Sunday, October 16, 2011

Gotta know what you’re fishing for before you bait the hook!

Part 1:
You might be wondering; what does fishing have to do with the Green Industry? Just hang in there, it’s coming…. I’ve noticed in the past 20 years as a business owner, that as much as business has changed, it is basically the same. However, in today’s business there is less room for mistakes. We all have to be a little wiser, more creative, and mostly, more focused on what we need to do.

Before you bait the hook, you must first decide what you want to fry up for dinner. Too often we spend money throwing out the nets simply hoping to catch something worth keeping. The problem with this strategy is either spending more money than needed or catching the wrong clients. It is common to think any job will put food on the table, but not any job will take you where you want to go. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has taken a job I should have walked away from. In these economic times, it is easy to fall to this temptation and deviate from your vision. But it is critical to define your best market and stick to it.

Most companies, weather by design or just plain reality, are set up to service a certain type of client or job. Some are geared for commercial work, while some are better positioned to service a residential market. Most small to mid-size companies have conflict when trying to service a diverse clientele. When you try to service the wrong client, you generally don’t meet the client’s expectations. You will either fall short on price, service, or quality. In some cases all three. This results in a poor reputation and eventually will affect the bottom line. Any time you have two distinct client groups you are trying to service, it is best to break your company into divisions. This will allow everyone to stay clearly focused on their client’s needs.

Look for my 3 simple tips to follow…

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