Systems: here’s why every trade business needs them

Systems are a one-off investment of time, for long-term business sustainability.

Here’s what you’ll gain with systems in your trade business:

#1 Ease of training

With systems, training your new employees is an absolute breeze.  No more ‘spewing’ words over and over while they sit in your vehicle only to have them hit ‘overload’. It only means they ignore the instructions you’ve provided, and revert back to their ‘old ways’. Not your ways!

In this way, you’re not just teaching them by doing and hearing but also visually. Plus, they can refer to them later seeing they are on their iPad for reference anytime. In our own trade business, we even reduced the time to train a new dispatch person from six weeks to  two weeks using the systems.

#2 No more unnecessary questions

Systems are the solutions to every single unnecessary question your employees ask you. With systems, forget about being called up by a confused tradesman or admin employee. Your employees can open up their job systems and find the solution immediately by themselves.

A perfect example was when one of our tradies had a car accident in the middle of the Harbour Bridge (not a great spot to stop in peak hour, let me tell you!). He had already called our insurance company, arranged a tow truck, gathered the right information from the lady who ran up the back of his vehicle, and was en route in an Uber to his job with hand tools in tow all before our dispatch contacted him asking why his vehicle had stopped for so long (love a tracker!).

#3 Reduced mistakes

You have put particular systems in place because you know they work. This means that the only time something will “go wrong” is when an employee “steps outside” the systems you have implemented. Did you get that? It’s that important you need to read that last sentence again. The only time something goes wrong in the business is when they don’t follow the systems. It’s a fact!

Accidents happen. When you have systems in place, you can show your employee exactly where in the system they went wrong. They can correct it for next time.

#4 Consistency

Systems ensure every employee in your business is doing the same thing. This enables them to help each other out. But more importantly, it also provides consistency in service for your customers. When your customers are used to hearing the same things and receiving the same service, they then expect this same high level of professionalism and flow of service.

Consistently good service = happy repeat customers.

#5 Control

When you’ve implemented systems, you’ve attained control of your business, even when you’re not there because you know (mostly!) what your employees are doing.

Additionally, this control is imperative because if a particular employee decides to leave or is sick, it is easy to replace them since all the vital information needed for their role is written down and not in their head. Hello, long lost holiday!

#6 Gives you a business you can sell

Depending on what your ambitions are for your business, this is probably one of the main benefits of systems. The knowledge and information required to successfully run your business is no use to anyone sitting in you and your employee’s heads. This knowledge and information is the main asset of your business (aside from your database – a subject for another time!), not your branding and not your tools. Without this knowledge and information documented as systems, you hardly have a business to sell should you ever want to.

What’s next?

  1. Join our Kick-Ass Tradies Facebook Group, for access to trade business specific conversations, tips and resources, plus a like-minded community of tradies.
  2. Book a 15-minute Game Plan Call with Andy, owner of Dr. DRiP plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps.