Before my brothers and I became enlightened [aka we got our teeth kicked in so many times we eventually woke up], we used to hire people using the “Mirror Test.” That was my brother, Marty’s, name for this intricate hiring process. Simply put, we waited till someone quit or we got disgusted enough to finally [...]
"Al stresses that 'If it's not written, it's not real.' We now live by this. Without the simple business procedures Al introduced us to, I couldn't get my company to the next level or expect my company to run itself."
Matt Morse
President
Precision Plumbing
Carol Stream, IL
Monthly Archive for September, 2011
Working with contractors for years now, one thing is common. As contractors, we love any new tools that we can get our hands on for the trades we do but not so much when it comes to the powerful business technology tools. Why is that? They don’t make noise, vibrate, create holes, destroy things and [...]
The first time my dad cautioned me about, “Stepping Over Dollars to Pick Up Dimes”…I was still a kid in the business. So, I asked him, “What does that mean?” He smiled and in a soft but knowing voice replied, “The urge to save a few bucks can cause you to miss out on big [...]
I want to talk to you about an annual Holiday Bonus that makes sense. Yes, I know what month it is. But, you need to plan and do some financial work to do it right and it also means you need to start now. Here’s why….I bet you just hate having to give an annual [...]
Backing up your computer files is not important! It’s only important when something goes wrong. And something always can go wrong. I know because it did at my shop years ago. No, I means years ago. It was so long ago IBM was the powerhouse in computers and laptops were still a twinkle in Bill [...]
I’m constantly asked, “Al, what should I do about a staff member who has been a good team member in the past but is now struggling at work because they’ve personal life has hit a giant rock in the road [or many rocks in the road!]. They’re falling apart at the seams in life and [...]
Why the big fuss about getting testimonials anyway? It’s simple. I learned a long time ago that what you tell me about you is interesting but what I really want to know is what someone, who is a customer, like me is saying about you. It’s not that as a potential customer we don’t trust [...]
Most of hate meetings! We’re way too busy to stop and meet. Besides, most meetings end up like the meetings we have at our house of worship or our local town board. Someone starts talking and the rest of us start snoozing. Once in awhile, there’s actually something worthy to talk about at these types [...]
After my first year as a consultant to the various trades I had worked in [and some I never worked in!], my brothers asked me what had I learned and what I felt made the difference between the winners and the losers in contracting. I told them, “Well, I’ve come to realize we may not [...]
