Episode Overview
Fifty-seven percent of Australian trades businesses now rank billing and accounts receivable as their number one pain point. That's up from just 20% a year ago — a 37-point jump in twelve months.
Something changed. And it wasn't the work.
Adrian Fadini, founder of TradesFormation and one of Australia and New Zealand's top trade business coaches, returned to Toolbox for the Trades to unpack the 2026 Australian State of the Trades Report — a survey of over 1,000 senior decision-makers across the industry.
The picture: demand is steady, over 40% of businesses are growing revenue, and yet owners are redlining.
"So often business owners get stuck in this hamster wheel of fixing this and fixing this fire and fixing this fire and fixing this fire," Fadini says.
His fix isn't more hustle. It's a helicopter view.
"No human being or no business owner can see their blind spots," he explains.
That principle extends to tools, not just people. Fadini calls ServiceTitan "the Ferrari" — powerful, but not a cure-all for a business that hasn't fixed its fundamentals first.
"A problem identified is a problem half solved."
On the billing crisis specifically, Fadini traces it to installers who were never trained to ask for money — and to businesses still pricing by the hour instead of a tailored, upfront price book.
"Cash is not that important, but without it we die."
AI comes up too — 63% of surveyed businesses see it as relevant, but only 38% have adopted it. Fadini's read: that gap isn't about the technology.
"AI is a tool. That's what it is."
Without a business vision first, he argues, no tool — AI included — has anything to plug into.
"Tactics before strategy is the noise before the end."
Fadini recently joined Amanda Salvatore on the "Toolbox for the Trades" podcast to discuss:
[1:57] Why cross-shadowing between departmental roles is critical to your business
[7:31] Identifying blind spots and fixing your business model instead of patching symptoms
[10:42] Achieving a holistic view of your operations and the number one pain point for Aussie contractors in 2026
[17:27] How a tailored Pricebook can save you from hidden costs and hourly vs flat rates
[26:14] Why your business needs a clear vision before adopting AI tools and what NOT to do when managing rising fuel costs and interest rates
Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.
Know a business that could use a bit of muscle from ServiceTitan? Refer them here!
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