As a business owner

[B&BGaryC]

Gotta love hoody... Doesn't he work at a pizza place, and also offer sound advice to carpet cleaners?

Seriously though, he's not even in the business anymore and he makes more sense than some of the gurus when you catch him on a good day... 8)

 

[B&BGaryC]

Do you just like us, or are you hoping come spring cleaning time some board troller will recruit you and pay relocation costs? I think Boazcan would hire you in a minute. Do you like Florida?

 

[Jack May]

I'd post them or at least what mine are but IB would come on cracking a whip at me for procrastinating implementing systems to overcome them :roll:

I think you'll find everyone has different challenges to face and while some may double up, there won't be a majic five.

For me, (got kevlar jocks so the whip won't hurt) they would have to be, in no particular order:-

Consistant quality control.
Time management.
Marketing implementation.
Networking opportunities often not taken full advantage of.
Maintenance of equipment.

I may revise them later but they are probably some of the top five for me.

John

 

[Able 1]

1. Answering the phone while working-Can't hear with that 2.5
2. Getting the phone to ring-Either expensive or time consuming
3. Paperwork-Only paperwork that I can handle daily, happens on the jon
4. Not cheating my kids out of quailty time with there Pa- Hate missing time with them they seem to grow up so quick
5. Making EVERY custy happy-I know it won't happen but pisses me off none the less

 

[cu]

1. reading ***
2. reading about rug suckers that rip off other rug suckers with a young family
3. reading about vortex owners that dont know how to use them
4. dealing with ugly women
5. understanding odin

 

[hogjowl]

Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Marketing

 

[hogjowl]

Take a Xanax and PM me in the morning.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Naw... Eat some ribs, take a zantac and call him in the morning.

 

[XTREME1]

1. Staying Motivated every Single Day
2. Taking time to pay the bills even the ones you hate
3. Education Making sure you know what the hell your doing and being able explain it to ms pif
4. Getting the phone to ring on a consistant basis and trying to not schedule too far out. I like the 3-day rule of one of the business masters on this board has
5. Being the best everytime you go out the door. From mixing the chems properly, TM maintenance, appearance, clean truck, work orders. I have a checklist I follow and the first thing I do in the am is put a pot of water to boil to mix my chems everyday around 7-7:30

 

[B&BGaryC]

Greg, the one about not scheduling more than three days out is confusing to me.

When I worked at "Elite" carpet cleaning by the end of May I had my day scheduled and planned out down to the fifteen minute increment in mid September. Granted the focus of the company wasn't right, I imagine if the scheduling allowed time for upsell and time to squeeze the occasional emergency in this wasn't a bad thing to have money lined up for 3 1/2 months.

 

[XTREME1]

Gary I have plenty of customers booked out a month or weeks in advance but if someone calls and wants there carpetsd cleaned I try to fit them into 3 days

 

[B&BGaryC]

I get it now. You try to leave some openings for short bookings.

 

[hogjowl]

Hoodie:

I wish you luck in your endeavor. Be aware though, I have seen many others try and fail.

From Lee, the Goggle king, Stockwell, to Dick, clean those baseboards, Ragan, plenty have tried to be the next big BB Guru, and now where are they?

Leave Island Boy alone and let him be king.

Because I knew Stever Toburen, and YOU SIR ARE NO STEVE TOBUREN!

 

[Ron Werner]

The top 5 for me would all fall under business management
ie the marketing
the paper work
follow-ups etc
The other is motivation to do some of this stuff. I like the work but terrible in the office.
So how to hire someone to do this part?

 

[FB7777]

I'm glad no one ever told me I had to plan my success before I started

I subscribe to the Ready Fire Aim philosophy

and never stop shooting

 

[B&BGaryC]

clean those baseboards

That was Micah R's Dad's big thing, clean the baseboards. Makes sense. Thanks for the reminder. I'm gonna have to start breaking out my edge wand too. (Man is that Jose is loud though)

 

[boazcan]

Do you just like us, or are you hoping come spring cleaning time some board troller will recruit you and pay relocation costs? I think Boazcan would hire you in a minute. Do you like Florida?

Let's go! Why anyone would want to live north of GA is a mystery to me. 72 degrees, sunny, and breezy today. Spent 6 hours in a home today with the windows and doors open and never broke a sweat. Next year is going to be a great year.

 

[Rob Lyon]

Top 5 Ha??

(1) Myself
(2) Well Myself
(3) My stupidity
(4) my Insanity!
(5) Back To Myself


All The Best, Rob

 

[DRScrivner]

Because I knew Stever Toburen, and YOU SIR ARE NO STEVE TOBUREN!

Did something happen to "Stever" that I don't know about?

 

[hogjowl]

Not if he's being Marty; he's not!

 

[vegijohn]

The hardest feat to overcome may be ourselves as business owners. To really improve we must first break down our ego and take are really hard look at ourselves. the good the bad and the ugly. A few years ago I learned the meaning of the saying, "When the student is ready-- the teacher will appear". --Our ego and stubbornest holds us back and keeps us from improving and learning. Stop making excuses and blaming others.

As business owners we only have ourselves to blame or thank for our business condition. As business owners we control EVERYTHING about our business. When you feel challenged and need to overcome obstacles say to yourself two things:

"If it is to be It is up to me"
and put the power of TNT to work for you--- That is "Today Not Tomorrow"

 

[ronald pantelas]

1. Getting everybody to like me. 2. Getting anybody to like me. 3. Making more money. 4. Taking better care of my family, and myself. 5. Getting a hot chic, with my current looks and financials. Ron

 

[steve r]

1 getting out of bed when i dont have a job for the day
2 doing anything business related when i dont have a job for the day
3 dont spend any money on days when i dont have a job
4 getting to bed early on nights before i dont have a job next day
5 stop going to strip bars on nights when i dont have a job the next day

 

[Steve Toburen]

Hoodie:

I wish you luck in your endeavor. Be aware though, I have seen many others try and fail.

From Lee, the Goggle king, Stockwell, to Dick, clean those baseboards, Ragan, plenty have tried to be the next big BB Guru, and now where are they?

Leave Island Boy alone and let him be king.

Because I knew Stever Toburen, and YOU SIR ARE NO STEVE TOBUREN!

Thanks, Marty. I think.

Wasn't it P.T. Barnum that said the beginning of the end is "when you start to believe your own publicity releases"?

Stever "Island Boy" Toburen
Director of Training and occasional contributor to internet discussion forums
Jon-Don's Strategies for Success
www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

P.S. Seriously though, there are some great responses above. Almost invariable, as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy ... and he is us." Even though Steve H. may have taken a career detour he started a good thread to get us all thinking.

 

[davegillfishing]

managing cash flow, we pretty much dont have any credit attached to my comapany and it gets pretty thin sometimes..a loc would be nice to bridge some gaps at times

getting off the truck more and doing what i do best. generating business, we gets lots of referrals but if i could pound the streets and take care of all the quotes we would be a little further ahead

letting go a little more and not feeling like i have to have my hands in everything that happens. i have great people around me and i need to use them more

the tax things freaks me out a little..i have a good accountant but the irs really freaks me out.

 

[Rob Lyon]

Great Posts guys, keep it up!!!