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!
Steve