Category: Blog

Admins the Answer, Greg Smith, Hire a Hubby, administration, trade business, tradies, invoicing, quoting, chasing payment

Why Calculating Your Margin Is Essential for Business Success

margin-calculation

Financial Management – a scary term for some but one that must be understood by all business owners. It’s perhaps one thing that gets overlooked as we blame the fast-paced world of business. Whether you’ve just started or years into it, understanding and monitoring your margin is crucial for long-term success. In this blog, we’ll explore why calculating your margin is so important and how it can impact your bottom line.

Profit – a term we all understand!

At its core, calculating your margin allows you to understand the profitability of your business. Your margin represents the difference between your revenue and your costs, expressed as a percentage. By knowing your margin, you can assess how efficiently your business is operating and identify areas for improvement. A healthy margin indicates that your business is generating sufficient profits to cover expenses and invest in growth initiatives.
It helps you quote.

Calculating your margin is essential for developing a sound pricing strategy. By understanding your costs and desired profit margin, you can set appropriate prices for your products or services that ensure profitability while remaining competitive in the market. Without a clear understanding of your margin, you risk underpricing your offerings and leaving money on the table, or overpricing and alienating potential customers.
Allows you to see if running your business is costing you more.
Monitoring your margin allows you to identify and control costs more effectively. By analyzing your margin over time, you can pinpoint areas where costs are creeping up or margins are shrinking. This insight enables you to take proactive measures to reduce expenses, negotiate better deals with suppliers, or streamline operations to improve efficiency. Ultimately, effective cost control can have a significant impact on your bottom line and
And in summary

Calculating your margin is not just a financial exercise; it’s a critical component of business success. By understanding your profitability, setting prices effectively, controlling costs, and making informed decisions, you can position your business for long-term growth and sustainability. So, don’t overlook the importance of calculating your margin. Take the time to crunch the numbers and unlock the insights that will propel your business forward.

The Cost-Saving Power of Outsourcing Your Administrative Tasks

the-cost-saving-power-of-outsourcing-your-administrative-tasks

In today’s fast-paced tradie world, time is money. As we the business owners strive to juggle multiple responsibilities, the burden of administrative tasks can often become overwhelming. However, what if I told you that outsourcing your administrative work could not only alleviate this burden but also save you money in the long run? In this article, we’ll explore how outsourcing administrative tasks can be a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.

Outsourcing administrative tasks allows you to leverage the expertise of professionals who specialize in these areas. Whether it’s bookkeeping, data entry, appointment scheduling, or customer support, outsourcing to specialists means the job gets done quickly and accurately, freeing up your time to focus on revenue-generating activities

Hiring and maintaining an in-house administrative team comes with significant overhead costs, including salaries, benefits, office space, equipment, and training. Not to mention the headache when they take a day off. Outsourcing eliminates these overhead expenses and allows you to allocate resources more efficiently and invest in areas of your business that drive growth and innovation.

One of the key advantages of outsourcing administrative tasks is the scalability and flexibility it offers. Whether your business is experiencing rapid growth or seasonal fluctuations in workload, outsourcing allows you to scale your administrative support up or down as needed. This flexibility ensures that you have the resources you need to meet demand without the fixed costs associated with hiring and maintaining an in-house team.

By outsourcing administrative tasks, you and your team can focus on core business activities that directly contribute to revenue generation and business growth. Instead of spending time on administrative chores, you can devote your energy to strategic planning, sales and marketing, product development, and customer service. This focus on high-value activities can lead to increased productivity, profitability, and competitive advantage.

Outsourcing your administrative tasks is not just a cost-saving measure; it’s a strategic investment in the future success of your business. 

 

Greg Smith

Greg Smith, the founder of Admins The Answer, created this business from personal experience having owned his own successful trade business for 7 years. During that time he bought a second business and just 2 years later, sold that for 2.5 times what it cost him. Now Admins the Answer provides a complete admin and paperwork solution for tradies all over Australia. This immediately allows them to spend more of their valuable time planning and they do end up making more money. 

You Would Never Work for Free – The Invisible Cost of Not Invoicing for Additional Services

you-would-never-work-for-free-the-invisible-cost-of-not-invoicing-for-additional-services

We know that quoting a job for a specific fee is a standard practice. However, just as quoting a job for $0 would be a quick pathway to bankruptcy, failing to invoice for additional work is no different.

When you provide additional services or go above and beyond for a client without invoicing for that work, you’re essentially giving away your time and expertise for free. While it may seem like a small sacrifice in the moment, the cumulative impact of unpaid work can be significant. It erodes your earning potential, undermines the value of your services, and sets a dangerous precedent for future engagements.

Imagine quoting a job for $0. It’s absurd, right? Yet, by not invoicing for additional services, that’s essentially what you’re doing. You’re signalling to your clients that your time and expertise have no value beyond the initial agreement. It diminishes your worth and we all know you are worth it!

Invoicing for additional services isn’t just about securing fair compensation; it’s also about fostering healthy, mutually beneficial relationships with your clients. When you charge for all the work you do, you set a precedent for transparency and accountability. Clients who understand and respect your value are more likely to be satisfied with your services and become repeat customers.

If the conversation is a bit scary, here’s some tips to get paid for that additional work;

  1. Communicate Clearly: Clearly outline your pricing structure and any additional fees for extra services upfront to avoid misunderstandings later on.
  2. Document Everything: Keep detailed records of all work performed, including time spent, tasks completed, and any agreements made with the client.
  3. Be Assertive: Don’t be afraid to assert your worth and insist on fair compensation for all the work you do. Your time and expertise are valuable, and you deserve to be paid accordingly.

 

Greg Smith

Greg Smith, the founder of Admins The Answer, created this business from personal experience having owned his own successful trade business for 7 years. During that time he bought a second business and just 2 years later, sold that for 2.5 times what it cost him. Now Admins the Answer provides a complete admin and paperwork solution for tradies all over Australia. This immediately allows them to spend more of their valuable time planning and they do end up making more money. 

Our Top 7 Tips to Help Maximize YOUR Quote Conversions

Here are Admins the Answers  top 7 tips to help maximize your quote conversions
We call it “dropping pennies into your quote approval bucket”
The work starts from the initial contact.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that your potential customers only start to decide whether to approve your quote after you have sent it – it starts a whole heap earlier than that.

 

# 1 Respond in a timely manner to all customer enquiries.
We hear every day how getting hold of a service provider is becoming more and more difficult. Having someone answer the phone and start to engage a conversation has started the quote approval process.
# 2 Turn up on time, have a clean shirt to visit with (nobody thinks its ok to see a tradie in a dirty uniform, they already know you get dirty), spray a bit of Rexona on, say Hi using their first name or Mr/Mrs if that’s all they have supplied, offer to take your shoes off or even have a pair of boot covers in your pocket and offer to put those on and give them a business card.
# 3 Listen, listen and listen to what the customer wants. When you feel like there is a better alternative, do not tell them they are wrong, instead use lines like “can I make a suggestion” – it’s extremely unlikely they will so no and if they do, perhaps that’s not a customer you want to deal with.
Also use lines like “can you imagine……………” when describing the result you can create. This has them starting to think of the finished works and you being the one to make it happen.
#4 Once the information is clear and you think you understand what they are looking for, repeat it back to them to ensure all parties agree with the works required. This not only stops the quote being compiled wrong, which then costs you more time and frustration redoing it, but most importantly gets the customer thinking that you are a great listener.
#5 Resist temptations, even when being badgered, to provide a quote on the spot unless you have systems in place to accurately calculate them. One useful line to avoid being hassled on the spot is “we pride ourselves on providing accurate quotes which I will provide you but having me guess right now is not fair to either of us.”
#6 Provide before and after photos or links to your website of work that you have done if its similar to what the customer is wanting.
#7 Set expectations on when and how the quote will be sent. For larger valued quotes it may well be worth scheduling the time to deliver it in person. This allows any questions to be answered by you and an opportunity for you to ask for the sale.
Have a well planned, professional process & procedures (this could be a change able template), for following up on your quotes that have not been responded to.
Our average stats say for every 10 quotes that have been sent, 6 will be replied to. Of the 4 that required chasing, 2 of them were approved in the phone call.

 

NEED A HAND CREATING OR FOLLOWING UP ON YOUR QUOTES?
GIVE GREG A CALL FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATON CHAT!
5 MINUTES IS ALL YOU NEED

CALL NOW

 

Is it time for you to get help?

Ready to free up your time and get your life back?
The decision to get help with your admin paperwork and customer service needs depends on various factors such as: your business goals, budget, workload, and available resources. 
Here are some factors to consider when deciding if getting help is the right choice for you, your family and your business
Workload
Is your current workload overwhelming you or your partner?
Are you struggling to keep up with the demands of your admin, quotes, following up payment of outstanding/overdue invoice’s even answering your phone?
Admins the Answer can provide that extra support and free up precious time for you and your family.
Expertise
Do you lack expertise in a particular area of admin, quoting, invoicing or customer service?
Admins the Answer can provide a specialised team member with access to professional skills and a deep understanding of your tasks at hand.
Cost
Admins the Answer is cost-effective and in most cases Cost Neutral for small businesses that don’t have the budget or resources to hire a full-time admin or customer service team.
Admins the Answer can also provide cost savings by eliminating the need to invest in equipment, software, and office space.
Scalability
If your business is growing rapidly or experiencing seasonal fluctuations in demand, Admins the Answer  can provide flexible, scalable packages that can quickly adapt to your changing needs.
Competitive Advantage
Admins the Answer can provide you with a competitive advantage.
Allowing you to focus on your business while leaving routine admin and customer service tasks to your dedicated
Admins the Answer team member.
Need more hours in the day? Admins the Answer Can be your solution today.

Book a call with Greg NOW

Admins the Answer: Our Why

Admins the Answer, Greg Smith, Hire a Hubby, administration, trade business, tradies, invoicing, quoting, chasing payment

After running his own trade business for several years, Greg Smith soon realised the need for admin tasks was an ever- consuming component of the business that was difficult to stay on top of. After working long hours on building sites every day, the last thing he wanted to do after dinner every night, was write up quotes, chase invoices and update paperwork.

Unfortunately, upkeeping the admin side of the business was integral to its success. You can be the best tradie in town, but if you have poor admin, your business will suffer. Greg realised this was a huge problem for many tradies, with no real solution known to them.

Many organisations have been created over the years to support mental health in Australian tradesmen. Jeremy Forbes founded Hope Assistance Local Tradies as he noticed many tradesmen were suffering from depression by overworking and losing touch with their families due to the financial pressures of working, invoicing, preparing quotes and chasing money.

Greg Smith created Admins the Answer to address this issue and allow tradesmen to run a successful business whilst also having freedom away from their business. He aimed to give tradies a work-life-balance, and take away the stresses of admin work, allowing them to focus on their trade and customers.

The mission for this brand is to foster, long-term, authentic relationships built on trust, integrity, clear communication and strong work ethic, to deliver a real impact that changes lives both personally and in business.

Admins the Answer provides different packages based on your business needs and is a customisable service, as we recognise that every business has different, unique needs. From chasing payments, scheduling works or following up quotes, Admins the Answer is here to help with all your business needs.

Contact Us Today.

Sources:
I4Tradies, 2020, Tradies! Are we helping our mates enough? Suicide is real. It’s time to talk! https://www.i4tradies.com.au/articles/mental-health-of-tradies

 

 

Revolutionising The “Tradie” Business Lifestyle

Admins the Answer, Greg Smith, Hire a Hubby, administration, trade business, tradies, invoicing, quoting, chasing payment

Hi guys, thanks for visiting the Admins the Answer blog! My name’s Greg Smith and this week I wanted to share how we as a business are changing the “norm” of the trade industry and negative work/life balance.

I started Admins the Answer to change the mindset of trade business owners and give them their time back. As a tradie myself, I know what it’s like to miss family events, your kids football games, or even just getting to bed at a reasonable hour. I got to a point where the pressure, stress and overwhelming to-do list absolutely crushed me, and I found myself thinking, “There has to be another way!”.

Thankfully, I created one with Admins the Answer. On the surface, this business aims to help tradies with their admin work such as chasing quotes, answering phone calls and creating invoices. On a deeper level, I wanted to allow small trade business owners, such as myself, to be able to have a healthy work-life balance.

Whenever I speak to clients that have been with Admins the Answer for a long period, I love to ask, “How has my business changed your life?”. The most common answers are stress relief, more family time and peace of mind that their paperwork is being looked after. Our clients know that if they’re finishing up a job at 3pm, the invoice for that job will be in their customers inbox by the time they’re done.

We take all of your customer phone calls for you, because we know how difficult it is to finish up a job when your phone is ringing off the hook and distracting you all day. We chase invoices for you, so you don’t have to work weekends or overtime. We are available over holiday periods, so you get to spend some time with your family and not catching up on paperwork.

We want to revolutionise the trade industry and make it a healthy, happy place. At the moment the trade industry is notorious for negative mental health, with many Australian men suffering from panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia and depression. These are brought on by various factors, mostly long, demanding work hours, project deadline pressures and lack of job security.

This should not and does not have to be the “norm”.  We can change the industry for the better. Take it from a fellow tradie, do yourself a favour and improve your life and business today.

Call us on: 0412 831 401

Sources:

https://theconversation.com/risky-business-how-our-macho-construction-culture-is-killing-tradies-122867
http://mengage.org.au/suicide/mates-in-construction-suicide-in-the-construction-industry

Creating An Inviting Space For Client Meetings

Admins the Answer, Greg Smith, Hire a Hubby, administration, trade business, tradies, invoicing, quoting, chasing payment

G’day guys, welcome back to Admins the Answer for another trade business related blog post. This week’s topic is all about technology and how it can improve your business productivity.

It’s 2020, and the digital world is rapidly changing and improving every minute. The days of paper diaries, sticky notes and boxes of paperwork are behind us. Tradies are notorious for steering clear of technology they haven’t used before, but this needs to change. Experts tell us that tradies must embrace technology in order to stay relevant and competitive with over 50% of business coming from online searches and social media.

Technology gives us endless possibilities in how we can improve our businesses with computer systems that can help with payroll, data analytics, invoices, quotes and so much more. Research has shown that tradies who have utilised technology into their business have found their costs have reduced and their productivity has improved.

My advice for the most important technology tools to adopt into your business, are a computer-based job management system, a digital calendar and the trusty smart phone. These tools will improve your business’s productivity, efficiency and will save you a whole lot of valuable time.

At Admins the Answer, we use the best computer-based project management systems to track our client’s jobs, invoices, quotes and more. This means we can get your work done faster and keep on top of everything much more effectively. Having digital calendars allows us to access your schedule and book in jobs for you without hassling you on the phone.

We live in a digital age where our devices are portable and can be used almost anywhere. They can also “talk” to each other, sending over documents or invoices from computers to phones to tablets. A recent survey showed that 96% of construction business owners said that introducing automation technology and computer-based management systems into their businesses, made their lives easier and freed up their time.

At Admins the Answer we are all over the technology for your business, so that you don’t have to be. Trust that your business is in good hands and give us a call today.

Greg Smith, Admins the Answer: 0412 831 401 

Sources:

https://tradies365.com.au/digital-shift-for-tradies/
http://www.tradies-mag.com.au/2020/08/26/the-rise-of-the-digital-tradie/
https://insidesmallbusiness.com.au/growth-development/technology-a-tradies-best-friend