The Site Shed | #1 Podcast For Tradies & Contractors

Can You Deliver What You Sold? | ft. Nathan Owen | Ep. 516 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Winning a building job creates a promise. The quote and contract matter, but so do the conversations, timeframes and expectations set before the client signs. Matt Jones sits down with Nathan Owen from Ground Floor Building Coach to unpack the costly gap between what a builder sells and what the team can actually deliver. Nathan shares practical ways to document pre-contract changes, separate them from post-contract variations, plan realistic labour and lead times, and keep clients and subcontractors informed when things shift. You’ll also hear why software cannot fix a broken process, how small schedule milestones expose problems earlier, and why the client’s experience is the real test of the promise you made. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/Tvoy8AH2wOg KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:06 - Meet Nathan Owen 02:51 - The Sales-Delivery Disconnect 04:16 - How Expectations Become Scope 06:26 - Build a Variation Procedure 11:00 - Pre-Contract Changes vs Variations 13:09 - Document Every Agreement 15:15 - Capture Every Client Conversation 17:12 - Carry Changes Into Delivery 18:43 - Build Systems Before Automation 21:30 - Stop Repeating Mistakes 22:14 - The Risk of Time Creep 24:24 - Plan Labour and Lead Times 26:43 - Communicate Delays Immediately 31:54 - Build Time Buffers In 33:15 - Manage Work Through Micro Goals 36:10 - Keep Subcontractors Informed 38:29 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Nathan Owen Nathan Owen is the founder of Ground Floor Building Coach and has around 30 years of construction experience, including nearly 10 years running his own residential building business. He now coaches Australian builders to strengthen the systems, communication and commercial thinking behind the building work. Website: https://www.groundfloorbuildingcoach.com/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/nathan-owen-590453337 CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #builders #constructionmanagement #businesssystems #clientexperience #projectmanagement Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt When margins tighten, cutting staff can feel like the fastest way to steady the business. But if your best people are sitting behind broken handovers, unclear scopes and clunky processes, reducing headcount does not fix the cause. It makes the same bottlenecks harder to carry. Matt Jones sits down with Nils Vesk from Ideas With Legs to unpack a more resourceful way to lower costs and protect profit without damaging your team or reputation. Nils explains how to run a friction hunt, diagnose behavioural, logistical and environmental causes, and turn the knowledge in your head into processes the whole team can improve. You will also hear his SCRAMBLE framework for generating practical alternatives, why substitution should come before elimination, and how to turn every mistake into a checklist, script, photo guide or training asset. If the business feels busy but the margin says otherwise, this conversation will help you find what is actually getting in the way. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/rzyCL6nOQo8 KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:56 - Meet Nils Vesk 03:23 - Finding Hidden Business Bottlenecks 04:37 - Cutting Costs Without Cutting People 07:03 - Create Your Own Economy 11:05 - Focus on Higher-Margin Work 14:52 - Substitute Before You Eliminate 15:43 - Run a Team Friction Hunt 26:01 - Becoming a Resourceful Tradie 31:18 - Leverage What You Already Have 36:18 - Solve Causes, Not Symptoms 37:41 - Three Types of Root Cause 41:48 - Shift Your Business Perspective 43:32 - The SCRAMBLE Thinking Framework 46:16 - Get Knowledge Out of Your Head 48:12 - Document and Improve Processes 57:12 - Turn Mistakes Into Assets 01:02:07 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Nils Vesk Nils Vesk is an innovation expert, author and the founder of Ideas With Legs. He helps organisations identify bottlenecks, improve processes and turn practical ideas into stronger commercial results. His work spans global brands and trade businesses, giving him a clear view of how resourcefulness can improve output while reducing unnecessary cost. Website: https://www.ideaswithlegs.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilsvesk/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #tradiebusiness #businesssystems #profitmargins #processimprovement #innovation #operational efficiency Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/yt Google changed how target-based bidding behaves, and an account that looks completely normal could quietly produce fewer leads at a higher cost. Matt Jones sits down with Ethan Carter, Ads Specialist and Account Manager at Tradie Web Guys, to explain the August 17 change, why campaigns marked “Limited by budget” carry the most exposure, and how a gap between your target cost per lead and your actual result can now work against you. They break down a real $1,000-a-day plumbing account, the three checks to run inside Google Ads, and five possible responses, from resetting targets to changing bidding strategies or increasing budget. You will also learn why a cheap lead is meaningless without your close rate and job value, what to ask your agency, and why the worst response is leaving the account to drift. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/g43-VItf72Q KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:06 - Google Changed the Rules 03:10 - Meet Ethan Carter 03:49 - A Real Trade Business Example 06:00 - The New Target CPA Behaviour 07:53 - Which Campaigns Are Affected 11:02 - The Limited by Budget Risk 15:32 - A $1,000-a-Day Case Study 17:10 - Monitor Before You React 21:44 - Three Checks for Exposure 27:21 - Option One: Reset the Target 28:52 - Work Backwards From Job Value 31:54 - Alternative Bidding Strategies 35:27 - When More Budget Makes Sense 36:27 - The Cost of Doing Nothing 40:13 - What to Check This Week 42:21 - What to Ask Your Agency 43:31 - Know Your True Acquisition Cost 46:25 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Ethan Carter Ethan Carter is an Ads Specialist and Account Manager at Tradie Web Guys, where he manages paid advertising campaigns for trade and contractor businesses. He works directly with campaign data, bidding strategies and lead costs to help clients generate profitable opportunities rather than simply buying more traffic. Want help understanding what this change means for your campaigns? 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/yt #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #googleads #leadgeneration #tradiebusiness #paidsearch #digitalmarketing Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Every tradie and contractor is being sold an AI robot to answer their phones right now, and most of them are about to waste their money. Matt Jones goes solo on this one to explain why the missed call was never the real problem. Leads do not die on the phone, they die in your inbox, and bolting AI onto a fractured system just helps you lose jobs faster. Matt covers where AI genuinely wins for trade businesses, speed to lead, after hours call capture and inward facing reminders that push humans to follow up, and where it consistently backfires, deep qualification, quoting and papering over a sales process that was never properly defined. He then maps the full lead management flow the agency runs with clients, capture, respond, pursue, qualify and nurture, including the Sydney solar business that went from 2% to 77% conversion once humans went back on the phones. If someone has told you AI is the answer, listen before you sign up to anything. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/EFsiq892xlE KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:40 - The AI Robot Pitch Every Tradie Hears 02:32 - Leads Die in Your Inbox 03:29 - Where AI Wins: Speed to Lead 04:53 - After Hours Call Capture 05:33 - Follow Ups and the Eighth Touch 06:41 - Where AI Backfires: Deep Qualification 08:25 - Quoting Chaos and Price Shock 09:27 - Why a Broken Process Stays Broken 11:03 - Solar Case Study: 2% to 77% 13:07 - Mapping Your Critical Client Flow 15:29 - Capture: Every Lead Into a CRM 16:55 - Respond: The Five Minute Rule 18:26 - Pursue: Twice a Day for Five Days 22:00 - Qualify: The Discovery Call 24:28 - Nurture: Useful, Relevant, Frequent 27:03 - Get Your Impact Roadmap 28:37 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Host: Matt Jones Matt Jones is the founder of Tradie Web Guys and the host of The Site Shed. He works with tradies and contractors every day on the sales and marketing systems that turn leads into booked jobs. This episode is a straight read of what the agency sees working and failing across client accounts right now. Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ Impact Roadmap session: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #aiforbusiness #speedtolead #leadmanagement #salesprocess #tradiebusiness Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

You're the CEO of Your Health (Most Men Find Out Too Late) | ft. Dr. Stephen Sanders | Ep. 512 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt You can run a business on four hours sleep, servo food and caffeine for a while. Then your body sends the invoice. Matt Jones sits down with Dr. B. Stephen Sanders, founder of Whole Men's Health, a physician who hit the wall himself in his late 30s with brain fog, fatigue and low libido at the exact point his career and family life were going well. His conclusion after ten years in primary care and years running men's health clinics is blunt. Most blokes normalise exhaustion until their performance, their relationships or their health force the issue. Stephen breaks down the foundations that drive about 80 per cent of the result, which are sleep, nutrition and training, then covers what baseline blood work should actually include and how to read testosterone labs alongside symptoms instead of chasing a script. Matt and Stephen get into magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, omega 3s and creatine, why there is no one size fits all nutrition plan, the 3pm crash, peptides, and why trying to fix ten things at once collapses after 30 days. If you have been using your age as the excuse, this conversation takes it off you. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/6seUic6paUw KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:49 - Meet Dr. Stephen Sanders 02:41 - The Wall He Hit in His Late 30s 04:08 - Why the 40s Hit Different 07:13 - Ageing Is Not an Excuse 11:28 - Training at 40 Versus 20 12:53 - The Foundations Are 80 Percent 16:20 - Relationships and Mindset 18:14 - Sleep, Training and Nutrition 19:33 - There Is No One Size Fits All 22:58 - Supplements Worth Taking 27:07 - Get Baseline Blood Work 30:11 - Testosterone, TRT and Symptoms 31:43 - The 3pm Crash 35:02 - You Are the CEO of Your Health 36:21 - Habits Beat 30 Day Sprints 43:16 - Health Scares and Second Chances 46:14 - Phones, Kids and Presence 49:21 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Stephen Sanders Dr. B. Stephen Sanders is a board certified family medicine physician and the founder of Whole Men's Health, with clinics in Florida and Alabama plus nationwide telehealth. He spent his first ten years in traditional primary care before hitting his own wall in his late 30s, then rebuilt himself from the inside out. He now works with entrepreneurs, business owners and high performing men on energy, hormones, recovery and long term vitality. Husband and father of four. Website: https://www.wholemenshealth.com Work with Dr. Sanders: https://www.wholemenshealth.com/provider/b-stephen-sanders-md-mph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephensandersmd CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #menshealth #burnout #tradiebusiness #testosterone #longevity Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Most plumbing businesses are losing jobs before the technician even picks up a wrench — because they're selling when they should be diagnosing. Matt Jones sits down with Chris Fresh from The Plumbing Sales Coach to break down why the traditional hard sell is costing trade businesses revenue, reputation, and repeat customers. Chris spent seven years inside a plumbing operation — first as a customer who hated the experience, then as the person who rebuilt it from the inside. Now he coaches hundreds of plumbing companies across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK on a service-first approach that's turned $238 average tickets into $1,400-plus. This episode unpacks Chris's four-step diagnosing framework (symptom, cause, connections, and what else works just like it) and the three-option system that's pushing some of his clients past 96% close rates without a single pressure tactic. You'll hear why every call should trace from the fixture to the main, how to present repair-replace-upgrade options that let the customer decide, and why call-out fees become irrelevant when your conversion rate is high enough. If you've ever wondered how to increase your average ticket without feeling like a used car salesman, this one's worth your time. 🎬 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Yky8V4j4iw KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:54 - Meet Chris Fresh 02:37 - Looking for Problems Is Your Obligation 07:31 - Maximising Customer Lifetime Value 09:23 - Unreasonable Hospitality in Plumbing 12:22 - The Four-Step Diagnosing Framework 14:25 - Natural Progression vs Checklists 16:40 - Photo-Based Diagnosing Process 19:16 - Increasing Average Ticket Size 21:26 - Spend More to Win the Customer 23:49 - The Seventy Thousand Dollar Lifetime Value 25:24 - When Customer Retention Falls Away 29:04 - Lessons from Car Dealerships 34:18 - The Call-Out Fee Debate 35:34 - Fixing Conversions With the Three-Option System 41:31 - Memberships That Actually Work 45:04 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Chris Fresh Chris Fresh is the founder and CEO of The Plumbing Sales Coach, based in Indianapolis, Indiana. A former carpenter turned home service operator, he spent seven years running and rebuilding a plumbing business before launching a coaching programme that now works with hundreds of plumbing companies across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. His approach centres on diagnosing over selling and giving customers the information they need to make their own decisions. Website: https://www.theplumbingsalescoach.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-fresh-2a375076/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #plumbingsales #salesprocess #customerexperience #tradesbusiness #serviceoversales #closingdeals Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Most trade business owners are running flat out, grinding through 12-hour days, and wondering why nothing ever seems to get easier. Matt Jones sits down with Matthew Jones from Cube Performance to unpack why no business will ever outperform the person running it. Drawing on 35 years in the business space — including running his own plumbing business and coaching thousands of trade business owners — Matthew lays out the real reason so many owners hit a ceiling: they've accidentally become the engine of their business instead of its architect. This episode breaks down the Personal Operating System — a structured approach to protecting the three things that matter most: energy, focus, and priorities. You'll hear practical takeaways like auditing your sleep for seven and a half hours a night, scheduling 30 minutes of movement daily, blocking deep work into your calendar three times a week, and identifying the one question your team keeps asking you (because that's where your biggest dependency sits). If you've ever told yourself you're "too busy" to work on the business, this conversation will challenge that — and give you a framework to change it. KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 03:15 - Meet Matt Jones: Cube Performance 05:35 - Why Owners Neglect Themselves 06:40 - Running A Business Is Brutal 08:57 - The Personal Operating System 09:54 - Why You Need To Step Away 11:23 - More Hours Is Not The Answer 19:10 - Energy, Focus And Priorities 22:58 - Sleep As The Foundation 29:28 - Food, Supplements And Balance 34:44 - Movement As Non-Negotiable 36:09 - Clear Start And Finish Times 39:16 - Focus As Competitive Advantage 41:38 - The Pomodoro Deep Work Hack 48:08 - Finding Your Vital Few Priorities 60:42 - Three Audits To Start Tomorrow 65:33 - Cube Performance's Annual Conference 67:06 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Matthew Jones Matthew Jones is the founder of Cube Performance and the Institute of Trade Professionals, based in Australia. A former plumber turned business coach, he's spent over 20 years helping trade business owners shift from being enslaved by their business to building operations that run without them. His background includes working with Olympic athletes in sprint kayaking, and he brings that same performance-driven discipline to business coaching. Website: http://www.cubeperformance.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjonesthecube Catch Matt's previous appearances on The Site Shed: From A to B , Mastering Business Mindset , Pricing for Profit , Brand Planning , Managing Guilt and Planning a Profitable Business Exit . CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #businesscoaching #personaloperatingsystem #tradiebusiness #highperformance #mindset #energymanagement Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt 80% of businesses that go up for sale never actually sell. Shayne Connolly is one of the ones who did, and even he wasn't ready for what came after. He thought he'd be popping champagne. Instead, on the day the money hit the bank, he says he's never felt so deflated in his life. In this episode, Matt Jones sits down with Shayne Connolly, a returning guest who spent the last few years turning his trade business into something he could actually sell, then went through the process of doing exactly that. Shane walks through the mindset shift from "business owner" to "asset owner," why the emotional side of exiting gets ignored in favour of the mechanics, what he wishes he'd asked himself before signing anything, and why he's now building a platform to help other owners see the asset sitting in front of them before it's too late to plan for it. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/WGlussL7LIg KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:56 - Meet Shayne Connolly 03:38 - Two Life-Changing Events at Once 04:38 - The Emotional Side of Selling a Business 06:43 - Knowing Your Exit Number 07:55 - From Business Owner to Asset Owner 09:48 - The Golden Handcuffs Problem 12:00 - Why He'd Rather Build Than Run 23:12 - The Conversation With His Wife 25:16 - Selling to Someone He Already Trusted 34:52 - Did He Even Need to Sell? 37:47 - Why Brokers Were a Waste of Time 45:11 - The First Chapter Is: Do You Really Want This? 46:26 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Shayne Connolly built his trade business into a genuine asset, one that could run without him, then sold it to a trusted team member rather than going through a broker. He's the author of Exit Plan and is now building OwnerHQ, a platform designed to help business owners understand the real value of what they've built and plan their exit long before they need one. Website: https://exitplan.au Software (in beta): https://ownerhq.biz CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #sellingbusiness #exitstrategy #businessvaluation #tradiebusiness #mindset Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Being good at your trade is the price of entry now, not the point of difference. Every customer already assumes you can do the job, so it's the stuff underneath that decides whether they hire you, refer you, or quietly go looking elsewhere. Matt Jones sits down with Justin Herald, entrepreneur, speaker and the man behind Service Rebellion, to unpack the eight things every customer is silently weighing up every time they deal with a trade business, most of which have nothing to do with how good the work actually is. Justin built his first business on a $50 loan and $1.25 in the bank, grew it into a licensed brand sold in more than 180 companies worldwide, and has spent the years since studying why customers stay loyal to some businesses and quietly vanish from others. In this one you'll get the eight invisible evaluations customers make (importance, emotion, expectation, effort, certainty, understanding, personalisation and consistency), the phone call that cost four different trade businesses a job before they even picked up, and the emotional bank account concept that decides whether your business survives its next stuff-up. If a technically brilliant job still isn't winning you repeat customers, this is the missing piece. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/nfpOojSuPf4 KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - Meet Justin Herald 02:23 - The Eight Invisible Things 04:21 - Expectation, Effort And Certainty 07:52 - Personalisation And The Phone Test 10:05 - Consistency Across Your Team 11:58 - From $1.25 To A Global Brand 16:18 - Why Service Rebellion Exists 19:13 - Say Something, Even Nothing 23:37 - The Reason Behind The Form 29:16 - Hiring For Personality 31:34 - Paying For Referrals 34:02 - The Market You're Not Tapping 37:21 - Letterbox Drops And QR Codes 45:22 - Websites Are For Storytelling 48:46 - The Emotional Bank Account 54:18 - Service Rebellion, The Book 55:52 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Justin Herald Justin Herald is an entrepreneur, speaker and the author of nine books, including his latest, Service Rebellion. He built his first business, the Attitude clothing brand, from a $50 loan into a licensed brand sold in every country through more than 180 companies, before selling it and moving into speaking and writing full time. He now speaks at more than 100 conferences a year and works with businesses, plenty of them trades, on the customer experience standards that keep clients loyal and referring. Website: www.ServiceRebellion.com Referral system mentioned in the episode: www.ReferUsNetwork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinherald/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #customerexperience #referralmarketing #customerservice #wordofmouth Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Free payment processing scorecard & consult: https://flobizsolutions.com/ Most tradies can tell you their hourly rate and their material margins off the top of their head. Ask what it actually costs them to take a card payment, and you get a shrug. That shrug is where the money leaks. Matt Jones sits down with Jimmy Moore from FLO Business Solutions to pull apart the machinery behind every transaction: where your fees really go, why the "3.4%" on your statement is often the least of your worries, and how proprietary software quietly inflates what you pay year after year. Jimmy has worked with more than 20,000 businesses and helps oversee over a billion dollars in annual processing volume, so he knows exactly where trade business owners bleed cash. You'll learn how to work out your true effective rate in under two minutes, the three compliant ways to pass fees on to customers without copping a fine, and why chargebacks and "friendly fraud" might be costing you 2 to 4% of revenue a year. If you take card payments, and you do, this one pays for itself. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/m3SqkAHOzuk KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:04 - Meet Jimmy Moore 02:29 - The Payment Topic Nobody Covers 05:26 - Still Keying Cards By Hand 08:10 - Pay Links Speed Up Cash Flow 09:08 - Surcharge, Discount or Dual Price 11:54 - The Compliance Crackdown 14:21 - Three Hands In The Cookie Jar 16:05 - The Million Dollar Fee Bill 16:56 - Know Your Effective Rate 23:53 - Staying PCI Compliant 26:55 - Card Not Present Risk 33:47 - Breaking Free From Software Lock-In 37:13 - Start With Your Statements 40:54 - The Rewards Card Maths 43:46 - Chargebacks And Friendly Fraud 49:42 - Jimmy's Free Scorecard 51:24 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Jimmy Moore Jimmy Moore is the driving force behind FLO Business Solutions in Columbia, South Carolina, where he helps field-service businesses get paid compliantly, at a fair cost, without the fee creep. Across his career he's worked with more than 20,000 businesses and helps oversee over a billion dollars in annual processing volume. He knows the payments world from the inside, which is exactly why he's good at spotting where trade business owners overpay. Website: https://flobizsolutions.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moorejimmy/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #paymentprocessing #cashflow #merchantfees #chargebacks #tradiebusiness Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt There is no shortage of people online telling you to let AI answer your phones. Matt Jones reckons it is quietly costing tradies jobs, and he has tested it enough to know. Matt sits down with Shelby Anderson from ServiceForge to unpack why a panicked customer with a flooded basement does not want to talk to a bot, and why the human touch still wins when it comes to closed jobs. They dig into where AI genuinely helps, where it falls over, and why so many trade businesses are leaving money on the table every time a call slips to voicemail. You will walk away knowing how to qualify leads without burning your own hours, why the KPI most owners chase is the wrong one, and how to get your call handling ready for seasonal surges before they hit. Shelby breaks down what ServiceForge actually does with 24/7 live answering, booking and lead qualification, and Matt runs the old model versus new model maths on why a full-time in-house receptionist rarely stacks up. If you have ever lost a job to a missed call, this one is for you. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/av3NCaE8SvQ KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - Meet Shelby Anderson 02:37 - The AI vs Human Debate 04:04 - Where AI Falls Short 05:04 - The New Sales Model 07:01 - How ServiceForge Qualifies Leads 1 0:48 - Why Discovery Wins Jobs 12:12 - The KPI Tradies Get Wrong 13:59 - In-House vs Outsourced Costs 15:27 - The True Cost of a Missed Call 16:18 - Preparing for Seasonal Surges 18:56 - Local Agents and Conversions 20:49 - Where AI Is Headed 23:17 - Using AI Without Losing Your Voice 28:51 - Managing Sales Pipelines 33:08 - Training Agents and AI Coaching 35:30 - Final Advice for Tradies 37:44 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Shelby Anderson Shelby Anderson is the Operations Leader at ServiceForge, an all-in-one service provider that helps trade and home service businesses get found, get booked and get paid. Based in Texas, her team handles 24/7 live answering, booking and payment solutions so no call goes unanswered and no opportunity is missed. She is passionate about building reliable customer experiences that turn inbound demand into booked jobs. Website: https://www.serviceforge.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serviceforge/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #answeringservice #missedcalls #leadqualification #tradiebusiness #customerexperience Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt 60% of business transitions fail — and it's rarely the tax strategy that kills them. The real culprit is the stuff nobody wants to talk about: unclear expectations, poor communication, and the relationships between the people involved. Matt Jones sits down with Andrea Carpenter from The Transition Strategists to unpack why so many family business successions fall apart, and what trade business owners can do to make sure theirs doesn't. Whether you're thinking about stepping back in 2 years or 20, Andrea breaks down the three generations of transition thinking, the Transition Compass tool, and why starting the conversation 7 to 10 years out isn't too early — it's just smart. If you've ever thought about selling, handing down, or stepping away from your business, this one's for you. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/LCu3zgBwLho KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 00:55 - The Site Shed Hits 500 Episodes 02:00 - Meet Andrea Carpenter 02:20 - What Is a Business Transition? 03:20 - Internal vs External Transition Options 04:10 - Why Trade Businesses Are Now Sellable Assets 07:00 - The Real Reason Transitions Fail 10:30 - Transition 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 Explained 14:00 - Fairness vs Equality in Family Business 19:00 - Designing the Transition With Your Successor 22:00 - The Transition Compass Tool 26:00 - How to Start the Conversation Early 30:00 - Working Yourself Out of Your Own Role 33:00 - How Long a Transition Really Takes 37:00 - Why 75% of Owners Regret Selling 41:00 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Andrea Carpenter Andrea Carpenter is the founder of The Transition Strategists and specialises in business succession and transition planning. She works with family-owned and privately held businesses — including trade and home service operators — to help owners design exits that actually work. Her focus is the human side of transition: the relationships, conversations, and structures that determine whether a handover succeeds or falls apart. Website: https://transitionstrategists.com/ Free resource: https://beforebuysell.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakcarpenter/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #businesstransition #familybusiness #exitstrategy #successionplanning #tradiebusiness Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Your customers are already using ChatGPT to research contractors before they ever call you, and if you're not showing up in those results, you're handing jobs to your competitors. In this episode, Matt Jones sits down with Paul Redman from Contractor Commerce to break down exactly how AI is reshaping the quoting and lead generation process for tradies worldwide. Discover the tools and strategies top contractors are using right now to get found, build trust online, and close more work without ever picking up the phone. KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:54 - Meet Paul Redman 02:23 - The Shift in Consumer Behavior 03:04 - Overcoming the Fear of Online Pricing 04:17 - The Growth of Contractor Commerce 06:22 - Positioning Yourself as the Go-To Expert 09:29 - The Strategy of Upfront Pricing 11:56 - Improving Conversion Rates with Transparency 14:07 - Competitive Pricing vs. Dealership Models 16:45 - Shifting KPIs for Better Business Results 19:02 - The Impact of AI and LLMs on Search 22:01 - Optimizing for AI Search Results 25:16 - AI as the Ultimate Virtual Salesperson 28:45 - The Future of High-Touch vs. AI Interactions 33:23 - The Value of Human Connection in Sales 37:46 - Educating Customers Through Transparent Pricing 41:43 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Paul Redman Paul Redman is the founder of Contractor Commerce, a platform that helps home service businesses and contractors sell fully installed pricing, memberships, and services directly online, including through AI-powered buying journeys on their websites. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Paul grew up around the trades and has spent years helping contractors adapt to the shift in consumer behaviour, from in-home sales to fully digital, self-serve purchasing experiences. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-j-redman/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt 📲 Watch On YouTube! https://youtu.be/6q0pRBBdreU 🎙 About Our Guest: Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk, co-founders of CrystalLIQ, have each built and sold multiple trade-based businesses. Greg learned his hardest lesson as part-owner of a $48M-revenue business that went into liquidation because nobody knew their numbers. Together they help tradies install the financial systems and accountability frameworks that stop growth from destroying a business from the inside out. CONNECT WITH GREG & JON Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mcelroy-45aa90214/ Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfisk/ Website: https://www.crystalliq.com.au/ CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED! Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/ Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt More jobs, more staff, more revenue; and you're still growing broke? In Part 2 of our CrystalLIQ series, Matt sits down with Greg and John to expose why scaling without financial systems is the fastest way to destroy your trade business. Learn why your P&L is the only scoreboard that matters, how to spot the traps before they bankrupt you, and the accountability framework that separates profitable tradies from busy ones. KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:57 - Growth Traps and the Scaling Dilemma 04:42 - Case Study: High Revenue vs. High Debt 07:41 - The Foundation: Accurate P&Ls 10:48 - Financial Literacy for Business Owners 14:03 - The Profit First Business Model 17:41 - Dangers of Hands-off Bookkeeping 21:02 - Building Truth in Numbers 22:31 - Hiring and Strategic Capacity 25:21 - Employee Scorecards and Outcomes 27:54 - Accountability and the Business Entity 30:34 - Example: Managing New Inquiries 32:58 - The Reality of Rapid Growth 35:22 - Key Takeaways and Margin Focus 39:02 - Adjusting Pricing During Scaling 41:22 - Strategic Outlook and Culture 42:39 - Wrap-up and Next Episode Tease 📲 Watch the video version! https://youtu.be/kEyXMAtLMg4 🎙 About Our Guest: Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk Greg McElroy and Jon Fisk, co-founders of CrystalLIQ, have each built and sold multiple trade-based businesses. Greg learned his hardest lesson as part-owner of a $48M-revenue business that went into liquidation because nobody knew their numbers. Together they help tradies install the financial systems and accountability frameworks that prevent growth from harming a business internally. CONNECT WITH GREG & JON Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mcelroy-45aa90214/ Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfisk/ Website: https://www.crystalliq.com.au/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Most tradies think they own a business, but the business owns them, dictating every waking hour and every skipped family event. In this episode, Matt sits down with Greg and John from CrystalLIQ to unpack why your business is running you into the ground, how you became the bottleneck without realising it, and the exact moment you need to step out of the operator's seat and into the owner's chair. If you've ever felt like your business would collapse without you, that's not dedication, that's the problem. This episode tells you how to fix it. Key Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:52 - Meet the Guests: Greg and John 02:22 - Overview of the Three-Part Series 06:45 - The Reality of Running a Mid-Sized Business 07:49 - Transitioning from a Job to a Business Mindset 09:53 - The Importance of Systems as You Scale 11:54 - Identifying When a Business Becomes Unstuck 15:05 - Re-deploying Business Owner Time and Focus 18:14 - Frameworks and Tools for Empowerment 20:18 - Structural Mapping for Future Growth 24:33 - The Owner’s Responsibility to Educate Themselves 28:23 - Adapting Systems to Support Growth 30:52 - Defining Success Based on Owner Goals 33:14 - Creating a Happy and Professional Work Environment 36:42 - Practical Tips for Reducing Burnout 38:16 - Documenting Friction Points for Future Clarity 40:12 - The Role of Technology and Proper Implementation 41:45 - Final Thoughts and Episode Wrap-Up 🎙️ About Our Guests: Greg McElroy And Jon Fisk Greg McElroy built his plumbing business from the ground up at 21, one ute, one apprentice, and spent 40 years scaling it into a sale-ready operation before exiting. Now a strategic advisor at CrystalLIQ and current president of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW, Greg brings a no-bullshit, been-on-the-tools perspective to helping tradies build businesses that actually work without them. Jon Fisk is a career entrepreneur who's founded, scaled, and exited companies across tech, solar, and engineering, including a renewable energy business recently acquired by a global investor, marking his fourth successful exit. As founder and lead consultant at CrystalLIQ, Jon specialises in pulling business owners out of the operator seat and into the CEO chair before they burn out completely. CONNECT WITH GREG & JON Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mcelroy-45aa90214/ Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfisk/ Website: https://www.crystalliq.com.au/ CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED! Website: https://www.thesiteshed.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/ Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt 500 episodes! Can you believe it? Since February 2016, this channel has been a journey, and it's clear that to truly achieve business success, you need more than just skill. This episode emphasises the critical role of visibility and effective business strategy in winning jobs, reminding us that the best tradie doesn't always win; the most visible one does. If your business runs on word-of-mouth, your memory, or manual processes, this episode will challenge everything you think you know about running a trade business. 00:00 - Introduction 02:11 - Reflection on 500 Episodes 03:54 - Host Background and Podcast Mission 05:28 - Global Ranking and Industry Observations 08:03 - Truth \#1: Visibility Wins Over Quality Alone 11:10 - Truth \#2: The Owner as the Business Bottleneck 14:10 - Truth \#3: Systems are for Survival at Any Size 17:39 - Truth \#4: Hiring Issues are Leadership Problems 21:54 - Truth \#5: Embracing Technology and AI 28:30 - Future Outlook and Industry Opportunities 30:30 - Closing Thanks and Trading Academy Invitation CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED! Website: https://www.thesiteshed.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSiteShed?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/ Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt AI isn't coming for your trade business; it's already here, and the tradies ignoring it are quietly handing leads, authority, and early retirement to their competitors. In this 499th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with Troy Dean to break down exactly how AI is reshaping how tradies get found, answer leads, and build businesses that don't depend on them being on the tools 24/7. If you're still waiting to see how this plays out, this episode is your wake-up call. KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:10 - Welcoming Troy Dean 01:33 - The Evolving AI Landscape 03:57 - Implementing AI Strategies 06:10 - Automating Business Workflows 08:58 - Human Connection vs. Computer Work 12:09 - Sales Coaching with AI Analysis 14:49 - Real-Life Lead Engagement Example 18:14 - AI and the Answer Economy 23:27 - Content as the Backbone of SEO 27:27 - Building Authority Through Content 31:28 - Engineering the Sales Cycle 36:01 - Future of Search and Marketing 40:05 - Sharing Expertise with Video About Our Guest: Troy Dean Troy Dean is the founder of Agency Mavericks, a coaching community that helps digital agency owners scale their businesses, reclaim their time, and build sustainable revenue without burning out. A self-confessed AI nerd with over 15 years of experience in the digital space, Troy brings a sharp, no-fluff perspective on how emerging technology is reshaping the way businesses grow and compete. CONNECT WITH TROY DEAN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troydean/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetroydean Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agencymavericks Website: https://www.agencymavericks.com/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Are you spending big on ads but losing jobs before the phone even gets answered? In this episode, Matt sits down with James O'Neill from WildJar to uncover how call tracking and AI-powered call analysis can reveal exactly where your leads are falling through the cracks. If you're serious about turning every phone call into a booked job and finally getting a real return on your marketing spend, this one's for you. Key Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:27 - Introducing James O'Neal and WildJar 02:30 - Solving Digital Attribution for Phone Calls 04:44 - The Role of AI in Call Analysis 07:27 - Cost Per Lead vs. Lifetime Value 11:10 - Tracking Different Advertising Channels 12:50 - Membership Programs in Home Services 14:26 - The Marketing Ecosystem and Paid Ads 16:15 - Google Business Profile and Local Traffic 18:15 - Attribution and Customer Journey 20:13 - Feeding Conversion Data Back to Platforms 21:35 - How Call Tracking and DNI Work 25:21 - Virtual Numbers and Reporting 28:07 - Sales Cycles and Lead Attribution 29:05 - The Critical Nature of Answering the Phone 31:51 - Nurturing Leads and Creating Content 34:21 - The Changing Landscape of Organic Search and SEO 37:05 - Emerging Traffic from LLMs like ChatGPT 41:15 - The Future of AI and Sales Coaching 📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen 🎙 About Our Guest: James O'Neill James O'Neill is the CEO and Founder of WildJar, a call tracking and AI-powered conversation intelligence platform that connects phone calls to digital marketing journeys, helping businesses drive revenue and make smarter marketing decisions. With over a thousand home services clients across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the UK, James specialises in helping tradies and contractors eliminate the blind spots between their ad spend and the jobs they're actually booking. CONNECT WITH JAMES O'NEILL LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-o-neill-9308632a/ Website: https://www.wildjar.com/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Think your follow-up game is solid? Data from 450 million text messages says you're probably quitting too early. In this 497th episode of the Site Shed, Ryan Fenn, founder of Chirp and a man who's analysed 450 million text messages, breaks down why "fortune is in the follow-up" isn't just a cliché. It's a math problem most tradies are solving wrong. If you're tired of ghosted estimates, wasted lead spend, and watching jobs slip through the cracks, this episode is your blueprint for fixing the single biggest revenue leak in your tradie business. KEY CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:47 — The Follow-Up Failure Most Tradies Don't Know They Have 06:17 — What 450 Million Text Messages Actually Reveal 16:32 — The "Mom Test" For Writing Messages That Get Replies 25:47 — Pattern Interrupts: How Unexpected Messages Break Through 34:36 — Why 70% of Conversions Happen After 8 Touchpoints 45:47 — The Anti-Follow-Up Strategy: Value Before The Ask 58:45 — The Day 10 Trap: Why Reps Quit Right Before Deals Close 🎙 About Our Guest: Ryan Fenn Ryan Fenn is the founder of CHIIRP, a follow-up and automation platform built to help home service businesses convert more leads and rehash old estimates. He has spent more than 15 years studying sales follow-up, customer messaging, and how contractors can turn missed opportunities into booked work. CONNECT WITH RYAN FENN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-fenn-76568b165/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.fenn.3 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryandfenn/ Website: https://chiirp.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chiirp/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chiirp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getchiirp/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy , our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site Shed Instagram: @thesiteshed LinkedIn: Matt Jones Website: thesiteshed.com YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed