The Worst Mistakes Tradies Make In January

Andy
Oh, it is.

Ange
Every tradie says that right before they go back to work. Right? And the phone starts going off like a fire alarm.

Andy
Exactly, day one back. It’s quote this, chase that, staff dramas, customers calling, late night invoicing on the couch starts again, and suddenly it’s February. And you are like, hang on. Didn’t we just have Christmas? 

Ange
And that’s why this episode matters because it’s not about working harder, it’s about starting the year in a way that stops the chaos from taking over.

Andy
So if you want 2026 to actually feel different, don’t skip this. We are gonna show you the simplest place to start to ensure this year is the one to make a difference. 

Ange
All right, team. Let’s talk about where to start. 

Andy
You are listening to The Tradie Show. This is the podcast for trade business and contracting bosses like you who wanna 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! Picture this. Eight weeks from now, you found an extra 50 grand in profit, same business, less stress. 

Ange
That happens when you stop winging it and start running proper systems. Systems for quoting, pricing, job flow, and getting your team to do the job without you hovering. 

Andy
That’s what Stress Free Tradie is all about. Find 50K profit in just eight weeks. It’s a free one day event tour across Australia in February 2026.

Ange
We’re hitting Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide. 

Andy
Tickets are live. Head to event.lifestyletradie.com.au and grab your free ticket. If you’re sick of being the one holding it all together, then this event is for you. Alright, it’s time to kick things off with some hell yeah wins with our amazing Lifestyle Tradie members. Hell yeah! 

These are the legends who’ve been smashing it in their businesses, proving that small changes can lead to massive results, and hopefully these can give you some inspo on what you can do in your business. Ange, what do we have this week? 

Ange
All right, so we’ve got some great hell yeahs to share today. Andy. First up is a big shout out to Dave who operates a tiling company in New South Wales with his partner Amanda, and they share a solid start to 2026 with the first quarter booked out with projects till Easter and we’ve just started trialing being paid for supplying quotes. With the two out of two conversions so far, lots of learning and implementation. 

Andy
Oh yeah, that is fantastic. These guys are absolutely smashing it. Well done. What’s up next? Ange? 

Ange
Next up is Jared, who runs a painting business in Perth. He is seriously kicking goals this bloke, he writes, got clarity on what every job actually costs. Refined the way we quote, rebuilt the team structure and now everything’s finally clicking. The systems are landing, the culture’s lifting, jobs are running profitably, and the momentum is unreal. Hell yeah to the hard work. Finally paying off. 

Andy
And this has got a special place in my heart this one Ange because Jared started with us within the last six months, but for 15 years he’s been doing the same thing, getting the same average results. Wearing too many hats and the stress had really taken its toll. So it’s so good that working with us and putting some simple steps in his business has changed everything. That is a huge hell yeah!

Ange
Absolutely. I couldn’t have said it better myself. 

Andy
Last but not least, who is up next, Ange? 

Ange
Okay. This is Colleen who owns a scaffolding business in Melbourne with her partner Phil, and she writes, updated organizational charts, workflow reviews, sales workflow complete January schedule is almost filled. The energy from the last live event, the R&R continues to fuel us.

Andy
That is absolutely incredible, and I’m hearing that from everyone at the moment. That R&R that we had in Manly in November was next level and everyone was pumped to finish off the year, and they’ve lined up an incredible 2026, and that’s what we’re all about here at Lifestyle Tradie, helping tradies take back control, make the changes they need. And see the winds rolling Right on in. 

Ange
Alright, team, it’s the start of a new year, the year that’s going to be different, right? Yes. Perhaps you’re the type of person that’s made some kind of new year promise to yourself. 

Andy
Yeah. We’ve heard it all before. Maybe you said, this is the year I get a handle on my business, or you’ve committed to making some money for a change.

Ange
Oh, maybe you’ve even said, this is the year I stop working like a dog and actually feel proud about what I’ve built. 

Andy
Everyone says that every single year. And look full respect, we all want a better business. You want more time with your family. You want to stop living week to week. And guess what guys? That’s why we’re business owners. That’s what we want. And you should be living that. We bloody deserve that.

Ange
But here’s the truth that most tradies don’t say out loud. A better year doesn’t happen because the calendar year rolls around. A better year happens because you start it differently. 

Andy
Exactly. You know what? Most tradies start the year and they’re already behind the eight ball. No plan, no clarity, no idea when the slow months hit, no idea what they’re trying to fix first. It’s like trying to build a house without a set of plans. It’s just messy. 

Ange
Okay, so today we’re gonna show you where to start. The simple practical way to preload your year. So 2026 is actually different, and we’ve made a three page preloaded year template for you to fill in to make this super easy to win. You can find it in the show notes. 

Andy
So here we are, January the sunscreen still in the car. You’re probably still a little bit dusty from a few too many beers, but you are relaxed, but you are also thinking, all right, this is it. This year’s going to be different. 

Ange
And we love that energy, New Year, clean slate, fresh motivation. But you know what? Motivation isn’t a plan. Motivation lasts about five minutes usually until the first emergency call out or the first stuff headache of the year.

Andy
And that’s why most tradies fall into the same cycle every January. You go from being chilled out in holiday mode to holy crap, the phone’s already blowing up mode and before you know it, you’re straight back in the trenches and nothing really has changed.

Ange
And it’s not because you don’t have all the good intentions. It’s because you’ve never been taught how to start the year properly. 

Andy
We see it all the time. There’s two types of tradies that start the year. The first tradie is what we call the unorganized tradie, and the second is called the smart tradie.

Ange
You know what? They’re seriously poles apart when it comes to how they think. Let me take you through each one because I’d be keen to know which one you are. So, Andy, how about you introduce the first one, the unorganized tradie.

Andy
Ah, yes. The unorganized tradie, this bloke, or couple think short term, live day to day, have no written plans, everything’s in their head. They bounce some, idea to idea like a ball in a pinball machine. They swear they’ll get to it soon. They tell themselves they’ll fix things when things quieten down.

Ange
Oh, spoil alert. But spoil.

Andy
But sometimes they never do.

Ange
Things never quieten down. And you know what happens? They aren’t making money. They’re stressed to the hilt and they’re simply chasing their tail.

Andy
And the biggest cost isn’t necessarily the money. It’s the fact they miss out on fun. They miss out on great holidays. They miss out on kids’ school stuff. They miss out on feeling like they’re actually winning at life. 

Ange
Yeah, and the business? Absolute chaos, stress, pressure, no time, no money, no direction, and they don’t stick to anything long enough to see results.

Andy
Our March is saying, mate, this is already flying by June, they’re absolutely cooked by December. They’re like, what the hell did we even achieve this year? 

Ange
Yeah, look, the unorganized tradie is in for one hell of a year. I can already feel it, but maybe that’s not you. Maybe you are more like the second type of tradie we encounter, which we call the smart tradie. 

Andy
This tradie thinks long term, they plan well ahead. They have a written plan, they have structure, they know what’s happening from month to month. 

Ange
And even better, they stick to the plan. They prioritize what matters, and they guarantee fun. They book holidays, weekends away, kids events because the business has structure to support it. They don’t feel guilty stopping because the business isn’t held together with duct tape. 

Andy
And the big shift? They’re calm, they’re confident. And they’re in control. 

Ange
So this is the difference. Unorganized tradie equals chaos. Smart tradie equals control. 

Andy
And here’s the punchline. Most tradies wanna be the smart tradie. They just don’t know how to get there, which brings us up to this whole point of today’s episode, the preloaded year. 

Ange
Okay, so let’s make this super simple. The preloaded year is our way to plan your year ahead so you don’t get ambushed by it. To get you started, make sure you download the preloaded year template that we’ve created for you. It’s gonna make complete sense when you have this in your hand. You can find it in the show notes. 

Andy
Okay, so we’ve spoken about planning before, but today we wanna break it down so that it all makes a bit more sense. Life first, then business, because you won’t have a business unless you focus on yourself first. 

Ange
Yeah, good point. I think the reality is that a great deal of tradies can get so caught up running on a treadmill with the business that they totally forget about living. Now, I’m not saying that they don’t know it’s important. They just don’t know how to fix it. 

Andy
And that’s why it’s important to map the year before the year maps you. It’s about spending some time writing down the things that are important to you so you make sure they happen. 

Ange
Yes. And when you preload these things, you start the year strong instead of hoping you’ll find time later. 

Andy
Okay. I know this isn’t making much sense just yet, but it will. In fact, we’re gonna break this down to three simple steps and we recently did a webinar on this exact topic with our Lifestyle Tradie members, and they all said how great they felt to be set up and ready to hit the ground running for the new year. And let’s take them through these three steps.

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Ange
Step one is we need to start with your life. Yes, I hear you all saying, but Ange, this podcast is all about how to be better at business. And you are right, but you only get one life. So let’s make sure you enjoy every moment, because that’s important to us too.

Andy
Exactly. And the reality is that if you don’t look after yourself first, potentially you won’t even have a business. 

Ange
Great point. There’s even an order about how to approach this. I want you to think of big rocks, pebbles, and sand. So the concept is this: if you fill up a jar with sand, meaning the less significant things in your life, then you’re going to have no space for the pebbles or the big rocks. I’m talking about the people or the things that actually mean the most to you. 

Andy
Think about what holidays you wanna commit to this year. If you don’t talk about that trip to Hawaii in July now, it just simply won’t happen. 

Ange
Yeah. I want you to think about maybe birthday celebrations, perhaps even taking the day off, or what about little short weekends away? Like where do you wanna go and who do you wanna go with?

Andy
And what about your health? As they say, your health is your wealth, and if you aren’t looking after yourself, what hope does the business have or the people around you? 

Ange
Yes. I want you to even think about your morning and even your evening routine and be really consistent with it, because this is gonna make all the difference to you owning the day.

Andy
We are super passionate about this topic A because the older you get, what are we saying here? We’re not that old, but the older you get, the more you realize the sentence, use it or lose it. And guess what? It is true.

Ange
Hang on a minute. What are you referring to there, Andy?

Andy
I’m not losing anything, baby. Don’t you worry. I’m used to this sometimes alone.

Ange
No comment.

Andy
Oh dude, did I say that?

Ange
We’re gonna move on.

Andy
Oh, okay. Let’s move on. 

Ange
So once you’ve done your big rocks, you need to move on.

Andy
You set that up. That’s what you, you set me up for failure right there.

Ange
Oh my God. So funny.

Andy
Oh, you can’t help it. 

Ange
Okay. We have to go back to big rocks, pebbles and sand. Okay. All right. I’m talking about dinners with friends, sporting events that you don’t wanna miss out on. 

Andy
Or new skills you wanna learn like playing the guitar, getting your jet ski license. They all need thought, otherwise none of it will happen. Instead, the opportunity of going to that concert will come and go. And you missed out on having tickets.

Ange
Yes. And this is the reason why I booked US Formula One tickets in March to Melbourne to ensure that we celebrate your birthday Trackside. 

Andy
Giddier. 

Ange
The beauty about writing this down is you have the chance to actually live. I’m talking truthfully, enjoy your life and not make it all about the business all the time. You only live once, right? So make this year count. 

Andy
And once the life commitments are locked in, now you write down what other things you wanna achieve this year. I’m talking about what you want from your business. 

Ange
Yes. So this is step two, which is all about the business. And there are two stages here. One is the business snapshot and the other is about business commitments. So we’re gonna start with a snapshot first, and I want you to think about picking one business problem that you need to fix first.  

Andy
That’s gonna be hard for most tradies out there because most tradies, we try and fix everything at once. I’ve done it. You end up half fixing 20 things instead of solving the one big thing properly.

Ange
Well, the smart thing you can do is choose one main business problem to fix each quarter, perhaps, it could be pricing’s too low or cash flow’s inconsistent, or quotes take too long.

Andy
Or maybe jobs running over time. The team doesn’t follow systems, can’t find good stuff, leads are a little lumpy or you are stuck on the tools every day. And just choosing that one thing does do something huge, it stops you bouncing around like a headless chook and you’ve got a target to attack. 

Ange
And this is why preloading, it works. You know exactly which quarter you are fixing it in. No guesswork. No overwhelm. It’s the difference between hope and a plan.

Andy
And if you want a better 2026, you’ve gotta ask yourself what’s the biggest thing that if I fix it, we’ll make everything else easier and write that down. 

Ange
So in this section, I want you to move on to even labeling your slow months and busy months. 

Andy
And every trade business has seasons. There are months where the phone is always going nuts, and there are months when the phone is quiet. 

Ange
So the thing I notice is a lot of tradies don’t even maybe really realize this or don’t ever write it down. So when the quiet months hit, they totally panic. And when the busy months hit, they burn out. 

Andy
So what you do is you first drop in the revenue that you made over the last 12 months, and you have a look at it month by month and overarchingly put in a target for the year ahead. Then you can label the months individually, your slow months, your normal months, and your busy months. No stress, just the truth. 

Ange
So the idea of this step is to keep it super simple and see your business at a bird’s eye view, because when you do that, you can finally plan like a smart tradie. So for instance, if you know February is busy, you are not gonna book holidays are you? And then wonder why you’re totally stressed. And if you know, July is gonna be slow, you don’t sit around hoping the phone will ring. You can actually plan that stuff ahead. 

Andy
And this is how you stop being surprised by your own business. 

Ange
Okay, so in this business snapshot, we also need to mark your red flag months. These are months where your revenue may drop or your expenses spike.

Andy
And nearly every trade business has them. You know, December is quite busy, but December and January can be brutal because of staff being on leave, public holidays, maybe gaps in the workflow. And June can be brutal for some people as well ’cause it’s the end of the financial year, tax and sometimes some random slowdowns.

Ange
So the unorganized tradie gets to those months and goes, ah, crap. But the smart tradie sees them coming and can prepare. 

Andy
Yeah. Preparation looks a little bit like this. Building a cash buffer before those months, adjusting marketing earlier, not when you are already quiet. Locking in the work ahead of time, managing staff leave properly, not doing big unnecessarily, spending right before a red flag month. These are all important things you need to prepare for. 

Ange
Well, this is where a lot of tradies go wrong, right? They’ll have a good run. Money comes in, they feel rich for five minutes. They buy tools or upgrade stuff. Then the red flag month hits and they’re like, where does the money go?

Andy
So mark your red flag months right now, because once you can see them. You can plan around them. 

Ange
Okay. We are not done yet. We’ve covered the business snapshot, but let’s talk about business commitments. 

Andy
Yeah. This is the part that separates the chaos tradie from the calm tradie. And my basic rule here is this, if it’s not in the calendar, it doesn’t happen. 

Ange
Okay, so when these things don’t happen, you stay stuck. So what are the business commitments you might ask? We’re talking about big ones where dates need to get locked and loaded in advance. Things like planning days, toolbox meetings, training for the team, pricing reviews, team social events, and financial check-ins with your accountant. 

Andy
For our Lifestyle Tradie members, this includes our live events, what we call R&R say they remove themselves from their business three times a year and join over 200 other savvy business owners. This is super important and part of our membership to elevate your thinking, learn new business skills, and meet other tradies who are there to support you. 

Ange
So this sort of planning for meetings is like life to me. You schedule the dentist, right? You schedule kid’s staff, you schedule jobs, and this is actually no different. 

Andy
At hands. This is where tradies struggle because they don’t schedule the things that actually grow their business. They just get to it when it’s quiet or when they’re hopefully quiet, which may never happen. 

Ange
Well, that’s why we have to start the year strong and lock it in first, even if it’s just one planning day, a quarter, or even start with monthly toolbox meetings before you switch to fortnightly.

Andy
Yeah, agreed. These aren’t nice to haves. They’re what every smart trade business owner does. 

Ange
Those small commitments are what keep the business improving instead of staying the same. Plus when these are scheduled, your whole business has a rhythm and your team even knows what’s coming and you know what’s coming.

Andy
And that’s how you shift from chaos to control. Okay, we are super close to the end here, crew. The final step three is where we pull this all together. Literally write all the dates and commitments onto one calendar for the year ahead so you can see it all with one glance. 

Ange
Yes, that’s right. You need to see it in one place so that nothing clashes. Holidays are taken at slower periods and not in your busy period, for example. 

Andy
And then it’s shared with the whole team so that everyone knows the commitments of the business moving ahead. 

Ange
So let’s bring this back to these two types of tradies that we talked about. The unorganized tradie, short-term thinking, no written plan, doesn’t stick, misses out on fun and complete chaos. And the smart tradie, long-term thinking, written plans and structure, sticks to the plan, guarantees fun in their life, they’re super calm, confident, and in control. 

Andy
And this shift doesn’t happen because you work harder. It happens because you start with a structure and a framework. 

Ange
And that’s what this episode is really about. If you want a better 2026, here’s where you need to start. Write down and commit to the life activities that are super important to you. Break it down by big rocks, pebbles, and sand, so that you understand what takes priority. 

Andy
Then let’s look at the business and cover both your business snapshot and your commitments.

Ange
It’s simple, and if you do that. You’ll feel different by the end of January, not because the work stops, but because you have complete clarity and you’re in control. 

Andy
It’s time to stop hustling and reframe your year. This is going to help make all the difference. It’s a process we have personally followed for many, many years. It’s worked for us and we know it’ll work for you too. Cheers to a killer 2026.

It’s tradie dilemma time, brought to you by Buy4Tradies. The buying group, helping tradies like you save serious coins on materials, fuel, vehicles, tools, and other services. If you’re not using it, you are probably paying too much. This is our Q&A segment where you let us know what you are having trouble with in your business, and we’ll give you our best advice to sort it out. 

Ange
Okay, so today we have a question from Greg who owns an air conditioning business in the Sunshine Coast, and he writes, hey, Andy and Ange, I have a team of eight, all who have been with me for a number of years, but one in particular struggles to follow instruction. It annoys the other teammates and he’s the weak link when it comes to processes. That said, he is also the most positive and has a great attitude in general. How do I make this team member follow instructions? 

Andy
Yeah. For me personally in this situation, he’s a great tradie. He’s a great team member, but he doesn’t follow processes and following processes is one of the most important things tradies need to do in the business. And if he’s one of the leaders in the business, or everyone loves this guy and he’s not following the processes, soon, that’ll flow through to the other team members. I would sit down with him and I would have some pretty strong words with him. Now, in this day and age, no one wants to lose staff because it’s so hard to get staff. So I just think you gotta make him understand that he’s a leader. If he doesn’t do it, he’s gonna affect the business and affect how the team responds to different situations, and he needs to really step it up. That’s how I would tackle it. 

Ange
I think also as the leader of the business, Greg, the rest of the team have an expectation that you do actually confront this kid. You’ve already said that the other team members get annoyed for the fact that he doesn’t follow the process. So the sooner you can sort this out, the better. Thanks so much for writing in with your question. I’m sure you’ve helped heaps of other people by asking. And remember, if you want Andy and I to answer your most challenging question, then send it our way.

Andy
Alright, legends, that’s about it for today. And if you want a better 2026, don’t overthink it. Start where we told you to start. Get it written down and get it into the calendar and download the preloaded year template, we’ve created for you. It is absolutely game changing. And we’ve got it in the show notes.

Ange
And if this episode helped, then do us a favor and share it with a mate in business or give us a review on the podcast because it genuinely helps more tradies find us. 

Andy
And if you’re sitting there thinking, yep, I need a plan for 2026 to make this year different, then perhaps consider this as a sign that it’s time that we have a little chat. We are getting a group of tradies together next month, so I recommend you and your partner join us. It’s called Stress Free Tradie. 

Ange
Check out the website and register today for an event near you, because we’re coming to all major capital cities, it’s time to make sure 2026 is an absolute killer year. 

Andy
Yes, lifestyletradie.com.au and we wanna see you all there. Have a great week, and we can’t wait to see you till next time on The Tradie Show.

Ange
See you then.

Andy
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.