This is a guest post written by my pal Steve Bullerwell. Steve started working with me about a decade back and made a real impression with his work ethic, desire to learn and positive attitude. We became fast friends. At the outset of the Great Recession, Steve summoned all his resourcefulness and set out to work for himself. He has successfully run his own show since. As tough as things may get sometimes, I admire how Steve uses his agency to leverage time in his life for the pursuit of a passion. A passion that helps him deal with stresses of running a business and refuel his soul. I invited him write an article for MicroContractor Blog. TO THE WATER Whether your a Painting contractor, a Landscaping contractor, a self employed Accountant, or you're punching your timecard signalling the beginning of your shift at the local big box superstore; one thing is for certain. The office can be a cruel and unusual place to be at times...
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A few days ago I texted a long time friend, who happens to also run a painting business, to see if I could borrow a piece of equipment. I was surprised to hear back from him that he was in Mexico on a volunteer mission to help people in need. I don't know any details about the work he is doing there, but I know that he is donating his time during peak season for his business, travelling at his expense, while leaving his young famiy at home. I shouldn't really have been surprised because my friend is involved with HeroWork and other volunteer projects in his town.
Also this past week, I attended a talk that brought out some interesting stats about vounteering that I had never heard before. So I did a little bit of research... Just wanted to share a couple of things I read last week that re-enforced what is becoming a repeating theme in life...
'The primary predictor of success and happiness in life is our ability to get along with others.' - Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne And... A couple of months ago I had a cancellation. As happens from time to time. You just roll with it - because really there is nothing you can do about it, and sometimes it takes the pressure off of an over-booked schedule.
The problem is that it is very easy for a prospect to cancel a job when they haven't made a financial commitment. Unfortunately, as the contractor, you don't have the same flex going the other way. Imagine cancelling at the last minute on a customer - the bad rep you would develop, how you could totally mess up their entire project schedule and that of the other trades, etc... A good friend of mine likes to reply to the question:
'How are you bud?' with 'I'm on the right side of the dirt!' I love that response because it puts everything in perspective. If you are alive, it can be a great day. But these days Busy has become the new Good. Everyday you can hear a conversation go something like this... 'How are you Jim?' 'BUSY!' 'Really eh?' 'Oh yah, crazy busy. Can't keep up!' or... |
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