Operations Partner · Australian Trade Businesses

LESS ADMIN.
MORE CONTROL.
A BUSINESS THAT RUNS.

Trade-Ops Solutions goes inside your trade business — sorts the systems, fixes the backend, and builds the structure that lets you step back. Whether you're flying solo or managing a growing team.

Trade-Specific· Solo Operators Welcome· No Lock-In Contracts· Premium Operations Partner· Australian-Based· Trade-Specific· Solo Operators Welcome· No Lock-In Contracts· Premium Operations Partner· Australian-Based· Trade-Specific· Solo Operators Welcome· No Lock-In Contracts· Premium Operations Partner· Australian-Based·
The reality
This is what running a trade business actually feels like.

Pick your situation — we've seen both.

01

Admin is eating your evenings

Quoting, invoicing, chasing payments, compliance — all manual, all reactive, all on you.

02

Cashflow is a guess

You're working hard but can't tell if you're actually making money. The numbers live in your head, not anywhere useful.

03

Everything stops when you do

If you're sick, on site, or flat out — the business freezes. Nothing runs without you in the loop.

04

Compliance is piling up

Licences, SWMS, safety docs — you know you should sort it but there's never a good time.

05

Hiring feels like a risk

You'd love another set of hands but nothing is documented. Bringing someone on would add more chaos, not less.

06

You've tried tools that didn't stick

The app is downloaded. The Xero account exists. But nothing's been set up properly, so you don't use it.

01

You're still in every detail

You have a team but you're still the one answering every question. Nothing moves without your approval.

02

Systems exist but don't connect

Jobs tracked in one place, invoices in another, money in a third. Things fall through cracks you don't find until it's too late.

03

Cashflow is unpredictable

Revenue looks fine but cash is tight. You're not sure which jobs are profitable — or if you're actually growing.

04

Your team can't function alone

No documented process. No clear SOPs. Staff ask you the same questions every week.

05

Growth is creating more chaos

Every new job, crew member, or contract makes the operation harder to manage — not easier.

06

Compliance is your problem

Licence tracking, SWMS, WHS documentation — it all lands on you because no system owns it.

This isn't a headcount problem. It's a systems problem — and it's fixable, whether you're a team of one or twenty.

Before & after
What actually changes when your operations work.

Not theory. What you actually experience on the other side.

Invoicing done at 9pm when you finally get home

Invoices triggered automatically from job completion — sent same day

Cashflow is a guess at end of month

A live picture of what's in, out, and outstanding — always visible

Every new job creates a new round of questions

A documented workflow the team follows — without asking you

Compliance paperwork piled up in a folder somewhere

A live register — up to date, audit-ready, off your plate

Team calls you for every decision, big or small

Clear SOPs mean the team knows what to do — and you trust that they do

Hiring feels risky because nothing's written down

Systems ready to onboard the next person from day one

What we actually do
WE GET HANDS-ON
WITH THE BACKEND.
THEN BUILD OPERATIONS
AROUND IT.

Admin, job flow, systems, financials — that's where the problems live. We get in there, take control, then build the operational structure so it holds without you.

Not a coach. Not a VA. Your embedded operations partner.

01

Get Control of the Backend

We go inside the business and take control of the admin, finances, and day-to-day chaos. This is where visibility starts.

02

Build Proper Systems

Job management, quoting, financials, SOPs — built for your business, implemented with you, designed to hold.

03

Create Operational Structure

Processes, reporting rhythms, team accountability, compliance — the structure that turns a job into a business.

04

Stay Embedded Long-Term

We don't hand you a document and disappear. We stay as your operations partner — keeping systems sharp and the business under control.

WE GET HANDS-ON WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY,
THEN BUILD PROPER SYSTEMS AROUND IT.
How it starts
Five steps. Clear at every stage.

Every engagement starts the same way — understanding your business before we touch anything.

1

Discovery Call

30 min. Free. Honest conversation about fit.

2

Operations Audit

We go in. Map what needs to change and in what order.

3

Implementation Plan

Scope, timeline, outcomes — agreed before work begins.

4

Build Together

Configure, document, train, and implement — with you.

5

Operations Partner

We stay embedded — keeping systems sharp as you grow.

Who we work with
The filter isn't headcount. It's mindset.

Two types of trade business owner. Different problems. Same commitment.

Solo Operator

You're on your own — and the admin is eating you alive.

You don't want to hire yet. But the way things run isn't sustainable. What you need isn't more staff — you need systems that do the heavy lifting.

  • Cashflow visible without the evening spreadsheet
  • Quoting and invoicing handled — not piled up
  • Compliance sorted, not ignored
  • Systems ready when you're ready to hire
  • A business that looks and runs professionally
Growing Team

You've got a crew — but the backend hasn't kept pace.

Revenue is there. But operations run on memory and you're still in every detail. Cashflow is patchy. You need structure that actually holds.

  • Systems your team follows without asking you
  • Margin, cashflow, outstanding — visible at a glance
  • Job management built for how you actually work
  • Compliance off your desk
  • Step back from the detail and actually lead
✓ You're a fit if…
  • You want to run a proper business, not just do jobs
  • You're willing to change how things currently work
  • You can see what not fixing this is costing you
  • You want someone to help get it done — not just advise
✗ Probably not a fit if…
  • You want tasks done but nothing to change
  • You're shopping for the cheapest admin option
  • You're not open to reviewing your current setup
  • You think real systems are only for bigger businesses
For sole traders
You don't need a team to need proper systems.

Most solo operators run on memory, habit, and goodwill. It works — until it doesn't. A job falls through. An invoice goes unpaid. Cashflow dips and you don't know why.

The problem isn't hard work — there's just no structure underneath it. Build the systems now, before you hire, and everything gets easier.

You don't have to wait until you're bigger to run it better.

The best time is before the chaos gets worse — not after.
  • 📊
    Cashflow visibility

    Know what's earned, outstanding, and what your margin is — without the spreadsheet rabbit hole.

  • ⚙️
    Admin that runs itself

    Quoting, invoicing, compliance — set up to happen properly without eating your evenings.

  • 📋
    Everything off your head and on paper

    Documented systems mean your business is scalable, sellable, and hirable — when you're ready.

  • 🏆
    Look like the professional you are

    Clean proposals, fast invoices, sorted compliance. Systems that make you look bigger than you are.

  • 📈
    Hire-ready when the time comes

    When you bring someone on, the foundation is there. No starting from scratch with someone watching.

Real results
When operations work, the business feels different.
Time

Back in your week

Admin stops eating your days. Hours go back to leading the business — or just getting home before dark.

Clear

Cashflow picture

What's in, what's out, where the margin is. Always visible. No more end-of-month surprises.

Ready

To grow without chaos

More work, more people — the structure holds it. Growth doesn't mean more chaos anymore.

Less

Reliance on you

The team knows what to do. Systems run without you in every detail. You actually get to lead.

Solar Business · QLD · Team of 6

No job management system. Owner in every detail. Cashflow a mystery.

simPRO configured from scratch. Financial reporting built in Xero. SOPs documented and trained across the crew. Compliance register rebuilt. Now on a monthly retainer keeping systems running.

Owner reclaimed 10+ hours a week within 8 weeks. Invoicing cleared in under 14 days for the first time.
Electrical Contractor · NSW · Solo Operator

Quoting from memory. Invoices weeks late. Xero barely opened.

ServiceM8 set up for quotes and job tracking. Xero configured with proper invoice workflows. Cashflow tracker built. Compliance sorted. Now on ongoing support keeping it all clean.

Admin time halved in 4 weeks. First month ever with zero overdue invoices. Systems ready for the first hire.
"
Before this, everything was in my head and I was flat out all the time. Now I actually know what's going on and the business just runs properly.
— Electrical Contractor · QLD
Solo Operator
"I was doing quotes at night, chasing invoices, all that crap. Thought I needed to hire someone. Didn't. Just needed the right setup and someone to sort it."
— Sole Trader Electrician · QLD
Small Team (3–5)
"We had simPRO but no one used it properly. Jobs were everywhere. They came in, fixed it, showed the boys how to use it — now everything actually runs through it."
— Owner · Electrical Company · QLD
Growing Business
"First time I could actually see where the money was going on jobs. Before that it was all guesswork. Took a heap of stress off once it was clear."
— Builder · QLD
Scaling Business
"Before: Working nights, chasing jobs, no clue on numbers. After: Systems sorted, team knows what's going on, I'm not stuck in it every day."
— Director · Contractor · QLD
YOUR BUSINESS DOESN'T NEED MORE TOOLS.

It needs someone to come in, sort the backend, and build operations that actually hold.

AUDIT FIRST. BUILD SECOND. STAY EMBEDDED.

Every engagement follows the same logic: get clarity, fix the backend,
then keep it running. Here's how each step works.

Step 1 — Start Here

Operations Audit

Every engagement starts here. We go inside the business, map what's broken, what's costing you, and build a clear plan for what to fix first.

  • Review of systems, process, and financials
  • Identification of key operational gaps
  • Prioritised action plan for your situation
  • Specific, honest next-step recommendations
  • Working document — not a shelf-filler report
Step 2 — Build

Systems Build

Project-based. We take control of the backend, build the right systems, and implement them alongside you.

  • Job management platform setup & configuration
  • Financial systems, Xero/MYOB integration, reporting
  • SOPs, process documentation, team workflows
  • Team onboarding and training (where applicable)
  • Compliance, admin infrastructure, automation
  • Defined scope, agreed timeline, clear outcomes
Step 3 — Embedded Operations

Monthly Retainer

The long-term option. A senior operational hand embedded in your business — keeping the backend under control and the business running properly.

  • Weekly or monthly operational oversight
  • Backend issue management and systems refinement
  • Financial visibility — reporting rhythm, cashflow, margin
  • Ongoing process improvement as the business grows
  • Team support, accountability, and operational problem-solving
  • No lock-in contract. Works because it works.

We only take on a limited number of clients at a time to stay properly embedded.

The long-term offer
 Operations Partner

Your business needs more than a one-time fix.
It needs ongoing structure.

Systems drift. Admin creeps back. Cash visibility fades. Without an operations partner in your corner, the business slowly slides back to how it was — and you end up doing it all over again six months later.

Weekly
Check-ins minimum
100%
Embedded — not arm's length
No
Lock-in contract
Backend Control
Solo operators · businesses up to 3 crew
$3,500 – $5,500/month
Focused backend control for smaller businesses that need systems, visibility, and support without full-time overhead.
  • Monthly operational check-in (60 min)
  • Cashflow review and reporting
  • Admin system maintenance
  • Compliance register oversight
  • Email support between sessions
Most Value
Operational Backbone
Teams of 3–10 · actively growing
$6,000 – $9,000/month
Embedded operational support for growing businesses that need structure, reporting, process, and accountability.
  • Weekly operational sessions
  • Financial visibility & reporting dashboard
  • Systems refinement and optimisation
  • Team process improvements
  • Compliance and admin oversight
  • Growth and hiring readiness planning
  • Priority response for urgent issues
Strategic Operations
Complex or rapid growth · staff ready for serious operational leadership
$9,000 – $15,000/month
Senior operational leadership inside the business — driving performance, visibility, and accountability.
  • Weekly operational sessions
  • Full financial operations oversight
  • Strategic operations planning
  • New hire onboarding systems
  • Multi-platform management
  • Senior operational decision support
  • Dedicated response time SLA

What you get with an ongoing partner

  • Systems stay sharp — refined as the business grows
  • Financial visibility maintained — not rebuilt from scratch monthly
  • Someone who knows your business and can solve problems fast
  • Growth decisions made with operational context — not guesswork
  • Admin and compliance handled proactively — not reactively

What happens without it

  • Systems drift — teams stop using them properly
  • Admin creeps back — old habits return
  • Cashflow becomes unclear again
  • Growth decisions made with incomplete information
  • You're back running everything yourself within six months

Most clients sit between $3k–$8k per month depending on business size, complexity, and how involved we need to be. Pricing isn't purely based on headcount — it reflects the current level of operational chaos, the depth of support required, and what it takes to get the business running properly. Every engagement is scoped and priced before it starts. No lock-in contracts on any tier.

The ongoing work
What happens inside your business every month.

Not vague check-ins. Real, structured operational work that keeps the business under control.

  • 📊
    Financial visibility review

    Cashflow position, outstanding invoices, margin by job type — reviewed, reported, and actioned. You always know where the money is.

  • ⚙️
    Systems health check

    Job management, quoting workflows, admin processes — are they being used correctly? We catch drift before it becomes a problem.

  • 📋
    Compliance and admin oversight

    Licences, SWMS, WHS docs, safety registers — checked, updated, and maintained. Never a scramble before an audit.

  • 🔧
    Operational problem solving

    Something broke, a process isn't working, a supplier situation needs sorting — we work through it with you, not after it's already cost you.

  • 📈
    Growth and capacity planning

    Thinking about a new contract, a new hire, or a new service offering? We assess whether the operation is ready — and what needs to happen first.

  • 🧠
    Process improvements

    As the business evolves, systems need to evolve too. We refine, rebuild, and tighten processes so the business always runs at its best state.

Your operational calendar
Weekly
Operational Sessions

Regular touchpoints covering financials, systems, active issues, and next priorities — keeping momentum going.

Monthly
Backend Control Review

Smaller businesses and solo operators — a focused monthly review covering cashflow, compliance, and admin.

Ongoing
Systems & Process Refinement

As the business grows, systems evolve. Continuous improvement baked into every engagement.

As needed
Urgent Support

Problems don't wait for scheduled sessions. Priority response for urgent operational issues — always available.

The cost of doing nothing
What happens if you don't fix this.

It doesn't stay the same. It gets worse. Here's what operational drift actually looks like over 6 to 12 months.

📉

Systems drift — and stop being used

Even when software is set up, teams stop using it correctly without ongoing oversight. Within months, old habits return and the system is bypassed entirely.

🌊

Admin creeps back

Without a system maintaining it, admin reverts to whoever has time. Which is usually you. Again. At 9pm. Again.

🌫

Cashflow becomes unclear again

Financial visibility fades fast. If the reporting isn't maintained, you're back to guessing — and making decisions without real numbers.

Team dependence returns

Without clear SOPs and accountability structures, your team drifts back to needing you in every decision. The bottleneck returns.

The businesses that stay under control aren't the ones that got fixed once. They're the ones that have ongoing operational support — so the gains compound instead of fading.

FAQ
Questions we get asked.

Still not sure? Book a call — we'll answer everything directly.

I'm a sole trader. Is this actually for me?

+
Yes. A lot of our work is with solo operators who are buried in admin, can't see their numbers, and are running on memory. You don't need a team to need proper systems. Build them now and you'll be better off — and hire-ready when the time comes.

What's the difference between you and a business coach?

+
A coach advises. We implement. We configure the platforms, build the systems, document the processes, and work alongside you until it's done. You don't need to figure out how — we do it with you.

We have someone doing admin. Do we still need this?

+
Maybe. Having an admin person and having operational structure are different things. If your admin is reactive — doing tasks as they arrive — that's not the same as proactive systems that stop the problems before they start. That's the gap we fill.

What does an Operations Partner actually do month to month?

+
Real, structured work — not vague check-ins. Every engagement covers: financial visibility review, systems health check, compliance oversight, operational problem-solving, and growth planning. Weekly sessions for active engagements, monthly for backend control tier. The regular cadence keeps the business sharp instead of sliding back.

How long does an engagement take?

+
For a solo operator, a focused setup can take 2–4 weeks. For a team business, 4–10 weeks is typical. Ongoing support runs monthly with no lock-in contract. Timeline and scope are agreed before anything starts.

What platforms do you work with?

+
simPRO, ServiceM8, Procore, Xero, MYOB, ClickUp, SafetyCulture, Zapier, Google Workspace, Dropbox, OpenSolar, and more. We work with what you have where possible — and recommend the right tools where you don't.
YOU'VE PUT THIS
OFF LONG ENOUGH.

Book the call. Get clarity. Fix it properly.

Australian-Based· Trade-Specific· Solo Operators Welcome· No Lock-In Contracts· Premium Operations Partner· Australian-Based· Trade-Specific· Solo Operators Welcome· No Lock-In Contracts· Premium Operations Partner· Australian-Based· Trade-Specific· Solo Operators Welcome· No Lock-In Contracts· Premium Operations Partner·
Services

The operational work your business actually needs.

Three engagement levels — from a focused audit to embedded ongoing partnership. Tailored to your situation: solo operator or growing team.

Engagement levels
Three ways to work together.

Every level is open to solo operators and teams. Scope adjusts to your situation. Pricing is always discussed and agreed upfront before work begins.

Operations Audit

A structured look at your systems, financials, and process. A prioritised plan for what to fix first. Suitable for every size.

Systems Build & Implementation

Project-based. We build and implement the right operational systems — lighter for solo operators, full build for teams.

Operations Partner (Monthly)

Your embedded operations partner — weekly sessions, financial oversight, ongoing systems work, and real-time support. Three tiers available.

In detail
What each engagement includes.

Operations Audit

Right starting point — regardless of size.

  • Systems, process, and financial review
  • Operational gap identification
  • Prioritised action plan
  • Specific, honest recommendations
  • Working document — not a report
Most Common

Systems Build

We build and implement alongside you.

  • Job management setup
  • Financial systems, Xero/MYOB
  • SOPs, process docs, workflows
  • Team onboarding and training
  • Compliance, automation, filing
  • Defined scope, agreed outcomes
Long-Term

Operations Partner

Monthly. Embedded. Three tiers.

  • Weekly operational sessions
  • Financial oversight & reporting
  • Systems refinement & compliance
  • Growth planning support
  • Real-time problem solving
  • No lock-in contract
Operational areas
What we cover across your operation.

Depending on your engagement, we work across some or all of these.

Job Management Systems

simPRO, ServiceM8, Procore — setup, config, and team training built for how you work.

Financial Operations

Quoting, invoicing, A/R & A/P, Xero and MYOB integration, cashflow reporting.

Process & Documentation

Workflow maps, SOPs, checklist systems, team handbooks — so work happens without you.

Compliance Administration

SWMS, compliance registers, licence tracking, WHS docs — handled, not piled up.

Team & Subcontractor Coordination

Onboarding systems, role clarity, communication structure.

Automation & Integration

Zapier, platform integrations, workflow automation to cut manual admin.

Cloud File Management

Google Workspace or Dropbox structure, document control, access management.

Scheduling & Resource Management

Crew scheduling, capacity planning, resource allocation.

How We Work

A clear process. No guesswork.

Every engagement starts the same — understanding your business before we touch anything. Here's exactly how it unfolds.

1

Discovery Call

Thirty minutes. No cost. An honest conversation — not a pitch. We talk through where the business is, what's not working, and whether working together makes sense. Solo or team, the call is the same.

⏱ 30 min · Free · No obligation
2

Operations Audit

We go inside your business. Systems, processes, financials, team structure — we look at how things actually work and what the gaps are costing you. Solo operators: 3–5 days. Teams: 1–2 weeks.

The output is a working document with a prioritised action plan — not a corporate report that sits on a shelf.

📋 Deliverable-based · Honest output
3

Implementation Plan

Based on the audit, we agree on scope, timeline, and expected outcomes before any work starts. You always know what's happening and why. If you only need the audit and want to implement yourself — that's completely fine.

📐 Agreed scope · No surprises
4

Build & Implement — Together

We build the systems, configure the platforms, document the processes, train the team. We don't send you a resource to work through alone. We do the work inside the business until the new way of operating is real.

⚙️ Hands-on · Done-with-you
5

Operations Partner

Once the build is done, we stay close — not as a consultant but as a genuine operational partner. Weekly sessions, financial oversight, systems maintenance, problem solving, and growth support. The business stays sharp instead of sliding back.

🔄 Weekly · No lock-in · Compounds over time
The difference
Why implementation matters more than advice.
📚

Coaching tells you what to build

You learn the framework. You go and implement it. Alone. While running your business.

📄

Consulting writes the plan

You get a report. Then you spend months trying to find time to action it.

⚙️

Trade-Ops gets it done

We configure, document, train, and implement — inside the business — until the work is real, not just planned.

About

Built by someone who's been inside the business.

Tash Thorn founded Trade-Ops Solutions to bridge the gap between skilled workmanship and the operational structure trade businesses need to grow properly.

Tash Thorn

Founder, Trade-Ops Solutions

Trade-Ops exists because I kept seeing the same problem. Trade business owners who were exceptional at their craft — but running businesses that couldn't support them. Admin was chaotic, systems didn't connect, and the money was unclear. Nobody around them could actually fix it.

So they stayed stuck — working harder, not smarter. Running a business that depended entirely on them being in every detail, every day.

I built Trade-Ops to change that. With hands-on implementation, not just advice. I go into trade businesses, figure out how they're actually running, build the right operational structure, and stay alongside the owner until the changes stick.

I work with sole traders who want to run a proper operation without a big team, and with growing businesses that have outgrown their current setup and need the backend rebuilt properly.

How I work
The principles behind every engagement.
01

Implementation first

I don't advise and leave. I build, configure, and implement alongside you until the business operates differently.

02

Outcomes over tasks

I'm not here to tick a task list. I'm here to create real commercial results — time, clarity, control, and scalability.

03

Honest, not polished

I tell you what I find — even when it's not what you want to hear. Better decisions come from accurate pictures of reality.

04

Trade-specific

I understand job management, compliance, subcontractor coordination, and cashflow in the trades. Not adapted from somewhere else.

05

Right for any size

Solo operators and growing teams both deserve proper operational structure. The filter is mindset, not headcount.

06

Calm under complexity

Operational chaos is normal to me — it's what I sort out. I come in with clarity, not panic. That steadiness transfers.

Platforms & tools
simPROServiceM8Procore XeroMYOBQuickBooks Time ClickUpSafetyCultureZapier Google WorkspaceDropboxOpenSolar NexviaNotionand more…
Get in touch

Let's talk about your business.

A free 30-minute discovery call or a quick enquiry. No pitch — just an honest conversation about whether we're the right fit.

Start the conversation.

Whether you're a sole trader drowning in admin or a growing team that's outgrown its setup — the first step is the same. A 30-minute call, no cost, no obligation. Just clarity.

hello@trade-ops.com.au

Australia-Wide · Remote & On-Site

Sole Traders · Builders · Electricians · Solar · Trade Teams

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