Don’t forget the cash flow. Believe it or not, some businesses do just that. They wrap themselves up so much in research and development projects and future forecasting that they forget what is funding all of these programs – cash. You might get caught up in having the nicest looking office and a fleet of […]
Teach Your Plumbers How to Talk about Your Positives without Talking about the Competitors Weaknesses
I promise you right now that if you asked your plumbers what they think of your competitors, I’m sure you’ll get all sorts of interesting answers. Sure, they’d be colorful and funny. Yes, they wouldn’t be complementary, and they probably would be true. However, here’s something you should also ask yourself: What do your plumbers […]
The Danger of Hiring Experienced Plumbers – You May Be Creating More Headaches for Yourself
I was talking to a plumbing contractor who had just joined our organization. The topic of hiring came up. This contractor said he would only hire plumbers with 10-plus years of experience. He insisted that he would never hire a young plumber. Now, I’ll never say you shouldn’t give an experienced plumber a job. You […]
Go Above & Beyond: How to Create a Positive Culture in Your Business
A buzz word in contracting today is “culture.” In fact, you could say it’s a buzz word in the business world today. Culture is this term that people throw around when talking about extremely successful companies. These companies give off a certain type of feel when you walk around their offices. It has something special […]
4 Ways to Improve the Service You Deliver Your Customers
My customers love me. I provide the best service in town. These are claims that most contractors make. But I have a question for you: Are you really so sure your customers love you? What makes you say that? Do you really ask them? Or do you base that on the fact that you don’t […]
Tips to Using Facebook to Your Advantage!
The two-word phrase that has people all a twitter is “social networking.” People are using the Internet to send quick-hit messages and share pictures with friends, family, employees, customers, etc. The beauty of social networking is that it builds relationships between people who genuinely (or out of curiosity) want to connect with other people – […]
The Cheapest & Best Advertising You’ll Ever Find
Everywhere you go people should know who you are. That may sound a bit odd and bordering on egomania but think about this statement from your business’ point of view. You want people to know your business name and what you do, right? It’s important to have name recognition in your community because it builds […]
If You Don’t Have a Fresh, Professionally Written & Designed Website, You Could Be Quickly Killing Your Business.
Back in the day, most contracting companies were built on word-of-mouth. And that’s still not a bad way to get referrals. Those tend to be the best leads. However, it can take a long time to build a business simply by hoping people mention you to their friends and family. Phone books were invented and […]
The Best Advertising Dollars You Could Ever Spend
I say, “Plop. Plop. Fizz. Fizz. What a relief it is?” You instantly think: Alka-Seltzer. I say, “Just Do It!” You think, “Nike.” I say, “Like a God Neighbor.” You say, “State Farm is there.” I say, “Five Dollar. Five Dollar Foot Long!” You think, “Subway!” I say, “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, […]
3 Ways to Get Important Feedback on Your Customer Service!
Sometimes the best way to learn about customer service is to directly ask the customer. Many companies use a system of feedback to learn about customer experiences. Feedback is an invaluable tool that enables businesses to mold their practices around customer choices and preferences. If you’re not doing so already, you should be calling behind […]