If anyone is ready to gamble, then let's bet on a sure thing together. I'm headed down to help instruct at the Intermediate Install Sand, and Finish school that NWFA is hosting in about three weeks in Las Vegas. I know I've run into a lot of other contractors/company owners who always say that there's little for them at the NWFA because they already have a system that works, etc. … Even if those people knew everything covered within the NWFA technical manuals, they still don't have access to the unwritten grey area called a network.
If anyone is ready to gamble, then let's bet on a sure thing together. I'm headed down to help instruct at the Intermediate Install Sand, and Finish school that NWFA is hosting in about three weeks in Las Vegas. I know I've run into a lot of other contractors/company owners who always say that there's little for them at the NWFA because they already have a system that works, etc. … Even if those people knew everything covered within the NWFA technical manuals, they still don't have access to the unwritten grey area called a network.
The most cutting-edge people I know in this industry I know only because of the NWFA schools and conventions. Only a couple of times in this business have I run into a really advanced professional locally by chance at a distributor barbecue. I'm not suggesting that really cool and knowledgeable guys aren't around me locally. I'm saying that they're either all busy working or I'm too busy to show up to the barbecue. What does that leave? The five-minute windows we all have running into the distributor to pick up some sandpaper, wood, and finish.
Here's an insider secret to the NWFA schools: Everyone opens up their book of secrets and talks shop. It's the kind of stuff that you never find in the technical manual. I'm talking about the little secrets such as the best way to apply tinted lacquers to difficult spot repairs, what applicators to use for the repair, and even what abrasives to use. You get the picture, but if you don't know that stuff, then the next time you're in a bind, it may make the difference between getting a $2,000 check or getting kicked off the job because you can't make something look right and someone else will be getting paid to fix it. It's all about having the personal cell phone number of the best guys instead of the business line that goes to the secretary who never delivers your urgent message. All the guys and gals who can help you out of a bind quickly will be there, and if not, then those who are there will know who you should call.
One evening during the school I'm teaching a sales and marketing session designed for the contractors who need work with minimal budgets. I'm going to personally show you what works for marketing tactics and generates phone calls from the Internet instead of all the paltry promises from the salespeople who say "I can get you to the top of Google". It's part of the class and totally voluntary. We earn over 50% of our business from the Internet, and my only costs regarding Internet marketing are my hosting fees of less than $50/year. I'll tell you everything you need to know, but you need to be there.
Let me close with a disclaimer: I wasn't instructed on what to write for this post and I'm not making up the numbers in the last paragraph for my Internet marketing costs. The technical schools are without a doubt the best resource for anyone who seriously is tired of being overworked and underpaid. Vegas is cheap to fly into, hotels are really cheap and the NWFA provides lunch for the students and instructors. How can you lose? See you all there.
