Wouldn’t it be great if everyone you dealt with in your businesses (and your life) saw things from your point of view? Whenever there was a problem, you would talk it out, they would quickly see things your way and the issue would miraculously disappear! Unfortunately, that’s not the way that things work in the real world. You are certain …
Diffusing Adversity
Adversity. It’s not a word that we often use in our everyday conversations. And yet, adversity, and how we deal with it, often plays an over-sized role in determining the level of success that we attain in our business (and personal) lives. Adversity can be defined as a state of adverse conditions, where someone or something is actively opposing or …
A Shock to the System. How Starting a New Business Can Drive You Crazy
Starting a new business can be a shock to your system. We all think that we’re ready for this new adventure. We’ve read some books, talked to some experts and watched some YouTube videos; how difficult could it be? After all, if (insert name of a despised competitor here) can do it, it must be really simple. The reality is …
Lawsuits
Lawsuits. It’s an unfortunate reality of being a business owner in today’s marketplace. No matter what industry you’re working in, the simple fact that you own a business places a target squarely on your back. And while some businesses may seem like a better target than others, every business owner must prepare themselves for the eventuality of facing a lawsuit. …
Setting Yourself Up for Success. What Does that Mean?
Setting yourself up for success. It’s a well-worn phrase that you’ve probably heard hundreds of times. In fact, you’ve probably heard it so many times that it hardly even registers anymore. And it can mean so many different things at the same time, what are we even to make of this saying? It can mean different things to different people, …
How to Fail Faster
Everyone starts out their new business with certain goals. Maybe they want to become successful enough to quit their current job. Maybe they want to make enough money to pay for their family vacation, a new vehicle or their children’s college tuition. Or maybe they are saving for their eventual retirement. Regardless of their long term goals, most business owners …
Turning Them Around. Making Sure Your Clients Sing Your Praises
One of the most difficult things about running a business is dealing with clients. An often-heard complaint is that “this would be a great job if it wasn’t for all of these damn clients!” And yes, I know that our customers are the whole reason that we are in business, but (sometimes) dealing with them can cause a business owner …
Jumping Off a Cliff
Unless you have completely given up all hope, which unfortunately happens to some of us, we are all driven to succeed in our lives and in our businesses. And that drive for success pushes us to make improvements in our processes. We usually make those improvements in small, incremental steps. We study the data, looking to see what has served …
Opportunity vs. Decision
What do we do when faced with an opportunity? How do we decide what’s our best course of action? What happens if we can’t make the hard decision?
What Can I Do to Grow My Business Faster? Crawling Before You Walk
I consider myself to be extremely fortunate. I (somehow) ended up in a career that I really enjoy, that allows me to help others and that helps me to provide for my family. I started doing home inspections professionally in 2001, and soon thereafter started teaching other home inspectors (and Realtors) about the industry. In addition to being certified to …