Motivation

[ACE]

The hardest thing about being self employed is staying focused and enthusiastic about your business. I have some really ambitious plans for my business but, keep hitting the same brick walls and fell like I’m just spinning my wheels. What keeps you going when things aren’t going well at all?

 

[Jay D]

Mortgage payment, pool payment, visa payment, kids and wife like to eat premium foods like hamburger helper, The list Could go on....but I won't. :roll:

P.S. My motivation is I can't work well for others after trying it again for 8 months, 3 years ago.

 

[Brian R]

Mortgage payment, pool payment, visa payment, kids and wife like to eat premium foods like hamburger helper, The list Could go on....but I won't. :roll:

P.S. My motivation is I can't work well for others after trying it again for 8 months, 3 years ago.

I agree with that one.

You have to keep you company new. Those business ideas you have should generate enthusiasm if they are good ideas.

Example
I just got the whole Service Monster thing going...energized me in a big way.
Get a new wand?? Man that will make you want to clean carpets.
Change or get a uniform, look pretty and it will make you act pretty.

It's the little things you can change as you grow...but you actually have to like what you do.

Ask yourself that question first then go from there.

 

[billyeadon]

Ace,
Motivation is an internal not an external process. I think Brian hit it on the head; you have to like what you do.

One thing I notice, whenever someone leaves the industry for whatever reason they seem to come back and post and say how much they miss it and how hard it is to work for someone else.

If you can get away for a weekend and just think about things that may help.

You are working in a great industry.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I had to look when I saw Bill had posted. I thought maybe he was going to give out some secret, like listening to little feat while downing a sixer of of Irsh Stout! :mrgreen:

 

[Brian R]

I think if I got away for a weekend to think about my business, I might like that enough to not come back.
:mrgreen:

 

[ACE]

I enjoy the work I do, in fact, I want to take things to the next level and stop just scraping by. I have been jumping through hoops for financers trying to get a loan for equipment and nothing works so far. I hope all bankers and financers burn in the hottest part of hell! I still have a couple of angles I can try. I have a friend that can get vans at wholesale. If I get a loan for book value there might be enough to put a used machine in. Only 0.1% of the bailout money went to the SBA. A SBA loan might work if I can find a banker that’s not too lazy to do the paperwork before the money is gone. Guess I’ll break out the bondo, touch up paint, polish this turd of a van and keep trying.

 

[billyeadon]

I had to look when I saw Bill had posted. I thought maybe he was going to give out some secret, like listening to little feat while downing a sixer of of Irsh Stout! :mrgreen:

Ain't nothing wrong with Little Feat but I do miss Lowell George. But I won't miss the National Holiday next Tuesday.

 

[Becker]

Number one reason guys like Howard, Polish, etc sell so many packages.

It creates motivation.

I know any time I go to connections, MF, A marketing class, an IICRC clean. You name it I get jacked up and motivated.

Set yourself work hours.

If you are not busy day to day cleaning and you need more work, then set yourself hours.

Say 9-5.. in those hours, you are either cleaning, or working on the business.

Yes you are self employed, but it is still a job.

So many of us forget that, and focus on the "I set my own ours and pay"

I'm in the beginning of starting over in a new location, once settled, I will be working my business full time... (well mostly)

It is what I did 8+ years ago, and I grew quickly. I might remind some I started in this area right after 9-11.

 

[billyeadon]

Did you ever think that is how you motivate yourself?

Build, sell, move, build again.

Number one reason guys like Howard, Polish, etc sell so many packages.

It creates motivation.

I know any time I go to connections, MF, A marketing class, an IICRC clean. You name it I get jacked up and motivated.

Set yourself work hours.

If you are not busy day to day cleaning and you need more work, then set yourself hours.

Say 9-5.. in those hours, you are either cleaning, or working on the business.

Yes you are self employed, but it is still a job.

So many of us forget that, and focus on the "I set my own ours and pay"

I'm in the beginning of starting over in a new location, once settled, I will be working my business full time... (well mostly)

It is what I did 8+ years ago, and I grew quickly. I might remind some I started in this area right after 9-11.

 

[Desk Jockey]

If you have not already, set your most important goals to paper.

Stephen Covey calls these goals WIGs - Wildly Important Goals.

These are "the goals that must be achieved to fulfill the purpose, (in this case paying the bills, growing your cleaning business) or nothing else you achieve really matters much."

Covey says that a well crafted goal should:

• Be specific and clear (what do have to do to get a new unit and truck)
• Be explicitly linked to a purpose (Getting Truck & Unit)
• Be written in plain language
• Be broken into bite-sized chunks (don't make it too hard to achieve)
• Be measurable (give credit for achievements)
• Be deadline driven (Keeps you moving and hopefully motivated)

 

[ACE]

I have a business plan, cash flow projections, balance sheet, personal financial statements and tax returns. The issue is not lack of a plan or enthusiasm, it’s that credit is tighter then a bugs azz.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Have you looked at leasing?

 

[ACE]

I tried a couple of equipment leasing companies last year, both said no. If I go to the sharks it will be 15 points+. I don’t know if I can justify financing a new unit / van with over 10 points. I wish I buried money in my backyard instead of working hard to restore my credit to a descent rating (650). I am seeing tons of great deals on used equipment. I just need something that looks good so I can put advertising on it and keep my old unit for backup / subcontract work.

 

[Able 1]

Goals are what motivate me... I right down in my schedule book what I made last year for every month and YTD so I have something to shoot for. Other then that new toys help out alot with keeping things intresting.

 

[juniorc82]

I still have a full time job at a rent to own company. because alot of our customers at rent a center are idiots and my one of my managers is an idiot this is motivation for me to get my business going where it needs to.

 

[Wayne Miller]

"I want to take things to the next level and stop just scraping by"

We ran out business on a shoestring for years. Every year got a little tougher. Eventually, we hit that financial brick wall. One day Gena looked at me and said, "either the business makes more money or I want to do something else."

"Something else" is code for "get a job."

That was all the motivation I needed.

I wouldn't say we took it to the "next level," IMHO that's what we say when we have ambition and no direction. We did, though, stop "just scraping by."

In a nut shell, this is what we did.

We advertised.

We advertised some more.

We advertised even more.

We advertised still more.

Did I mentioned we advertised?

We took out YP ads we couldn't afford. Several of them.

We printed postcards and bought stamps with the mortgage money.

We went into community newsletters.

We started sending out a newsletter.

We tried lots of stuff.

And, to pay for all that.......

WE RAISED OUR PRICES.

I don't know a thing about your business, how you advertise or what you charge but those are the two most significant changes we made in 15 years of business. In the course of a year we increased our advetising budget by something like something like 1700% and over a couple of years or so raised our PSF price 85%.

Two things about this amaze me to this day.

First, it's amazing what you can do with the attitude of, "if we're gonna fail we might as well fail big rather than small."

And, second, one of the quickest ways to be labeled a "Red Board Cleaner" is to suggest raising your price to the level where you can actually afford to run a business and pay yourself a living salary.

For what it's worth, from our experience, if you you're looking for motivation and sincerely want to build your business, start by dragging the other foot in, put it all on the line and then do it like you mean it.

 

[Brian R]

What's a "Red Board Cleaner"?

 

[Brian R]

Brevik you're a perv...we should hang out.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Brian you're a Perv, stay away from me!

 

[Doug D]

I think this motivation thread is taking a wrong turn! Not a bad way to get lost though!!!!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I appreciate Wayne's post, be consistent, take some risk, and raise your prices.

Love this too: "if we're gonna fail we might as well fail big rather than small." :wink:

 

[Axeman]

I have researched motivation because I'm a lazy bum and it's easier than working.

What I found was there are loads of theories about motivation the best well known one is Maslows Hierarchy of needs. Typically when you start you are motivated to pay the bills for your basic needs, then comes the vehicles, the bigger house...etc etc.

You may have stalled and need to move up to the next level.

A lot of guys do this by becoming Mentors or teachers or start to give something back to the industry.

Other theories will say just focus on doing a good job and challenge yourself to do something outside your comfort zone everyday.

There are theories and there is what works..... for you. Life is an experiment.

 

[Brian R]

I appreciate Wayne's post, be consistent, take some risk, and raise your prices.

Love this too: "if we're gonna fail we might as well fail big rather than small." :wink:

Yea great quote.
In the famous words of....Alanis Morriset?????

"I recommend biting off more than you can chew, to anyone."