planning

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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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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Avoiding the ‘Road In-Between’ as a Service Contractor

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KickStart: Build a big(ger) company OR stay small (both business models work) but do NOT stay long-term ‘In-Between’!

Few things in life can bring more joy than creating your very own business. For me, my residential Critical Mass Business gave my employees better lives, Personal Freedom for my family and a very nice income too!👍👍

freedom in retirement“Personal Freedom, Steve?” Absolutely! I remind my clients that ‘the freedom to live your life as you wish’ is the New Wealth!😎 And yes, the Home Services industry can provide you with unlimited ‘Life Options’ going forward IF you ‘do it right’! On the other hand…

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Do you maintain service workers ‘in reserve’?

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KickStart: STOP🛑 consistently ‘over scheduling’! Instead, book employees (or you) for 75% of the day to have ‘troops in reserve’ for your inevitable overflow work. 

leading your field troopsRunning a multi-crew, residential Home Services operation is not for the faint of heart! It’s a WAR out there! And as a business owner or manager you are the ‘commanding officer of your troops’! OR…

If you are a ‘Lone Wolf’ owner-operator it is even more important to not crash and burn out! Read on to learn how to avoid disaster…

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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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How to keep ‘floating over’ business challenges. (Part II)

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KickStart: Five key challenges to focus on BEFORE they “punch you in the mouth”!

I recently shared this nugget from famed business consultant Mike Tyson: “Everybody has a plan… till they take a punch to the mouth!”😲 And yes, even though “Iron Mike” earned his fearsome reputation in the boxing ring we can learn from him…

Any small service business (especially those who work in the residential sector) WILL get “punched in the mouth” with unexpected business problems! So as a Home Service Business (HSB) entrepreneur you must ‘expect the unexpected’! And its not just in business…

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