By Taylor Tuomie
Our company is based in Minnesota. To say that fishing is big here would be an understatement. It is a religion, complete with regularly observed holidays marked by the different fishing openers. We fish year round. Even the frigid temperatures of Minnesota winters can’t keep us away from fishing. A small number of people in the world have ever even walked on a frozen lake before. We drill holes, set up ice houses and fished on them. And check out some of the “Ice Castles” that people buy or rent out to go ice fishing!
While fishing might seem like a mindless hobby, it actually takes an incredible amount of skill(go ahead, ask an avid fisherman/fisherwoman at your own risk). Here are 5 lessons that field service business owners can learn from fishermen.
Patience
Fishing takes patience. You aren’t going to land fish if you’re hasty. Once you have a fish on the hook, it is a delicate process of reeling it closer to the boat and simultaneously letting it run by giving it some line. If you try to reel in too quickly, you “horse” it you’ll lose the fish (believe me).
As a field service business, you are constantly searching for new prospects. You’ll have some people that bite harder than others and some that just keep nibbling the bait. You need to have patience and know that there are some fish worth giving your time to. That you can't always land customers right away.
Routine
Fishermen know that a solid routine can mean the difference between getting skunked and catching your limit. If you ever get the chance to go to a busy fishing lake like Mille Lacs or Lake of the Woods, watch the early morning traffic. There will be boats being trailered into the water, gear ready and people fighting to get into a good spot on the water.
Good field service businesses have routines for their operations, too. They should be prepared to head out every single morning with a game plan. Planning out your day and having a good routine can help with your success.
The right gear makes a difference
While the boat, the motor, the rods and reels, the tackle and all the other bells and whistles don’t make the fisherman, they sure do help! There is a lot more to fishing than just owning the gear, you have to be able to know how to use it, but any fisherman will agree that quality gear is a must.
Field service businesses can benefit from using quality gear, too. If you’re using cheap equipment that breaks down and is constantly in need of service, you’re losing valuable time on the job. Your customers are going to be frustrated, your employees are going to be frustrated and you will be, too. That is why you should invest in reliable equipment that is going to last you.
You CAN feed yourself on small fish, but mix it up
Ever had panfish for dinner? Crappies and sunfish are extremely tasty fish to eat, but they’re small. You have to catch and fry quite a few in order to turn it into an actual meal. So it is also a smart idea to mix it up a little bit and try to catch a few larger fish, like a walleye or two, in case you don’t catch enough panfish.
You can build a very successful field service business off of only residential accounts. There are plenty of lawn maintenance and irrigation businesses that can turn a profit year after year working with homeowners. However, not everyone can pull this off. Having a few commercial accounts that you service is a smart way to diversify your business’ cash flow.
Catch and release
The best fishermen know when to catch and release. There are times where it simply doesn’t make sense to keep a fish. It might be too old, it might be a certain species that isn’t good for eating, it might be in an area that you shouldn’t be fishing in and plenty of other reasons. Whatever the reason, fishermen know that releasing a fish back into the water and letting someone else have the chance to catch it might be the best move all around.
This goes for field service businesses as well. They should know when to “fire” a problem customer or when to walk away from a job while providing an estimate. If they see that it is going to be a difficult job to perform or that you know the customer might be an issue for your business, taking them off the hook and putting them back in the water might be the best thing to do.
Want to learn to catch more customers? Toss a few more lines in the water by reading up on how to create a search engine optimized web presence in this free eBook, Local SEO for Green Industry Businesses!
