KickStart: Promote a 1) Safe, 2) Sane and 3) Stable atmosphere in your company to attract and keep the Very Best People. (HINT: It starts with YOUR example.)
If you’re reading this I’m guessing that you (like me) are a steely-eyed Home Services ‘gladiator’ (entrepreneur) that glories in the daily cut-and-thrust of commerce!
I was (Sioux says I still am)🙄 an adrenaline junky that ‘gets his fix’ from winning in the grand game of business! Is this you too? If so, here’s your danger…
Your ‘abnormal’ frenetic business obsession likely has become the new ‘normal’ in your company!
Remember, to grow into a Critical Mass Business (OR to just get off the ‘off the truck’) you must hire stable, quality workers. Your problem? Even the best employees HATE the constantly scrambling, obsessed, under-the-gun work pace of the typical Home Services business owner and his or her business
RESOURCE: You’ll get 100’s of new hiring ideas and systems in our 3-hour, online SFS: Hiring the Very Best! LIVE seminar. To learn more and/or easily register online click HERE.
Therefore, to attract and keep the Very Best People long term you must create a routine company culture based on what I call…
The ‘Triple S’: Safe, Sane and Stable! Today, let’s focus on the first of our three “S’s”
Create a Safe Workplace
SAFE: People everywhere today (including your workers) are living under incredible pressure. So, when your employees come to work they should feel emotionally ‘safe’ and protected.
I know. You’re thinking, “Steve, wassup with this touchy-feely, ‘safe’ stuff? I’m already giving them a paycheck- what more do they want?”😡 Here’s the deal: No quality, ‘Very Best Person’ will stay long term with any employer ONLY for a paycheck!
Instead, to stay long-term with your company an employee must ‘buy in’ emotionally to your business. (And very honestly- to you personally too!) Just imagine wrapping yourself up in a warm, fuzzy fleece blanket on a bitterly cold night! (That’s how I wanted my staff to feel as they clocked in every morning!)
Translated? STOP screaming at your workers and here’s why:
1) You’ll lose LOT’S of employees. Remember, we’re in the middle of a brutal hiring crisis! This means the ‘supply/ demand ratio’ for hiring replacements is all screwed up! So, more than ever it is essential to keep your workers happy! Remember, I’m assuming your employees aren’t total idiots so…
Any of your people can quit today and easily find a new (and possibly even better) job tomorrow! (And they know it!) This means your empty threats will fall on deaf (and possibly departing) ears! And even IF your abused employee doesn’t quit…
2) Screaming is ‘counter-productive’. No one (and especially today’s worker) has ever been motivated to change after being verbally abused. At best a bullied employee will shut down and lose whatever initiative they had to change and/or to improve. Plus don’t forget that when you lose your temper…..
3) Your blood pressure goes through the roof!😡 That’s right, when we treat others badly (Yes, even employees that ‘deserve it’!) we feel badly too. And repeated studies have shown that uncontrolled anger actually lowers your life expectancy!
So transform your company into a “safe place” emotionally and you’ll have A) much less turnover, B) enjoy motivated workers and, C) you’ll live longer too!💖 (Plus you’ll become wealthy from your Home Service Business!)💲💲💲
Now let’s talk about Sane.
Keep it Sane, Avoid Toxicity
KickStart: Reliable people (the ones you want to hire) will only stay long-term in a sane, non-crazy work routine.
All businesses are desperately searching (praying?)🙏 for safe, sane (no-drama), and stable (reliable) employees.💖 You too? Of course you are! After all, your business growth (and inevitable turnover) means you should constantly be ‘recruiting’!
WARNING: For you as a Home Services Pro sane and stable employees are critical! Why? Because you’re sending your workers into your customer’s ‘inner sanctum’, their home!
This ‘delicate’ work environment involves huge legal, ethical and financial implications! Simply put? You must hire (and keep) ONLY the ‘Very Best People’!👍
CHALLENGE: The ‘Very Best People’ (they ARE out there) will only build a career🤝 with a Very Best Company that offers…
A ‘Triple S’ work routine that is 1) Safe, 2) SANE and 3) Stable!
We just flogged you high-octane Home Services entrepreneurs on the crying need to create a ‘safe place’ emotionally for your staff. (No more screaming 😖 at your employees!)
So now let’s concentrate on the “Sane” part of the Triple-S equation…
2) SANE. Yep, employees crave an orderly, predictable and sane work routine. Can your staff rise to the occasion and perform herculean tasks in an emergency? Absolutely! But…
When every, single day is a CRISIS even your Very Best People will burn out and move on to a less crazy job.😥 And who can blame them?🤷♂️
NOTE: If you do find a worker that glories in constant ‘crunch time’ they’ll likely become your future competitor!😲 ALL good employees (especially the solid, organized people you want to hire) need ‘sanity’ in their daily work routine.
SOLUTION: Build a ‘Business Infrastructure’ of written systems and procedures that details out step-by-step each task in your company.👌 Then chart how each task relates to others and your overall workflow. For example…
RESOURCE: Does your office panic when a caller opens with, “How much do you charge for…?” If so, your staff needs a ‘Phone Infrastructure’! You’ll receive over 80 pages of phone scripts and procedures in my ‘Winning over your caller’ LIVE seminar.💲💲💲 Click HERE for upcoming dates or to learn more…
Think about this: A ‘Business Infrastructure’ should function like a machine with many gears all consistently meshing together to consistently produce your Desired End Product… a delighted, loyal and very profitable Cheerleader customer! (We should talk about this concept soon!)
And finally, after focusing on a 1) “Safe” and 2) “Sane” work environment and culture you must build a…
3) Stable company. Why? Because employees (and eventually your successor) will only ‘buy into’ a solid, firmly established, permanent business. After all, your workers are placing their family’s future financial security in your hands! Sounds like #3 in the ‘Triple-S’ should be next on our agenda!
Culture of Stability
KickStart: Develop a STABLE company that homeowners AND your employees trust.
I can hear it now. “What’s with this ‘Triple-S’ stuff? Has Steve gone off his meds again?”🙄 Nope- Steve is just trying to save you from yourself! But don’t fret…
You’re not alone! Most Home Service business owners (including me) really are their own worst enemy!😲 However, after a lot of agony I finally developed a Home Services business that provided a…
1) Safe, 2) Sane, and 3) Stable work environment for employees. Let’s review the first two…
1- Safe: I’ve already beaten you up for being a hard-driving workaholic boss that (without realizing it) emotionally abuses your employees. (I fell into this trap too!) HERE is what happens when your staff doesn’t feel ‘safe’…
2- Sane: When every, single day is a CRISIS even your Very Best People will burn out and move on to a less crazy job.😥 And who can blame them?🤷♂️ Your solution?
Create a ‘sane routine’ of written systems and procedures (I call it a ‘Business Infrastructure’) that charts out an employee’s day. (But no worries! I’ve done the heavy lifting for you!)
3- STABLE: Build a ‘steady’ company that your customers AND your employees trust. After all…
Customers are inviting your staff into the ‘inner sanctum’ of their home. And your employees? They’re trusting you with their family’s future! A heavy burden? YES! So, let me help with…
Steve’s Hack: Much of a ‘stable company’ is based on your A) employee’s and B) client’s PERCEPTION ‘ as in ‘never let ’em see you sweat’! EXERCISE: Look at your company through the eyes of ‘A’ and ‘B’ by answering these tough questions:
1. How’s the ‘curb appeal’ of my business?🤔 Does your company ‘look stable’? Are your work vehicles well maintained and clean? Is the signage on all your trucks consistent and in good repair? What about your place of business? Is it clean, well kept and uncluttered?
2. What about my front line employees? Are their uniforms in good shape? Does every worker have their own personal business cards and photo I.D. badges? (They should!) Are your employees trained in how to consistently build a professional relationship with the homeowner?
3. Are my online reviews consistently ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐? (They should be!) And it’s not just potential clients. The Very Best People will check you out online before they even apply to work for you.
4. How good is my company’s ‘Life Jacket’? When you hit the inevitable ‘rough seas’ ahead will your business survive? Have you communicated your employee commitment to your staff?💖 (You should.) Even better, detail out to your workers your back-up emergency plans. And share their essential role in keeping you all afloat!
5. Am I paying more than the local ‘going wage’? You should be! And do you offer the potential of advancing within your company? A Very Best Person will want to grow financially and professionally in their career. Which leads us too…
“Safe” and “sane” combined help create a “stable” company emotionally. However, “stable” also means financially.💲💲💲 (More important than ever in these CRAZY TIMES!)
Were these five points a difficult (even brutal) exercise for you? If so, GREAT! Truly successful Home Services entrepreneurs are willing to do what most business owners refuse to do- 1) engage in a brutal self-examination and 2) take ACTION to improve on what they discover! Now since all of the above will require money let’s finish up with three financial Action Step(s):
A) Can you implement pre-paid residential service plans to even out your cash flow? Or even better…
B) Promote Additional Service Options to increase profits per job and cut wasted ‘windshield time’? And don’t forget to…
C) Increase business savings and/or your credit line to guarantee STABLE paychecks! (Very important to keep good employees!)
WOW! We’ve got a lot of work ahead! Thank you for trusting me to lend a hand!