Do you go into the new year with a set growth goal in mind?
- No, I donāt want any growth.
- Yes, 10% over last year.
- Yes, 20% over last year.
- Yes, 30% over last year.
- Yes, 50% or more over last year.
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Yes and I donāt even know where to beginā¦
I have been in business for 5 years, a window cleaner for 15.
I resist growing because I like the freedom of time working by myself.
At the same time, at 62, I feel I need to grow because doing the tech work
canāt go on for ever.
Anyone have suggestions as to the most important first steps to growing?
Chris, did you mean gross, or net profit?
I was thinking gross as I typed it out.
Excellent question. I donāt want our gross to go up much (if at all), but Iād like our net to increase some, and cut back on my number of hours. This will mean focusing more on the most profitable services, culling our least profitable jobs, and cutting back on some spending (both on advertising and equipment).
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I think growth is relative to the age and size of a company,
We have grown 60-80% per year for the last two years.
Thatās large growth but we are a smaller company. As we continue to grow I believe our rate of growth will slow down naturally the larger we get. Especially for us because our market is relatively small. At that point I believe marketing among other things will become more essential to see continued growth.
Iām shooting for 50% 2016
Happy New Year everyone ,
I always set double goal then last year(it motivates me even more 
. but as you mentioned @ThruGlass it depends very much how old is the company .at our 3th year we triple ours second one ! last year got 41% over the year before which is amazing too !
If you are not growing 15-20% in this industry every year youre doing something wrongā¦right?
Where does it end though?
That cant go on forever. Or maybe it can?
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@Chris I dont know the answer to that questionā¦ finished up year 8 and I dont see an end in the near futureā¦
We are looking for about 10% growth. This allows our business to grow at a manageable rate. We need to be able to give our clients Value for their dollar and want a pleasant experience for them.
Not there yet as I view our year as Feb 1 - Jan 31st.
2015 we wanted 15% growth
2016 we will do 15% or if we add a new division weāll go closer to 50%
I think this is definitely true in the first decade or so of business. But as the business grows, it all looks different.
When youāre doing 150K, 20% growth is adding 30K in business, which is a pretty reasonable goal. But when youāre at 600K, 20% is 120K. That is totally acheivable, but adding 30K and adding 120K are two very different business plans.
Most people aslo hit a comfort level where theyāre happy with their balance of earnings vs. hours worked, and let the business plateau.
Our growth has been flat for several years, but I finally put on my big boy pants in 2015 and we grew just over 40% compared to 2014.
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What the mind can conceive the mind can achieve.
No BS. I am living proof of this. If you only knew my back story bro.
I plan on growing 50% annually and I donāt plan on stopping until I dieā¦ Even thenā¦ One of my sons better grab that torch and go. If they donātā¦ I disown. They know it too.
Why does it ever have to stop?
It doesnāt mean this will be my only business. Hellā¦ itās not my only business now. Sure did help me get through a recent tragedy thoughā¦ So we good.
A mentor a long long time ago told me to always have 5 streams of income. That way if one fails. You still have a few bucks to keep going and make more money. You can always go back to basics and apply the principles of āthe Richest Man in Babylonā in your financial life and make good.
Had I not had multiple streams of income when I wrecked my motorcycle splitting my head open twice and busting some bonesā¦ I would be homeless right now.
Why? I am a good earner. I just suck at keeping money. Really good at spending it though. Baller for life.
Why save money when you can just go make more right?
Now that I have just hit 40. I am no longer thinking that way. When I was younger I didnāt know if I was going to be dead or locked up the next day. I spent it when I made it. Being older, I be holding onto what I can, when I can.
Also, I have some bigger plans for my financial life outside of this industry. Why?
My father had me late in life. He was 45 when I was born. I watched him have 4 full careers after I was born. 3 businesses and one ājobā. His job was Sales Manager for the Fox Network. We moved around a lot because he was their top performer who would go in and āfixā television stations that were not producing their sales forecast projections. He sold air and did business development for a living. Now thatās a tuff nut to crack.
He was forced into retirement in his 70ās after having a stroke and a heart attack at the same time. When he was 75 he fell off his two story turn of the century Victorian home with vaulted ceilings in Guthrie OK. He got up, brushed himself off, and went back up. A couple of months back I had to pick him up from the cops because he wrecked his motorcycle and didnāt have insurance, a license, or a tag. He is 85 and still kicking.
He and I are very much a like in a lot of respects. Including the fact that either of us completed anything other than a jail sentence until we were 30 years old. Both his parents died when he was 18. I left when I was 17 because I was making more money than my parents at the time. Enrolled myself into a nicer school and was living in a two bedroom apartment with a fireplace and a bear skin rugā¦ Whaaaaaaatttttā¦ Good timesā¦
He was kicked out of high school for punching the principal of his East LA Garfield High School if you are familiar. (Thinkā¦ Edward James Olmos āStand and Deliverā) Back then thoughā¦ The east side was mostly Jewish and Italian. I got kicked out of my first high school for shooting a kid in his Reebok Pumps during English class. (Donāt worry. It was a BB Gun.) My gene pool is either really stupid or has mastered fear at its purest level. I am not sure which.
Either wayā¦ We learn by learning what not to do. So having a father like mineā¦ I have seen what not to do and how to turn that into a positive. Just like he did.
I have also seen with my own eyes. We are living a WHOLE lot longer right now. I am in no way guaranteed any financial security by any government agency because I am not even planning on living in this country in 5 years. Plusā¦ I will out live social security and I also see what being self employed can do to your retirement fund.
Soā¦ Liking to have a safety net.
My time to grind is now. They say that 40 is the new 20. I absolutely agree right now in this moment. Maybe not when I go lay down tonight, or try and walk with all the bone breaks I have hadā¦ But I know EXACTLY what not to do in all respects.
I know enough about Window Cleaning from my previous company to be dangerous. I learned a lot of what not to do being a One Chuck Truck.
If we are living longer. The time to act is now.
An old mentor once told me, āthe most important word in the English language was āActionā.ā - Tom Pace
I will be damned if he wasnāt right. My problem used to beā¦ Ready, Fire, Aim.
Now I take Action at different levels.
I donāt know about you fellasā¦ But I cant risk a plateau. I have had it happen though.
You reach $xx,xxx per month and just wanna chill.
Thatās usually the time to go start another business of some sort. Orā¦ Invest wisely like I have not doneā¦ and sit on your couch and eat cheetohās.
Donāt know why I just wrote a bookā¦ I type fastā¦but damnā¦ my bad.
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Organization. Have everything organized to the T. Even manuals on how to do stuff. That way they canāt say you didnāt teach them.
Donāt expect anyone to have the same intelligence,inner drive, or speed you do.
Hope for the best and expect the worst. You will be fine my man.
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Trust meā¦ there are companies in our industry 300kā¦500k+ adding 30%ā¦50%ā¦75% growth in a year
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Long term, sure.
But growth is based on previous, so if I made 0 dollars and struggled to pay my electric billā¦
Then made a buck this year, hey Iām up 1000 percent.
Itās all relative.
Again. Itās all relative. After 8 years, Iām feeling good about your growth, because itās sustained.
- Iād like to know what the up/down was from 2007, 2008 and 2009 was/would be.
Because 2008 was a kick in the nuts like 1981 was.
Overconfidence is a kill just like defeatism is.
Truth be told, my inspiration was seeing other window cleaners working.
āIf THEY rare working, that means there is still work to be HAD!ā
- swear to god, I used to say that out loud to my co-workers.
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Our first year was 2008ā¦ we doubled our sales each year the first 3 years
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