What we're shipping, and what we're learning
Product updates, plus practical guides on running an Australian trades business — written by people who've had to do it.
Business
Sole trader vs company (Pty Ltd) for tradies
How a sole trader and a Pty Ltd company differ on tax, personal liability, licensing, insurance and admin, and the questions to ask before you switch.
Is hipages worth it for tradies? How to work out what a lead really costs
How hipages, Airtasker and ServiceSeeking charge tradies, a simple way to work out your cost per won job, and the free alternatives.
The best job management apps for Australian tradies in 2026, compared
BizzMate, ServiceM8, Tradify, Fergus, AroFlo, simPRO and Jobber: who each suits, the starting price and the free plan or trial.
Payment claim vs invoice: security of payment for tradies
When an invoice becomes a payment claim, what NSW, Victoria and Queensland require, payment schedules, and the adjudication deadlines.
Contractor or employee? How to tell for subbies and offsiders
The ATO and Fair Work tests, what changed in August 2024, sham contracting, and why a contractor paid for their labour can still be owed super.
Payday Super: what changed for trade businesses on 1 July 2026
Super now goes out with every pay run. The 7 business day rule, apprentices, labour-only contractors, the end of the ATO clearing house, and the first year.
How tradies can use AI without the hype
What AI is genuinely good at in a trade business, what to keep for yourself, how to protect customers' details, and where to start.
What to do when a customer won't pay
Check your own paperwork, remind early, call, then a letter of demand, and the formal options after that, without breaking the rules on collecting debts.
Getting more work as a tradie without paying for leads
Be findable, answer every enquiry, quote the way customers decide, turn one job into the next, and use the free leads that exist.
Cutting the time it takes to get paid
Most late payment is caused by something the business did — or didn't do — before the invoice ever went out. Six changes, in the order worth making them.
What changes when you hire your first apprentice
Scheduling, supervision, insurance and cash flow all move the day you take someone on. What to sort out before they start.
One email a month. No fluff.
What shipped, what's coming, and one practical thing you can use in your business this week.