The Law of the Rubber Band

I have just started reading a book by John Maxwell called “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth”  One law jumped out at me and inspired this post. Maybe it was the catchy title, or maybe it was because it resonated with me personally. It was law #10 – The Law of the Rubber Band.  A rubber band is only useful when it is under tension. The same applies to your life, if you want to grow and improve. Simply put it is says that growth can only happen when there is tension between where you are now and where you could be.  

So ask yourself these questions:

Get Some PPE for Your Business

You shouldn’t operate dangerous equipment without suitable PPE and likewise, you shouldn’t operate a business with out suitable risk protection as well.

Being in business brings with it a level of [business] risk, and the construction industry is about as risky as it gets. The failure rate for construction businesses is only exceeded by the hospitality industry, but this is one statistic where being near the top is not a good place to be. So what can you do to build a protective shield around yourself as a business owner against things going wrong. Here are 5 quick tips

Coaching word map

Why a business coach has been essential to our growth

Like many other ambitious business owners in the trades, I was finding myself overwhelmed and consumed by the endless stream of details required to run a roofing company. Days often seemed like unending series of decisions and tasks that were mine alone. Now bear in mind that Kelly, my husband and business partner, also had his own set of daily decisions and tasks in which he found difficulty in delegating.

Overwhelmed by the day to day, together we were not effective managers. I was personally frustrated by the pace at which our business was growing.

I decided it was time for some outside help…..

Lessons from the gym

I was at the gym last night trying my best to maintain my pretty average fitness level.  They have done some redecorating recently and I noticed some motivational mantra added to one wall. One, about getting some coaching help, struck a chord with me as it is very relevant to what I do.

Mark-up versus Margin Confusion

One frustration I commonly hear from builders before we start working together on their business is, “Why don’t my job profits come out as high as my forecast?”

Sounds a simple question, but the answer can be complex and diverse. There are many forces at play between pricing the job and counting the money, but one issue can be a misunderstanding as to the required MARK-UP to achieve the required MARGIN in the job. Get this wrong and you have set the job up to fall short of what you need at the very start; the pricing stage.

Why is this? Read on to find out

Productivity Tips

Learn from one of the world’s most prominent and well respected leadership experts and productivity. Here is a list of 15 of Robin Sharma’s top tips on how to better organise your day so you are able to achieve more of the important stuff and are less distracted by the unimportant.

Innovate or Stagnate

A good question to ask yourself is “What am I doing to explore and implement new technology or new ideas into my business to make it more efficient and more effective?” While the market is buoyant it is easy to be lazy. You can get by okay with the way you have always done it.
I suggest you prepare for the leaner times now by finding ways to increase your competitive advantage in the marketplace. At worst you will improve your profits. At best you may revolutionise the way you conduct your business.

Invest in Yourself

Continuing to do the same things that you have always done may be enough to maintain your current position, but possibly not. If you want your 2018 results (or stress levels) to be different to where you are now, you will need to look at gaining some new ideas and some outside advice.
My clients who have joined one of my Construction Business MasterClass groups know this. New ideas, business tools and skills that help them move their business to where they want to go.

Motion Leads to Motivation

You know exactly what you need to do. You’re focused on all the positive outcomes that will result once you’ve finished that looming task. You’ve cleared your calendar so you can focus on completing this one thing.

And then nothing happens.

Why? Because you think you need motivation. You’re waiting on a spark, on inspiration to fly out of nothingness and smack you in the face.

Well, I hate to break it to you…but if this sounds like you, you’re going to be waiting for a long time. Possibly forever. Because here’s the reality—motivation, as you know it, is a myth. Here are three reasons why.

Can You Fly Your Business in Bad Weather?

In aviation there is a rule around the weather and when a pilot is allowed to fly an aircraft. It’s called Visual Flight Rules, or VFR. The average private pilot is only allowed to fly their plane under VFR conditions, i.e. when you can see the environment around you with your eyes and you know where you are going.
The same thing happens in business. Average business owners are fine in good economic weather, but what if that changes? Can you fly your business in bad weather?