The Site Shed | Systems, Strategy and Growth for Tradies and Contractors

Matt Jones - Helping Tradies Build Smarter, Scalable Businesses
  • 4.8 (17)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

The Site Shed is a global podcast for tradies and contractors who want clearer systems, stronger strategy, and steadier business growth. Each episode is designed to educate and inform around the topics that matter most in running and scaling a modern trade business.  Hosted by former plumber and digital agency owner Matt Jones, the podcast dives into real-world conversations on marketing, operations, apprenticeships, technology, hiring, leadership, finance, and more, all tailored to the trades and construction industry.  You’ll hear practical insights, honest lessons, and expert perspectives from across the globe.  Whether you work as a tradie, contractor, builder, electrician, landscaper, or run any service-based business, you’ll find ideas and experiences you can put into action straight away.  If you're ready to work smarter, not harder, The Site Shed gives you the tools, frameworks, and viewpoints to help your business move forward with confidence.

  1. 1d ago

    You're the CEO of Your Health (Most Men Find Out Too Late) | ft. Dr. Stephen Sanders | Ep. 512

    You're the CEO of Your Health (Most Men Find Out Too Late) | ft. Dr. Stephen Sanders | Ep. 512 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt You can run a business on four hours sleep, servo food and caffeine for a while. Then your body sends the invoice. Matt Jones sits down with Dr. B. Stephen Sanders, founder of Whole Men's Health, a physician who hit the wall himself in his late 30s with brain fog, fatigue and low libido at the exact point his career and family life were going well. His conclusion after ten years in primary care and years running men's health clinics is blunt. Most blokes normalise exhaustion until their performance, their relationships or their health force the issue. Stephen breaks down the foundations that drive about 80 per cent of the result, which are sleep, nutrition and training, then covers what baseline blood work should actually include and how to read testosterone labs alongside symptoms instead of chasing a script. Matt and Stephen get into magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, omega 3s and creatine, why there is no one size fits all nutrition plan, the 3pm crash, peptides, and why trying to fix ten things at once collapses after 30 days. If you have been using your age as the excuse, this conversation takes it off you. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/6seUic6paUw KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:49 - Meet Dr. Stephen Sanders 02:41 - The Wall He Hit in His Late 30s 04:08 - Why the 40s Hit Different 07:13 - Ageing Is Not an Excuse 11:28 - Training at 40 Versus 20 12:53 - The Foundations Are 80 Percent 16:20 - Relationships and Mindset 18:14 - Sleep, Training and Nutrition 19:33 - There Is No One Size Fits All 22:58 - Supplements Worth Taking 27:07 - Get Baseline Blood Work 30:11 - Testosterone, TRT and Symptoms 31:43 - The 3pm Crash 35:02 - You Are the CEO of Your Health 36:21 - Habits Beat 30 Day Sprints 43:16 - Health Scares and Second Chances 46:14 - Phones, Kids and Presence 49:21 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Stephen Sanders Dr. B. Stephen Sanders is a board certified family medicine physician and the founder of Whole Men's Health, with clinics in Florida and Alabama plus nationwide telehealth. He spent his first ten years in traditional primary care before hitting his own wall in his late 30s, then rebuilt himself from the inside out. He now works with entrepreneurs, business owners and high performing men on energy, hormones, recovery and long term vitality. Husband and father of four. Website: https://www.wholemenshealth.com Work with Dr. Sanders: https://www.wholemenshealth.com/provider/b-stephen-sanders-md-mph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephensandersmd CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #menshealth #burnout #tradiebusiness #testosterone #longevity Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  2. Aug 11

    Your Customers Don't Want a Sales Pitch (Give Them a Diagnosis Instead) | ft. Chris Fresh | Ep. 511

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Most plumbing businesses are losing jobs before the technician even picks up a wrench — because they're selling when they should be diagnosing. Matt Jones sits down with Chris Fresh from The Plumbing Sales Coach to break down why the traditional hard sell is costing trade businesses revenue, reputation, and repeat customers. Chris spent seven years inside a plumbing operation — first as a customer who hated the experience, then as the person who rebuilt it from the inside. Now he coaches hundreds of plumbing companies across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK on a service-first approach that's turned $238 average tickets into $1,400-plus. This episode unpacks Chris's four-step diagnosing framework (symptom, cause, connections, and what else works just like it) and the three-option system that's pushing some of his clients past 96% close rates without a single pressure tactic. You'll hear why every call should trace from the fixture to the main, how to present repair-replace-upgrade options that let the customer decide, and why call-out fees become irrelevant when your conversion rate is high enough. If you've ever wondered how to increase your average ticket without feeling like a used car salesman, this one's worth your time. 🎬 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Yky8V4j4iw KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:54 - Meet Chris Fresh 02:37 - Looking for Problems Is Your Obligation 07:31 - Maximising Customer Lifetime Value 09:23 - Unreasonable Hospitality in Plumbing 12:22 - The Four-Step Diagnosing Framework 14:25 - Natural Progression vs Checklists 16:40 - Photo-Based Diagnosing Process 19:16 - Increasing Average Ticket Size 21:26 - Spend More to Win the Customer 23:49 - The Seventy Thousand Dollar Lifetime Value 25:24 - When Customer Retention Falls Away 29:04 - Lessons from Car Dealerships 34:18 - The Call-Out Fee Debate 35:34 - Fixing Conversions With the Three-Option System 41:31 - Memberships That Actually Work 45:04 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Chris Fresh Chris Fresh is the founder and CEO of The Plumbing Sales Coach, based in Indianapolis, Indiana. A former carpenter turned home service operator, he spent seven years running and rebuilding a plumbing business before launching a coaching programme that now works with hundreds of plumbing companies across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. His approach centres on diagnosing over selling and giving customers the information they need to make their own decisions. Website: https://www.theplumbingsalescoach.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-fresh-2a375076/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #plumbingsales #salesprocess #customerexperience #tradesbusiness #serviceoversales #closingdeals Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  3. Aug 4

    Your Business Will Never Outperform You | ft. Matt Jones | Ep. 510

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Most trade business owners are running flat out, grinding through 12-hour days, and wondering why nothing ever seems to get easier. Matt Jones sits down with Matthew Jones from Cube Performance to unpack why no business will ever outperform the person running it.  Drawing on 35 years in the business space — including running his own plumbing business and coaching thousands of trade business owners — Matthew lays out the real reason so many owners hit a ceiling: they've accidentally become the engine of their business instead of its architect. This episode breaks down the Personal Operating System — a structured approach to protecting the three things that matter most: energy, focus, and priorities. You'll hear practical takeaways like auditing your sleep for seven and a half hours a night, scheduling 30 minutes of movement daily, blocking deep work into your calendar three times a week, and identifying the one question your team keeps asking you (because that's where your biggest dependency sits). If you've ever told yourself you're "too busy" to work on the business, this conversation will challenge that — and give you a framework to change it. KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 03:15 - Meet Matt Jones: Cube Performance 05:35 - Why Owners Neglect Themselves 06:40 - Running A Business Is Brutal 08:57 - The Personal Operating System 09:54 - Why You Need To Step Away 11:23 - More Hours Is Not The Answer 19:10 - Energy, Focus And Priorities 22:58 - Sleep As The Foundation 29:28 - Food, Supplements And Balance 34:44 - Movement As Non-Negotiable 36:09 - Clear Start And Finish Times 39:16 - Focus As Competitive Advantage 41:38 - The Pomodoro Deep Work Hack 48:08 - Finding Your Vital Few Priorities 60:42 - Three Audits To Start Tomorrow 65:33 - Cube Performance's Annual Conference 67:06 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Matthew Jones Matthew Jones is the founder of Cube Performance and the Institute of Trade Professionals, based in Australia. A former plumber turned business coach, he's spent over 20 years helping trade business owners shift from being enslaved by their business to building operations that run without them. His background includes working with Olympic athletes in sprint kayaking, and he brings that same performance-driven discipline to business coaching. Website: http://www.cubeperformance.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjonesthecube Catch Matt's previous appearances on The Site Shed: From A to B,  Mastering Business Mindset,  Pricing for Profit, Brand Planning, Managing Guilt and Planning a Profitable Business Exit. CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:  ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:  ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #businesscoaching #personaloperatingsystem #tradiebusiness #highperformance #mindset #energymanagement Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  4. Jul 28

    How to Turn a Trade Business Into a Sellable Asset | ft. Shayne Connolly | Ep. 509

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt  80% of businesses that go up for sale never actually sell. Shayne Connolly is one of the ones who did, and even he wasn't ready for what came after. He thought he'd be popping champagne. Instead, on the day the money hit the bank, he says he's never felt so deflated in his life.  In this episode, Matt Jones sits down with Shayne Connolly, a returning guest who spent the last few years turning his trade business into something he could actually sell, then went through the process of doing exactly that. Shane walks through the mindset shift from "business owner" to "asset owner," why the emotional side of exiting gets ignored in favour of the mechanics, what he wishes he'd asked himself before signing anything, and why he's now building a platform to help other owners see the asset sitting in front of them before it's too late to plan for it.  🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/WGlussL7LIg  KEY CHAPTERS  00:00 - Introduction  01:56 - Meet Shayne Connolly  03:38 - Two Life-Changing Events at Once  04:38 - The Emotional Side of Selling a Business  06:43 - Knowing Your Exit Number  07:55 - From Business Owner to Asset Owner  09:48 - The Golden Handcuffs Problem  12:00 - Why He'd Rather Build Than Run  23:12 - The Conversation With His Wife  25:16 - Selling to Someone He Already Trusted  34:52 - Did He Even Need to Sell?  37:47 - Why Brokers Were a Waste of Time 45:11 - The First Chapter Is: Do You Really Want This?  46:26 - Closing Remarks and Resources  About the Guest: Shayne Connolly built his trade business into a genuine asset, one that could run without him, then sold it to a trusted team member rather than going through a broker. He's the author of Exit Plan and is now building OwnerHQ, a platform designed to help business owners understand the real value of what they've built and plan their exit long before they need one.  Website: https://exitplan.au  Software (in beta): https://ownerhq.biz  CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/  LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys  Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/  If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #sellingbusiness #exitstrategy #businessvaluation #tradiebusiness #mindset  Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  5. Jul 21

    The 8 Invisible Things Customers Are Silently Judging You On | ft. Justin Herald | Ep. 508

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt  Being good at your trade is the price of entry now, not the point of difference. Every customer already assumes you can do the job, so it's the stuff underneath that decides whether they hire you, refer you, or quietly go looking elsewhere. Matt Jones sits down with Justin Herald, entrepreneur, speaker and the man behind Service Rebellion, to unpack the eight things every customer is silently weighing up every time they deal with a trade business, most of which have nothing to do with how good the work actually is.  Justin built his first business on a $50 loan and $1.25 in the bank, grew it into a licensed brand sold in more than 180 companies worldwide, and has spent the years since studying why customers stay loyal to some businesses and quietly vanish from others. In this one you'll get the eight invisible evaluations customers make (importance, emotion, expectation, effort, certainty, understanding, personalisation and consistency), the phone call that cost four different trade businesses a job before they even picked up, and the emotional bank account concept that decides whether your business survives its next stuff-up. If a technically brilliant job still isn't winning you repeat customers, this is the missing piece.  🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/nfpOojSuPf4  KEY CHAPTERS  00:00 - Introduction  02:02 - Meet Justin Herald  02:23 - The Eight Invisible Things  04:21 - Expectation, Effort And Certainty  07:52 - Personalisation And The Phone Test  10:05 - Consistency Across Your Team  11:58 - From $1.25 To A Global Brand  16:18 - Why Service Rebellion Exists  19:13 - Say Something, Even Nothing  23:37 - The Reason Behind The Form  29:16 - Hiring For Personality  31:34 - Paying For Referrals  34:02 - The Market You're Not Tapping  37:21 - Letterbox Drops And QR Codes  45:22 - Websites Are For Storytelling  48:46 - The Emotional Bank Account  54:18 - Service Rebellion, The Book  55:52 - Closing Remarks and Resources  About the Guest: Justin Herald Justin Herald is an entrepreneur, speaker and the author of nine books, including his latest, Service Rebellion. He built his first business, the Attitude clothing brand, from a $50 loan into a licensed brand sold in every country through more than 180 companies, before selling it and moving into speaking and writing full time. He now speaks at more than 100 conferences a year and works with businesses, plenty of them trades, on the customer experience standards that keep clients loyal and referring.  Website: www.ServiceRebellion.com  Referral system mentioned in the episode: www.ReferUsNetwork.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinherald/  CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/  If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #customerexperience #referralmarketing #customerservice #wordofmouth Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  6. Jul 14

    The Hidden Cost of Getting Paid | ft. Jimmy Moore | Ep. 507

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Free payment processing scorecard & consult: https://flobizsolutions.com/ Most tradies can tell you their hourly rate and their material margins off the top of their head. Ask what it actually costs them to take a card payment, and you get a shrug. That shrug is where the money leaks. Matt Jones sits down with Jimmy Moore from FLO Business Solutions to pull apart the machinery behind every transaction: where your fees really go, why the "3.4%" on your statement is often the least of your worries, and how proprietary software quietly inflates what you pay year after year.  Jimmy has worked with more than 20,000 businesses and helps oversee over a billion dollars in annual processing volume, so he knows exactly where trade business owners bleed cash. You'll learn how to work out your true effective rate in under two minutes, the three compliant ways to pass fees on to customers without copping a fine, and why chargebacks and "friendly fraud" might be costing you 2 to 4% of revenue a year. If you take card payments, and you do, this one pays for itself.  🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/m3SqkAHOzuk  KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction  02:04 - Meet Jimmy Moore  02:29 - The Payment Topic Nobody Covers  05:26 - Still Keying Cards By Hand  08:10 - Pay Links Speed Up Cash Flow  09:08 - Surcharge, Discount or Dual Price  11:54 - The Compliance Crackdown  14:21 - Three Hands In The Cookie Jar  16:05 - The Million Dollar Fee Bill  16:56 - Know Your Effective Rate  23:53 - Staying PCI Compliant  26:55 - Card Not Present Risk  33:47 - Breaking Free From Software Lock-In  37:13 - Start With Your Statements  40:54 - The Rewards Card Maths  43:46 - Chargebacks And Friendly Fraud  49:42 - Jimmy's Free Scorecard  51:24 - Closing Remarks and Resources  About the Guest: Jimmy Moore Jimmy Moore is the driving force behind FLO Business Solutions in Columbia, South Carolina, where he helps field-service businesses get paid compliantly, at a fair cost, without the fee creep. Across his career he's worked with more than 20,000 businesses and helps oversee over a billion dollars in annual processing volume. He knows the payments world from the inside, which is exactly why he's good at spotting where trade business owners overpay.  Website: https://flobizsolutions.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moorejimmy/  CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/  If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #paymentprocessing #cashflow #merchantfees #chargebacks #tradiebusiness Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  7. Jul 7

    Why AI Phone Answering Is Killing Your Conversions | ft. Shelby Anderson | Ep. 506

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt  There is no shortage of people online telling you to let AI answer your phones. Matt Jones reckons it is quietly costing tradies jobs, and he has tested it enough to know. Matt sits down with Shelby Anderson from ServiceForge to unpack why a panicked customer with a flooded basement does not want to talk to a bot, and why the human touch still wins when it comes to closed jobs. They dig into where AI genuinely helps, where it falls over, and why so many trade businesses are leaving money on the table every time a call slips to voicemail.  You will walk away knowing how to qualify leads without burning your own hours, why the KPI most owners chase is the wrong one, and how to get your call handling ready for seasonal surges before they hit. Shelby breaks down what ServiceForge actually does with 24/7 live answering, booking and lead qualification, and Matt runs the old model versus new model maths on why a full-time in-house receptionist rarely stacks up. If you have ever lost a job to a missed call, this one is for you.  🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/av3NCaE8SvQ  KEY CHAPTERS  00:00 - Introduction  02:02 - Meet Shelby Anderson  02:37 - The AI vs Human Debate  04:04 - Where AI Falls Short  05:04 - The New Sales Model  07:01 - How ServiceForge Qualifies Leads 1 0:48 - Why Discovery Wins Jobs  12:12 - The KPI Tradies Get Wrong  13:59 - In-House vs Outsourced Costs  15:27 - The True Cost of a Missed Call  16:18 - Preparing for Seasonal Surges  18:56 - Local Agents and Conversions  20:49 - Where AI Is Headed  23:17 - Using AI Without Losing Your Voice  28:51 - Managing Sales Pipelines  33:08 - Training Agents and AI Coaching  35:30 - Final Advice for Tradies  37:44 - Closing Remarks and Resources  About the Guest: Shelby Anderson Shelby Anderson is the Operations Leader at ServiceForge, an all-in-one service provider that helps trade and home service businesses get found, get booked and get paid. Based in Texas, her team handles 24/7 live answering, booking and payment solutions so no call goes unanswered and no opportunity is missed. She is passionate about building reliable customer experiences that turn inbound demand into booked jobs.  Website: https://www.serviceforge.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serviceforge/  CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/  If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #answeringservice #missedcalls #leadqualification #tradiebusiness #customerexperience  Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

  8. Jun 30

    Why 60% of Business Transitions Fail (And It's Not the Tax Strategy) | ft. Andrea Carpenter | Ep. 505

    🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt  60% of business transitions fail — and it's rarely the tax strategy that kills them. The real culprit is the stuff nobody wants to talk about: unclear expectations, poor communication, and the relationships between the people involved. Matt Jones sits down with Andrea Carpenter from The Transition Strategists to unpack why so many family business successions fall apart, and what trade business owners can do to make sure theirs doesn't.  Whether you're thinking about stepping back in 2 years or 20, Andrea breaks down the three generations of transition thinking, the Transition Compass tool, and why starting the conversation 7 to 10 years out isn't too early — it's just smart. If you've ever thought about selling, handing down, or stepping away from your business, this one's for you.  🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/LCu3zgBwLho  KEY CHAPTERS  00:00 - Introduction  00:55 - The Site Shed Hits 500 Episodes  02:00 - Meet Andrea Carpenter  02:20 - What Is a Business Transition?  03:20 - Internal vs External Transition Options  04:10 - Why Trade Businesses Are Now Sellable Assets  07:00 - The Real Reason Transitions Fail  10:30 - Transition 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 Explained  14:00 - Fairness vs Equality in Family Business  19:00 - Designing the Transition With Your Successor  22:00 - The Transition Compass Tool  26:00 - How to Start the Conversation Early  30:00 - Working Yourself Out of Your Own Role  33:00 - How Long a Transition Really Takes  37:00 - Why 75% of Owners Regret Selling  41:00 - Closing Remarks and Resources  About the Guest: Andrea Carpenter Andrea Carpenter is the founder of The Transition Strategists and specialises in business succession and transition planning. She works with family-owned and privately held businesses — including trade and home service operators — to help owners design exits that actually work. Her focus is the human side of transition: the relationships, conversations, and structures that determine whether a handover succeeds or falls apart.  Website: https://transitionstrategists.com/ Free resource: https://beforebuysell.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakcarpenter/  CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/  If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review:  ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:  ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed  #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #businesstransition #familybusiness #exitstrategy #successionplanning #tradiebusiness Your Next Step: Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed

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The Site Shed is a global podcast for tradies and contractors who want clearer systems, stronger strategy, and steadier business growth. Each episode is designed to educate and inform around the topics that matter most in running and scaling a modern trade business.  Hosted by former plumber and digital agency owner Matt Jones, the podcast dives into real-world conversations on marketing, operations, apprenticeships, technology, hiring, leadership, finance, and more, all tailored to the trades and construction industry.  You’ll hear practical insights, honest lessons, and expert perspectives from across the globe.  Whether you work as a tradie, contractor, builder, electrician, landscaper, or run any service-based business, you’ll find ideas and experiences you can put into action straight away.  If you're ready to work smarter, not harder, The Site Shed gives you the tools, frameworks, and viewpoints to help your business move forward with confidence.

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