I’m not sure about you, but I feel like this winter didn’t slow down this year.
I have been through a handful of winters, and this one just flew by. A great thing about slowly getting back into the busy season is starting the new year and new season with a bang. You have a couple of different options, so you can do the same thing you did last year and hope and pray you make the same amount of money or more. OR you can slowly start to dial in your crafted strengths. Finding out what those strengths are can take time, but you are already ahead of the game if you know what they are.
If someone asked you what your company’s strength is, I’m sure we would all say the same thing, Customer Service – 100 percent, Satisfaction Rate – Always on Time, blah blah blah. That’s not what I’m talking about.
“The question is, what is your company’s strength, and how can you dial it in to grow this year? ”
Credit: Dennis Laguardia
Many people don’t want to grow their business into this big thing with tons of employees, which is fine, but those strengths may differ from the larger companies. We had a few meetings throughout the busy season and took a few hours with the whole company just going over WHAT IS OUR TARGET? What are we good at? Seriously, what are you BEST at? I challenge you to take the time and dive into timing your jobs. If you’re not fast at French windows (who is), cut those jobs out and double up on double-hung or plated glass jobs. Are you more into doing a ton of storefronts in the day or one giant commercial job a day?
Believe it or not, your company has a niche. Every company that has a BRAND has a niche.
If you have not found yours, this is the year to find it. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear fast food? McDonald’s. What’s the first thing to mind when you hear about smartphones? Apple. Make your brand so repeatable that when the customers in your area think of window cleaning, they think of you.
Ok, we got a little off-topic there, so for us, we decided we make the most money on large commercial soft washing and small residential roof washing. So that’s what all our Facebook ads and door hangers and flyers and yard signs and cold calls are going to be this year. We almost quadrupled our yearly gross last year by dialing in our craft and equipment and getting in with property management companies. Honestly, we just woke up one day, hired many guys, gave everyone a task that would better the company, wrote all of our attainable goals down, and got it done.
I know it sounds cliché, but once you find out what your niche is, get rid of the stuff slowing you down.
You have to dial in your equipment dial in where your employees shine the most. I’m sure you have great employees in the field, some great in the sales department, and some really good office managers. I have found over the years, everyone can’t do everything in the company. First of all, no one will care for your company as much as you will, and most people want to do the one thing they were hired for and nothing else, and there is nothing wrong with that. Take the time to structure your company; whether with organization, micromanaging your employees, getting the ads and social media posts automated, or whatever makes your company work.
Make sure your company works for you at the end of the days, Not the other way around
-By Austin Grubbs