Staples

All the financial experts are talking about that dreaded word ‘recession’. 

I am no economist, but I’ve been around long enough to recognise that we are heading into difficult times. Between supply shortages, rising inflation, increasing interest rates, and an unstable housing market. 

So how do you protect your business and come through this in good shape?

Before we dive into that it’s important to get some perspective first. Recessions will crop up eventually, a boom is always followed by a bust, spring always follows winter, they are both parts of the economic cycle. 

Trades will always be needed in any part of the cycle, but in a recession there will obviously be less demand. However, the top 20% will always have enough work even when it’s quiet.

So how do you make sure you’re in the top 20%?

Here are 7 things you should know, and be working into your plan now, to be in that top 20%. 

So let’s get started:

1. Downturns weed out the crop

I was talking with a seasoned tradie about this the other day. His strategy: “Don’t waste a good recession.”

Sure, it’s harder to get work when times are slow. However, everyone is in the same boat.

Your competitors who are doing a poor job, pricing too cheap, taking the quick buck and burning their reputation? These types of competitors will disappear and we are now seeing early signs of this. 

Ultimately leaving more room for you.

The top tradies always have work. In any industry, the best are always in demand, regardless of what the market is doing.

Now is the perfect chance for you to get better, more efficient, become leaner and more resilient. Systemise your operations. Sharpen yourself up for the next phase.

When things bounce back, you’ll be ready to dominate, and have less competition.

2. Those who are slow to react are the worst hit

Listen up, because this one is important: You MUST be proactive with decision-making.

Watch the numbers closely. Look for the early signs so you’re not surprised.

Don’t rely on your backlog of work. Make sure you are doing all you can to keep the work flowing in.

If your efforts aren’t reflecting, and you need to cut overheads and possibly staff, as painful as it is, do it early. Not after you haemorrhage a heap of cash first.

Identify options ahead of time. Have a Plan B for all scenarios. Such as a higher overdraft facility or cash buffer in the bank.

3. Some of your customers will go broke

Have you ever been stung by a large bad debt? Most tradies have. That’s in the good times. It’s likely to happen much more in a downturn.

I often see tradies rely too much on one or two big clients. It’s risky. As a rule of thumb your biggest client ideally wouldn’t be more than 30%-40% of your business.

Assess now: If your biggest client disappeared, would you still be ok? We’ve all seen bigger companies fold and little guys get hurt.

Don’t let it happen to you: Make sure you aren’t carrying late payers, and have solid terms of trade.

4. Never stop marketing

Why should you market if you have more work than you can handle? In a downturn, things can change quickly.

Assess: Is your work coming from just one source currently? It’s not a good idea to rely on only one stream to feed you jobs through.

What if your biggest customer had their work dry up? Or went broke, and you had to deal with the receiver who didn’t want to pay you?

What if they changed owners? Or their project manager (that dishes out the work) decided he was going to use your competition instead? This can happen (and does).

Especially if word of mouth is the only way you get leads, build a larger number of sources. There are so many different and effective ways for tradies to market their services. Then even if some dry up, you will still have other streams of work.

In slow times, you can also diversify (into other types of jobs you can make money on). As well as specialising in what you are really good at. Do both! Spread your risk.

5. Cut the fat

I mean, this is something you should be doing at least once a year anyway.

I have recently taken all my clients through this. A smaller client of mine saved $17,000 from just a few tweaks. Not bad for a few hours of work.

Cash is king, and you want as much of it available as you can. Reduce overheads. Work on becoming more efficient.

Reduce debt as much as possible. In a recession, banks tighten up lending and overdrafts. Be aware of interest rate trends and your ability to pay back current debt.

6. Under-pricing leads to problems later

On some jobs, to keep the work, you might have to sharpen your pencil. Be. Very. Careful!

Don’t make the mistake of assuming if you have steady work, all will be okay. You must know at exactly what point the job is not worth doing.

In hard times, lots of tradies will do anything to get (or keep) the work. They are the ones that get into trouble first.

Know your margins. Quote too cheap and you will feel it down the line with tight cashflow and higher debt. That’s not sustainable.

There are better ways to win work and keep your margins strong. Even when things are quiet. Even when competitors are under-cutting you.

7. The strongest asset in your business is you

Have you noticed that some people always seem to get ahead no matter how big the obstacles are? 

In sport, the best teams don’t always have the best players, but they consistently win anyway. The difference is superior coaching, strategy and mindset. 

It is the same in business, the business is always a reflection of the owner. 

So what are you doing to prepare mentally going into this new season?

Who is your mentor you can talk with on those hard days when it seems everything is falling apart? What books are you reading? What new strategies are you working on to improve? 

The more you grow the better your business will perform.

One of the things that I love doing with clients is celebrating their successes or looking back with them and comparing where they are now to where they started.

The theme is always the same, the things they struggled with in the beginning they now have sorted. They slayed the dragon and recognised how to beat the next one. Every challenge is slightly different but as they start getting small wins, they accumulate and it’s not long before the battle is also won. .

You can’t control the environment, the economy, or that crazy client that is not happy no matter what you do. 

But how you react will have the biggest effect on the outcome. Now is the time to get prepared and get the tools to deal with whatever happens next.

Let’s sum up.

We can’t stop the recession. But we can prepare wisely.

Carving out time for strategic thinking is key. Because when the economy changes, your approach must also change.

Remember, in a recession, there are always opportunities. But most are too busy scrambling or freaking out, to see them.

Trying to do this on your own won’t work. So build stronger connections with your network, your staff, customers, suppliers, and bank. You are going to need them.

A recession will absolutely affect your business. At times you won’t have all the answers, that’s normal. So make sure you also have a mentor (someone who understands business) to talk to regularly, and work through the issues.

If you already have a mentor – great.

If you need one, then it’s time we had a chat.  

 

Article supplied by Daniel Fitzpatrick
www.nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

Published in the Business, Health & Safety, Environment Feature in WIRED Issue 67 / December 2022 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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Well believe it, Summer is coming and if the weather patterns are anything to go by to date, our very wet winter may mean a very hot dry summer. 

Heat is a silent killer in the workplace and on the job site, preparing for the heat starts before the workday begins

I’ve even noticed a little sun burn about the odd warm day. While the sun is a welcome sight after a terribly wet winter for some it comes with danger also.

Fencing Contractors are out in the elements and usually the heat of the day gets to you at some stage. So how are you protecting your team and yourself from this environmental risk?

Why protect yourself and team? 

It’s good business to make sure the team can work safely and talk about how this can be achieved when it’s getting hot. 

Productivity can be greatly reduced in the heat of the day so talk about early starts and coming back later when cool.

Fatigue can be a danger that comes from excess heat exposure also, what’s your plan to manage this?

Melanomas

Due to the nature of the work increased chances of Melanoma due to the sun exposure is high for New Zealand. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and the fourth most common cancer in New Zealand. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world – each year approximately 2,500 people are diagnosed with the condition and over 300 die from it.
Melanomas can occur at any stage in life, though it is rare for melanomas to occur in children and teenagers. The chances of developing a melanoma increase with age. You should regularly get a skin check or mole mapping to monitor any changes in your skin. Always be aware of the signs to look for – early detection may save your life. 

Heat is a silent killer in the workplace and on the job site, preparing for the heat starts before the workday begins.

Staying hydrated with water, not too many energy drinks that doesn’t help with rehydration. Wearing the right clothing can go a long way in protecting workers from heat stress. However, you may need to change the times you work as temperatures peak. A long lunch may be required.

The Importance of Clothing

Clothing and personal protection equipment (PPE) play a major role in minimising heat related illness on the job site. Many workers adapt to the hazards or discomfort of the work by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, but this can make cooling difficult. 

PPE can trap heat and become the risk, even when the equipment is designed for hot weather use. It may be necessary to use more workers on shorter shifts to give everyone more breaks from wearing PPE as they rotate in and out of the work area.

Some manufacturers are designing clothing such as cooling vests that hold ice packs to alleviate the heat. 

Employer Protective Measures

Employers need to make sure that their workers can keep hydrated easily and can protect their skin from UV radiation damage. There are a range of protective measures as follows:

• If possible, plan outdoor work in sunny weather to limit duration and intensity of employee exposure to direct sunlight (11am to 3pm sun rays are most intense)
• Limit duration of exposure, if possible, when UV index is high (3 or above), do indoor work if possible
• Provide shade if possible, or if that is not possible, there should be shade for breaks
• Give information to employees about dangers of sun exposure
• Ensure workers have easy access to safe drinking water. Workers should have enough time to hydrate – as the outdoor temperature rises the frequency of water breaks should go up
• Inform employees about the Sun Smart code
• Educate and encourage employees to self-check skin for signs of skin cancer
• Check UV index, if 3 or above greater risk www.met.ie/uv-index
• Ensure breaks are taken out of direct sunlight
• Encourage employees to cover up, keep clothing on with sleeves down, collars up and wear clothing with high ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), 15 or more, wear wide-brimmed hat
• Ensure employees do not strip off clothing when it is sunny
• Provide sunscreen, SPF of at least 30+ with a high UVA protection and water resistance. Reapply regularly. Check your sunscreen is correct for the required use and is supported by the Cancer foundation – some aren’t as good as you think.
• Provide sunglasses, wraparound are the best.

Sun Smart Code

Please make it easy for workers to follow the SunSmart code messages – 5 Ss:

• Slip on clothing that covers your skin, such as long sleeves, collared t-shirts.
• Slop on sunscreen on exposed areas. Use sunscreen SPF minimum 30 or higher. Apply 20 minutes before going outside and re-apply every two hours – more often if perspiring.
• Slap on a wide-brimmed hat.
• Seek shade – especially if outdoors between 11am and 3pm when UV rays are at their strongest. If possible, schedule outdoor work before 11am or after 3pm.
• Slide on wrap around sunglasses to protect your eyes

Symptoms and first aid treatment options

Below shows symptoms and treatment options for common heat-related illnesses. If you notice signs of heat-related illness or injury in yourself or a workmate, stop work and tell your supervisor.

Condition	Symptoms	Treatment
Heat rash	Small, red, itchy bumps on skin	Move to a cooler, less humid environment Keep the affected skin dry
Heat cramps	Muscular pains and spasms, usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs See a doctor or nurse if you: have a heart condition, or are on a low-sodium diet	Drink water or electrolyte replacement solutions. Rest in a cool environment and do not return to strenuous activity until a few hours after the cramps have ended. See a doctor or nurse if cramps do not go away within one hour
Heat Exhaustion	Heavy sweating Paleness Muscle cramps Tiredness/weakness Dizziness Vomiting Headache Fast and weak pulse Shallow breathing	Stop work immediately. Move to a cool place, out of the sun and away from any other heat sources. Drink water or electrolyte replacement solutions. Take action to cool down (remove clothes, sponge with cold water, apply wet towels). See a doctor or nurse if symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.
Heat Stroke – high body temperature (39.4°C+)	Confusion Disorientation Unconsciousness Red hot dry skin (no sweating) Throbbing headache Nausea Rapid, strong pulse	Call 111 – for immediate medical assistance. Then: move to a cool place with circulating air remove or loosen unnecessary clothing cool down – for example, by:  splashing room temperature water on skin, or sponging skin using a fan to direct a gentle airflow over your body applying cold packs or wrapped ice to your neck, groin, and armpits Monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until body temperature drops below 38.5°C If fully conscious, sit up and drink cool, but not cold, fluid, such as water or an electrolyte solution

 Look for guidelines about health and the sunshine at: www.healthify.nz/hauora-wellbeing/s/sun-safety-topics

There are numerous resources available on sun safety and Melanoma. Get familiar with this summer time risk and do what you can to mitigate the damage that may occur.

MOST IMPORTANT: TALK TO THE TEAM BEFORE IT’S UPON YOU.
And then go swimming. Nothing like a quick dip in the water trough!

Don’t let heat stress become a silent danger on your work site. With a generous supply of water, a steady source of electrolytes, and a place to get out of the heat, work can safely continue through the summer.

Keep safe out there and keep checking you’re all ok.   

Article supplied by Deb and team
RuralSafe
www.ruralsafe.co.nz 

Published in the Business, Health & Safety, Environment Feature in WIRED Issue 67 / December 2022 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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In our new WIRED feature, NZFC committee member and competition judge Wayne Newdick shares his tips and tricks on the fundamentals of fence construction. First up, the Diagonal Stay Assembly.

This is probably the most important part of fence construction and this method might be a bit controversial but this is how I do it. I’ve fitted 90-odd of these in the past 2 weeks. 

What to use

• 2.4 Rnd 125-135 being ideal for strainer assemblies
• ¼ Rnd are suitable if selected for size. 125 plus face and check for knots.
• 1.8 ¼ Rnds are fine for most angles 2.4 only for sharp angles.
• Block half of a 1.8 No 1 half Rnd 200mm face is sufficient in most soil types 1200mm or so for softer ground don’t forget to ram behind the block.

Method

• Cut the stay standing in front of the stay, all cuts should be the same length 250 -300mm.
  I use a small block plane 200mm long to dress and remove most of the saw marks.

Fitting

• Put the stay in place, height being approx half way between the ground and the top of the strainer between the wires closer to the upper wire.
• Scribe around the stay and mark the block with a spade at the same time.
• I always allow 20 – 30mm to be cut off the end of the stay.
• Remove stay and dig block trench, place block in then cut stay trench.

Mortice

• I always use a saw here. Simply cut below the top horizontal line and below the bottom line 20mm in.
• I then use a thin chisel to cut the vertical lines and simply use the claw of my hammer to flick the wood out. Quick and easy and safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fitting the stay to the block

• Put the stay in the mortice and lay on the block, check for plumb, cut the end off the stay to the desired length, at the same time cut a small nick underneath the stay and small flat on top of the stay. (45deg)
• At this stage I use the back of my spade driving it into the block just behind the stay and simply lever it into place. I don’t use a rammer.
• This method is quick and powerful but does require a strong spade.

 

 

 

 

 

Summary

• Don’t be afraid to use a good ¼ Round stay
• Don’t be shy of using a saw on the horizontal cuts for the mortice
• 1.8 post is fine for angles

Written by Wayne Newdick 

Wayne Newdick is a notable top fencer, widely recognised in the industry for his high standards and ingenuity.

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In our third instalment of our focus on retaining walls, Nick Liefting takes us through the complexities of Cantilever walls.

This type of wall, in simple terms, is one that has a bending moment at ground level, and is commonly a piled wall. Piles can be:

• Timber Pole, round or square
• Steel I beams or U beams
• Cast-in-situ concrete
• Precast concrete

This is the quickest wall to construct and is generally the most cost effective, however, to qualify for a cantilever wall, it must have firm ground to drill into, to the required depth for the respective wall heights.

Timber Pole

The most common are round poles, which come as a SED or Unilog. The SED has a small end diameter which is placed above ground. The Unilog is a pole spun to a uniform diameter over the pole’s length. A Unilog has the added advantage of not having to look for a straight face to place against for the railing and they look very smart in the completed job. 

Square posts are used, however, the ‘off the shelf square posts’ are limited to the retained height. 

125 x 125 posts are readily available as they are classed as house piles complete with H5 treatment and are good to retain up to 900mm height at 1.20m pole spacing.

100 x 100 posts are also readily available as they are generally used for fence posts. The issue here is they are fence posts and have a H4 treatment which is certainly okay for a fence post, but a retaining wall? – I’ll let you be the judge on that one. We have replaced many paling fences where the posts have rotted at ground level generally after 25 to 30 years. A fence is easy to replace, but a retaining wall is a much bigger task and yes, we have done that also.

What is common is low retaining wall posts being incorporated as the fence posts above, and a shorter post placed halfway between each fence/retaining post, and yes, I have also been guilty of this work.

To have a H4 post treated to H5 costs approximately 25% more and of course waiting in the dreaded queue is what we all do not like.

A 100 x 100 post is only good to retain a maximum of 600mm at 1.20m spacing. It is always good practice to check the posts re knots or defects. The added advantage of square posts is that the joining of rails is not highly important to be completely butted up. With the installation of square posts, extra care needs to be taken to avoid any twist however, if a post is already slightly warped with twist, I tend to have it in line at halfway up the post.

Marking out for a wall if it is on a boundary

It is important to establish where the boundary line is to be in relation to the proposed wall and then marked out accordingly, bearing in mind width of pole, plus railing and lean back. Once this is established and pole centres are marked, it is recommended to set up a profile each end of the proposed hole line to the required lean back. 

It is important to carry out the drilling as accurately as practical, as it makes the pole placement so much easier, which in turn makes the railing easier obviously with a straight line of poles. To achieve this, we have a guider on the ground sighting between profiles and the digger operator can eyeball plumb when parked at 90° to the proposed wall line. 

The recommended size of hole is a minimum of 75mm of concrete cover around the pole. I like to work on 100mm concrete cover as it can make lining up poles easier particularly if we have bent and long poles.

Drilling and placing poles 

Most retaining walls have an intended lean back, which is generally shown on the plans and can be any of the following:

• 1:20 = 50mm over 1.00m
• 1:10 = 100mm over 1.00m
• 3° = 50mm over 1.00m
• 6° = 100mm over 1.00m

Pole placement 

The end poles and change of direction poles are the only ones that need to be securely braced both ways. A top and bottom string line is attached and line poles proceeded to be placed. For poles up to 2.40m long, we line up to the stringlines and then lean the poles up against the front of the hole and as we concrete, then hold the pole to the stringlines. For longer poles we line up to the stringlines then place a short piece of timber between the back of the pole and the top of the hole and drive a nail into the pole once lined up and plumb.

On completion of placing concrete the poles are checked for height and lifted if necessary, and also checking the top line as movement can happen during concrete placing.

With the construction of timber retaining walls, in most cases, poles will need to be trimmed to height this is because poles come in increments of 600mm lengths. It is also good practice when placing poles to be above the intended finished height and then a stringline is attached for all to see and be in agreeance of.

It is important when trimming the tops of poles, to apply an Ensele product, which is inexpensive and available from a local DIY store, as the treatment only has gone in so far. I have seen many walls with the tops of the posts being hollowed out due to decay.

We have done walls with larger square posts up to 300mm x 300mm but these obviously have to be produced which can take time.

My preference of wall is 125 x 125 dressed posts using 200 x 50 dressed rails and capping to match. Obviously, the posts need to be taken to a joinery firm to get dressed.

Steel I Beam

These are used for two main reasons:

• Ability for higher retaining
• Aesthetics

Classification of I beam comes as size (depth of beam) and kilograms per metre, for example a 200UB/22 is 200mm deep and 22kg/m. They come in 6.0m, 9.0m 12.0m, 15.0m, and 18.0m lengths. 

When organising I beams for a retaining wall, the following needs to happen:

• Exact lengths established as it is not advisable to cut tops
• A hole drilled or gassed in each end flange, for lifting in and out of the galvanising bath, plus also for lifting into and lining up once in the ground
• Galvanising: partial dipping is acceptable as long as a minimum of 500mm is into the concrete encasement. Partial dipping costs are normally 60% of the beam weight, however, this depends on your local galvanising firm, as some don’t do it

A similar size I beam versus a timber pole

The I beam can take a higher retaining and also still looks appealing, whereby for example, a 450 SED pole at 4.0m high can look quite bulky. Once the beams are concreted in – say, immediately after the first concrete truck – it is important to lift them to the required height and carry out any ‘tweaking’ for alignment and plumb. There are times when the beam will not stay up, e.g., when using pumping concrete and a heavier beam. In this case, it is best to G clamp a timber across the flange of the beam.

Railing an I beam wall 

The rails are generally placed behind the front flange. Prior to this happening, a waterproof membrane such as Butathene is attached to the steel to stop the reaction between galvanised steel and tanalised timber. We have all seen what happens to gate gudgeons over time.

As it is not possible to attach the railing to the beam, it is imperative to have a strut/packer between the concrete and underside of the bottom rail to stop any vertical movement, plus must also be securely wedged between the two flanges.

Cast-In-Situ Concrete Piles

These are generally used for high walls with a high surcharge. The strength of the piles can be increased by the size of the reinforcing cage and diameter of the pile. When placing the reinforcing cage, plastic spacers need to be attached to maintain spacing in the hole.

For the above ground work, the formwork can be either cardboard formatube or metal fluming which can be easily removed.

Precast Concrete Piles

These are not so common due to the weight of the piles; however, we have used them. This was when they were precast – a recess was formed into the edges for precast waling to slip into. It also required our 30T excavator to lift the precast piles into the holes.

When cast-in-situ and precast piles are use, no lean back is required.  

Article provided by Nick Liefting 

Nick Liefting Contractors Ltd
nlcontractors.co.nz

Published in the Training & Events  Feature in WIRED Issue 67 / December 2022 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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Read the other articles here:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7

The FCANZ National Fencing Field Day was held on the Wednesday preceding the 2022 Conference and gratefully the weather played its part in a fine, near mild day without the high winds that cancelled and delayed so many flights into Dunedin on the Tuesday.

The Otago-Taieri A&P Showgrounds proved to be a valuable site, though it’s always hard to plan for an event on a site you have never laid eyes on. Certainly A&P Showgrounds infrastructure tends to suit our events. 

With around 20 exhibitors that service the fencing industry the site layout worked well with a Secondary Schools skills challenge down one end and the exhibitors lined up on the other three sides.

Exhibitors included Waratah, Beattie Insulators, Steel and Tube, Strainrite, Delfast, Boundaryline, FENCEQUIP, Edgesmith, Summit, Farmlands, Gallagher, Southland Farm machinery with Fencepro, Power Farming with Kinghitter, Bayonet, Stockade, Revolution Postdrivers, Activ Trailers, W.Rietveld Ltd (rock drilling) Stronghold and Micky Thompson tyres.

Discussion topics included a review of different types of footings, electrics, and rail work. Our thanks to Mark Lambert and Tony White for heading these, alongside MC John Noakes.

The Carr Family Foundation Rural Health Caravan ran checks on over 40 people – a sincere thank you to Craig Wiggins and Nurse Kirsten Barnes who carried out the health checks.

A number of competitions were run by FCANZ and exhibitors including Summit, Waratah, Strainrite and Stockade. 

This Field Day came together with help from the FCANZ Board, Jeanette, Jaime, local contractor Nick Terry and some of his crew members, Tony White and John Noakes. Chris and Sue Aspinall turned up on Tuesday and Wednesday to help, along with Angelina Beets. As they say, many hands make light work!

Results of the FCANZ Field Day Competitions 

Guess the weight of the Strainer (65.5kg)
Non member: Peter Graham (66kg)
Member: Andrew Abercrombie (62kg)

Stride/Distance (70.3m)
Aaron Sutherland (70.2) 

Hit the Nail
Jake Scott (3 hits) 

Waratah Guess the Staple (1049 Staples)
Danyel Watson (1001) 

Hammer Throw
Male: Ben Haugh (48m)
Female: Donna Upton

Javelin
Member: Jack Easen
Non-member: Michael Conijn
Female: Zoe Max

Waratah Wire Sculpture
Ez Fencing: Harold the Giraffe

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Jake Burns remembers growing up surrounded by all things fencing and farming –  he soaked it all up. At 15, he left school and began working for a local contractor in Matamata. It is safe to say that he loves the fencing life.

Jake’s dad, Bryce Burns, was a fencing contractor too. Bryce carried on farming but had hung up the wire strainers by the time Jake took up the tools 12 years ago. 

Fence work quickly took the teenager across the Waikato, down to Taranaki, over to Gisborne on the East Coast, and South to the Mackenzie Basin, then through the rest of the Mainland. He gained first-hand experience of the variety of terrain, environments, and fencing styles New Zealand has to offer.

“Gisborne is challenging land. Steep rough rugged country in the back blocks. At the time I started there, everything was done by hand because you couldn’t get a lot of machinery up into the hills. It was spade and hammer stuff. Physical work.” 

“Now, in Te Anau, the ground is hard. We use rock spikes and rock drills to blast through bedrock. Some people use explosives as well. It is definitely some of the hardest ground that I have fenced in. Steep in places, but mostly rolling hill country down to flat land. It took me some time learning how to fence in this ground coming from the Waikato. Up North, it is soft ground and beautiful soil. Down here, it is hard rocky ground, totally different.” 

Over the last decade, Jake has found what techniques work for him and developed his own style. 

“When I started fencing, I knew the basics. Then, as I moved around the country, I saw that many fencing contractors had their own ways of doing things. It was a great way to learn a lot of different fencing skills and techniques as well as what fence or wire work might suit one environment more that another. I love that variety.”

“Another great aspect of fence contracting, is that we are a curious bunch. It’s not unusual to have a bit of a yarn and share ideas about different fencing systems or the best tools we’ve used across various projects.”

Jake and his partner Chelsea George are now in the Te Anau Basin, having relocated near the end of 2021 while still in the sting of Covid restrictions.  Access to the great outdoors, hunting, and the good nature of Southland people were big parts of what drew them in. Jake started JB Fencing in August 2021.

“As a business, I focus on rural fencing and stock yards. I don’t expect to be the biggest fencing contractor in the region, but I want my reputation as a fencer to be built on the quality of my work, efficiency, and reliability.” 

Greg, Jake’s very first employer, encouraged him to go out on his own. 

“Greg is a very successful fencer himself. His confidence in my abilities helped me take the leap. I can call him up for advice which has been invaluable. Reaching out and getting to know local farmers and fencing contractors has also been really key to managing these early days of the business. Presently, I’m subcontracting as part of a crew on a big predator fencing project with waratahs and six-foot netting.”

As part of the new business set up, Jake purchased a Stockade ST400i cordless power stapler. 

“It is probably my favourite tool – I rate them. I’d used the ST400i a lot during several contracts around the country. I love the speed and reliability. By the time I can staple off two posts with a hammer, using the ST400i I would have already done four and it doesn’t bash up insulators like a hammer will.  It will shoot straight. It’s simple and there’s no mucking around.”

“Also, it’s so easy to use, when you have new staff, you can send them away with the ST400i and you know that the tool will do the job correctly.” 

Still, moving into a new business was not without trepidation. Jake had moved to a new region, bought large ticket items including a tractor and post driver, and began building up a client base from zero. 

“The reward of starting my own business by far outweighs the risk. For me, it’s the reward of meeting new people, being my own boss and forging my own path, and I’m always still learning. There’s flexibility of working on your own or as part of a crew. I love do

ing a good job, seeing the finished product, and seeing people happy with my work. My hope is to build the business and take on staff — and I’d like to get some big station project work.”

“Fencing is a good business to be in.”  

Article supplied by Stockade

www.stockade.com

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Business Coach Daniel Fitzpatrick shares the client communication soft skills you’ll need to make sure your customers are thrilled with the end result, pay on time, and tell all their friends about you.

Ever found yourself at the finish line of a job but the customer still wanted more?

You did everything you could to get it right. Hustled to find materials. Answered their calls after hours. Agreed to meet them on site whenever they had concerns. 

If only they knew everything you’ve done to ensure a quality job.

So why are they complaining? 

• Usually, the pushback is over workmanship.
• But in most cases – the real cause is a breakdown in communication.

Here’s what’s interesting: If you can bring your communication up a notch – most complaints will disappear before they even begin. Saving you hours of extra work and stress. 

The secret is that great communication is proactive. From the first conversation with your customer to the final walkthrough to ensure they’re happy.

The good news? Communication is a skill. This means it can be learned. You can always be improving. 

Here are 5 winning strategies:

1. Invest in your onboarding (and win back your time)

Often we are too close to our work and assume that the client knows more than they do. Many clients have no idea what goes into a job. That’s why they’re often coming to you with queries as the job progresses.

Instead, set things up right: Create a brief “how we work” guide. It serves as a conversation starter on what clients can realistically expect.

This sets your standards from the outset and is something you can go through with every new client. Include things like:

The process – very clearly lays out each step including due dates of decisions they’ll need to make.

• When and how they can contact you (eg you’ll reply ASAP but only during work hours).
• When and how they can expect updates? Is it site photos, videos, or in-person walk-throughs?
• When milestone meetings will be (these should be in person for bigger jobs).
• What happens if progress payments are missed (ie. work stops).
• What handover will look like?

Getting your onboarding right builds trust with customers and means they aren’t left in the dark about what’s coming next. So you’re free to work on the job itself. Without being bombarded with questions at inconvenient times.

2. Find the real issue (if they’re getting too involved)

What if the customer starts questioning your work? It’s a familiar scenario: They’ve spent 2 minutes on Google or chatted to a builder mate. Now they’ve got some “helpful tips” for you. 

They think they know better when you’ve been in the trades your whole working life! It’s perfectly natural to feel frustrated – but it won’t make things better.

These customers probably just heard too many stories. From people with leaky homes, or who had a bad reno and told them all about it.

You can stay in control by digging deeper: Ask them what they’ve heard. Uncover their main concern. Repeat back to them to make sure you understand. 

Then explain your process and why what they are afraid of won’t happen. You’ll diffuse the situation, and make them feel reassured they’re in safe hands.

No doubt about it: When potential issues crop up during the job, clear and transparent communication is a must. Be in touch early and often.

3. Learn to say no to the clients you don’t want

Some customers are, of course, more trouble than they’re worth. 

We’ve all been there: They didn’t pay on time. Had unrealistic expectations. Maybe even got aggressive. They definitely complained about everything. 

The trick is to be clear about what your ideal client looks like – so you can quickly recognise the ones you don’t want. Look: It’s okay to turn down work. Just because someone offers you work doesn’t mean they’re a good customer.

Make sure you notice any red flags when you first chat with clients. Have they had problems with other tradies before you? Do they want the job done yesterday? Do they complain about their neighbours even? These might be signs they’re difficult to deal with. 

You’ll need to test if your assumptions are correct. If they are, be the nice guy with a backbone. Tell them your company isn’t the right fit for this work. Avoid the temptation to explain these signs away; you’ll thank yourself later.

4. Separate yourself from the rest

Most tradies aren’t concentrating on delivering great communication. It’s an easy opportunity to get ahead of your competition.

You can easily wow and delight customers if you just do a few small things right: 

• Tell your clients about the things you aren’t charging them for. Like when you encounter a hiccup and have to spend extra time spent prepping the job.
• Arrive on time, or if running late, text an update. (81% of customers find lateness highly unprofessional. Don’t get off on the wrong foot.)
• Explain things in their terms. (If your mum wouldn’t understand it, they probably won’t either.)
• Train your crew to be extra polite – please, thank you, excuse me. No swearing.
• Treat their property like your own. Remove rubbish. Leave the site better than you found it.
• Give a final handover worthy of their investment. Take your time, walk them through, show them all that went into the job. Any niggles can be easily squashed.
• A quick courtesy call to follow up after completion.

Make “looking good to the customer” a team mission. 

And educate staff on the actual value of a customer. Show them how much it costs to acquire new customers. You’ll get more effort and buy in from them when they understand this.

5. Build a team your customers love

As your team grows, it gets harder to keep consistent standards on all jobs. Quality slips. Mistakes happen. 

Still, it’s your reputation on the line. You’re the one explaining it to the customer. 

That’s why when tradies come to me for business advice, one of the first things we look at is team performance. Getting everyone on the same page and improving individually and as a team. 

You need to have good systems and rules for your crew so things aren’t missed. Send your team into jobs fully loaded: Use detailed job folders, set processes for the way things should be done, and quality control checklists.

Have clear standards and expectations that your team is accountable to – and rewarded for. This helps your staff take ownership. (Those with attitudes will either step up or step out.)

Getting these operating systems right means you can be away from site without worrying what is going on. Keep tabs on the right things – then you or your foreman can intervene early if issues crop up.

With these things in place, you can deal with problems before the client ever sees them. Less re-work and complaints. No squabbles over the bill. 

Ultimately: Put a bit of extra effort into communication and you’ll quickly become known as the best. Expect 5-star reviews, good recommendations… and bigger and better jobs with clients you enjoy.  

Article supplied by Daniel Fitzpatrick

www.nextleveltradie.co.nz

Published in Business, Health & Safety, Environment in WIRED Issue 66 / September 2022 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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