When you’re in the middle of the busy season , it's easy to get caught up with the daily workload. It's also pretty easy to only worry about what is directly in front of you, which we hope isn't a pile of disorganization! Take a moment to breathe and prepare for the busy times. Don't forget about the long-term success of your green industry business just because the short-term is staring you in the face. Here are 10 habits to start right now to see long-term results.
1. Fuel up In the Evening
Of course it's important to eat dinner. That's not what I'm talking about here though. I'm talking about actual fuel. Get your crews in the habit of fueling up in the evening so that they're ready to go all day and they don't run the risk of running late to an appointment during the day. Consistently being professional and on time will make your customers trust you.
2. Prioritize
To-do lists are a great way to keep organized and on top of things. However, if you just have a huge list of things to do, you will get overwhelmed. To avoid burnout, prioritize what needs to be done first. Get a system going and stick with it. I like to tackle the most difficult tasks first so they aren't in the back of my head distracting me while I'm doing other tasks. After a while, this will become habit and you will be a long-term task-tackling machine.
3. Get up Early
Since getting 8 hours of sleep is pretty important to overall health, there isn't really a healthy way to get more hours out of the day. That being said, it has been proven that those that get to bed early and have their 8 hours clocked by 6 a.m. are much more productive with their remaining hours. So, skip the late night shows and catch those z's. After a while, this will become habit and oversleeping won't even be an issue.
4. Give Praise
Successful business owners are successful because there are people that are willing to work hard for them. Take the time to give your team praise for their hard and especially on an individual level. Remind them why they work for you and they'll be happy to continue to grow your business.
5. Be flexible
In the business world, it's important to be able to shift and adjust to changes that come up. The people who know this and don't panic when things change are the ones who will come out on top.
6. Write Things Down
If you're like me, you hear about a million things in one day. Not for nothing, it's worth it to write things down. Keeping a notebook might be outdated, but unless you seriously give your note app a workout, keep a notebook. Being successful doesn't mean that you need to stress about remembering things, in fact it means the exact opposite. Leave it to the paper and pen.
7. Communicate
This should probably be closer to the top. Communication is the single most important aspect of success. Whether you want personal or professional successes, having good communication will always be at the epicenter of it.
8. Track Progress
Successful people are adept at tracking their progress. Think of someone trying to lose weight, those who track their food intake as well as take progress pictures are much more likely to be successful in their goals than those who do not. The way in which you can track your green industry business' progress is to use field service software to track the work your techs do as well as track things like sales progress, your profitability and anything else that has a number. The point is to be cognizant of your progress.
9. Be Consistent
I've learned more and more through experience that your word is everything, especially in the professional world. In this industry, it's easy to tell your customers what they want to hear. Be careful not to make empty promises because it will tarnish your reputation quickly.
10. Relax!
Burnout is a number one killer. Working hard and overworking are two different things that can mean the different between success and failure. So, good news! Take a load off once in a while to regroup and focus on bettering your business by bettering yourself. No one likes a grouch, so if you feel yourself about to burn out or blow up, relax for the good of your businesses success.
Now that you know the basics of success, set a few goals for your green industry business that will skyrocket your successes!
