2019 Wrap Up

31 Dec 2019 Wrap Up

What a year it has been. I am sitting here on New Years Eve, in 40 degree heat, watching all these horrific fires on the news that are burning all around Australia. It is a surreal end to a surreal year.

This year has definitely been a challenging one for us and also for a lot of other people we have spoken to. Personally, this year Craig and I have both felt so out of control. Craig’s Mum has been battling cancer and my Nan was in hospital for 2 months after a fall so we were visiting her most days as well as Craig’s Mum who was in and out of hospital at the same time.

When there is so much going on in your personal life, it is so hard to manage running your own business.  On top of that Craig has been chasing a late payment since October and battling with a very testing client – something you just don’t need to be dealing with particularly when his Mum has been so unwell.

I watched him for the last few weeks before Christmas be so defeated. He would come home from work and just go to sleep and not bother with any quotes or invoices or returning calls. He was such a shell. I was doing as much as I could to help but it was also hard as I was battling with the hospital visits and worry about my Nan. In a time when we needed to stick together we were constantly arguing because we were both so unbelievably stressed out!

I think being so run down we then both got sick with chest infections (luckily at different times) but the forced rest seemed to help us put things into perspective. Then having a few days break over Christmas seemed to also help reduce the stress levels.

While we are still chasing our late paying client and my Nan and Craig’s Mum are still battling their health challenges, so things are still incredibly uncertain  – we feel like we are taking a lot of lessons from 2019 and definitely feel stronger and more positive going into 2020.

Through all this, watching the growth of TradieWives has definitely been such a positive in this year. I have loved getting to know you all and having the privilege of sharing all your ups and downs with you.

I am also thrilled to have welcomed Bella on board to help me grow and manage TradieWives so that we can bring you so much more value. Through the year I was finding it difficult to manage the growth of the group with so much going on in my personal life, so Bella has been a breath of fresh air and is continually going out of her way to help me and for that I am so grateful.

In saying that, this year as a group we have tackled late payers, STP, BAS’, staffing issues, end of financial year, and apprenticeships. We have vented supported each other, offered advice to each other and picked each other up in hard times. I say it all the time but I am constantly blown away by the kindness I see in our group.

We have grown our trade support network and welcomed some amazing businesses onto our Professional Services directory on our website, that I feel so lucky to have on board to be able to direct you to for any trade business assistance that you may need.

We also started our Trade Business directory on our website which I hope will continue to generate work between our trades in the group.

So as we say goodbye to 2019, here are the lessons I will be taking away from this year:

1. Terms and conditions for your business are key! Solid terms and conditions will prevent you from battling with late paying clients.
2. Have systems and processes in place in your business, these will be a godsend when things get tough and you aren’t able to spend as much time in the business.
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
4. Health is everything – don’t take it for granted. Spend as much time working on your mental health as you do on your physical health.
5. Surround yourself with a good support network – a problem shared is a problem halved.

I can’t wait to bring you more exciting things next year. Thank you so much for letting me share 2019 with you and for all the support that you continue to give me.

I hope 2020 will be everything you hope that it will be and more