You did it. You clicked on on article called “Using Adversity to Grow Your Contracting Business.” Either the title was attractive enough for you or you’ve experienced some adversity in your business over the past few months.
My guess is the latter. We all face challenges in our businesses and lives, that is inevitable. These challenges are never fun, but, if we’re paying attention, can lead to huge growth in our lives.
My Contractor Business Plan Didn’t Include the Recession
Years ago, when the recession hammered many businesses I was not exempt. Our business was cut in half in 2009. The following years were hard. We had to scramble as we watched many around us close their doors. Through this ‘adversity’ I learned two main lessons that have stayed with me (and that have made me a better business man):
- I learned to make my people feel safe. The challenges brought my team closer. We became more open and leaned on each other. I had to change in order to keep a great team. My mantra was “We’re stronger together than we are on our own right now,” and I meant it. Not one employee left.
- I learned to market without any or little money. Adversity breeds creativity. We still needed leads and I didn’t have much money. We worked on the experience we provided. We sought to be different instead of just better at marketing. I learned to tell our company story and in turn built client loyalty and increased referrals.
Those are two of the several lessons I learned through the adversity of the economy taking a dump. Pay attention to the difficult things happening around you. They just might be what you needed.
