My background is in accounting, and it was working in the field that made me decide to go into business for myself. As I processed tax returns for people who had all different kinds of businesses, I saw that the path to building real wealth is very difficult to reach as someone else’s employee.
I decided to open a landscaping service, and had been in business for about a year, when my father heard ActionCOACH Reggie Shropshire on a radio show. Reggie offered a free seminar, The Six Steps to Building a Better Business, and my father encouraged me to attend.
I was really impressed with Reggie and the material he presented at that seminar. It made sense, and the steps seemed simple enough that I was sure I could implement them in my own business. I signed up for business coaching with Reggie that night.
In our coastal resort town, there is a lot of competition in my field. There are approximately 75 full-service professional landscaping companies (like my own) plus hundreds and hundreds of small lawn maintenance (mowing) businesses. Although I was doing pretty well for my first year, like most business owners I have strengths in some areas and weaknesses in others. Although I had the financials under control, I didn’t know much about marketing and advertising.
Almost immediately, Reggie helped me create an effective ad and place it in the right spot. The results were incredible—that one ad brought me six new customers and an additional $10-12K in revenue. And the results didn’t stop there. Reggie stresses the importance of marketing your business in at least ten different ways at any given time. As a result of multiple initiatives, my company’s revenues increased 150% from my first year in business to my second year in operation!
Reggie changed my ideas about how to run a business, and he opened my eyes to lots of great opportunities. By introducing me to other like-minded business owners, I was able to create invaluable alliances and business networking relationships. Through those conversations, I learned how to change my communication with customers, increase on-time payments and decrease collections. I’ve also been able to add services that create extra value for my customers, deepening our relationship and further establishing our business as the one to trust. In fact, as others in my field, close up shop due to the economic situation, we’re poised for continued growth.
Following my Dad’s advice to go to that free business seminar was one of the smartest business decisions I’ve ever made. I learned that there is so much more that I can with my company. It’s impossible to do it all, but when you have a coach to help you prioritize the really important stuff, you will see great results!
Scott Hardee, Hardee Grassworks
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