Making Bank During the Holidays

 Andy
Today we’re going to discuss how you can capitalise on the Christmas and January period to not just maintain, but actually make bank and even grow your business. 

Ange
We’ll cover actionable strategies that we did in our plumbing business that took us from losing thousands of dollars at this time of year to making it a highly profitable time of year. 

 Andy
And we did all of this while creating the time we needed to rest and rejuvenate. This is one of those times where we work smarter, not harder to get the results everyone thought was impossible. 

Ange
And I know you, Andy, when someone thinks you can’t do something that just adds fuel to the fire. You need to prove them wrong. 

 Andy
Yes, I do. And we’ve also got a free download to go with today’s episode called the 12 days of Tradie Christmas Checklist. Let’s get you geared up for the silly season and make some money. 

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!  Alright, let’s cut to the chase. When was the last time your business worked for you instead of running you into the ground? If you’re sitting there thinking, yep, that’s me, then we need to talk. I’m Andy Smith and I’ve been where you are. Long hours, cashflow, nightmares, no control. Does any of these sound familiar? But here’s the thing, you don’t have to keep living like this. There’s a way out and it starts with a game plan call. It’s just 10 minutes. We’re going to identify the bottlenecks holding your business back and map out a clear, straightforward plan to get you moving forward. Think of it as your shortcut to make more profit, more control, and more time to actually enjoy your life. And if you’re stuck with cash flow issues, team headaches, or just feel like you’re drowning in endless work, well guess what? I’ve got your back. So here’s what you need to do, head to lifestyletradie.com.au, hit the big green Gameplan Call button, or just scroll down on your phone. Listen, if a 10 minute call could save you hours of headaches and give you a real shot at turning 2025 into a breakthrough year, why wouldn’t you take it? Make the move. Let’s turn things around and get your business working for you, not against you. Hell yeah!

Okay, before we get into today’s topic, we thought we’d start our show with something new. It’s called Hell Yeah! And it’s where we celebrate the wins of the week of our Lifestyle Tradie members. These can be big or small, it doesn’t matter.

Ange
As trade business owners, there’s no one there to pat us on the back to say good job. And seeing we’re all so future focused, we definitely don’t stop to celebrate the wins ourselves. 

 Andy
Yeah, I think that’s just a part of being an Aussie, isn’t it? No one wants to be seen to big note themselves and come across as a wanker.  

Ange
Yeah, I get it. Tall Poppy Syndrome is definitely a thing here in Australia. But it is really important to acknowledge the things you’re doing well. Did you know there’s actually a psychological reason why we should celebrate the wins in our lives? 

 Andy
No, not really. Why’s that? 

Ange
Well, when you celebrate a win, you trigger a part of your brain to look for more and more of those little and then big wins. Our brain is like a pattern matching machine. So basically what you focus on, you get more of. 

 Andy
Oh, so how come I don’t look like Arnold Schwarzenegger then? Because I’m looking at myself in the mirror every day flexing and my son is sick of it. I’m like, look at this Isaac one day, mate. 

Ange
Oh no, what is it about guys flexing in the mirror?

 Andy
It makes me feel good. The reality is a successful trade business is built on a foundation of thousands of micro decisions and steps taken each day, each week, each year. So it’s important to track and celebrate those steps along the way because every big win started as something small. 

Ange
For example, you might have a hell yeah celebrating you winning some work. Or you might’ve put up a job ad for your very first tradesperson.

 Andy
I think it’s important to mention the obvious that being a trade business owner can be really lonely. There’s no one to ask advice or bounce ideas with that understands you really well. But having other smart cats around you to share the wins, people that have your back is an absolute superpower. So we want to share our members’ hell years to give you an understanding of what others are doing in the industry. Let’s go. 

Ange
Okay. First up, we have Rua from South Australia who shared, realized how far we’ve come to know our value and are figuring out very quickly what works and what doesn’t for our business. Saw the flaws instantly after starting a new contract and got out before we got in too deep. 

 Andy
That’s a cracking hell, yeah. And well done for calling that out, Rua, and saving your business from massive headaches and potentially money lost on that job. Knowing what jobs to say yes to, and more importantly, no to, is crucial for building a business you love working in. There’s nothing worse than accepting customers you don’t want because you’re desperate or you don’t understand your worth.

Ange
Yes. Okay, our next hell yeah is from Mick in New South Wales and he writes, I signed up to AroFlo and a new website is coming with a better direction for customers. I did a 520, 000 quote yesterday and I’m feeling great.

 Andy
Yeah, that’s a big hell yeah. Well done Mick. I know you are absolutely kicking goals and what you’ve done in the last 12 months has been incredible. Well done buddy. 

Ange
Yes, agreed. And another one, Ashley from New South Wales. She shared, we’re taking our employees plus their partners for a nice dinner and drinks tomorrow night to celebrate our recent win in the local business awards.

 Andy
I love that, Ashley and obviously Damien as well and treating the team and congratulations on the business award. Good work team. 

Ange
Okay. So our next hell yeah is from Clayton in Queensland and he writes, loves the focus a job management system puts on margin, paying for itself already. I’m feeling more in control and I’m super excited for the future.

 Andy
Hell yeah. Well done, Clayton, mate. You are absolutely cracking it at the moment.

Ange
And the last one I want to mention today is from Julie, New South Wales, and she writes, We took our senior team to Hamilton Island for our own version of an R&R. We used the time to introduce some new processes and standards and worked on team development, including the disc profiling Angela Smith sent us. It was a great team motivator and great team bonding experience. We’re kicking goals.

 Andy
Well done, Julie. And wow, who takes their team to Hamilton Island.

Ange
I know, right? 

 Andy
That is so cool. We’re super pumped and it’s so good to see so many of these tradies out there winning. 

Ange
Alright then, let’s dive into today’s topic, Andy.

 Andy
Making bank during the holidays. This time of year can be a real mixed bag for a lot of tradies out there. On one hand, December is often super busy. You’re running around like a chook with his head cut off trying to get jobs done before the holidays. Customers are panicking because they’ve suddenly realised there’s so many things to do and they’ve left it too late and everyone wants everything done now.

Ange
But guess what? Then January hits and it’s like someone literally flipped a switch. Work slows down, the boys take leave, but the bills, they just keep rolling in. 

 Andy
They sure do and I remember with Dr. Drip we used to accept that January was going to be a dead month and we were going to lose money. We closed the business for two weeks. Everyone would take holidays and we thought that’s just how it was. And it had to be, we didn’t question it. We just went with the flow. But every January we’d look at our bank account and see the money flying out the door and not a whole lot coming in, which was bloody stressful and had been this way for many years.

Ange
Yeah, it’s almost like this unspoken rule in the trade industry, right? January is a slow month. It’s just the way it is. But I remember the day when we started to question the status quo. We started asking, but why does January have to be a dead month? 

 Andy
Yeah, does it really need to be this way? Or are we just accepting it because that’s what everyone else has done for years? And you know me, Ange, I just can’t accept stuff like that. 

Ange
Yeah, totally. You’re like a dog with a bone when you’re not happy with something. 

 Andy
We realized if we keep doing what everyone else was doing, we’d keep getting the same results, low revenue, high stress, and a tough start to the year. And why would I want that? So we put our thinking caps on and we started brainstorming ideas, how we could turn January from a financial drain into a month of opportunity.

Ange
And that’s where we came up with the strategies that we’re going to share with you today. So let’s start with the first strategy, which is proactive planning. This is all about getting ahead of the game and hence why we’re doing this topic on the show here in November. 

 Andy
Instead of waiting for customers to come to you, you need to be reaching out to them before the Christmas rush. Think about it like this. If you can get bookings in advance, you’re not just filling your December calendar, you’re also setting yourself up strong in January.

Ange
So send out emails, make phone calls, or even use social media to remind your customers to book their jobs now. Emphasize that spots are limited and if they want to avoid a last minute panic, they should act fast. 

 Andy
And it’s not just about filling the schedule, it’s about managing the workload in a way that doesn’t burn you out. By planning ahead, you can avoid the chaos of trying to juggle too many jobs in December and then having nothing lined up for January. 

Ange
So the other thing I want to mention here is that you need to keep up with things like inspection reports in the maintenance game. You definitely don’t want to get complacent and drop the ball on this stuff.

 Andy
That’s right. Following processes that feed the business ongoing work long term is super important. We did inspection reports on every job in our plumbing business, and we came across quite a few things that needed to be fixed. Now, not all of these jobs need to be done right away. So we’d actually talk to the customer and we’d look at booking them in January. Because if it wasn’t an emergency, it was a great way to fill up the start of January and make sure we had that work coming in. 

Ange
Absolutely, and if we’d done an inspection report and the customer decided not to do any of the additional work at that time, then all of those jobs fell into a quote flow system.

 Andy
And we had 77 percent repeat customers in our plumbing business, which we’re super proud of for the residential market. And while I don’t want to get sidetracked on this topic here, I will mention that increasing your repeat business is just one of the ways you can make a load more money in your trade business.

Ange
Absolutely true. 

 Andy
And the reason being is getting new customers can cost 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing one. 

Ange
Yeah. Crazy, right?

 Andy
It sure is. And I don’t think many tradies really know this. Anyway, back to our topic. One more thing in this proactive planning is you want to make sure you don’t get too busy that you forget to get your invoices out and get paid.

Ange
Yes. In a perfect world, we would have you getting all your invoices paid on site on completion of the job. But we know there are some circumstances where that’s not always possible. Just make sure you’re chasing those invoices and not leaving money on the table. 

 Andy
And definitely don’t be like my old mate who left a job that he did in December, which was a real big money item. And he said to me, I need a cash injection in late January. I’m not going to invoice it in December. Like what the f*ck? 

Ange
Yeah. This story always makes me laugh, but you know what? Not in a good way. The issue that he’s going to get faced with is the fact that the customer will no doubt have spent that money over the Christmas period, and now there’s no money left to pay the invoice. It’s a concern that trade business owners even think that that’s a good idea. 

 Andy
And so many tradies dive into working for themselves without any education around business and money management, and that’s a problem.

Ange
And that’s why so many of them end up in hot water. 

 Andy
Yeah, because there are amazing tradies, but God, there’s a lot of people out there that realistically they’re sh*t in business. 

Ange
Hence why we started this incredible community. 

 Andy
All right. So let’s now talk about some strategic marketing that you can do in the lead up to the holiday season.

Ange
So this time of year is the perfect time to use themed campaigns that capture attention. We used to create holiday themed offers, things like Beat the Christmas Rush, where we sent speared text messages to our existing customer-base to book a priority job. 

 Andy
Or as a plumbing company, you might want to do a New Year New Pipes promotion.

Ange
Totally. The idea is to keep your business top of mind during a time when most people are focused on other things. And don’t be afraid to get a little creative with it. Add a little humor if you want, or just make it look festive. So it’s super clear that you’re the go-to-tradie during the holidays.

 Andy
Remember, you’ve got to first get through the busy period coming into Christmas and then attract enough work over the January period to be profitable. While other businesses might be winding down for the holiday season, you’re still out there ready to take on jobs because you’ve got some of your crew working through that period.

Ange
Totally. But if you’re a project based business, this is a great time to communicate with your customers using Scarcity. You want to ensure your customer takes action to secure their position as your very next job. And hence the first in with the deposit payment wins. That way, when you return from holidays in January, you hit the ground running.

 Andy
And this brings us to the third thing you need to think about for this time of year. And that is really around team management. 

Ange
So basically, how do you keep your team motivated coming into Christmas? 

 Andy
Well, they are under the pump to get the work done, everyone knows that, and often doing overtime, working weekends, and let’s be real, they’re probably burning the candle at both ends with late nights partying with their mate, then coming to work already feeling tired.

Ange
Well, it’s called the silly season for a reason, right?

 Andy
Yeah.

Ange
But yes, especially if you have a young crew, they’re generally out having a good time. The thing here is to stay on top of them. Talk about your expectations as a boss before it gets busy so that they all understand the rules. 

 Andy
Yeah. I always made a point of talking to the team and saying, listen, guys, it’s a real busy time of year. You know that we may need to do a little bit of overtime and you know, we’re going to have to get stuck in and then we can all have a bit of a rest in the January period. And what they did was make everyone really step up, work as a team and really to stop a bit of that whinging and moaning that always seems to happen at that time of year.

Ange
Yeah, stay in touch on a day to day basis, like send them funny memes or even words of encouragement. 

 Andy
Yeah, or even on one of the hot days, go down and get a cold slushy from the servo and deliver it to the team. I know that some of our members are doing that and, and the crew absolutely love it. Plus, it’s good for socializing as well.

Ange
Well, look, it’s hot here in Australia right over this time, so it’s a great way to give the team a boost. The other thing you should have done really early is work out the roster over the holiday period, especially if your team is working. If you offer 24/7 work, which we did, this is an important part of the business.

 Andy
At our peak, we had a team of 17 and we didn’t need a full crew, but we did need a reliable skeleton team for emergencies or last minute jobs. And we did a lot of strata work and real estate work as well. So we’re really expected to do that. But based on the fact that we wanted more work over the January period, we actually rostered some of the tradies onto work. And it was interesting. There were quite a few tradies that actually wanted to work between Christmas and the middle of January because they wanted to keep away from the rush.

Ange
Interesting. This was actually part of our employment anyway, the team actually knew that they would have to work a Christmas and January period at some point because we’re a 24/7 business and the style of clients we worked with. And the general rule was whoever did last Christmas didn’t do this one. And the roster was released really early in October. And if there were clashes, we actually left it to the boys to rearrange their roster. 

 Andy
Yeah, we did. And it actually worked really well with the team because we gave them so much notice. There were some people like, you know what? I want to work then. Other people were like, hey, I’ve got kids. I’d rather not work then. And the team really bonded around that. So it was really good. So anyway, I’m going to switch gears just a little bit now, and I’m going to put out there a bit of a challenge.

Ange
Ooh, love a good challenge. What is it?

 Andy
It’s called the 12 days of Tradie Christmas. 

Ange
Okay. This sounds fun.  

 Andy
So over the next 12 days, I want to challenge everyone to implement one small action every day that’ll help you prepare your business for the holiday season. The idea here is to break down the overwhelm of the holiday prep into bite sized pieces.

Ange
Oh, I love this because by Christmas you’ll have everything in place to keep your business running smoothly, even when others are winding down. 

 Andy
Yeah. And these actions aren’t just about surviving the holiday season. It’s about thriving through the holiday season. 

Ange
So each step is designed to strengthen your business, to boost your revenue and set you up for success, not just in December, but into January and beyond.

 Andy
Okay. So we’ll give you a few examples to get started. But we also encourage you to come up with your own actions that are specific for your trade business and your customers. Remember, the goal is to keep the momentum going, even when others might be slowing down. 

Ange
All right, let’s kick off day one. Change up your logo if you can to make it more Christmassy. We added a Santa hat to our Dr. Drip man who is in our logo. And once we had this, the image was applied to pretty much everything we did from a marketing perspective over this period. It made it really obvious that we were celebrating Christmas.

 Andy
Day two, schedule a holiday themed photo shoot for your business and your team. This might seem a bit out of the ordinary, but having some professional festive photos can really boost your brand’s visibility and engagement during the holiday season. 

Ange
Exactly. These photos can be used across all your marketing channels, social media, your website, email campaigns, and even your Google My Business profile. Think about dressing up your team in festive gear, decorating your work van, or even showcasing a holiday themed project that you’ve completed.

 Andy
Yeah, I remember we used to always hang Santa hats off the ladders on the back of the vehicles. 

Ange
Yeah, you were always looking for ways to stand out. Or get people talking about Dr. Drip. It was awesome.

 Andy
Yeah, sometimes they’re quite small things, but it was really interesting that people would always comment on stuff like that. And the goal is to make your business memorable, but also feel relatable, approachable and in tune with the season. But don’t worry if you’re not the typical model and you don’t love standing in front of a camera. The key is just to have fun with it and let your personality shine through.

Ange
Yes. This type of thing can really humanize your brand and make people way more familiar with you and your team. So making it easier for customers to connect with you on a more personal level. Plus it’s a great way to get your team involved and show off the people behind the work. 

 Andy
And once you’ve got your photos, make sure to use them throughout the holiday season. Update your social media profiles, create festive posts, and maybe even send out a holiday card to your customers featuring your team.

Ange
It’s all about staying top of mind and adding a little holiday cheer to your brand. Okay. Day three, update your website with holiday hours. This is simple, but a crucial step and makes it really obvious on the page. Like, top right hand corner. Your customers need to know when you’re available over the holidays. And having this information clearly displayed on your website helps manage expectations and ensures they know you’re open for business. 

 Andy
And day four, prepare gifts to send to your top customers. This isn’t just a nice gesture, it’s a marketing avenue.

Ange
Yes, my top Tip with gift giving is to be first. We always hand delivered gifts to our strata companies and real estate clients in the first week of December. So it was memorable. It created what we call the thumb factor. 

 Andy
Yeah, we delivered all kinds of stuff like donuts, gift boxes, good quality champagne. And also bottles of red wine. It wasn’t just about the gift though. It was super strategic. Like if you are delivering to one strata manager, but you know, there are six others, then there is no better way to get their attention than to deliver a huge basket of goodies that they can all share. 

Ange
Ooh, yes. I love that. It seems so small, but it has such a huge impact. Okay, we’re going to move on to day five. Create a social media post with a holiday offer. Social media is where your customers are spending their time, especially during the holidays. And why not take advantage of that? A simple post with a special holiday discount or promotion can bring in a lot of business.

 Andy
Okay. Here’s where I want to make things a bit of fun and interactive. We want you to share what you are doing on social media and use the hashtag  tradie xmas challenge. Who’s up for it? Let’s go. 

Ange
Yeah. Post about the tasks you’re doing over the holidays. So if you organize a photo shoot, then post those photos with the hashtag Tradie Christmas Challenge, and I mean T R A D I E X M A S challenge or even post some of those behind the scenes photos and videos on your Instagram or Facebook stories. 

 Andy
Or even something as small as putting a Santa hat on your work cute, post a picture with the hashtag.

Ange
We’ll be keeping an eye on that hashtag and feature some of the best in our Instagram and Facebook stories.

 Andy
And for those of you who do this, we’ll be choosing our faves and sending out some Christmas prizes.  We’ve got hats, stubby coolers, books to come your way. 

Ange
That sounds super fun. 

 Andy
So get posting and see what buzz you can get happening for your business through these holidays.

Ange
All right, are you ready to take on the 12 days of Tradie Christmas? It’s all about taking small and consistent steps that lead to big results. 

 Andy
Remember, we’ve put a link in the show notes for you to download the 12 Days of Tradie Christmas Checklist. We’re so excited to see what you come up with and how these actions help you crush it in this holiday season. 

Ange
Remember, it’s all about working smarter, not harder. And by the end of these 12 days, you’ll have set yourself up for a holiday season. That’s not just merry, but also profitable. 

 Andy
Don’t forget to use the hashtag tradiexmaschallenge  and we’ll be looking out for your posts. Let’s make this holiday season one to remember. And as always, we’re here to support you every step of the way. 

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 can give you our best advice. 

Ange
Okay, so today we have a question from Brad in Victoria and he writes, Hi Andy and Ange, I’ve been running my plumbing business for a few years now and things are going well, but I’m struggling with the next step, which is hiring my first apprentice. I’ve heard so many horror stories about hiring the wrong person and I’m worried about making a mistake that could cost me time and money. How do I find the right apprentice and what should I be looking for during the hiring process?

 Andy
Yeah. Good question, mate. I think the first thing I want to say is, is getting an apprentice, the next step really is at the right step for you. So many people go out on their own and they just think it’s just a natural thing. I need an apprentice. I need a hand. My, my day’s too tough, but sometimes it’s having a good bookkeeper that can help you. Sometimes it’s having some admin that can help you. But if you are looking at hiring that apprentice and you want to get a great apprentice, well, that all comes down to finding the right one. And it is, it is a little bit of a potluck, but listen, I think there’s a lot of questions around, you know, what is a good apprentice? I mean, I always like to have understanding of the family, understanding of what their parent, his parents or her parents were doing. And even sometimes if they’re a young apprentice, bring them into the picture and have a good chat with them about all of that. And then once you think you’ve found someone that’s willing to learn, they’re willing to put in the hard yards and they’re really dedicated, then give them a go. The challenge we have at the moment, I think there’s a lot of people that go, I want to be an apprentice. And within a month ago, this is too hard. You know, they’re just not used to that hard work that maybe we did back in our day. So make sure you set some examples up for yourself. Make sure you ask the right questions, talk with the parents and go from there. When you say apprentice, though, you could be looking at a mature apprentice and I hired some unbelievable apprentices that had like a degree in mechanical engineering. And then they decided they want to be a plumber. So I had to pay them a bit more, but they were so clued up. They understand how things work and they were amazing for us. 

Ange
Thanks for writing in and sharing your dilemma, Brad. Remember, if you have a question or dilemma in your business, then reach out to us and let us know what we can do to help.

 Andy
Oh, well, that’s been super fun. Don’t burn yourself out too much in December. Make sure you get enough work in January and have a bloody good time. 

Ange
Absolutely. See you soon, crew.  

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