When my partner, Sharie DeHart and I, were running construction and plumbing service and repair businesses beginning in the early 1970s until 2000 we felt we did not need to pay anybody to tell us what to do because we knew exactly what to do.
After several very painful and extremely costly mistakes, we found the adage "Experience Is The Best Teacher...And The Most Expensive" to be oh so true!
We found ourselves, our family, employees, and suppliers were all riding on our Roller Coaster of Surprises, some good, some bad. On occasion, we would wake up screaming bloody murder only to discover it was the middle of the afternoon, and we were not asleep!
After a while, we decided perhaps there was truth to "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." I will admit I was a bit arrogant thinking since I was raised in a family of contractors that I knew a lot about construction. In fact, I knew quite a bit about what Michael Gerber calls "Working In The Business But Not On The Business."
At that point in the late 1970s, we decided to move to The Merry-Go-Round of a business with a Strategic Plan that could grow-up and provide us with a more predictable result.
Books, Tapes, Seminars and Gurus
For the next several years we added a combined total of over 4,000 books, cassette tapes, VHS videotapes, workbooks, and several hundred handouts from every How-To-Do-It guru we could find.
And we were still not getting anywhere fast because the seminars are like energy drinks, they pump you up, and after a week or two in the real world, we were beaten down again. It was back to a roller coaster ride.
Be, Do, Have
In time we found several consultants and professionals some good, some bad, some nightmares and one, in particular, kept repeating: Be, Do, Have. Be the person, Do the work, Have the results.
In life, we produce reasons or results and, reasons don't count. Having experienced success and failure several times, this message slowly sank into my head.
We even hired a few consultants that were worthless because they had no construction experience and could only teach what they had learned in university or by hanging around hyped up seminar presenters selling Get-Rich-Quick-Schemes to rooms full of desperate people.
We discovered that success came fast and easy when we engage the services of mentors that are skilled in construction because they were where we wanted to be.
Here are some tips that could help you in deciding on a consultant:
1. Make sure they have hands-on experience in your profession. Preferably a Journeyman License, Certifications or some kind of external proof of their expertise.
2. Though the dogs (people who think you should tough it out and go it alone) may bark, the caravan (a long line of successful people with consultants on their team) moves on.
3. Choose wisely the six people you spend the most of your time with as leveling is always occurring.
4. Make sure your consulting sessions take place in a safe, nurturing environment.
5. Reflect on what you think, believe, or feel and if it's important to the topic of conversation.
Questions To Ask Yourself:
1. Are you judged or criticized for anything you say or do?
2. Is your consultant brainstorming with you on management to management level about your issues and concerns?
4. Do you feel you can do a brain dump in a safe, nurturing environment?
5. Are your specific problems and/or issues being addressed?
Over to you
Do you own and operate a small construction company? Have you ever wondered if having a consultant with construction expertise to call on and ask questions would help you? Are you concerned you cannot afford one?
We would like the opportunity to work with you.
We will spend a full hour with you at no charge so that both of us can determine if we are a good fit. Afterward, if there is mutual agreement to move forward, we will customize a program to fit your budget and your needs.
As a part of our program, we will complete our analysis and present you a report regularly:
- You decide what to do with the information.
- You make changes or stay the same.
- You may want some show and tell (for visual people).
- You may decide to have us setup your QuickBooks KPI (Key Performance Indicator) Reports.
You can also get a full in-depth analysis and review of the biggest issues you're having with your bookkeeping system and any other part of your contracting company with our Contractor Bookkeeping Review services.
It is not about what we think, believe, or feel is necessary. The focus is always on you, what you think, what you believe or what you feel is necessary. We offer support, trust, competence, and complete understanding.
In conclusion:
You are a perfect being operating in an ideal place at the right time, and you are on a never-ending journey becoming all you were created to be. You will encounter many excellent guides, teachers, mentors, and consultants who will support you on your different paths, times, and phases along your quest. It is crucial you work with someone who has been where you are now because you deserve to be wealthy because you bring value to other people's lives.
About The Author:
Randal DeHart, PMP, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood Washington. He is the leading expert in outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services for small construction companies across the USA. He is experienced as a Contractor, Project Management Professional, Construction Accountant, Intuit ProAdvisor, and QuickBooks For Contractors Expert. This combination of experience and skill sets provides a unique perspective which allows him to see the world through the eyes of a contractor, Project Manager, Accountant and Construction Accountant. This quadruple understanding is what sets him apart from other Intuit ProAdvisors and accountants to the benefit of all of the construction contractors he serves across the USA. Visit http://www.fasteasyaccounting.com/randal-dehart/ to learn more.
Our Co-Founder Randal DeHart - Is a Certified PMP (Project Management Professional) with several years of construction project management experience. His expertise is construction accounting systems engineering and process development. His exhaustive study of several leading experts including the work of Dr. W. Edward Deming, Michael Gerber, Walter A. Shewhart, James Lewis and dozens of others was the foundation upon which our Construction Bookkeeping System is based and continues to evolve and improve. Check out our Contractor Success Map Podcast on iTunes.
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