New Year Business Planning for Tradies: A Simple Framework

You Don't Need a Complicated Business Plan

Business consultants love complex plans with mission statements and SWOT analyses. Most tradies need something simpler: clarity on where you're going and how you'll get there.

The One-Page Tradie Business Plan

Section 1: Last Year Review (15 minutes)

Answer honestly:

1. What was your total revenue last year?
2. What was your profit (what you actually kept)?
3. What worked well?
4. What didn't work?
5. What drained your energy?

Section 2: This Year's Numbers (10 minutes)

1. Revenue target: Be specific. $X.
2. Profit target: What do you want to take home?
3. Average job value: What's realistic?
4. Jobs needed: Revenue ÷ average job value

Now you know the math you need to hit.

Section 3: The Three Big Levers (20 minutes)

Pick THREE things that will move the needle. Not ten. Three.

Examples:

• "Get phone answered 90%+ of the time"
• "Raise prices by 10%"
• "Get 20 new Google reviews"
• "Hire first employee"
• "Add after-hours emergency service"
• "Stop doing jobs under $200"

Choose the three with biggest impact. Ignore everything else.

Section 4: Quarterly Actions (15 minutes)

For each of your three levers, define what you'll do in Q1 (January-March):

Example:

• Lever: Get phone answered 90%+
• Q1 Action: Set up AI answering service by January 31

Specific. Time-bound. Achievable in 90 days.

The Quarterly Review System

At the end of each quarter (March, June, September, December), spend 30 minutes asking:

1. Did I hit my Q actions?
2. Am I on track for yearly numbers?
3. What needs to adjust?
4. What are my Q+1 actions?

This keeps you on track without overwhelming complexity.

Common Tradie Goals for the New Year

Revenue:

• Increase revenue by X%
• Hit $200k/$300k/$500k milestone

Efficiency:

• Reduce unbillable time
• Improve cash flow cycle
• Automate admin tasks

Growth:

• Hire first employee/apprentice
• Add new service offering
• Expand service area

Lifestyle:

• Work fewer hours
• Take actual holidays
• Reduce after-hours stress

What Gets Written Gets Done

The difference between wishful thinking and real planning is writing it down.

Get a notebook or open a doc. Spend 60 minutes on the framework above. Put it somewhere you'll see it monthly.

That's your business plan. That's all you need.

The Bottom Line

New year planning doesn't have to be complicated. Clear numbers. Three priorities. Quarterly actions. Regular reviews.

That's how tradies actually grow their businesses.