Episode 3 – What Good Accounts Receivable Actually Looks Like

Less chasing. More cash in the bank.

Episode Summary

Chasing unpaid invoices is exhausting.

If you’re checking your bank account every morning, wondering when that invoice will land — or having awkward “just following up…” conversations with clients — this episode is for you.

In this one, Amanda breaks down what good accounts receivable actually looks like in a trade business. No theory. No finance jargon. Just practical systems that reduce stress and improve cash flow.

Because late payments aren’t just annoying — they hurt your momentum, your growth, and your sleep.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✔ Why most tradies don’t have a proper accounts receivable system

✔ How poor receivables management damages cash flow

✔ Why sending an invoice isn’t the same as getting paid

✔ What a healthy accounts receivable system looks like

✔ The importance of reviewing your aged receivables weekly

✔ What “average debtor days” means (and why under 14 days is the goal)

✔ A simple step you can take this week to clean things up

What Good Accounts Receivable Looks Like

A strong system includes:

• Invoices sent immediately (not “when I get time”)
• Clear payment terms and due dates
• Clients set up with expectations from day one
• Automatic reminders before and after the due date
• Weekly follow-ups on overdue accounts
• Reviewing your aged receivables report weekly
• Tracking your average debtor days (aim for under 14)

No chasing chaos. Just consistent systems.

This Week’s Action Step

Log into Xero.

Pull up your Aged Receivables Report.

Highlight every client over 14 days.

That’s your follow-up list this week.

Then:

• Set up automatic reminders (if you haven’t already)
• Spend 20 minutes following up — phone or email

Not to nag. Just to move the money.

The Bottom Line

Cash flow drives everything.

If your accounts receivable system is weak, the rest of the business feels harder than it needs to.

And if you’re flat out and never get around to this stuff — this is exactly what we help tradies with at Virtual Coastie.

You can absolutely do it yourself.

Or you can get help and free up your headspace.

Totally up to you.

🔧 Learn more at: www.virtualcoastie.co.nz

🎧 Follow Hey Tradies! so you don’t miss the next episode.

Catch you next time.

Episode 2 – The Bare Minimum Setup Every Tradie Needs in Xero

Keep it simple. Keep it functional. Stop flying blind.

Episode Summary

If you’re using Xero but feel like you’re barely scratching the surface, this episode is for you.

In this one, Amanda walks through the bare minimum setup every tradie needs in Xero to keep their books clean, their numbers clear, and their accountant happy.

No advanced accounting talk. No overcomplicated systems. Just the essentials that make your business easier to run.

Because when Xero isn’t set up properly, it costs you time, money, and unnecessary stress.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✔ Why a messy Xero setup leads to expensive mistakes

✔ The non-negotiables every tradie must have set up from day one

✔ Bank feeds and why manual entry is a waste of time

✔ Cleaning up your chart of accounts

✔ When to use tracking categories (and when not to overcomplicate it)

✔ GST settings that actually match your business

✔ Invoice branding and payment reminders

✔ Common Xero mistakes tradies make

✔ What “good” actually looks like in a simple, functional setup

The Non-Negotiables Amanda Talks About

• Connected bank feeds (all business accounts + credit cards)
• A clean, relevant chart of accounts
• Clear income and cost categories
• Proper GST settings
• Branded invoice templates with clear payment terms
• Smart user permissions
• Automatic reminders for unpaid invoices

The Goal

When Xero is set up properly, it should:

• Take less than 15 minutes a week to maintain
• Show you a clear monthly profit and loss
• Make invoicing easy and automated
• Reduce stress at GST and end of financial year
• Save you money on accountant fees

It doesn’t need to be fancy.

It just needs to work.

This Week’s Action Step

Log into Xero and check:

1. Are your bank feeds connected?
2. Is your invoice template branded and clear?

If not — fix it or flick it to your bookkeeper.

And if you’re sitting there thinking, “I don’t even know what half this means” — that’s exactly what Virtual Coastie helps tradies with every day.

Need Help?

If your Xero setup is giving you a headache and you want it sorted properly once and for all, that’s literally what we do.

We make it tradie-proof, clean it up, and hand it back to you in a way that actually makes sense.

🔧 Learn more at: www.virtualcoastie.co.nz

Catch you in the next episode of Hey Tradies! 👊

Episode 1 – Why Job Costing is the Fix for Time, Stress, and Sh#t Margins

Stop guessing. Start knowing.

Episode Summary

Quick question:

Did you actually make money on your last job?

Not “I think so.”

Not “the invoice went out.”

But properly — did the numbers stack up?

In this first full episode of Hey Tradies!, Amanda breaks down why most tradies are flying blind when it comes to job costing — and how that guesswork is costing time, money, and serious headspace.

This isn’t about spreadsheets or accounting jargon. It’s about knowing, for sure, whether each job is making you money.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✔ Why most tradies aren’t job costing properly (and why it’s not your fault)

✔ How “gut feel” quoting leads to undercharging

✔ The hidden costs that quietly destroy your margins

✔ Why being busy doesn’t automatically mean being profitable

✔ How poor job costing impacts cash flow

✔ What proper job costing actually looks like in a small trade business

✔ How tools like Fergus can make this simple — if you use them properly

The Real Problem

When you’re not tracking real labour hours and materials:

• You underquote because you forget how long similar jobs took
• You over-service without realising it
• Your team blows out hours and no one spots it
• The bank balance doesn’t match how hard you’re working

And that constant question creeps in:

“Where’s the bloody money?”

What Good Job Costing Looks Like

It’s simple:

• Labour hours are clocked accurately
• Materials are entered as they’re used
• Completed jobs are reviewed
• Future quotes are adjusted based on real data

No fancy systems.

No accounting degree.

Just consistency.

This Week’s Action Step

Pick one completed job and do a manual job costing check:

1. Add up the actual labour hours
2. Total materials and other expenses
3. Compare it to what you invoiced

Then ask yourself:

If I did this for every job last month, would I make different decisions this month?

If the answer is yes — that’s your next move.

The Bottom Line

Job costing isn’t about more admin.

It’s about visibility.

It protects your margins.

It protects your time.

And it protects your sanity.

If you’re using Fergus but not job costing properly — or you want help setting it up so it actually works — that’s exactly what we help tradies with every day at Virtual Coastie.

You don’t have to fly blind anymore.

🔧 Learn more at: www.virtualcoastie.co.nz

🎧 Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode.

Catch you next time on Hey Tradies!