I am a restaurant person. My first job was handing out cheese samples in the mall for a gourmet cheese company. That was my first job serving food and making sales. I love restaurants…and have worked in virtually every position on the org chart. Perhaps I would still be in the restaurant business if my husband hot rod’s partner had not died.

I have received numerous letters more or less along the same lines, but none as eloquent as what you are about to read. Please excuse it’s length, but it is the heart-felt story of a plumber’s career and he deserves to be heard. It requires no further commentary from me. It speaks for itself…

In a classic Lennox dealer meeting video, the Lennox territory manager encourages Dealer Jack to provide training for his technicians.

“What if I train them and they leave?” exclaims Dealer Jack.

“What if you don’t and they stay?” counters the TM.

As amazing as it seems, many small businesses hesitate to invest in training for their employees. They would rather retain ignorance than to risk losing competence. The irony is that by training, they do neither.

The day my boat sank was one of the saddest days of my life. You see we are not talking about just any boat, we’re talking about a Mastercraft Prostar 190, my first real honest to Goodness Ski boat. And to make matters worse the news came from my 16 year old son. “Hey Dad, I’m up here at the Marina, did you know your boat sank.” I almost screamed as I said. “What are you doing at the Marina?” He told me the boat was turned sideways only held up by the dock ropes that hadn’t broken yet. I had a sinking feeling myself because I knew it had to be my fault.

Everything has a beginning. And everything has an end. Or does it?

Last month we examined the difference between accountability and responsibility. Accountability, we determined, has a bit of a negative connotation when you are the one being “held accountable”. How does that impact our employees, and ourselves…?

I’ve spoken with a number of Nexstar® Network members who’ve asked for ideas to get the phone to ring. Together, we’ve come up with thoughts that we have gotten quite excited about, and I’d like to share some of them with you.

In this country, in these times, we have access to everything we need to be healthy, wealthy and wise. So…what’s getting in the way?

Maybe you are.

The stumbling blocks on the road to success are of your own creation. I’ve listed the most common ones below. Recognize any of them?

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.

Service Agreements can be a great way to help develop a life-long relationship with your customers. And they can also be a ticket to wasted time and energy. Read the following article to help you get priced right. Then, if you choose to offer Service Agreements at less than a profitable price, create systems that will help you capitalize on the sales opportunities presented during the Service Agreement call: Use a survey, ask good questions and listen, offer appropriate upgrades…and be quiet long enough to get a YES!

You want to make more sales and more money. Good for you. And it’s good business.

Here’s the problem. More sales at a losing selling price is like cliff diving into Lake Powell. You might not hit bottom, but you might. It’s going to hurt if you don’t know what’s below.

Economist Brian Beaulieu told Nexstar® Network member contractors to borrow and spend as much money as they can in 2011 in preparation for an upswing in the economy in 2012. His recommendation came with the release of his economic forecast at the recent Nexstar® Super Meeting in Austin, Texas.

Two years ago, Beaulieu predicted the recession and told Nexstar member contractors to stockpile their cash and “batten down the hatches.” Many Nexstar members took heed and where able to capitalize on the improving economy during the upswing. Now, Beaulieu claims leading indicators show better days lie ahead in 2012 and he said, “If you’re busy today, your major concern should be that you’re not prepared for how busy you’re going to get.”