Business Mistakes or Weaknesses?

[JCsPlumbing]

What are some of your business mistakes or weaknesses? Are you going to do something to change it?

Just looking at myself some of mine are:

1)Procrastination in paperwork.

2)Satisfaction at current position rather than seeking growth.

3)Trying to do too much/controlling everything.

How can I change it?

1)Procrastination. This I'll have to force myself to change. Maybe hire someone to handle some of it.

2)Seek growth. Cold customers. Maybe advertise & promote. Diversify.

3)Hire good help.

What are your weaknesses/mistakes? How'd you correct them or are you going too?

J.C.

[Service Guy]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/65/157870717_97fdaaefa7.jpg?v=0

[JCsPlumbing]

That belief is your weakness.

J.C.

[Service Guy]

Its a joke. Man you guys are stiff here lately.

[JCsPlumbing]

:joyful:You're right Carl. Lightening up.

It is a serious question though that I thought we all could learn something from. I know I could.

J.C.

[Service Guy]

Ok, well serious answer then.

I think my main weakness is in talking too much with customers instead of listening. I need to focus more on my customer's needs and ask them more questions and LISTEN more. I find myself talking too much sometimes and boring them instead of getting them to open up and talk about themselves.

So to fix this I will:

1) Ask customers more questions.

2) LISTEN more to their answers.
:)

[DuckButter]

Running a biz and attempting to track your imperfections is absoluitely daunting, absolutely.

I list the same shortcomings as JC atop a few of my own mistakes that are in the works for correction.

Trying to read between the lines when your price is too high, too low or whether the customer is bluffing they got a lower price is mind numbing to say the least.

I recently got a referral through a friend in a town not far from me, fella was adding a 2 bath/kitchen to his already sizeable home.

I bid as low as I dared based on the fact that this was "a friend of a friend" and he was so close by, stipulating with him that I could keep the price low as long as he could accept that I'd leave when service calls came in.

Not a word from him for a month, finally the friend that referred me told me he'd gotten one price that was almost twice mine, but continued bargain hunting until he found someone lower than me.

It took this guy about 10 bids to get what he wanted...he'd practically begged and pleaded with everyone he knows to refer him plumbers

In THIS situation I had the luxury of learning why I didn't get the job, thats not very often.

As for the fella that took the lowballer, he lost a little respect with a few people that felt he'd used them as a bargaining tool.

[plumberscrack]

Believing that if the wood catches on fire while I'm soldering, I'll have time to run out to the truck and grab the fire extinguisher :eek:

Little old lady wants to pay me by check. I know this is going to take another 10 minutes and I'm super busy. I just say: "We will send you a bill" as I run out the door. ALWAYS take the money when it's offered :bash:

Not applying some of the things I've learned here sooner :nono:

Keeping the work truck organized and stocked. My stress level is greatly reduced and productivity is increased when it's clean

Staying loyal to a former company that was in self-destruct mode

[Service Guy]

I recently got a referral through a friend in a town not far from me, fella was adding a 2 bath/kitchen to his already sizeable home.

I bid as low as I dared based on the fact that this was "a friend of a friend" and he was so close by, stipulating with him that I could keep the price low as long as he could accept that I'd leave when service calls came in.

Not a word from him for a month, finally the friend that referred me told me he'd gotten one price that was almost twice mine, but continued bargain hunting until he found someone lower than me.

It took this guy about 10 bids to get what he wanted...he'd practically begged and pleaded with everyone he knows to refer him plumbers

In THIS situation I had the luxury of learning why I didn't get the job, thats not very often.

As for the fella that took the lowballer, he lost a little respect with a few people that felt he'd used them as a bargaining tool.


Wow, thats a really crappy story, what a tool that guy is. But it also makes me fell even better about charging for estimates.:D

[Tyman]

Due to a suggestion here on the forum, I have been militant about putting everything back in the van just as I arrived. I used to just throw my stuff in and run to the next job.

Now I do the paperwork in their driveway and I put everything back. It has really changed how I feel.

My biggest mistake would be that I feel very guilty about stopping and eating lunch. I never take lunches. For some reason I cannot get over this.

[DUNBAR]

Due to a suggestion here on the forum, I have been militant about putting everything back in the van just as I arrived. I used to just throw my stuff in and run to the next job.

Now I do the paperwork in their driveway and I put everything back. It has really changed how I feel.

My biggest mistake would be that I feel very guilty about stopping and eating lunch. I never take lunches. For some reason I cannot get over this.




I soooo wish I could do the above. I'm running so unkept right now that it's deplorable. Can't find anything, tools scattered across 3 trucks, bought tools to cover the tools I lost, it's ugly.


It's been a hard life for me these past few months; running 3 businesses isn't exactly a posh idea but I'm doing it for my future. I ended up sleeping most of today, the late half of yesterday because I've been pushing myself pretty hard.

I was "supposed" to get that truck done today so I'm organized. A service call today and just no ability to physically do anything stopped all of that nonsense.

Between paperwork and my trucks being so unkept, I would win an award for being so disorganized but still making money, keeping appointments, getting the job done. :shocked:

[DuckButter]

Due to a suggestion here on the forum, I have been militant about putting everything back in the van just as I arrived. I used to just throw my stuff in and run to the next job.

Now I do the paperwork in their driveway and I put everything back. It has really changed how I feel.

My biggest mistake would be that I feel very guilty about stopping and eating lunch. I never take lunches. For some reason I cannot get over this.

Same here, but at my wife's insistance I may start at least having a powerbar or something.

The trouble is that I get a little drowsy after I eat...but I been wondering if the short-term drowsiness doesn't out weight the long term effect of low blood sugar.

[Tyman]

In my case I was eating breakfast then not drinking or eating during the day. When I would get home, feeling starved, I would eat a large amount of food, then feel lazy and tired. I don't think thats how it should work. :o

Last week I didn't stop. Nothing to eat or drink, wound up getting dehydrated, felt nauseous and had to sit down for a while.

I just feel like I am letting the company down when I stop.

[HouseOfAtlas]

In my case I was eating breakfast then not drinking or eating during the day. When I would get home, feeling starved, I would eat a large amount of food, then feel lazy and tired. I don't think thats how it should work. :o

Last week I didn't stop. Nothing to eat or drink, wound up getting dehydrated, felt nauseous and had to sit down for a while.

I just feel like I am letting the company down when I stop.

If you don't eat, you are letting yourself (and family) down. If you let yourself down, you will let your business down. I am still a young guy, but I know that life isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. I swear I heard that in a song somewhere.

I'm the type of person that eats 5-6+ times a day. I lift weights and all that jazz, BUT you don't have to eat that many times a day.

What you explained is almost identical to The Warrior Diet. If you have time, Google it and you will find out information on it. Supposedly the Romans and other warriors used to eat that way. They would eat very little during the day (maybe some fruit and nuts) and then have a big feast at night. The theory is that this food wouldn't turn to fat, but would help feed the body while it was sleeping. And when I'm talking feast, I mean eat whatever you want, but it should be nutritious. A big steak, salad, mash potatoes, etc. There was a certain way things should be eaten (by colors and smells), but forgot. If you eat a variety of foods, you should be good to go.

I actually ate like this for a while. I had a ton of energy throughout the day, believe it or not. If you are digging for 8 hours or doing a lot of constant manual labor throughout the day, you might need to eat a bit more, though. I usually had a couple pieces of string cheese, an apple or two (blueberries are better, IMO), and a couple handful of nuts from 8am-6pm. When it was time for "my feast", I would have a huge plate of whole wheat spaghetti, 7-10 eggs with a few yolks, salad and maybe some Lipton soup. I slept really well after that. Also, I didn't have any breakfast either (The Warrior Diet doesn't recommend breakfast). Maybe a handful of nuts, but that would be about it. Of course, they have their supplements you can use and all that, but I didn't use them. And yes, I did drop weight. This was bad because I couldn't gain muscle mass in the gym, which is the only reason I stopped this diet. If I didn't want to build muscle mass, I would of stayed on The Warrior Diet.