Two Old Guys Talking Business

About Two Old Guys Talking Business

We share what works and what doesn’t in business with you so you don’t have to learn the hard way, based on 100+ years of combined experience. You'll learn what the essential skills of business are to grow your business profitably, build a great team and prepare your business for management, so that working becomes optional. You'll learn strategies and integrated solutions for business owners with 3+ employees and 3 years in business, who have recognised how tough it is to grow a business profitably, and still have a life - without thinking about your business at night and on weekends.

Publisher

Tim Stokes & Eugene Zanozin

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episode

12 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Nov 2026

   The Numbers That Multiply Your Profits

   Episode 6 of Two Old Guys Talking Business is about the numbers that actually run a business. Most owners look at a P&L once a month, long after anything can be done about it. In this episode, we show you which numbers to watch, how often to watch them, and how to read them from three angles: the eagle, the parrot and the chicken. We share: The eagle, parrot and chicken views: the big picture, the trends, and the detail on the ground The six numbers we’d have every owner watching: leads, sales acceptances, work in progress, WIP gross margin, cash banked and debtor days How those six numbers sit across the three legs of a business: get the work, do the work, get paid The mood of the marketplace: why leads dropped across several states when the Matildas played, and what that tells you about your own enquiries Eugene’s PESTLE check: the outside forces that move your numbers before you notice them Why 60% of your leads coming from one source is a risk, and why you should be looking after them at Christmas The many gross margins inside one business, and why WIP gross margin is the one most owners miss Fixed and variable costs, and knowing what it costs to open your doors each month A builder who went from a 12% loss to a 12% profit, and the $300,000 of materials the numbers uncovered when materials jumped from 30% to 45% of revenue Why handing your numbers to someone else without checking them is abdication, not delegation How weaknesses in your figures become your biggest opportunities This episode follows Episode 5, where we explained why money is margin, not income. It sets up the next session, where we cover business growth planning. 📺 Watch all episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-oQgRWeZLg (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-oQgRWeZLg) https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/

2. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Money Is Margin, Not Income

   Most business owners think money is income. Then they hire a few people, see no cash in the bank, and wonder where it went. In this episode, Tim Stokes and Eugene Zanozin explain why money in business is margin, and why net profit margin is the number to watch. This episode explores: Why a rising income and rising net profit can still mean less cash, and how to spot it The 10% to 7.5% example: why making $50,000 more can still be a worse result How low margin drains cash: on a $1,000 sale, a 5% margin means $950 goes straight back out Why your biggest month can be followed by a slump when expenses catch up Assumptions and ignorance: the two costs that rarely show up on a P&L Why 15% net profit margin is the target most businesses should aim for, and why it’s where cash problems tend to ease How margins vary within the same industry, with examples from IT and electrical contracting The margin formula, and a worked example showing how a 24% expense load requires a 39% gross margin to reach 15% net A joinery business that moved from a loss to a 10% margin by raising prices, shifting work to a supplier, and selling an underused machine Why weekly figures and trends matter more than a monthly P&L Why measuring your numbers reduces stress Why labour belongs in cost of sales, and what to do about travel time and non-billable hours Why monthly P&Ls don’t match income to costs, and why three to six month views are more reliable 📺 Watch all episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-oQgRWeZLg (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-oQgRWeZLg) Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:19 The magic of measuring 00:45 Why measure at all 01:34 Three legs: get the work, do the work, get paid 04:10 Why the P&L matters, and its limits 05:17 What is money in business? 07:03 Money is margin 08:23 Doubling turnover from $1M to $2M 09:46 How margin drives cash flow 11:36 The biggest-month trap 12:45 Assumptions and ignorance 15:11 The 15% target 17:06 Top 5% of businesses 18:21 Same industry, different margins 21:42 The net profit margin formula 23:58 The profit formula 24:34 Joinery turnaround 32:35 Weekly figures and trends 36:15 Stress comes from ignorance 41:48 The two metrics to start with 43:21 Labour and cost of sales 46:03 Fixed and variable costs 52:05 Why monthly P&Ls don’t match 53:29 Next episode ashtags: #smallbusiness #businessowner #profitmargin #netprofit #cashflow #businessmetrics #queenslandbusiness https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/

3. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Employees Not Performing? Is it YOU?

   In this episode... Why employees are more accountable to a number than to a person — and why most owners roll out numbers as a stick instead of a goal. Eugene takes apart emotional intelligence: the four quadrants, the amygdala hijack, and why EQ, unlike IQ, is a skill you can build. Then recruitment. Why 19 out of 20 job ads repel the exact people you want. Why great employees are never unemployed and read your ad with a microscope. An IT company that couldn’t hire for four years, and a $135,000 candidate who took $90,000. The most boring ad Tim ever wrote, and the 620 applicants it pulled. And what to do when someone isn’t working out: help them realise they want to leave. Two Old Guys Talking Business — Tim Stokes and Eugene Zanozin. Between us, 100 years running businesses. Most of it learned the hard way. Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #recruitment #hiring #accountability #emotionalintelligence #smallbusiness #businesscoaching #leadership https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/

4. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Hiring Employees - Attitude Vs Aptitude - DISC Profiles and Discerning Character

   Recruitment is a crucial small business strategy. It's easy not to get it right, with a costly outcome. There's a common saying, "We hire on skills, and sack on attitude" - so it smarter to hire on attitude - so you don't need to let them go. Most business owners can describe an employee’s attitude in four words: great, good, okay, or poor. None of those definitions tells you anything you can act on. What attitude is, will be defined in this session. You'll also learn about DISC Profiles from two Certified DISC Trainers in Tim and Eugene, both with decades of experience with DISC Profiling. In episode 3, Tim and Eugene get into attitude and aptitude — what they actually are, how to spot them, and why confusing the two costs you good people and keeps bad ones. You'll learn about the five stages of team development: connecting thinking measuring supporting owning. The fifth stage is where working as the owner can become optional. These take five to ten months to work through, and the reason most owners stall is stage one. Plus the iceberg — behaviour, skills, beliefs, values, identity and environment — and what each layer is doing to your business, whether you look at it or not. You'll gain better people 'discernment' skills by listening to this episode, so you can recruit with greater confidence and reduce the frustrations experienced with employees who don't work out. Learn more about Tim's recruitment system and educational services on his company's Profit Transformations website (https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/) where you can also leave a message to contact Eugene.

5. 

   13 Oct 2026

   You Can’t Motivate Your Employees

   You can’t motivate your employees. Motivation is intrinsic — all you can do is build the environment where people motivate themselves. In episode 2, Tim and Eugene get into the skill most business owners never learn: reading people. Your customers are people, your team are people, your suppliers are people — and people are where most of the stress, and most of the opportunity, lives. They cover: Why a customer is anyone you supply anything to, including your own team Employee engagement strategies The iceberg: the behaviour you see versus the personality underneath A working guide to the four DISC styles — D, I, S and C — and the question each one is really asking How to change the way you communicate for each style, with examples The client who stopped making small talk with his estimator and kept him when a competitor offered $30,000 more Why managers rank money as the top motivator and employees rank recognition What a request for a pay rise is usually telling you Why aiming for perfection makes you miss the 98% that’s already excellent Tim shares how he realised he had no ability to read people at all, and what he did about it. Eugene explains why understanding DISC saved his marriage. Try it this week: do a free DISC assessment online, then look at your team through it. Two Old Guys Talking Business. Between us, 100 years running businesses — most of it learned the hard way.

6. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Your Business Can Run Without YOU

   What would your business look like if working in it became optional? In Episode 1 of Two Old Guys Talking Business, we discuss four of the biggest challenges facing business owners: employees (managing & recruiting), time, cash flow and losing sight of the goals that made you start the business in the first place. We also explore what business success actually means, why a business can own you, instead of you owning it, and the way out of the pressure of always having to be at work every hour it operates. Along the way, we discuss: Building a business that can eventually run under management Hiring people for more than just skills and experience Why attitude and people skills matter Learning from other successful business owners Personal development and business growth Time priorities, not just time management Why trying to make everything perfect can slow growth Fear, uncertainty and making better business decisions Two Old Guys Talking Business is built around more than a century of combined business experience — practical conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and what business owners can do differently to improve their business and their lives. Leave a comment or ask your toughest business question to let us know what you’d like us to discuss in future episodes. Tim can be contacted via his Profit Transformations company website (https://www.profittrans4mations.com.au/).

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Guest appearances

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.