I get really amazed when I talk to plumbers about their pricing. “How did you come up with that price?” I ask. “Well, we called up some competitors to see what they are charging” they say. “Oh, are they making money at that price?” I ask. “I guess they are. They have been around for […]

As a business owner, many people would probably consider you a leader. You hire people to work for you company. Those people put their future and the future of their family in your hands. They are attempting to fulfill their dreams through your business. But, just because you own a business does not mean you

I am fairly sure that everyone knows what procrastination is. It is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished. I broke the word down into syllables and came up with my own definition; Pro – a professional; Crass – lacking intelligence, stupid; Nation (Old French from Latin) – by birth; or,

Have you ever wondered why some companies just take off and head for the stars, while others just spin their wheels constantly? It seems everything That Guy touches turns to gold. You have been in business for years now, and not much is different. Yes, you are doing better than when you started, but you

Early on in my career I became very acquainted with a man who sold consumable items to the automotive industry – car dealerships, fleet garages, and the like. He was a very likable person in his 50’s, balding, and smoked a pipe. One of the things I learned from him was, “Make your pitch and

I am sure at some point in time that you have gotten so involved in the day to day that you forgot your main goal. Years ago I heard the expression, “At times when you are waist deep in alligators, you forget your prime objective was to drain the swamp!” The day to day operations

Communication is the process by which we exchange information between individuals or groups of people. It’s a process where we try—as clearly and accurately as we can—to convey our thoughts, intentions, and objectives. In our business, we’re communicating with people all day, every day – talking with fellow employees, customers, vendors, and so on.  So,

We hear the terms mediocre and mediocrity frequently, but have you stopped to understand what that is? Being mediocre is being so-so and some people can live with so-so. I really don’t think your career goal was to be mediocre, was it? The meaning of mediocre is the state of low quality, value, ability or

“There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man’s lawful prey.” John Ruskin wrote this back in the 1800’s and I do believe he was speaking to plumbers. Excellent plumbers don’t give their work away. Quality

It doesn’t matter what your trade is on the sign in front of your office. We are in the customer service business. Satisfied customers are our key to success. When your company is small, you may know your customers on a first name basis. You become “their guy” for all types of repairs. As you