The Profitable Tradie Podcast

Aron Flood ran his roofing business on his own for eight years, doing everything himself. He shares why he stepped off the roof and into the role of business owner, how his idea of a good boss changed, and how he got his time and energy back after years of lying awake at night worrying and checking his phone. Plus the pricing, hiring and marketing changes that took his business from $140K to $445K a month.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:
Why Aron stepped off the roof and into the role of business owner... after eight years of doing everything himself.
The shift that changed Aron’s idea about what “a good boss” means... and why it matters for you and your team.
How Aron got his time and energy back... after years of lying awake at night, worrying and checking his phone.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

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Episode 250 is the origin story. Tony talks through how Profitable Tradie started: the property crash, a borrowed coaching program, cold calling trades businesses from a garage, and the first hires. Phil takes him through the photos, and Damon, Lyndon and Cameron join to tell their side of the journey as the business grew into a team of around 80 in four countries.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:
1. The real story behind Profitable Tradie: how Tony went from broke and borrowing money from his parents to building a business with a team over 80 A players.
2. Why getting off the tools matters: the moment Tony stopped doing everything himself and handed work over, and why that’s when the business started to grow.
3. Funny stories from the core four: Tony’s joined by Phil (COO), Damon (Marketing), Lyndon (Program Information) and Cam (Coaching).

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

Follow Profitable Tradie so you don't miss the next episode.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

What happens when you take over your parents’ 50 year old electrical business, buy a second branch, and put strain on the family in the process? Damian and Michelle Silvester grew a trades business from $2.7M to $6.3M and from 13 staff to 30+. Then they took three weeks off and nothing broke. For 50 years, Damian’s dad ran the business with a bell on the outside of the house so he’d never miss a call. Damian grew up hearing that bell.
By the time he took over, it was in his pocket: five missed calls every time he hung up, and 20 electricians reporting to one person. In this episode of the Profitable Tradie Podcast, Tony Fraser-Jones sits down with Damian and Michelle to talk about the real side of succession in a family business. Damian’s dad called buying a second branch “a stupid idea.” There were arguments between generations, in the office and at the kitchen table. They had to tell Dad he couldn’t yell at staff anymore. And they had to learn to lead a team instead of doing every job themselves.

If you’re an electrician, plumber, builder, HVAC tech or any blue collar business owner who’s still answering every call, working every weekend and can’t take a holiday without the phone ringing, this one’s for you. In this episode you’ll learn: How to take over a family business without breaking the family Why your best tradesman might be your worst manager How to get off the tools and still keep your standards on every job The org structure that took 20 direct reports off one owner’s plate Why weekly one on ones changed the culture more than any pay rise How to get family arguments out of the office and into a structured meeting Why leadership is “the weather” and your team feels every bad day What it really feels like to grow your business and feel judged for it The advice for family business successors most people don’t want to hear

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:
How to change the way the business runs without losing what made it work (and honoring who helped get it there in the first place)
How to put the right person in a new role, and why your best electrician might not make your best ops manager
How to build a structure that keeps your values alive in the business without you touching everything

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

Follow Profitable Tradie so you don't miss the next episode.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

You're sick and tired of repeating yourself. So you finally sit down and build a system. Now your team can follow that instead of asking you. They use it for a week or two. Then they stop, and you're back to feeling like a broken record.
Getting systems to stick is simpler than you think. In this episode, Tony and Phil give you the 4 steps to systemize your trades business.
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:
The 4 steps to systemize your business (you only need sticky notes)
How to make sure your team use them (and keep using them)
The best way to make time (when you don’t have time)

You'll also hear how McDonald's was built on systems, how one member went from $14K profit to $155K with simple checklists, and the real reason your team stops following systems.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

Follow Profitable Tradie so you never miss an episode

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

If I told you your trades business was a bank, you’d think I was crazy.
But if you’re paying for materials, wages, tools and equipment upfront while customers wait weeks or months to pay, you’re acting just like a bank. Only one that doesn’t charge interest.
In this episode, Phil and I break down the 6 cashflow techniques that $20M+ trades businesses use to keep their cash flow strong:
The Boss You Didn’t Hire
Don’t Fund the Job
The Invisible Loan
Make It, Don’t Move It
Speed Kills
Rules, Not Moods

P.S. #6 is the one nobody wants to do. It’s also the one that gets cash into your account this month.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:
The simple move that gets customers paying for materials before you start
How to avoid the trap that makes your best client your biggest cash flow risk
The timing trick that makes customers far more likely to pay

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Claim a Free Planning Session to learn what coaching could do for your business
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
New Book 'Built to Run' is now live, order your copy here

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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

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