In a contracting business simply "staying busy" can sometimes get you lost to a point where you never really know where you're supposed to be going. A few years ago my business was a study in organized chaos. I worked all day and when I got home I just wanted to relax with the family, watch television, and fall asleep. Somehow I was managing to run around in my truck and do estimates in between doing all of the flooring jobs.
In a contracting business simply "staying busy" can sometimes get you lost to a point where you never really know where you're supposed to be going. A few years ago my business was a study in organized chaos. I worked all day and when I got home I just wanted to relax with the family, watch television, and fall asleep. Somehow I was managing to run around in my truck and do estimates in between doing all of the flooring jobs.
On the week of my birthday a few years ago I was finishing two flooring jobs and I was exhausted emotionally and physically. When I was leaving the first job, I reached down to shut my toolbox and a ½-inch splinter from the plywood in my trailer went underneath my fingernail. I had to carve the fingernail down with a utility knife to get the splinter out. Three days later I was hand-sanding a floor and a one-inch-long sliver of fir went into my right index finger so deep that I couldn't bend my finger at all. I had to have the client help remove the splinter with needle-nosed pliers. Although two terrible splinters were a lousy birthday present, in reality it woke me up that I was on the wrong track in my business and life.
To improve anything in your life you have to improve your attitude, which doesn't happen when you watch reality television and listen to sports radio. The point where it all started to turn around for me was when I was listening to a borrowed audio book of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on my job-site radio. The book is filled with stories of how some of the really great business leaders got their start during the depression. From that moment, I realized that I could run a better business if I focused on what parts of my business I liked and hired help for the parts that I didn't enjoy. Since then, I've been more relaxed and profitable in running my business because I'm doing only the things that keep me positive and energized.
The opportunity to succeed in business is at an all-time high right now despite what the news would have you believe. Whether you need advice on how to write a blog or how to create a video of a floor project, you can certainly find the information online for free from hundreds of experts. The days of needing a huge marketing budget to succeed are virtually over if you're operating with a genuine passion for what you do. Look for the next post where we'll dig deeper into some great resources with which to start.
