Business Management

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When Lenny Siers retired from active military duty in 1995, he decided to open his own residential home services company in Niceville, Florida. Siers’ background was heavy in air conditioning and heating and he saw an opportunity; however he had no experience as a businessman.

Last fall, a generous plumbing contractor in Las Vegas allowed me to park a trailer-load of four-wheelers in his backyard. It was an incredible backyard. I’ll be happy to tell you his name, but I’m about to tell you about his son.

When I say “the lack of training and systems can be disastrous,” it might sound a bit dramatic to you. I can assure you, however, that the quality of your training and systems can truly make or break your business, your reputation, the level of service you offer, safety on the job and your overall profitability.

In the residential plumbing service business, we tend to be closed-minded, only focusing on what the customers called us out to their homes for.

Have you ever learned something the hard way and then found yourself thinking, “Gee, I wish someone had told me that!” As the years pass, we all learn, or should learn, a few new things.

To Kyle Lessard, owner of Las Vegas-based Eternal Plumbing Solutions, the business is more than just a plumbing company; it is a service company focused on the customers’ experience.

CK Mechanical currently has more than 20 employees, between the office staff, master plumbers, journeymen and apprentices.

Kevin Maston was working for another plumbing company and was constantly getting calls from his family, friends and acquaintances requesting plumbing work. Not comfortable working for an employer and doing side work, Maston started CK Mechanical at age 34 with $1,350 in his bank account.

For more than 17 years, I’ve been helping contractors learn and practice good habits. It has improved their lives, their employees’ lives and even the lives of the customers they serve.

Uniform programs have long been a tool in helping improve and maintain business image by effectively promoting a company brand and projecting a professional appearance. And research continues to support an overall consumer preference for being serviced by uniformed employees.