THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT
THE PHILOSOPHY YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR HEAD AROUND
AS A TRADE BUSINESS OWNER
Running a trade business means wearing a thousand hats — quoting, invoicing, answering phones, doing the work, and chasing the next job. But what if you could get 10x more value out of your time by shifting what you focus on?
That’s the power of The Multiplier Effect — and it’s a game-changer for tradies ready to scale.
In this blog, we’ll break down how to:
Identify the true value of the tasks you're doing
Use the Multiplier Framework to reclaim your time
Make smarter hires to create space
Escape the cycle of burnout and reactive quoting
Why Some Tasks Keep You Stuck
You can be flat out busy and still not grow. That’s because not all tasks are created equal. Some give you a 1x return, while others create 5–10x the impact.
Let’s walk through the different roles and how much they really multiply your time and business growth.
🧱 1x Tasks: Admin, On the Tools, and Treading Water
These are the tasks that feel urgent — but don’t move the needle.
Being on the tools: You might feel productive, but you’re capped. At best, you’re working at 55–65% efficiency because you're still managing jobs, calls, and emails.
Admin work: Quoting, invoices, chasing paperwork — it needs doing, but it won’t grow the business.
Answering the phone: It’s reactive and interrupts your focus, but doesn’t add long-term value.
👉 These tasks give you back exactly what you put in — no more.
Real Talk: If you’re stuck in this zone, you’ll plateau. You’ll be flat out one month, quiet the next, and always chasing your tail.
⚙️ 3x Tasks: Operations & Team Management
Here’s where things start to compound.
When you free yourself up from admin and tools, you can:
Quote faster and follow up better = more conversions
Support your tradies properly = better performance
Schedule tighter = more billable hours
Project manage = less rework, better margins
This is where your leadership starts to multiply the output of others.
Think of it like this:
If you’re available to guide your team, you’re turning their 1x into a 2x or even 3x — without doing the work yourself.
💰 5–10x Tasks: Sales and Marketing
This is the growth engine.
Following up quotes
Nurturing leads
Creating marketing campaigns
Building relationships with repeat clients or B2B partners
These don’t just win you one job — they bring in streams of jobs.
But here’s the catch: you never get to this zone when you’re drowning in admin or stuck on the tools. You need capacity first.
🎯 10x Tasks: Strategy, Vision & Leadership
This is the CEO work — and most trade business owners spend the least amount of time here.
Setting goals and KPIs
Hiring strategically
Planning 90-day sprints
Reviewing profit margins
Building systems
These tasks change the trajectory of your business. But you only get to them when you’ve created space.
If you’re overwhelmed, tired, and doing everything yourself, strategy goes out the window. That’s when burnout hits — fast.
The Trap: Why You Keep Getting Pulled Back In
Here’s the typical cycle:
You hire a tradie and feel a bit of relief.
You finally catch up on admin and ops — you’re crushing it.
Suddenly, they’re fully booked — and you’re back on the tools.
You stop quoting, stop marketing, stop thinking ahead.
Work dries up. You panic. You start the cycle again.
❌ It’s reactive.
✅ The solution? Proactively hire and delegate.
How to Break Free
Understand your multipliers.
Ask yourself: Is this task a 1x, 3x, or 10x?
Create capacity before it feels safe.
Hire ahead. Yes, even if it’s scary.
Delegate properly.
Don’t promote a junior or hire a trainee when you need someone to take real responsibility off your plate.
Protect your 10x time.
Block out time weekly for strategy, vision, and high-value thinking.
where will you invest your time next?
Your time is your biggest asset. The Multiplier Effect helps you spend it where it counts — not just where it’s screaming the loudest.
The goal? Build a business that grows without burning you out.
Ready to stop surviving and start scaling?
👇 Drop us a line
