My friend, Bubba decided to enter a bike race. Though I wasn’t entering, he asked me to ride along side and pace him.
“I gotta beat the competition,” he said. “I gotta beat Junior, Scooter, and Delbert.”
Bubba got off to a wobbly start. “I thought once you learned how to ride a bike, you were never supposed to forget,” he muttered.Finally, he got enough forward motion to get moving. He was working hard to try and get his speed up. “Why am I riding this bike,” he grumbled. “I could walk faster.”
“Hang on Bubba,” I said. “This is like marketing and advertising. It’s always a little hard to get it going, but once you get some momentum, it will get easier. You’ll see.”

(Macon, GA) Did you think you would be further along in your business than you are now? Business can be a path to prosperity and freedom. Or it can be a grind – too much to do for too little to show for it. Are you ready to get focused, get going and get profitable? A simple, flexible business plan – and an easy way to implement it – can help you realize the dream that caused you to “hang up your shingle” in the first place. That’s why Small Business Expert, Ellen Rohr is hosting her powerful and popular webinar series The Challenge, starting September 18th, 2011.

Can you identify the 20% of management efforts that make 80% of the difference in your business? Some of the best contractors in the plumbing, HVAC and electrical home service industries have documented successful strategies from creative ways to measure employee performance against expectations to tips on holding daily huddles to track revenues. They’ll share their practical and tangible tips for high impact management with contractors at Nexstar’s Super Meeting in Nashville, TN, October 13-15, 2011.

Life in the Ozarks has a unique flavor, and the Southwest Missouri Farm Fest offers a plateful. One weekend every October, Hot Rod sets up a booth at the Empire Fair Grounds, right between the State Conservation Corps and a John Deere collectables dealer. He always likes to have some attention-getting invention on display. This year, Hot Rod unveiled a portable solar shower. Here’s the concept: A photovoltaic panel sends electricity to the circulator. A garden hose hookup provides the domestic water. A closed loop system delivers hot water from the thermal solar panel to the indirect tank. Open the shower valve, adjust the temperature and enjoy. It’s a mini-version of a system he installed for a commercial carwash business. The whole system fits neatly on a small trailer, and folds up for aerodynamic transportation.

I speak with plumbers all the time. The biggest question I ask is what are you doing differently to grow your business? Maybe when starting a business the most important consideration is the technical aspect of getting the job done and doing it right. That remains to be an important aspect in business, however as the business grows and matures many other aspects become equally important.

Sales, Marketing, advertising, brand identity; Fleet Management, etc just to name a few. It reminds me of a restaurant I went to once. It had just opened and the food was great! The next time we decided to go there, it had closed. We never saw any local ads, coupons, etc. That just goes to prove, you can have the best {fill in the blank}, but if no one knows about it, the business will not grow. In summary having a great technical skill is just one aspect of running a business.

I predict that more and more companies will transfer stock ownership to the troops because it works to motivate the employee-owner to work harder, faster, better. They pay attention when it’s their assets and reputation at stake. It is the ultimate empowerment.

A friend of mine, who has a pretty decent compensation package, recently told me that he was getting ready to sell the business. He wanted to give the employees first shot at the sale. As soon as he told them this, their behavior changed virtually overnight. They were always hard workers, but suddenly phone messages were being returned lickety-split. Spare copper fittings were being viewed as inventory rather than garbage. Suggestions for improvement were being proffered left and right.

It is common for home service companies to be handed down through family generations, but that is not the case for the daughter of a Baptist preacher who now sits at the helm of Gene Love Plumbing, Air & Electrical.

Tammy Ferris made her way to the top with a pipe wrench in hand and a entrepreneurial spirit that feeds itself with the reward of keeping the people of Greater Columbia comfortable in their homes. Her commitment to customer service took her from part-time dispatcher to the accounting department to management within three years, under the guidance of business founder Kathy Love. “I was Kathy’s right hand,” said Ferris. “She was a good role model and she groomed me to take over the company. When it came time for her to exit, I bought the business.”

Every now and then, I am moved to mention how very few women find their way to this wonderful industry. My intention is to draw attention to the opportunities and encourage more women to take advantage of them. In my columns, I have introduced you to a couple of terrific women Plumbers. About a year ago, I also hosted a panel discussion at the Plumbing & Mechanical Innovative Thinking convention. Brilliant women from every corner of the Plumbing world shared ideas for recruiting and supporting women in the trades. It was a proud moment for me. Hopefully, I have helped people expand their recruiting, hiring and training to include women. It’s a win-win-win in an industry suffering from a shrinking skilled labor pool.

Contractors often ask me to help scrutinize their business. One of the most important questions I ask is, “What if…” then I try to provide some answers.

Doing so requires a look at the company’s balance sheet and three key ratios derived from the balance sheet. These ratios give a good indication of your company’s “staying power” in any economic climate. Since many contractors report that business is slow right now, this may be just the time to tackle this project.

I spend much of each day on the phone, talking business. On the seminar trail, I meet lots of folks who love to tell me what works for them…and what NOT to do. This month’s Buzz theme is BEE-ing and staying successful. So here is a collection of Do’s and Don’t’s for every area of your business.

DO read this list. DON’T neglect to do things that will make you more money!