Jon again, fresh from a hard day trying to get people to change the way they run their business so they can get themselves a better business. One that makes them more money and takes less time and gives them fewer ulcers.

I believe I can help owners of trades businesses, like you, make your businesses better. The Coaching Program Tradies Toolbox is a program built for trades business owners to help you take control of your business back – to drive it somewhere instead of letting it drive you

(And to spend less time quoting of course – one of my favourites)

So another suggestion or two and I’ll leave you alone until it’s time to invite you to learn more about the Tradies Toolbox.

I hope it’s obvious that there are more tools in it than I’ve shown you so far and that there’s substance to my claims that it will help you (and I’ll help you) change your business for the better.

Interruptions

I bet you get interrupted all the time and can’t get anything done during the day. I bet you work at night when the phone isn’t ringing and people aren’t hassling you.

Customers – where’s my stuff?

Suppliers – where you you want this?

Your boys – make a decision for me…

You need to find a way to give yourself uninterrupted time so you can do work – the quotes, the business coaching, the marketing, the invoicing (if you do it).

A couple of thoughts:

• The world doesn’t end of you don’t answer your phone. People don’t really take their business elsewhere.
•  Answering your phone in meetings is rude.
• If your team need your help but they can’t get it because you’ve made yourself unavailable, guess what happens…they think for themselves. It’s amazing.

Here’s another idea (Dallas did this).

Change your voicemail message to something like:

“Hi, it’s Jonny, I’m not answering right now but I’ll get back to you, so please leave a message. I check my messages at 9.30, 12.00 and 4, so please expect a call back around those times. If it’s an emergency, call an ambulance”

OK, maybe leave out the ambulance part 🙂

Dallas Pearson has this voicemail and he tells me it has made his days enormously more productive – in between messages he gets stuff done.

Other ideas include going home to get things done and turning both your phone and your email off for the duration.

Sitting in a cafe with no phone or email.

I hope you get the idea and try it. And if you do please tell me how much more productive it made you in the comments below. I swear by this rule.

And I hope you come along to the Webinar when I send you an invitation. It’s useful and it’s free, so watch your email.

Adios Amigo