Timeless service business advice that I want you to save for when you start - or when you are stuck. 1. Speed wins, it will always win, invest in systems that help your customer buy and receive value from you faster - speed is a value proposition in today's world 2. Familiarity matters - The more people see your brand, the more invisible currency you build with them - when it's time to buy, you will have an edge, therefore, marketing is never a waste, but like seeds being planted waiting for harvest 3. Business name - Your name in your business name in home service are not a good idea. I met with someone, "Sam's painting" the other day, he said customer's always ask "Where's Sam?" 4. Service businesses are not where you want to plant your flag and retire - it's an endless fight day after day, and equity builds very slow and arduously. Build it to sell it, or build it to hire a GM and operate like a silent investor with high level functions only (payroll, budget, finance) and go start something else. Just the truth. 5. If you run a service business chances are you will be put in positions to help others who need help. This is the most rewarding aspect of owning a service based business - the impact you can create in the lives of your team members. Don't sleep on this - because it's a mutual symbiotic relationship - you help them, in return, you get loyalty and they help your customers. 6. It's easy to separate yourself if you focus on doing 1% more than everyone else. On every job we look for 1 thing that we can do that wasn't asked for. Example: Painting the house numbers the accent color. People love this stuff. This is referred to as "good-will" and it is a focus we have a company 7. If you nickel and dime your customers, they will nickle and dime you - don't charge for everything. We have people frequently change colors, accent walls, etc. If it's reasonable, we just charge cost. We want our brand to breed abundance and superiority, not nickel and dime behavior. 8. Most times if you just ask people "aside from price, what's stopping you from moving forward?" they will just say "nothing" or they will say something. You don't need sales guru bs coaching. If they say price, find out what the budget is, look at your margins, and see if you can meet in the middle. There's nothing wrong with meeting in the middle - it's one more job for your team if the schedule is light. If they say "something else" - there's your golden treasure - zero in and secure the deal 9. The best way to grow a business is slow and organically. Hire the right people, like real estate, the money is made on the purchase - with hiring, the money is made on draft day. I've hired 100+ people, never once have I been able to train character. That has to be embedded in the individual first. 10. Business is spiritual. Do good, reap good. Do bad, reap bad. You can bless people, or you can hinder them for your own benefit. Opt for the better path - even if there's cost involved, because God rewards the bold and the ones that look out for his people - it may not be a direct return, for example, money given, money returned. If you help someone out, feel good about it. It always comes back. Business is very cyclical. I always have a hard time wrapping up these posts but just know, i'm here to help if you have any business related questions, just shoot me a DM

Took me years to come to this conclusion: everything in business is marketing. Every call, customer interaction, response to drama / mishaps / mistakes - every feature release, every final walk around. Literally everything is sending signals of trust or skepticism Wild to think about but very very true.