Stop the Chaos: How to Free Up Time and Finally Work ON Your Business

Ange
And that’s what we’re going to dig into today. We’re going to talk about why it’s so crucial to free up time to work on your business and how not doing that leads to stress, bad decisions and what we call scaling chaos. 

Andy
And then we’ll get into the how. We’ve found some real simple ways to free up some time for the busiest tradie so you can start making your business work for you instead of against you. 

Ange
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 who want to lead with confidence, make more profit, and create a better lifestyle.

Ange
We’re your hosts, Andy and Angela Smith. Husband & wife team and co-founders of Lifestyle Tradie. Are you ready to have some fun? 

Andy
Hell yeah!  Tradies, let’s get real. You’ve been busting your gut, you’ve been hustling, you’ve been doing 60s, 70s,  maybe 80 hours a week. You get to the end of the year and you think, let’s look at this revenue. Here comes the big bucks, then bam! It turns out your profit’s about as impressive as your budgie smugglers on a cold winter’s morning. So here’s the deal. We’re hosting a one day live event called Stress Free Tradie, where we’re gonna teach you how to triple your profits in 12 months, and actually be able to keep some of that hard earned cash Without the endless headaches. And the best part will show you how to stop attracting discount Dan and low board Lisa that treat you like a bloody discount store and makes you wonder why you even picked up the tools in the first place. And if you’re sitting there thinking, yeah, right. I’ve heard all this before then, challenge accepted. Come and hang out with us for one day. Worst case scenario, you have a few laughs and you have a good time, but best case scenario, you’re going to walk away with a plan to make sure that 2025 is your best year yet. So if you’re ready to go from stressed out tradie to stress free legend, grab your ticket today and let’s make the next 12 months the most profitable and the best year yet.  

Okay, let’s get started with today’s episode. Let’s get into our hell years of the week.  This is where we celebrate tradies making progress and winning in their business. No matter how small or big the win is, we think it’s worth celebrating tradies who are taking steps towards building a better business they can feel proud of.

Ange
First up, we have Jody and Reese from New South Wales who shared five out of seven quotes accepted so far this week.

Andy
And that definitely deserves a big hell yeah. And the reason why is because before now that percentage rate of conversion has gone absolutely through the roof just with a few tweaks. 

Ange
Isn’t that awesome? Next up, we have Ashley from WA who shared, we had our new highest revenue month this month and we picked up van number nine.

Andy
Hell yeah, he is absolutely crushing it at the moment. 

Ange
And next up, we have George from South Australia who says, 90 percent complete to take payments, six new chippies employed in the last three months, plus three new five star Google reviews this week. These guys are smoking it. I also want to share Crystal’s story from New South Wales. She shared, Our first event with Lifestyle Tradie and I loved networking with everyone. Was great to have conversations with people that are in the same boat. What a great community. 

Andy
Yes, we have an incredible community. Hell yeah! You think you’re all alone and no one gets you, but we are all here and we’re here to support you. You just need to take that step to encircle yourself with people who understand you and who can help you get to where you want to go.

Ange
I couldn’t agree more. 

Andy
So onto our topic of the day, stop the chaos and how to free up time and finally work on your business. Let’s start by talking about the reality for most tradies. You’re flat out all day on the tools, the phone’s ringing off the hook, you’re running from job to job, and by the time you get home, you’re absolutely knackered. But the work doesn’t stop there. You’ve got quotes to prepare, you’ve got invoices to send, and maybe even a bit of bookkeeping to handle as well. It feels like there’s just no time left to focus on the big picture. 

Ange
And it’s not just the physical work that’s overwhelming, it’s the mental load too. When you’re constantly in that state of busyness, it’s impossible to think strategically.

Andy
Yeah, you’re stuck in survival mode, just trying to get through each day without everything falling apart. But here’s the thing, If you’re only focused on surviving, you’re not giving yourself the chance to thrive.

Ange
Exactly. And this is where so many tradies get stuck. They’re so busy working in the business that they never get the chance to work on the business. It’s like being on a treadmill. No matter how fast you run, you’re not really getting anywhere. And that’s when things can start to spiral out of control. 

Andy
And I remember meeting this concreter from Penrith at one of our events. His name was George and he was telling me a bit about his business and how he got busier and busier and busier and how he put on more guys, more guys. But not just guys, they were all mates. They were his brothers and they were his cousins. And on the surface, it looked like he was absolutely smashing it. The dollars were flying in the door. But when we were chatting, he admitted that he was hanging on by just a thread. 

Ange
Oh, I remember George. I remember him saying something like money’s flying in, but it’s flying out faster than I can keep up with. He was stressed to the max, hey, because he was stuck in reaction mode, just trying to keep up with the work, but without the systems or the strategy to manage the growth. He thought he was making good money, but he had no control over his business and that is a dangerous place to be. 

Andy
Yeah, and George’s story is common to loads of trade business owners we speak with. They get so busy taking on any work that they get to a point they can’t cope by themselves anymore. So to solve the problem, what do they do? They throw more people at it! And this is what we call scaling chaos. The business was already a bit of a basket case with no systems, no processes, and no structure. And instead of stopping to fix it first, they simply make matters worse by doubling or tripling the size of the business with more jobs, more team members. 

Ange
Yeah, more chaos. The thing is, if you’re not scaling the business in a controlled and strategic way, You’re just scaling chaos and the bigger the chaos gets, the harder it is to manage.

Andy
And the bigger the business gets does not necessarily mean the more profit that comes through the door. 

Ange
Yeah, good point. You really need to know the financial health of your business through data to make sure scaling is going to be beneficial for your business or not. 

Andy
Another important point about this is that Chaos doesn’t just stay at work, it tends to follow you home too. The stress builds up and before you know it, you’ll burn out, you’re frustrated, and you’re wondering how the hell you got here. 

Ange
So, Andy, let me ask you this. What are the consequences of being too busy to work on the business instead of just in It. 

Andy
Well, I think the first and most obvious one is that you’re always in this reaction mode. You’re constantly putting out fires, dealing with issues as they come up and making decisions on the fly. 

Ange
Yeah, that sounds terrible. A reactive mindset can be incredibly damaging. When you’re stressed and overwhelmed, it’s hard to make good decisions. You end up taking shortcuts, cutting corners and doing whatever it takes to get through the day. Plus, those quick fixes can lead to long term problems. 

Andy
Yeah, and one of the biggest risks I see, you start making decisions based on survival rather than a strategy. And maybe you hire someone in a hurry because you’re desperate for help without really vetting them. Or thinking about whether they’re the right fit for your team you have now, or you take on more work than you can handle because you’re afraid to say no. And even though you don’t have the capacity to do that work really properly, or you don’t even understand if that work is profitable, and this is where all the trouble starts. 

Ange
And then you end up with even more stress because the team isn’t performing the way you need them to. Or you’re stretched too thin trying to juggle all these jobs. It’s a vicious cycle and frankly exhausting. 

Andy
Yeah, and let’s not forget about the impact this has on your personal life. It spills over into your relationships, your health, your happiness. And then a lot of tradies tend to be more likely to snap and be really snappy.

Ange
Oh, really? 

Andy
Yeah. Okay. Okay. That’s me. I’m talking about me there. I snap sometimes big time because you know, that’s the way it is Sometimes. I’m not saying it’s right, but the more stressed you are. The more issues, the more struggles, you know, it can affect a lot of things that it can affect your sleep and you’re just struggling in a way and you’re not looking after yourself. And even for me at one stage, I started drinking more and more and more. 

Ange
And that’s where the danger really lies, right? When you’re constantly in this state of chaos, you’re not just putting your business at risk, you’re putting your own well being at risk. And that is something we can’t afford to ignore.

Andy
So if you don’t make time to work on the business and the business is pretty much stuck in neutral, you’re actually potentially just going backwards. You’re scaling chaos, you’ve got long term sustainability growth problems, and the longer you stay in that cycle, the harder it is to break out of it. 

Ange
But guess what? There is good news, because it doesn’t actually have to be this way. There are steps you can take to get out of this cycle and that’s why I want to share our own journey through this. 

Andy
Yeah, at the beginning when we were running Dr. Drip, we were so busy trying to keep everything afloat that we didn’t have the time or the energy to look at the bigger picture. And I was making decisions in the heat of the moment, just trying to keep things moving. And honestly, we were scaling chaos instead of scaling our business. It was out of control. 

Ange
Well, the business was growing but it was out of control. We were taking on more jobs, hiring more people, but we weren’t doing it in a way that was sustainable.

Andy
And it was exhausting and I knew something had to change. 

Ange
Well, that’s when we had a serious conversation about what we wanted our business and our lives to look like. We realized that if we kept going the way we were, We were going to burn out and our business might not survive. 

Andy
So we turned things around and we made a conscious decision to start working on the business instead of just in the business.

Ange
And you know what? It wasn’t easy. But we started by identifying the things that would actually drive the business forward. We let go of some of the day to day tasks to focus on the bigger picture. 

Andy
And it was probably a tougher transition for me than some people, because I was always such a control freak.

Ange
A bit. 

Andy
Yeah, no, I’m a control freak. But I have to admit, I liked being a boss that everyone looked up to. I liked being the guy that everyone came to for advice because I think it made me feel super important. 

Ange
Well, unfortunately, stroking your ego and letting you continue being the world’s biggest control freak is not how you build a profitable lifestyle business. And that’s exactly what we wanted.

Andy
Not only did I want to build a profitable business, I also had the goal of systemizing my business so much. So that I actually didn’t have to work in the business that much and ultimately have the lifestyle too. 

Ange
And that’s exactly what we ended up with. So that you only had to work in the business two hours a week. Obviously it wasn’t like that in the beginning, but eventually we got it to that point so that we could start doing other fun stuff. 

Andy
Yeah, all work and no play makes me pretty miserable to be honest. And you know, we love traveling the world, snowboarding, Bali, beaches, adventures, you name it, we love it. But also it gave us the opportunity to actually start Lifestyle Tradie as well and start other businesses. 

Ange
Totally. And that’s when we also discovered the power of prioritizing what we call the big rocks. These are like the tasks and the goals that truly matter. The ones that will help you grow your business and achieve the lifestyle that you want.

Andy
We had to make sure that those big rocks were top priority, even if it meant letting go of some of the smaller stuff. And this concept really helped us start taking control of our time. 

Ange
Look, the idea, what we’re about to share is pretty simple, but let me explain. Think of your life and business as a jar and you’re going to fill it up with big rocks, little rocks and sand. The big rocks are the important things, the tasks and goals that truly matter and will drive your business forward. The little rocks are the day to day tasks and the sand is all the minor stuff that fills up your time. 

Andy
And if you fill your jar with sand and little rocks first, like answering emails, running errands, doing low priority jobs, there’s a lot of the time there’s not a lot of room for the big rocks. But if you put the big rocks in first, then the little rocks and sand can just fill in around them. That way you can make sure you’re always focusing on what really matters.

Ange
I think lots of people get this wrong. It’s not just a tradie problem. 

Andy
Agreed. 

Ange
They get so caught up in the little rocks and sand that they never get around to the big rocks. They’re busy all day, but at the end of the week, they haven’t made any real progress towards their goals. 

Andy
The thing is, if you don’t prioritize your big rocks, no one else is going to do it for you. And you’ve got to be one to decide what’s most important for your business, not just your business though, your life. And then you’ve got to make sure that those things are getting the time and attention that they deserve. 

Ange
So what are some examples of big rocks in Andy? 

Andy
Well, they’re different for everyone out there, but in business, they might include things like strategic planning, systemizing your operations, training your team, or even taking time to focus on your own health and wellbeing.

Ange
Yeah. So for us, one of our big rocks was setting up systems that would allow the business to run smoothly without us having to be involved in every little detail. 

Andy
Yeah. And that was an absolute game changer because it freed up so much of our time to focus on growing the business instead of just managing the business. 

Ange
And another big rock was making sure we were spending quality time with our kids and each other. We didn’t want to build a successful business at the expense of our family life. So we made it a priority to block out time for the important things like being there for our kids, sport events or even just having dinner together as a family. 

Andy
And I’m pretty proud of this actually, because even our son Isaac is a mad soccer or football player, depending how you want to say it. And you know, I take him to training in the mornings, I take him to training at night, and I’ve, I’ve sort of built around my role in business now around him. 

Ange
Yeah, we’ve also been able to be super present with Hannah, our daughter, throughout her diving career. This year she qualified to participate in the Olympic trials for the 10 meter platform. And Andy and I were both there to watch her come 10th in Australia, which is amazing at the ripe old age of 18. 

Andy
Yeah, it was amazing just being there competing with that caliber of athletes. Oh, it just makes you a bit teary. 

Ange
Oh, look, it’s such a special moment as parents to be able to share these experiences with your children.

Andy
Yeah, it’s a pretty special moment because you can see how much effort and, and being an Australian diver, she’s 26 hours a week. So there’s so much time and dedication going into this. It’s beautiful to watch, isn’t it? 

Ange
Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. So I want you to take a moment to think about what your big rocks are. What are the most important things that will help you grow your business and live the life that you want? Because once you’ve identified them, make sure they’re the first things you focus on each week.

Andy
So now you’re at this stage, you might be thinking, okay, well, that sounds awesome, Andy and Ange. But actually, how do I have the time to focus on these big rocks? And the answer is you need to free up some time. And the best way to do that is through delegation. And the right structure and systems. I might need a loud speaker for this next bit, Ange.

Ange
Okay. 

Andy
You don’t have to do everything yourself and you shouldn’t try to.

Ange
Absolutely. We did a time audit on ourselves and we’re shocked at how much time we were spending on tasks that someone else could have handled. Things like answering emails, booking appointments, or even some of the invoicing. And once we started delegating those tasks and setting up systems, it freed up our time to focus on growing the business. 

Andy
Yes. And delegation and systems don’t just free up your time. They also reduce your stress levels, which is really important. And when you know that the little rocks and sand are being handled, you can focus on the big rocks without constantly worrying that Something’s going to fall through the cracks. 

Ange
This is the problem, isn’t it? Too many people are focused on the little rocks and the sand. That’s what fuels up their time and we need to completely switch this on its head. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve created a time maximizer template that you can actually download from the show notes. It’s a step by step. Guide to help you figure out what tasks you should be focusing on and what you can actually delegate and systemize.

Andy
And one of the best examples of this is when you think about your billable hours, how much you actually get paid for the hours you work. And if you’re spending time on tasks that could be outsourced for less than your hourly rate. Then you’re actually losing money. So let’s say you’re billing at a hundred dollars an hour, but spending time doing admin, which you could pay someone, say 50 an hour. I mean, it’s not really the best use of your time, is it?

Ange
And let’s not forget about automation. We’ve talked to so many tradies who spend hours each week on tasks. They could easily have been automated with the right systems in place. Things like quote follow ups can be automated to free up your time to work on other really important tasks.

Andy
And I want to point out this isn’t about being lazy or avoiding work. It’s about being smart with your time. You know, your time is so valuable and you should be spending it on the right things that actually move your business forward and not just the things that Keep you busy for busy sake. 

Ange
We all only have 24 hours in a day, right? So this is something I definitely want to warn everyone about. When you start to free up time by delegating tasks and setting up systems perhaps, you need to be really careful about how you Use this new found time that you’ve discovered because it’s really easy to fall into a trap of just filling it up with more low quality work.

Andy
Yeah. And we’ve seen this all the time where tradies all of a sudden start to clear some space in their schedule and they think they’re pretty smart, but only to fill it up with stuff that they shouldn’t really be doing like taking on more jobs, maybe picking up materials from the supplier or simply just picking up the slack of the team. But that’s not the point of this exercise. You’ve got to think about the big picture. 

Ange
The whole reason we’re talking about freeing up time is so that you can use it to work on your business, not just add more to your plate. It’s about being strategic with your time, not just busy up. Otherwise you’re right back where you started and all that effort was for nothing. 

Andy
Think about what you want your business in your life to look like. And if you freed up four to six hours a week, what’s the best use of your time? Is it to take on more jobs or is it to focus on big, Pitcher strategies that will help your business grow sustainably.

Ange
That might mean spending time on strategic planning and thinking about where you want your business to be in the next, say, six months, one year, or even five years. Maybe it’s finally setting up that marketing strategy you’ve been putting off, or perhaps it’s developing a training program for your team to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

Andy
Or it might even be investing in your own wellbeing, like taking a break to recharge so you can come back even stronger. And don’t underestimate the value of taking time for yourself. We all know how easy it is to burn out in this trade industry. And if you’re constantly running at full speed, it’s only a matter of time. Seriously, guys and girls, you’re going to hit the wall. 

Ange
Yes. Be intentional about how you use your time. Ask yourself. Is this going to help me move my business forward? Is this going to improve my quality of life? And if the answer is yes, then go for it. But if not, then maybe it’s time to rethink how you’re spending your time.

Andy
To get started, download the time maximizer template from the show notes or on our website and start tracking your time. This simple tool can make a huge difference in helping you identify what’s holding you back and where you can make changes. 

Ange
And if you need more guidance or if you just want to talk through your specific situation, we have spots open right now for a free game plan call with us. We’ll help you figure out how to get your business back on track and start seeing real results.  

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

Ange
So today we have a question from Mark in Queensland and he writes, Hey Andy and Ange, I’m in the early stages of growing my landscaping business and I’ve been thinking about whether I should invest in marketing or just rely on word of mouth. What’s your take on the best way to attract new clients without wasting money on ineffective marketing? 

Andy
Yeah. Hey Mark, it’s a good question, mate. The thing is a lot of people are doing a lot of this word of mouth and word of mouth marketing is incredible. As long as the clients that are coming to you are happy to pay for really good quality work and happy for you to make really good money. I just see so many people get caught up in this word of mouth customer, but they’re playing the real Billy bum crack, low end of town game where there’s no money in it and they’re just struggling day after day. I’m a real believer that every business should be spending money on marketing and they should be spending it in a way to attract A-grade customers like top quality customers and building credibility packs and stuff around that. So the customer’s happy to spend that little bit more with you because you are seen as being a step and above anyone else in the landscaping market around where you are working. 

Ange
One thing I definitely want to add here, Mark, is before you actually do any sort of marketing is be really clear about who it is you want to work with these A-grade clients that Andy talks about, because as soon as you know that it’s far easier to actually write messages and communicate through your marketing to attract the right people. And you even know where to find them. So we need to actually start there first. Thanks for writing in, Mark and sharing your dilemma. Remember, if you have a question or dilemma in your business, then reach out to us and let us know how we can help. 

Andy
Hell yeah! 

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