Most professional painting contractors understand the importance of developing systems for their business. For those who want to get out of the bucket, it is absolutely imperative. Unfortunately, developing systems can be a very imposing task, and many contractors don’t know where to start. However, it doesn’t have to be a daunting task. If they use a system, the process can be much easier and far more effective. In other words, use a system to develop systems.
To illustrate, let us say that you find your crews frequently doing work in the wrong order. They wind up wasting time and cause you unnecessary frustration. How can you correct this situation without being a baby sitter? The first step is to identify the problem, or more specifically, the undesired result. In this case, the undesired result is wasted time. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what it is. The next step is to identify what actions (or inactions) are causing the result. The undesired results have a cause, and if you want different results, different actions must be taken.
Returning to our example, if the crew is doing work in the wrong order, the solution is to identify the proper order. For example, for an interior repaint this might consist of the following tasks:
Clear the room
Prep the surfaces to be painted
Paint
Clean up
Put the room back in order
Of course, there are many steps involved in each of these tasks. For example, prepping a room might involve drywall repairs, sanding woodwork, caulking, masking, and more. The process of painting a room might involve dozens of separate tasks and steps. And that is usually where the process of developing systems becomes overwhelming. Many contractors think that they need to develop a procedure for every one of those tasks, and they think that they have to develop all of them at once. If they feel overwhelmed, they might wind up developing none of them.
However, the chances are good that the crew is generally doing the work in the proper order. It is unlikely that they are doing the clean up before they do the prep. Usually, the problem occurs in a fairly narrow range of activities, such as in the prep. That is where you should focus your efforts. In other words, return to step one above–identify the undesired result and then identify the action or inaction that is causing that result.
Let us say that you figure out that during prep the crew is doing drywall repairs last. As a result, they wind up waiting for the patch to dry and the start of painting gets delayed. Your solution then, is to identify the proper order for prep. As an example:
Repair all drywall cracks
Sand and caulk woodwork
Remove switch plate covers
Mask
This order allows the crew to be performing other tasks while drying occurs. There are, of course, multiple ways of addressing this issue. Quick set could be used or multiple rooms could be prepped at once. The point is, identify the order that you want followed, and then document those steps.
Your preferences may seem perfectly logical to you. You might wonder why anyone would do the work in a different order. But the fact is, unless you have a highly unusual crew, they are not mind readers. They don’t know your preferences unless you tell them. They may have learned a certain order to do the work, and have never questioned it. They may not be concerned with efficiency. Regardless, until you tell them your preferences, they simply don’t know.
Once you have addressed, and hopefully eliminated, this problem, you can move to the next. For example, you may then find that clean up isn’t as efficient as it could be and should be. Develop a process for that issue. In short, this system allows you to address the things that aren’t going right, rather than trying to fix things that aren’t broken. It allows you to address the things that are causing the most problems. And, as you reduced or eliminate those big problems, you can then move to smaller issues. You wouldn’t try to perform every task involved in painting a house at one time. Don’t try developing systems that way either.
For the past fifteen months, I have been writing a book. The process has been, at various times, frustrating, invigorating, and exhausting. But it has always been interesting, and I have discovered many things about myself, the writing process, and business during this time.
One of the more interesting realizations is that writing a book is much like business.
When I began the book, I thought that I had a pretty clear idea about what I wanted to say. As I researched the topic, worked on an outline, and wrote my first drafts, I realized that I had a lot of confusion. My idea was just a vague approximation, and I didn’t have nearly enough to say about the topic to fill a book.
Interestingly, that is also how I started my business. I had a vague idea what I wanted the business to be like, but I knew next to nothing about marketing, accounting, or, for that matter, painting. It wasn’t nearly enough to build a business.
For my book, I had to rethink the entire topic. I faced a number of choices. I could abandon the project. I could plod along with my original idea and write something that would be mediocre. Or, I could do more research and refine my idea.
I did the same with my business. I realized that, if I was going to build a successful business, I had to refine my concept of the business. I had to get more information and integrate that with my personal goals. Vague ideas were only going to lead me to vague results.
Writing a book can be a daunting task. You start with nothing but a blank piece of paper and an idea. You can put anything you desire on the paper, from the most eloquent prose to incoherent gibberish that would embarrass a third-grader. The same is true of business. You start with nothing but an idea. You can put anything you want into your business, from a well-devised plan to nothing more than hopes, wishes, and pipe dreams.
In both cases, a good idea is only that—an idea. It must be executed. It must be made real. Without action, an idea is just idle fantasy.
In both cases, as the project progresses, new discoveries, realizations, and understandings must be integrated. My plans have changed. I have had to adapt.
In my book, numerous times I have found myself deleting large sections. At times it was painful because I really liked what I was deleting. But it simply did not fit. It wasn’t appropriate to my goal, and no matter how brilliant the writing, I had to keep the end goal in mind. I have had to do the same thing with my business. I have had to fire employees whom I liked because they were not contributing to the goals of my business. I have had to quit offering services that were not profitable. These decisions can be painful, but they are necessary.
In my book, I get to decide what chapters to include and how many. The same is true in business—I have had many chapters in my business. I get to decide what to title my book and the cover art. I also get to decide the image that my company will present to customers. I get to decide if I will write for a narrow, select group of readers, or write for the masses. I get to decide whether my company will do high-end, custom painting or high production, blow and go painting.
In some ways, these realizations are not particularly startling. But new understandings do not have to be life altering to be beneficial. Sometimes they simply reinforce what we know to be true. Sometimes they give us a slightly different perspective and allow us to make small, but important changes.
Owning a business is much like writing a book. We face many, many choices, and the decisions that we make determine the results that we will experience. When we don’t like the results, we can edit, delete, or amend. But in the end, we are responsible for the results. In the end, our choices determine whether we write a best-seller or a piece of trash.
For many years, I have been an avid and vocal advocate for developing systems. I have, on occasion, received considerable criticism for this advocacy. I’ve been told that paint contracting has too many variables to systemize, that markets are different, that I am being simplistic, and much more. I have shrugged off these criticisms, reminding myself of a line Richard Kaller often used, “They don’t know what they don’t know.”
In a certain sense, I can understand the criticisms. The concept of systemization, and everything it implies, is absolutely foreign to many people. So, when they hear me offer systems as the solution to their problems, it can come off as simplistic.
But the truth is, many contractors make the process of owning and operating a business far more complex than it needs to be. Sound business principles are sound business principles, no matter the type of business, the geographic location, or anything else. Planning, knowing your numbers, differentiating your company, learning from successful members of your industry—these principles and more are applicable to every business, including paint contracting.
I have previously mentioned my recent foray into the world of real estate investing. Two years ago, when I first seriously considered doing so, real estate was a mystery to me. I had no idea how to locate properties, how to analyze their financial potential, how to estimate repairs, how to locate and screen tenants, or any of the other aspects of rental housing. In addition, I heard about myriad options and approaches: foreclosures, short sales, hard money, conventional financing, single-family, multi-family, and much more. It seemed extremely complex and potentially overwhelming.
And so, I practiced what I preach. I found mentors. I learned the numbers. I planned. I developed systems.
In the process, two interesting things occurred. First, what was once very complex, confusing, and potentially paralyzing became understandable and manageable. Second, I received confirmation that systems truly work in any business.
Consider this: In the past month we have bought 2 properties. We placed a tenant in a third property. We closed on a cash-out mortgage on a fourth property. When I started, this would have been unimaginable. I would have thought that to do this, I would be working ungodly hours and be stressed to the max. But because I followed my own advice, I have probably invested less than 10 hours a week on these activities.
Interestingly, in educating myself about real estate, I have heard the same advice that I have been preaching for years. Experts in the field, almost without exception, suggest learning from successful investors, developing a plan, learning the numbers, and creating systems. In other words, apply sound business principles.
Admittedly, developing a plan, learning the numbers, and creating systems takes a lot of work. But that is how the complex becomes simple. That is how we identify what is important and what is trivial. That is how we learn to take consistent actions so that we achieve consistent results.
Whether you are reading this on a desktop computer, a laptop, or an I-Phone, the device you are using is extremely complex. The technology involved in writing and transmitting this post to thousands of readers was unimaginable just a few years ago. Yet, even those with few computer skills are able to use and benefit from this sophisticated technology.
You have probably never met Steven Jobs, Michael Dell, or Bill Gates. Yet, you can use their creations successfully. They do not need to micro-manage the manufacture of their products, much less visit each end user and supervise the use of those products. Their products are easy to use because they developed systems.
After 25 years as a painting contractor, I can safely say that their products are far more complicated and more variables are involved than in painting a house. If they can make those sophisticated products user-friendly, you can certainly do the same with your business.
…maybe what you consider to be good or true is skewed. Sometimes things are so good and so true that people just don’t want to accept it. They may be weighed down with skepticism or shackled by fear.
For example, what if I told you that you could buy rental real estate for $150 and generate cash flow of $120 to $150 a month? You would probably think that this sounds too good to be true. You’d be right that it’s good. You’d be wrong that it isn’t true. I’ve done it twice in the past 4 months and I’m going to do it again in March. And what if I told you I’m going to buy another property for $0 and it’s going to generate the same type of cash flow?
My point here is not about real estate. My point is about your mindset, and that applies to any business endeavor, including painting. Indeed, it applies to life.
You’ve probably heard all kinds of claims about real estate, internet marketing, selling vitamins, and countless other businesses. And if you are like me, you probably dismissed most or all of them. Certainly there are people making outrageous claims that could never be true. There are also—on occasion—people who make outrageous claims that are true. The “trick” is to identify which is which.
Outrageous success usually requires outrageous claims. For example, the Wright Brothers made an outrageous claim—they could build an airplane. Henry Ford made an outrageous claim—he would build an automobile that the masses could afford. These men, and countless others like them, made claims that were considered outrageous at one time. But their claims were true and they proved it.
So, the fact that something sounds outrageous or too good to be true is not a valid reason to reject it out of hand. And that brings me to the real point of this email.
Growth, in any form, requires pushing boundaries. It means venturing into unchartered territory, doing something new, challenging the status quo. Physically, our growth from a helpless little baby into an adult happens automatically. But our success in business and in life is not automatic. It is a consequence of the choices we make.
If you want to grow your business you must push boundaries. You must try new things—at a minimum things that are new to you. And sometimes this means embracing ideas that seem outrageous or too good to be true.
As an example, years ago the late Richard Kaller was a prodigious poster on various Internet forums, including those for painting contractors. He challenged conventional thinking and often made claims that seemed outrageous, such as claiming that painting contractors could and should sell their services for $50 an hour or more. He was regularly and routinely chastised, called a snake-oil salesman (and worse), and subjected to all forms of verbal abuse.
On the surface many of his claims were indeed outrageous. But when I looked below the surface, when I looked at the full context and the reasons for his claims, they made sense. Increasing your prices from $30 an hour to $50 an hour is preposterous if nothing else changes. However, if you consider the full context the claim makes perfect sense. If you understand that customers buy value, that to command a higher price you must offer more value, that you must communicate that value and its benefits to the customer, then you can see that $50 (or more) is not outrageous.
I certainly don’t mean to suggest that every claim is valid and warrants protracted consideration. But to reject ideas out-of-hand simply because they are new and challenge our thinking can be very limiting. Sometimes what seems too good to be true just requires a new perspective.
Politicians and pundits regularly decry the increasingly divisive nature of American politics. From the Tea Parties to Occupy Wall Street, Americans are not happy with their government, and they are making their displeasure known. But what is causing this divide? And what is the solution? Find the answer in my new book, Individual Rights and Government Wrongs.Click here for more information.
