. If they were lucky, they would receive the quote within a week.
OK! I know this sounds like me going on about, ‘In my days’, but this is how it was.
It’s so much easier now with computers and email, but there are a lot of painters that haven’t quite perfected the art of quoting, or, writing them out.
Back in 2023 when I offered to review painters’ quotes and give my professional opinion, I was totally shocked at what I read. Out of the 40 I received, I could honestly say that two were perfect, ten needed minor adjustments, and the rest were (how can I say in a nice way), unacceptable.
What was lacking was business content, product and preparation explanation, scope of works, photos, terms and conditions, and the correct way to show the cost. This makes a huge difference between a job acceptance and a, ‘not bother to replay’ response.
With my sons’ persistent nagging over the past four years about ‘changing my way of thinking’, I have now created an ‘easy-to-use’ online Estimating program that will alleviate the pain of quoting. By entering the measurements, (or if you quote by sight, the time to paint a substrate), my program will generate a detailed customer quote that includes everything including, all substrates to be painted. It can also create this while you are on-site, so you can email the customer straight away which, will give you the ability to ‘close the deal’ on the spot. Once you’re proficient enough, I can virtually guarantee you can quote a normal size property, from start to finish easily, within 45mins. That means, no going back to the office or home and spending an hour writing it out. The time saved can be used as quality time with your family. To top it off, it also produces extremely detailed ‘Report’ pages underlying all products to be used, individual substrate costs, predicted hours and a ‘Check List’.
If you’re ready to simplify your way of quoting and want to save many hours a month on this one task, then ‘make the change’ and subscribe to PaintQuo. As Jane and Scott Pelham from Pelham Painters from Hobart wrote in a review, ‘it is a game changer.’
NB: If you’re an APN ‘Gold’ or ‘Platinum’ member, you even get a discount.
Jim Baker
www.mytools4business.com
Women in Painting: A Milestone Launch for the Industry
Last Friday, 21st February, marked a significant moment for the Australian painting and decorating industry with the highly anticipated launch of Women in Painting. The event brought together industry professionals, apprentices, educators, and business owners to celebrate and support the growing presence of women in the trade.
Hosted in a dynamic and engaging setting, the launch event featured a range of exhibitors and live demonstrations showcasing the latest tools, techniques, and innovations in painting and decorating. Industry leaders and suppliers such as Resene, Monarch Painting, Mirka, Cabots Premium Woodcare were on hand, offering attendees insights into the newest products and solutions tailored to enhance efficiency and craftsmanship.
The event featured hands-on demonstration sessions, where attendees witnessed expert techniques in action, and had ample opportunities to try products in our training booths, or in contributing to our live mural creation. Hands-on displays of advanced spray painting, decorative finishes, and surface preparation provided valuable learning opportunities. The interactive workshops reinforced the skill and precision that women bring to the industry, demonstrating why they are fast gaining a reputation for excellence in painting.
A highlight of the event was the documentary on the incredible women making their mark and elevating the industry, showcasing a broad variety of ways women have applied their skills and knowledge following gaining their qualification.
The launch also provided a platform for networking and mentorship, allowing aspiring female painters to connect with experienced professionals. The energy and enthusiasm throughout the event underscored the strong sense of community within Women in Painting and the industry’s commitment to fostering greater female participation.
With women leading the way in attention to detail, patience, creativity, and customer service, the initiative aims to build a supportive network that empowers and advocates for female painters across Australia.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended, and to our incredible team for putting it all together. Thank you to all of the organisations who showed their support: National Association for Women In Construction Qld, WorldSkills Australia, MATES in Construction, DGT Employment & Training, ETC LTD, HIA, BUSY Sisters, BUSY At Work, SYC Limited, Mas National & MEGT and especially to Monarch & Gawun Supplies for providing lucky door prizes.
The success of the launch event is just the beginning. As Women in Painting continues to grow, it will play a pivotal role in shaping a more inclusive and diverse industry, ensuring that the opportunities for women in painting and decorating continue to expand.
For more information, to get involved or to support Women in Painting, visit www.womeninpainting.com.au or email us at info@womeninpainting.com.au
Caroline Miall Founder, Women In Painting
info@WomenInPainting.com.au www.WomenInPainting.com.au
Paint for this project supplied by Resene
Business Insurance Pack
Bundling your business insurance into one package.
As your business grows, you face a greater range of risks that require a greater range of insurances.
What can start off as a single policy when you start your business, can end up as a dozen or more separate policies as your assets and risks grow.
Adding separate policies through different insurers and different brokers is highly inefficient, and in this guide we’ll look at how you can consolidate your policies.
• How did we get to this point?
• Should I have all policies with one insurer?
• How to efficiently bundle your business insurance
• Consolidating your insurance payments
• Benefits of packaging your business insurance
How did we get to this point?
If you’re a business owner who has found themselves in the position of having a bunch of policies spread around the place, you’re not alone!
It can happen so easily, especially when you’re busy growing a business, rather than focusing on how your insurance is packaged.
For a trade business this might start off as a basic public liability policy. Then you need to insure some tools, then a business vehicle.
Business is good and you end up moving into a small warehouse, taking on more staff, larger projects and more equipment.
All of these assets and additional risks need to be insured, and you can easily end up with a dozen or more policies spread around different insurance companies and brokers.
Should I have all policies with one insurer?
When business owners think about consolidating or bundling their business insurance, there is a common misconception that everything should be covered by a single insurer.
This isn’t a crazy idea. In domestic insurance advertising we’re always being told about multi-policy discounts and the like.
In the world of business insurance, things are quite different.
First up, the concept of a multi-policy discount doesn’t exist in business insurance.
There is however a policy referred to as a business package, or in industry speak, a biz pack.
Whilst a biz pack doesn’t cover everything that a business needs, it can include many of the must-have elements such as:
• Public Liability
• Product Liability
• General Property (including tools)
• Theft
• Money
• Glass
• Machinery Breakdown
• Electronic Equipment Breakdown
• Tax Audit
• Transit
• Employee Dishonesty
Not all businesses will need all of these types of covers, but it’s a good way to bundle a few of the key insurances into a single policy.
Now, if you have your biz pack with a certain insurer, does this mean there is any benefit to insuring your vehicles or your buildings with the same insurer? The answer is typically no.
As with all forms of insurance, different insurance companies have different pricing for different policies.
The insurer who offers an amazing price for your biz pack might have a terrible price for your vehicles, or perhaps has a poor claims rating for vehicles.
Forcing yourself to place all of your business policies with a single insurance company is more likely to hurt rather than help you.
A good insurance broker – such as Trade Risk – can review your insurance portfolio and make recommendations on which policies should be placed with which insurance companies.
This will typically be based on competitive premiums, along with our experience with the given insurance company.
How to efficiently bundle your business insurance
The question you really need to ask is why are you considering bundling your business insurance.
It could be because you want to:
• Save money.
• Have a single point of contact for all policies.
• Simplify your insurance portfolio.
None of those answers are wrong!
Typically it’s a combination of wanting to save money and simplify your insurance portfolio, which typically comes by having a single point of contact.
You could attempt to undertake this work yourself, but if you end still having multiple policies with multiple insurers – which is most likely – then you’re not exactly simplifying things.
The most efficient way to manage your insurance portfolio is by letting an insurance broker do all of the work for you.
The broker will look at all of your different policies, along with considering what other risks your business is exposed to, and can then put together recommendation on how to package your insurance.
This might involve putting your public liability with company A, your vehicle fleet with company B and your plant and machinery with company C, but the important point is that each recommended company is offering you the best value coverage.
Whilst the policies might still be spread around, you’ll have a single point of contact with your insurance broker, who is familiar with each of the recommended insurers.
Whenever you need anything insurance related, you’ll have a single point of contact regardless of the policy type or insurance company.
Consolidating your insurance payments
As we’ve discussed, bundling your business insurance is generally more about consolidating them with a single insurance broker, rather than a single insurance company.
So does this mean you still have to manage multiple payments?
Yes or no, depending on how you pay for your insurance.
Paying monthly
When paying monthly, which is a great way to manage cashflow, you can consolidate your policy payments via a method known as premium funding.
The premium funding company will pay all your insurance policies for the full year, and you’ll then make a single monthly repayment each month.
This includes policies held with different insurance companies, as long as each policy has the same renewal date.
Paying annually
If paying annually you will need to make separate payments to each insurer, but the benefit is that your broker can consolidate your renewal dates across the policies and issue a single renewal with each of your invoices attached.
Sure you’ll still need to pay each invoice separately, but it will be a lot easier to manage with the invoices being packaged up by your broker.
Some clients choose to not have their renewal dates consolidated, and will work with a broker to spread them across the year.
So they might have their public liability due in March, their vehicle fleet in July and their commercial property insurance in September.
They do this in order to spread the costs across the year, and can even do so in a way that matches the ups and downs of their expected cashflow across the year.
This does mean there is a little more work involved, as you’re dealing with insurance more than once per year, but if that works better for your cashflow, we’re happy to work in a way that suits you.
Benefits of packaging your business insurance
There are plenty of benefits to consolidating your business insurance, whether that’s into a single biz pack or to a single insurance broker.
• Reduced risk of missing a renewal
• Improved claims experience
• Saving time
• Saving money
• Reduced risk of missing a renewal.
This is perhaps one of the most overlooked, but most important benefits.
If you’re managing your business insurance yourself as the business owner, you’ll have multiple policies spread across multiple insurance companies with multiple renewal dates.
It’s so easy to miss a single renewal of one policy, and suddenly you’re at risk.
By having all of your policies managed by a single broker, you’ll never miss a renewal as your broker will be fully across your policies and renewal dates.
Improved claims experience
Aside from the fact that brokers typically obtain better claims outcomes due to their knowledge and experience, there is a more practical benefit.
Some claim events can include multiple assets and policies. For example a storm event might cause damage to your building and contents insured under one policy, your machinery under another policy and some vehicles under yet another policy.
If you held each of those policies directly through different insurers, or even through different brokers, you’d need to run through the full story multiple times.
By having a single broker you only need to go through the claim once, and your broker will then deal with the individual insurance companies to get you the best claim outcome.
Saving time
By consolidating your business insurances with a single broker, you’ll get yourself a single point of contact for anything insurance related.
At a basic level, this means making a single phone call or email when you need to update something as basic as your contact details.
Instead of calling multiple insurance company call centres and waiting on hold, you can just flick a text message or email to your broker to update your details.
Looking at the bigger picture, having a single broker who understands your business and is fully across your insurance portfolio will lead to better outcomes overall.
Saving money
We’ve left the best to last, because we know how important it is to manage cashflow in any business.
Whilst we’ve debunked the myth of multi-policy discounts in business insurance, there are ways in which a broker can reduce your overall insurance spend.
As a broker holds more of your insurance portfolio, they get a better understanding of your business and can use that information to ensure they’re getting the most competitive terms for each of your policies.
Where possible, they will be able to combine some of your covers into a single policy. The best example of
this is a fleet policy when you have multiple vehicles owned by the business.
They may also find overlapping policies, if you’ve ended up with multiple policies with different insurance companies and brokers.
By having a single overview of your insurance portfolio, your broker can ensure your policy spend is being fully optimised with zero wastage.
Get started
As the old saying goes, the best time to start consolidating your business insurance was yesterday, and the second best time is right now!
Whilst many business owners wait until renewal time to start reviewing their insurance, the reality is that you can start any time.
The risk is that you leave it until a week or two before your renewal date, and depending on how complex your business is, you might not be giving your broker enough time to do a proper job for you.
Getting started is easy at Trade Risk. Simply speak with one of our expert insurance brokers and they can start reviewing your existing insurance policies and getting an understanding of your business.
They’ll be able to make recommendations on which of your existing policies are already a good fit, which ones could be consolidated, and which ones should be switched.
They also be able to pick up any gaps in your coverage and make recommendations on how to fill those gaps.
To get started, please call our team on 1800 808 800 or click here to enquire online.
GETTING THE Work–Life Balance right
As a small business owner it’s hard to juggle your work and outside responsibilities. It’s important to run your business effectively and still have a life outside the office.
You need a good balance between work and play for your health and well-being. Small business owners often fall into the trap of working too hard, ending up exhausted from the constant work demands associated with self-employment.
Why you need balance
Working too much without taking time out for yourself and your family can quickly become counterproductive. You’ll be tired, stressed and irritable, leaving you unable to perform optimally. As a result, you’ll be more likely to make mistakes and snap at people who are important to you and your business.
Some dangers of overworking include:
• Missing opportunities because you’re too busy
• Being short-tempered with your staff, affecting
their attitude and performance
• Treating your family poorly, resulting in an uncomfortable home life
• Working to the point of burn out or illness
• Losing the passion that prompted you to start your business.
Avoid burn out
There are a number of things you can do to scale down your workload and regain a sense of balance.
Start delegating
Delegating will take some of the pressure off you and free up time for more urgent and important tasks, allowing you some leisure time to relax.
Create good systems
Develop a clear operations manual for each process in your business. This lets you and key staff take a break, and speeds up training when someone new comes into the business.
Stretch and walk
Take a few minutes every so often to get up from your desk and stretch. It’s good for your body and will help you stay focused.
Talk to your family
Ask for suggestions and input – they’ll see things that you can’t.
Network with other business owners
Chat to fellow business owners who seem to be working normal hours. You’ll stop feeling so isolated and you might get some valuable advice.
Take mini-breaks
Put mini-breaks into your diary. Schedule a day off once a month, a week off every 12 weeks, or perhaps take every second Friday off.
Re-evaluate your client base
Do you have customers that take up far too much of your time for very little gain? Find a polite way to stop doing business with them or pass them on to staff members to deal with.
Stay motivated
Staying passionate about your business and motivated to do your best is important. If you find you just don’t have the energy you once had, your staff and business will suffer. Take action before you start to enter a negative spiral.
You could try the following:
• Set exciting and challenging new goals.
• Share your goals with your staff so everyone understands what you want to achieve.
• Set measurable ‘stepping stones’ to the main goals and celebrate each achievement.
• Refresh your daily routine. Allocate blocks in your diary for key daily activities, such as checking emails, meetings, and visiting clients.
By staying motivated and avoiding burn out you’ll have the foundations in place to enjoy running your business again, while also retaining a fulfilling life outside work.
The Simplicity of Fully Committing Yourself
In much of our lives, we get stuck in a kind of holding pattern — things aren’t moving forward, we’re doing the same things every day, holding ourselves back because of doubts, uncertainty, fear, indecision.
That’s totally OK! It’s a very human thing, to stay in our comfort zones … but at some point, we start to want to move our lives forward in some meaningful way. We want to get unstuck, and make things happen.
It can feel really overwhelming to get out of this holding pattern, and there are so many decisions to make and steps to take that it can feel incredibly complicated.
But it doesn’t have to be complicated. It can actually be made pretty simple.
The simple way is by fully committing yourself.
Imagine you’ve been stuck in a bunch of ways — you’re not exercising, you’re not eating well, clutter is building up, there’s a big project you’ve been wanting to do for years that you’ve been putting off, and your finances are a bit of a mess. It’s a lot!
But then you decide to fully commit yourself to your big project. You make a big commitment to others, and to yourself. You set up focus sessions every weekday, and some weekly accountability. You show up for these with full commitment.
All of a sudden, from this one big commitment, you start to move forward. You feel more courageous, you’re taking action, you can feel the progress you start to make.
This feels amazing, after being stuck in a holding pattern. Things are hard, but you’re making progress, day after day, then week after week. Not perfect, but it’s movement.
You start to build up more confidence, and more willingness to face discomfort and take action. So you start to exercise — just a little at first. It feels good, and your body feels better. This gives you the energy to start to tackle your clutter, just a little every weekend.
Now your whole life is starting to move forward. A couple months into this, you start to eat a bit healthier. Now you take on your finances, getting them in order.
Things are still a pretty far way off of being where you want them … but there’s forward progress. New levels are being unlocked each month.
This is what happens from taking that leap — of fully committing yourself to something. You don’t let yourself get stuck in indecision and doubt. You know that
maybe you’re not making the “perfect” decision or doing things in a perfect way — but that’s OK. It can be worked out as you go.
That’s the simplicity of making a full commitment to something. It cuts through all the complications.
This year, I invite you to make a full commitment to a meaningful project. That’s the focus on my Fearless Mastery 2025 mastermind and coaching program. We ask you to fully commit yourself to the program, and then fully commit to a project.
Your world will change. With one simple act of commitment.
Make the commitment to Fearless Mastery 2025 today.
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
Official interest rates have been cut, but not everyone is a winner
The Reserve Bank’s decision to cut interest rates for the first time in four years has triggered a round of celebration.
Mortgage holders are cheering the fact their monthly repayments are now slightly lower, while the Albanese government hopes the small easing in the cost of living will lift voters’ moods.
This is despite the Reserve Bank’s warnings that further rate cuts may not eventuate, depending on how much further progress is made on taming inflation.
But it’s important to remember not everybody benefits from an interest rate cut. Some will be worse off.
Savers lose out
Not all Australian households are net borrowers. Many are net savers, retirees or prospective homebuyers, who actually lose out when rates fall.
For starters, only about a third of households are in hock to the banks when it comes to a monthly mortgage repayment.
Another third of households have paid off their mortgage entirely, and so don’t benefit from a reduction in mortgage interest rates. And the remaining third are renters, who also don’t pay a mortgage.
So while this news is generally a good thing for borrowers, a fall in mortgage rates only directly benefits a minority of households.
Here are some of the ways lower interest rates might actually hurt rather than help the typical Australian household.
Higher house prices
One of the most immediate effects of lower interest rates is their impact on the housing market. With cheaper borrowing costs, more buyers can afford larger loans, bidding up house prices. This is great if you already own a home, but terrible if you’re still trying to buy one.
For young Australians locked out of home ownership, a rate cut makes things even harder. It drives prices higher, forcing prospective buyers to stretch their finances further just to get a foot in the market. Reserve Bank calculations suggest that, in the long run, higher house prices from lower rates can outweigh the benefit of lower mortgage repayments.
Lower returns on savings
If you’re a saver rather than a borrower, interest rate cuts are unequivocally bad news. Whether you’re saving for a home deposit, retirement, or just an emergency fund, lower rates mean you earn less on your bank deposits. The money in your savings account is now growing more slowly, making it harder to build wealth over time.
Term deposit rates have already been cut. Joel Carrett/AAP
Indeed, more than 20 banks actually cut their term deposit rates in advance of the Reserve Bank’s decision on Tuesday, according to Canstar research.
Analysis of HILDA data, which surveys household wealth and income, suggests net savers tend to be younger households without property, retirees living off savings, and those who are not in full-time employment. For these groups, lower rates mean less income and fewer financial opportunities.
Retirees will feel the squeeze
Many retirees rely on income from interest-bearing assets such as term deposits or cash savings. When rates fall, their returns shrink. The cost-of-living crisis has made it harder for retirees on a fixed income to fund their lifestyles, and a rate cut only makes things worse.
While some retirees have exposure to the stock market via superannuation, many prefer the stability of cash savings. With rates falling, they face the tough choice of either reducing their spending or taking on more investment risk in their old age.
Bad news for the dollar, and overseas travellers
When the Reserve Bank cuts rates, it tends to weaken the Australian dollar. A weaker dollar makes overseas travel more expensive for Australians. That pint of
beer in London, that piña colada in Puerto Rico, or that shopping trip to New York all become pricier.
For Australians planning international holidays, rate cuts are a blow. A strong Australian dollar makes travel cheaper, and lower rates work against that. So while mortgage holders might celebrate, anyone hoping to travel overseas finds themselves worse off.
A weaker dollar will make overseas travel more expensive. Shutterstock
More expensive imports
Just as a weaker Australian dollar makes travel more expensive, it also increases the cost of imported goods. And Australia imports a lot – especially cars and petrol.
Since the closure of domestic car manufacturing, all new vehicles sold in Australia are imported. Petrol, the second-largest import, is also sensitive to currency fluctuations. When the Australian dollar weakens due to lower interest rates, the cost of these essential goods rises. For the millions of Australians who rely on their cars for daily life, this is a significant financial burden.
This isn’t to say rate cuts don’t benefit a large portion of Australians. Anyone with a significant mortgage debt will find themselves with lower monthly repayments, and that’s undoubtedly a financial relief.
But the public narrative around interest rates tends to treat cuts as a universal good, ignoring the many Australians who are left worse off.
Falling interest rates are a sign the high inflation that has caused the cost-of-living crisis has abated. That is an economic success that ought to be celebrated. But that now rates are falling again, we should at least acknowledge the costs that come with them.
Isaac Gross Lecturer in Economics, Monash 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
Workplace Health and Safety Contacts
Comcare
WorkSafe ACT
Workplace Health and Safety QLD
WorkSafe Victoria
SafeWork NSW
SafeWork SA
WorkSafe WA
NT WorkSafe
WorkSafe Tasmania
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
actcancer.org cancercouncil.com.au cancercouncilnt.com.au cancerqld.org.au
cancersa.org.au cancervic.org.au
cancerwa.asn.au
