Special Feature By Jeffrey Scott
Think Like An Owner P
Grow your career by growing your company
ass this on to all employees: It is not enough in this econ- omy to wait for the boss to tell you what to do. If you want to grow your career, you have to think and act like an owner or CEO. Ask yourself, "What would an entrepre- neur do to help our company grow?" Here are some answers.
1. Bring in prospects The success of your company depends on its ability to attract
new clients; but this is not just the role of marketing. Everyone in the company is in sales. How can you help the company gain new clients? I find that the best way is to give a talk in front of potential clients, on a topic about which you are an expert. For me it might mean giv- ing a talk on leadership or time management to contractors. For you it might mean giving a talk at a garden club or trade associ- ation. Selling can also mean passing your business card to people you meet on the street or at the deli, for example. Whomever
16 Landscape and Irrigation April 2012
you meet, collect and pass along the good contacts you make to your sales team. Help the company grow, and you will too.
2. Find efficiencies For every dollar a company saves, it is 8 to 20 times more
valuable to the company than making a dollar in new sales. Why is this? Because that dollar saved goes right to the bottom line. It is pure profit. In my experience, efficiencies can be found in the following areas: * Warranty, * Material wastage, * Call-backs from a client, * Go-backs due to incomplete work, * Unproductive yard time, * Unbillable time, * Downtime due to equipment failure, * Inaccurate or incomplete paperwork.
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