Wow. You guys play tough and you take no prisoners. I have followed this "learned discourse" with interest. It is definitely better than Oprah! (And I will say what a great subject to get down in the mud and wrestle over. Certainly more important than discussing pH or hose size.) So with some trepidation I will throw a few thoughts into the ring.
First, let me say I basically agree with EVERYONE! Even Terry! (Even though I will say his opening "How low can you go?" comment took me aback. Then I remembered the source and it was OK.)
Here are a few meandering "stream-of-consciousness" Sunday morning thoughts in no particular order:
1. You CAN be successful as an owner-operator. We cover this in depth in
SFS and yes, I will touch on it at the "Retiring Wealthy" seminar in Houston. BUT you must do things differently. Most O/O try to run their business as if they are "big" and wind up on what I call "The Road In-Between" and consequently have the "worst of both worlds". (I love it when Jeff Stouffer, my ICS editor, can't red-line my quotation marks.)
2. Terry is correct. You CAN get almost all of the information found in
SFS and the "Retiring Wealthy" seminar from other sources. King Solomon was right. There really is "nothing new under the sun". At the end of the day almost all education is "recycled and repackaged". BUT, it took me many years of miserably slaving away in the trenches to arrive at my Value Added concepts. Then it has taken 11 years of networking with our 2,000
SFS members plus the invaluable additions of Big Billy Yeadon and Chuck Violand to bring
Strategies for Success to where it is now. What is your time worth? And how many years do you want to spend on the learning curve? "Time is the only resource you can't buy more of." (More quotation marks!)
3. Few of us (me included) truly enjoy setting up the infrastructure to successfully manage employees. And NO ONE likes the stress and problems that employees inevitably bring. But for those who have chosen the O/O route seriously think on what JB and Devil dog (among others) are saying re: the precariousness of your situation. Especially if you are over-extended on consumer credit and/or a big mortgage think what one slipped disc or one car wreck could do to your family's financial future. Remember I am not attacking anyone person here. There is no need to defend your actions if you are secure and feel good about the course you have chosen. Which leads me to my final observation ...
4. It is both the sickness and the fascination of all "social networking" sites (including this awesome band of brothers) that far too many insecure people need to make themselves look good by making others look bad. To quote a friend of mine, "It is all good." Don't feel so threatened if someone else chooses a path different from yours. Of course, if we did away with all the dissension and strife found here it would be pretty boring! So whatever!
Anyway, this whole "Retiring Wealthy" gig is something Howard and I came up with to help people focus on what I call the "dirty little secret" of the carpet cleaning industry. Simply put, most carpet cleaning business never sell, they just "wither away". This is really sad because many of our
SFS members find that with the right concepts and tools they can "clone themselves" and move into managing their companies instead of just working in the business. (On the other hand, quite a few of our
SFS members make a conscious decision to stay small as an O/O and put our Value Added concepts to work making a small company more profitable. And this is fine.)
I don't really know what Michael Gerber will cover exactly during his time in the "Retiring Wealthy" seminar. I do know by applying his concepts to my business (along with a lot of hard work) I was able to retire from full time business at 38. I plan to attend all of his sessions and take notes.
Howard Partridge is a
SFS graduate and runs a very successful business that obviously gives him the freedom to travel all over the country. (I do not remotely have Howard's passion for airports and hotel living. But once again, it is all good.) He has built a loyal following and I hear good things about his concepts. Howard and I have coordinated so that each of us will cover different subjects. (Your time is precious.) And yes, I will be attending Howard's sessions at our joint seminar with notebook in hand. Heck, I might be able to stea ... err, I mean LEARN something!
Respectfully and thoughtfully submitted,
Steve Toburen CR
Director of Training and sideline observer of bulletin board antics
Jon-Don's
Strategies for Success
PS If you want the real McCoy on
SFS (and some of what we will be sharing in Houston at the "Retiring Wealthy" seminar) just e-mail me at
stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com with your mailing address and I will send you a 30 minute orientation DVD free of charge and with no obligation.
PPS Once again, I don't know much about Michael Gerber's subject material except that we probably won't be bored. And Howard will deliver information that specifically focuses on the "Secrets of Building Your Business" but I do not yet have the specifics. I CAN tell you what subjects I will cover. (No need to read any of the following if you are happy with your Cubanos, your golf game, your skiing technique AND your life!)
First session: Not Just Another Rug Sucker- Setting Yourself Apart
Maybe grizzled old Jack Palance in the movie City Slickers said it best. As he shoved his index finger in the face of a trembling Billy Crystal he growled, “You know, there is just one thing.” What is the “just one thing” in business that will let you achieve YOUR life goals? Why do most carpet cleaners fail miserably … and a select few build a thriving, dynamic business that is a joy to wake up to each morning? More importantly, how can YOU do it?
In this session I will cover …
• Avoiding the “Curse of the Carpet Cleaner”.
• Transforming Your Company with Value Added Service.
• Analyzing the Emotional Dynamics of the Home Front.
• What is Your “Desired End Product” that you should focus on (and probably aren’t)?
• How to Dramatically Surpass the Base-line Expectations of the Homeowner- On Every Job
• Answering Unspoken Questions … With Unspoken Answers.
• Bringing Peace to the Technician/ Homeowner “Cold War”.
• A simple “Front Porch” system that your employees can implement Monday morning.
Second Session: Getting Past YOU: Achieving “Critical Mass” in Your Business
You WILL learn today how to keep your phone ringing off the hook, have your customers eating out of your hand AND how to make more money than you dreamed possible! And yet, even the few carpet cleaners who achieve this enviable position often fail when they try to “clone themselves” by hiring employees. Far too often an owner-operator ventures into the “employee arena” and then quickly, battered and bloodied, down-sizes once again and goes back on the truck solo!
If you don’t want to “grow old on the wand” you’ll pay close attention to the secrets that both Howard and I have used to build two world-class organizations staffed by hard-working and dedicated employees. Simply put, IF the sale of your company is part of your “retiring wealthy” strategy, you must achieve Business “Critical Mass” by hiring, training, motivating and keeping quality people that share your vision.
In this session you’ll get the big picture with these topics…
• Remember, you don’t HAVE TO hire employees to be a success. A review of some “staying small” owner-operator alternatives.
• 4 customer scripts to get you out of the “I only want the owner” trap.
• Four carpet cleaner myths on hiring employees that are absolutely false.
• The 7 things you must provide to attract (and keep) quality people.
• The one huge “litmus test” to ask yourself about every applicant. (And your current employees too!)
• Starting them off right- The Big Welcome (and orientation)
• A Fast Track Training System to produce a crew chief in two weeks.
• Holding their feet to the fire- Quality Assurance Inspections
• The 7 Tough Questions to ask BEFORE you fire an employee.
Third Session: "How to Dig Deeper in the Customer’s Pocket” (And Have Them Thank You for Doing So!)
You absolutely should charge more per square foot. Howard will share with you how to do so on every job. BUT an airline’s most profitable seats are in “first class”. How can you (and your technicians) “upgrade” most of your customers to “first class” with these new secrets to add-on selling in the home?
Your customer should never feel pressured in their inner sanctum, their home. (High pressure bait and switch tactics are the abomination and shame of our industry. If your company is in this category please do NOT attend this seminar!) However, in this session I will share proven and tested tactics that will allow your employees to make more money for both them and you … and delight the homeowner as they do so. You will receive actual scripts and systems that will double your carpet protector sales and other “up-sells” immediately- and skyrocket your profits.
This session will review…
• How your employees can easily “earn their own raise” (and make a fortune for you in the process!)
• The 5 big reasons your techs don’t do add-on sales in the home now.
• 12 ways to pre-orient your client so they beg the tech to apply carpet protector before they even ask!
• How to “pre-sell” your techs so they will sell the homeowner.
• “Selling from the heart”- the power of Anecdotal Selling.
• “Seeing is believing”- a new approach to an old sales tool.
• “Double dipping” by selling the carpet protection now AND guarantee the cleaning for next year at the same time! An exciting NEW concept.
My Final Session: Retiring Wealthy: Step-by-Step How to “Cash Out” of Your Business (Or transfer it to the next generation and let THEM provide for your Golden Years!)
The dirty little secret of our industry? Sadly, most carpet cleaning businesses never sell- they just wither away! (Or are liquidated for pennies on the dollar!) Or even worse a carpet cleaner painfully “grows old on the wand”, becoming more and more discouraged, scared and resentful as the years go by. The hard work of a lifetime wasted. So sad because it could have been different IF they had learned a few secrets of success ...
In my concluding session I will explain exactly how to PREPARE your company for its eventual sale … step by step. Over a sixteen year period I built a business to be proud of. (And had a ball- most of the time-l as I did it!) Then one morning in 1991 I woke up with an epiphany. I had lived, slept, ate and breathed his business for 16 years. Now I found I had new personal goals in my life. So six months later to the day I sold my business and retired debt free at the age of 38! In this seminar segment I will reveal the concepts and tactics that I used prepare my business for sale and how I found qualified buyers. (Three different individuals were bidding to buy my company when I sold it- to the buyer that could pay 97% cash up front!)
In this concluding session I will share…
• The 7 reasons most carpet cleaning businesses never sell.
• Avoiding “Desperation Selling” by recognizing now 3 problems and one Big Lie!
• Starting With the End in Mind: Your Business Sale Preparation Process (BSPP)
• The “Lifestyle Analysis”: 4 penetrating questions to ask yourself every day for the rest of your life.
• Setting Your Goals. (Hint: It’s not just all about money.)
• The incredible liberating power of a nest egg … and how to build one with a Personal Investment Program.
• WHO you will sell your business to. (Hint: It won’t be another carpet cleaner!)
• WHY someone will covet your business AND cheerfully pay a fortune to possess it!
• 7 Buyer Reassuring Emotions your company must display to sell for top dollar.
• The essential “Beauty Makeover Checklist” for your company.
• HOW to build a “Turn-key Business Infrastructure”.
• Setting a price for your business AND how to get it.
• Finding the “needle in the haystack”- a buyer who wants to be “just like you” AND has the financial resources to buy (and operate) your company.
• Handling the negotiation process and closing the sale.
• A few final words on the joys (and pitfalls) of complete freedom.
