Episode 220

full
Published on:

8th Apr 2026

42 Minutes of Wisdom From A Business Owner Who Nearly Threw In The Towel

Mike took his wife to the hospital.

What they thought was a bad headache...

Turned out to be a golf-ball sized brain tumour.

Meanwhile, his trades business couldn’t run without him.

But after surgery, he needed to support his partner.

That was Mike's wake-up call to get help.

Since joining Profitable Tradie...

His business has gone from relying on him for everything…

To having a team and systems in place so it runs without him.

He’s no longer constantly thinking about work…

He’s actually present with his family again.

And on top of that…

He’s grown from $500K a year…

To $750K+…

With margins increasing from 10% to over 50%.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN FROM LISTENING TO TODAY’S PODCAST:

  1. Why Mike was shocked to learn his business was basically worth nothing… and what he did to fix it
  2. The surprising family benefit Mike got from fixing his business
  3. How Mike went from 10% to 50% margins in 18 months

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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About the Podcast

The Profitable Tradie Podcast
For Trades & Contracting Business Owners Who Want More Profit, More Freedom, and Less Stress
If you run a plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or any other trades business and you’re tired of long hours, cash flow headaches, and pricing battles, this podcast is for you.



Join Tony Fraser-Jones and Phil Smith from Profitable Tradie as they break down straight-shooting strategies to help you make more money, work fewer hours, and get your business running smoothly—without the usual headaches.



We tackle the real challenges every trades business owner faces:
✔ How do I find and keep good techs when everyone is hiring?
✔ What do I do when customers don’t pay their invoices?
✔ How do I charge what I’m worth without getting undercut?
✔ Should I buy or lease my next truck or van?
✔ How do I get my crew to stop scrolling their phones and actually work?
✔ What’s the second easiest way to increase my profits? (The first is hitting play on this podcast!)



We also bring on some of the most successful trades business owners in the world—real people who’ve built multimillion-dollar companies—so you can learn exactly how they did it.



This isn’t just another business podcast. It’s your shortcut to building a highly profitable, well-oiled trades business that gives you more money and more freedom.



👉 Subscribe now and join thousands of tradies and contractors turning their businesses into profit machines.

About your host

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Tony Fraser Jones