Work Life
Start by looking at your business as it is today and consider if there is ANYTHING you can do now that will relieve some of your responsibilities, make you more efficient and thus give you back time.
Without knowing your specific business or circumstances, if I were to write a list of things you could do in your business that would give you back the most time it would read:
“Implement technology”
“Create systems”
“Outsource”
Technology is a massive subject but in short the technologies that will make the greatest difference to the efficiency of your trade business is a Job Management System and Cloud Accounting Software.
Job Management Systems control everything from storing customer data, booking in jobs, invoicing customers and taking payments. There is no paperwork, which means freedom when you get home. Integrating it Cloud Accounting Software will give you access to your money anywhere.
Systems are one page flowcharts that depict the exact steps employees need to take to perform specific tasks. Systems make training a breeze and allow you to remove yourself from the business because staff know explicitly what the correct procedures are. As we say, ‘no blurred lines!’.
Outsourcing quite literally involves sourcing people outside your business to complete certain functions. You should consider outsourcing when the cost of outsourcing is less than the value you’d get from not doing this particular function or task yourself. You can outsource anything from your bookkeeping to the cleaning of your office/house.
Technology, systems and outsourcing are all huge topics, topics which we discuss in-depth throughout different episodes of The Tradie Show. Check out The Tradie Show episodes for free… just CLICK HERE.
Home Life
Getting quality time with your children when you are home from work can seem almost impossible. You’re at work in the ideal “bonding” hours and at home in the hours of the mad pre-kindy/school and pre-bed rushes.
Despite all this, there are still ways you can maximise your time with them and still overcome the chaos. Here are just a few great ideas you could take on board and implement in your home…
Can it wait?
Like most working parents you have heaps to do. Can any of these things wait until your kids are in bed or at school?
Cook together
Even if it is once a week, invite your kids to prepare food with you, set the table and clean up. DIY pizza toppings is an easy and healthier option.
Let them help
Do you have mundane chores to do that your kids can help with?
“Helping” you by…
throwing the clothes in the washing machine
putting stamps on envelopes
tidying the toy room
packing the groceries in the pantry
playing on their pretend lawn mower whilst you actually mow the lawns
or handing you the spanner when you’re tightening a screw under the sink
…are all great ways you can bond with your child and also get things done.
It certainly beats them sitting in front of the TV.
Have a single focus
When you find the time between chores and work to spend with your children make sure that you are solely focused on them.
Turn off your TV and put your phone to one side.
Even just 15 minutes of undivided attention is better than an hour of time with a distracted parent.
Shop online
Do as much shopping online as possible.
If you do your weekly grocery shop online you’re saving at least an hour that you can now spend with your kids.
Walk instead of drive
Can you spare an extra 15 minutes and walk your kids to school instead of drive them in the car?
When you walk you’re able to give you kids 100% attention. Their morning walks to school will also create great memories for them when they’re older.
Leave them a special message
If you have weeks where you simply haven’t been able to spend as much time with your kids as you would have liked to, then leave them a note.
Perhaps write it down and put it in their lunch box, call them on your way to a job or record a video and get your partner to show them.
Plan ahead
I recently had a father tell me that his 8 year son was devastated to the point of tears because he’d never scored a goal at soccer. He had no idea it was making his son so sad, he worked Saturdays so had never watched one of his sons games. It was this moment that made him realise the importance of being more involved in his son’s interests. The father made a commitment to practice goal kicking with his son every Monday afternoon and watch his games every Saturday. The office staff knew that jobs at these allocated times were a ‘no-go’.
A few weeks into this new routine his son scored his first goal, and his second, AND his third, all in one game! He said that the look on his sons face was priceless.
What do you reckon this tradie will remember longer? The look of happiness on his sons face or the fact that he missed those jobs on Monday afternoons and Saturday mornings?
The point of this story is to push the notion of planning ahead. Literally schedule in time to spend with your kids. If you can afford it, even go as far as to schedule in one-on-one time with each of your kids. If you plan ahead then you can budget for it, work extra at other times or arrange staff to cover you.
As mentioned earlier, it’s all about utilising the 24 hours in your day the best way possible. It can mean the difference between spending little or lots of time with your family!
We challenge you to try even just one of these ideas in your home and check back in to let us know what you did and how it impacted your world. We’d love to hear about it!
What’s next?
- Join our Kick-Ass Tradies Facebook Group, for access to trade business specific conversations, tips and resources, plus a like-minded community of tradies.
- Book a 15-minute Game Plan Call with Andy, owner of Dr. DRiP plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps.
