May 2019
I
the REPORT
TRACKING DOWN SUMMERTIME LEADS
Preparing to Beat the Busy Months
It’s easy for clients to get lost in the fold when you’re in the midst of a big rush. But the good news is that as long as your business is organized, now is the best time of year to follow up on prior inquiries. Whether they were toying with the idea of getting roof work done or just called to get an estimate, these are the customers that will keep you working until business picks up again. People who are proactive in their springtime chores may have called ahead to plan a roof repair for the future. These are all leads you can deliver quality service to during this somewhat slower time. As in any industry, the basic tenants remain the same, and one of the cold, hard facts is that business comes in spurts. By taking this opportunity to gear up for the busy times, we keep our numbers up and continue operating to the best of our abilities. If you do the same, your clients will thank you. Remember this: “There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”
Throughout my years in this business, I’ve realized that calls and requests for roofing and materials come in spurts. One week, it’s hard to keep up, and the next week, it slacks off. It’s amazing to see when everyone is thinking the same thing. Granted, the weather is a major contributing factor to seasonal shifts, but there’s definitely more at play. For example, a few times a year, the majority of our orders within the same week will request the same color metal. It all goes to show that we are all human, and many of us think alike! In the roofing industry, January and February are a bit slower for business than March, and April seems slower than May or June. We at Central Michigan Roofing know this as well as anyone, but even so, we stay busy during the first quarter of the year with odd jobs like cleaning the shop, restocking supplies, finishing important paperwork, and most importantly, following through on wintertime leads.
Have a great month!
– Emanuel Herschberger
P.S. Thanks to those of you who complimented this newsletter!
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If a child refuses to sleep during nap time, are they guilty of resisting a rest?
THE POWER OF ‘MINDSET’
who approach life’s hurdles as an opportunity for growth are the ones who find long-term success.
For decades, Dr. Carol S. Dweck studied the phenomena of success. How is it that some people are able to grow their business, stay fit, or achieve their personal goals while others in similar situations stall out? “Mindset” is Dr. Dweck’s answer to this question. Subtitled “The New Psychology of Success,” this book chronicles the Stanford psychologist’s findings, which suggest an inseparable link between belief and achievement.
If you’ve ever said “I’m just not good at math” or “I’m not a natural leader,” you’ve fallen into the fixed mindset trap. If you believe there’s nothing you can do to change your circumstances, you’ll never strive to improve them. The same is true of positive fixed opinions of yourself. Dr. Dweck points out that those who believe themselves to be “a great boss” or “an amazing athlete” are also doing themselves a disservice. Once you think your skills are tied to who you are as a person, you’ll avoid challenging them for fear they might be found wanting. This leads your talents to atrophy as you seek detours rather than facing challenges head-on. Dr. Dweck argues that, instead of falling victim to the pessimism and self-delusion that defines fixed mindset thinking, we need to recognize that the path to success lies in open-minded perseverance. “A person’s true potential is unknown (and unknowable),” she says. “It’s impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil, and training.” Not only does “Mindset” drive this point home with well-documented experiments and studies, but it also provides a workshop to help people break free of their fixed mindset and find success.
According to Dr. Dweck, people tend to think about the challenges in front of them in one of two ways. They either have a “fixed” mindset — believing that their talents and abilities are static, intrinsic properties of who they are — or a “growth” mindset — believing they can improve every aspect of themselves with practice and perseverance. Those
THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGNING BETTER SNOW RETENTION Snow Never Sleeps, Even Out of Season
PAD-STYLE SNOW GUARDS This idea involves using several staggered rows of snow guards that are mounted directly to the roof panel. Together, these rows are able to protect against dangerous snow- slides. They are typically crafted using cast metal, stainless steel, aluminum, UV stabilized polycarbonate, or other dependable metals. The unique style holds the snow in place until it melts or can be safely removed. Think of it as a fence that keeps the snow contained and out of harm’s way.
As summer slowly creeps in, wintertime snowfalls are probably the last thing on your mind. While snow season may be far away now, it’s never too early to start planning ahead. A good snow retention system is extremely important for protecting your home and surrounding areas from the perils of ice damage. If your metal roof is caught without it, you could be looking at some costly or potentially dangerous consequences from the falling snow. With a proper system in place, it’s one less thing you have to worry about when braving our bitter Michigan winters. Let’s take a look at some of the key components of a good system. GENERAL SNOW GUARD SYSTEMS A snow guard system, when done right, can help you enjoy a safe winter. Without it, you may be looking at broken windows and gutters, water buildup, or damaged HVAC systems. That’s why it’s so important to get it right the first time. Make sure you’re designing it with consideration for the practical sliding or gravity loads it will be exposed to. This means designing it to account for the snow load in pounds per square foot, the sine of the roof angle, the tributary load area, and the allowable load for the specific type of snow guard.
By using snow guards that are well-designed, you’re saving yourself and your clients a lot of heartache.
Central Michigan Roofing | (269) 758-3330 2
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
HOW TO BE A SELF-STARTER
Getting the Courage to Be Something Greater
all worthwhile challenges. You don’t want to take the easy route your whole life. Constantly seeking out new challenges can give you a greater sense of pride and accomplishment. Take time out of your day to recognize those around you who display these traits too. By building up your core team members, you will surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable when you stray off the path. THROWING FAILURE ASIDE No matter what business you’re in, you’re not in the business of failure. That being said, you aren’t immune to it, either. If you stick around long enough and take enough risks along the way, failure is almost inevitable. It’s how you deal with that failure that sets you apart from the crowd. This goes back to accepting challenges, as we touched on earlier. Make sure you’re living a life you would want to tell your grandkids about with pride and gusto. Sometimes you’ve just got to close your eyes, get ready for the steps ahead, and take a leap of faith into a new venture. That’s what being a self-starter is all about.
You want your career to be something that makes you jump out of bed in the morning. While it can be easy to lose track of that during your daily grind, you should always strive to be proactive in your motivation. This doesn’t mean you have to be a morning person — they are the worst, aren’t they? It simply means laying down some foundations. Your goal should be to reach a point where you can be proud of yourself whether you’re at work or at play. Being a self-starter has many faces, but it starts and ends with your attitude. Let’s take a look at some of the most important components of adapting yourself to success.
CHASING CHALLENGES A challenge is just an opportunity to show yourself how far you’ve come. Taking on a new position, getting training on a new piece of equipment, or dealing with a major client are
Shrimp Sausage Skewers
Have a Laugh
Inspired by PaleoLeap.com
Creole Seasoning Ingredients • 2 tablespoons paprika • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder • 1/2 tablespoon cayenne or chili powder • 1/4 tablespoon dried oregano • 1/4 tablespoon dried thyme
Ingredients • 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1/2 pound cooked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces • 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Directions 1. Heat your grill to medium-high.
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for creole seasoning. 3. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, zucchini pieces, and sausage pieces, and cover them with the olive oil. 4. Add creole seasoning and mix well until all ingredients are covered. 5. Load up skewers with alternating pieces of shrimp, sausage, and zucchini until they’re full. 6. Grill skewers until shrimp are well-cooked (6–8 minutes).
In 1920, Babe Ruth out-homered every American League team.
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I
Inside This Issue
Tracking Down Summertime Leads
How Being Open to Growth Leads to Success
A Look at Managing Snow Retention
How to Be a Self-Starter
Shrimp Sausage Skewers
What Is the World’s Best Exercise?
THE WORLD’S BEST EXERCISE
disease. In addition to these physical benefits, walking daily can improve your mood and overall mental health.
Not all exercises are created equal. In fact, there is one form of exercise that is better than many others: walking. Harvard Medical School took a look at various exercises and concluded that walking is up there with swimming and tai chi in terms of health benefits. Regular walking can help maintain good cholesterol and blood pressure levels and keep your bones strong and healthy. One study showed that 40 minutes of walking every day helped people reduce blood pressure from hypertension to prehypertension, and then eventually to normal over several months. Walking can even keep many different kinds of diseases at bay, such as diabetes and heart
As simple and straightforward as walking is, it can be difficult for many people to find the time. Most experts agree that you need 30–60 minutes of physical activity per day, but the good news is that you can split those minutes up throughout your day. For example, you can take a brisk 20-minute walk in the morning before work, followed by another one at lunch and one more after dinner. Those 60 minutes also don’t have to be strenuous; they just need to happen. However, the more time you invest in walking, the more you will get out of it. If you slowly increase your distance and speed, you’ll end up burning more calories and strengthening your legs over time. The great thing about walking is that it’s not particularly taxing on the knees, and you can move at your own pace. It doesn’t get any better than that! To get the most out of walking, schedule your walks for after mealtimes, especially the ones that come later in the day, like lunch and dinner. It’s a great way to aid digestion and burn calories — which can’t hurt your waistline!
Central Michigan Roofing | (269) 758-3330 4
In Calama, a town in the Atacama Desert of Chile, it has never rained
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