http://www.bluedogcranes.com.au/

Blue Dog Cranes, 34 Kyabram Street, Melbourne (2026)

12/08/2026

Success is knowing if someone is saying something bad about you they are jealous or Lying! 🤥. And.... drinking beer on a boat like a pirate 🏴‍☠️!

11/08/2026

The economy is getting tougher by the day for Victorians. For all of us in business — my customers, the customers I want, my competitors and myself its tough out here.

This is where we need to be staunch.

When work gets quiet, the easiest lever to pull is price. Drop the rate, win the job, keep the wheels turning.

But working for nothing just to stay busy is a sure way to go broke. Worse than that, it slowly dismantles the business you spent years building.

Because margin isn’t just profit.

Margin pays for good people. Good equipment. Maintenance. Training. Safety. Insurance. Backup. Service. And the ability to answer the phone when something goes wrong and actually do something about it.

Strip enough margin out of a business and eventually something has to give.

I’d feel completely defeated if, after all these years in business, the only tool I had left to compete was price point. I’d feel about as useful as the government trying to control inflation with the same old tool of raising interest rates.

We’ve spent years building relationships, investing in equipment, developing our people and constantly refining the business to make it a weapon at what it does.

We want to give our customers the best value and the best opportunity to achieve their goals through the crane service we’ve developed.

So it would be remiss of me to forget all of that now and jump aboard the bandwagon of sinking ships around us — dropping rates, cutting corners and slowly diluting the product just to keep busy.

Ain’t gonna happen.

Now is the time to be savvy and do it better for our clients, not cheaper.

Recently I had a lot of pressure from a good client to hold our old rates. I did the maths. It wasn’t possible. We had plenty of discussion around it. Ultimately, that client decided they couldn’t afford to lose the standard of people, equipment and service we bring to the table because it contributes to the success of their own business.

That’s an important distinction.
They weren’t buying a crane for an hourly rate. They were buying an outcome.

So instead of dropping our rates, we negotiated a higher one. I don’t enjoy putting rates up. But sometimes it’s absolutely necessary.

You can’t demand the best equipment, experienced people, reliability, safety and service while simultaneously demanding the cheapest price. Eventually those two things collide.

And right now isn’t the time to be making compromises.

When the market is flying and everyone is busy, businesses can get away with plenty. When things tighten up, customers suddenly have more choice and every weakness becomes visible.

That’s why I think this market will expose businesses at both ends.

Those that were never delivering enough value will struggle. And those that panic and destroy their margins trying to buy work will eventually struggle too.

Price absolutely matters. There is nothing wrong with being competitive. We have to be.

But being competitive and being cheap are two very different things.

If the only reason somebody chooses your business is because you’re the cheapest, then the bloke who comes along tomorrow $10 cheaper has just taken your customer.

That’s not much of a business strategy.

Hard markets aren’t the time to forget what made your business valuable.

They’re the time to prove it.

Your Thoughts?
Cheers, Ben.

20/07/2026

⚖️ It has to be equal!

Every interaction I have in business starts with an imaginary set of scales in my hands. Those scales don’t care about emotion. They don’t care whether I like someone or not. They don’t care who is right or wrong. They only ask one question. Are both sides winning? Staff, Customers or Suppliers, It doesn’t matter. Did they get what they needed? Did I get what I needed?

If the scales feel balanced, I’m happy.

If someone starts carrying more than me, I fix it immediately. That’s not fair.
If I start carrying more than them, I’ll give it a little time to see if the scales level themselves. If they don’t, I act.
Because one thing is certain… Uneven scales never become balanced by themselves. They only get heavier.

That simple test has become the filter for every relationship in my business.
It also explains why we’ve largely avoided the problems so many small businesses are battling today.

Business owners often talk about entitlement, resentment, people counting every minute, demanding every dollar, but feeling no responsibility beyond what’s written in their contract. I've struggled with it too. Luckily having the right people overall makes it very difficult for these ones to coexist and they dont last long. It's an example of a good culture at work.

Whether that’s becoming more common or not isn’t the point. My job isn’t to complain about it. My job is to build a culture where it doesn’t survive. I have always been largely successful here.

Our mission has never changed:
"The best business deal is where everyone involved feels like they’ve won.”

That applies just as much to employment as it does to customers. I have had to let customers go in the past not because they didnt pay, rather they didn't seem to understand that we both need to do well. I cant do not being understood!

I expect a lot from my team because I give a lot to my team. We pay well. We back our people. We help them through hard times. We invest in good equipment. We create opportunity. We protect our culture.

In return, I expect pride, accountability, ownership and people who genuinely want the business to succeed.

Not because they owe me.
Because balanced scales only stay balanced when both people keep putting weight on them.

Culture isn't protected by policies.
It’s protected by the standards you’re prepared to enforce.

Those imaginary scales have never let me down.

Cheers, Ben. 🍻

09/07/2026

“People think crane operators just pull levers. What they don’t see is the ballet. The graceful fingertips. The whisper-soft touch. The sheer elegance of a bloke delicately manoeuvring several tonnes of steel while looking like he hasn’t blinked since 2009.”

08/07/2026

I'm not someone who needs recognition or a pat on the back.
But something happened this week that reminded me why I lead the way I do.

A few days ago I accidentally backed my truck into a lady's car. I spent half an hour tracking her down because I couldn't leave without making it right. It was my mistake. There wasn't another option. I organised to repair her bonnet, even if it cost me $2,000.

She rang me today in tears.
She couldn't believe I'd stayed, found her and taken responsibility. She told me she was grateful that, out of everyone who could have hit her car, it was me.Then I found myself in tears too. Not because of the money. Because it reinforced that doing the right thing matters.

People often ask what it's like owning a business.

The reality is that every part of the organisation leans on the owner. Staff. Management. Customers. Suppliers. Every difficult decision eventually lands on your desk. You don't really get sick. You don't really switch off. Holidays aren't holidays. You don't get the luxury of having a bad day because everyone else is relying on you to have the answers.

I'm not complaining. It's simply the responsibility that comes with leadership.

What I've realised over the years is that if you don't build yourself a clear mission and a set of non-negotiable values, the weight will eventually crush you.

When every decision is filtered through the same principles, life actually becomes simpler.

Be honest.
Own your mistakes.
Do what you say you'll do.
Treat people fairly.
Leave every situation with your integrity intact.

Those aren't just values. They're tools.

When a problem lands on my desk, I don't have to reinvent my response every time. I simply apply the same rules of engagement. It removes the emotion. It removes the shortcuts. It tells me exactly how I should behave.

I used these tools to address a problem today, it was much harder than burrying my head in the sand or doing nothing and I'm not sure it will fix things but I have stayed the course and leant on my morals so there is comfort in that for me.

As the owner, my job is to absorb problems so my team can focus on creating solutions. They get to celebrate the wins with customers because someone has already cleared the path in front of them. That's exactly how it should be.

My job isn't to be the hero.
My job is to make sure everyone around me has the best chance to succeed.

I've spent years building the Blue Dog brand, but the truth is the brand isn't our logo or our cranes.

It's our character.

And every now and then, a simple phone call reminds you that staying the course is always worth it.
Cheers, Ben.

27/06/2026

"You do You, we'll do Cranes"

25/06/2026

I've recently realised there's a flaw in the way I negotiate. Not because I'm too hard. Because I'm too honest. I pressure test every situation in business with the same question to myself; Is the Juice worth the squeeze? I find thinking about this ahead of any decision is great for deciding whether something's worth the effort.

Most people assume every negotiation involves bluffing, exaggerating and holding something back. So when someone tells them the truth, they assume it's just another tactic.
With me, It isn't.

When I tell a customer, "This is the best way to achieve what you're trying to do," I genuinely mean it.

When I tell a supplier, "This is what I need to make this work. If it doesn't suit you, let's shake hands and try again next time," I mean that too. I need to get what I want out of a deal and I want those I do business with to get what they want. It's the main part of my Mission Statement; "the best busines deal is where all involved feel like they have won".

When I say I'm not shopping around to save the last dollar, but I need your best effort, that's exactly what I mean. People have lost a deal with me because it wasnt their best effort and they are confused that I wont continue the negotiation after working that out.

A few weeks ago I told a crane manufacturer that business was tough and I needed one thing to make the deal work. That wasn't a negotiating tactic. It was the truth.

When nothing happened, they seemed surprised I was incredibly frustrated. They assumed I was playing the game.
I wasn't. I was frankly explaining how we could get something done and what was required.

That's the downside of complete honesty. People often assume you're bluffing because they're used to everyone else doing it.

My staff, suppliers and long-term customers don't have that problem anymore. They've learnt that when I say something, that's exactly where I stand.

No hidden agenda.
No second position.
No games.

Over time you naturally surround yourself with people who operate the same way. People who say what they mean and do what they say.

It's a fantastic way to do business.

I'm not interested in winning today's negotiation if it costs tomorrow's relationship.

Blue Dog's playing a long game.

20/06/2026

Blue Dog is genuine success over Perceived success!

Most people look at the companies with the biggest cranes, the biggest contracts, the government work, the flashy offices and assume that’s what success looks like.

I don’t.

In terms of building substantial wealth for my family, we’re still working on it. We’re still learning, improving and fine-tuning the business every year.

The money takes time.

Success, to me, is something else entirely, and my company has it in spades.

My parents taught me a simple lesson: if you’re going to do something, give it everything you’ve got. The difference between going through the motions and giving 110% isn’t as big as people think. You’re already doing the work. You may as well do it properly.

I’ve carried that mindset through my whole life.

I wasn’t the smartest kid at school. I wasn’t the best athlete. I was never the standout.

Then I found cranes.

For whatever reason, it just made sense to me.

Planning lifts, operating machinery, reading a site, positioning equipment, reversing trailers, seeing problems before they happen. My brain was wired for it.

For the first time in my life, I found something I knew I could do exceptionally well. So while the work site had lunch I sat in the crane burning fuel and catching swings. Doing things smoother and faster. Every day for years I practiced. I still do.

This changed my expectations.

A good crane operator doesn’t need three attempts to work out where the crane should have gone. A good operator studies the job, thinks ahead and gets it right the first time.

That’s not arrogance.

That’s professionalism.

The same applies to business.

Success isn’t having the biggest company.

Success is having a reputation that can’t be bought.

I’ve never not done something I said I would do.

If I shake your hand, that’s the deal.

I don’t owe people money.

I don’t make promises I can’t keep.

I don’t tell people what they want to hear.

And I don’t pretend to like people for the sake of making a dollar.

That last one seems rare these days.

I watch businesses spend years tearing strips off each other behind closed doors, then sit beside each other at conferences, smile for photos and act like best mates because there’s money on the table.

That’s not business.

That’s theatre.

I’d rather spend my time with people I genuinely respect, and when I’m not doing that, you’ll find me with my family.

The people around me are there because they want to be, and because I want them there. This goes for subcontractors, staff and customers alike!

That’s success.

The fact that nobody can truthfully say I ripped them off, refused to honour my word, or failed to stand behind a commitment I made—that’s success.

The fact that my staff know exactly where they stand with me—that’s success.

The fact that my kids are learning the same values—that’s success.

Will we continue building wealth?

Absolutely.

But wealth is a result, not a measure.

The money takes time.

Character takes a lifetime.

And when it’s all said and done, I’d rather be remembered for the strength of my word than the size of the crane sitting in my yard.

Cheers, Ben.

20/06/2026

Had an unfortunate mishap yesterday, could have happened to anyone. Trying to take heavy equipment in and out of warrandyte has always been difficult. We responded quickly as a team and to have locals write in and commend us on our management, teamwork and commitment to our staff and company reputation makes me proud of the way we handle bad situations as a team. Business is tough, I am stubborn with big shoulders as I know so many small businesses are. This is my take on it. Sand and a sieve. 🍻

18/06/2026

I visited Brompton, Malvern today as we have just started our lifts there after the tower crane has been dissembled. A little bit of downtime meant I was able to go on the roof, this is always a highlight for me on a job site. Thanks Simon for trusting us with your lifts.

Blue Dog Cranes

12/08/2026

11/08/2026

20/07/2026

09/07/2026

08/07/2026

27/06/2026

25/06/2026

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18/06/2026

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