Even though it doesn’t take an MBA to run a successful business..

Approximately 1 in 3 businesses are truly profitable –is yours one of them?
Currently approximately 1 in 3 businesses in Australia is genuinely profitable, 1/3 breaking even and the remainder losing money.

Pretty shocking numbers if you think about it, especially if you have the courage to look at your own business and find that yours is actually one of the latter two.

It is also food for thought when considering your prospective clients; who you want to provide with services and goods. There is a 2 in 3 chance every time you provide credit, that your client might have cashflow problems.

Why are only so few businesses really doing well?
To understand why so few are doing well, it helps to ask how they began trading.

A lot of businesses are started because of the owners/founders’ industry skill and a passion for their trade or product.

Most small businesses, especially the trades have an initial influx of business, which is often a result of their immediate network of friends, family and existing trade contacts.

This initial inflow of business, without the input of marketing effort, leads to a perceived sense of success, that “business is pumping” and that running a business is actually not that difficult.

Which leads to another critical error many people make early in their career. – They employ their life partner to do the admin. Now don’t get me wrong, in a few cases this does really work well, but a lot of the time, the partner being employed is not a professional bookkeeper nor trained in admin.

Often this choice is made to either save money or keep the money in the family. The reality though is that often it is a case of “the blind leading the blind” where neither the founder nor the bookkeeper have the necessary experience and/or knowledge to run a successful profitable business that provides a good lifestyle for the owners.

So what does it take to run a profitable business?
There are a few, key elements, that differentiate a successful business from one that is just going through the motions.

1: Successful businesses are systemised

Just look at McDonalds and you see successful and repeatable systemisation. Until recently, for most prospective business owners it was a matter of either buying an existing business with systems already in place, buy a franchise, or developing your own business model the hard way, over years of trial and error.

Thanks to the internet and recent leaps in mobile technology, SME’s now have access to state of the art business management software that reproduce successful, and profitable business systems such as JGID – Just Get It Done!

Well established successful business systems, such as those within the JGID business management software, can save people years of painful learning, and allows SME’s to use turn key solutions to business management within a matter of hours without huge upfront investments. Systems like JGID and XERO are based on industry best practice, passing on years of experience without the learning pains.

2: Successful businesses consistently have good marketing

Marketing is something most business owners don’t like thinking through, doing or talking about.

Try thinking of it this way; marketing for a business is necessary like fuel is for fire. The more you put in the bigger the fire burns.
When you make a fire, some fuel burns very well and others not at all.

It is important to pick the right marketing fuel i.e. the methods, the channels and partners.

Business cards, clean uniforms, presentable staff and a good website should be the basics for any business.

Whilst the first two are reasonably easy to obtain, in the days when each and every business owner is bombarded with emails and phone calls promising professional webdesign and 1st page of google ranking, it can be difficult to decide who to trust.

Best is to work with people who have a track record of good web design or can verify reaching sustainable SEO targets before making any engagements. We have used many design teams, and experimented with various SEO companies, so if you like our website and find our content easily at JGID.com, please feel free to contact the team at JGID to find out who does our webdesign and SEO.

As a rule of thumb, the best marketing tools to invest in are channels you can measure, for example your website or Facebook page. Also it is a good practise to always ask new prospects how they heard about you. This will allow you to get a better gage on how much business really comes from SEO and to know how much business comes from referral or the sign writing on your vehicles for example.

Press here if you would like to download our free new enquiry form. Print out a few and keep them next to your phones or in your car, to make sure you or your admin never forget to ask all the relevant questions during that first call.

3: Profitable businesses invariably have their books done by professionals and regularly reviewed by the owners

Bookkeeping is something many business owners don’t like doing, and probably shouldn’t be doing either. It’s simple. Do what you are good at. Hire professionals for the rest. Hire the right bookkeeper and for a very small fee each month you can have peace of mind and don’t risk ruining your marriage along the way.

Thanks to very user friendly cloud solutions like Xero, business owners can have up to date financial transparency via the internet and on their phone. So they know how their business is doing at all times without requiring much IT knowledge at all.

We work with very good and affordable bookkeepers all the time. Press here if you would like to be introduced to the people who do our bookkeeping. They are amazing.

4: Successful, profitable business owners treat their people well and don’t have secrets

This is probably the most important ingredient to success.

Unless you want to work 24/7 until you drop, you will at some point need people who help you. People are what make or break a company.

It is the people you employ who deal with your clients. If you treat them well, they will treat your clients well and they will do their job well.
A thank you at the end of each day, recognition of good work and effort put in, will often go a whole lot further than a pay rise or bonus.

Once people have their financial needs covered, most people will chose their workplace based on the people they work with and the environment they work in.

Build a good culture from the start and you are on the right track. Successful, profitable teams consist of positive and proactive workers.

What holds may businesses back is loss of key team members, but keeping your business finances relatively transparent actually helps prevent that disgruntlement and loss of top performers.
If the team is made aware of all the time, money and effort that goes into Marketing, Equipment, Insurance, Admin, Sales, HR and Accounts, they realise that they are not “the only ones doing any real work”.

5: Successful business owners exchange ideas with and learn from others

Business is about exposure to people, ideas and methods. Every business can improve. The journey never ends.

Methods that might have been efficient a few years ago, might now be antiquated and slow compared to what is available today.

It is easy to get comfortable doing things the way they have been done for a long time, but it is the businesses that continue to improve and change that eventually evolve into successful and profitable businesses. Don’t be busy fools, embrace change and use your team’s experience and ideas to expand into the emerging market opportunities.

Andre Quin, CEO of JGID and advocate for the services of EC Credit Control, is a passionate business owner who has been involved in a number of trades businesses and online start-ups. He has been exposed to and seen behind the scenes of hundreds of trades businesses over the years.

To this day, Andre loves to talk to business owners from any background and makes a point to stay approachable and contactable for anyone. “People call me for advise but every time I try to help, I also learn something myself” he said during a recent interview.

Press here to book a phone call with Andre Quin if you would like to ask any question on how you could improve your business efficiency & profitability or if you would like to simply run an idea past him.

Job Management Software:
Ideal for Managing Multiple Job Locations

How do you give your clients your best? In service-based SMEs, one of the keys to exceptional service begins with understanding your clients needs on every level. When you’re managing projects in multiple locations, the standard is set even higher: the demand for streamlined organisation  and efficiency becomes even greater.
A job management software program such as JGID can be the tool that ensures you’re able to commit to giving your company’s best, each and every time, and in every single job location. While JGID proves itself an effective resource for a large range of fields, today, let’s look at its potency in the landscaping industry. As a landscaping software, JGID is the ideal choice for delivering uncompromised performance; managing multiple job locations with ease is just the beginning.

Planning Your Work in Each Location

Whether you’re doing grounds maintenance, landscaping design, or landscaping renovation, landscaping projects present a range of demands based on many factors. The management of multiple job locations must take into account the site characteristics as well as the unique client needs. The organisational structure and staffing decisions you put in place in each location should reflect and accommodate the different needs of each client and each project location.

The right job management software can assist you to do exactly this. JGID tackles the details throughout every step of the process, from quotation and job updates to daily pick lists, invoicing, and more. You can avoid delays in your landscaping projects knowing that JGID will help you get the right equipment to the right site precisely when it is needed.

Instant sharing of documents, photos, and even video allows your team to exchange up-to-the-minute updates and indicate job areas that need attention. And of course, JGID offers comprehensive staff scheduling: the final, essential piece of a well-structured job site management. This allows you to ensure you have the right complement of talent and standards in place to deliver consistent value, support the client experience, and guarantee client satisfaction. No other landscaping software can do that.

Consistency In the Field

A sure-fire way to waste time and resources is by having to start from scratch at each and every job site. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in each location. Instead, you can conduct a comprehensive analysis to capture the very best practices of each location, then implement them universally. A landscaping software like JGID can assist you to quickly replicate those beneficial cost efficiencies. The outcome? Increased productivity, happier clients and increased profitability in every job location. And the consistency across multiple locations also equates to easier measurement of your profits, job costs, and other KPIs.

Build a Better Team

Utilising the right job management software doesn’t just help provide improved results for your clients, it also can be an essential element in staff development. When managing multiple job locations for landscaping or other industries, JGID enables you to create  a more unified team. And your staff will appreciate the availability it affords management too: they’ll know they can easily access you to discuss any issues they may have and not lose the decision reached; by using the JGID Task Manager.

When you’re dealing with remote staff or management, it can be a challenge to ensure all parties feel that they play an active role in the decision-making process. Solid job management software can change that, with incredible ease of communication. Instantly, you can share photos, videos, documents, and more, with integrated apps that work seamlessly with JGID. Mobile connection has never been simpler, across locations and even time zones.

If you aim to establish a work climate that fosters innovative ideas, where team members even in remote locations can actively participate in creative problem solving, JGID is the industry choice. A collaborative work environment that encourages the open exchange of diverse ideas can be made ever more possible with the right work management software.

Want more details on how you can transform your business? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

Can the right job scheduling software make a significant difference in the growth of your business? The answer is yes.

The success of the rope access industry is due largely in part to its commitment to structure and safety. These elements are of the essence for rope access jobs and can be maximised even further with the use of a solid job management software. Rope access already outshines traditional scaffolding projects in terms of efficiency, but as every business management professional knows, there’s always room for improvement. With the right job scheduling software, running a more profitable, more efficient business is well within reach.

Do it right the first time: the benefit of job scheduling software

Successful project management involves more than just taking on every project and job request. It is far better to decline a project that can’t be completed within the desired time frame than to do substandard work. The right job scheduling software supports this approach, so that you can provide accurate quotations and tackle only those projects for which you can deliver outstanding effort. This results in fewer declined opportunities and a greater grasp of what is possible for your company.

Service based businesses such as rope access providers can benefit from the managerial accounting theory of DRIFT—do it right the first time. Because the contract process relies heavily on on the efficient movement of staff, materials, and information, “doing it right the first time” helps prevent those slight errors at one stage that can negatively impact the entire project.

Job scheduling software ensures a smooth contract process that reduces the carriage of excess inventory, helps eliminate wasted staff hours, and avoids inconveniencing the end customer. By reducing the costs of wasted labour and materials through appropriate and informed scheduling a business can maximise the profitability of each contract. Ultimately, this type of streamlined organisational strategy could enable you to handle an increased project load.

Meeting the unique needs of the rope access industry

Software like JGID can be a transformative resource in the area of rope access scheduling. Rope access providers must focus on organising the day-to-day requirements for individual tasks and projects. JGID enables swift, accurate, and clear organisation of tasks, the precise equipment needed, and the locations involved for multiple locations, job sites, and projects. Scheduling software also gets the right staff on the job site exactly when they are needed, with daily pick lists sent to your team so they can be fully equipped and prepared. But JGID doesn’t just list the basics, it’s an intuitive software built from within the rope access industry. Automation is key and the software can allow for repeat tasks and rolled over jobs and can adapt and inform when fresh situations arise affecting business as usual, such as weather impacts, holiday closures, and staff absences. And all of this is applied to the multiple projects under your SME’s umbrella.

The flexibility of JGID creates visibility across all platforms from office PC to field mobile. This ensures the entire operation from management to on-site supervisors and labourers can stay abreast instantly of the latest updates, keeping everyone on the same page. Changes or urgent situations can be swiftly communicated with exchange of messages, or electronic documents such as compressed photos, files, or even animations via connected apps like Skitch. The result? Better communication for all parties and more rapid response to matters which need attention.

Why JGID is the best job scheduling software for rope access (and other industries)

Traditional scheduling methods are increasingly relegated to the past; industry specific digital scheduling tools such as JGID give you the ability to meet the demands of today’s customers. Digital programs offer many different features that spreadsheets can’t match, such as automatically tracking preferred days off, logging time off requests, and even alerting you if you’ve double-scheduled a single employee or they haven’t got the qualifications to match the task.

For rope access, the value of replicating best practices can’t be denied. JGID provides you with an all-in-one software that enables you to effectively manage your compliance. Rope access is an industry built on safety, and a scheduling software like JGID is designed to further this aspect and make it even easier to ensure secure, safe practices.

And the instantaneous quality of the software is the apex of business efficiency. You can access progress documentation or view videos coming live via mobile device from the centre of the activity, be it a confined space in a chimney or roof space. For the rope access field, this means major improvements in productivity, cost-effectiveness, and more.

If you’re ready for a job management software that will give you better control of your business, get in touch with JGID today for full details.