🎯 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

🎯 Free Tools for Growing Trade Businesses: https://tradie.wiki/pod

CONNECT WITH LIZ CHISM
Website: https://www.lizchism.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liz_chism/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-chism-coaching
E-book: https://lizchism.com/ebook

Want to streamline your operations, improve your marketing, or close more jobs?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, guides, and insights that actually help your business!
👉 Check it out: https://tradie.wiki/pod

In this 475th episode of The Site Shed, Liz Chism, a contractor-turned-award-winning brewer, rebuilt her business and life by systemising everything. After working 100-hour weeks, Liz transformed her brewery into a business that ran smoothly without her, even while she travelled overseas with her phone off.

Today, she assists other tradies in achieving the same goals: eliminating chaos, increasing profit, and creating a business that provides them with a sense of relief.

This episode offers a wealth of practical strategies for contractors who may be feeling overburdened, underpaid, or lacking a clear path to growth, so make sure to watch until the end!

Key Chapters:
00:00 Liz’s turning point and escaping 100-hour weeks
02:26 Growing up in construction and early lessons
05:29 How systems saved her business (and sanity)
10:05 The 80/20 rule tradies ignore
12:16 Why SEO is changing with LLMs
15:58 Content, trust, and lead conversion
19:07 The follow-up gap costing contractors thousands
21:26 The “Chaos Tax” and hidden profit leaks
23:55 Estimating mistakes and the real cost of inaccuracy
27:25 Why more leads aren’t always the answer
30:30 Wearing too many hats and valuing your time properly
32:39 Cadence, routines, and becoming a true CEO
41:44 Scheduling mistakes that blow out jobs
46:24 Incentivising your team for performance
50:16 Final advice for overwhelmed contractors

CONNECT WITH US!
https://www.thesiteshed.com
https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/

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

#podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys

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

CONNECT WITH BRYAN CLAYTON!
Website: https://www.yourgreenpal.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryanmclayton/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GreenPal/495779490484818
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214

Want to streamline your operations, improve your marketing, or close more jobs?
Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, guides, and insights that actually help your business!
👉 Check it out: https://tradie.wiki/pod

In this 474th episode of The Site Shed, Bryan Clayton dives deep into building predictable revenue for trade businesses by using Costco's membership model as a blueprint, and what he revealed was amazing value for tradies like you.

Learn the crucial steps for creating irresistible service agreements for your plumbing, electrical, and HVAC customers, and stop leaving money on the table!

Key Chapters
0:00 Teaser
1:05 Selling Memberships to Plumbers & Electricians
3:47 The "Steve Martin Approach" to Irresistible Offers
7:07 Why Are Trades Still Operating Like It's 1997?
10:33 The 'Insurance Model' for Plumbing and Electrical Service
13:30 How to Experiment with Your Best Customers First
15:07 Steal These Membership Secrets from Uber and Amazon Prime
22:14 The No-Brainer Membership Model for HVAC Businesses
27:38 Leveraging Seasonality
30:25 The Tech You NEED to Manage Service Agreements (Is it worth it?)

CONNECT WITH US!
https://www.thesiteshed.com
https://www.facebook.com/thesiteshed
https://www.instagram.com/thesiteshed/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-site-shed/

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

#podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys

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

In episode 473, host Matt Jones sits down with Sean Samson, dialing in from Cleveland, Ohio, for the third and final part of their enlightening series. Today, they’re diving deep into the powerful world of service agreements—why they matter, how you can sell them effectively, and the massive opportunity they represent for electricians, plumbers, and other reactive-service businesses looking to build recurring revenue.

Matt and Sean break down the nuts and bolts of what a service agreement actually is, outlining the differences between commercial, industrial, and residential sectors, and sharing real-world tactics for turning a standard job into a long-term client relationship. From the importance of having a solid sales process, to insightful tips on targeting the right demographics, and how technology plays a key role in making service agreements work, this conversation is packed with actionable advice for business owners wanting to grow sustainably.

Timestamps:
00:00 "How to Sell Service Agreements"
06:12 NFPA Standards for Service Agreements
09:36 Residential Maintenance Membership Benefits
11:45 Selling Through Fear of Loss
15:01 Seasonal Maintenance Tips
16:53 Targeting High-Value Service Customers
22:14 "Technology Needed for Service Agreements"
24:45 Sean's Show Notes and Episodes

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

In this episode, host Matt Jones is once again joined by Sean Samson for the second part of their insightful series. If you missed the first installment where Sean shared the ten reasons your service and maintenance business will never grow, be sure to catch up, because today’s conversation builds on those foundational ideas.



Timestamps
00:00 Service Sales Process Benefits
04:34 "Scaling Requires Systems"
08:30 "Tracking Sales Process Metrics"
13:10 Sales Systems Enable Scalable Growth
14:09 Onboarding Requires Role Transition
20:09 "Discovery: Key to Problem-Solving"
23:44 "Process Guides Safe Problem Solving"
26:42 Job Walk and Verification Process
28:11 Outdated Residential Business Model
32:43 "Service Agreements & Recurring Revenue"

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