Crowie is sharing the key lessons he learnt in business throughout his years as the owner of an electrical company, and in the years of helping others make their sparky business succeed. It’s a little bit of this and little bit of that and a whole lot of… Being kind is important, and it applies to you too! A business needs to be foundational profitable The tide doesn’t just turn, you need to grab it by the b**** Holidays will give you perspective so treat yourself like an employee Quotes, schedules, invoices, checklists, price points and so much more come from the office Office work is best done at 8am with coffee than 10pm with a beer What’s actually in front of you can be used, not what you want there to be You can’t always get what you want but if you try sometimes, you get what you need. Thanks, Stones. Crowie uses the word journey a lot this week but we’ll let that go and learn from all the things he’s dealt with on his “path” to business success. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Crowie is sharing the key lessons he learnt in business throughout his years as the owner of an electrical company, and in the years of helping others make their sparky business succeed. It’s a little bit of this and little bit of that and a whole lot of… Know your titles, you aren’t the ‘rough in lord’ anymore Before you had to do one thing perfectly, now you need to know how to do everything. If something isn’t working, it’s because something’s wrong A big turnover doesn’t mean your electrical business is healthy There’s no substitute for early communication with customers and staff. It isn’t just about site work anymore, you’re the people person, culture setter, system implements, the leader and so much more. Crowie uses the word journey a lot this week but we’ll let that go and learn from all the things he’s dealt with on his “path” to business success. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Crowie is sharing the key lessons he learnt in business throughout his years as the owner of an electrical company, and in the years of helping others make their sparky business succeed. It’s a little bit of this and little bit of that and a whole lot of… People don’t think about you nearly as much as you think they do. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Find a close group of people that will champion one another.  You need to learn to understand all kind of people. The one thing that will help you immensely in managing potential conflicts and in resolution. You don’t have to ignore things, but address them and move on. Your product is your staff. Crowie uses the word journey a lot this week but we’ll let that go and learn from all the things he’s dealt with on his “path” to business success. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Sparky Coach Group came about to help electrical business owners succeed and grow their business. In the Lessons In Business Series Crowie talks about his start in the industry, what he learnt and what he found as being the biggest lessons for him. In Part 1 Crowie talks about: * How it all started, from the insurance business to living for the surf! * Delivering pizzas as the Domino Lord * How a big mistake served as his turning point. * The power of timing and getting into a trade or any business with friends. * High-end homes and high-end electrics. In between the many shout-outs Crowie reflects on his task second, people first approach plus self-assurance and naivety being the start of his "journey". Yes he uses the word journey, a few times, let's give him that one. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Once we get past the WWE discussion and the awesomeness of the Attitude era plus a quick rant about Will Smith and Wild Wild West. The boys discuss stepping back, taking a breath and reassessing in order to move forward and success in your business, and in life. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... How great was Stone Cold Steve Austin? Raze V Raise, one is to knock down and the other to build up. How knocking down existing structures to rebuild correctly. Don’t grow on a lie.  Most people have a huge fear of going backward, how can you go from 9 staff to 6, how to you tear down your ego? Being humble enough to know when something isn’t working can save you. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Championing Small Business: Letting go of insecurity in your business by seeing the abundance of opportunity in the electrical industry. There’s enough cake for us all! It’s time to let go of the scarcity mindset and see what’s out there.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Why holding on to certain ways of thinking will hold you back.  Sharing knowledge is the key to getting anywhere in business and life. What is and isn’t IP in the electrical business? Avoiding tall poppy syndrome. There’s so much work out there, focus on yourself, the positives and the future. There are a number of reasons why someone else my seem to be doing better and often that’s they key word - “seem”. They’ve been around longer, they know certain people, they have really low prices, they may even be having issues with that big client you wanted. Not everything is as it seems and there’s more than enough cake for all of us. Focus on enjoying your slice. The rising tide lifts all the ships up! Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

After another shout out to the bakeries in the area the boys get into what is and isn't included. The sauce, if you will. So are you making sure your staff members know what is and isn't included in a job? In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Before multi-tools, the demo chisel.  Little changes make a big difference to the bottom line. Can you staff recognise the difference in standard v non-standard installs? How can you train your staff and make sure they are equiped for every job. Is the information on your job cards correct? Lack of knowledge and understanding, the incorrect information and assumptions that “it’s the same or similar” can lead to staff using non-standard items on an install. Sometimes it really I just item and that can be rectified but on bigger jobs with more moving parts that can seriously affect your profits. So get it right, make sure your staff get it right and there’ll be no surprises.  Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

You don’t want to give up trade secrets, your numbers and every detail of your business, making sure your staff, customers and even family know the why’s and how’s can make your life easier and more enjoyable.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Why transparency is important. What you can, and should, share with people.  How understanding increases trust and therefore productivity.  People don’t know, what they don’t know. Numbers are important, explain them - to staff and customers! Transparency will always lead to clarity. It’s important to share some information so you can have a better relationship with staff, customers and the people around you.  Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Cam confirms he cannot rap, or sing. More importantly, he and Crowie talk about closing the day, it’s so important, particularly when you’re feeling like things aren’t going well, or the work isn’t coming to your business.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Avoiding “woe is me”. Closing the day can increase the work you have.  You must get back to everything, in some way or another. You have to communicate with both potential or current customers. People talk, the more you communicate with others the more they’ll communicate about you. Still hate the word network - we will now be using the term “circle”. Sometimes you can’t get back to everyone on everything, the day can get away from you BUT you can pass it off or even send a quick message saying you haven’t forgotten can buy you some time. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. People appreciate information, when a jobs done, how its tracking, even builders and project managers love an update, sometimes they haven’t had time so you letting them know where you’re up to makes their day easier. We hope you close off each day better than we did that podcast. 

You either already have, or will one day, have an apprentice yourself and you’ll definitely come across someone else’s .These young, eager and new kids in the industry have feelings, they have opinions and they are impressionable.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Manners are free and it costs nothing to be kind.  Why probation is important, apprentices are always in a trial period, they are trialing you and you’re trialing them.  Has anyone gotten married in a roof space? Apprentices are people too, treat them well and remember when you were in their shoes.  If you’re always rushing and stressed the issue probably isn’t the apprentice.  You can help other peoples apprentices too they don’t know what thy don’t know. Help them be better tradies and help them work well with everyone on site.  Remember that trial periods, performance reviews and consistent communication with the apprentice, other tradies and team members are all critical not just of you and your team but for the apprentice. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Do you ask yourself, how can I get more money in my electrical company? Well one way is actually sending your invoices, sending them regularly and sending them correctly. A few weeks ago we delved into the importance of invoicing and Cam and Crowie talked about mistakes they’ve made and what they do now to avoid payment issues. Off the back of that a lot of people asked us “do you really invoice that often?” - and yes absolutely! In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Invoices are your number one way to get paid, simple.  Why smaller invoices each week are better than big invoices at the end of a job. How job notes and invoicing go hand in hand. How to make sure you invoice each week, if not twice! So what’s the answer? Just send it! Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Cost Plus - one of Crowies favourite topics! Cost Plus is not a dirty word and it absolutely can work for you and your team. There are a few pros and cons and often as a tradie or electrician you don't have a choice. Cam and Crowie look at when it works, when it doesn't and how to get the benefits. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... The cost plus doesn't mean it's a free for all. How to avoid the "efficiency penalty". Managing the admin side of it correctly. How to get your hourly and materials correct. How it can help with consistency and volume. Get your numbers right, increase your efficiency and reap the rewards. Communicating often and correctly is a big takeaway here - you need a system and a process to keep the ball rolling. Listen to the full podcasts on Apple and Spotify! Spotify ~ https://bit.ly/sparkyspotify Apple ~  https://apple.co/3Rl3PRO Want to go over your numbers? Book a free call https://bit.ly/talktoasparkycoach  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more or get in touch at [email protected]

Cam “Vanilla Slice” McCracken and Greg “The (self-appointed) Lord” Crowe let you in one some of their hilarious mistakes and some that were big lessons. All of them were an opportunity to learn for them and now for you too. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Elodies ice cream order. Self-deprecation doesn’t help anyone. Confronting mistakes.  How Crowie became the Tech Lord. Have some humour and positivity. There’s always a takeaway so the question is, what is it? Is it as simple as a laugh or a new process. Mistakes can tach us many things so how will the next one affect you? This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more!

Disclaimer: Cam asks for Samsung sponsorship and we think he should get it! Share you thoughts. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Supernintendo and the 64. The days of Goldeneye.  Why you shouldn’t play boardgames with Crowie. How to set boundaries with your phone.  What’s your most important tool at work? Is your phone a positive tool or a negative influence? Are you using all those apps? If somethings urgent they’ll call and if it’s in an email it can, and should, wait until Monday! We all know we use our phones to much but how do you actually cut that cord? How can you set some boundaries that will work in favour of your business and personal life. The boys chat through some trouble they’ve had in the past and how they knew it was time to find some space in their phone relationships. 

“Comparison is the thief of joy” - a shout out to Cams Mother-In-Law Angie for this pearl of wisdom he’s kept with him. It’s easy to focus on others flaws but situations can change quickly and while you’re focused on your neighbours dying lawn you’ll forget to water your own. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Everyone has good and bad days, including you.  Focus on your growth not the competition, if you look too much in the rear-view, you’ll be overtaken.  Looking at things with perspective is so important, everyone has a different reality. We all have bad days so you need to find the laughs and love amongst that or the negativity you focus on in others will become a part of you. Do what you do with excellence, Excellence is doing what you do well, with a great attitude. 

There’s lot’s going on in this one, from a band that’s big in Japan to The AWE Solution, the message is - in the time it took you to complain about something, you could’ve dealt with it.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Under stress you become a different person. To reply or not to reply…. Ask yourself: how important is it, how long will it take, are any 3rd parties involved? Check yourself, are you compelling because of the thing in front of you or other issues at work, home etc. Can you address you stress? Is it actually an issue? If you are hyper-critical of something or someone the problem usually lies with you. AWE - Ask what is is. What can you do. Execute the solution. Complaining often get’s in the way of us completing tasks and just doing what needs to be done. Usually the complaining comes from a place of frustration and stress, so check yourself before you wreck yourself. If you find yourself compelling rather than completing it’s time to figure out what’s going on with you!

Crack a cold one and get ready for a laugh with this one as the boys go slightly off topic with a plethora of stories. They do go over some seriously good tips on scheduling and how to “control the uncontrollable”.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... How to schedule and what makes it easier.  More options will increase your ability to schedule.  Burleigh is in fact on the Gold Coast.  Even if your schedule is sorted on the Friday, chances are it’ll be off by lunchtime on Monday. Massaging your schedule.  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.  Without a schedule you’re going to lose track of jobs, you’ll lose time and ultimately you’ll lose control. If you think the schedule is cemented in place and nothing can or will change you’ll lose just as much. It’s important to have enough flexibility to maintain a consistent work-flow without debilitating yourself by being too rigid. Let’s face it, scheduling can be a pain in the a** but we can help with that, just remember to keep your cool and be prepared for some changes. 

At the end of the day business is a numbers game, and if you get them right you’ll be able to grow and move in any direction you want. It’s important to know where they come from, what they are for and that they’re correct - and if you aren’t sure, get help, because numbers are something you need to be on top of all the time. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Price er point v hourly? How to work those out. 3 x 2hr jobs on on day is a lot, but do the numbers reflect that work? You are governed by your numbers.  Why you need a price book! Every job needs job notes and information on variations! Are you listening to your numbers or are your numbers doing what you want them to? The difference is going to be in the growth and overall success of your business. Numbers are a major thing we look at with clients and getting them right so get in touch with us for more on that at [email protected]

When we say Van Talks we mean those all important chats you used to have with your boss or colleague that taught you so much more than just the job at hand. Those mornings on the way to site, back home or even on smoko. It’s about creating a team, a chance for people to chat and know each other and learning from them. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Communication between staff members. You got trained by someone so now its time to create an environment where you can teach the next generation of electricians. Learning through talking and shared stories, of success, failures and everything in between. Shout out to Ian and Andy! If it’s not the van, it can be at smoko so phones down and have a yarn.  Communication is so important in a team, it always allows the younger guys to improve their people skills by listening to experiences team members and then sharing stories and asking questions. As business owners you need to encourage conversation between employees about work and life. There’s always an opportunity to learn from the person next to you.

We all know it’s hard to find a tradie these days and you may not have the time to hire an apprentice and get their skills and approach in sign with what you need right now, but beware of the fast-hire trap. Hiring the first person that’s in front of you because you’re desperate won’t solve your existing problems and it will raise a whole lot of new ones.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... How creating a ‘hurdle’ in the interview process can weed out some people who won’t fit your job requirements or team.  Using scenarios in the actual interview will tell you a lot about someones technical knowledge. Why the interview time is up to you not them! Pitching your vision in the interview Actually implement a probation period and ensure monthly reviews to give both parties a chance to understand what works and what doesn’t.  Self reflection is the key to seeing how they see themselves.  Why your tradies might already have the answer.  The wrong hire is so much worse than no hire, it costs you additional time and frustration plus it’s not great for you or the person when it doesn’t work out. So put a process in place that limits the chances of a wrong hire.  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more!

A hard conversation only gets harder the more time passes. IT can be a performance review where you know your feedback will be more negative than positive, it can be an accident that occurred or somethings gone wrong and you need to tell your client or it might be something personal. We all have hard conversations that others have had with us and as a boss you’ll be the one doing the tough talks.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... How hard conversations become more difficult as time passes Situations where a hard conversation can definite result in better outcomes for everything  Get your facts and make sure the hard conversations occur in a planned way Like everything in business its all about planning, and having a process. That applies to hard conversations with tradies, your apprentices, clients and even mates or family. Do it calmly, do it with purpose and structure, and do it soon! This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. If you're the owner of an electrical company that wants to grow the business - get in touch with us.

Losing your temper can definitely happen but as you start and grow your electrical business that simply isn’t an option - even when you’re frustrated beyond belief. Sometimes we lose our temper anyway, and that’s when you need to recognise it, go back and fix the damage you’ve now caused or situation you let get out of hand.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... When you see others lose their temper - what have you thought! Stressful days and how to stay consistent throughout them. How to recognise your triggers and control them. No one wants to see someone flying off the handles. Remaining calm (even if it's only on the outside). That time they lost their s***, and what they should’ve done instead! Yelling will not resonate with your team. If it doesn't matter in 5 years, it shouldn't matter now. In business things are going to go wrong, someone in your company, you or a client is going to make you want to ‘lose it’, but you can’t control accidents, or what other people do - only what you do and how you react or handle everything after. So do it right and make sure you keep your clients as a tradie and keep growing your electrical business.  This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more!

Peak movie time, Leos law and more references you may or may not get. So how does Wedding Crashers relate to your electrical business. This is part two of the importance of sweat equity, previously Cam and Crowie discussed the importance of you putting in the time and effort to start and grow your business but there comes a point where you need to switch over to working smarted not harder or more. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... From SWEAT TO SMART. Opportunity cost or BCA. Find staff, keep staff. Hiring your weakness to create time! Knowing your skillset and buffing it out. Sausage rolls and pies. Beers and Basics is our favourite time each week and we hope you find some wisdom amongst the digression. So head down to blockbuster or videoezy and get into some movies! This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more!

This week it's all about job notes. Why you need them, how to do them and how to make them a part of your automatic process. Aside from the physical doing of the job, the notes of what you did, when and with what are so important particularly for client communication and invoicing. PLUS you may go back to that client or site in the future and you'll have these to refer back to. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... The difference job notes make and how they avoid business admin issues. The carpet must match the drapes. Training staff to do job notes. Why job notes are critical for client communication. Different jobs require different levels of detail in job notes, as the business owner you need to decided on that, but every job regardless of size or frequency needs job notes at the end of the day. Do them well, do them properly. Job notes as an electrician become even more important when you have variations, and variations are inevitable. This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit ⁠www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au⁠ for more!

The boys are enjoying a great beer and discuss customers, in this case - bad customers. Every electrician will have an experience with a non-ideal customer where, for one reason or another, things simply don’t go to plan.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... 99% of dealings are great, but inevitable you’ll have experience with a bad apple. How to identify a customer that isn’t ideal for your business. How to deal with a “bad customer” situation. Non-ideal customer vs bad communication. If you always have a bad customer, it may be a you problem. Sometimes it’s an invoice dispute, sometimes the original job plan changes and your work and the customers ideas no longer align. Inevitable you’ll have a problem with a customer in one way or another. Crowie and Cam discuss some ways you can handle bad customers as an electrician and some steps you can take along the way of any job to mitigate that. 

Have you every had a long night but left a glass of water on the bed side table (maybe even a Baroca ready to go on the side!) and woken up to it, thinking “Yes! Thank you past me!!!”. The little things we do right now can make such a difference in the future.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Working hard and ending up out of work. Breaststroke, Shannon Knoll and Vanilla Ice Stop, collaborate and listen! Diligence in planning and being proactive.  Finding work as an electrician. Be in the moment and teleport into the future.  So there we are, do things that make the future you thank the present you. Make sure you’re planning your work ahead. Finding work as an electrician or any tradie is a constant job, keep it up to keep moving up! This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business. Visit www.sparkycoachgroup.com.au for more!

You gotta grip it to rip it! So when you're starting your electrical business you'll be putting in long hours, doing most or all the tasks involved in running your business and more than likely putting your business before everything else. That is sweat equity and every business owners - definitely the successful ones - know about it, because they've been there. That begs the question, is it important and will it be worth it. Sweat equity is no joke, it comes from knowing what it's like to have everything come second. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... What is sweat equity and why do you need it? The long hours at the beginning mean bigger rewards at the end! Their own experience in putting in the time when starting an electrical business. Work vs family, is there a solution? Work hard, then work smart! It's Sunday so crack a beer with us and let's chat sweat equity! We are able to help you go from working hard to working smarter!

It's always an afterthought! "The thing" you'll get to when you get to it. A day passes, a week, suddenly you forgot altogether. Clients are even chasing you for the invoice - and you can barely remember what you did. This has happened to everyone! In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... My first invoice! What their invoicing process was vs how it is today. Tradify, Xero and MYOB - have a process! Sending invoices definitely increases the chance of them being paid! Invoicing and cash flow, they go hand in hand. Often we can do the big things well, but it’s the small things that add up, one billable hour down a day adds up! You need to check and measure every job. This is where Sparky Coaches come in, billable hours, efficiency and all those numbers are what we help you work out and work through with trademarked calculators built for electricians, by successful electrical business owners.

You can have the ultimate skills as an electrician and know it's time to start your own electrical company, but there's a bit more to it that having the tools. It's also about talking the talk, and walking the walk. What do we mean? Professionalism is critical, how you present yourself and your company. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... What does professional look like? sound like? act like? The difference a well setup website, email and digital footprint can make? Why go to the effort of putting your company online? Making more money and getting more clients as an electrician by being professional. This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business.

You've worked 80 hours this week, you have a big project coming up and you have no staff and can't find any? Did you wait too long? Maybe you find someone but the job starts tomorrow and they don't know what to do and how you work! Unfortunately there is no depot for amazing staff that you can rent our on a project basis so you need a process! In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Key indicator to hiring - how much are you working a week? How many hours? / how much work every week? Know when to pull the trigger and hire, and know who to hire and why! The key to a happy team? You’ve got the be happy here, and I have to be happy with you! This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business.

We don't want to get preachy or ask you to dig deep and manifest positivity at every step of your day here BUT based on our own experience we know how much easier it is to go about your day only noticing things that went pear shaped and not stopping whenever something goes well. We also aren't saying you need to bring out the confetti each time a light switch gets installed without any issues! What is important though is to celebrate wins, acknowledge the good and just enjoy when the **** isn't hitting the fan. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Why acknowledging the good is as important as noticing the bad. What kinds of things are worth celebrating? How often should you step back and appreciate AND how can you show that appreciation? Why is stopping along the way and grabbing someone a coffee an easy thing to (and one that'll go a long way)! Saying thanks to en employee doesn't need to put you in the "I want a raise" firing line. Running an electrical business, or any business for that matter, is hard work. On any given day your doing 98 things at once - and that's on a good day! Most of the time your also faced with new problems, and things going wrong. So in that maze of the good and the bad, balancing your recognition of "YES!" and "Oh ****" moments is pretty important. It makes your employees know you don't just see mistakes, it makes clients know your thoughtful and understanding and fair (they like that!) and it makes your day better. It helps you see how far you've come. Our advice, take some time out during the day, or each week, or once a month and make a list of all the good things like signing a new client, a great new job with a loyal customer, an employee that's done a great job consistently and who you can rely on, your footy team winning - it really doesn't matter. What matters is recognition.

Variations are going to happen on any job. That's for project work with builders on a construction site or renovations and on service jobs. Things come up. Things change. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Variations, what are they and what does that mean? Preparing for variations on an electrical job! A process for variations quote to invoice. How a walk through can make the difference! It's important to understand your job and whats required. Having a process in place for every electrical job is critical, that was you can communicate every step of the way. This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business.

COACHING & INFORMATION FOR ELECTRICAL BUSINESS OWNERS: ⁠WWW.SPARKYCOACH.COM.AU ⁠ How many bad hires have you made?  Now we are in a labour shortage, it hasn’t been like this since WW2 so more than ever you need a solid process. Also now “networking (we hate that word) - someone on your team may know someone they work well with. Don’t just be liven on a prayer.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... Setting the tone, communication and staff performance reviews. You need a process, screening, know WHAT you are looking for? Key indicator to hiring - how much are you working a week? How many hours? / how much work every week? Know when to pull the trigger and hire, and know who to hire and why! The key to a happy team? You’ve got the be happy here, and I have to be happy with you! This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business.

COACHING & INFORMATION FOR ELECTRICAL BUSINESS OWNERS: ⁠WWW.SPARKYCOACH.COM.AU ⁠ How often and overlooked is the path of least resistance? Position yourself where the work comes in, minimum effort and max return.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... How staying involved in your community can be the next step in growing your business. #callmeplease (not maybe!) What’s in front of you? Who do you know or who are your existing clients? How can you leverage existing people you know for more work? Do kids question where meals come from 3 x a day? Who can you contact that can put not one but 2 or 5 jobs in front of you? What are ways you find new people? What about when you exhaust your network? So who are you looking for?  Existing clients e.g. facility managers or building managers in body corp. How? Networking (we hate that word!) When you start a business you expect a welcoming parade of clients. That’s not how it works. You need to call, go for coffee (go for a beer?)! Most top clients will be relationship based!

COACHING & INFORMATION FOR ELECTRICAL BUSINESS OWNERS: WWW.SPARKYCOACH.COM.AU Are you the number 1 point of contact for clients, employees, suppliers and every person and situation in your electrical business? Can you do everything best? Probably! BUT is that beneficial for the company? Is it beneficial to create that bottleneck of work? You need to make someone else the hero! Let them take the call, run the walkthrough or head up the meeting.  In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... What to consider as your team grows “growing pains” a you get bigger, more clients… as you look to get staff on board , as you get “off the tools” more. How to transfer knowledge, work and responsibility while still being a profitable. Sweat equity! You have momentum, you have a good reputation as a sparky so how can you transfer that without losing it? How apprentices can help grow with you, they have no baggage and you can train them how you do things!  When growing your team...  There’s an element of ego in training. Do you like to be the one who answers the calls and questions? Now you need to get that satisfaction from training someone else to do that.  People don’t like change - so how can you retrain clients to not contact you, but another person in your business. You need to remove yourself from the pathway e.g. clients call you, because your in their path, now redirect them to another person. Many people hire out of necessity because they need someone tomorrow of something, and it becomes a train wreck. Introducing them to the team with some TLC , it may seem wasteful but in the end it’s like buying your time back. If you invest 16 hours in one week you can get 40 hours back in the future!  Going through things with a team member is an investment in your future time and the efficiency of the business an effectiveness of that person.  The key to helping with growing pains? Letting go so you don’t become a bottle neck. Letting go but keep a rope attached! Don’t just let go and say “she’ll be right” You need to teach but also support individuals to get experience. Do it slowly! Recognise strength of people in team, work to those and communicated.  This podcast is for experienced sparkys, and electricians with apprentices or their own electrical company. Passing on knowledge is useful information for all business owners and tradies!

COACHING & INFORMATION FOR ELECTRICAL BUSINESS OWNERS: ⁠WWW.SPARKYCOACH.COM.AU ⁠ Electrical wholesalers are where you go when you need products for clients, parts for electrical repairs and equipment to make your sparky business work. Is that all they do for you? We have stories of wholesalers helping out electrical companies in tough times, to recommend new staff and so much more. They are the ultimate network for you. In this episode Cam and Crowie talk... How can wholesalers help your business grow? Can wholesalers act as your information network? Physical stores vs online wholesalers, what are the pros and cons? Everyone loves a chat, wholesalers not only have the latest and greatest in products you need, they also know the great electricians and new apprentices, they know who's happy and unhappy, who's new in town and so much more. Show those guys some love and ask the questions when you need help or answers. This podcast is for electricians, electrical business owners, partners and friends of electricians, Aussie Tradies and anyone interested in learning how to run a business better. Cam and Crowie are focused on electricians success and for business owners to increase revenue, grow their business, find more time and freedom and stepping away from the day-to-day or selling an electrical business.