Staples

Laurel Maclay talks about how to work smarter, not harder in your business.

When you first started up (or joined) your fencing business, you were probably looking forward to a lifestyle business, where you could enjoy the scenery, escape the rat race, and maybe even enjoy doing something together with your spouse if you are in business with them.

Fast forward to today, and the reality might look quite different.

• You are working more hours than ever
• There is a pile of work out there, and you are worried that if you don’t ‘make hay while the sun shines’ then the bubble will burst, and you will be financially strained
• Your customers are stressed (some can be particularly demanding) and you don’t like pushing back on their price or timeline expectations, after all, you pride yourself on your outstanding customer service.
• Sometimes you feel like an imposter, wondering if you really are cut out for running your own business, and that doesn’t feel very good.

What’s more, if you are in business with a family member, you might find that it is consuming you both day and night and there is simply no time to switch off.

So much for your previous rat race, suddenly the idea of working in a 9 to 5 job, where all you need to do is show up, is looking way more appealing.

And is there even an end in sight? Well, the answer is, unless you change the way you work, the end may very well be a health issue (particularly mental health), a crisis or sadly even a marriage break up.

So, what can you do about it? 

Here is a simple road map to help you feel more confident about your future and be able to switch off and have more down time.

STEP ONE

Work out exactly where you are right now

As human beings, we tend to focus on the negatives not the positives, or ‘deficit thinking’. It’s all about neuropsychology and being hard wired to keep a watch on threats that have long since stopped being a reality (it’s just our operating system hasn’t caught up). Here’s how to work out exactly where you are right now, in many situations you may discover things aren’t quite as bad as you think they are.

Stop and take a deep breath (this is probably the most important step; we need to slow down to speed up).    Think about the following areas and ask yourself questions which will provide you with an accurate assessment of where you are right now, here are some examples
	Finance
		Am I happy with what I am earning? Do my margins cover my expenses and give me enough profit? Do I have a pricing model that keeps me on track for doing profitable work?
	Workload
		How does my upcoming work look? What is my own workload like? Do I often work after hours? Do I have systems in place which save me time? Is there any type of work that I am particularly good at, or like? Is there any type of work which looks like it is becoming more in demand?
	People
		Are my fellow workers engaged? Productive? Do we have an open environment where we can talk freely? Do we all work well together? Can we stick to what we each are meant to be doing, and muck in when needed? Do I have access to experts who can help me? Eg admin, accounting, marketing, pricing, networking, coaching?
	Customer
		Do I know who my ‘ideal customer’ is, eg pays on time, doesn’t change their mind, understands realistic timeframes, pays me what I am worth? How many of my existing customers are ‘ideal’ or close to it? How many are high maintenance and may even cost me money?
	Self
		How is my work impacting my personal life? Do I have a simple way of winding down?

Once you have reflected on these areas, you will have a better idea of where you are. This might sound obvious, but time and time again, people don’t stop to assess their current situation. 

STEP TWO

Decide (and agree with any partner) where you want to be

What do you want out of your business? So many of us never stop to think about this. We know what sports team or Netflix series we like to watch, but we don’t know what we want out of something we are involved with, day in day out.

Have a look at each of the five areas above, and ask yourself, what would they ideally look like? In fact, better still, what would ‘satisfactory’ look like? Sometimes we are unrealistic with what we want, but there is nothing unrealistic about wanting a satisfactory work life blend where you can switch off from work regularly. Involve a partner if they work with you. For each area, write down a paragraph that captures your goals. As an example, for customers it might be “I have a select group of customers, who pay on time, pay me well and appreciate my value. They understand the reality of the current situation and trust that I am working as well as I can to deliver what they need in a professional and timely manner.”

STEP THREE

Work out a simple plan to get there and get some help to make it happen.

Once you have worked out what you want, the final step is so much easier. It’s when we continue to exist in a vicious cycle of survival and lack of clarity on direction and priorities that we don’t know what to do.

Here are three simple parts to a plan, which could not only help you feel less stressed, but also deliver a profitable and consistent return on your business,

1. Refine your business model
   Trying to be all things to all people is exhausting. Is there a type of customer you particularly work well with? How about specialising? Are there any customers who you could let go of?  A scary thought, but when we are selective and focused on who we work with, we have a better chance of delivering value and generating consistent profit.

2. Set up boundaries
   Your whole business is about boundaries. What about the boundaries you set yourself?  Identify (to start with) a couple of nights of the week where you won’t work after dinner. Plan a trip away, even a short and inexpensive one.
   If you work with your partner, agree with them when you can talk about work, and when you can’t. Review your agreements with your customers and see if you can introduce a bit more wiggle room around deadlines and pricing. They can be a lot more reasonable than we imagine, so often the challenge is that we never ask them!
   Quietly let go of any customers who are causing you too much stress and are quite simply a hassle in your life.
   Health boundaries are especially important. Be mindful of any sleep or eating patterns that drain your energy. Make sure you place priority on your personal activities, this goes a long way in making sure you get replenished and can stay on top of your game during your work hours.

3. Get help!
   Are you doing it all on your own? When anyone offers help, do you politely decline? As humans, we rely on each other way more than we realise, and trying to be independent all the time will not help you get what you want. Hiring an expert or business coach who can look at your business model or accounting system might sound expensive but could save you thousands in the long run.
   Are there jobs that you do as the business owner that a local contractor could do instead?
   And finally, do you have someone in your life who can hold you to account? Eg make sure you follow through on the commitments you have made on your plan?

By putting aside a few hours, where you can assess where you are, work out what good looks like and draft up a plan to focus on what next, the future may in fact look better than it did!  

Article supplied by Laurel McLay

www.laurelmclay.comPublished in Training & Events in WIRED Issue 66 / September 2022 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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The proposed Fencing Career Pathway and Qualification structure has been circulated with Fencing Contractors NZ Members for consultation.

Should you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding the structure, please contact any of the FCNZ Board members who would be happy to talk you through the proposed changes.

Careers & Training

Details

• Worker level qualification
• NZQA National Certificate in Fencing Level 3
• Apprenticeship – being explored
• Read about training here
• Explore the Northtec Courses here

FCANZ Certified Fencer

Details

• Individual qualification – Foreman level or business owner
• Annual Certificate
• Renewed annually

Requirements

• FCANZ current member and employed in the industry
• NZQA National Certificate in Fencing Level 4
• Employer verification confirming that the fencer is a foreman or capable of running a job

FCANZ Registered Fencing Contractor 

Details

• Business Entity qualification
• Subject to five-year renewal audit
• Not transferable on sale of the business
• Application process – refer to criteria list below

Requirements 

• FCANZ current member
• One of the ‘Principals’ of the business must be a Certified Fencer
• Three client testimonials (including contact details)
• Signed declaration and agreement to comply with the Registered Fencing Contractor programme, FCANZ Rules and Standards
• Professional Development: Attendance at two FCANZ Best Practice Days and one FCANZ Conference over five year period (evidence required for renewal)

Must also provide evidence of:
– A minimum of three years in business
– Current First Aid Certificate
– Employment Contracts
– Sub-contractor Contracts (if used)
– Public Liability Insurance (minimum $1 Million)
– Completed third-party Health & Safety prequalification  OR  working Health & Safety manual audited by an External Auditor

Master Fencer

Details

• Proposed – for future use
• FCANZ has permission from Fletcher Steel Limited New Zealand to use the trademark

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The first webinar in the Business Staples series was held on Tuesday 22 March and presented by Graeme Bratty of BizAssist. The insightful session provided practical tips and guidance for fencing contractors to improve their chances of getting paid.

Quotes and estimates are an essential but often under-utilised business tool that provide business owners and their customers with peace of mind. They are the template by which a job is completed – and go a long way to ensuring that the customer is happy that you delivered what they asked for, thereby drastically reducing your chances of not getting paid. Where cashflow is king, quotes are the royal advisors that get the work done!

What’s the difference?

The terms quotes and estimates are often used interchangeably but in actuality they are very different. They both hold a different legal definition which means that it is incredibly important that the right phrase and documentation are used.

The definitions as per NZ Government website consumerprotection.govt.nz are:

Estimate

An estimate is not a set price. An estimate is roughly how much the contractor thinks the job will cost, based on skill and past experience.

An estimate can be verbal or in writing – there’s no legal difference between a written or verbal estimate. It’s a best guess. The actual price may be more or less, but it is commonly expected that it should be within 10 to 15 percent of the final cost.

Quote

A quote is an offer to do a job for an exact price. Once you accept a quote, the contractor can’t charge you more than the agreed price unless you agree to extra work, or the scope of the job changes while it is underway. Legally, this is known as a variation to your contract.

Be very careful that you are using the correct wording for any information sent through about a potential job – especially if you use the word “quote” on what is essentially an “estimate”.

Why quote?

Always provide a quote on every job – whether it is for new or existing customers. Providing a quote to customers assures them that you are a reputable business and it helps protect you if the customer doesn’t pay. It not only locks in the scope of the work but it also gives you the opportunity to advise existing customers of any price increases and potential changes to terms of trade including payment terms.

Providing Quotes – best practice

1. Provide the quote in writing
According to the Commerce Commission, there is no distinction in the law between an oral or written quote or estimate. For your own protection providing a written quote allows you to go back to the customer to discuss the quote should any variations or questions arise. When talking with a customer on-site let them know that you’ll be sending them a written quote. This is known in many business circles as C.Y.A (cover your a%$&).

2. Include enough detail
While every job and customer need will differ, you should consider providing enough detail to be able
to discern when the scope has moved and a variation may be required, yet not so much that you are hamstrung by the commitment. Your quote may include:
• a breakdown of labour and material costs
• dates the work needs to be started or completed
• the type of contract (full, labour-only, or managed labour-only)
• deposit requirements

3. Specify the Scope of Works
When providing a quote to a customer, clarity around the wording of the scope of work is incredibly important as it forms a large part of the contract with the client. Should there be any queries (from either side) then the scope is the part of the document that is most valuable.

4. Include an expiry date
With supply chain issues and unprecedented price fluctuations it is well worth including an expiry date in your quote. This helps to manage the customer’s cost and timing expectations and provides you with the security of knowing that you won’t be present with a quote that is many years out of date. This “valid until” date is arbitrary so set it based on your business needs – many opt for 60 or 90 days.

5. Attach your Terms of Trade
Often called T’s & C’s or Terms of Engagement, Terms of trade are as important to your business as any other document. The Terms set out the key components or trading with your business such as payment terms, conditions, limitations, liabilities, obligations etc. They should also specify how variations might be handled. When terms are agreed upfront it is less likely there will be a dispute later on.

6. Get it accepted in writing
Ensure your customer accepts both the quote and your Terms of Trade in writing. This can be as formal as having them sign the document/s
and send them back to you or confirming by email that they accept both. An example of the email wording could be:

Please find attached the quote and terms of trade for the above work. You don’t need to countersign this, just confirm acceptance by return email. Do let me know if you have any questions.

How to handle variations

A variation is when the scope of work is altered from the original quote. This is most often due to the customer changing design and/or material requirements. Your terms of trade should cover how variations will be handled.

The simplest way to handle a variation is to carry a variation book with you. Take notes while you are with the customer and have them sign it straight away. Follow up with an email and use a tweaked version of the suggested email above. If you are not with the customer or don’t have a variation book, email the details of the variation to the customer including the time and cost implications. This could be in an email or a branded company document if you prefer. If possible, don’t begin work on the variation until it has been accepted in writing.

Quote Tools

There are a number of tools available for the creation of quotes. You will usually find quote templates built into accounting tools such as MYOB and Xero. Alternatively, a Word or Excel template can work just as well. Try to use the same tool for your quotes as you do for your invoices.

TIP: always send documentation through as a PDF not Word or Excel. Not sure how to do that? Save as PDF should be one of your print options.

When should I send an estimate?

Estimates are particularly useful as a “ball-park” figure for a job. They allow the customer to go away and finalise the details of their project before coming back to you. Often in the early phases of project planning, customers will look to an estimate to form their decision making. Estimates are much quicker to prepare than quotes due to the reduced level of information contained.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

The most fundamentally important behaviour for running a successful business is regular communication with your customers and suppliers. Sending quotes, terms of trade and variations are simply another form of communicating with your customer. Great communication in the early stages, and throughout the project means that potentially awkward conversations later are much less likely
to happen.

 

Read other business best-practice articles here: FCANZ Business Staples Articles

Watch the webinar here: FCANZ Business Staples Webinars

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The second of FCNZ’s Business Staples webinars was hosted by Stephen Conti of New Zealand Business Tools (NZBT) , and focused on the importance of Terms and Conditions for protecting your business.

Terms and Conditions of Trade, Terms of Trade or just ‘Ts & Cs’ (‘Terms and Conditions’ for the purpose of this article) are a critical part of any business and they form the basis of a healthy relationship between you and your customers. Having robust Terms and Conditions can save you a lot of money by addressing any potential future issues with new clients, from the start of your relationship.

When written specifically for your business they can help mitigate any problems or contentious areas, and also give you an opportunity to set payment terms in your favour, along with providing a clear recourse action, should non-payment occur.

Your Terms and Conditions is the contract document that sets out the terms and conditions that apply to the sale or supply of your goods or services. It is recommended you do not copy Terms and Conditions from another business as no two businesses are exactly the same and there is no guarantee that the original Terms and Conditions you might copy are actually effective.

Terms and Conditions can be crucial to your business as they greatly affect your contractual obligations, payment terms, debt collection, liability exposure and other fundamental factors which can influence whether your business succeeds or fails. Terms and Conditions are vital to any well managed business and a business without them is vulnerable to a range of problems. Add to your business’s competitive advantage by ensuring you have the right Terms of Trade for your business. It’s always better to be ahead of the pack.

Many small businesses do not have written Terms and Conditions, often instead relying on a handshake or a basic written quote. And if they do have Terms and Conditions, they (unknowingly) are often not legally enforceable because they are not effectively included in contracts with customers and therefore do not bind the customer. This unenforceability may only come to light when the business owner seeks to recover an overdue debt from a customer, but by then it’s too late.

The importance of getting your Terms and Conditions accepted

Many businesses work on the assumption that it is enough to include their Terms and Conditions on the back of an invoice or even just on their website. This approach does not allow you to prove that your customer agreed to your terms, especially if your terms are on the back of an invoice. In fact, the contract with your customer is normally deemed to have been formed long prior to an invoice being issued. The best most robust ways to get your terms accepted are to get your customer to:

• Sign a copy of the terms
• Click a box on your website when they place an order

When drafted correctly, Terms and Conditions:

• are legally binding
• outline the rights and obligations
(for you and your customers), relating to the sale of products or provision
of services
• set out what customers can expect when dealing with your business and how disputes will be dealt with
• specify how and when goods and services should be paid for, and what the consequences are if payment is not made in line with the contract
• allow you to undertake credit checks and assess the Credit Risk before you start work or issue an invoice
• allow you to register a financing statement on the Personal Properties Security Register (PPSR) to become a secured creditor
• help protect your business and may limit your liability
• recover or pass on any collection costs in the event an invoice is not paid on time and is referred to a collection agency
• allow you to collect and use your customers Personal Information

One of the easiest ways to get your Terms and Conditions accepted is to include them on the back of a customer information form, which you would give to a customer when you first meet them. This allows you to record all the information for quoting and/or billing purposes and allows you to get your Terms and Conditions accepted at the same time before any discussion about the price is started. You will always need this information and it is good practice to form this habit. Good habits make successful businesses.

Overcoming objections

Terms and Conditions are intended to be fair and reasonable to both parties, and it is not normal for a customer to object to signing them. In effect if your customer refuses to sign your Terms and Conditions then we strongly suggest you do not continue to do business with them. Having your Terms and Conditions signed is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that you get paid and for a customer to refuse to sign them is a good indication of how they will treat your invoice when work is completed. If a customer is uncertain about what they are signing, then seek feedback about what they are not happy with.

Payment terms

Setting appropriate payment terms is an important part of ensuring your business has sufficient cashflow to meet your obligations to staff, suppliers, and yourself. Many businesses default expecting payment on the 20th of the month after the invoice is issued. This does not need to be a default position and just by changing payment terms to; on completion, 7 days, 20 days, significant improvements to your cashflow can be made. Having a clause within your Terms and Conditions to specifically address this allows you the flexibility to set the payment terms and take advantage of the improved cashflow.

What if I do not issue invoices

Even if your customers pay for everything in advance you should still get your Terms and Conditions signed as this helps to resolve and disputes that may arise during a project. For example, if you are working on a boundary fence and require access from a neighboring property but this is not granted then the project may be delayed or cost more because alternative access needs to be arranged. Similarly if you intend to use equipment onsite but access is restricted due to weather conditions or other unplanned events. The responsibility for who has to provide access or obtain permission to access a site is just one area that can be easily addressed in the Terms and Conditions and though it might seem trivial, it can easily solve arguments that are presented to you later by a client.

Know your customers

Covid has caused a multitude of disruptions to all of our businesses, had a large impact on the economic environment. It is now more important than ever to evaluate your customer’s ability to pay before you start work and also to take advantage of the added security that being a secured creditor brings. These are both important elements that are dependent on
what has been included in your Terms and Conditions.

Drafted correctly they should allow you to undertake a range of credit checks and also to register a security on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). These steps allow you to make informed decisions about a potential customer’s ability to pay and also allow you to further protect yourself by becoming a secured creditor which becomes important if your customer becomes insolvent. Sadly this is becoming more common and this trend is expected to continue for the next 18-24 months.

Getting paid should not be an arm wrestle. Following some basic steps before starting any work and if any variations or changes occur along the way, goes a long way to eliminating any disputes at the end of a job.

There is always the chance that once you have finished the work your client might admit they have no money to pay. Again some simple steps taken before work commences can identify this issue and also highlight any previous history of non-payment etc.

Establishing a Terms and Conditions document specifically for your business is a worthy investment to increase the likelihood of payment, to minimise and prevent bad debt, and to mitigate risk. More often than not, people or businesses who supply goods or services without Terms and Conditions regret not drafting one once unfortunate circumstances arise that eventually lead to disputes.

The best time to start using Terms and Conditions was when you started your business. The second best time is now.

Please feel free to contact New Zealand Business Tools if you’d like to review your Terms and Conditions to ensure your business is protected.

 

Article provided by

Stephen Conti

New Zealand Business Tools
nzbt.co.nz

 

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With an increasing number of people facing long wait times to access mental health support, an innovative digital platform providing a fast response, funded by employers within workplaces, is delivering flexible access to support both in person and virtually.

Developed by Emerge Aotearoa, one of New Zealand’s largest non-government health and social service providers, the Ignite Aotearoa platform provides an important alternative to traditional ways of accessing psychosocial support through workplaces.

In the 18 months since it was launched, it has been used by 3000 people who have been able to quickly access qualified mental health practitioners, therapists, coaches and mentors across the country. Eighty per cent of users have said their wellbeing has improved following a support session.

Ignite Head of Delivery Gina Nonumalo says they have been blown away by the success of the platform, delivering an important avenue for people to access the services they need quickly.

“Instead of someone waiting up to several months for an appointment with a support provider or to get support through traditional mental health and addiction services, people can use Ignite to book an appointment at a time that suits them and with a provider they choose, no matter where they live in Aotearoa.”

“We have heard some great feedback. For example, one user told us that her GP had made a referral but it was going to take seven weeks for her to be seen. Within 48 hours, she had organised an appointment through Ignite. It has been incredible to make this sort of impact on people’s lives.”

Ignite was established following the 2018 Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry that found that current mental health support models were too restrictive, expensive and put intense pressure on the public health system. The World Health Organisation had also predicted that mental illness would be the leading cause of disability and absence in the workplace by 2030, if it wasn’t proactively addressed.

Ignite is currently offering services to workplaces, with employers purchasing subscriptions for their staff to use the platform. As soon as they login, they can access practical wellbeing resources, book confidential support sessions with professionals, and proactively manage their mental health and wellbeing using the online tools.

Ignite offers a full Employee Assistance Programme, regular wellbeing workshops, and a choice of subscription packages where workplaces can extend support sessions and provide access to the platform for their employees’ whanau.

“We know how inter-connected work and family life is to wellbeing,” Gina says. “We’re able to offer something holistic and flexible for the whole whanau, and we hope this can make a big difference in improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes in Aotearoa.”

“It’s becoming critical for employers to support the mental health of their teams, particularly as many people beginning to return to workplaces following the COVID-19 pandemic may be struggling with higher levels of burnout and anxiety.”

 

Article republished with permission from Ignite Aotearoa | ignite.org.nz

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When must a PCBU carry out the monitoring described in the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 (GRWM Regulations)?

Increasingly we are seeing information released and requirements to undertake health monitoring as part of a business wellness plan or safety prequal. Failing to monitor wellness in the workplace may have consequences in the long term to employees and business even prosecution.

Here is some useful information from WorkSafe NZ to consider for your workplace compliance in this area.

What does your business currently have in place to measure acceptable workplace exposure to Noise, Dust, Skin, Vibration, inhalation of substances for example?

Exposure monitoring must be carried out if the PCBU is not certain on reasonable grounds whether the concentration of a substance hazardous to health at the workplace exceeds its relevant prescribed exposure standard.

What is exposure monitoring?

Exposure monitoring:
(a) means the measurement and evaluation of exposure to a health hazard experienced by a person; and
(b) includes – (i) monitoring of the conditions at the workplace; and (ii) biological monitoring of people at the workplace (GRWM Regulations).

Exposure monitoring can be used to find out if workers are potentially being exposed to a hazard at harmful levels or if the measures in place to control exposure to that hazard are working. Monitoring does not replace the need for control measures to reduce exposure.

Exposure monitoring is done by having workers wear personal monitoring equipment as they do their job. It can also be done periodically or without having workers wear monitoring equipment under some circumstances (eg to test the effectiveness of controls).

Your business must manage the risks to your employees’ health from the work they do. You could use monitoring to help you do this. The type of monitoring will depend on the kind of work involved.

Exposure monitoring

What to consider
Exposure monitoring measures what workers are being exposed to at work. This could involve workers wearing a monitoring device while at work to measure things like:

• the level of noise

• the amount of a chemical in the air

• the amount of vibration in hands and arms, or whole-body experiences.

Biological exposure monitoring is another type of exposure monitoring. It usually involves taking blood or urine samples to test for any substances worker’s handle.

Health monitoring

Health monitoring checks if an employee’s health is being harmed because of their work.

Examples of this:

• having their hearing checked

• checking for damage to their skin after handling chemicals

• checking for damage to their hands and arms after using vibrating tools

• checking for damage to their lungs from working in a dusty environment.

More information can be found on monitoring information at worksafe.govt.nz

Things to know about monitoring

1. You must discuss the proposed monitoring with your employees (such as what it will involve, when and where it will take place and how often, and how it will benefit them).

Employees should be given information and training about the monitoring in a way they can understand and in a timely manner.

2. Employees must comply with reasonable instructions from the business so that they can meet their health and safety obligations.

However, for health monitoring or biological exposure monitoring, employees must give their written informed consent.

Employees can say no to monitoring or change their mind at any time. For more information about this, see: http://hdc.org.nz/your-rights/the-code-and-your-rights

3. Your business should pay for the monitoring including any travel costs.

If the monitoring takes place outside your normal business hours, discuss with your employee other options. For example, could they be compensated?

4. Exposure monitoring should be carried out by someone with the right knowledge, skills, training and experience like an Occupational Hygienist.

Health monitoring should be carried out by qualified, trained and experienced health practitioners. For example, an Occupational Health Nurse could carry out initial health screening. If needed, employees could be sent (referred) to another health practitioner for a medical assessment/formal diagnosis.

If body samples are required (for example, blood), a suitably qualified health practitioner should take or supervise the taking of these samples.

5. Your business must keep employee’s personal information secure and confidential and use it to manage health risks.

You may want to share monitoring results (for example, with other workers, or other businesses you share duties with). Before you do this, the business must comply with Privacy Act 2020 requirements. For more information: The Privacy Act 2020 principles

6. The findings should be used to improve how well your business is managing health risks.

7. If the findings indicate that employees are being harmed – or could be harmed – you must act immediately to deal with the health risk.

When must a PCBU review their control measures in light of this exposure monitoring?

The PCBU must review and, as necessary, revise control measures if the exposure monitoring determines that the concentration of a substance hazardous to health at the workplace exceeds its relevant prescribed exposure standard.

Who must have access to monitoring records?

The PCBU must make monitoring records readily accessible to persons at the workplace who may be, or have been, exposed to the health hazard.
If monitoring results are to be provided to anyone, any information which identifies or discloses anything about another individual must be removed beforehand.

How long must monitoring records be kept?

Type of monitoring	Time the monitoring record must be kept from date record made
Monitoring undertaken in relation to asbestos	40 years
All other monitoring	30 Years

 

WorkSafe recommends that workers be given copies of monitoring records relevant to them when they leave the business or undertaking. This includes when the business or undertaking is closing or ending.

Look at what is reasonably practicable within the business for wellness and testing annual health checks are good business.

Use the WorkSafe Noise Hazard Identification Checklist on the following page to assess how well your business is identifying noise.

 

Stay safe out on the line.
Deb and the RuralSafe team.

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Business Coach Daniel Fitzpatrick shares ways to build work ethic and commitment when working with 26 to 40 year olds (Millennials) and under 25’s (Gen Z).

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve probably had a few bad experiences with younger staff…

They can sometimes be lazy, entitled, or even self-absorbed. Not wanting to work hard – but wanting to be paid top dollar.

There are those that want too many days off. Or worse, the ones that don’t even turn up (and your call goes straight to voicemail…!)

When staff are unreliable, it wrecks your schedule. It’s time consuming. And it costs you money. You feel disrespected. Frustrated. Justifiably so.

Generational differences are nothing new. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy to navigate.

Here are a few tips that will help you draw the best out of your younger team members:

1. Keep the faith – there are good ones out there

Keep in mind that young staff are a bit like referees. You hear more about the bad ones than the good. However, it’s inevitable that millennials will be part of your team.

When it comes time to hire, here’s how to sort the good from the bad:

Good young staff are enthusiastic. Look for this when you interview so you know they’re motivated from the outset.

Uncover their patterns of behaviour. You’re looking for signs of work ethic and commitment. How long were they at their last job? Why did they leave?

If they’re fresh out of school, look for something they’ve shown commitment to in the past (like a sports team). If you can reveal their attitude early, you won’t find yourself regretting hiring them after their first week.

If you’ve got great young staff already (or you know someone that does) ask them if they’ve got mates looking for work. Like attracts like.

Consider a referral bonus to add a little motivation. If they introduce you to someone you end up hiring, give them a $500 bonus.

Most importantly, don’t settle. Finding good staff is not easy, but hiring someone who brings the whole team down will cost you massively.

Hot tip: make sure your website is up to date and your company uses digital tools. If you’re still relying on paper trails, the good millennials may think you’re stuck in a time lapse.

2. Use their love of tech to your advantage

We all know how much today’s young staff love being on their devices. It’s no doubt caused you a few headaches. But what if their love of tech could benefit the business?

Try asking them to take site photos for your social media. They know how to take a good photo and what content works. Plus, it’s one less thing you need to worry about.

If you’re looking for a good piece of software, consider involving a young team member. Have someone explain to them what’s needed and let them do the research for you.

Showing one of your team members how to do something? Ask another to video it. You’ll start documenting your training processes. This way you can start to systemise, and don’t end up having to explain the same thing every time you hire.

While using their love for tech is good – it still doesn’t solve the productivity problem. Set things up so phones can only be used in breaks (or for work purposes of course).

Make the most of the first digital generation and use their tech skills to help your business.

3. Be frequent with your feedback

Think back to when you started out in the trades. How did your first boss teach you? They probably fast-tracked your learning by dropping you in the deep end and hoping you’d swim.

That was how you were led. Keep in mind your younger staff have grown up in a world of instant gratification. They’re used to everything happening fast, so can struggle with things that take time.

It’s up to us to help them build confidence and learn patience. This just means leading them differently.

They want to know where they stand, and thrive off more frequent feedback. They’ll learn faster, and you get a happier team member turning up to work each morning.

A quality of a good leader is changing the way you communicate to serve the people you lead.

Use things like the 5min chats before meetings, the one-liners of recognition or the ‘hey good job, have you thought of trying it this way’ coaching as quick ways of giving feedback. It’s easy for you and meaningful to them, so they’ll keep working hard.

It’ll probably feel different to how you were led. But it shows them you’re interested in them. Meaning they’ll invest more in you and your business. Small, consistent wins will add up to big triumphs.

4. Everyone will work hard for something

Your first job was a measure of security. It was your escape from the academic system that didn’t suit you, and finding another one would’ve been difficult. So you worked hard to make sure you kept it.

But millennials want a job that helps them see their future. If they can’t see their next step with you, they are more willing to find it elsewhere. Studies show that 25% of millennials will have worked 5 jobs by their 35th birthday.

They want to level up in life and aren’t afraid to jump ship if they need to. So show them what they can achieve with you.

This might be completing their apprenticeship, reaching a certain pay rate, saving for a house or escaping from living pay-cheque to pay-cheque. They’ll work harder with a target in mind.

Tell them about the levels they can achieve within your business and the timeframes they can achieve it in. It shows them why they should stick with you, so you end up with loyal employees.

Learning is an important part of levelling up. When they make mistakes, train them how to do it right. Most importantly, teach them what matters most – learning from it. This way they’ll improve and you won’t have to go back and fix things next time.

Help them enjoy their job by being approachable. If you work hard, help your team out and can have a laugh at the same time as doing your job, chances are you’ll see the same in your team.

5. Where are you at as a leader?

If you want your staff to perform, they’ll always need nurturing (regardless of their generation).

It’s easy to sit back and blame young people for underperforming. Reality is, as a business owner, the more you take responsibility for building your team, the better the results.

Yes, millennials have their generational challenges. But so does every generation.

Let’s face it: Good leaders adapt.

How are you leading your team – the way you were led, or how they need to be?

Getting the best out of them means meeting them at their level first. Then fueling them to deliver on what you need.

Need a plan to move your business forward with confidence? Book a free strategy chat with me here:
www.nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

Daniel Fitzpatrick

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Business coach Daniel Fitzpatrick looks at the 5 tell-tale signs of bad systems in a tradie business.

If you’re struggling to systemise, you’re not alone. At a certain size of business, the moving parts are harder to control and you run out of hours in the day. That’s when systems save your bacon.

Which of these tell-tale signs does your business have?

1. You’re overwhelmed with work

You’re busy. Working big hours to fit all the pieces together. Business has become all-consuming. Your family is missing out.

And if you’re being honest? Jobs are a bit out of control. They aren’t being well-organised. When schedules change, or staff are off sick, it’s even worse.

We’ve all been there. But if this is happening to you month after month, it’s a red flag you’re taking on too much work.

You’re likely mis-judging your capacity. An easy trap for tradies to fall into.

Obviously you know what projects are lined up. But until all jobs are visible in one place you can’t truly get a handle on how much extra you can accommodate.

Rely on a good scheduling system. Build in a buffer so you can be flexible enough to adapt. Only then can you get capacity right.

Hard time turning work down? A better filtering system can identify which work you do/don’t want. An improved line of questioning can help you to say “no” to customers – while still having them walk away happy.

To increase capacity, you’ll also need to hurdle the skills shortage with a hiring system that attracts quality staff. So you can take advantage of the current boom and grow your business.

2. Your cashflow is hit or miss

It’s close to the 20th. A few people haven’t paid you. Now you need to pay suppliers and staff. But there’s a cashflow gap.

So you scramble to get the money in. Who can you invoice now? Who can you chase? Who can you delay paying?

If you’re a husband/wife team, prepare for a late-night argument about who is to blame.

Or ring the bank and beg some guy who doesn’t understand your business to stump up the money to tide you over. It sucks.

And it’s all down to not having robust enough cashflow systems.

If only you’d billed work out earlier, been in touch with late payers sooner, or structured progress payments to better suit your timing. These aren’t the whole answer but stack the odds in your favour.

Do cashflow right and next time the 20th rolls around you’ll have better options. The trick is to make cashflow as predictable as possible, minimise surprises.

It’s having a nice cash buffer in the bank for rainy days. It’s seeing ahead, knowing what’s gonna be in your account when – and how much is yours after all the bills are paid.

Work the system diligently and you’ll almost always have enough cash in the bank. So if someone doesn’t pay on time, you’re okay.

3. Employees making costly mistakes

A customer calls, there’s problems with the job, they’re not happy. Re-do’s cost you time and money and hurt your reputation.

You arrive onsite and realise things are wrong. You have to pull up your team, commit more time to correct things. Even worse you feel you can’t leave site, you need to be there to make sure all goes smoothly from now on.

Staff are the backbone of your operations. It’s essential they are getting things right. You need a solid team that listens, understands what needs to be done, delivers great work at a professional level.

If mistakes keep happening, it’s because there are not enough rules and systems onsite so everyone knows what’s expected.

Or if you’ve got good systems and your team aren’t using them, you’ve got an issue with buy-in.

It’s easier than you think to be the leader that gets everyone pulling the same way, motivated and taking responsibility for their part.

It all comes down to having good procedures, checklists, and follow up. So things are done right and mistakes are stopped before they happen.

This enables you to deliver on your promises, delight clients, hit targets. Best of all your time is free. You can be away from site knowing jobs are in safe hands. Or your foreman sorts it for you.

Bonus is, when you make it clear you expect accountability, those 1 or 2 disruptive staff members? They’ll either step up or bow out. Creating a strong team culture also means improved productivity, less sick leave, and your best staff won’t leave.

4. Losing money on jobs

Has your business sprung a profit leak? This might show up when you do a bit of costing on a few jobs and it seems like there’s some holes there. Or that last job took longer than you thought. So you know you didn’t make any money on it.

Basically you’re doing a lot of work but there’s not much money in the bank account to show for it.

Keep in mind: bigger businesses have bigger holes. Larger jobs, more staff, multiple jobs all add costs and leak money much faster.

If you’re regularly losing money on jobs, let’s look at your financial systems. Start here:
A) Your pricing process.

You might be under-estimating the hours. Or basing your price off old supplier costs. Are you quoting what you think the market will pay or the margin your business actually needs?

Price right – in the sweet spot. Not too low you don’t make good money. Not too high you price yourself out.

B) Your system for tracking and controlling costs on the job.

Losing margin? Projects always blowing out? Do you often find yourself doing work you feel you can’t charge for, so your margin takes the hit?

Let’s get your project management software working to its fullest. Maybe you’re not tracking target costs and hours to the level you should. Red flag is: not finding out things have gone south until it’s too late to do anything about it.

Usually, profitability can be vastly improved with just a few tweaks.

I know we’ve got this right when tradies I coach are hitting the margins they want. They grin and say “Dan there’s a lot more money in the bank now. Cashflow is way easier. I’ve adjusted my pricing, and clients agree to pay for variations with no dramas”

5. You’re buried in admin and can’t get the important stuff done

Despite your best intentions, urgent things come up, and they can’t wait. Your week is derailed by quotes you have to finish, things happen on site you have to deal with, your inbox is outta control…

Truth is: To progress the business and regain your sanity, you simply can’t be overly involved in the day-to-day runnings.

The answer is to implement a good system for how you spend your time.

You must decide which tasks are most important. Both for the business to be successful, and for you to be happy.

Schedule your priorities and work on the most important stuff first. Tasks that give you the most ROI. Dedicate specific time blocks in your week for certain tasks. So the important stuff has its place.

Part of extracting yourself involves delegating repeatable tasks (and the more simple decisions) safely to your team. Having robust systems and checklists is the only way to hand off tasks and trust they’ll be done right. This way a lot of things can happen without your direct input.

This creates more time for you. For higher-level tasks. For family time, rest and relaxation.

Stacking small wins to free yourself from working “inside” your business creates a positive chain reaction where every week, things get a little more structured, a little easier and more profitable.

You’ve built a great business. You just need to systemise to take the pressure off a bit. With systems for your capacity, cashflow, team/onsite operations, pricing/margins, and time.

Need a bit of guidance in how to proceed? Grab a free chat with me here:
www.nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

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1. Follow the Act

Termination is tough, and tricky. To act in accordance with the Employment Relations Act 2000 employers who want to dismiss an employee have to:
• act in good faith
• have a good reason
• follow a fair and reasonable process
• make sure the outcome is not pre-determined

If the employer doesn’t, the employee may have grounds for a personal grievance against their employer for unjustified dismissal.

2. Act in Good Faith

This means that:
• Neither the employee nor the employer should mislead or deceive each other;
• Both the employer and the employees should communicate and respond appropriately to one another in a timely manner; and
• An employer should consult with the employee before making any decisions that may affect their employment and allow them an opportunity to respond.

3. Have a Good Reason

An employer should only dismiss an employee on reasonable grounds after a fair process. The following are reasons why an employer may dismiss an employee:
• Serious or repeated misconduct – behaviour which falls outside workplace standards and/or poses a risk to employee safety, or undermines the trust and confidence essential to the employment relationship;
• Performance issues – the employee is unable to meet performance standards, and they’ve been given a reasonable opportunity to improve their conduct prior to the employment relationship being terminated;
• During a trial period – the employer does not need to provide a reason for a trial period termination in writing, but the employee can still raise a claim if they believe the decision was based on discrimination. It is best if the employer has an objective reason for ending the employment, such as performance or misconduct;
• Redundancy – the job performed by the employee is no longer necessary for the business or technological advancements have made the role redundant;
• Incapacity – the employee is unable to perform the duties required of their role due to medical reasons such as an illness or injury, and all reasonable alternatives to dismissal have been considered.

4. Follow a Fair Process

A fair process allows the employee to respond to any concerns raised by the employer, where the employer takes any explanation into account before deciding an outcome. What process is required will depend on the issue, for example a trial period termination will be different to ending employment for medical incapacity.  However, even in cases of serious misconduct, a fair process should be followed (although note some of these will not apply to a trial period termination):
• Investigate the allegation thoroughly;
• Raise the issues with the employee in writing and advise them of the possible consequences;
• Allow the employee time to consider the allegations and to seek advice or representation;
• Give the employee an opportunity to respond to the allegations and provide a reason or an explanation;
• Consider the employee’s responses with an open mind;
• Decide on the appropriate outcome.

5. Put it in Writing

The employer should put the reasons for the dismissal in writing unless terminating employment under a trial period. If they don’t, the employee can ask for a written statement of the reasons for dismissal and the employer has to provide one within 14 days of the employee requesting a reason, provided the employee requests one within 60 days of becoming aware of the dismissal.

6. Check the Notice Period

An employer should give an employee appropriate notice of the last day of their employment as specified in the employment agreement unless they are dismissing for serious misconduct.

But if there is no notice specified then the notice period must be fair and reasonable, depending on how long the employee has been in the business, the job they do and how long it may take to hire a replacement.

7. Dismissal Without Notice – Serious Misconduct

An employee may be summarily dismissed if, after a fair investigation and disciplinary process, they are found guilty of serious misconduct. This is conduct that destroys or significantly undermines the relationship of trust and confidence between employer and employee.

In cases of serious misconduct, an employer may be able to dismiss a worker without giving notice or paying out the notice period.

8. Redundancy

A genuine redundancy is when the employer no longer needs a certain job to be performed by anyone. The employer must consult with the employee and make sure there are no other jobs within the business that the employee could reasonably do before making an employee redundant.

9. Final Pay

An employer should pay an employee any outstanding pay for hours worked since their last pay, unused holiday pay and any other additional entitlements due to the employee as per the employment agreement or as part of their termination package, on their last day of work.

10. Record Keeping

An employer must keep records for each employee that contain their personal details, their employment agreement, the job they do, the hours they work and details of their pay and annual holiday and sick leave entitlements. You must keep wage and time, and holidays and leave records for the preceding six years, even if the employee is no longer with the business.

 

Reproduced with thanks to Employsure employsure.co.nz | 0800 568 012

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Mindset & Business Coach Daniel Fitzpatrick takes a look at four ways of thinking that will get you to the next level a lot faster.

If you’re like most tradies and have a lot on your plate right now, it’s easy to forget about how your mindset impacts your success. And simply go through the motions every day. Ticking off your long list of to-dos.

You want to be making progress but it feels like you’re bogged down by what’s urgent. And not necessarily getting to what’s most important.

So, how can you ensure you’re on the right track and progressing towards where you want to be? Such as running a thriving, growing company with an amazing team and reputation that is second-to-none (with plenty of space for regular family time and holidays!)…

Start by understanding these 4 mindsets that separate successful business owners from the rest:

1. They take responsibility for the big picture

Hal Elrod says: The moment you accept total responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life is the day you claim the power to change ANYTHING in your life.

It’s true: When you don’t take total responsibility for something in your business, then you’ve given up the power to change that thing. It’s unlikely to then go in the direction you want it to.

Ever started a job and took ownership but a few things got away on you… Like when you discovered there were a few extras involved that were not allowed for in the quote… But it was just easier to carry on and deal with it later? In the end your margins disappeared and it was too late to negotiate with the client coz the job was finished…

Taking total responsibility (even when it means having the hard client convos in the middle of a job) saves a whole lot of headaches later.

Another big one is taking complete responsibility for your financials. This means consistently being ahead of the game: Knowing exactly what’s coming in, what’s going out, and what’s left.

Yes, it’s a good time to be in the trades right now. But good times don’t necessarily lead to a better business. Even when you’ve got more work coming in than you can handle, you still need to be focused on building the fundamentals of a strong business.

Ask yourself two important questions:
• What’s out of control to fix right now? (eg. cashflow – there’s a whole lot of debtors you haven’t followed up and that’s why you’ve got no money)
• What are you letting coast by that you need to get control of because it’s gonna bite you in the future? (eg. your foreman is being difficult)

If you can really get a handle on those loose ends, when you get to the end of the year you’ll be much happier with the results.

2. They make financial decisions based on the ROI not the cost

Fact: Not all costs are the same. When you make a financial decision, it can either be seen through the lens of it being a cost or an investment.

For example, implementing new project management software will cost time and money initially. But will save you time and improve margins and control in the long term.

Therefore, just viewing it for its initial cost could hold you back from investing in something that would later benefit you. The more growth focused approach is to analyse your financial decisions based on the ROI, the overall effect.

You gotta think: For what I put in, am I getting a greater return back?

Making financial decisions in this way can save time and frustration, and play a great role in taking your business to the next level.

3. They fixate on their goals but are flexible in their approach

Any significant goal will have curveballs on the way that try to shunt you in a different direction. The winning attitude is to be firm and fixated on your goals. But also to be flexible in how you achieve them!

Imagine a key staff member has left and you need to find a great replacement. It’s hard to find staff right now. Thinking outside the box might mean training an existing team member up into the role, or offering to pay moving costs to attract someone outside the region.

There are always going to be turns and bends in the pursuit of our goals. But it’s not an excuse to stop. Instead, it’s a reason to find a different way. As Ryan Holiday says: Stop looking for angels. Start looking for angles.

Where are you currently stuck in your business? What isn’t working? Spinning your wheels and hoping things will improve might not be the best approach.

Even if you’ve had success in the past, what’s gotten you to point A might not necessarily get you to point B.

So, look for a different way. Find a new strategy. Create opportunities and get after the results you really want.

4. They don’t expect themselves to have all the answers

Tradies sometimes think: There’s no task too big to handle if I just grind it out.

However, when it comes to nailing down the nitty-gritty of your business, you’ll run into a problem: You can’t read the label from within the jar.

How often have you seen someone stuck on how something’s going to work, but then someone else has come over and almost immediately found the solution?

As billionaire real-estate investor Gary Keller says: Any time in your life you are hitting up against the ceiling of achievement, you’re missing a person.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a different set of eyes sees different things. So, stop and think: How are you taking advantage of different eyes and minds in your business strategy?

Do you have a different set of eyes on your financials? Have you got other minds working with you to help take your business to the next level?

Having someone who you regularly sit down with to go over various aspects of your business will force you to show up and think strategically. Which will ultimately help you move forward and stay the course. So, take advantage of it!

Let’s wrap this up
The mindsets of business owners who succeed and those who don’t are very different. Make sure you can say you’re on the right side!

Remember: Take responsibility for the big picture. Make financial decisions based on the ROI rather than the cost. Be flexible in how you get to your goals. And don’t go it alone.

If you have trouble with any of these areas, contact me for a free online chat to see how I can help you fast track your way forward. Book a time here:
www.nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

 

Daniel Fitzpatrick

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