The Tradie Avant Garde Podcast

Jane Challinor, Chief of Strategy, Real Business Group.

Jane’s recipe for long-term success is simple, drive rapid iterative improvement across every operational aspect of the Tradie businesses, boosting customer loyalty and radically improving service and product quality along the way. Her clients often double or triple the profitability of their business in less than 12 months, without pressure on internal resources. She has a laser focus on strategy, with plans that keep business owners accountable and help them develop the skills they need to achieve their goals.

Jane’s depth of knowledge is unparalleled, with training in every area of business including sales, marketing, leadership, human resources, business strategy and finance.

David McGarGill Managing Director,  Luke Robertson Directors of Mortgages join us again for our first Tool Box Talk.

During this show we really focus on the most current situation and the emerging trends in the financial environment.

Private Client Services Australia Pty Ltd is a well-established company with over 100 years of combined experience among the team. This experience will give you the satisfaction of knowing you are dealing with professionals who know their industry.

All Tradies that run their Tradie business need to hear what David has to share around the most current trends in the financial and loan market that might help you make better decisions on what steps you might want to take and encourage you to get advice that is best for you and your needs.

Craig Herden, Strategist De Jonge Read – Specialist Business Consultants. To start with Craig, explain how financial pressure can be debilitating. The stress, the pressure, the fear of losing everything – it can be hard to think clearly. The way forward can look so confusing, so many different unfamiliar terms and jargon, it can seem like people are talking a different language. 

A Tradie businesses it is all about managing cashflow and this is one the biggest issues facing Tradie businesses when the working capital and cashflow is not as it should be and does lead into problems that can escalate quickly if not addressed.

Radmila Desic AM, Past NAWIC National Director and National Vice President, currently NAWIC QLD – Women on Tools and NAWIC Life Member and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day 2021 Honours List for her significant service to women in the construction industry, and to unemployed youth.

We cover to much to mention here, but promise you will love the insights Rad shares and you will find her passion, enthusiasm and energy is infectious. You will also quickly come to understand why she has been recognised with the Order of Australia medal earlier this year. If you are looking for a role-model in building and construction, you’ve just found it.

Suzi Cengarle Senior Associate of Bambrick Legal

Suzi shares her journey in various business roles that ultimately led to her completing her Law degree we briefly touch on the successful services Suzi has completed for her clients. For those of you thinking about studying as a mature aged student there is sure to be some inspiration from Suzi has to share.

When then focus on the Law and what that Bambrick legal as a firm covers all service including commercial and civil litigation. Suzi takes us through what these services are and why you might need to use them. We chat about migration law, family law, estate planning and Suzi explains that they cover all aspects of law.

Matt Downie, Director and Founder of iElectrical and Communications.

Matt continues to provide great insights into brand, image and social media as critical success factors for iElectrical and how this has evolved over the last 5 years. Matt and iElectrical has recently been recognised with Awards including Top 40 businesses under 40 and then awarded South Australia’s Top Sparky by the Advertiser News Group. Matt explains how these awards are really recognition of the entire team and that Jack their apprentice was awarded Apprentice of the Year in the recent NECA SA Awards of which Matt is most proud. Matt does share how these awards are good for building business confidence and creating awareness with clients and prospective clients.

Tanya Meessmann, The Chief Executive Officer of “UNIQ YOU“ Jack Hutchinson Associate Director at Hutchinson Builders and Mark Kucks National Indigenous Manager & Social Responsibility, Hutchinson Builders.

The theme for this one is around increasing the participation of women in building and construction trades careers. We get to understand what UNIQ YOU and Hutchinson builders are setting out to achieve in supporting a pipeline for talented women to be attracted, recruited and trained in the trades of construction.

Genevieve has a lifetime connection to the Vaccaro Group as she grew up within the family business started by her parents Sam and Rose Vaccaro. We hear about those early memories and experiences growing up in a family business environment. Genevieve trained as a Lawyer specialising in employment law and practiced law and policy advising at both state and federal levels.

Genevieve talks us through the decision to join the family business and how this career change came about.

Ben Fewtrell , Co-Founder of Max My Profit talks all things Business Coaching and what Max My Profit is doing.

The Business Exceleration® Coaching program supports you on your business growth journey like no other program. In addition to working one on one with your highly skilled Business Excelerator®, they’ve established a panel of trusted partners to help grow your business, created a detailed and comprehensive e-Learning platform and built a “members only” hub with hundreds of tools and resources making it easy for you to implement strategies as you go.

Harry takes us through Kare Group Australia, a diverse Electrical Contracting business covering construction, service, Maintenance, electrical auditing, security and air conditioning. Harry gives us an early lesson on social media and how using the self described Electrical Extraordinaire and how this has been a springboard to engaging with more potential customers and converting them into clients.

Harry shares how LinkedIn still allows organic reach as compared to other platforms that required paid advertising to get a greater reach. We talk about the early resilience that Harry developed before finally getting a chance to start in the industry and received a call from DESA to begin his journey as a sparky.

Owen is the CEO of The Kids Cancer Project and starts by taking us through his story from Tradie to CEO, with Rugby being a highly influential part of that journey. Owen started out when rugby was still an amateur sport, so having a career outside of sport was essential and how Owen saw locking in a trade was the obvious choice. Rugby has been a big part of Owens life with a distinguished career as player and coach that saw him transition from amateur status to professional sportsperson. Owen earned 55 Caps for the Wallabies from 1996-2003, playing club Rugby with Randwick and is an ACT Brumbies legend.

We talk all things websites and get to understand what’s important to consider in having a really effective website presence. Develop credibility as a business, sharing your expertise, your brand, what you do, where you do it, including the products and services you offer. It is the showcase of your business, sells your story 24/7, creates enquiries and more business.

One of the main reasons Tradies should have a website is for your business is to increase your business’ credibility. Having a website is an opportunity to make a great first impression to potential customers and gives them comfort that you’re a professional and expert business who can meet their needs.

Tradies face a range of challenges across their working lives – from job uncertainty to financial pressures, intense physical demands and workplace culture issues. In an industry where stigma is high, these pressures can build up and impact mental and emotional wellbeing for tradies if they don’t feel they can talk to others about their struggles.

Justin who is a Tradie, a plumber, speaks openly about the experiences and struggles he had back in 2012. This experience led Justin to joining with RUOK? to help others who are needing their story being heard and that it is OK not being OK.

Tradie Insurance options including “Public Liability Insurance” and what it covers. “Product liability Insurance” and why this is also important to consider. “Professional Indemnity Insurance” and the circumstances when you might need this coverage . Understand the other covers that Tradies should consider in their cover including “Tools of Trade Insurance”, “Motor Vehicle Insurance”, “Trailer Insurance”, “Portable electronic equipment insurance”, “Tax Audit insurance”, “Contractors or Risk insurance”, “Personal Accident insurance”, “Workers compensation insurance “and “Cyber insurance”.

NAWIC provides a forum for its members to meet and exchange information, ideas and solutions. We also offer our members an opportunity to expand personal and business networks, maintain awareness of industry developments, improve skills and knowledge and contribute to other women in the construction industry.