In the beginning you had to:
Figure out the legal, financial, and operational aspects of your business
Understand how to communicate and negotiate
Learn how to promote your business, yourself, and your products or services
Comprehend how to keep the accounts, stay organized, and run the office
Grasp the responsibilities of entrepreneurship
Now, you’re ready to scale
Not simply running with the big dogs – being a big dog. You’ve mastered so much already and the time has come to master even more. In fact, you’ll need to hone the above-mentioned aspects of starting a construction contracting or service business to a greater degree.
While it doesn’t hurt to know how to pick up the tools of your trade and apply them to good use what matters more is understanding the tools inherent to being a successful business owner.
Consider this
Which is more important?
Knowing how to cut a short board or knowing how to cut a meeting short
Knowing how to paint a room or knowing how to paint the picture which your potential customers need in order to purchase a painted room from you
Knowing how to twist the wrench or knowing how to twist out all the information necessary so you’ll be able to go above your clients’ expectations
Knowing how to celebrate your personal achievements or knowing how to celebrate the accomplishments of your crew
Knowing how to build then install a cabinet or knowing how to build then scale your construction contracting business
Mindset matters
It is perfectly acceptable to be proud of the skills you have and your ability to accomplish the various tasks associated with your particular trade. Those skills have likely played a great part in getting you where you are now.
And, if you’re going to scale your construction contracting business now is the time to build on the additional skills you’ve been learning all along. Not every carpenter, electrician, plumber, painter, or other tradesman has the where-with-all to become the owner of a business within their discipline. But, you do! Congratulations!
Because you’ve already accomplished much, it is only a small degree of difference to begin your journey of scaling your construction contracting or service business.
Let’s put it this way, we at Schulte and Schulte don’t believe in mumbo-jumbo about wishing or thinking your way to success. We do believe it takes hard work and the proper mindset. We further believe that, while “thinking you can” doesn’t always accomplish the task, “thinking you can’t” will always achieve its goal.
There is more to learn
In an earlier article, I talked about some things you should be doing when working ON rather than IN your business.
Planning
Hiring
Training
Leading the management team
Delegating
Presenting
Selling
Negotiating
Tracking results
If you’re not proficient at any of these skills, begin learning and practicing. Being the leader of an enterprise which is scaling is not an easy job, but it is certainly a rewarding one and one worth putting your best efforts into.
We at Schulte and Schulte are happy to stand beside you and work with you to aid you in scaling your construction contracting or service business.