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Do you ever worry about the tax man coming after you? What about any other government agency? Do you even know who can and what it truly takes to avoid getting in trouble? I’m sure most of us pay our taxes correctly enough to remain under the radar but what about OSHA, or the Department of Labor or the Environmental Protection Agency? I never really thought to personally worry about it, but then it came to my attention I may not need to worry about myself or my team. It could come from a client or team members significant other. How are you staying protected and from who?

Pandy Pridemore is the Principal Consultant and Mediator for The Human Resource USA. With over 44 years experience including corporate and public sector human resources work, she even had a stint at her father’s small flower shop. The Human Resource USA offers short term, long term, and on call HR Services to small businesses. Pandy is not only a sought after speaker for human resources but also hosts a weekly cable television show and podcast where she discusses Ohio state and Federal level HR guidelines and practices.

Don’t miss this episode of the Floor Academy Podcast as Pandy and I discuss who you need to be looking out for, what documentation you need to protect yourself, and why HR is more that harassment complaints and even small businesses need some form of it.

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How many times do you follow up with a potential client before you move on? What kind of follow up system do you have? Does any of it involve education? Did you know that the average buying cycle for flooring is 6 to 12 months? How are you staying in front of your prospects so they will use you when they are finally ready?

Chris Frate, owner of Pasquale Floors in Cleveland, OH, has grown his business to have multiple crews offering sand and finish services. Started in 2001, its been a journey to get the system and processes in place that allow Chris to now focus on the business instead of the sanding and finishing. Wanting to develop a better way to close leads and stay in front of clients Chris went looking into drip campaigns to have an automated way to educate his prospects as well as stay top of mind with them.

Listen in to this week’s episode of the Floor Academy Podcast as Chris and I discuss what a drip campaign is, how to set one up, and some ideas to get you started on your own.

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Struggling to manage just the field operations? What’s it like to add on the books, marketing, scheduling, deliveries, and bidding? Wearing all the hats is a difficult task that is only multiplied by the facts that we are not good at everything and we don’t enjoy everything. Did you know that you don’t have to do it all? Did you know that your struggles are not unique and many other owners are just like you?

Doug Howard is President of Growth Team Strategies, a consulting company specializing in growth planning, succession planning and business improvement.

For more than 30 years, he has worked with owners of growing businesses to help them overcome challenges and develop strategies for successfully navigating growth. He does this through training, webinars, writing, facilitated meetings and one-on-one consulting.

Doug is known for his entertaining yet informative approach to business ideas and strategies. He likes to bring complex business concepts into clarity with real life stories and recognizable examples.

Doug is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business. He previously owned a small business consulting company for 17 years with offices in Alabama, Arizona, Virginia and Maryland. He served as a Carroll County Commissioner for 8 years and even worked as the Director of Miller for several years.

Discussed this week on the Floor Academy Podcast, Doug and I break down how owners don’t need to wear all the hats and how to escape that trap.

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Have you heard bad stories about useless business coaches who don’t produce results? Does the idea of hiring one just completely turn you off? I can’t blame you, not one bit. There are a lot of coaches out there but many of them are really just cheerleaders. They pump you up emotionally but don’t ever provide any tools to truly change the business. What is it that you are actually buying and what is that you are actually wanting? Does your business even need help?

Justin Shaw is the founder of Driven for Growth and the 90 Day Growth Engine Program. He works closely with entrepreneurs in the contracting space to implement strategies and systems for their continued growth. His approach is holistic and helps business owners develop the skills they need to transform their business so that it can truly reach its full potential.

This week’s episode of the Floor Academy Podcast has Justin and I discussing how you can vet potential coaches, what they need to bring to the table and most importantly what you need to bring to the table.

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I hear stories from retail store owners all the time on how potential subs come in and ask if they are hiring and then the follow up is how much do you pay. This is a horrible approach in my opinion as you are your own business and need to be telling them what you expect. Besides the pay portion though, what about asking what struggles they have with their current subs or what their most common callback complaints are? Can you find a unique niche to solve for the retailer?

Kevin Wielgus is the co-owner of Floors Come True with his wife Lisa. They are based in Plainfield, IL which is a suburb of Chicago and not a small market by any means. Their competitive advantage was easily figured out when they read the negative reviews of their competitors and started solving those exact complaints while delivering all the parts people liked about the other services as well. Completing the projects has led Kevin to need many crews and he is no stranger to thinning the herd to find the subcontractors for his business.

Listen in to this week’s episode of the Floor Academy Podcast as we talk about how you as a business owner and installation company need to approach retailers to find the best fit for each of you, maximize the partnership, and stand out from your local competition.

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Where do you even begin starting a business? Many of us just end up out on our own after we learn the skillset thinking that’s all we need. It’s not the case and business knowledge is not the first thing we often seek. This is a major problem for small business owners in general but is easily fixable.

Paul Wilke, is the owner of Masterpiece Floors in Corona, CA. With years of experience under his belt as a sand and finish craftsman, as well as, being an owner/operator as well as employing many and subcontracting to many, the grind finally got to him. Paul was fed up with the status quo and went looking for a better way to run his business. This is where he learned he is a 40 year startup. Nothing had really changed in his approach over 40 years but it has in the past few.

Tune in to this week’s episode of the Floor Academy podcast to hear Paul and I discuss what changes he made immediately to distinguish owning a business from owning a job, a few simple tips to make sure your business is taken seriously, and why you can never stop learning.

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We have all seen the jack of all trades guys, or the guy that offer carpet, hardwood, tile, sheet goods, etc. How about the guys and gals that are doing residential one week and commercial the next. Sure it can all be done but each thing is technically a different model and they all require knowing the ins and outs of each so that you can properly run your business as efficiently as possible. If they are being run as one in the same, it can lead to cash flow problems, scheduling issues, and more.

Mark Bischoff is the CEO of Starnet, a commercial flooring networking group for contractors and vendors. Through their program over 4 billion dollars in sales is done per year in labor and materials. Through his position, Mark has seen any number of business models in the flooring industry from union labor versus non union, subcontractor versus employee, and how commercial projects get run. He knows there are many ways to skin a cat but if you don’t know the rules of engagement, then the results will be sloppy.

Listen in to this week’s episodes of the Floor Academy podcast as Mark and I discuss what steps you need to take to define your business model, how you need to learn and manage your numbers and why going outside of your box isn’t always the best idea.

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In most cases the sales persons handles the sales of a project. What happens if the installer can upsell a design floor while working on the project? What about the occasional neighbor asking for a bid? Can the installer cash in and get a small commission for their efforts on top of their labor pay? I say yes, and think we need to look at how manage our businesses differently.

Jerry Levinson, former owner of Carpets of Arizona and now business coach, disagrees with my above sentiment. Listen in to this week’s episode of the Floor Academy Podcast as we work through why having non sales people do sales is a good or bad thing and does it depend on your business model.

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