The Biggest Asset In A Tradies Business That Won’t Fit In The Toolbox

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tradie business wife to be valued

Last year I had a question from a wife of a plumber, asking me how she can better assist her husband with his plumbing business. I sent my advice and went to work on a post, but never got to publishing it. What I really wanted to achieve from the post is to encourage this wife for her heart for the business, while acknowledging her efforts, even if they were shrugged off by her husband.

Today’s post is a little different. It’s in no way sponsored, but I invited Eve John from Fully Booked Tradies to share a post about what she does and how she can help your plumbing or trade related business – by focusing on one of the best assets a family run trade business has – the trade’s wife or partner.

I’m fond of Eve because she was one of the first readers (other than my family!) of my blog and her husband created REEECH Silicone Nozzles, which was the first product I ever reviewed on my blog. (Back then it was called Bent Over Silicone Nozzles)

Every Facebook post that she shares on her page, has me nodding my head in agreement to her encouragement and advice. Having been both the tradie and the daughter working behind the scenes of our family plumbing business, I understand the crucial role the office worker has on a tradie’s business.

In most family trade businesses, like plumbing, this role is undertaken by the wife of a husband and wife team. Some businesses may have a different partner scheme. Eve understands this role perfectly well and she wants the wives (or partners) who assist with their husband’s trade related business to realise their potential and how very important they are. A message I believe every wife/partner needs to hear when running a business with their tradie other half.

So I’m going to let Eve kick it off here, but before I do, I recommend you like her Facebook page and it’s my hope that you will be acknowledged for the incredible work you do. It doesn’t go unnoticed, even if it sometimes feels like it is.

marries a tradie meme

The Biggest Asset In A Tradies Business That Won’t Fit In The Toolbox

Owning your own family business is meant to give you the opportunity to have freedom, personally and financially.

But with 98.6% of construction businesses with fewer than 20 (source: ABS), often isn’t money in the business for all the staffing needed to grow the business.

Too often trade business owners devalue the one asset that used effectively could add another 6 figures to their business, with less stress, more authority and no ‘extra’ workload.

That asset?

Their wives/partners.

But it isn’t just the tradie that’s guilty of undervaluing their partner.

It is the partner undervaluing themselves too.

How do you know that’s you?

By answering these three questions;

1. When asked what do you do, do you or have you ever answered ‘I work for my husband/partner’

2. Do you do tasks that you really hate, that take hours and that you know should be done by someone else? ie: bookkeeping or order stock,

And finally,

3. Do you currently take any income from the business?

A study conducted online, found that only 11% of women respondents answered question 3 with: ‘I receive a set wage every week regardless of how much work I do’

A staggering 89% responded that either ‘I don’t get any income from the business’, or ‘We have an amount that is taken out for both of us’,

And this both, breaks my heart and boils my blood.

Not only because you aren’t paid for what you do.

But it is likely that you don’t feel that you are worthy of it either.

Is it because pretty much everything you do is behind the scenes, so you think no one takes value in it?

Or because it’s not income producing, like doing the physical work, the marketing or selling?

My research has found most wives/partners do the equivalent of a combined value of $120,000 worth of employee work, meaning that if you had to get employees in and pay them to do the work, it would cost over $120,000!

And that is not even including things like superannuation and Workcover.

So how do you turn yourself into an asset, instead of feeling like a liability?

By working on the skills that you already have as a woman, that are transferable over to the business.

The ones they don’t teach at trade school and that are income producing.

The skill?

Communication (which is really all that Marketing and Sales are in your business)

So here is what I want to do.

I want to help you to value yourself.

But I am not doing it for free because I value my time.

I will do it for something that I know unites every Australian woman, the surge of Domestic Violence.

You can buy 1 hour of my time for a donation to my favourite charity; Impact for Women.

I’m fast, efficient and will give you a plan of what to do next for your business.

No strings attached, no hidden agenda.

Simply follow the link, pay a minimum $50 and send me the receipt mailto:you@evejohn.com.au.

You can then book and talk to me about whatever marketing or sales issue the business has.

Need more leads, no problems.

Want to convert more quotes, simple.

Or if you want to talk to your partner about getting a wage, we can work on that.

And if you don’t think it was worth $50, I will give you double your money back out of my own pocket.

Why?

Because, I value you.

Eve John
Fully Booked Tradies

Thank you Eve for your post. If you are a partner working in your family tradie business, why not get in touch with Eve?

If you’re right for leads, but just want general encouragement for the day to day dealings of your business, follow Eve’s page.

Do you sometimes feel undervalued in your business? How do you overcome those feelings or what have you done to make yourself valued in your family tradie business?