🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt

Most tradie business owners want great staff…
But retaining them long-term is a whole different challenge.

In this episode of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt sits down with Chris Buttenham, founder of Reins, to unpack a smarter way to reward and retain key team members, without giving away control of your business.

They break down phantom equity, profit sharing, and incentive structures that help trade business owners:
✔️ Build loyalty
✔️ Align staff with business growth
✔️ Create real exit options
✔️ Avoid the risks of traditional equity

If you’re struggling to keep good people, thinking about your long-term exit, or want your team to care about the numbers as much as you do, this episode is a must-watch.

KEY CHAPTERS
00:00 – Teaser
02:00 – Meet Chris Buttenham & his contractor background
04:40 – Why exit planning is broken for most tradies
07:05 – Real stories: equity, private equity & staff buy-in
09:40 – What is phantom equity?
12:25 – Phantom equity vs real equity explained
15:15 – Using equity to retain and motivate key staff
18:35 – Vesting, performance rules & protecting the owner
23:45 – Equity vs profit share: what to use and when
28:25 – Transparency, numbers & educating your team
34:05 – How to set this up properly (and keep it simple)
38:55 – Where to learn more & final takeaways

📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Chris Buttenham is the co-founder and CEO of Reins, a platform helping contractors reward and retain key staff through simple, low-risk equity incentives. With roots in a family contracting business and experience in tech and M&A, Chris specialises in making complex equity and exit strategies practical for trade business owners.

CONNECT WITH CHRIS BUTTENHAM
Website: https://www.myreins.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myreins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reinstechnologies
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/myreins/

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🎯 Free Tools To Help Your Business:
https://tradie.wiki/pod

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Marketing For Your Business – Learn More About Tradie Web Guys:
https://tradie.wiki/yt

In Episode 482, Matt is joined by Claudio Gambin, a financial adviser and tax strategist who specialises in helping trade and construction business owners stop overpaying tax and start using smarter financial strategies.

If your accountant only speaks to you at tax time, pushes generic advice, or can’t explain how to legally reduce your effective tax rate, this episode will open your eyes. Claudio breaks down the most common tax red flags tradies miss, why being proactive matters more than minimising tax at all costs, and how to reinvest savings back into your business to fuel long-term growth.

This conversation goes beyond tax returns and dives into strategy, cash flow, scalability, and what actually makes a trade business bankable and sellable.

🎥 Watch the video version of this podcast at:
https://youtu.be/8bLf7qGbibM

Key Chapters:

00:00 – The tax questions tradies should be asking
01:10 – Why most tradies overpay tax
03:54 – The best investment is your business (not more assets)
08:41 – Why reinvesting profit is tax-effective
10:00 – Proactive tax planning explained
15:08 – Depreciation, leverage & overlooked tax wins
18:04 – The 3 golden questions for your accountant
21:20 – Using tax savings to fuel growth
24:45 – Eliminating lifestyle expenses from your business
28:13 – What makes a trade business sellable
38:05 – Strategy, time, and staying proactive

Links mentioned in this episode:

GFG Solutions: https://gfgsolutions.com/

Claudio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudgambin/

Connect With Claudio Gambin:

Website: https://gfgsolutions.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudgambin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claudio.gambin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiogambin

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt

With online ads becoming noisier, more expensive, and harder to trust, many trade business owners are rediscovering the power of physical, personalised marketing that actually gets noticed.

In Episode 481 of The Site Shed Podcast, Matt Jones sits down with Wilson Zehr, direct mail and marketing automation expert from Zairmail, to unpack why direct mail is making a serious comeback for tradies in 2026 and why relying on digital-only marketing may be hurting your conversions.

This episode is packed with real-world examples, practical frameworks, and clear do’s and don’ts for using direct mail alongside digital marketing to win more local jobs, improve follow-up, and stand out in crowded markets, so make sure to listen until the end!

Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
02:43 - Meet Wilson Zehr: From Software Engineer to Strategic Marketing
06:17 - The Nike Success Story and Why *Shoe Dog* is a Must-Read
08:52 - From Surfboards to Zairmail (Mail as Fast as Email)
12:26 - The "Junk Mail" Flip: Why Direct Mail Breaks the Digital Noise
15:04 - Marketing as a Mechanic (Direct Mail & Digital)
17:42 - Building Communication into the American Routine
20:30 - The 70/20/10 Rule (The Ultimate Direct Response Formula)
24:43 - Segmenting Voters for Overwhelming Success
27:32 - Proximity Mail: The Best Way for Home Service Businesses to Target Geographically
30:40 - Case Study or Offer, How Real Estate Agents Use Mail?
33:41 - Avoid the Shotgun Approach (Hyper-Personalization is Key)
36:25 - Why You Need to Be Remembered Before Disaster Strikes
39:34 - The Power of Fridge Magnets and Referral Stickers
43:56 - Scaling Past Word-of-Mouth
47:37 - Why Monthly Newsletters Beat Unreliable Email Deliverability
50:23 - Nurturing Leads with Email, SMS, and Direct Mail
53:24 - Direct Mail Best Practices
56:24 - Keep Messages Short and Drive Traffic to Video
1:00:33 - Your Website is Your Credibility

📲 Watch the video version! https://youtu.be/03B4nwRFBLM

CONNECT WITH WILSON ZEHR
Website: https://www.zairmail.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wilsonzehr/
Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/wilson.zehr
Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/Zairmail/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonzehr

CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradiewebguysAus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt

Hiring good people has never been harder. And it’s not getting easier in 2026.

If you’re a tradie or contractor struggling to find, keep, or motivate good staff, this episode will change how you think about hiring forever.

In this 480th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with Tom Reardon, founder of PeopleIN and one of Australia’s most experienced workforce leaders, to break down what actually works when labour is tight and why most trade businesses are unknowingly making hiring harder than it needs to be.

This isn’t theory. It’s real-world, boots-on-the-ground advice from someone who’s scaled teams across Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re sick of reacting to hiring problems and want a long-term game plan, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
01:18 - Tom's Background and People Infrastructure Explained
03:36 - Culture is Not Static: How it Evolves as Your Business Grows
06:39 - The "Rotting Apple" Problem: How One Bad Attitude Kills a Team
09:16 - The Astronomic Cost of a Bad Hire (It's 3 Times Their Salary)
12:26 - Beyond Salary: Attracting Talent with a Career Path, Not Just a Job
15:47 - The Danger of Promoting Sideways (Don't Damage a Good Career)
18:01 - Can Bad Attitudes Be Turned Around? (Only with a Strong Culture)
21:20 - Performance-Based Remuneration: The Future of Trade Incentives
24:59 - Using NPS (Net Promoter Score) for Accountability
27:48 - Why Most Trade Businesses Lack Strategy
30:38 - Stop the Doing: The Importance of 90-Day Resets
33:02 - Inaccurate Data Trap: Net Profit Percentage vs. Dollar Value
36:26 - Culture Must Evolve: Everyone is Responsible for the Core Values
39:19 - Promoting Leadership: Markers of Action and Results
42:47 - Why Australian Trades Are Globally Sought After (Quality and Standards)

👤 About the Guest: Tom Reardon
Tom Reardon is the founder of PeopleIN, one of Australia’s largest workforce and labour hire groups. With over 20 years in recruitment, labour hire, and workforce strategy, Tom has helped businesses scale without losing culture, even in the tightest labour markets.

CONNECT WITH TOM REARDON
Website: https://www.peoplein.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/convos_on_the_couch/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-reardon-555b614/

CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradiewebguysAus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthematt

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt

2025 was a big year, and for many trade businesses, it came with some hard lessons.

In this solo episode, Matt Jones looks back on what actually worked and what didn’t across hundreds of trade businesses he’s worked with throughout the year. It’s a real-world review from inside the trenches of marketing, sales, and business growth.

If you felt busy in 2025 but didn’t see the results you expected, this episode will help you understand why and what needs to change if 2026 is going to be different.

What You’ll Learn:
✔ Why strategy must come before marketing
✔ The danger of spending money without systems
✔ Why more leads won’t fix broken processes
✔ How scaling creates new problems if you’re not prepared
✔ The mindset shifts trade business owners resisted in 2025
✔ What you should reflect on before planning 2026

Key Chapters:
00:00 - Teaser
00:42 - Welcome and reflections on the year 2025
01:15 - Thank you for support! (almost 500 episodes!)
02:04 - Appreciating listener feedback and requests
03:48 - Expanding the Academy and resources
04:15 - Upcoming events: Ski Workshop and Surf Workshop
05:12 - Business workshops and making events a business expense
06:14 - Key takeaways from 2025 #1: Strategy
07:37 - Key takeaways from 2025 #2: System
08:32 - Key takeaways from 2025 #3: Scale and Fulfillment
09:46 - Key takeaways from 2025 #4: Spending the money to get the outcome
11:11 - The Profit First Model
12:52 - Stop subscribing to doom and gloom
13:46 - Stop, reflect, and appreciate
14:35 - Do your research
15:16 - Look after yourself (physically and mentally)
16:00 - Closing thoughts on 2026 and making a decision

🎧 Listen to the audio version of this podcast at: https://tradie.wiki/listen

CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/

CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS!
Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TradiewebguysAus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod
🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt

HR isn’t why you started your trade business.
But getting it wrong can cost you serious time, money, and stress.

In this 478th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with Karen Hillen from My HR Partner to break down what Fair Work actually cares about when it comes to tradie businesses with employees and contractors.

This isn’t theory or corporate HR talk.
It’s practical, trade-specific advice to help you avoid common HR traps and protect your business.

🕒 Key Chapters
00:59 – Why HR mistakes hurt tradie businesses
02:04 – Meet Karen Hillen & what an HR partner does
03:29 – Employee vs contractor: the core confusion
06:19 – When a contractor is legally an employee
10:04 – Contractor vs casual employee explained
14:39 – Trade award entitlements most tradies miss
17:59 – Redundancy & leave liabilities in trade businesses
23:14 – How Fair Work handles complaints
34:14 – Performance management: act early, not late
40:09 – Contracts, VAs & getting the right HR advice

What You’ll Learn:
✔ The real difference between an employee and a contractor
✔ When a contractor should legally be treated as an employee
✔ Why contracts alone won’t protect you
✔ Trade award entitlements most tradies don’t know about
✔ When redundancy pay applies, even if someone resigns
✔ How Fair Work handles complaints and underpayments
✔ How to deal with performance issues before they explode

📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen

CONNECT WITH KAREN HILLEN
Website: https://www.myhrp.com.au
HR Hub: https://myhrp.com.au/hr-hub/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhrpartnerau
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyHRPartnerAustralia
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhillen/

CONNECT WITH THE SITE SHED!
Website: https://www.thesiteshed.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/
Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Are your quotes accidentally pushing good clients away?

In this 477th episode of The Site Shed, Matt sits down with sales and leadership expert Drew Norton to break down the real reasons tradies lose work and how a few simple mindset and process shifts can help you win better clients without relying on low prices.

Drew gives useful tips for making the discovery process better, leading with confidence, making sure people understand their options, and building a sales system that really works.

If you want to charge what you're worth and stop clients from ghosting after the quote… this one’s for you.

🕒 Key Chapters
00:29 Drew Norton's background and expertise
01:22 Changing the perception of sales & leadership
02:31 The shift away from old-school, pushy selling
03:45 Why mindset drives sales success
06:43 The two real barriers to business growth
13:11 Why documenting processes is critical
14:36 How to communicate benefits, not features
24:50 “Sales Inception” (Drew’s 3-step framework)
28:54 The discovery phase: qualify before you quote
40:59 Defining customer avatars & speaking to pain points

🔧 What You’ll Learn

• Why tradies struggle with sales (and how to fix it)
• The mindset shift that makes quoting easier
• How to create a sales process you can train staff to follow
• Discovery questions that uncover what clients actually want
• How to avoid giving away free expertise
• Why you MUST stop talking in features and start talking in benefits
• How to confidently present options without sounding salesy

📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen

🎙 About Our Guest: Drew Norton
Founder of The Everyday Sales Leader, Drew helps business owners improve their sales confidence, leadership skills, and communication. His frameworks have helped tradies grow their revenue, raise prices, and build stronger teams in the tradie industry.

CONNECT WITH DREW NORTON

The Everyday Sales Leader

Website: https://theeverydaysalesleader.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeverydaysalesleader/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theeverydaysalesleader/
Quiz: The Everyday Sales Leader Quiz

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

👉 FREE tools, templates & resources for tradies: https://tradie.wiki/pod

In this 476th episode of The Site Shed, Matt Jones sits down with cybersecurity expert Ronnie Manning, Chief Brand Advocate at Yubico, to dive deep into best practices for protecting trade-based businesses and contractors like you in the digital age.

Discover the real risks of password reuse, why two-factor (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are a MUST for your team, and how passkeys and physical security keys are shaping the future of online security.

Key Chapters:
00:00 – Teaser
01:20 – What Yubico does & why authentication keys matter
02:35 – How hackers get into business accounts through admin access
04:18 – MFA, 2FA and the evolution of authentication
05:36 – Passkeys explained: the strongest form of login security
06:03 – How physical YubiKeys work in real life
12:04 – The most common cyber breach scenarios for SMBs
17:43 – Why password managers are essential for every business
25:12 – MFA as the “seat belt” of cybersecurity
31:27 – New global data: Gen Z most likely to fall for phishing

You'll learn:
✔ Why using the same password for everything is dangerous, and what to do instead;
✔ How password managers can simplify your digital life while boosting security
✔ The evolution of authentication: From SMS codes to passkeys and physical security keys like Yubikey
✔ What “phishing-resistant authentication” actually means, and why it matters
✔ How to protect your business accounts from hackers, even in collaborative teams
✔ Browser and VPN tips to keep your data safe (especially when traveling or working remotely)
✔ Real-world stories, practical policies, and step-by-step strategies for small businesses

📲 Listen On The Go! https://tradie.wiki/listen

CONNECT WITH YUBICO

Website: https://www.yubico.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCqkvjt06Q4hejDEo5PZt6zg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yubico/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yubico/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yubikey

CONNECT WITH RONNIE MANNING:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronniemanning/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronniemanning/

Your Next Step:

Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.

👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod

Follow The Site Shed:

• Facebook: The Site Shed
• Instagram: @thesiteshed
• LinkedIn: Matt Jones
• Website: thesiteshed.com
• YouTube: @TheSiteShed

If you enjoyed this podcast and this series, please take 5 to leave us a review:
⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:
⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed