How You Can Make More Time For Things You Really Want

Fishing, surfing, time with the wife and kids, binge-watching 80s action films, reading, tinkering in the shed, building a microlite, playing sport, BBQs with your mates, running, racing on the track, racing on the Playstation, watching Game of Thrones …

Are you missing any of these things because you’re busy working on your trade business in the evenings and on weekends?

Tradespeople are time-poor people. Many are working 6-7 days a week trying to get ahead, and are spending every spare moment working on the books. Running a trade business isn’t just about being awesome at what you do – there’s all that other painful business admin you’ve got to manage.

We want to help with that, so we’re sharing some best practices and industry knowledge, to help you rule your trade business, instead of having it rule over you.

For now, here are some simple things you can do to make your life easier and free up a bit of that time. Try:

1. SAYING NO TO RUBBISH JOBS 

You know the jobs I’m talking about – the ones where you drive for an hour just to make $20, the ones for the clients who sound totally bonkers, the ones you just know are going to be more trouble than they’re worth.

It’s tough to turn down work, especially if you need the cash, but by freeing up space in your schedule, you make time for bigger, better jobs.

2. PLANNING YOUR DRIVING

Our research shows that driving is one of the biggest hassles for tradespeople. You can cut down on this by planning your drives for the week in advance, and scheduling in jobs and trips to suppliers around the shortest distances.

If you’re driving with others in the car, and you’re using a job management app like Tradify, you may be able to get them to take over behind the wheel, while you send out a few quotes or invoices.

3. GETTING THE FAMILY INVOLVED

One of the biggest complaints we hear from tradespeople is that they don’t have enough time with their families. Depending on the age of your kids or your partner’s abilities, there may be ways to involve them in the business. This enables you to get stuff done faster, as well as spending time with your loved ones.

Your partner may be a whiz at getting through the quoting. Kids may be able to put your tools away in the evening, or help you manage your website.

4. GET SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP

You don’t have to do it all. If there are aspects of your business that have you stuck, set aside some funds to get a professional to deal with them for you. We can manage the books. Get a part-time admin person to sort the jobs and answer the phone. Find a graphic designer to make the website.

Life’s too short to do things you’re not good at. Hire others to do it, instead.

5. MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS IN THE CLOUD

So much admin in your business comes from dealing with paperwork. Writing out quotes and invoices, finding all the receipts, sorting the accounts, chasing your staff for timesheets …

Getting all this into the cloud using Tradify means that you can streamline ALL these processes. Stuff that used to take hours now takes minutes. It’s a total game changer.

Wish you could have more time?

Let us know if you’ve got any questions or if you want to explore the possibilities of Tradify.