I don’t expect you to believe everything I say, but you have to know I wouldn’t lie to you. 

I have some unique and great experiences. 

I have been very fortunate to have some amazing mentors and peers bring me into their universe and grant me the opportunity to see things I may have never otherwise seen. 

I have always gone against the grain, like cutting a big juicy Texas brisket. 

Do things others have and certainly do things people say can’t be done. 

One of those is the current trail I have been on the last few years. I have been on a path to showcase what we (in this restoration/ emergency services industry) have come to accept as truth. And that is that somehow, our process and direction is owned by and steered by insurance carriers. 

I am not a fool and recognize how large  they (insurance carriers) are and the power they yield…..but being righteous is a super power.

Education and confidence is the...

Everyone is talking about what to do about fuel. 

What are you doing in your company to compensate for the added cost?

Costs are up. 

Adjusters are still resisting invoices. 

So what will you do… what are you doing?

How can you run a profitable business with inflation, and rising fuel prices?

Was 10/10 good enough to cover fuel costs last year? Is it good enough to cover costs now? 

“Add a line item for fuel surcharge.”

That's what everyone is saying you should do. Even the mothership of Xactimate (Verisk) has empowered the contractors to bill for increased fuel cost. (Don't take our word for it.)

So Xactimate says its ok to bill... but we are getting feedback that adjusters are stalling. It seems to have caught a lot of adjusters off guard. They don’t have a copy & paste argument for that one… yet. 

But they will. They got knocked back on their laurels, but they work for massive...

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

I'm not a sales guru. But I have had my own business... a couple of them. I've been a corporate sales manager. If I could summarize all of my experience in to only ONE tactic, I'd hang my hat on this one.

When I was getting started in the small business ownership life, I was HUNGRY (for work). I started from absolutely nothing. I didn't purchase a business. I didn't get a franchise. I literally built from the ground up.
I was excited to get every single phone call. 

As my journey progressed, I got busy. My phone was ringing a lot more frequently. The challenge was that I was in the field doing the work. It was easy to keep focused on the job, and not the future. I started living the roller coaster business. Slow week, busy week. Slow week, busy week. You get the picture. I'm sure you've been there on some level. 

In the restoration industry, we have to respond in the middle of the night. On a weekend. Hell... many of us have answered calls on important family holidays. The...