Mikey P said:
-What led you to get into this business?
-Describe your best cheerleader and what it took to make him or her so.
-Where was your business five years ago and where will it be five years from now?
-Who do you emulate in this industry and why?
-Start over from scratch, how would you go about it?
-How have the Boards helped your biz?
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Punch in the throat...
There were a couple of factors that tilted me to this from retail management. 1) all the Von Schrader ads in the own your own business magazines. 2) The amount of money I paid out to cleaners to clean the floors in my stores. I thought damn they make more than I do and don't have near the busllshit to put up with nor the hours to work.
My best cheerleader(s) are a couple of real estate companies locally. It was simply benefit by comparison. Plus the most important factor in any relationship charm wit and personality.
5 years ago things weren't much different than now carpet and furniture only. 5 years from now we will be much more diversified. Will be moving more into WDR and hard surface cleaning.
To say I emulate any one particular person would be hard. I will say I wish I had attributes from many. The intellect of Shawn Forsythe, the wit of Marty, the compasion of Lisa, The pricing ability Mikey, the excecution of what should be the obvious from Greenie, the realism from Larry C. I could go on and on as there are so many positive things about so many on the boards but I fear I have already lost Marty's attention.
Start over from scratch I would start by taking all the certification classes before I bought any equipment. I would have also went to an
SFS type class or two. The service industry is SOOO much different from the retail world. I would skip the VS and the 2 banes and go straight to a pto truckmount. I would have saved several thousand dollars and had the ability to grow much faster.
The boards have absolutely helped my business. The biggest way would be in seeing the need to try something different and for yourself. Don't just do what everyone else has done or said to do. RESULTS MAY VARY.
Don't wish to
punch anyone. This is a great community. A big family we may disagree but we are still family.