Here is a post I made on another thread that might help some see where I am coming from. Learning and applying what others do and avoiding their mistakes can lead one quicker to financial freedom;
[I]Actually a doctor has a “job” and so do most carpet and window cleaners. There is a difference between being in business and running a business. Most let the business run them instead of them running the business. In the end they work long hours practically working themselves to death with little time left over for family. The delusion is in the end it is just a job. One just sounds more prestigious.
Sample conversation;
Hi. Nice to meet you. Oh nice to meet you too. What do you do for a living? I’m a “doctor”,“window washer” or a “carpet cleaner”??
That’s one reason I made a choice to be a businessman who just happened to have a carpet cleaning company,own a cleaning forum,own a water damage business and termite and pest control company. My real goal has been investing in real estate every extra dime I save. Therefore technically I am a “real estate investor” who owns several business’s. [/I]
AT the risk of making this thread longer than it needs to be I disagree. Your suggestion is that there is only one way to be successful and that is in your face controversial. I think history of successful businesses show different.
I see somebody is still a little buttsore because I said your wrap looked like it said WorkoFart. Accept my apology but it was so hard to read that cluster truck.
It has been mentioned that opinions are like a55holes, everybody has one. Now this forum has another. It is a shame really that you bring so little to the table validating yours. I would ask what makes you so accomplished in having the authority in what does or does not work(within so many variables really) but it is just tough to take you seriously. I wonder if this was what you were looking to have associated with your garbage you brought to WCR’s doorstep
Art, He hasn’t contributed anything here substantial, he’s only generated attention. Why not let him steep in his delusions and read Jesse’s thread? Or watch paint dry? Or file your teeth to sharp points? Ya know, something constructive.
Dale
Not sure what you searched for but I’ve personally read plenty of threads where these ideas have been shared. They may have been presented it different ways then you presented them but there the same principles. 80/20 rule, Narrowing down your market, presenting the benefits the customer recieves from using your service, It’s all been talked about plenty. I know because I have talked about it. I have not posted A single thread on it because the impression I got was that it was common knowledge. Start with doing a search on branding. I don’t have time to read through all the threads on branding but I guarantee those concepts are in there.
Not to mention this is contradictory to your other comments when you said that branding does not work for a small company. These ideas are describing the process of branding your company. I am beginning to think maybe you are confused as to what branding is.
You attracted attention, but I think your pride is refusing to admit that it was not the kind of attention you were seeking. Just like with advertising, attracting fewer customers but quality customers is better than attracting tons of gutter fish. If you wanted to make a negative impact you sure did it. But if your goal was to make a positive impact, with the right tact you could have gotten much better results. For you to deny that is just obvious pride.
And I think you need to be careful when giving me personal advice when you don’t even know where I am at with my business or my personal life goals. I will be done with cleaning windows soon but not to retire, only to do what I love which was my goal. I have never made it a goal to grow a large company as window cleaning has always been temporary for me. Had I desired a big company I would have achieved that along time ago. My energy has been spent building a career that I love, which is not window cleaning. Be careful when stereotyping people, because people are different even though they may appear to be similar.
Hey if a guy chooses to represent his professional image on an international window cleaning forum open to the public with an image of a scary clown than you might be beating your head against a wall trying to talk sense into him about marketing. Especially if your tactics can be taken as self righteous or better than others. No offense but I think, Allen you brought this upon yourself not that I care, and its kinda fun reading about all the drama but not every day.
Some times I’d like to get some advice but I can’t stand how it comes at a price of being belittled or criticized. If you are on this site to help others; I think its a free site give advice freely and in a respectful manner not always trying to show self worth or by putting others down. For those of you that know my history on this site I would like to clarify that I have made some very nasty comments but because I feel like I was being attacked or belittled and I will not stand for jerks, even though I’m guilty of being one sometimes myself. No one is perfect forgive and forget.
I am within your company. And hey man, go easy on the “with the scary clown, international window cleaning forum, professional image” references. Talk like that will get me a day off in the next 3 months
You don’t have time because you are “working in your business and not on your business”. I don’t mean to offend but maybe “a different angle or a wake up call” is needed even if my approach is unorthodox. I too used to clean all the time but finally came to the realization I can only clean so much and for so long. Suppose I had a stroke or an accident (no wishful thinking now) and could not clean. What would I do? So I had to change my focus.
Now of course we crawl,then we walk and then we run. So doing a check up from the neck up I had to ask myself where I was and could I duplicate myself. I could and I did. This has allowed me to make more money and have more time.
Talk like that will get me a day off in the next 3 months
