Geelong Trade Business Growth Workshop

Costs up. Margins squeezed. Let's work on it, over a beer.

A free, practical evening for trade business owners. Beers and pizza on us.

Sparkies, plumbers, chippies, landscapers: materials, fuel, wages and insurance keep climbing, and winning the right work at the right rate feels harder than it should. We're putting on a free evening to work through what you can actually do about it, alongside other local trade owners dealing with the same thing. No sales pitch. Useful stuff, a few beers and some pizza.

Hosted by Oscar McPhee and Judd Belousoff from Candour Strategy. One practical evening with other trade owners from Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast. Real businesses, real tools and time for your questions.

Why is it free?

Because it's tough out there right now. Just about every cost in a trade business has gone up, and plenty of good operators are working harder for less. We work with trade businesses every day and we'd rather help than sit back and watch. So this one is free. No ticket price, no pitch, no upsell. If you leave with two or three things you can do differently on Monday, that's a win for us too.

What you'll take away

• Know your break-even point. Work through overheads and the revenue or number of jobs you need before the business makes a dollar. See what needs to be left after labour, materials and subcontractors.

• Find the money that slips through the gaps. Costs have moved. Have your rates? Check whether your rates or quotes still cover travel, supervision, rework and other costs, and spot work you're already doing that should be earning you more.

• Set the standard for your crew. Make quality, productivity and responsibility clear. Give your leading hand room to lead, and deal with the gaps without checking every detail yourself.

• Win the right jobs at the right rate. Sharpen how you sell your work, follow up opportunities and build repeat relationships without racing to the bottom on price.

• Get the job out of your head. Improve the handover from booked work to scheduling, delivery and invoicing. See where simple systems and sensible use of AI can take admin off your plate.

• Know what to change first. Pick your priorities for the next 90 days, decide who owns them and set a date.

This is a workshop, not a seminar. We'll use examples from trade businesses we've worked with in Geelong and beyond, walk you through the tools we use with them and leave plenty of room for your questions. Whether you quote each job, charge hourly or subcontract at agreed rates, the fundamentals are the same.

Who's hosting

Candour Strategy works hands-on with trade businesses around Australia, from $1m to $80m+ turnover. This evening is built for owners who already have a business and a crew and want to run it better.

Oscar McPhee, Director & Consultant: At ABN Group, Oscar worked closely with trades and led around $500 million a year in procurement. He understands the relationship from both sides: what trade owners are dealing with, and what the companies they work for want to see. He brings that experience into practical work on costs, pricing, team performance and systems.

Judd Belousoff, Director & Principal Consultant: Judd has founded and grown businesses across several industries. He brings the wider commercial picture, with a focus on strategy, marketing and sales, and turning better business decisions into practical action.

Real businesses. Real progress.

• Amplify Building Solutions: Clearer costs and pricing, a 15% improvement in gross profit margin and 50% less time quoting.

• Truemans Carpentry: A pipeline that grew from two weeks to six months, clearer pricing and job costs, and a leading-hand hire to take more delivery off the owner.

• Wickstead Works: Cost and margin controls, clearer roles and stronger positioning to pursue better-fit landscaping work.

• Ferro Projects: Sharper sales processes, clearer leadership roles and better cost visibility as the business pursued larger contracts and developed its fire-door division.

These are individual client outcomes from ongoing work with Candour, not promised results from attending the workshop.

Is this your kind of room?

This is for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, landscapers, roofers and other trade owners with a team to lead and work to deliver. It's relevant whether you're solving a problem or improving a business that's already doing well. It is not a start-up seminar or a session for builders and developers managing whole construction projects.

Bring your questions and something to take notes on. If you know your approximate turnover, overheads and typical job costs, have them handy for the break-even discussion. You won't be asked to share private financials with the room. Bringing a business partner or leading hand? Register a seat for each person so we can cater properly.

Event details

• When: Wednesday 28 October 2026, 6pm to 8pm AEDT.

• Where: Faldo Room, Thirteenth Beach Golf Links, 1732 Barwon Heads Road, Barwon Heads VIC 3227.

• Cost: Free. Workshop, beers, pizza and soft drinks included.

• Spots: Limited. Register early.

It's free and spots are limited, so if your plans change please cancel your registration through Humanitix so another local trade owner can take your seat.

Make the business as good as the work. Grab your free seat.