Blog
From the Trak team.
Product updates, customer stories, and practical advice for running a trade business.
Stop chasing invoices
Chasing money is the quiet tax on a growing trade business. Here's how to build invoices straight from the job, turn day dockets into bills, and let the follow-ups run themselves.
Navigating Australia's new payday super reforms
Super now has to land in your employees' funds within 7 business days of payday, not quarterly. What that means for cash flow, compliance risk and your pay run.
Tax tips for tradies
What trade businesses and workers can claim: tools, protective gear, vehicle costs, home office, training and more, plus the record-keeping the ATO expects.
Mandatory Australian Standards set to become free in 26/27
The federal government has committed $42.7 million to lift the paywall on Australian Standards referenced in legislation. What it saves you, and how to get them onto site.
$1 per job, why we don't charge per user
Most trade businesses outgrow per-user pricing fast. Here's the maths, and why our pricing model is built around the work, not the headcount.
What EOFY 2026 means for tradies
The instant asset write-off, super guarantee changes, and the new GST reporting rules. What's actually relevant if you run a trade business.
GeoOp acquired by Tradify: why Trak is the migration alternative worth a look
GeoOp and GeoNext are being shuttered and users are being moved to Tradify. If per-user pricing doesn't suit your business, here's what Trak does differently.
Two-way MYOB sync, what changes for you
Quotes, invoices and payments now flow both directions between Trak and MYOB Business. Here's what's live and what to expect from the migration.
5 SWMS templates every trade business needs
Safe Work Method Statements you'll actually use. Free templates for working at heights, electrical, hot work, confined spaces, and excavation.
Setting up Xero with Trak in under 10 minutes
A walkthrough of the Xero connection: account mapping, GST settings, customer sync, and the few defaults that catch most businesses out.
iPhone Photo Uploads Now Saving as HEIC: What It Means for Trak Users
Apple has recently introduced system changes that affect the way photos are captured and stored on iPhones.
Why Integrating your Accounting Tools with Job Management Software is a Game-Changer for Tradies
Any business generates admin and tradies know all too well how time-consuming, yet crucial, the accounting side of things can be.
Add Allowances Automatically to your Timesheets with Trak's Latest Feature
Keeping track of extra allowances like site allowances, travel, or meals can quickly become a headache, especially when they vary between jobs or team members.
Introducing Expense Creation with AI - Trak's latest Time Saving Feature
We know how much time you can spend just managing expenses.
Why Mobile Access to Job Information is a Game Changer for Tradies
In a trade business, time is money and so is information.
Victorians to Get Extra $400 Rebate for Aussie-Made Hot Water Systems
Starting July 1, Victorian households can receive a new $400 rebate when they install an Australian-made, energy-efficient hot water system.
Streamline your Admin Processes with Trak’s Advanced Timesheet Features
For most businesses, managing timesheets can become a full-time job taking a dedicated admin staff member.
Save Time By Turning Quotes into Orders Instantly with Trak
Stop wasting your valuable time manually creating orders for your plumbing and job supplies.
Stop Wasting Time: Quote and Invoice On-Site to Win Jobs & Get Paid Faster
For tradies, time is money. Quoting and invoicing after hours cuts into personal time and billable hours, and slow replies lose jobs.
Why You Should Be Wearing Branded Work Clothes
Branded workwear is a game-changer for tradespeople, providing a professional look while offering practical benefits for both individuals and businesses.
Trak's New In-Field App is Available Now
Introducing the Trak In-Field App: Now Available on iOS and Android!
Track your Work and Get Paid Easily with Trak’s Day Dockets Feature
Trying to manage all of your work on a job site, as well as your team and all while keeping on top of your quoting and expenses can be a difficult juggling act.
How Do You Currently Order?
Take a second to think about your business and how you currently order your products.
Import Current Product Pricing from your Trusted Suppliers Directly into your Trak Account
Great news for customers of CNW Electrical, Sherriff Electrical, Samios Plumbing, and BGW Technologies! Managing your product data just got a whole lot simpler.
Social Media: Why it's essential to be using it to maximise your trade business' brand awareness
In today’s digital world, social media is an indispensable tool for tradies.
Changes to income, Wages and Super this Year
On July 1, 2024, several changes to employment rates, thresholds, and limits in Australia came into effect, impacting both employees and employers.
Engineered Stone Ban in Effect: What this means for you
In an effort to combat the rising levels of Silicosis (a serious, irreversible lung disease) in Australian tradies, the Australian government has officially banned the use of Engineered Stone across Australia.
New Industrial Manslaughter Laws Introduced in NSW in a Bid to Reduce Workplace Fatalities
Since 2013, a worker has died every week in New South Wales. To address this troubling statistic, the NSW parliament has introduced strict new industrial manslaughter laws.
Trak's Latest Feature - Compliance Docs
If you want to be able to make sure that all of your team and contractors are fully qualified and certified to be on-site at a glance, then look no further than Trak's latest feature - Compliance Docs.
Welcome to 2024!
As we kick off 2024, we want to express our deepest thanks for all of the support we received from the Trak community throughout 2023.
4 Tips for Getting your Business Ready for the Christmas Period
While Christmas is an exciting and wonderful time, there can also a lot of stress involved, especially for those running a small business.
The Difference between a Contractor and a Subcontractor
What is the difference between a contractor and subcontractor? The trade industry is chock full of terms that require you to know what they mean.
Create Expenses from Emails
In Trak, you can now add an expense directly from any email with an attachment.
Pin Messages on your Dashboard
With Trak, you can now create a company wide message that can be pinned at the top of all your users Dashboards for easy announcements.
Job Map
Want to see where all of your jobs are located in a single overview? Now you can with Trak's latest feature, the Job Map.
Automations are now available on Trak
Save yourself considerable time and effort with Trak’s new Automations feature. No more manually reaching out to clients or changing job statuses, let Trak handle it all for you.
Apps That Modern Tradies Need
As technology constantly improves and evolves, it’s important that you keep up with the changes, especially when it comes to apps for your trade business.
From Trade Trak to Trak: Why we decided to rebrand
We're excited to announce that we have officially rebranded. Say hello to Trak!
Aussie tradies aren't protecting against skin cancer
Tradies in Australia aren’t making enough of an effort to protect themselves from the sun even though they are statistically exposed up to 10 more times to ultraviolet radiation (UV) than the typical indoor worker.
Trak’s New Tiered Feature-Based System
In order to maintain our accessibility for businesses of all shapes and sizes and continue to improve the quality of our platform, we will be moving to a new tiered feature-based packages system for Trak so that we can continue to offer the best possible job management system for all our users!
5 More Lead Generation Tips for Tradies
Back in January 2021, we wrote a blog that gave 5 ways tradies could increase their lead generation so they can help grow their business and ensure they have a constant stream of new, quality leads coming through which you can read here.
Trak & Spetz: Our new partnership that will help complete your digital toolbox
Trak is proud to announce our partnership with Spetz. Spetz helps to connect tradies with quality, verified customers. Better yet, it’s on your terms.
Exciting New Upgrade to your Trade Trak SWMS
We're releasing a brand new upgrade to our Safe Work Method Statements that will improve the look and feel of our SWMS as well as bring them in line with current industry safety standards.
The SBDAP is Back!
The SBDAP is back! And this time with brand new eligibility criteria.
New Feature: Automatic Sub-Jobs from Quotes
We're excited to bring you a brand new feature designed to save you time and effort - Automatic Sub-Jobs from Quotes!
Managing Subcontractors on Trak
Finding it difficult to schedule, manage, organise and communicate with the subcontractors your business works with?
Trak has partnered with Voltex
At Trak, we are proud to announce that we have partnered with Voltex Electrical Accessories!
Trak’s 2021 Year in Review
Like 2020, 2021 has been a tough year for many and so the Trak team would like to start this off by saying congratulations for making it through and keeping your spirits up in this trying time.
Last Chance to get the $1200 Victorian Government Rebate
Don’t miss out! Your chance to get a $1200 rebate just for helping your business grow is almost over!
Construction Industry to Reopen in Victoria
After being closed due to COVID-19 concerns and protests, the Victorian Government has announced today that construction work will be allowed to continue on Tuesday the 5th of October.
Construction Shutdown for Victoria
Last night it was announced by the Premier of Victoria that there will be a construction shutdown, effective from 11:59pm Monday the 20th of September, due to recent protests and increasing cases linked to the construction industry.
Restriction Changes for Victorian Construction Workers
In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 amongst construction workers on site, the Victorian Government has released new restrictions for all construction workers as of the 16th of September 2021.
COVID Update: Government issues final warning to our industry - shape up or shut down
Originally posted by Master Plumbers Vic on 13/09/2021. The message from the Victorian Government couldn’t be clearer, we are on notice to do more or close.
Claim Your Free Trials for Advanced Features
Throughout the year, we’ve released two optional paid add-ons; first was our advanced quoting features, and more recently we’ve launched the option to upgrade your Report Builder.
Support Comes First at Trak
At Trak, we strongly believe that quick and reliable customer support is the most important aspect of any business.
How the New Victorian Tenancy Act could Affect your Business
As of 30th March 2021, there has been a reform to the Victorian Residential Tenancies Act which has created over 130 new rules and regulations rental providers must follow when renting out their property.
Victorian Authorised Worker Permits
Yesterday, the Victorian Premier announced that the current lockdown affecting Greater Melbourne would be extended until the 2nd of September, 2021, and harsher restrictions would be put in effect for those in the construction industry.
Financial Support for Victorian Small-Medium Businesses
Yesterday the Victorian State Government announced a $367 million fund, backed also by the Commonwealth Government, which is to be allocated to a number of different support packages.
A Second Chance for the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program
Now's your chance! The Victorian Government has decided to run a second round of the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program, so it's not too late to register.
Exciting Updates to the Report Builder
The Report Builder on Trak is one of the features that sets us apart from other job management apps.
Export your SimPRO Data & Import it into Trade Trak
Are you a SimPRO user who is looking for an alternative for all your job management needs? Then Trak could be the perfect alternative for you.
COVID-19 Update for Victoria
UPDATE 28/05/2021: Residential renovations and maintenance works should not continue during the circuit breaker lockdown, unless considered to be an emergency. Authorised workers are not required to carry a worker permit.
Native Apps Vs. Progressive Web Apps
Trak now has a native in-field app on iOS and Android, released in February 2025. This 2021 post explains the difference between native apps and progressive web apps.
Hurry! SBDAP Registrations are Closing Soon
Please note: The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program has been extended until the 31st of December, unless funds are exhausted prior to this date.
How to Deal with Negative Reviews
Running a business is a difficult, arduous, time-consuming task that requires your full attention and devotion.
Trak Quarterly Update / Jan-Mar 2021
The first three months of the year have been busier than ever at Trak. We’ve had a number of new partnerships announced, while also working on and releasing new features.
New Share Features
Our share screen has been updated!It's now easier to use than ever, while giving you greater flexibility over what and how you choose to share.
How to Create a Positive Work Culture
How often have you had an employee who comes to work and is clearly in a negative mindset? Are they consistently showing up to work late or complaining about the jobs they are assigned?
Extended Registration for Small Business Digital Adaptation Program
Please note: The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program has been extended again until the 31st of December, unless funds are exhausted prior to this date.
Get Certified Master Plumbers SWMS Through Trak
Trak is excited to announce our partnership with Master Plumbers.
Master Plumbers Certified SWMS Titles
The templates below can be sold in packages of 12, or you can purchase the entire Work Health and Safety Pack at a discounted price.
How to Avoid Burnout as a Trade Business Owner
Owning a business is stressful. Long hours, managing multiple jobs and employees, and significant financial risk are just some of the stressors you will face throughout your career.
Trak is Chosen to Partner with the VIC Government!
Please note: The Small Business Digital Adaptation Program has been renewed until the 18th of July, unless funds are exhausted prior to this date.
Great New Features for Quotes & Invoices
We’ve just released a huge update to our quotes function giving you a lot more control over how they are displayed and calculated.
6 Tips for Switching Off After Work
Are you finding that when you have a problem at work or are having a stressful day, you tend to bring that problem home with you?
Lead Generation for Tradies
As a tradie, you could provide the best service, have the most knowledgeable team, be the cheapest and most efficient in the business and all this could result in nothing without new customers.
Trak's Year In Review
Like the majority of people across the globe, the Trak Team is happy to see the end of 2020. It’s been a testing year to say the least, so congratulations for making it through.
Trak Settings Update
Since Trak’s launch in 2018, our team has worked around the clock to develop new features, while continuously upgrading older ones to make the app what it is today. With so much to do and so little time, getting the features out to our users has always been (and will remain) our top priority.
Access Expert Advice from EC Credit Control
Some of the biggest sources of pain for those in the trades industries are cash flow and risk mitigation.
September 2020 Update
Once again, September was a big month at Trak. Throughout the month, we released four updates to the app, including a number of new integrations and upgraded features.
Updates for Permitted Workers in Melbourne
Earlier today, the Victorian State Government announced the relaxing of some of the restrictions implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Free Hourly Rate Calculator
On Trak, you’re able to enter hourly rates for each user.
Mental Health & Tradies
The average Australian tradie is often stereotyped as being strong, unemotional and easy going.
Get Help With Stage 4 Financial Assistance Applications
We hope our emails and posts over the past couple of weeks have helped you to better understand the Victorian Stage 4 restrictions, as well as the financial assistance options that are available to businesses across the state.
Employer Rights and Assistance During COVID-19
On the 8th of April 2020, legislation passed both Houses of Parliament for Workplace Flexibility and JobKeeper.
COVID-19 Financial Assistance Options
Over this last week we hope we have supported and helped you understand just what Stage 4 restrictions mean to you and your business.
Using COVID Safe Templates
To help our Trak users in using the COVID Safe Templates we released this week, we’ve created a short demo.
Changes to Stage 4 Restrictions for Construction Sites
The Victorian State Government has just provided some much needed clarification surrounding the Stage 4 Restrictions for Permitted Workers which may come as a slight relief for the many construction businesses that feared they would have to shut up shop over the next 6 weeks.
COVID Safe Plan Details and Download
Following further updates from the government today, Trak has been working hard to offer solutions for all our businesses in Victoria that will be impacted by the Stage 4 Lockdown restrictions.
Full Finalised List of Stage 4 Restrictions
We understand that the introduction of Stage 4 Restrictions in Melbourne has lead to much confusion.
July 2020 Update
Over the month of July, the Trak team was kept incredibly busy.
The Rundown on Industrial Manslaughter
On the 1st of July, 2020, Victoria’s new workplace manslaughter offences were brought into effect.
Introducing the Trak SWMS Store
One of the most useful and unique features of Trak is the ability to add in your own SWMS templates so that they’re ready for use on the jobsite.
Get Notified When Trade Trak is Updated
At Trak, our team works around the clock to upgrade the existing app, and develop new features to make it even better with each update.
App Interface Changes in June 2020
Creating a SWMS used to have three options, and on mobile was quite hard to tell which button to press for which item.
What’s New On Trak
Although the pandemic has meant that many trades businesses have had to make changes to the way they worked, thankfully the majority have been able to stay operational, as has Trak.
Trak Virtual Onboarding Sessions
In a time of uncertainty, there’s one thing that’s for sure - 2020 has brought a lot of change to all of our lives.
How to Tactfully Track Your Team
As a business owner, as much as you would like to be, you can’t be everywhere at once.
Saving Time and Money with Timesheets
While many tradies have already made the switch to take their businesses online with job management software, timesheets are often sadly forgotten in this process.
Tradie Tips: 7 Ways To Improve Your Invoicing Process
It should go without saying that in order to get paid, you need to be invoicing.
Four Reasons to Hire an Apprentice
All tradies need to start somewhere. For apprentices, the benefits are obvious.
Tradie Tips: Building a Trusted Business
Building a business that customers can trust should always be a top priority for tradesmen, and with so much competition on the market and available at the press of a button, it’s now more important than ever.
Tradie Tips: Following Up on Quotes
Regardless of whether or not you have given a potential client an estimate on the spot, or attended a site to inspect and quote, you need to be following them up.
The Importance of Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)
Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) are vital in keeping you, your staff and your subcontractors safe at work when completing high-risk construction work, and are a central part of any worksite’s occupational health and safety procedures.
Tradie Tips: Managing Subcontractors
The performance of your subcontractors can reflect directly on your business, and as they aren’t full-time employees, it can sometimes be a tough job managing their responsibilities and keeping up motivation.
Tradie Tips: Taking Partial Payments
It’s every tradies nightmare to get to the end of a big job and have a client fall silent.
Why Your Company's Online Presence Matters
Have you been resisting taking your company online? You’re not alone.
Tradie Tips: Charging Deposits
Deposits are a necessary part of invoicing - if you’re not doing it, you need to be! Taking a deposit gives both the business and the customer a level of protection if a job falls through.
Modern Marketing for Tradies
When was the last time you checked the White Pages or your local paper to find a company? And when was the last time you even held either of these items? Most likely a long time ago.
5 Tips for Reducing Cashflow Problems
Every company has highs and lows with cash flow, this is a completely normal part of business.
How Going Paperless will Boost Business
Have you been dreaming of a workplace without paper? Job management apps such as Trak are making it easier for this to become a reality for you.
Welcome to Trak
Welcome to Trak! We’re glad to see you here, despite the fact that our crossing of paths probably means that your company is facing troubles.
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