We are testing out the "Less is More" approach to blogging.

There is long form. 
And there is short form (as you will experience below)

What do you think?
Let us know which one you prefer in Restoration Nation!

A project is like a meal.
The steps are the ingredients.
The scope is the recipe.
The client is the guest.
You have to figure out if the client likes spicy, salty, tangy or just plain ole fried.
It's messy
But it's the work.
You get through it.
Make up some shit along the way,
People pop in and leave,
But at the end, you have a table laid out and you are excited for others to enjoy it.

A bottle of water at Costco is approximately $0.25.

The same bottle in the supermarket is worth about $0.50.

The same bottle in a bar costs $2.

In a good restaurant or hotel, it can be worth up to $3.

At an airport or on the plane, you may be charged $5.

The bottle and the brand is the same, the only thing that changes is the place.

Each place gives a different value to the same product.

When you feel like you are worth nothing and everyone around you belittles you, change places, do not stay there.

Have the courage to change places and go to a place where you are given the value you deserve.

Surround yourself with people who really appreciate your worth.

Don't settle for less.

- Anonymous

The restoration industry has found a lot of success in getting referrals from plumbers. There is an expectation from most plumbers that you must pay them for the leads they send you.

What if you found referral partners who were grateful to work with you… in exchange for a relationship that was reciprocal?

• You share business.
• You share opportunities (jobs, clients, community interest, friendship, etc).

We all agree that money is nice, but there is more to life than money. 

Appreciation for referrals can be shown in many many ways.

Cash is one way, and it's been a “tradition” in the industry for a long time. But if you’ve been around myself, Klark, Restoration Advisers, or A.I.R. (Alliance of Independent Restorers) you know that we challenge tradition, and the status quo.

We are about advancing the industry, promoting new ideas to bring new ways of doing business, and achieving new levels of success. 

People that care about you want to see...

This is right off the notebook of Klark... he sent this to our clients but I wanted to share it with you too!

Its so good. And it really addresses a challenge that the industry is facing right now. 

I know in this current climate of human assets, this is HARD….but I have ALWAYS looked at hiring a new person to the team as an investment.

I would do my research

I would make sure exactly what I am hiring for

I would expect an ROI. A $50,000 annual person can make you 50k, lose you 50k or make you $600,000.

Isn’t that worth finding the right person.

The idea of turning down work doesn’t sit well with many…..but I continue to watch us play Russian Roulette with our customers, our brand and burn our other staff or management but asking them to manage people that won’t ever really care about your business or their part in it.
These people should NEVER be allowed to wear your shirts. Decline a job before you let that happen.

If you go to a...

This is Part 3 of a series taken from the our new E-Course "show notes"
 45 Days to build a STRONG restoration company. 

Profit is your FUEL

Let's talk about my favorite topic. 

PROFIT 

I have a sign in my office that says:

Gross revenue is vanity

Net Profit is Sanity

Cash is KING. 

It’s true!

Profit is your everything and I stand on mountain tops screaming that if you are not truly profitable you put a terrible strain on the engines, your wings and sometimes force the plane to land (to use the metaphor of your business being like an airplane).

The number 1 reason a business fails is CASH FLOW. Cash Flow, as we have discussed all along in this section is affected by a combination of many things.

 

Your marketing gets your product/ service noticed and entices people to buy from you.
Your sales effort to ensure that you are selling enough of a service to meet the financial needs of your company.

Then your control of the...

This is Part 2 of a series taken from the our new E-Course "show notes"
 45 Days to build a STRONG restoration company. 

Planning: Identifying your business goals?

From the desk of Sir Klark Brown.

Our big 2022 goal is in this blog. You don’t want to miss it… we don’t want you to. We need your help to accomplish our BHAG (BIG, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS GOAL)

You decided to start a mitigation company. Based on your experience and exposure you may have some lofty goals. 

Goals of money… Hopefully an emphasis on profit. 

Ideas of free nights and weekends. 

It is possible you feel like this recession proof business will provide endless quality leads. 

These are valuable in building your company. 

Let’s bring things back to reality and set short term and long term goals

In the world of setting goals, this sentiment is shared by many without being discussed as it should:

The crash of overwhelming failure felt when unrealized...

This is Part 1 of a series taken from the our new E-Course "show notes"
 45 Days to build a STRONG restoration company. 

Let's go back to the beginning and take a journey. 

Or maybe you are at the beginning and are wondering which direction to take.

Walk with me for a bit. 

As we start this journey together, it is important that we remember that we are…. well, at the beginning.
All successful efforts and endeavors start with a clear vision and goals. Not only for ourselves, but as we build a team to help us, the importance of this omni present vision will be among the most critical assets you have. 

Do you ever just not know where to start or how to do what MUST be done? You ask yourself if this is all worth it. 

Today our focus will be on never ever having a feeling that you are unclear and you show up at your office and not know what to do or what to do next.
This clarity and confidence will help you in marketing, team...

While I have not been able to confirm this story to be true, the moral of the story is a good one. So I want to share it with you.

This was shared online and I happened to come across it while digesting turkey and stuffing leftover from Thanksgiving.

One day Albert Einstein wrote on the board:

9 x 1 = 9

9 x 2 = 18

9 x 3 = 27

9 x 4 = 36

9 x 5 = 45

9 x 6 = 54

9 x 7 = 63

9 x 8 = 72

9 x 9 = 81

9 x 10 = 91

The chaos started suddenly in the hall because Einstein made a mistake. This was Einstein! How could this genius get such a simple equation wrong?

Correct answer 9 × 10 =. And all his students ridiculed him.

Einstein waited for everyone to be silent and had a powerful lesson that no one soon forgot:

"Despite the fact that I analyzed nine problems correctly, no one congratulated me. But when I made one mistake, everyone started laughing. This means that even if a person is successful, society will notice his slightest mistake. And they'll like that.

So don't let criticism...

Toby here.

Just wanted to share a little of my story with you.

I started in business for myself out of necessity. I did not know what I was doing. I had a formal education. I had 15 years of corporate experience. But I didn’t know what it took to run a business.

I didn’t even know that there were a lot of resources available for people like me. From my perspective, I had the example of family and friends who had been successful in business. 

I started on my own after leaving the job that at one time seemed like part of the journey of a lifetime. 

In time I realized that the company I worked at wasn’t aligned with my core values. 

It took me starting out on my own to figure out what my core values were and why I was experiencing friction in corporate. 

I launched out on my own. I started where I was. I did what I knew how to do with the resources available to me.
I happened to get a call for help from a business coach. She actually hired my...

 Mentors and mentorship have long played an important role in the development of greatness among leaders. It has often been said that self made leaders are a myth. I believe that. I think those that think they are self made have a debilitating ego and will never be about to lead 

The word mentor can be a noun or a verb meaning: An experienced and trusted advisor

I have had many mentors in my life and career. Some I recognized...and many I did not. Meaning I did not accept their help as being from a place of mentorship and guidance…..I was a younger-less wise person for many of my years. Life has a way of stripping that out of you, right?

I’ve had mentors in my personal life. I’ve also had mentors in business. The funny thing is that the lines are very blurred there. 

My first “mentor was Rudy Thrower at an old full service station. Rudy’s (original, I know). I worked there early in my life. As in about age 6-7.shhh. Don’t tell the...