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November 21, 2021
How Can You Be the Best Service-Based Company? A lesson in excellence I’m not easily impressed by service companies. In fact, after being disappointed in the way most service companies perform, I’ve come to expect very little. However, I recently had the opportunity to do business with a company every service-based operation should consider copying. This company was the model of the type of professionalism, quality, and consistency you just wish every company would emulate. On top of that, they were the least expensive option available, which is odd, because I NEVER go with the lowest bidder (just as a matter of principle). What’s also interesting is that I knew these guys would perform right from the start. Let’s back up. The company I’m referring to applies epoxy coatings to concrete floors. You know—the type of coatings neat freaks like me have applied to their garage floors just because. After all, you wouldn’t want to park your 1984 Yugo on just any floor, right?! I’ve either epoxied or had someone else epoxy every garage floor I’ve had for the past twenty-five years. At one time, I actually decided it would be a good idea for the restoration business I owned to offer this service, so I happen to
August 24, 2021
Being an entrepreneur can be tough; everyone expects you to have the RIGHT answer ALL the time. As a business owner in the restoration industry, it can be even tougher when balancing the needs of customers, adjusters, and your company. The moment may come when you need guidance, whether ongoing or for a specific challenge. You may consider hiring a restoration consultant, but what are the fees, pricing structures, and services they provide? How much does a restoration consultant cost? Hiring a professional consultant from outside your company can feel daunting, as consultants vary widely on their techniques and levels of service. In this article, we will guide you through selecting a restoration consultant or executive coach by discussing the different models, objectives, techniques, and cost structures you may encounter. After reviewing, you will know enough to be confident that you are choosing the RIGHT consultant for your particular challenge and business. You will also be able to estimate the cost of hiring a consultant or executive coach in the restoration industry. Consulting Pricing Models and Structures A study conducted by Consulting Success shows that most business consultants use one or a combination of five common pricing structures. 31.37% of consultants use
November 20, 2020
5 Truths About Business Continuity as proven by 2020 Timothy E. Hull, CR 2020 has certainly proven to be an eventful year. Aside from a global health pandemic, national economic shutdown, social unrest, and a heated presidential election, the events of this year have wreaked havoc on the emotional well-being of most every American. We saw Main Street shut down in the blink of an eye. Professional, collegiate, and local sports totally disrupted in almost every way imaginable. And educational institutions completely reengineered in a matter of months. In retrospect, 2020 has been as close to a cataclysmic event for modern day society as we may get. Or hopefully get, as it’s not over yet! Despite an economic shutdown, a stock market crash, record unemployment, and a virus that seems to have dominated the headlines of every media outlet on the planet, business continues. In the restoration and damage repair industry, not only is it continuing, a case can be made that it is flourishing for companies that were even moderately well-positioned and properly managed. In my previous article, Pandemic-Proof Your Business, I explored four ways small business owners can position their company and pandemic-proof their business. Amidst the observation and testing of this theory in real life, we can conclude there are 5 truths which have now been proven about
October 20, 2020
What If You Could Give Your Sales Team A Magic Pill? John Monroe Imagine if you could give your sales team a drug that would make them superhuman selling machines for the day. If this were possible, would you take the risk and give it to your team? I was watching Project Power, a new movie on Netflix, and my mind started racing. When your salespeople reported to the conference room each day for the morning sales meeting, what if you handed them a cappuccino and a magic pill? But you had no idea what superpower would be unleashed until they took the pill for the first time. One person might become the ultimate closer that no customer could say no to; another might have the skill of always finding the decision maker on the first call; yet another might be the ultimate salesperson with the power to turn every job into a million-dollar deal. Of course, there would always be the risk that they take the pill and become the nightmare salesperson who is afraid to get out of bed and won’t talk to anyone, so they just send emails by the hundreds. Would it be worth the risk? Thankfully, you do not need a magical pill to turn your sales team into superhuman selling machines … although I can’t promise that your team won’t need a shot of cappuccino to get their brains working in the morning! In this pandemic world we currently live social
October 9, 2020
Declutter Your Career Chris McQueen Think of your bookshelf, or for those of you who are digitally minded, think about your e-reader or Audible subscription. You likely have hours of distilled wisdom in your possession, with many more waiting to be added today, tomorrow, and every day after. This leads to an issue of clutter and of wondering which ideas are best, who you should listen to, and how to decide which advice or method(s) to follow. Even without the resources on your bookshelf, you are likely equipped to elevate your career or the business you participate in, but you may have missed a step or two along the way. In his book, The Learned Disciplines of Management: How to Make the Right Things Happen, author Jim Burkett’s first three disciplines are Planning, Organizing, and Measuring Performance. While visiting hundreds of offices over the last half–decade, I noticed a common theme of the planning and organizing steps often being skipped. If you are currently measuring KPIs or other performance management indicators without a plan for how to use the information or having an organized path for how you will get to your goals, you are doing a disservice to yourself and those you work with. The following four steps will help you organize your thoughts and aid in deciding which method or workflow to use in achieving your goals. Dispose of the Clutter There are excellent resources
September 20, 2020
Recession Pandemic–Proof Your Business Timothy E. Hull, CR In the midst of what may arguably be the most significant global event since World War II, economists, politicians, community leaders, and most members of civilized society are struggling to come to grips with what the real fallout of COVID-19 will look like. Despite differing views and philosophical differences, the one thing many agree on is that this is far from over, and the real impact of this event will be felt for a very long time. With unemployment rates lingering at record high levels, economic stimulus packages coming to an end, and state social distancing restrictions changing daily, how does one even attempt to predict what the future might hold for business? Even Wall Street is sending and receiving mixed signals. The prime lending rate is next to nothing, real estate markets are crazy, consumer spending is up, and nearly every logical economic theory would suggest that the worst is yet to come. My career in the restoration field started in September of 2002. At that time, I was told the restoration industry was a “recession-proof” business. My observations and experience over the past eighteen years have supported that theory. This is not to suggest, however, that the world of restoration is bulletproof. And, if there was
August 20, 2020
Emotional Intelligence: One of the Keys to a Healthy Company Culture, Part IV Tom Cline Each of the attributes we’ve covered in this series on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) builds on the others. That is certainly the case with this fourth and final installment where we cover the element of Relationship Management. Skills developed in the previously discussed areas of social awareness, self-management, and self-awareness all feed into success in this last area. Relationship management is the ability to build value-adding relationships with others. A person strong in this trait understands and realizes the value of building relationships even with people with whom they don’t get along. People with high relationship management abilities make everyone they interact with feel they matter and are valued. When they communicate with someone who has failed to complete a task or meet the expected delivery date or level of quality, it is done in such a way that the person knows where they missed the mark, but it is not done in anger. Relationship management requires taking intentional steps to ensure these positive connections are healthy and beneficial to both parties. Employees need to understand how they can influence positive connections and teamwork in their personal and professional relationships. Author Daniel Goleman, a recognized authority on EQ, says the competencies involved in managing relationships include: Developing others Inspirational leadership Change catalyst Influence Conflict management Teamwork and collaboration These competencies are often viewed as leadership skills, but
August 20, 2020
Unexpected Success During The Pandemic of 2020 Scott Tackett Today, I was reminded of a very powerful quote taken from the book, Seven Choices for Success and Significance, by Nido R. Qubein. It states: “Success is not a matter of luck, not an accident of birth, not a reward for virtue. The most successful people I know are the ones who have something to do, somewhere to be and someone to love.…It all starts with the choices you make—they determine the person you will become.” This came to mind as I watched a colleague of mine respond to a question regarding the current pandemic. The question posed to him was: “Do you think anything good has come out of this crisis?” His response was spot on, and I could not agree with it more. My colleague indicated that he felt many in our industry made changes due to their belief that COVID-19 isn’t going away, and he stated that others should adjust and move forward quickly if they have not already. He elaborated on the fact that we have witnessed quick decision making, more–effective communication—both inside and outside of organizations, and a drive forward in innovation the likes of which none of us have seen before. I couldn’t agree more! As consultants at Violand Management, we have witnessed successes and good things during the most chaotic time in our business lives. Author Virginia Burden was once quoted