Overview

TRADERY stated out as a plumbing company, priding itself on exceptional quality and efficient, thoughtful service. The company has recently expanded its proposition into a multi-trade business. The business is owned and operated by Cameron, with his sister, Steph as General Manager.

Cam and Steph needed help, realising the business relied so much on Cam that he was unable to take any time off and was creating a bottleneck. Cam was ready to start a family but couldn’t see a way to extract himself from the business, even for small amounts of time off.

The business felt disorganised – the team didn’t know what they were responsible for or what they needed to do. This meant that good staff were being pro-active, and doing way too much, while unproductive staff were getting away with doing very little as Cam and Steph had no visibility of work scheduling and allocation.

Cam was also doing way too much in the business, giving him no time at all to work on the business. He realised he was holding on to unnecessary work and not getting to the important stuff. This meant they had a really hard time getting the team to do the work to the standard required of them because there was nothing documented.

The result of all this was that Cam and Steph had employed people to do various jobs but ended up doing most of the work themselves.

We didn’t have the ability to know where the staff are at and how to handle them. We couldn’t performance manage or even talk to them effectively. Now we have a review structure and a framework to help them / train and mentor, which is really important to us.

Cameron Holmes

Director

Why TRADERY chose ID

Intelligent Directions and TRADERY had known each other for a while and Cam and Steph had seen the results Anthea had produced with other clients. As they came to gain more of an understanding of our service, they recognised the need for our help.

Our Business Booster Program was exactly what the guys needed, and they knew the way we work was what we wanted – not just supply a system but implementing the system and providing the ongoing support. One of the aspects of our service they felt they needed was the ongoing accountability.

Ultimately, Cam and Steph felt stuck, that they had hit capacity, and “literally couldn’t do anything else”. They saw that by engaging ID they would be able to move forward at least 10 steps.


Business overview at time of ID engagement

The business at that time was plumbing only, sharing an office with two other businesses, and employing 8 staff – most of whom were not performing.


Working with ID

As the ‘engine room’ of the business Steph immediately appreciated working with us and felt it was the first time since she had joined the company that she had a partner who was aligned with her, who was process and systems focused – that she finally had some support.

Cam felt much more confident about making decisions as we established structures and strategies to expand and realise the business vision.

Both Steph and Cam find it very easy to work with us – that we are easy to talk to and relate to. They love having us as a sounding board and appreciate our real-world, experienced answers. They know we are flexible and adaptable to what they need, and feel very comfortable with us working as part of their team.

This was important, as you stripped the business back to the bare bones and re-built it. It was a very vulnerable position to be in, so the fact that you made it comfortable and are easy to talk to was really important.

Cam

You are really good at getting information out of us and helping us to formulate what the process should be. Good coaching, asking questions in different ways to make us think and formulate the answers. We didn’t just create the processes; we created the right ones that are going to see the business grow and scale.

Steph.


What was the most valuable aspect of working with ID?

The accountability and focus we brought to the TRADERY business, with weekly meetings to track progress was incredibly important for Cam and Steph.

Implementing a thorough hiring and onboarding process for staff helped them to hire and build the right team.

Creating the vision and showing the guys what the business is actually capable of was a real turning point for the business. We set them up to be able to handle growth and scale quickly as the business required, creating structures, with managers who can be effective, giving them more time to actually run the business.


How TRADERY benefited from working with ID

The benefits for TRADERY are ongoing. One of the biggest complaints and frustrations of the staff was that they never knew what they were meant to be doing, but now that’s really clear.

We have created strategies, structure, and time, for the business to grow in a healthy and stable manner. Inefficient silos were identified and dismantled, and staff review processes have allowed unproductive staff to be replaced.

We didn’t have the ability to know where the staff are at and how to handle them. We couldn’t performance manage or even talk to them effectively. Now we have a review structure and a framework to help them / train and mentor, which is really important to us.

Cam & Steph


Outcomes produced by ID

Our work together (beginning in 2021), allowed TRADERY to thrive and grow through the pandemic, where many others couldn’t.


Cam and Steph now have the ability to recognise issues or potential issues faster and know how to deal with them. They are able to manage the business based on facts and statistics and know what to do rather than guessing what the problem might be and having a “stab in the dark”.


Cam and Steph believe the value ID as brought to their business is intangible, because they are still seeing the benefits and have made huge changes, with will fuel exponential growth in turnover, size and potential.


The value ID has brought to our business is at least 5 times more than we have paid, and it’s only been 6 months since we completed the initial program.


And perhaps the most pivotal outcome is that once all the structures were set up, Cam realised that TRADERY could become a multi-trade business, it was something he always wanted to do but had no idea how.


The structure and processes gave us the confidence to be able to open the other businesses.

Cam.


TRADERY is now a multi-trade operation, offering plumbing, electrical, water extraction, and handyman services. They have 10 staff now – all of whom are highly effective, and a resilient business. Our work together has taught Cam and Steph to more easily identify deficiencies, act quickly, and adapt as required. TRADERY, is a more agile and dynamic business, all-round.


So, what changed for the business owners?

Cam feels they are wiser and have a more mature approach. They have the confidence to confront issues head on and don’t hide or avoid problems like they used to.

We’re a lot more confident in all aspects of the business; decision making, problem solving, staff. We’re not rally fazed by anything anymore”.

Cam.

Steph loves that they now look at the business more critically – that they are more strategic and calculated and are able to make decisions faster.

“We now talk more about the business – we have stats and ‘to do’ list. We have the right things to look at. Not just jobs and the bank account. Cam would not have previously thought about the running of the business, the numbers etc.”

From where we were to where we are now, I don’t know where we would be if we hadn’t worked with you. We would have only been surviving not growing and expanding.

Steph.

What would I say to anyone thinking of working with ID? You’d be stupid not to do it. We couldn’t have done any of this without them.

Cam.


Services

  • Year 1- Business Booster Program
  • Year 2- Management System Program and Outsourced Profiling Service