Critical Mass Business

OBSESS Over (Your Home Service Clients) FEELINGS!

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KickStart: “… it’s not what you say or what you do, but how you make people feel that matters the most.” Tony Hsieh, Zappos founder

focus on residential services profits“Feelings, Steve? Seriously?” As a rugged, profits-obsessed residential services business owner you likely focus ONLY on your bottom line! (I did too!) After all, who had time for a squishy, hard-to-manage word like, “feelings”?

I mean, everyone knows “emotions are for sissies”?💪 Right? WRONG! For far too many agonizing years I struggled before FINALLY learning that…

In a residential service business success is based on building “trusting relationships” (TR’s)! 

In fact, Mr. Logical here even reduced this concept into an “Emotional Equation”: Success= (ETR + HTR) x SE= CMB. Say what, Steve?😲

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What is the ‘Primary Purpose’ of your Home Services business?

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KickStart: Examine building a Critical Mass Business to bring you the elusive ‘Personal Freedom’!

We’ve recently discussed the why and how of creating a work atmosphere that is 1) safe, 2) sane, and 3) stable. (More important than ever in these CRAZY TIMES!) However…

While happy, engaged and committed workers are incredibly important they shouldn’t be the Primary Purpose of your business. NOTE: Please don’t focus ONLY on ‘getting big’. After all, I’ve consulted with Home Service entrepreneurs who have 100’s of employees and are totally enslaved by their business!

Of course, I (of all people) am a big fan of money! After all, I tell every class, “All things being equal… it is better to have more money than no money!” Why? Because financial success is a tool- to help others and bring you (and your family) freedom! (More on this in a bit.) But first, a warning…

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The ‘Triple-S’ work environment (Part 2)

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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!

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How a 3-letter acronym can transform your business!

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KickStart: Get your entire company focused on their ‘Triple A’s’ (Appearance, Actions and Attitude) and profits will soar!

progressing home service contractor

I admit it. I truly love inventing acronyms for routine daily activities. (This drives Sioux nuts!)🙄 But my staff used abbreviations in my residential services business all the time. For example…

We invented and implemented a PDS (Production Day Sheet), IQC (Immediate Quality Check calls) and an EEB (Employee Efficiency Bonus program), etc. You get the idea, right?

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In Praise of Creative Procrastination!

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KickStart: When you honestly don’t know what to do… WAIT!

motivation to get movingMotivational speakers constantly exhort you to “git ‘er done” and “get moving”! But since Steve Toburen isn’t a ‘goo-roo’ I’ll remind you that sometimes ‘Procrastination Pays’! Say what, Steve?😲

Yep, when I’m honestly perplexed on what to do going forward I’ll engage in what I call…

‘Creative Procrastination’: Waiting on events (or just plain ‘serendipity’) to show you the next step.

Let me be clear on what Creative Procrastination (CP) is NOT! CP doesn’t mean slacking off and then complaining that a) the economy is bad, b) competition is too fierce or c) there are too many ‘Price Shoppers’ out there! (Our industry is full of excuses like these and so many more!)

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Six Steps to Build a ‘Critical Mass Business’

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KickStart: Find the elusive ‘Personal Freedom’ by starting NOW to create a Critical Mass Business that will run smoothly without you! 

Let’s take a semi-nostalgic trip back to your high-school days with one question: Did you PLAN on becoming a Home Services business owner? Seriously?

Me? I just sort of drifted into my Home Services business! (HSB) Why? Because as Luke 16:4 says, “I was not strong enough to dig, and was too ashamed to beg”!😲 Plus I was basically ‘unemployeable’ in the corporate sector. (As a born rebel I still am unemployable!)

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How good is your ‘life jacket’?

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All Home Services entrepreneurs are navigating murky (and very treacherous ) waters! Frankly, working with stressed out homeowners has always been ‘challenging’.🙄 But today…

When you add in increasing competition, the brutal hiring crisis (especially the shortage of front-line technicians) AND the ongoing issues of this stubborn COVID pandemic PANIC can strike! Is it time to… ABANDON SHIP?😲 No! However…

As a prudent ‘captain’ you should be making disaster preparations now while constantly looking downstream for both your business and your family. A good place to start?

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