Why does the bank balance not match the profit? Can I afford another staff member? Should I take on the bigger job? These are not bookkeeping questions, they are decisions and the numbers already hold most of the answer. A mentor who is also inside your Xero has a different conversation from one who is not.
A P&L read month against month, with the inconsistent line circled. Demonstration data.
Not a programme. We pick the piece that fits what is bugging you this month, do it together on your real jobs and figures and you take it home.
Month against month and year to date. What moved, why and what is normal for a trade business your size.
GST set aside, drawings, loan payments, materials bought ahead of the job, the reasons a profitable month leaves the account short, drawn on your own figures.
Invoiced revenue against costs, markup and labour return on real jobs. Which kinds of work make the best margin and which are busy for nothing.
Each session ends with the number that answers the question you came with, the hourly rate you need, the break-even on a hire, the price on the next job. This is operational bookkeeping and day-to-day accounting, what a two-hour session can honestly cover. Not tax or complex accounting advice, that stays with your accountant.
Illustrations of the kind of work that happens in a session, described by trade. Free mentoring through Business Mentors NZ is confidential, so these are examples, not case studies.
Invoiced revenue, costs, markups and labour return are worked through on a run of jobs. The true margin was hiding in labour priced too cheaply.
The owner wants to know why profit changes month to month. A monthly performance report answers that in plain English before the accountant sees it.
The question is whether to bring on staff. The hours needed to cover the wage are worked out and whether the pipeline is there. The owner waits three months and hires well.
I help owners understand what the numbers are saying and what action to take next, within the day-to-day scope of the books. Tax and complex accounting questions go to your accountant and I will tell you when that is the case.
I am inside trade workflows every day as a bookkeeper and I build and use AI on them. That is the only way to know where a small trade business gains from the new ways of working and where it does not, you have to be on the ground using it. So Exploring Tradie has no prescription. We explore, one piece at a time and keep what works.
Volunteer mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand for seven years. Handouts on this thread are coming, free.
Try this. Ask your own AI about me. Download the briefing pack and ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini can talk you through what I do, what it costs and whether I am a fit for your business.
Download the AI briefing packTell me what is bugging you this month and we will spend two hours on it.
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