Differentiation Part Two: Know Your Niche
The previous article on differentiation, which you can find here, argued that you need to know your value. Your prices should be based on value, not on having lower prices than your competition. This article considers another aspect of differentiation: your niche. To be a successful business, you need to define your identity. Who are […]
Differentiation Part One: Know Your Value
A lot of companies provide the same products and services you provide. Whether you are a general contractor, roofer, HVAC installer, remodeler, architect, or some other service-oriented business, you have a lot of competition. How do you win business when so many are competing for the same opportunities? One of the biggest temptations facing […]
The Secretary of the British Treasury Wants to Help Your Business
Wait, what? Secretary of the British Treasury? You have probably heard some form of advice attributed You have probably heard some form of advice attributed to William Lowndes, who was Secretary to the Treasury of Great Britain from 1695 until 1707. The Americanized version goes something like this, “Mind your pennies, and the dollars will […]
Your Dashboard Is Not Your Accounting System
You’ve seen them – those trucks in Home Depot’s parking lot with a dashboard covered with receipts. One of the realities of owning a construction-related business is that you wear a lot of hats: salesperson, estimator, construction foreman, hands-on worker, HR manager, customer relationship manager, purchasing agent, and so forth. If you also are your […]
Your Roadmap: Get AMPED With Contractor Success Hub
“Amped” was a term my teenage foster sons used when they were excited about something. I understood what they meant when they said it, but I didn’t think it was a real word. It turns out, however, that several dictionaries define it. Here are some definitions: “Filled with energetic excitement”; “excited, enthusiastic”; “fired up, waiting […]
Using Key Performance Indicators
Maybe you don’t think of yourself as numbers person. Maybe math was your least favorite subject in school. Maybe you hate spreadsheets. Unfortunately, if you own a business, you are a numbers person. Business is a numbers game, and companies live and die by their numbers. Don’t worry, though, working with numbers is not as […]