Although we try hard to not listen to the news we realize that the world around us as we know it is changing rapidly and for independent businesses in the contracting industry, mostly not for the better. Many of you that started out as a family enterprise are now struggling with the many challenges that face us going into the new millennium.
This is especially true when it comes to our industry. It only takes a moment of listening to the news to hear about the difficult economy. People are working more hours for minimum wage and small businesses are devastated by the lost jobs and the demolition of the local economy.
Growing up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, I am no stranger to the cold weather. There were many days of shoveling snow in the icy cold and plenty of nights when my mom told me to “throw another blanket on” to keep warm in my bedroom in the basement. That’s when I decided that someday I would move to California.
So last year, on one very cold Saturday afternoon, Julie, my wife, discovered our furnace was not working. If we were living back in Chicago, we probably would have toughed it out through the weekend. Maybe thrown on some extra socks and snuggled up next to a “cozy” fire. But we had been living in California for six years and had become accustomed to the warmer climate. We decided to call our local HVAC contractor instead of “toughing it out.”
(Templeton, Calif.) — world renowned social psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini has been named the keynote speaker for the first annual Sales, Profit & Marketing Summit, Feb. 8 to 10, 2012, in Phoenix, AZ. featuring world renowned social psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini.
“I’m totally excited for service contractors.” said event organizer Julie Crisara, “Finally hvac, plumbing and electrical service professionals will get the unfiltered information they need to increase their sales, marketing and profit results directly from the most respected expert in the field of persuasion. We really hope contractors take the chance to get information that had been only previously available to major think tanks, universities and iconic companies.” she added.
It’s already that time of year again. You can hear the music playing when you’re out shopping. Neighbors are starting to decorate their homes before it gets too cold to get up on their ladder. It seems like it gets earlier and earlier every year. The last thing anybody wants to be accused of is being called a Scrooge. Keeping that in mind, the top question we get asked every year at this time is, “What should I give my employees for a Christmas bonus?”
It is very hard for me to answer this question because the truth is…I love Christmas! Or at least I love the idea of Christmas and the feeling you get when giving to someone else. So it’s even harder for me to say that the days of giving Christmas bonuses are over. You shouldn’t be giving your employees a Christmas bonus.
This is a video of some our ContractorSelling.com members sharing their stories about the greatest challenges facing service contractors today. Watch this fascinating segment of how keeping an open mind can change your life.
Many business owners experience difficult times — periods when sales are low and cash flow is a dribble. But when a business is on the brink of closing, it takes hard work to keep the doors open. And a little bit of faith.
Bill Campbell, 56, has been in the HVAC business for 33 years. While Campbell describes himself as a “worker,” in 1993 he took on the title of owner and founded West Deptford, NJ-based Campbell’s Comfort System.
The 17-year-old business has seen its normal peaks and valleys, like any other HVAC company. But in 2008, as the recession worsened, Campbell’s business almost closed. Campbell recalls seeing the oncoming recession in early 2007.
Cut Through Hard Times
