BLOG
Practical tips for tradies, freelancers, and solo operators who want to know what they actually earn.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR REAL HOURLY RATE (NOT THE ONE YOU THINK)
Most tradies and freelancers think they know their hourly rate. But once you subtract fuel, materials, insurance, and unpaid hours, the real number is often half what you expect. Here's how to calculate it properly.
Read more →FREE INVOICE TEMPLATE WITH ABN AND GST FOR AUSTRALIAN SOLE TRADERS
What legally needs to be on an Australian tax invoice? ABN, GST, payment terms — we break it down and show you how to send professional invoices from your phone in seconds.
Read more →BEST FREE APPS FOR TRADIES IN 2026: COMPARED
Xero, Tradify, ServiceM8, Invoice2go, and TheBrickBook — what do they actually cost, and which one is right if you're a one-person operation? We compare them honestly.
Read more →HOW MUCH SHOULD A TRADIE CHARGE PER HOUR IN AUSTRALIA? (2026 RATES)
What plumbers, electricians, carpenters, landscapers, and other trades are charging in 2026 — and the massive gap between charge-out rate and what you actually take home.
Read more →TRADIE EXPENSES YOU'RE FORGETTING TO TRACK (AND HOW THEY KILL YOUR PROFIT)
Fuel is just the start. Vehicle rego, insurance, phone, tools, PPE, bank fees, software — most sole traders miss $25,000-$40,000 in annual expenses they never track against their jobs.
Read more →HOW TO QUOTE A JOB AS A TRADIE (WITHOUT UNDERCHARGING)
The quoting formula most tradies never learn: materials + labour + overhead + travel + contingency. Plus the 5 most common underquoting mistakes and how to avoid them.
Read more →DO I NEED TO REGISTER FOR GST? SIMPLE GUIDE FOR AUSTRALIAN SOLE TRADERS
The $75K threshold, voluntary registration pros and cons, how GST affects your invoices, and BAS basics — explained in plain English for tradies who find this stuff confusing.
Read more →FREE TRADIE INVOICE TEMPLATE WITH ABN & GST (AUSTRALIA)
What legally needs to be on a tradie invoice? ABN, GST, payment terms, labour vs materials — plus a free template you can use today.
Read more →FREE LANDSCAPING INVOICE TEMPLATE AUSTRALIA
How to invoice landscaping jobs properly — materials, hourly rates, seasonal pricing, and a free template with ABN and GST.
Read more →FREE CLEANING INVOICE TEMPLATE FOR AUSTRALIAN SOLE TRADERS
Hourly vs per-job pricing, recurring clients, supplies — everything you need on a cleaning invoice plus a free template.
Read more →FREE PHOTOGRAPHY INVOICE TEMPLATE AUSTRALIA
Session fees, editing, prints, deposits — how to invoice photography jobs professionally with ABN and GST.
Read more →FREE PLUMBING INVOICE TEMPLATE FOR AUSTRALIAN PLUMBERS
Call-out fees, parts markup, emergency rates, warranty info — a complete plumbing invoice template with ABN and GST.
Read more →FREE ELECTRICAL INVOICE TEMPLATE FOR AUSTRALIAN ELECTRICIANS
Compliance certificates, testing fees, licence numbers — everything electricians need on their invoices plus a free template.
Read more →THEBRICKBOOK VS BOOKIPI: WHICH FREE INVOICE APP IS BETTER FOR TRADIES?
Bookipi limits free users to 3 invoices per month. TheBrickBook is completely free with unlimited invoicing plus job tracking and real hourly rate. Here's how they compare.
Read more →THEBRICKBOOK VS XERO: DO SOLO TRADIES REALLY NEED ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE?
Xero costs $420/year and is built for businesses with accountants. If you're a one-person operation, you might be paying for features you never touch.
Read more →THEBRICKBOOK VS TRADIFY: BEST APP FOR SOLO TRADIES IN 2026
Tradify costs $600/year and is brilliant for trade teams. But if it's just you, you're paying for scheduling and dispatch features you'll never use.
Read more →THEBRICKBOOK VS SERVICEM8: WHICH IS BETTER FOR AUSTRALIAN TRADIES?
ServiceM8 manages the client experience. TheBrickBook shows you what you actually earned. Different problems, different tools — here's how to choose.
Read more →THEBRICKBOOK VS INVOICE2GO: FREE VS PAID INVOICE APP COMPARED
Invoice2go costs $120/year for invoicing only. TheBrickBook does invoicing plus job tracking, expense logging, and real hourly rate — for free.
Read more →THEBRICKBOOK VS MYOB: SIMPLE JOB TRACKER VS FULL ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE
MYOB costs $300/year and is full accounting software. If you're a solo tradie who just wants to know what you earn, there's a simpler (and free) way.
Read more →