You can’t get more time. But you can make yourself use it better. Business coach Daniel Fitzpatrick from Next Level Tradie explains how.
If you’re like most tradies, you’re so busy you can barely catch a breath right now. Make hay while the sun shines. I couldn’t agree more.
But there’s one small catch: Avoiding burnout is paramount. For you, your family, your team, and for the success of your company.
Sucking it up “to just get through the next big job”? Not the best plan. Why? Because there’s always another “next big job” around the corner.
To stay on your game, handle the curveballs of this ‘new normal’, maintain strong margins and profits (and still have family time), you’re going to need tried-and-true strategies that work in the real world.
You’ll need to get a better handle on managing your time.
Here are three of my favourite insights:
1. Only 20% of tasks move the needle
Heard of the 80/20 law? Here’s how it works:
- 80% of referrals come from 20% of your contacts;
- 80% of your profit comes from 20% of the jobs you do;
- 80% of the problems come from 20% of your clients;
- 80% of staff issues come from 20% of your team (if you have 10 staff, most of the headaches are caused by the same 1 or 2 individuals).
Same with your time: 80% of results come from 20% of the efforts.
In 8 hours at work, you’ll find that less than 2 hours of your time is spent on tasks that make a real difference.
Take a look at your week. What are the things that move the needle?
Profit-generating tasks might be: speaking with key clients; negotiating deals; organising your team; staff training and keeping standards high; setting targets with your team; working on profitability; hiring; streamlining systems so things happen without you being involved every step of the way… and so on.
It’s very easy to get caught up in the wrong things. Fires and squeaky wheels distract you from what you should be doing. This can leave you shattered week after week. Chasing your tail. Frustrated that there is no time left to make the business better. No time left to get the important stuff done.
Instead of reacting to the demands of the day, step back. Just for a moment.
Don’t let other people’s priorities dominate your day.
Identify the 20% of tasks on your plate that drive results – things that move you closer to your goals.
Here’s how: grab a piece of paper. On the left, list all your daily and weekly activities. On the right, write down your recent wins. Then draw a line to connect your wins to tasks directly responsible for making them happen. Then you’ll know exactly where to focus your efforts.
Start each day by jotting down your top 3 tasks. Do the most important or hardest one first – minimise interruptions during this time.
Remember: you can’t do it all anyway. So you’re going to have to choose. Be strategic and intentional about how you spend your time. And you’ll be way ahead.
2. Using money to save time makes you happier
As a skilled professional, you probably think it’s crazy when a homeowner wants to DIY. It’s stressful. It takes longer. And the quality isn’t nearly as good.
But here’s something really interesting:
Most of us DIY stuff inside our own business. All the time.
I’ll tell you what though. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Let’s be honest: The bulk of your time is probably spent on stuff you could pay someone else $30/hour (or less) to do.
Did you know using your money to free up your time actually makes you happier?
A study by University of British Columbia found people felt happier when they spent money on a time-saving purchase, rather than a material one.
People who invested in time-saving services (such as house cleaning, grocery/meal delivery, lawn mowing, errands, childcare) reported higher levels of satisfaction with life.
This was true regardless of income level, even when participants had very little disposable cash.
Let’s apply this to business. Take another look at your to-do list. Ask: does this task need to be done? For real? Does it need to be done by me? Who else could do this?
Could you outsource, employ an admin person, a foreman, or an extra pair of hands on the tools?
Do you need to be: answering the phone 24/7 (dealing with the tyrekickers)? Wrestling paperwork, doing all the bookkeeping (invoicing, following up late payers, handling payroll)? Fiddling around sorting out IT issues, or wasting 40 minutes fixing the printer? Manning social media?
Running out to collect materials for jobs (could you pay for delivery?).
Don’t get me wrong. Delegating is not just about handing work over – but also checking in to ensure it’s done to the same high standards you expect.
Letting go is easier than you think. But having the confidence to let go – staying in control – happens by putting in place standards and systems, so you can trust that your team will get it done right.
Don’t forget to consider what you can automate. Bad systems cost you time and make your life harder. You might invest in apps so you can get paid on the spot, log timesheets, use GPS, or project management software for job tracking, and to keep clients updated/ get the same information out to everyone in real time.
3. Work expands to fill the time available for its completion
Ever swore you couldn’t possibly fit one more task into your busy day, then something urgent cropped up, and somehow you still got everything done?
Weird, right? When push came to shove, you did have time.
The secret is, for the most part, things get done when they need to get done.
It’s Parkinson’s law: work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
In other words, time is elastic. That’s why we often get more done when we have less time to do it. We fit the task to the timeframe.
Try it: set yourself deadlines. Shorten the allocated time.
Here’s another clue: “My #1 productivity hack is understanding the difference between “doing” and “done”. When you shift your focus from what you are going to be “doing” in a given time period, to what you are going to get “done”, your productivity skyrockets.” – Dr Sam Hazledine.
By now, you’ll be wondering: Can I use this idea with my team? Heck yes!
Give your crew set targets for when you expect the job to be completed by. How many hours are allocated on fixed price jobs before you start eating away at profit? Break it down to each stage to stay on track.
Sure, sometimes things take longer, and delays are unavoidable. But I can almost guarantee that if you adjust expectations and set targets, you’ll shave significant time off each job.
A drainlayer I worked with would book inspections on jobs before they were complete. When they didn’t, jobs would take 2.5 days instead of the usual 2. Staff productivity increased when “gotta get it done, because the inspector is turning up on Friday” was in play. Interesting, isn’t it?
Let’s wrap things up
A word of caution: Ideas are useless without execution. Yet to get results, you don’t have to implement every idea that comes along. Just the ones that make the most difference.
You can have your nights and weekends back and a highly successful business. My clients have achieved this and so can you.
Like the idea of getting some support and accountability to be the best version of yourself as a business owner? Book a free call with me. It’s a zero-pressure chat to see if private 1 on 1 mentoring might be right for you.
Go here and book a time now: nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep/
Written by Daniel Fitzpatrick, Business Coach, Next Level Tradie
Published in WIRED issue 77/June 2025 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ
You may also like: 4 mindsets that separate successful business owners from the rest
Read WIRED online
Follow us on Facebook
© Fencing Contractors Association NZ (FCANZ)
