Your business in a rut? Join Richard and Laura from The Million Dollar Plumber in this insightful episode of Potty Talk as they share common pitfalls that might be sabotaging your success and holding back your growth!
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3 Golden Nuggets
- Let Go of the Past
- Let Go of Control
- Let Go of Taking it Personal
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Show Notes
Starting out in business, there are some common mistakes that EVERYONE accidentally makes. Here are 3 things you might be doing that are holding your business back and what to do to change them.
Let Go of the Past
First and foremost, it’s time to release any preconceived ideas you may have about the plumbing industry.
Just let go of the past.
Whatever image you have about how plumbing isn’t worth charging a lot of money for or that it’s not a career–let go of all that.
Plumbing is an essential service that many people need, regardless of whether they want to pay for it or not. And you deserve to be fairly compensated for your skills and knowledge of the trade.
That’s why you have to…
- Charge what you’re worth
- Look the part
You might get more customers by charging less or competitively, but you’ll also harm yourself in the long run! Because undercharging can lead to the undervaluation of the industry and the service it provides.
So, take pride in your profession and charge accordingly. By doing so, you are not only making a respectable living for your family and staff, but you are also honoring your industry and paving a path for others to do the same.
It’s crucial to remember that plumbing is a serious and necessary job and should be respected. By charging what you are worth, you are sending the message that this industry, and the service it provides, is valuable and essential and deserves to be compensated fairly. You are also setting the standard for other plumbers and helping the industry gain the respect it deserves.
And, by taking your job seriously and respecting looking after your business’ image, you’re proving that all these preconceived notions about plumbing are wrong! Plumbers don’t have to look messy and drive rusty trucks–you’re a professional! So take care of the van or truck you’re driving, your branding, your uniform–everything because image matters, and you WANT to look professional.
So, in short, you gotta let go of the past and whatever negative beliefs you had about the plumbing industry.
Take pride in your skills and your industry. Not only will you benefit personally, but you will also contribute to the advancement and respectability of the industry.
Let Go of Control
As a business owner, it can be hard not to want to control everything, especially if this business is your baby that you’re proud of. But you gotta remember that you simply CAN’T control everything–and that’s okay!
Attempting to micro-manage every single aspect of your business can lead to an endless spiral of stress, exhaustion, and ultimately burnout.
So you have to focus on the big picture and let go of trying to control the small things. And you can do that by setting a few non-negotiables–such as prioritizing the quality of work and treating customers with respect and professionalism, etc. Ensure that the core values of your business are maintained, as they are crucial to your success.
But when it comes to obsessing over counting parts, nickel-and-diming your workers and vendors, and keeping track of every tiny detail, you’re only wasting energy on things that ultimately don’t matter and will not help grow your business.
Instead, free up more of your time to work on the things that matter the most, such as bringing in more clients, improving your services, and keeping Mrs. Jones happy. These are the things that matter and will help you stand out from the competition. These are the things that will help your business grow and thrive.
So, while staying on top of your business and how it runs is necessary, try to avoid spreading yourself too thin. Because at best, you’ll burn yourself out; at worst, you might get yourself sued over something silly!
In short, make yourself a list of basic, non-negotiable rules, focus on growing your business, and then let go of the more minor things.
Let go of taking it personally
And last but not least, you gotta stop taking things personally! Take it from the classic, The Godfather, and remember–it’s just business!
While things like negative reviews and staff members leaving might sting a little bit–it doesn’t mean they have anything to do with you as a person!
So if one of your techs wants to leave, that’s their business! Sometimes people don’t thrive in a business, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you were a lousy boss or that you drove them away. They simply wanted to leave.
Because if you hold on to every little thing and let it get to you, you won’t have the heart to make it in this tricky business. You just gotta let things go and continue working on improving your business. That’s all you can do.
It’s also important to not let the negative reviews get to you. Because sometimes, you’ll get a 100 good ones, but you’ll find yourself stuck over the 2 bad ones–and that’s just a recipe for disaster. Too much focus on negativity can lead to a skewed perception of your work and lower your self-esteem as a business owner. However, if negative reviews are common, it may be time to assess your customer service experiences and strive to make the appropriate changes.
Having the right strategy when addressing these negative reviews is also essential. For example, avoid responding defensively because that will look bad to other customers. And offering discounts as apologies can lead to more customers writing negative reviews just to receive the same treatment.
So, instead of trying to win over every unhappy customer, you just have to learn to let things go. Develop a thick skin and not get too emotionally attached to the business. Because while you care about and believe in it, it is merely a way to make money to improve your life.
In summary, it’s important to understand the bigger picture and develop an inner strength that protects you from getting too emotionally invested. So remember, let go of the past, let go of control, don’t get too attached to the business, and continue working hard.
That’s how you grow your business, double–or even triple–your sales, and take your plumbing business to the next level!
Richard’s Call to Action
If you want to learn more about numbers that matter and how to best run your plumbing business, why not schedule a free 30-min strategy call with us? Let’s talk about your goals and where you want to be this time next year, and we’ll help you create a path to make that happen. Schedule your free strategy call here today!
