I fear we’ve lost our way. As businesspeople, we often react with such shocking shortsightedness that we fail to see into next year, maybe even into next week.
Back in March, I blogged about a fascinating YouTube video called “Did You Know?” and received a lot of feedback from visitors. They said that the video helped them think about change and put it into perspective.
The construction market stinks. The stock market brings
constant pain. The financial bailouts grow more insane by the day.
Manufacturers are struggling. Nonprofits are laying off staff. Retailers are
filing for bankruptcy.
I recently received a link to a YouTube video called “Did You Know?” It is fascinating look at the pace of change, including business and employment trends.
I’ve been saving fortunes from my Chinese dinners and I’m elated. Apparently, I’m in line for an incredible string of good luck. And my good fortune is your good fortune because we’re all in this downturn together.
I rarely look out my seventh-floor window, but a few weeks ago a dangling window washer grabbed my attention. This guy--let’s call him Wally--was cleaning windows on a building adjacent to the one that houses BNP Media’s offices.
“It was working when I left” was the sick
sarcastic joke of a response I used to get from some of my troublesome Techs
when I would confront them the next day with a callback.
Today, I am encouraged and inspired. I am turning a deaf ear to the naysayers and a blind eye to the imagery of negativity. I see unlimited business opportunities. I am planning to succeed.
Deadhead t-shirt, muddy work boots, a local sports team baseball cap,
beat up blue jeans, a plaid hunting jacket and sporting a 3-day scruff.
Am I talking about the Techs I encounter? Nope.
It’s very likely you’re experiencing a cash squeeze. And with tough economic times, one area that’s bound to be on the rise is your Accounts Receivables.
One of the benefits of my job is the ability to view construction projects in progress throughout the country. During a recent trip to Indianapolis, I took a few minutes to take in Marriott Place, a stunning downtown development slated for completion in February 2011.
Whenever I take on a new one-to-one consulting
client, I ask them to send me a series of forms, templates and documents to
review before I arrive onsite.
Last week, I experienced a different kind of March Madness. I spent three days in Manhattan at meetings focused on e-media trends and developments. My head is still spinning.
That’s the question I ask contractors that I
speak to at workshops, webinars or in teleseminars. I even ask my clients that when
we begin our one-to-one work together.
I was aghast the first time I visited the annual trade show known as the South Atlantic Well Water Drillers Jubilee in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When the doors to the expo hall opened, in poured hundreds of families.
I had heard that Las
Vegas construction was in huge trouble. According to
the reports, the financial meltdown had broken the city’s back. The cranes were
idle, the jackhammers silent and the workers sent packing. Put a fork in all
those huge building projects--they're dead.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we have a few weeks before
the Christmas spirit peaks and we have to be nice to people. Now is the perfect
time to take advantage of people and make some easy money for your company.
For the last few years, anything green has received
incredible attention. The high price of oil, the threat of global warming, and
a strong economy have caused us to view the world through green-tinted glasses.
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel like I am drowning in a sea of
green.
Despite the construction downturn, now might be the best time to join a professional association or organization. Doing so might provide you with marketing advantages that your competitors won’t have.
After decades of quiet avoidance, I recently found the courage to enter a public steam room. Finally, I was prepared to overcome adolescent memories of a sauna experience gone badly.
Many construction-related business owners and managers are aggressively managing their operations. They are cutting expenses, finding new efficiencies and improving their marketing effectiveness.
I recently attended my first-ever security industry trade show, ISC West, which took place at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas March 24-26. The show, which connects security product manufacturers with integrators/installers/security officers, was encouraging on several levels.
I’ve cleared my driveway for the 200th time this winter (OK,
it just seems like 200 times) only to have it recovered with a fresh blanket of
snow before I drive away.
Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum, you
are likely looking forward to a change in Washington. If you are a business
owner or manager, you are especially excited by the prospects of a new cadre of
leaders generating optimism among consumers.
When I took my first trip to California in 1982, the state’s sunny skies,
palm trees and ocean views entranced me. With the Mamas and the Papas’
“California Dreaming” playing in my head, I understood why people were moving
there in droves.
September 11 was a somber day for me. From the moment I turned on my car radio in the morning until I went to sleep, words and images kept flooding my mind.
I’m amazed at how fast the decline of the U.S. economy has impacted our lifestyles. We are buying far fewer goods and services that we now consider luxuries, and we are slowing the pace of our lives in the process.
In 2004, soon after delivering my daughter at Cedarville University in central Ohio, she told me about this interesting computer application called Facebook. It was a new way of interacting with other students on campus and other universities.
I love nature shows, especially those that
demonstrate ferocity in the animal kingdom. Last night I caught a segment where
an imposing monitor lizard went looking for lunch in a badger’s den, only to
end up becoming lunch for the badger.
Who wouldn’t love to discover hidden treasure?
Wouldn’t it be great to stumble across a priceless painting at a garage sale or
find a rare historical document in your attic?
I live and work in the rather sickly Detroit metropolitan market. Every time I drive by a flooring store, granite shop, plumbing showroom or contractor’s truck, I wonder how they are doing. What steps have they taken to cut costs? How long can they keep going if conditions don’t improve?
It’s been fascinating watching the world turn green, i.e. “environmentally sensitive.” Because BNP Media has published Environmental Design + Construction magazine since 1997, we’ve been able to watch the recent “green rush” from a position of insight.
Earlier this week the U.S. Commerce Department released
October stats indicating that new home and apartment construction have dropped
to an annual rate of 791,000 units, a 4.5% decrease from September.
Walking through downtown Nashville last week, I heard a country singer lamenting that he lost his girlfriend, his pickup truck and his construction business. OK, that last one was actually his hound dog, but it won’t be long before we hear songs about the heartbreak of losing construction work.
The annual Remodeling Show took place in Indianapolis last week. I used the opportunity to poll contractors at the show, who were mostly from the Midwest.
The recent spate of mergers caused me to wonder why we--the
valued customers of these companies--were not consulted about their unions. I know
we could pick better partners.
In September 2005, the world was mesmerized by the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. Most of us were glued to our favorite cable channel or Web site, watching hurricane Katrina pound the Gulf Coast without mercy.
A year ago, I told a co-worker that Twitter was a fad. It would not last, I pronounced, because it was fluff and provided no clear benefit. Who cares where tweeters are eating lunch?
In my multiple contacts
with all types of contractors, I hear how pessimistic they are. They have
adopted a vision of the world where they see the glass as half full.
If
you’re trying to run a successful business, I highly recommend you get
selective about where you’re trying to end up and which road you choose to get you there.
One of my favorite scenes from the 1995 film Braveheart takes place on the battlefield before the hand-to-hand combat takes place. In a rousing speech, Scotsman William Wallace challenges his troops to stay and fight. His words whip them into a frenzy.
While
seeking employees’ input and buy-in is important, you must be willing to make
tough decisions that benefit the customer, the company and the staff.
The First Step in formalizing your recruiting
and hiring process is to realize that recruiting of staff is just like trying
to market your company to prospective customers.
Having grown up in the plumbing, heating and cooling business in New York, I knew that I couldn’t push my cooling equipment too long out here in Arizona.
It’s as inevitable as death and taxes. Be a contractor long enough and you’re going to end up selling stuff to your family, friend or house of worship.
.jpg)
