Most guys will say, "I've been too busy." But too busy doing what? Generally he's working at 80, 60 or even 40 percent of efficiency and profitability. So where are the rest of those profits? Most of the time they're gathering dust with his delayed "good intentions." One shop complains of no DRP business, but his shop is messy. Signs and areas need some simple painting. He has no waiting room, and most of his employees are not ICAR certified. He intends to do all of this, but never quite "gets around to it." Nevertheless I'm told there that employees in his shop are standing around idle some days for lack of work. There obviously was time to get people cleaning things up and slapping on some paint where it's needed. But it wasn't done.

 

Another shop had an opportunity to add some services that would boost income and bring in customers who might also need some body work now or later. To add that new service would require hiring an additional worker. At first the service wouldn't generate enough revenue to cover that worker's salary. I suggested starting with a part-timer, even if only one day on Saturday, to get the project moving. He agreed that it was a good idea and affordable. Three months later, nothing had yet been done.

From "good intentions" to action

To move ahead, "good intentions" must become "relentless intentions." They have to be backed with a rock-hard determination to get them done, regardless of what it takes!

Often what it takes is risking. I've been amazed at how readily some people risk money on a lottery where their chances of winning are one-in-a-zillion, but they're unwilling to risk a few dollars betting on their own livelihood where the odds of winning are incredibly high. Risking is essential to growth and successful business.

Another key to moving ahead

A good model for getting those "good intentions" put into action is the famous door-to-door salesman's trick: "Getting a toe in the door." If you can get one toe in the door to that next action, the chances are very good you'll get the rest of your foot in the next time you tackle it.

I've just finished working on my taxes. If you're like me, you dread sitting down to that pile of receipts, reports, and forms to fill in. How do we do it year after year? You already know the answer. We start by picking up one piece of paper -- then another. Gradually we build momentum. We may only be able to tolerate an hour or two during that first attack on the task, but the next time it's easier because we've gotten a start.

Adding urgency to get it done

One reason we do our taxes is our awareness of having to pay interest and penalties if we don't. We have a sense of urgency, and so we somehow find the time to do them. Why don't we feel that urgency about a project that could boost business volume or profitability 10, 15, 20 percent or more? Usually it's because the urgency is hidden in the complexity of the matter. One shop's business is down at least 25 percent or more. In speaking to the bookkeeper, I learn that the cost of uniforms, which is several thousand dollars a year, could be cut in half by switching to another vendor, but the owner considers the matter too trivial to worry about. I can almost guarantee he has other small windows of opportunity to cut costs and increase profits that are being ignored.

Many shops in my area are slow this year. Very few shop owners would see this as an "opportunity," but it could be. When business is booming, not very many owners bother to pay close attention to costs, to discounts, reserves, or to long-term marketing actions. When a slow period comes, it should automatically add urgency to all of those concerns.