A question for my dear old friend Steve Toburen

Mike Pailliotet · Oct 10, 2009

Lets imagine that you could go back in time and you were once again a young handsome owner of a thriving carpet cleaning business in Pitchfork Colorado.

Your old business to be exact.

In this scenario you've magically (sorry) retained your wit, wisdom and wonderful outlook on business and the joy of being human.

I'll assume you've learned one or two things since you bilked that poor sap of his money for your early retirement, so I want to know what you would have to change about your old biz, what you'd want to change and what you'd refuse to change.

And..

How hands off could (or would) you be and still have it running @ near 100% efficiency and productivity now that you have become the king of the CC Gurus?

and don't give me the "I have to write Evan's stupid article of the month" excuse for not getting this answered.

Just send Evan the text off the back of a bottle of Resolve, he'll never know the difference.

Bjorn · Oct 10, 2009

" HEY STEVE KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE PLUGS there new"

The Preacher · Oct 10, 2009

a balding guy making fun of a balding guy. I don't get it??? :?

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

That is a frightening picture on so many different levels, Terry. I think somebody photo shopped it. I have no recollection of my hands being that near ANY portion of Marty's anatomy!

IB
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS Mike, you do like to stir the pot! Actually your post above was a surprisingly thoughtful, non-snarky question that deserves some thought. (And very likely an ICS column in the future. thank you for the idea.) Sioux and I made an emergency trip from Kansas City to Brooklyn yesterday on four hours notice to be with our 92 year old friend (and surrogate father) whose wife is gravely ill. But since I am mostly sitting in a hospital room watching both of them sleep I'll focus on your question and post a "few words" later on today.

harryhides · Oct 10, 2009

Here's another so called photo shopped picture of the 2 lovebirds. :mrgreen:

The plaid pants was a nice touch, hand on that porkers head was not such a good touch. I hope you sanitized your hand.

Sorry to hear about your old friend, Steve.
You should come to Nashville - a lot of very sick friends of yours will be there.

Jim Pemberton · Oct 10, 2009

Mike asks Steve a thought provoking question that could contribute to an intriguing thread and all you can do is find a way to abuse Mr Sutley again, Tony.

He's likely been so traumatized by the abuse you've heaped upon him here and on ICS that he won't even be able to come to MF6.

I hope you're friend's spouse recovers Steve. There is never an age that loved ones reach where we are "ready" to lose them. I'm sure that your support right now means a great deal to him through this difficult time.

I'll look forward to your comments.

harryhides · Oct 10, 2009

Mikey P said:
How hands off could (or would) you be and still have it running @ near 100% efficiency and productivity

These pics were a couple of reminders of just how impossible it is for guys like Steve to be "hands-off.

Jim is right, it is an intriguing question and I look forward to Steve's answer.

ps, Steve, as you know I was not at that SFS - so do you have any idea who sent me those pics ?

Bjorn · Oct 10, 2009

YOu see jim it was a home run hit many years ago and can not be duplicated

BUT

it can be taught day in and day out at SFS as if it was yesterday

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

Rightie Tightie said:
YOu see jim it was a home run hit many years ago and can not be duplicated

BUT

it can be taught day in and day out at SFS as if it was yesterday

Sorry, Terry, over two thousand SFS members would beg to differ with you.

For example, click here:

http://www.strategiesforsuccess.com/sec ... ss-stories

Island Boy
www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS Now you guys need to quit pasting in those semi-pornographic photos of Marty so I can answer one of the few serious, non-sarcastic questions Mikey has ever posted.

hogjowl · Oct 10, 2009

While I had a good time at SFS and enjoyed the heck out of meeting Steve and Yeadon, I seriously have to say it was a week well spent. I enjoyed good company, good food, and learned that I need another trip in the future.

billyeadon · Oct 10, 2009

This just in from the Department of Redundancy see below:

Rightie Tightie said:
YOu see jim it was a home run hit many years ago and can not be duplicated

BUT

it can be taught day in and day out at SFS as if it was yesterday

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

admiralclean said:
While I had a good time at SFS and enjoyed the heck out of meeting Steve and Yeadon, I seriously have to say it was a week well spent. I enjoyed good company, good food, and learned that I need another trip in the future.

I won't break Marty's cover of being a snarky, sarcastic, semi-literate Alabamer redneck but let's just say the reality is considerably different from his board persona.

IB
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS And yes, Martin, the SFS members who "make another trip" tell me they learn AND implement much more the second, third and fourth time through Strategies. Of course, we are still working on Terry to make his first trip to SFS, if only so we can learn from his unique world view of life and business ...

billyeadon · Oct 10, 2009

And we would welcome you back. This way Tony would have new pictures. SFS Atlanta May 10-14, 2010. I always enjoy going to Pappadeauxs especially when Uncle Nick is paying and I am sure Steve Cameron would join us for dinner also.

admiralclean said:
While I had a good time at SFS and enjoyed the heck out of meeting Steve and Yeadon, I seriously have to say it was a week well spent. I enjoyed good company, good food, and learned that I need another trip in the future.

Guest · Oct 10, 2009

admiralclean said:
...and learned that I need another trip in the future.

I hear Mogadishu is beautiful this time of year......you should go.

harryhides · Oct 10, 2009

billyeadon said:
And we would welcome you back. This way Tony would have new pictures. SFS Atlanta May 10-14, 2010. I always enjoy going to Pappadeauxs especially when Uncle Nick is paying and I am sure Steve Cameron would join us for dinner also.

admiralclean said:

While I had a good time at SFS and enjoyed the heck out of meeting Steve and Yeadon, I seriously have to say it was a week well spent. I enjoyed good company, good food, and learned that I need another trip in the future.

Click to expand...

You should try to get out more, Marty, you have so much to learn.

ps, I got those pics sent to me by Marty's wife.........

Guest · Oct 10, 2009

hey dude could you answer the original question

Jimmy L · Oct 10, 2009

Bjorn · Oct 10, 2009

I would bet that 95% of those that take it you never hear from again just like other marketing programs

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

Mikey P said:
Lets imagine that you could go back in time and you were once again a young handsome owner of a thriving carpet cleaning business in Pitchfork Colorado.

Your old business to be exact.

In this scenario you've magically (sorry) retained your wit, wisdom and wonderful outlook on business and the joy of being human.

I'll assume you've learned one or two things since you bilked that poor sap of his money for your early retirement, so I want to know what you would have to change about your old biz, what you'd want to change and what you'd refuse to change.

And..

How hands off could (or would) you be and still have it running @ near 100% efficiency and productivity now that you have become the king of the CC Gurus?

1. Have to change? Very simply, my attitude. To have kept my company AND my sanity (not to mention my family) long term I would have had to change emotionally. I was too focused, too obsessed and too compulsive with my company. All of these things are needed during the start-up phase of a small business. But after you are past those first few critical years (and especially if you are going to keep at this business long term) you need to move into a more balanced life.

2. Want to change? To achieve the above “have to change” goal I would want to grow my company’s gross to take my business to the next level of management depth. At the time I sold my business we were 1.3 million dollar yearly company in today’s dollars. However, if we had grown (profitably) to close to the 2 million dollar mark we could have afforded more professional managers that would have helped me solve #1 above.
I would also diversify more into higher profit niche markets such as hardwood floor renovation, area rug cleaning and deck restoration. I would assign a different brand manager to each diversification or two and make them responsible to grow both the brand and their profit-sharing.

3. Refuse to change? I would never change the culture and systems that set our business apart- an obsession with “managing the experience” of the customer so that a high percentage of them became Cheerleaders for my company. This focus on the Emotional Dynamics of working with the home owner’s fears and concerns attracted higher quality employees and helped us finish jobs quicker, more profitably and with far fewer call-backs AND with the right systems is “scalable” to a rapidly growing company.

4. How "hands off" could I be? I think this is as much a product of someone’s personality as it is their financial returns and the management quality of their business. Sioux’s nickname for me is “Micro” (short for “Micro-manager”) simply because I am famous for stating the obvious to her in maddeningly simple matters. I’m not sure I could ever be totally hands off living the good life while keeping an ownership interest, which is one of the reasons I decided to sell “my baby”.

Thanks for asking, Mike, and for helping me write my next ICS column! (494 words which means I am halfway there toward my requirement of 1,000 words per column. Even though much to Marty's chagrin I consistently test the patience of my editor with 1500 word submissions. And I'm not even getting paid by the word!)

Mikey's "Dear old friend"
Steve “Island Boy” Toburen
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS All things considered, am I sorry I took “early retirement” at 38? No, simply because while I loved my company there were other things I wanted to do with my life and since I wasn’t sure I could conquer my #4 issues above the best thing to do was cut the cord.

Bjorn · Oct 10, 2009

how long did the perfect business run for after you unloaded it

any way you work more hours than I do

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

Rightie Tightie said:
I would bet that 95% of those that take it you never hear from again just like other marketing programs

Sorry to upset your view of the universe, Terry, but not so!

For example, every three months every SFS member (except any member who lives in Alabama) gets a "TIPS" mailing which stands for Techniques, Ideas, Procedures and Systems. Cute acronym? Thanks, I thought of it myself!

For example, we just mailed out a TIPS packet that included full procedures on:

1. Networking with Business Groups (3 pages)
2. Managing Information Networks (4 pages)
3. Commercial Appointment Scheduler Job Description (3 pages)
4. Initial Call Commercial prospecting Script (3 pages)
5. 7 "Quick TIPS" (3 pages)

Cost/buying level required for SFS members to stay part of this quarterly program? Nada. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nothing. (It is "nice" if our members buy from us but Billy and I don't even know what any SFS member's buying level is. Everyone get treated great with no discrimination. Sorry to disappoint you, Terry.)

Island Boy
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS Sorry again, Terry, but I should mention that every SFS member has unlimited access to Big Billy Yeadon's consulting help and yep, the price is ... free. BTW, my help (such as it is) is also free. (I always say we give our members more than they pay for- an easy guarantee when they pay nothing.)

Loren Egland · Oct 10, 2009

Is there such a thing as not owning a job?

It seems that whether you are a one man show or have several trucks, you have a job to do to keep things running.

Is there really such a thing as being completely detached from your business so that you are the owner with no job to do?

Where the money rolls in and all you have to do is deposit the money.

Is such a promise realistic for those who want to grow their business in hopes of not having to work in the business in any capacity?

topnotchman · Oct 10, 2009

SFS is a great program all around. From start to end I have to say.

Some of those guys up in Bellingham, WA...well, are strange 8)

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

Loren Egland said:
Is there such a thing as not owning a job?

It seems that whether you are a one man show or have several trucks, you have a job to do to keep things running.

Is there really such a thing as being completely detached from your business so that you are the owner with no job to do?

Where the money rolls in and all you have to do is deposit the money.

Is such a promise realistic for those who want to grow their business in hopes of not having to work in the business in any capacity?

Good question, Loren. I would say "yes", IF you have the fire in the belly to go through the inevitable agony of achieving this level. Like everything in life, there are trade-offs. But remember that this is not an "either-or" question. There are numerous levels of owner-involvement. Everything ranging from full bore, insane, screaming in your face and get the troops out every morning to delegating daily responsibilities to a General Manager and telling him or her to only call you in a dire emergency.

Steve
www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS That is what is both so great and so sad about this industry. Great because an entrepreneur can choose his level/definition of success. Sad because so few actually ever do so. Most just sort of limp along in-between, which is the worst place to wind up. As you might have guessed, I've written on this subject. Just go here:

http://www.strategiesforsuccess.com/sec ... al-reports

and then click on the link "Avoiding the road In-Between" No charge, no spam, no games and no pressure for the download. (Sorry to disappoint you, Terry.)

Bjorn · Oct 10, 2009

owning a job or owning a business are pretty much the same thing just semantics

truckmount girl · Oct 10, 2009

Steve,

That's not why Sioux told me she calls you "Micro"!

:wink:

Take care,
Lisa

Steve Toburen · Oct 10, 2009

truckmount girl said:
Steve,

That's not why Sioux told me she calls you "Micro"!

:wink:

Take care,
Lisa

You are absolutely right, Lisa. Every time I do something stupid she calls me "Micro" and then follows it up with the word "Brain".

IB
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS But even after 34 years and counting of marital connubial bliss Sioux also calls me "honey". No kidding.

Bjorn · Oct 10, 2009

h]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8_jgiNqUch]

Cameron1 · Oct 11, 2009

Rightie Tightie said:
" HEY STEVE KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE PLUGS there new"

Dang........I'm gonna slap Joanna Deloach for saying Me and Marty look a lot alike .....cause he sure is UGLY

hogjowl · Oct 12, 2009

We do have the same nose.

My hair is better though.

A question for my dear old friend Steve Toburen

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