Al Levi: Managing your business - Articles - Page 10

Why you need systems in your plumbing business

Known policies and procedures help you in good and bad times.

October 18, 2013

Is it true that systems can make any company run better and be more profitable? Yes! Is it also true that systems can make it possible to run your company successfully without you having to ride to the rescue to save the day? Can you depend on great staff to overcome a lack of known and practiced policies and procedures? Yes

Five tools to power your business

Assess your future technology needs to keep your company competitive.

Al Levi

September 20, 2013

As contractors, we love spending money on any new tools we can get our hands on for the trades we do, but not so much when it comes to stepping up and investing in other powerful business technology tools.

Tips on saving critical data on your computer system

The importance of computer backup.

Al Levi

August 22, 2013

Backing up your computer files is not important! It’s only important when something goes wrong. And something can always go wrong.

When a staff member is struggling

Offer employees solutions to deal with personal problems that affect their work.

Al Levi

July 18, 2013

I’m frequently asked: “What should I do about a staff member who has been a good team member in the past but is now struggling at work, possibly because his personal life has hit a giant rock in the road? He’s falling apart at the seams and now it’s causing frequent big-time mistakes on the job. Everyone else is forced to work harder to clean up his messes.”

Who cares about testimonials?

People may not trust you, but they’ll trust your customers.

Al Levi

June 25, 2013

Why the big fuss about getting testimonials? It’s simple. I learned a long time ago that what you tell me about yourself is interesting.

Top 8 ways to sabotage your meeting

Running an effective meeting takes planning and determination.

Al Levi

May 29, 2013

Most of us hate meetings. We feel we’re much too busy to take time out of our crazy schedule to stop and meet.

Information or Implementation?

Commit to getting done what must be done.

Al Levi

April 19, 2013

After my first year as a consultant to the various trades I had worked in (and some I never worked in), my brothers asked me what had I learned and what I felt made the difference between the winners and the losers in the contracting business.

Somebody else’s job

Master tasks in a systematic and repeatable way

Al Levi

March 15, 2013

At my company, we used to struggle to master the many tasks it took to run our business and keep our promises.

Follow the Treatment

Find a business adviser you trust and then implement his advice.

Al Levi

February 13, 2013

Years ago, my friend, a noted industry specialist in heating and influential columnist in our trade, called me to complain that he had encountered a number of contractors who would call him up to seek his advice because they were in a bind.