AI – The Tradie’s Secret Weapon!

Ange
That’s right, Andy. We’re actually talking about artificial intelligence or AI and how it’s not just for tech gurus or big corporations. It’s actually becoming a game changer right here in the trade industry.

Andy 
You might not realize it, but AI is already a part of our everyday lives. From Google maps, suggesting the quickest route to your next job, to Siri or Alexa playing your favorite tunes, it is everywhere. 

Ange
And it’s evolving rapidly. So the capabilities we’re seeing today in AI, like ChatGPT were almost unthinkable just a few years back, but the evolution of AI into mainstream day to day has been compared to the rise of electricity in the early 20th century, or even just the age of the internet. 

Andy 
Oh, well, that’s interesting, but you might be wondering what’s this got to do with me and running my trade business? Well, It’s got a lot to do with you actually. And it’s not just about fancy technology integrations, which is happening all around us, but it’s also about the smaller, practical solutions that you can apply to everyday challenges in your business. 

Ange
Yeah, that’s right. And in today’s episode, we’re going to explore just how AI, especially tools like ChatGPT, can be an asset to a tradie just like you. We’re here to give you real world examples and to show you how to save time and money using AI. 

Andy 
I want you to be able to walk away from today’s podcast, being able to implement some of this practical stuff this week in your business. 

Ange
Absolutely. And guys, we actually have a download that goes along with this episode that talks about all the AI tools that we’re going to mention today. It’s completely free and you can access it at lifestyletradie.com.au or click the link in the show notes. Okay, let’s get into it.  

Andy 
You’re listening to The Tradie Show. This is the podcast for trade business and contracting bosses like you, you wanna lead with confidence, make more profit, and create a better lifestyle.

Ange
We’re your hosts, Andy and Angela Smith, husband and wife team, and co-founders of lifestyle tradie. Are you ready to have some fun?

Andy 
Hell yeah. 

Ange
So before we dive into today’s episode, we’ve got something really exciting to share with you. If you want 2024 to be your best year yet and you’re tired of the endless grind, then join us at our brand new in person event called Lifestyle Tradie On Tour. 

Andy 
In this one day training, you’ll discover the game changing AI tools tailored for tradies.

Ange
We’ll dive deep into how AI can save you time, increase your profits, and transform the way you work in really practical ways. 

Andy 
Yes, there’ll be no more second guessing, no more late night, just smart, efficient business strategies that’ll let you enjoy the lifestyle that you deserve. 2024 is your year to shine, and we’re here to show you how.

Ange
Well, what are you waiting for? Head over to lifestyletradie.com.au and register today.  AI or artificial intelligence is kind of like having the smartest apprentice in the world, but one that lives inside your computer or phone. This apprentice doesn’t need a lunch break. They don’t talk back and remember absolutely everything it’s ever taught.

Andy 
An apprentice that doesn’t talk back. Unheard of.  A smart apprentice.  Unheard of! 

Ange
Ah, you are funny. But think about it like this. You know how you learn from your experiences on the job, right? 

Andy 
Yes. 

Ange
Well, AI does the same, but at lightning speed. It takes in heaps of information from all over the internet, and it uses it to make really smart decisions. It’s like having a super brain at your fingertips. 

Andy 
And let’s face it, who wouldn’t want a bit of extra brain power, especially on those Monday mornings. So in today’s episode, I’d like to talk about how all this AI stuff fits into our world, and that’s a trade business. But first, I guess we also have to discuss the elephant in the room here.

Ange
What’s that? 

Andy 
Is AI cannot take all our jobs? 

Ange
Okay, great question, Andy, because I know this is a concern for many people in the trade industry. You only have to see headlines popping up all over the place that say things like AI will rapidly disrupt the Australian economy or 75 percent of Australian employees fear the impact of AI or why Australia must prepare for the future of artificial intelligence?

Andy 
Yeah, and those headlines don’t really inspire a lot of confidence in us, do they? It’s easy to get caught up in the fear that AI might bring more harm than good. But here’s the thing. While AI is indeed a game changer, it’s not just a disruptor, it’s an enabler. And I truly believe it’s about how we harness its potential.

Ange
Yeah, I like that mindset, Andy. And I think the key here is how we actually adapt. Because history has proven time and time again that with every technological revolution, while some jobs disappear, definitely new ones emerge. 

Andy 
And the introduction of AI in the workforce isn’t just about robots taking over everyone’s jobs. It’s about AI enhancing human capabilities and creating new opportunities. But there was one thing I heard, Ange. I don’t know if it’s exactly true, but I heard that in the next two years,  AI is going to be as smart as the human race. And then another three years after that, it could be 10, 000 times smarter. Now, when you think of it like that, you just can’t gloss over this stuff. 

Ange
Yeah. Wow. That’s really interesting.

Andy 
Now, before we dive in and talk about the practical AI tools that we’ve dug up for you, that are definitely going to save you time and money, I want to take a quick step back in time and just ram home this point of embracing this new era because history can often help us understand the future.

Ange
You sound like an old philosopher today. 

Andy 
I do a bit. 

Ange
But I, I’m ready to hear you out. 

Andy 
Okay. Okay. 

Ange
Go ahead. 

Andy 
Well, did you know, before we had electricity in our homes or in the streetlights, it was actually someone’s job to go around town and light up all the gas lamps.

Ange
Okay. 

Andy 
And then before morning came around, they had to go and put them all out again.

Ange
Okay. I have heard about this. These guys were called lamp lighters. 

Andy 
Yes, they were. And over time as electric lights replaced all the gas lights, lamp lighters were no longer needed. However, guess what happened? 

Ange
What? 

Andy 
We now needed electricians. 

Ange
Right. I actually have another example from when washing machines were invented and started becoming the norm in homes.

Andy 
Yeah. Back in the day, washing used to take The family, like it was all day scrubbing against a rock, isn’t it?  

Ange
Family? I think it was only her, might I add. 

Andy 
Maybe back in those days. 

Ange
Anyway, I digress. So when washing machines started becoming more popular in the home, there was actually this huge amount of resistance. And while I could go on a rant about what was really underpinning that resistance, a lot of it was because they actually didn’t trust electricity.

Andy 
Isn’t it funny? How can you not trust electricity? But yeah, 

Ange
We’re talking, long time ago. 

Andy 
And I suppose it’s new technology. I just can’t imagine though, not having those modern appliances like washing machines and all the other gadgets we actually have around the home these days.

Ange
Well, I’m sure future generations are actually going to say that about our time in years to come, right? I mean, AI technology really only became mainstream in the last couple of years. 

Andy 
And that’s really due to the popularity of the chatGPT, right? 

Ange
Exactly. So I guess to close the loop on that, I want to share two things. So firstly, automation and advancement of technology does eliminate certain jobs, but it frees people to create many others. There’s actually a research paper titled new frontiers, the origins and content of new work. And it states that 60 percent of today’s jobs did not exist in  1940. 

Andy 
Wow. 

Ange
Got that?

Andy 
Yeah, wow.

Ange
I know. And secondly, the other point I want to make is jobs like plumbing and electricians and other tradies are less affected by tech advances. 

Andy 
Yeah. And in the past, plumbers used to make their own pipes, lead piping, and now it’s all done by machines, isn’t it? And it’s PVC. And, these days we have things like AI powered predictive maintenance software, leak detection systems, and there’s so much more to come. But what I can see as the biggest benefit to the average tradie is the front of house stuff, like how you run your office. I mean, how you answer your phone, how you book jobs? How do you create lead generation? And guess what? This will all be run through AI. 

Ange
Well, I can imagine lots of tradies saying, yay, hooray. That’s exactly what I need, cause I’m struggling to do it all myself. Not to mention trying to keep up. 

Andy 
And the big thing with AI though, is that you can use chatGPT and you can use it in your business today, but where AI is going in the future is where it’s going to be the biggest game changer. And what AI is going to be able to do is they’re going to be able to answer your phone. They’re going to be able to do dispatching, job management, and the whole front end of your office potentially could be taken up by an AI bot. 

Ange
Well, that’s something that we’re looking really heavily at at the moment in Lifestyle Tradie. 

Andy 
Yes, we are.

Ange
And lots of our members are going to benefit from that real soon.

Andy 
Yeah. But Ange, the thing to point out here is this, if you don’t have your trade business set up the right way now using the right structures, the right systems and make sure everything is done the same way every time, you won’t be able to just plug in AI because you still got to fix your business.

Ange
Yeah, that’s right. So what’s going to happen here is the leaders that have their foundations of their business right like their structures, their systems, the flow of a job, everything done the right way. When we all of a sudden want to flick the switch and something new comes out with AI, Lifestyle Tradie members are going to be absolutely all over it. 

Andy 
A hundred percent, Ange, our members are already prepared for AI. They’re already using super clever tools to help them every day. It’s already having a huge impact for them. They’re saving time and money. And if you’re not learning how to take advantage of AI right now, you are definitely going to be left behind in the future. 

Ange
Okay, so let’s talk about what AI tools and technology you can use in your business today. Not so much like this big tech stuff, more like the business tools you can implement in your day to day operation as say, a maintenance style trade business. 

Andy 
Okay, because we have a cracker of a list right here, so let’s get into it. The first up, obviously, I’ve got to mention, chatGPT. I don’t know many people who haven’t heard of ChatGPT. It went absolutely viral after it launched in 2022. However, I don’t think many people know how to use it properly just yet. 

Ange
Yeah, I totally agree with you. So ChatGPT  is a computer program designed to talk with people in a natural way. It’s powered by large amounts of data to make predictions to string words together in a meaningful way. That’s the most basic way I can think of to explain it. So it can help with so many things like writing a blog for your website, answering customer questions, crafting ads for Facebook, even with a killer headline, or even brainstorming ideas for, say, your next sponsorship gig at the local school. You basically type a question or if you’re on mobile, you can use the audio option and it will literally reply with an answer. 

Andy 
And that’s it Ange. As you know, I’d rather talk than right any day. So in the past, when asking a question to either Siri or Alexa, they would simply feed back a link to go read an article that I had to read myself. And for me, it was the worst thing ever. But what is different with chat GPT is you can ask a question and instead of feeding a link to a page, it actually answers the question like another human. 

Ange
Yeah, I totally agree. And it actually seems to hold a conversation. It remembers the conversation to date, like every sentence and conversation pieces that you’ve had so far and responds accordingly. And I’ve even noticed that chatGPT changes its tone like a human. 

Andy 
And as you said before, Ange, chatGPT can be used for so many different things. And when you’re not so great with your words, and let’s face it, that is me, you can say stuff like, Hey, chatGPT, I need to write a polite reminder email to a customer who hasn’t paid an invoice. If you want it to be polite and it’s overdue for two weeks, can you help me write it? And it literally spits out this professional email. It’s so good. And you know, and sometimes we’re not feeling polite so it can make sure it takes that time. So it doesn’t anger the customer and you feel really good.

Ange
So can you imagine how much time that would save the average tradie doing paperwork and chasing payments each night after a full day on the tools? 

Andy 
Yeah, it’s so good. And did you see the post from one of our members in our Facebook group recently in which she set up a job ad for an apprentice and it was written by AI. How good was that? 

Ange
I saw that. So that was Felicity. She’s in the landscaping business in Southern Highlands and it was awesome. She still did have to tweak it, but it saved her an hour of her time. Actually, I have another example of that from one of our Lifestyle Tradie members, Bill, who’s an air con business up in Queens, he’s a air-con business in Queensland and he’s using ChatGPT to help write all of his standard operating procedures. He did one the other day that was actually pretty technical, but still ChatGPT  totally nailed it. He too had to make a few changes, but overall the winner was the fact that it saved him an hour of time.

Andy 
And you and I know, Ange, he has more to do. So that’s potentially hundreds of hours you’ll save on that one project that needs to be done this year. So it blows my mind how useful AI can be for tradies when you know how to use it. 

Ange
Yeah, exactly. So I want to touch on a different AI tool that actually deserves a mention. It’s called Mid Journey. And this one helps you create images from these really simple text instructions. There are plenty of image creator tools out there, but this one in particular is amazing at creating realistic photo like images. That you can even use for your website or social media. 

Andy 
The thing I like about these AI images, Ange, is that it’s actually your own creation, meaning you are free to use them without any worries about a copyright infringement. Another notable one that a lot of people are using here is Dall-e. Not sure how to get super realistic photos out of this one just yet. They’re more futuristic cartoonish, but still good for maybe some social posts. 

Ange
Yeah. So this helps me mention, I suppose, Canva. So many of us have actually heard of Canva. Like it’s a graphic design tool. It’s been amazing. It’s been around for a while, but it’s had a huge major upgrade recently. So now they’ve actually attached AI tools built in called magic write and magic eraser, just to name a few. So if you have an image you like, but you don’t want something in the background, say you can actually magically make it disappear. Or if you’re writing a social media post, you can click a button in Magic Write tool to make it more fun or maybe more casual, or there’s plenty of others. It’s amazing. 

Andy 
Yeah. And while we’re talking AI and that’s what we’re doing, let’s talk about job management systems. And I know ServiceM8 has done a great job with that. They have integrated AI tools into several of their features. They have this thing called AutoWrite, which is just like having chatGPT inside your job management system. It writes work completed descriptions, tidies up trading notes and helps write professional emails from scratch. 

Ange
Yeah, that’s awesome. Hey, one of our Lifestyle Tradie members, Natalie from Sydney commented that she’s been using this feature in ServiceM8 and it’s actually saving her time on every single job. And Andy, I worked it out. She’s got a team of say five tradies and it’s saving them 15 to 16 hours per week. 

Andy 
Wow. That’s crazy. Now I’ve worked that out and that saves the plumbing company around 800 hours a year. That is crazy. 

Ange
Wow. I really hope all the other job management systems start jumping all over this because it really is a game changer when it comes to time, saving time and money for every trade business owner.

Andy 
Well, actually I only just spoke to the team at AroFlo and it looks like they’ll have this AI implemented in their business very, very soon too. And that’s going to help with quoting, job sheets and invoices. So I tell you what, if you’re not looking at implementing this kind of stuff, you will definitely be left behind in this space.

Ange
Yeah. I think something needs to be said about these job management systems. Make sure that the one you have keeping contact with them to understand what AI is constantly getting introduced so that you are on the pulse the moment it actually gets introduced. You want to be first to market because regardless of your trade, regardless of the size of your business, it’s going to help every single one of you. Okay. So let’s move on to a little bit of a fun one. All right. So this is not just for tradies, but great for the whole family and can make your life easier. It’s called Sous Chef. 

Andy
Oh, I’m excited about this one. So does it actually teach you how to cook Ange? 

Ange
Doesn’t teach you  how to cook Andy, but this app is so stupidly easy to use that even you could have a go at it.

Andy 
Wow.  Thank you. 

Ange
All right. Let me tell you what it is. It’s a meal planning tool with this really cool feature. So one of them is you can take a photo of the inside of your fridge and it will come up with meal ideas based on the ingredients it sees. No joke. 

Andy 
Wow. It’s getting really crazy in this world. I feel like it’s another episode of the Jetsons.

Ange
Oh my God. I loved that cartoon. That was super futuristic. So, the other thing you can do with the Sous Chef is you can list some ingredients that you have in the pantry and you can ask Sous Chef to come up with a meal idea. 

Andy 
And if you don’t like what it comes up with, you can just ask for something else.

Ange
Well, yesterday I asked it to come up with a recipe because I, We looked in the fridge and I had chicken, zucchini and feta and I went, Oh my God, what do I do with that? And within seconds it responded with this incredible meal with full details of how to make it. And you know what was even better? It showed me an image of what it would look like once it was cooked. So I knew I hadn’t screwed it up and in case I get it, 

Andy 
I bet it’d never look like that. I bet. I just bet. 

Ange
And it even offered me a shopping list, right?  

Andy 
That is definitely next level. I, I, I just think we’re gonna try this Ange, I wanna see the picture first what you come out with. 

Ange
I am totally sold because as you know, this is literally the bane of my existence.

Andy 
Exactly. 

Ange
I love food, but I hate having to think about what to cook for the week and having to go buy the food and then I have to cook it all. Oh my God,

Andy 
I’ve been telling you for years, let’s bring a chef in . But now you can use sous chef. 

Ange
This is right.  

Andy 
Okay. Another tool we got is called Fireflies. And this is an AI. It’s a meeting assistant where you can connect your video conferencing software and you can use it. So if you’re using something like a zoom meeting with someone, say a virtual toolbox meeting with your team, which we did a lot of over COVID or you’re working with your project manager about the latest job, instead of having to take notes. Fireflies do it all for you. It records, it transcribes, and it summarizes the meeting as well. It gives you the action items afterwards. I tell you what, it’s pretty cool because I hate taking notes. 

Ange
Yes, you do hate taking notes. So AI technology is also changing the way websites are being built. I’ve been playing around with this AI builder called Hocoos and it is seriously impressive. To get a website up and running, you simply answer eight quick questions and it creates the whole site for you. Like I’m talking about a legit five page website. You can change images and other details, but I was able to build a really modern trade business owner website in literally 15 minutes. 

Andy 
15 minutes! I’ve spent five to 10 grand in the past, so that is amazing. Yeah. Okay. The last two AI tools are chatling and Plann with two “n”. Chatling is a chat box for your website that can answer customers’ inquiries in real time. And this one doesn’t require any coding on your part. And you can implement yourself depending on your level of skill around the website. But there’s also plenty of companies offering options for you options with this.

Ange
Okay, let me talk about Plann with two “n”. This one’s a social planner and scheduler. I actually really liked this one because like every tradie who has time to think about captions that goes with every Instagram  post, I’m talking, this could be 10 to 15 minutes of your time. You’ll never, ever get back. It doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but trust me, when you compound, you’re doing this all the time. You know, we’re trying to claw back where we can. And this is where Plann is awesome. So the AI caption generator actually writes your captions for you. So let me give you an example. Let’s say you want to give a shout out to a customer and post a picture of their job and you write in it, I wanted to congratulate and give a shout out to my customer for finishing his amazing project and how we were proud to be a part of it. You select the tone you want it written in, say you write cheerful and it writes it, this really amazing post for you, and it even uses emojis. 

Andy 
Wow. That is definitely a good time saver. So that’s the scoop on AI tools for tradies for now. And we could honestly talk about this forever, but that definitely is a good start. Think of AI in general as your super smart assistant. It’s here to help with the nitty gritty boring or repetitive tasks so you can focus on the real work. 

Ange
Yeah, AI tools can work for you in the background making sure you get to shine where it counts like the human to human contact part. AI will never replace the impact that you can have when face to face with a customer.

Andy 
Exactly. You can build trust through your communication whilst in the background, AI can help you gain some efficiencies. 

Ange
Yeah, spot on, Andy. Actually, it’s a good idea to start by asking yourself what problem do you have in the trade business and how can AI help solve it? Otherwise, don’t bother asking that and just start with ones that we’ve actually mentioned today. They will definitely have a huge impact on your trade business. We know it has with our members, so we know it will with you too.  

Andy 
It’s Tradie Dilemma time and this is where you can ask A&A  anything segment where you let us know what you’re having trouble with in your business and we can give you our best advice.

Ange
Exactly. Okay. So today we have a question from Charlotte in Queensland and she writes We just interviewed a candidate who seems perfect for what we need right now. Do we go in high with the offer to match what he’s on now, which is more than we were thinking, or offer slightly less to see if you’ll go for it?

Andy 
Wow, that is definitely a good question. So the way that I try to do it and a lot of our members we’ve talked about, we’d come in slightly less and say, we want you to start on this, but if you can prove yourselves in the next three months, we’d be happy to reach that price. So what it does is there’s a lot of people coming wanting the top, top dollar these days. And once you start paying them that they may be good, but not worth that top dollar and you’ve got nowhere to go. You can’t bring it back. So I prefer to start slightly less, get them to prove themselves and make them realize, Hey, we’re really happy with paying me that, but we’re going to take a month or two or three months to train you. And then if you’re up to speed, we’re more than happy to pay that price. And that’s the way that I’ve done it. And I think that’s the best way. 

Ange
Yeah, I agree with everything you’ve said, Andy, but the point here now is you don’t want to lose him. So make sure when you’re in that interview situation that you’re trying to understand a bit more about what they truthfully want, meaning it’s not necessarily always about the money. You’ve got to ensure that you’ve painted the vision of the business, how impactful they are going to be when they come into this business, how strong the culture is and the future of the business and that you’ve totally got their back. So you’ve got to sell them in. 

Andy 
Yes. Very true. Very true. But thanks for the question, Charlotte. And I hope that’s helped you.  

Ange
Remember we’re here to help you navigate the road of being a successful trade business owner. 

Andy 
Yeah. We’ve been there through the ups and downs of running a trade business and we’ve got the secrets to help you navigate those tricky waters. 

Ange
Now if you want some face to face time with us, remember we have our Lifestyle Tradie on tour coming to a city near you.

Andy 
Yes, this is a day packed with practical strategies from profit growth to mastering your marketing. We’ll also talk more about AI and the effect it will have on our industry in the not so distant future. 

Ange
So jump onto lifestyletradie.com.au and secure your spot for Lifestyle Tradie on tour or click the link in the show notes. This is your opportunity to transform your business journey. 

Andy 
2024  is your year to shine, so let’s make it a breakthrough year together. Hey  guys, thanks for listening to today’s episode. I just wanted to ask you all a quick favor. It will literally take you one minute and we’d love it if you could rate and review this podcast. It helps more tradies find The Tradie Show and we’ve created this show to support tradies just like you build a profitable business that you love. As always, we appreciate your support. 

Subscribe to The Tradie Show wherever you get your favorite podcasts, rate and write us a review or for more information about Lifestyle Tradie, head to lifestyletradie.com.au.