In past articles we've viewed such profitable topics as:
3.) Establishing a Flat Rate company culture.
4.) How to economically “leverage” a smaller company.
5.) How to raise your prices easily.
6.) Quitting. (Yes, quit if you don't know, refuse to learn, or won't do what's necessary to run a company.)
All the above will make you a lot of money as a single individual, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but what if you decide you want to grow — you know, you get that entrepreneurial “itch?”
Well, that “E-itch” always begs the question: “Where do I get good tradespeople?” The simple answer is, “You don't, you replicate.” Huh? What? Is this some kind of Star Trek business? Replicate?
Yep, you need to replicate yourself, and that requires the following:
1.) You must be making enough money (read my previous articles), and
2.) You must have patience.
Find a (young) person with a good work ethic, mechanical ability, who's able to start at the bottom, and willing to work his or her way up. That's all. Easy, right? Well, it is — if you're willing to take the time and make the effort. I did it and got my best employees from folks who were thirsting for better but knew squat about the trades.
You may ask, “Why not hire an already trained dude or dudette?” Uh, if you need to ask that question you're living in some kind of information-deficient bubble. The trades are at an all-time low for trained folks and new ones ain't comin' around.
Here's my method in a nutshell: Remember those 10 jobs I asked you to jot down to begin your flat rate book? (We started with how to create a Flat Rate price for a disposer.) Well, haul 'em out again. Hire that (young) person at a minimum wage; begin teaching those 10 jobs, say a half-hour each morning; then take them with you wherever you go for three months. That's called OJT, the best way to train. Now add in sewer and drain cleaning, or make that the first of all the10 jobs, and away you go.
Take a deep breath now. After three months, when one of those 10 jobs comes in, send Joe or Jo — women make great employees! — to do the job instead of goin' yourself. Of course, after completion, go and double-check their work, but that's about all there is to git started replicating thyself.
Is there more? Of course, there's always more, but remember my article on “Leverage?” Well that's where you get the more. After reading the above you've got an outline; however, that outline has probably sparked some questions. If you're a big company, you can call a meeting to discuss 'em. If you're a small company you can also call a meeting. You do it by joining a “forum” (leverage) and asking questions.
Quality then becomes the issue. The quality of answers you receive depends on the forum joined. https://www.serviceroundtable.com/SignUp/default.asp?pid=OConnell. Hands down, this is the best run, best directed, most informative, most affordable, well-constructed forum/business center ever to have graced the Internet; and if you go to the URL above you can try it out for $25 the first month. Not only do you get the forum, but enough other content, such as great marketing strategies, plus other benefits too numerous to mention here.
That's it. Now go forth and replicate thyself! And if you need more help than this magazine, my wonderful articles, or the very low-cost SRT services can provide, I'll do it privately for $100 a week with a money-back guarantee. Seriously, I'll sell my 50+ years of experience that cheap, and I'll tell you why when you call or e-mail me.
Next time: Replicating the replicated + Seniors? (Not Señors ... Seniors, señors.)
Good luck.
Ol’ Ed
Retired master plumber Ed O'Connell is a sub-contracting business “Starter Coach” for small contractors. He is the founder emeritus of O'Connell Plumbing Inc. He can be reached at 415/453-2291 and be email at [email protected].