Two Old Guys Talking Business

Tim Stokes & Eugene Zanozin
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

We share what works and what doesn’t in business with you so you don’t have to learn the hard way, based on 100+ years of combined experience. You'll learn what the essential skills of business are to grow your business profitably, build a great team and prepare your business for management, so that working becomes optional. You'll learn strategies and integrated solutions for business owners with 3+ employees and 3 years in business, who have recognised how tough it is to grow a business profitably, and still have a life - without thinking about your business at night and on weekends.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    The Numbers That Multiply Your Profits

    Episode 6 of Two Old Guys Talking Business is about the numbers that actually run a business. Most owners look at a P&L once a month, long after anything can be done about it. In this episode, we show you which numbers to watch, how often to watch them, and how to read them from three angles: the eagle, the parrot and the chicken. We share: The eagle, parrot and chicken views: the big picture, the trends, and the detail on the groundThe six numbers we’d have every owner watching: leads, sales acceptances, work in progress, WIP gross margin, cash banked and debtor daysHow those six numbers sit across the three legs of a business: get the work, do the work, get paidThe mood of the marketplace: why leads dropped across several states when the Matildas played, and what that tells you about your own enquiriesEugene’s PESTLE check: the outside forces that move your numbers before you notice themWhy 60% of your leads coming from one source is a risk, and why you should be looking after them at ChristmasThe many gross margins inside one business, and why WIP gross margin is the one most owners missFixed and variable costs, and knowing what it costs to open your doors each monthA builder who went from a 12% loss to a 12% profit, and the $300,000 of materials the numbers uncovered when materials jumped from 30% to 45% of revenueWhy handing your numbers to someone else without checking them is abdication, not delegationHow weaknesses in your figures become your biggest opportunities This episode follows Episode 5, where we explained why money is margin, not income. It sets up the next session, where we cover business growth planning. 📺 Watch all episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-oQgRWeZLg https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/

  2. Nov 3

    Money Is Margin, Not Income

    Most business owners think money is income. Then they hire a few people, see no cash in the bank, and wonder where it went. In this episode, Tim Stokes and Eugene Zanozin explain why money in business is margin, and why net profit margin is the number to watch. This episode explores: Why a rising income and rising net profit can still mean less cash, and how to spot itThe 10% to 7.5% example: why making $50,000 more can still be a worse resultHow low margin drains cash: on a $1,000 sale, a 5% margin means $950 goes straight back outWhy your biggest month can be followed by a slump when expenses catch upAssumptions and ignorance: the two costs that rarely show up on a P&LWhy 15% net profit margin is the target most businesses should aim for, and why it’s where cash problems tend to easeHow margins vary within the same industry, with examples from IT and electrical contractingThe margin formula, and a worked example showing how a 24% expense load requires a 39% gross margin to reach 15% netA joinery business that moved from a loss to a 10% margin by raising prices, shifting work to a supplier, and selling an underused machineWhy weekly figures and trends matter more than a monthly P&LWhy measuring your numbers reduces stressWhy labour belongs in cost of sales, and what to do about travel time and non-billable hoursWhy monthly P&Ls don’t match income to costs, and why three to six month views are more reliable 📺 Watch all episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-oQgRWeZLg Chapters:00:00 Intro00:19 The magic of measuring00:45 Why measure at all01:34 Three legs: get the work, do the work, get paid04:10 Why the P&L matters, and its limits05:17 What is money in business?07:03 Money is margin08:23 Doubling turnover from $1M to $2M09:46 How margin drives cash flow11:36 The biggest-month trap12:45 Assumptions and ignorance15:11 The 15% target17:06 Top 5% of businesses18:21 Same industry, different margins21:42 The net profit margin formula23:58 The profit formula24:34 Joinery turnaround32:35 Weekly figures and trends36:15 Stress comes from ignorance41:48 The two metrics to start with43:21 Labour and cost of sales46:03 Fixed and variable costs52:05 Why monthly P&Ls don’t match53:29 Next episode ashtags: #smallbusiness #businessowner #profitmargin #netprofit #cashflow #businessmetrics #queenslandbusiness https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/

  3. Oct 27

    Employees Not Performing? Is it YOU?

    In this episode... Why employees are more accountable to a number than to a person — and why most owners roll out numbers as a stick instead of a goal. Eugene takes apart emotional intelligence: the four quadrants, the amygdala hijack, and why EQ, unlike IQ, is a skill you can build. Then recruitment. Why 19 out of 20 job ads repel the exact people you want. Why great employees are never unemployed and read your ad with a microscope. An IT company that couldn’t hire for four years, and a $135,000 candidate who took $90,000. The most boring ad Tim ever wrote, and the 620 applicants it pulled. And what to do when someone isn’t working out: help them realise they want to leave. Two Old Guys Talking Business — Tim Stokes and Eugene Zanozin. Between us, 100 years running businesses. Most of it learned the hard way. Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #recruitment #hiring #accountability #emotionalintelligence #smallbusiness #businesscoaching #leadership https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/

  4. Oct 20

    Hiring Employees - Attitude Vs Aptitude - DISC Profiles and Discerning Character

    Recruitment is a crucial small business strategy. It's easy not to get it right, with a costly outcome. There's a common saying, "We hire on skills, and sack on attitude" - so it smarter to hire on attitude - so you don't need to let them go. Most business owners can describe an employee’s attitude in four words: great, good, okay, or poor. None of those definitions tells you anything you can act on. What attitude is, will be defined in this session. You'll also learn about DISC Profiles from two Certified DISC Trainers in Tim and Eugene, both with decades of experience with DISC Profiling. In episode 3, Tim and Eugene get into attitude and aptitude — what they actually are, how to spot them, and why confusing the two costs you good people and keeps bad ones. You'll learn about the five stages of team development: connectingthinkingmeasuringsupportingowning. The fifth stage is where working as the owner can become optional. These take five to ten months to work through, and the reason most owners stall is stage one. Plus the iceberg — behaviour, skills, beliefs, values, identity and environment — and what each layer is doing to your business, whether you look at it or not. You'll gain better people 'discernment' skills by listening to this episode, so you can recruit with greater confidence and reduce the frustrations experienced with employees who don't work out. Learn more about Tim's recruitment system and educational services on his company's Profit Transformations website where you can also leave a message to contact Eugene.

    Hiring Employees - Attitude Vs Aptitude - DISC Profiles and Discerning Character

  5. Oct 13

    You Can’t Motivate Your Employees

    You can’t motivate your employees. Motivation is intrinsic — all you can do is build the environment where people motivate themselves. In episode 2, Tim and Eugene get into the skill most business owners never learn: reading people. Your customers are people, your team are people, your suppliers are people — and people are where most of the stress, and most of the opportunity, lives. They cover: Why a customer is anyone you supply anything to, including your own teamEmployee engagement strategiesThe iceberg: the behaviour you see versus the personality underneathA working guide to the four DISC styles — D, I, S and C — and the question each one is really askingHow to change the way you communicate for each style, with examplesThe client who stopped making small talk with his estimator and kept him when a competitor offered $30,000 moreWhy managers rank money as the top motivator and employees rank recognitionWhat a request for a pay rise is usually telling youWhy aiming for perfection makes you miss the 98% that’s already excellent Tim shares how he realised he had no ability to read people at all, and what he did about it. Eugene explains why understanding DISC saved his marriage. Try it this week: do a free DISC assessment online, then look at your team through it. Two Old Guys Talking Business. Between us, 100 years running businesses — most of it learned the hard way.

    You Can’t Motivate Your Employees

  6. Oct 2

    Your Business Can Run Without YOU

    What would your business look like if working in it became optional? In Episode 1 of Two Old Guys Talking Business, we discuss four of the biggest challenges facing business owners: employees (managing & recruiting), time, cash flow and losing sight of the goals that made you start the business in the first place. We also explore what business success actually means, why a business can own you, instead of you owning it, and the way out of the pressure of always having to be at work every hour it operates. Along the way, we discuss: Building a business that can eventually run under managementHiring people for more than just skills and experienceWhy attitude and people skills matterLearning from other successful business ownersPersonal development and business growthTime priorities, not just time managementWhy trying to make everything perfect can slow growthFear, uncertainty and making better business decisions Two Old Guys Talking Business is built around more than a century of combined business experience — practical conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and what business owners can do differently to improve their business and their lives. Leave a comment or ask your toughest business question to let us know what you’d like us to discuss in future episodes. Tim can be contacted via his Profit Transformations company website.

    Your Business Can Run Without YOU
  • 6 Episodes

About

We share what works and what doesn’t in business with you so you don’t have to learn the hard way, based on 100+ years of combined experience. You'll learn what the essential skills of business are to grow your business profitably, build a great team and prepare your business for management, so that working becomes optional. You'll learn strategies and integrated solutions for business owners with 3+ employees and 3 years in business, who have recognised how tough it is to grow a business profitably, and still have a life - without thinking about your business at night and on weekends.

Information

  • Creator
    Tim Stokes & Eugene Zanozin
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tim Stokes & Eugene Zanozin
  • Show Website
    Two Old Guys Talking Business