The Subbies' Toolbox Podcast

What happens when proving you're right ends up costing more than the dispute itself?

In this episode of The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, Michelle Cirson explores the real cost of fighting "on principle" and why taking the emotion out of a dispute can often lead to better commercial outcomes.

Using a high-profile legal case and a real construction dispute involving millions of dollars, Michelle explains how emotionally driven decisions can distract subcontractors from the processes that actually protect their cashflow and legal position.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why fighting on principle isn't always the best commercial decision

How emotion can cloud your judgement during payment disputes

Why builders and subcontractors often make decisions from very different commercial positions

The risks of letting frustration derail your Security of Payment strategy

How an Accounts Receivable Escalation Procedure can help you make better decisions under pressure

If you've ever found yourself saying, "It's the principle of it," this episode will help you take a step back, think strategically and focus on protecting your business.

Resources

Tired of builders pushing you around? Arm yourself with the Subbies' Toolbox Membership

Want to negotiate better contract terms? Explore Negotiation School

Get Free Checklists, Templates and guides here www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

Get Your Fix on Social Media

Follow Michelle on Linked In - HERE

Follow Michelle on Instagram - HERE

Follow Michelle on Facebook - HERE

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you like what you’re hearing on The Subbies’ Toolbox Podcast, support the show by taking a few seconds to leave a rating and/or comment on ApplePodcast, or Spotify Thanks!

About the Host

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

This week on The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, Michelle shares the story behind a social media post that sparked plenty of debate across the construction industry.

Drawing on her years working inside builder organisations as a Contract Administrator, Michelle opens up about mistakes she made, decisions she witnessed, and the uncomfortable truth about relying on builder staff to protect your business.

If you've ever believed that having a good relationship with the builder's CA, Project Manager or Commercial Manager will keep you safe, this episode challenges that thinking.

Michelle explains why staff inside building companies have their own pressures, priorities and incentives, and why your business can't depend on someone else's decision-making.

In this episode you'll learn:

Why good relationships don't guarantee good commercial outcomes

What really influences builder staff when they're making decisions

The danger of underpricing work and expecting someone else to stop you

How progress claims can hide serious cash flow problems

What radical accountability actually looks like for subcontractors

The biggest lesson is simple.

No one inside a builder's office is more responsible for your profitability than you are.

If you want a stronger subcontracting business, your systems, pricing and financial decisions need to stand on their own.

Download our free guide: How to Claim Cost Increases Under Fixed Price Contracts

https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/cost

Resources

Tired of builders pushing you around? Arm yourself with the Subbies' Toolbox Membership

Want to negotiate better contract terms? Explore Negotiation School

Get Free Checklists, Templates and guides here www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

Get Your Fix on Social Media

Follow Michelle on Linked In - HERE

Follow Michelle on Instagram - HERE

Follow Michelle on Facebook - HERE

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you like what you’re hearing on The Subbies’ Toolbox Podcast, support the show by taking a few seconds to leave a rating and/or comment on ApplePodcast, or Spotify Thanks!

About the Host

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

This week on The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, I'm talking about a topic that catches a lot of Aussie Subbies out when cashflow gets tight: debt collectors.

When a builder isn't paying, bringing in a debt collector can feel like the obvious next step. But before you hand over 18% to 25% of your debt, there are a few things you need to know.

In this episode, I explain how debt collectors actually operate, why they often aren't the best option for Australian Subcontractors, and how they can accidentally interfere with your ability to use Security of Payment legislation.

We also unpack the difference between a letter of demand and a compliant payment claim, why so many businesses are relying on outdated debt recovery systems, and how a proper accounts receivable escalation procedure can dramatically improve your chances of getting paid.

In this episode:

• How debt collectors make their money
• The hidden risks of debt collection agreements
• Why letters of demand often achieve very little
• Common mistakes subcontractors make with payment claims
• How Security of Payment laws can help you recover money faster
• The importance of a compliant accounts receivable escalation procedure
• What Aussie Subbies should do before engaging a debt collector

Resources

Tired of builders pushing you around? Arm yourself with the Subbies' Toolbox Membership

Want to negotiate better contract terms? Explore Negotiation School

Get Free Checklists, Templates and guides here www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

Get Your Fix on Social Media

Follow Michelle on Linked In - HERE

Follow Michelle on Instagram - HERE

Follow Michelle on Facebook - HERE

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you like what you’re hearing on The Subbies’ Toolbox Podcast, support the show by taking a few seconds to leave a rating and/or comment on ApplePodcast, or Spotify Thanks!

About the Host

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

This week on The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, I'm unpacking one of the most frustrating situations subcontractors face in commercial construction.

What happens when a builder tells you they can't pay?

More importantly, what happens when they offer you a deal instead?

After a recent conversation with excavation contractor Jimmy Starbuck, I found myself reflecting on a story that will sound familiar to many Aussie subbies. A developer convinced multiple subcontractors and suppliers to keep working despite not being paid, relying on the promise that everyone would get looked after at the end.

It raises an important question.

When a builder says they're going broke, should you believe them?

In this episode, I explain how deeds of release are commonly used to settle debts, the warning signs subcontractors should be watching for, and why relying on the insolvency system as your safety net is rarely a winning strategy.

We also talk about trade credit insurance, accounts receivable escalation procedures, and how to position yourself so you're making decisions from a place of strength instead of fear.

In this episode:

What a deed of release actually does

Why builders use debt settlement deals

The psychology behind "I'll go broke if you push me"

The dangers of waiting until the end of a project

How communication between subcontractors changes the game

Trade credit insurance pitfalls you need to know

Why every subbie needs an accounts receivable escalation procedure

Resources

Tired of builders pushing you around? Arm yourself with the Subbies' Toolbox Membership

Want to negotiate better contract terms? Explore Negotiation School

Get Free Checklists, Templates and guides here www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

Get Your Fix on Social Media

Follow Michelle on Linked In - HERE

Follow Michelle on Instagram - HERE

Follow Michelle on Facebook - HERE

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you like what you’re hearing on The Subbies’ Toolbox Podcast, support the show by taking a few seconds to leave a rating and/or comment on ApplePodcast, or Spotify Thanks!

About the Host

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

This week on The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, Michelle breaks down how subcontractors are successfully getting paid deposits for offsite goods without handing over bank guarantees.

From lift subcontractors and structural steel, through to specialist imported equipment, this episode unpacks the commercial logic builders actually respond to when negotiating deposits.

Michelle explains why bank guarantees often don’t solve the real problem for builders anyway, and how smart subcontractors are using deeds of ownership, PPS registrations, insurance arrangements and logic-based assurances to protect both parties while improving cashflow.

If you’ve ever been told “we can only pay a deposit if you give us a bank guarantee”, this episode will help you understand the alternatives and how to pitch them properly.

In this episode:

Why builders ask for bank guarantees in the first place

How deposits can protect projects from supply chain delays

What deeds of ownership for unfixed offsite goods actually do

How PPS registrations protect builders and subcontractors

The smarter commercial approach to negotiating deposits

Why fixed price contracts without deposits can be dangerous in volatile markets

Resources

Tired of builders pushing you around? Arm yourself with the Subbies' Toolbox Membership

Want to negotiate better contract terms? Explore Negotiation School

Get Free Checklists, Templates and guides here www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

Free Download - How to Claim Cost Increases Under a Fixed Price Contract

Get Your Fix on Social Media

Follow Michelle on Linked In - HERE

Follow Michelle on Instagram - HERE

Follow Michelle on Facebook - HERE

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you like what you’re hearing on The Subbies’ Toolbox Podcast, support the show by taking a few seconds to leave a rating and/or comment on ApplePodcast, or Spotify Thanks!

About the Host

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au