I just finished the E Myth (which is a fantastic book by the way) and it inspired me to organize my business in a way that frees me up for management instead of labor. IN the book, the author says that documenting every aspect of your business will make it run more efficiently. You are to make it so that anyone with no experience can come in a run you “Turn Key Business” without you being there. For example: document how an employee is to proceed with a residential window cleaning, the protocol to follow when inside a customer’s home, collecting payment etc. Also, how employees are to answer phones and the scripts to say when doing so. Pricing and specific procedures for using tools and so on. It requires a lot of work and I’m working it out but I thought I would make it easier on myself and ask around.
That being said, does anyone know how to pick up a Fish operations manual without buying the franchise :D? I want to look over it and make my own adjustments and apply them to my business. OR, would anyone be willing to share specific parts of their operations manual with me? I’ll share what I have in return and the adjustments I make to any paperwork sent my way. Thanks in advance.
It doesn’t matter what it is, anything you do for your business, write it down. After about 3 months of keeping a daily log, you can organize the material easily.
You should be doing those things you mentioned above now. You should have all your customer protocols in your training manuals for new employees. You have written manuals for each employee according to job class right? You have completed and are following a business plan, right? You have set monthly, quarterly, semi and annual goals within a strategic plan and can plot where you are at any given time, correct?
If you want to get through the wilderness, you need a map
That is an awesome book! It changed things for me too…
I must say though, as much as I don’t like Fish, using their book or stealing stuff from it really ain’t too cool man. What works for them may not work for you anyway.
You are just as smart as any franchise owner, make your own bro…you can do it, and it will probably be better than theirs after a few years of tweaking it.
That book changed our way big time this year. We have a ways to go, but I can count one on hand how many times I had to go on the truck this year.
I read the book in the spring. Over July 4th, my family took a vacation to Gatlinburg. With systems in place, my business ran without me, and I got one email a day from my secretary telling me what the days deposit was.
Thanks guys. My objective wasn’t to steal or copy ideas word for word but to see if there is anything I missed. I’ve written most of my ideas down into a manual but I always like to improve and grow and sometimes that means employing the ideas of others. I probe ly would not be too impressed with the Fish manual as I have seen their work and how they deal with customers in my area and as far as I’m concerned they are sub par.
Reviving this thread because I am about to write MY operation manual and I’d love some inspiration. Anyone willing to share theirs? We could compare notes.
I would add this idea at this time, automating your business is a good thing. I caution you to remember no one will ever run your business the way you will, it’s not their money…
This is exactly what I was looking for. Awesome and thank you.
As an aside, why do we have to go through the add to cart and checkout process to download the files in the member’s area? It’s a tad tedious.
I really can’t give a qualified answer since I have never read the other
book. What I can say is this tho:
One would think that the concepts, or the foundation, should be studied
before implementation. On the other hand tho, I did read a small portion of
it and from what I remember; I think he wrote it not as a workbook or part
two but you gotta read part one first type of thing.
I’m sure just the version you are asking about will be just fine. Revisited
I’d have to say is for people like myself who don’t know jack.
