• Be patient and frugal! Remember, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” It takes time to learn the lessons required to succeed. I have never been overly patient, and I’ve always wanted results sooner, and pushed to move forward faster, however, I have learned that “patience is a virtue” and can be learned. Be responsible with your cash flow, remember a job isn’t done unless the final invoice is paid. Borrow when needed however, be responsible with the money, it must be paid back to a bank or investor.
The following are a few things I have learned and believe to be the basis for an entrepre- neur: • Don’t wait for the perfect scenario… just start! When I started my company, I did some research and decided that there were lots of companies and individuals renovating, but only a few who were truly professionals and doing amazing work. I knew that this was the space in the construction industry that I wanted to fill. So, I quit a perfectly good job and started at the bottom, taking on many not so glamorous projects to ensure the bills were paid, and working many hours to ensure that projects were completed to a high standard. Eventually, this led me to build a positive brand and reputation which allows us to complete more incredible home trans- formations. • Sales are everything! If there is one thing that I know for certain, youmust always be quoting projects in order to build your company and brand. It is important to remember that before anything can be manufactured, built, or shipped, something must be sold first. Therefore, a constant priority must be finding leads, marketing, meeting clients, estimating projects, and signing contracts. Then, you can worry about fulfilling your commitments. • Always trust your gut! The gut instinct is something that we all have, and it has been developing ever since you were born. It tells your brain whether something is right or wrong before you can even process the data. Data is important however, if something “feels” wrong, then trust your gut. Have I missed opportunities that could have been good? Yes, but I have also walked away from several situations that could have been detri- mental to me or my company. I will trust my gut any day of the week, even if the data says otherwise.
• Focus on your business, not anyone else’s! I learned this from two sayings: “Keeping up with the Jones” and “The grass is always greener on the other side.” It is one thing to see a good idea and incorporate it into your operations – this is healthy. What I’m talking about is seeing a company that appears to be doing extremely well, maybe been in business less time than you, but they have newer equipment, more people, and every- thing seems to be better. The thing is, you’re on the outside looking in – they don’t share their financial statements or personal strug - gles with you so you can’t truly evaluate their success. You don’t know the debt they are carrying or the margin on their sales or other potential challenges they may be having. I recommend staying focused on your own business and not getting caught up in the “bling” of another company.
• Treat your people & clients with respect and honesty! Trusting your people does not mean you should not verify their work or provide guidance. If you give people the tools and trust their ability to make good decisions, they will. The same applies to clients, when they are provided with respect and honesty, they typically respond in kind. Honesty is always the best policy and will continue to be mine. I will not pretend to be a sage of business wisdom or someone who knows it all because I am far from it. I have learned a few things over the years and, God willing, I will continue to learn, grow, and become an even better entrepreneur in the coming years. The advice I give is free for the
taking and may only be worth what you paid for it. However, if you want to be a successful entre- preneur, do not learn all your own mistakes as they can be expensive and painful, so take advice from reliable sources, people who have done what you want to do. Those are my two cents and I hope you remember a few lessons from this article!
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FEBRUARY 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2021
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