It’s Time to Get Serious

by Michael Stone on January 23

As we roar into the New Year, are you ready to get serious about your business?

My last four blog posts discussed how to make the most of 2012. I started with being focused on your business, because if you can’t present your best side to your clients you’re better off staying home.

You need to set goals, because if you don’t know what you’re aiming for, you won’t reach it. Market your services. Business cards, your website, vehicle and job signs – if potential clients can’t find you, they won’t call.

And watch your priorities. Take care of your family; they are your greatest asset.

Owning a construction-related business is tough. It takes hard work, dedication, courage, determination, and truckloads of hope. Owning a successful construction-related business is even tougher. I’ve worked with some of the best contractors in the country – names you wouldn’t recognize because they work in their own little corner of this country, but day after day they are building stronger businesses because they are doing the things they are supposed to do, one thing at a time. It’s an honor to know and work with them. They’ve become successful by working their behinds off.

Gang, there is no free lunch. Too many people have an entitlement mentality. For some strange reason, they think the world owes them a living. Did you have that attitude when you went into business? I doubt it. You knew it was going to be hard work, and now you know that’s true.

If you look at the condition of your business, it is generally a reflection of your attitude, training and the effort you are putting out. So tell me, on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you doing? The only way you will reach a 10 is by following some basic rules of business like the ones laid out in my last four posts. Have you considered them, giving them your best effort, or are you sitting back, waiting for your ship to come in powered on someone else’s energy, thoughts and dollars?

You have to plan your future, and then you have to do the donkey work to make those plans happen. Get to it.

Sign up for Michael Stone’s free monthly newsletter to get information and tips to strengthen your construction-related business. Michael is a popular industry speaker as well as an author of two books; “Markup & Profit; A Contractor’s Guide” and “Profitable Sales, A Contractor’s Guide”. You can visit his website, follow him on Twitter and like his page on Facebook for more great advice and tips.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Jerry Davis January 23, 2012 at 10:40 pm

That is a fine article. Yes, it still boils down to work, and lots of it. Goals are fine to have, but knowing why you establish specific goals will feed follow-on goals and really get you moving. Its a “step 1, step 2, etc” deal. Jerry

Roof Masters Maine January 24, 2012 at 9:37 pm

I have to say I am crossing my fingers going into 2012 with the hopes the economy will grow enough for my business to grow. I have to say thanks to Service Magic for getting me the extra leads I needed to make me profitable. I honestly feel if I had just relied on the phonebook for business I may have when needed a loan to get me through the slow times.

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