Why Can’t They Just Do Their Job Notes, Timesheets, and Add Their Photos?

Here's 20 years of business coaching and running a trade business distilled into 5 practical points.

Running a trade business is hard. Legitimately, it’s really difficult. Sales, quoting, growth, cash flow,  systems—the challenges pile up quickly and that’s before we even get to team management.

Finding the right people is tough. Keeping them on track and productive—or even just keeping them at all—can be even tougher. And motivating them? Some days, it feels downright impossible.

So, what tools do trade business owners have to create and maintain a high-performing team?

Let’s start with the most powerful ingredient that’s often overlooked or underused. Measurement. Done right, measurement is absolutely transformative, and it doesn’t have to be hard. 

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Here are five actionable steps to measure performance effectively and implement game-changing reporting in your business. 

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First up, is knowing what you can get out of it.

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1. Is This Even Worth It?

Absolutely, yes. Aside from improved team culture, happier days, and satisfied clients, there’s a good chance you’ll discover a chunk of profit being left on the table.

Real-Life Example:

One of our clients focused on team performance for 12 months and increased their profit per hour (PPH) by $27. With 20 techs working 38 hours per week for 42 weeks a year, that added over half a million dollars in profit—not sales, but profit.

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Still unsure? Let’s break it down:

• Even small tweaks add up, shifting the needle by 20c–$1/hour.
• Leaks like callbacks, extra travel time, incomplete job details, or missed materials eat away at profit.
• A modest PPH increase of $10/hour can yield massive results as you can see in the table below:

To see a real example – Check out this Case Study

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2. Align Your Team’s Direction with Your Business Goals

Get everyone pulling in the same direction and set the foundation for future expectations.

When the coach of your footy puts the players through their pre-season grind, you can guarantee that they aren’t getting any complaints.  Why? Because they all know why they are there and they have each signed up for it!

“We’re winning a flag this year!”.

• Create Your “Flag”: Share company goals in toolbox talks, one-on-ones, or team meetings. Avoid focusing on personal rewards (e.g., buying a yacht); instead, aim for goals like “hitting 1,000 five-star reviews” or “breaking into the commercial sector.”
• Invite Feedback: Use phrases like, “We’re serious about growing and know we’re not there yet. What can we do better?”
• Incentivise Performance: Build a bonus structure tied to profit-based metrics and leading indicators like job completion rates or system usage.

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3. What Should You Measure?

If you want to improve something - measure it!

Here are metrics that really matter for trade businesses - and the ones that trades businesses that achieve the healthiest growth focus on:

• Profit Per Employee: This metric will identify your top performers and those who need improvement. You’ll be able to answer key questions like: Who is my best performer? Who is my worst? Who is above average and who is below? You’ll be able to find the best and worst performed jobs, take note of the techs that managed them, and discuss it with them.
• Profit Per Hour Worked: A powerful efficiency metric, more impactful and actionable than Gross Margin Percentage.
• Job Completion Rate: Reflects how effectively your team executes jobs.
• System Usage Score: Track how well team members use your job management system (e.g., job notes, photos, compliance checklists). Better system use equals fewer missed materials, less back-and-forth, and happier clients.
• Conversion Rates: Measure how well your team turns phone calls or quotes into actual sales. This metric can help identify training needs and process improvements that directly boost revenue.
• Efficiency Metrics: Understanding and monitoring downtime and travel time are essential for maximising efficiency and increasing the number of hours that you have billable.
• Profit Sources: Apply the 80/20 rule to identify your most profitable clients, team members, and job types. Look at it over and again to find the niches and pockets of profit potentially overlooked.

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4. You’ve Got the Metrics—Now What?

Now you can take action on what the numbers reveal.

• Ensure Your Rates Are Right: You’re now capturing the true cost for each hour of your team. Make sure you’ve got the right rates! Use tools like a cost-rate calculator to avoid profit leaks. Don’t have one? Don’t worry we’ve made one you can steal. Just fill out our 2-min growth survey to get access to the download link.
  
  
• Present to the Team: Shows the team what’s being measured and why it’s important. Don’t overload them - start small with 1–2 metrics, like system usage scores.
  
  
• Foster Accountability: Encourage accurate documentation among field staff, ensuring that job notes, timesheets, and compliance checklists are completed diligently. This prevents office frustrations and guarantees that nothing falls through the cracks, leading to higher profit margins.
  
  
• Link Performance to Profitability and Reward: Tie improvements and minimum standards to growth within your company. Share in the benefit through creative bonus systems and opportunity.
  
  
• Review Quotes vs. Actuals: Regularly compare estimated job costs to actual outcomes. Use these reviews to identify gaps and brainstorm solutions with everyone involved.

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5. Keep the Conversation Going

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Improvement isn’t a one-time project; it’s an ongoing process. 

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I guarantee you that the more you look, the more you find - and every small improvement will increase not only profit, but also culture.

• Reinforce Communication: Create an open dialogue where team members can share feedback and insights.
  
  
• Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge both top performers and anyone showing improvement—recognition is a powerful motivator.
  
  
• Keep the Scoreboard Visible: People perform better when there is a scoreboard. Use your key metrics to full effect by publishing on the TV in the office, through a WhatsApp group, at your toolboxes, in performance reviews, on the whiteboard. Publishing reinforces the importance.

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With the right metrics in place, you can manage your business from the coffee shop or the beach. By spotting issues early—rather than waiting for the end-of-month reports—you’ll stay in control and build a high-performing team that drives your trade business forward.

If you’d like to learn more about how we and the trades businesses we’ve worked with actually implemented any of the tips above, get in touch here. We’d love to have a chat. 

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