KickStart: It’s true: A picture really is worth 1,000 words! Photos of your company and completed jobs will “kick start” (sorry) your in-home sales! Read on for the why and how…

When it comes to face-to-face selling our residential services to homeowners, my (and your) biggest challenge is simple… and yet so complex. Here’s the deal…🫣

Unlike buying a new pair of jeans, a new car, or even a new puppy🐶, homeowners can’t see, touch, “try on” and/or test our service(s) before they give us the go-ahead to work on their home.😦

Sure, my sales reps could talk all day about how great the client’s home would look or how fresh it would feel, but all the prospect would hear was, “blah-blah-blah”! 🙄

💡 Folks, when selling your residential services, “talk really is cheap” and a serious turn-off for most homeowners. So how did I not only survive but create a thriving residential services business that let me retire at age 38?

What would actually build my credibility and, more importantly, win a suspicious homeowner’s trust? After a lot of internal agony and mental brainstorming, I had an epiphany! 🌄

We started showing our prospect photos and/or videos of local, real jobs that we had successfully completed! BRILLIANT! 👍👍

ProTIP: “Before and after” photos of the property and/or job are powerful!

These photos of our work built homeowner confidence in us —a simple, visual strategy that worked BEFORE we would quote a price or try to close the sale.

Here’s the step-by-step system I built—and yes, you can stea… I mean, “borrow” this stuff from me TODAY:

1. Pre-orient the client. During the initial booking call, our CSR’s would explain that our techs document the job with periodic “progress photos” or even short videos. We told the homeowner that we’ll email them copies at the end of the job. (A great excuse to get their email!)
   
   ProTIP: If the client won’t be home during the work, ask if they would like us to send these photos to them in “real time” so they can see our progress on the job. (Clients LOVE being involved like this.)

2. Take “progress photos”. All techs carried company cell phones with quality cameras. We suggested a photo or two of set-up and then periodic “before and after contrast” shots during the work. (Bonus points for including our logo in the photo!)
   
   NOTE: Avoid “customer identifying items” such as mailboxes, house numbers, or even clients’ license plates in your photos.

3. Crew chief takes a quick selfie video at the end of the job. This is even better if you get the entire crew yelling out, “Thanks, Mrs. Smith! We appreciate your business!” Best practice is to take the video in front of the completed work. Keep it short and sweet.

   ProTIP: If the client isn’t home during the job, the crew chief should send it to the customer.

4. Send photos to the office at the end of each job. (Multi-day work gets sent daily.) Most CRM’s offer an easy way to attach work photos.

5. Office staff reviews photos. Review for quality and delete ones that don’t make the grade. Make sure there are no “customer identifying marks” (See NOTE in #2) and crop/ edit if needed.

6. Office attaches the photos to the emailed Job Quality Survey. Include a brief statement explaining that their job came out so well, we’d like to show other clients the results. If they agree, please check the box! (Most do!)

   NOTE: To sweeten the pot, some of my clients offer a $25.00 gift card to clients that give permission that they can use on the next service or give to a friend.

These on-the-job photos give you and your salespeople a HUGE “closing the sale” resource. Here’s how to use it!

ProTIP: These visual aids were even more effective if they were in the homeowner’s neighborhood! So, give your sales team a library of photos geo-tagged to search nearby clients before the pre-inspection.

A. Each salesperson has a dedicated client tablet. (Cleaned and sealed in a bag between homes.) Your salesperson should have already made up a “mini-album” for the homeowner with photos of the same work being done for other clients.

B. Turn it on and hand it to the prospect. We would usually wait till we needed to measure the job or when working up the quote. “Mrs. Jones, while I’m finishing up you might want to review other nearby homes that we’ve done the same work that you just showed me. Just swipe the screen to the left…”

C. Homeowners flip through real-life examples. Remember, these photos are of local people just like them. Some of them are probably their neighbors! Guess what? Your prospects’ guard will drop. They’ll ask better questions. They’ll trust you! And they will say “YES” a whole lot more!😁

NOTE: In a future KickStart, I’ll share how to “double dip” from all these wonderful photos you are banking away!

Now, don’t you have some techs to train on taking photos? Let’s “git ‘er done”!

KickStart: Convert your desperation hiring into an ongoing, routine system. The result? You’ll always have pre-vetted, pre-tested “Employees in Waiting” ready to jump in.

I’ll be honest—nothing ruined my Monday mornings faster than those dreaded “quitting without notice” texts from techs who bailed when we were booked solid three weeks out. 😡

One Monday, I finally called my tech Bill, because he was already late for his first residential job.
Me: “Uhhhh, Bill, where are you?”
Bill: “Uh… yeah, Steve… I got another job over the weekend. Just mail me my last check.” CLICK! 😲

There I was, staring at the phone like it had personally betrayed me. Then I turned to my office staff and screamed, “Find me a warm body—NOW!”

SPOILER ALERT: Every single time I hired in a panic, it blew up in my face. If you’ve ever done “Desperation Hiring,” you already know—it leads to headaches, callbacks, lost clients, and lots of lost sleep! 😥

Finally, I learned that if I wanted better employees, I needed a better system. And it had to become part of my everyday business routine—not something I dusted off when I was already drowning in work pulling the shifts of two techs who quit with no notice!.

Here’s the 30,000 foot overview of how I fixed my hiring issues…

My 7 Steps to Stop Desperation Hiring (and Start Attracting Better Employees)

1. We treated recruiting as a daily habit—not an emergency switch.

Once I accepted that consistent recruiting had to be an ongoing, routine system- everything changed. I wasn’t scrambling anymore. Instead, I was simply preparing for the inevitable. Negative? Maybe. Or was I realistic? Either way, as part of this process…

2. We routinely pre-screened and pre-interviewed long before we actually needed a new employee.

When I wasn’t desperate, I could spot the Very Best Prospects (what I call VBP’s) a mile away. It’s amazing how clear your instincts are when you’re not panicking and well… desperate!

NOTE: Words are important. So instead of the common “applicants” (or worse, “victims”!😁) we started calling these folks “Career Candidates”. Sure, even a Career Candidate might work three months and then quit- but at least we treated each person as if they were embarking on an exciting, long-term career!

3. I stopped “proposing marriage on the first date.” 😦

Instead of desperately rushing people immediately into full-time roles, after carefully vetting a Career Candidate, we then:

a) Did a paid “Working Interview”. This “Trial Hire” is great for everyone. (Some folks interview great but simply won’t like the daily physical work. Better to find out before you hire them full-time!) Loved the work? Then…

b) We normally started our Career Candidates part-time or on-call. This gave all parties concerned time to see if we both fit—without pressure. NOTE: This practice worked great if the Career Candidate was still at their original job, which leads me to…

4. We encouraged our VBP Career Candidates to keep their current jobs while waiting for a full-time spot with us. (I called them “Employees in Waiting”.)

No guilt. No games. Just honesty. And you know what? The great ones appreciated the flexibility. If an applicant was desperate to be hired, that was a red flag for me.

5. I made the waiting worth it by offering a real career—not just a job.

A “real career”? Yep, as in better pay, clearer growth paths, better training, better culture. If we wanted better employees, we had to BE a better workplace worth waiting for. (See point #4.)

6. I kept my VBP’s “warm” with a simple monthly update email.

Just a short note about what was happening inside the company. It reminded them we cared—and that there was a great career waiting for them. NOTE: Be sure to send this newsletter :bcc or using a simple mailing list service.

7. Always be planning ahead for staffing needs.🤔

I stopped pretending “everything will work out” with employee issues. When I saw work volume rising or someone looking shaky, I already had my Employees in Waiting ready—and since they were VBP’s they needed time to give notice to their current employer

Want to get those new hires trained fast? (Don’t we all need this?) 🙄
We used a simple “Fast Track” training system that helped us get new techs up to speed without babysitting. It saved me hundreds of hours—and a whole lot of lost sleep!

Now, don’t you have some Career Candidates to recruit?

KickStart: Base techs’ pay on both individual performance AND teams’ exceeding their production/ efficiency/ cheerleader targets.

I learned early on that the biggest challenge in building a residential services business that ran smoothly without me wasn’t marketing, equipment, or even customers… it was my employees.

Even worse, it wasn’t just one problem with employees—it was all of the staffing issues rolled up into one slimy, stinking mess! Yep, I’m getting PTSD just reflecting on my years down in the Home Front trenches…

Constantly recruiting, endlessly interviewing, fearfully hiring, frustrating onboarding, interminable training sessions, stressful evaluations, never-ending motivating, the list goes on and on.

And after all of the above? I was forced to fire people which of course was agonizing but then so was the rejection when an employee quit on me! This brutal parade just never stopped! 🫣

NOTE: I’ll cough politely here and mention that the “Hiring the Very Best” systems I developed as I grew into a Critical Mass Business saved me from a lot of headaches. 🗝️ 🗝️When you hire great people, 90% of your problems will miraculously vanish!

But the one area that always comes up on employee retention is compensation—specifically, how to use money to develop loyal, motivated people. Fair enough. However, remember that…

ProTIP: My Very Best People stayed with me long-term because of their emotional connection to our company (and me too, I guess) 🙄 along with their pride in being part of “something bigger than themselves”! But even these quality folks responded to smart, fair, transparent pay systems.

After a lot of introspective reflection, I came up with a totally new compensation system. We called it the Employee Efficiency Bonus (EEB). Basically, each employee earned a fair hourly base compensation. Then to increase their pay (and get more praise) they would get rewarded—and occasionally penalized—based on their performance.

If a worker rocked it, they got public recognition and a solid bonus. If they slacked off, well… the “consequences”🫣 came at them fast. (Heck, that kind of sounds like… LIFE!)

As I told one technician, “You want a raise? Perfect. With our EEB, you control your raise every pay period.” The result?

My Very Best People absolutely loved the EEB.

But then my EEB hit a snag. When compensation was based on totally on individual performance, it quickly turned into whispering, bickering, and lots of “the office is giving you all the great jobs and I get garbage” drama! 😡

All this posturing, suspicion and envy threatened to kill the culture I was trying to grow. I didn’t want a bunch of selfish, me-focused techs working for me—I wanted a crew that was a team focused on common goals!

So, I shifted gears and added another system: a shared Employee Efficiency Bonus Pool (EEBP) for each team. The EEBP introduced team incentives that created what I call “Positive Peer Pressure.” (PPP)

Now, when one guy kept losing tools, it wasn’t just his problem—it was money coming out of the whole team’s EEB pool. So, his teammates stepped in: “Bill, you’re killing our bonus. Suck it up, man.” 😈 And let me tell you—this PPP was way more effective than me screaming at my workers!

Even more importantly, the EEBP wasn’t only about penalties. It also rewarded crews for working together efficiently. 😁For example…

As part of our internal pricing process, we would normally set a reasonable target time for a big job—say a large residential project or a restoration loss—and beforehand we would post the projected workers’ target production hours.

Now if the team coordinated well and beat the target, (while keeping the client happy) everyone shared the extra profit.💲💲💲 Those were good days. That’s when I saw real teamwork, not the forced kind.

To make it stick, we shared EEBP updates constantly. Weekly team meetings were perfect for this. Transparency kept the momentum rolling. However…

THREE WARNINGS when it comes to employee compensation changes:

1) Legal. Be sure to have a labor attorney review your compensation adjustments. Even when you’re convinced your payroll modifications are a) logical, b) legal and c) better for your employees… better safe than sorry.

2) Avoid impulsivity. ALWAYS be positive your changes will work for your workers AND your company. It is extremely frustrating for your staff to have a new compensation structure announced with great fanfare and then two weeks later- you’re tweaking it again! 😡

3) Prepare yourself for initial rejection. Speaking of frustration, be prepared for employee suspicion and pushback initially. (This happens even if you sincerely are trying to be “Mr. Nice Guy” with your pay changes.) 😥 We all instinctively resist change- even if said changes will benefit us! 🙄

However, once we dialed in our EEBP team incentives and let Positive Peer Pressure do its thing, our whole operation changed. Teammates corrected each other, encouraged each other, and pushed for better results—without me stirring the pot!

NOTE: I’ll delve deeper into the nuts and bolts of the EEBP in a future KickStart.

That’s when I realized I wasn’t just paying people… I was building a culture that transformed my residential services company into a smoothly running Critical Mass Business that let me achieve the ever-elusive Personal Freedom!

KickStart: Sort your prospects. Then text a personal message to every contact the evening after you talked. Then call your “Hot Prospects” within 48 hours. Don’t give up!

WOW! I can’t believe it! Finally, we’ve arrived at my Part 5 (and last) missive on “Successful Home Expos for a Residential Services Provider”!

If you’ve read and implemented the four previous sections (check out the links at the bottom of this message) … CONGRATULATIONS! 🪇🎊🎉💐🎈 You’re well on the way to developing tons of qualified, pre-sold homeowner leads! WOO-HOO! 👍👍

But WAIT! What’s the key word above? “LEADS”! And here’s the shocking truth:

Most contractors will generate between 100 to 400 solid leads at a home expo, then let them rot away from poor to zero follow-up! Sad but true! 🫣😥

💡Listen carefully, folks: Your follow-up strategy will determine if your Home Expo efforts provide a great ROI 💲or just be a costly and exhausting bust! 😫

Sure, the gold standard is to book an eager homeowner right there at the home expo! Yeah right! 🙄 Seriously? Most of the time, attendees can’t focus (or even hear) with all the hoopla going on!

ProTIP: When having an in-depth conversation, ask your prospect if you can take notes while pulling out a small 3” x 4” leather-bound pocket notebook. (Small is less intimidating, and you won’t be tempted to set it down.)

You’re taking notes for two reasons: 1) It is extremely flattering for you to take notes on what a homeowner is saying. (But don’t overdo it.) 2) Detailed notes on the prospect will help you keep the details straight on each one so you can…

At end of day: (Or during the day while your thoughts are fresh.) Text out a copy and paste verification to your contacts after the expo closes for the day. The two bolded words are the only copy that you add to personalize this note…

Hi Bill!
Thanks for stopping by our Town and Country Restoration booth today! Your landscaping project sounds fascinating. I’ll reach out to you on Monday morning. Meanwhile, have a great Sunday! Steve

Your follow-up must start within 48 hours after the initial contact. (24 hours or less is even better.) Any longer and prospects start forgetting who you are and/or book with someone else.

NOTE: Sure, you’ve bought yourself a bit of time with the End of Day system above. But sooner is always better than later! Here’s the follow-up system that worked for us:

1. Immediately after each day of the expo: Sort your leads into three piles: Hot (requested pre-inspection), warm (general interest), and contest entries only.

2. Monday morning: Start calling hot prospects. Your goal is to at least schedule appointments within the next 3-4 days.

3. Monday afternoon through Wednesday: Call warm prospects. Offer a special ‘Home Expo Attendee Discount’ that’s good for the next 30 days. (To have the impact you want, a discount should be at least 15%.)

4. Thursday: Announce contest winners via phone (not email—you want that personal connection). Schedule their home services prize and use it as an opportunity to offer ASO’s. (Additional Service Options.)

Don’t get down! Don’t expect everyone to answer. You’ll reach maybe 30-40% on the first call. Leave friendly, professional voicemails, follow up with a text that includes a link to your website and your special expo offer.

NOTE: In both the VM and the text, it mentions you’ll reach out again. Then do so.

💲Employee bonus idea: Track which employees generated the most leads that converted to jobs. Three months after the show, give the employee with the most conversions a $200.00 cash bonus. This creates competition and accountability!

Is a Home Expo Worth It? The Bottom Line

Let’s be honest about the investment. A typical home expo will cost you:

• Booth space: $500-$2,000

• Materials and giveaways: $300-$800

• Labor costs: $1,000-$2,000 (depending on your setup)

• Your time and energy: Priceless (and exhausting!)

• After-show BBQ for all who helped out, along with their families! (This is important!) 🍺🍻🍷🍖🧺

Total investment: $3,000-$6,000 for a weekend.

The payoff? When done right, you should generate enough home expo revenue from past clients alone to cover your costs. Everything else—the 150-250 new prospects, the 20-30 commercial leads, the 200+ jobs booked over the following months—that’s pure profit!

Your long-term return on repeat clients? PURE GOLD!💖

Our average home expo (in a very small market base) generated over $70,000 in immediate bookings, plus residual calls for years afterwards. (Remember those check-style coupons? Some were redeemed a decade later!)

🗝️But here’s the key: That return only happens if you follow the system. 1) Home show analysis, 2) preparation, 3) booth action, 4) lead qualification, and 5) the fast follow-up I preach here!

Skip any one of the five elements above, and you’ll join the ranks of weeping contractors who bitterly complain that ‘home expos don’t work.’ What a bunch of whiners! 👎👎

Steve’s TAKEAWAY: Home expos work. The question is: Will you? 🤔 If so, aren’t there some local home expos you need to get signed up for? 😎

KickStart: How is your team going to greet, sell and sign up the throngs of attendees to your home expo booth? You need a system to “high-grade” people…

WOW! When I did a rough outline for a “why and how” series on Home Expos for a residential services contractor I never dreamed it would drag on for 5 articles! You neither, huh?🙄

But hey, we’ve covered a lot! Everything from doing a Part 1 reality check (on yourself and then the home expo) to the essential Part 2 Pre-Home Show Preparation. Plus in Part 3 we did a deep dive on Drawing Attendees to Your Home Expo Booth.

NOTE: My next Part 5 will wrap things up with The Follow-Up: Where Most Contractors Fail.But first…

You’ve worked so hard to get ready for this home expo. And hopefully attendees will be fighting to be a part of the in-crowd hanging out at your booth! But wait!

You’ll need oriented, motivated, sharp people to engage with and sell the attendees mobbing your booth! After all, you’ve invested a lot- now let’s get you a great ROI!

Here’s my home show staffing formula: Recruit enough people to always have “aisle staff” working in front of your booth (more on this in a moment) while passing on prospects that have more immediate interest to a closer. For a typical 12x12 booth, plan on 3-5 people minimum. Now for…

Steve’s controversial rule: Ban all chairs from your booth! People, I’m dead serious. Employees sitting around listlessly surfing their phones sends the wrong message. Here’s why…

Prospects want to see energy and ACTION! Keep everyone standing UP and engaging with attendees. (And no texting!)

How can you make this work without burning everyone out? Schedule short shifts and then a break. Rotating two-hour shifts ‘on’ followed by a 30-minute break ‘off’ works well. And yes, pay for these breaks, you cheap skate! 🙄 Your people are giving up their weekend for you!

Don’t have enough employees? Recruit friends or family members. Brief them on your key talking points, dress them professionally, and put them to work. They don’t have to be experts—they just need to be enthusiastic and know when to bring qualified prospects to you which leads me to...

Strategically Qualifying Prospects: The System That Separates Home Expo Winners from Losers

ProTIP: Not every person walking by is worth your key sales staffs’ time. Home expo attendees come in three categories. You need to treat each differently:

Tire-Kickers

These folks are just browsing, killing time, and/or collecting free stuff. They’re not “bad people”- just not in your target demographic (wrong zip code, renters, whatever).

For Tire-Kickers: Aisle staff should be polite, hand them a brochure and give them a $50.00 gift check or card (see #2 below), wish them a good day, and let them move on. Don’t waste time trying to convert someone who isn’t a prospect.

ProTIP #1: Don’t know where they live? Ask them… strategically! One way is you go first as in, “I live over in the Crestview area. What part of town do you live in?” The Principle of Reciprocity means since you trusted them first, they must now trust you! 👌

ProTIP #2: Approach attendees as they walk by (but definitely NOT while they’re in someone else’s booth!), smile, rech out with a check and ask, “Can I write you a check for 50.00?”

Once they have stopped (and they w,ill!) initial the gift check that states “Good for 50.00 in goods and services” and as you hand it to them mention, “If you don’t need our services feel free to pass it on to a friend.”💖

HINT: Always run a drawing. When creating your (short) drawing entry form include a line for their “zip code”. A zip code is anonymous enough that almost every attendee will give it up.

ProTIP #3: In your entry form include a box to check if they want a free pre-inspection. (And don’t forget lots of small clipboards and pens to fill out the entry forms.)

Warm Prospects

These are homeowners in your service area who show genuine interest. They slow down, ask a question, or engage with your display. This is your bread and butter—the majority of your leads will come from this group.

For Warm Prospects: Hand them a clipboard with your contest entry form. While they fill it out (it should take 30 seconds), start a friendly conversation. Ask about their home, their neighborhood, their current service provider. Build rapport.

If they check the box for a free pre-inspection, circle their name so you remember to prioritize them in your follow-up. NOTE:Either way, give the prospect an approved 50.00 gift check, initialed by the booth worker.

Critical point: Train your staff in your ‘desired demographics.’ If you primarily serve homes valued over $400,000 in specific zip codes, make sure everyone knows this. Your aisle people need to do subtle qualifying before wasting everyone’s time.

Hot Prospects

These are the gold nuggets—people who are ready to buy now. They’re asking serious questions, mentioning specific problems, or expressing frustration with their current provider. Don’t let these people slip away!

For Hot Prospects: Once identified, your aisle staff should walk them over to you (or another senior person) at the back of your booth. Here’s how to do it…

ProTIP: One great way to make a smooth hand off? Simply reply, “That’s a great question. Let me introduce you to (gesture and start walking) our senior engineer Chris Gripp. Chris, (gesturing) this is…” (pause here and they’ll interject) “Hi Chris, my name is Steve…”

Have a genuine conversation. Ask questions. Understand their needs. Create a great Moment of Truth by asking them if you may take notes. If possible, schedule the appointment right there on the spot. If you can, GREAT! 🪇🎊🎉💐🎈

After all, you have your prospect face-to-face! But at other times, a home show just isn’t a good closing environment. Too noisy, your prospect is distracted and/or has to go pee, their kids are yelling, they don’t have all their data, etc.

So in our final, part 5 of our Home Expo series lets focus on “The Follow-Up: Where Most Contractors Fail”… so you won’t fall into this trap! 😎 Oh, and one final reminder: Bring lots of business cards to your Home Expo… and use them! We’ll talk soon…

KickStart: How to get the best home expo ROI? A steady stream of attendees to your booth! HINT: More is better! (A crowd attracts others.)

NOTE: This is Part III in my 5-part series on Home Expos.

Welcome back!

This third article may be the most important in my series on “Home Expos for Residential Service Contractors”!

True confessions? I feel this way about every article I write!🙄 Doubt me? My Part I on a reality check on your company AND the home show was even better! No, wait- Part II on Pre-Home Show Prep was the best! Or this Part III even better? Read on and decide…😁

You’ll note the word “Strategically” in the title which means: “relating to a general plan to achieve a goal, usually with limited resources.”

Your home show goal(s)? To a) profitably book jobs and/or pre-inspections that lead to more work plus b) develop contacts for future work or referrals and finally c) to position your company as a reliable, caring and professional service provider.

Your challenge? To do all of the above since even the best home expo has “limited resources” of attendees. Time for you to plan “strategically”…

Creating ‘Action’ That Attracts Crowds

Never forget: In any home expo you are “competing” with all the other other exhibitors. Sure, you’ll be friendly with them. (Heck, some of your exhibitors may make great strategic partners!) However…

You need to sneakily stea… err, I mean “attract” THEIR attendees over to YOUR booth!

Your challenge? Boring, static, badly lit displays will attract… NOBODY! Instead, you need movement, ENERGY, noise, transformation- something, actually anything, that breaks through the glazed-over stares of overwhelmed attendees.🫣

So, time to get creative! For example, in my first home expo I instinctively knew our sad, forlorn, and very lonely booth desperately needed ACTION to increase our traffic!

ProTIP: Even better if this action is related to the residential services you are promoting! For example. in this home show I wanted to promote our carpet and rug cleaning services.) Then it hit me!

“Why don’t we demonstrate our superb cleaning services in ACTION? Guys, let’s clean rugs at this home show!” 👍👍

My team responded: “Great idea, Steve! BUT where can we get so many dirty “demo” carpets?” (It was a two-day show.) Then inspiration struck!

We promoted expo attendees bringing their area rugs (not Orientals or expensive rugs—nothing too complicated!) to the show and we’d clean them for FREE! Yep, we set up two truck mounted carpet cleaning plants in our outdoor booth space and cleaned continuously for two days.

The results? INCREDIBLE! Over 400 rugs cleaned in one weekend, with huge crowds of awe-struck homeowners watching the entire time! (Along with hundreds of grateful clean rug owners!) Why did this promotion work? 🤔

🗝️Key Principle: Residential services are “invisible” to most homeowners. Your prospects simply can’t visualize what you will do in their home.

But at this home show they saw the transformation happen with their own eyes right in front of them—in this case a nasty, dirty rug went in and… a sparklingly clean rug came out—they suddenly ‘got it’! 👍👍

The result? Our little residential services business booked over $70,000.00 in work during and immediately after this first home expo! 💲💲💲 It was a HUGE KickStart for us! 🎈💐🎉🎊🪇💖

Get creative!

You don’t offer cleaning services? No worries! Simply brainstorm what “action demos” your company can perform that will 1) attract attendees and 2) help them visualize your process and results!

💡 ProTIP: Involve their kids. With a parent’s permission put hard hats (with your logo) on the children, give them a (safe) tool to hold and then print out a color photo for mom or dad! Or have a ring toss or small corn hole game with prizes.

Steve’s Takeaway: Have fun! SHOW how you will transform their home as in “from problem to solution.” Before to after action. That’s what sells residential services! And of course, people attract people so obsess over attracting a (hopefully enthusiastic) crowd at your booth!

Of course, you’ll also need motivated booth workers to attract, qualify and sell your pumped-up home expo prospects. Let’s talk about this in our next chat on “Strategically Staffing your Home Show Booth”…

KickStart: Most of the work for a wildly successful Home Expo happens long before the first attendee wanders into your booth. Read on…

NOTE: This article is Part II in a 5-part series on Home Expos.

I’ve said it before… I love, love, LOVE💖 home expos for any residential services business… IF you “do it right”. Sadly…

Most home service pros’ home expo efforts fail long before the event even starts. Let me diss on just a few reasons why…

These clueless folks 1) show up unprepared, 2) have no visual marketing “props”, 3) don’t bring their own professional booth lighting, 4) SIT😯 passively in their booth texting (GRRRRR!) 😡 while lucrative prospects stroll by and then complain that “this show is a loser”! Seriously?

Meanwhile, savvy, proactive residential service contractors are booking pre-inspections and jobs like crazy!👌

Steve Reflects: Heck, even in our small town of 30,000 people my little residential services business would sell over $70,000 in work during our home expo.👍 Over the 16 years I was in business I watched a steady stream of “one show wonder” competitors that would slink out bitterly complaining, “What a waste of time!”

What was the difference? My success (and their massive failure!) was decided in the months and weeks leading up to the show.

Create Your Visual Arsenal

In the chaos of a busy home expo, prospects won’t stop to read detailed brochures or listen to long explanations. You need “props” that deliver a visual impact to attract people over to your booth at a glance. For example…

• Before-and-after photos: Large format prints (at least 11x17) showing dramatic transformations. Pet stains removed, landscaping makeovers, pest damage repairs, painting makeovers—whatever showcases your expertise.

  Don’t have enough photos? Create some! Do some work on your own house or family members, or offer discounted jobs to neighbors and friends in exchange for photo rights.

• Video demonstrations: A large flat-screen TV (minimum 40 inches) running a video loop of your work in action has far more impact than even the best static photos in a noisy, bustling environment. Show your team setting up, your equipment working, your results happening! 😁

• Professional lighting: This is non-negotiable! A dark, dingy booth screams ‘amateur’ and prospects instinctively avoid it. 💡 People are drawn to light! Invest in good portable lighting that makes your booth the brightest spot in your section.

  ProTIP: Bring duct tape along with lots of extension cords plus 3 and 6 outlet connectors.

Design Your Marketing Materials

You need three different marketing material subsets for three different types of prospects:

• For tire-kickers: Simple color brochures they can grab and go. Keep these inexpensive—many won’t even look at it. (But you never know!) So, the design and logo should still match up to your overall marketing concept and image.

• For warm prospects: Contest entry forms on small clipboards. Include spaces for name, phone, email, zip code, and a checkbox if they would like a ‘Free home pre-inspection.’ Make the form easy to fill out while standing.

• For hot prospects: Nothing except your business card. You’ll be talking to them personally and can capture their information directly.

ProTIP: When judging a home show’s success you’ll need to cover your initial investment, the staffing costs of the expo and get a return on the blood, sweat and tears you’ve invested! But before you get depressed factor in your long-term return in contacts made! (This principle applies to any marketing effort. More on this later in this series.)

💡Steve Reflections: We printed discount coupons that looked exactly like a business check. Same layout, same actual check paper, our logo and tag line. Then we printed “$50.00 in goods and services” on the payment line. Our booth staff would create respect for these coupons by signing their “authorized signature” before handing them to the home expo attendee.

Folks, this idea works! Your prospects will treat these “checks” like real money and save them for years! We had coupons redeemed more than 10 years after our original show.

Obvious ProTIPs: 1) Don’t put an expiration date on these coupons, 2) make them transferable, (you WANT people to “gift” them) and 3) don’t require a certain amount of work to qualify for the $50.00 discount. NOTE: Don’t freak out! You’ll be protected by your minimum charge so at the very worst you’ll work for 50 bucks less than minimum. But this almost never happened to us.

Now… let’s git ‘er done! 😎

KickStart: Home expos can work GREAT for a home service pro. But first, make sure you and the show are a good fit!

NOTE: This article is Part I in a 4-part series on Home Expos.

As a residential service provider would you kill for the chance to connect face-to-face with hundreds, maybe even thousands, of local homeowners over a one or two day period? You reply…

“Wow, Steve, absolutely! But there’s no way to do this… right?” WRONG! Home expos give you an incredible opportunity to get one-on-one to (forgive me) “Kick Start” your profits.💲

Why is this “face-to-face connection” with residential prospects so important? Because choosing a home service pro is totally different from selecting and buying a tangible good. For example…

Think about that new 4WD pickup, the new jeans, a new smartphone or that new set of golf clubs you’ve been lusting for and dreaming about! See? I’m everywhere, you dog! 😁

But unlike this physical object of your hot desire your residential prospects can’t touch, “try on” (test) or even visualize your finished service… until AFTER they commit to you! So, your prospects tend to 💡base their buying decision on emotional factors.

Home shows and expos let you make this all-important emotional connection that allows a homeowner to trust your company with their precious home… BEFORE you even do the job! WOO-HOO! 💐🎉🎊🪇💖

But WAIT! I’m gonna rain ☔ on your parade!😥 Many residential services companies (including you?) are wasting time, money, energy and even worse, losing 1000’s of potential clients at home expos!

Yep, home expos will just be an expensive way to burn you and your staff out unless you implement the strategies profiled in this series! 😥 OUCH! So, let’s get started with two huge reality checks!

Reality Check #1: Are you even capable of successfully doing a home show?

It’s no secret- I think home shows are an incredible route to long-term profits… IF you “do them right”! Done wrong? You’ll not only waste huge resources but may also “poison the well” for future business with homeowners turned off by your expo fumbles! So, ask yourself…

• How does my company “present”? If you don’t have a professional logo and marketing pieces, snappy uniforms, clean equipment to display, and at least a few ‘before and after’ photos, you’re not ready! 🫣

• Do you have the energy? Home expos are exhausting. Two 10-hour days of constant engagement, smiling, presenting, and being ‘on’ requires serious stamina. If you (and your team) aren’t up for it, your returns (and current clients) will suffer.

• What’s my follow-up capacity? A successful home expo can easily generate 300+ inspection requests that for maximum return need to be followed up on within 48 hours. (Next day is the gold standard.)
  Can you handle this much immediate follow-up? If you’re a solo operator or already booked solid, you might not be ready for this avalanche of leads.
  You say, “Steve, I’m ready to rock a home show!” GREAT! 👌 Let’s proceed to your…

Reality Check #2: Check the home show out before you sign up!

Not every home expo is worth your financial and time investment. Before you write that check, investigate these critical questions:

• Is the show a good fit geography wise? You don’t want huge amounts of “out of your service area” attendees. It dilutes your employees’ sales efforts plus trust me; you pay for all those non-productive prospects.

• Does it target your desired demographics? For example, if you are a swimming pool service company and yet most expo attendees’ homes are downtown condos? Don’t do it! You need upper middle class suburban homeowners.

• Does the show promoter actually “promote”? 🙄 Ask for their past attendance numbers. Find out where they advertise. A poorly promoted show means empty aisles and wasted resources.
  💡ProTIP: Get last year’s exhibitor list and ask home service companies on it, “Would you exhibit there again?” Past results don’t lie.

• Is your competition already signed up? If there are already three pool service companies signed up for a small show, you’ll be splitting a very small pie. On the other hand, being the only company at a large show? That’s opportunity!

Once again, I’m a huge believer in most home shows for most residential service companies IF… they “do them right”! 👍👍 (This “done right” applies to both the show and the business.)

So, have you checked all the above items? Feeling good about this upcoming home show? Then it is time for your “Pre-Home-Show Preparation: The Make-or-Break Phase”! We’ll focus on this in Part II!

KickStart: Focus on A) what produces more profit and/or delights your clients plus B) which of these items a given employee can affect. Then bonus these things!

Wouldn’t it be GREAT if we lived in a world where every employee bounced out of bed fired up to work purely for the joy of being productive? But let’s be real—this isn’t that world. 😒

People are motivated by MONEY. And honestly? I’ve always preferred “money-motivated” employees over “emotionally draining” workers who need constant stroking and/or shameless flattery. 🙄

So instead of fruitlessly begging people to “care more,” (they hear “blah-blah-blah”!) I encouraged my team to make more money—BUT with a smart bonus structure that allowed me PROFIT more when they EARNED more.

Notice something here: I didn’t say give employees more. In my residential services businesses, I avoided flat-out raises whenever possible. Why?

Because raises are permanent.👎 They’re “set in concrete,” even when your business slows down or the employee starts coasting. That’s a terrible way to run a home services company.

A better way? Build reward mechanisms that let your Very Best People make more when they perform better—while also putting more profit in your pocket. Win-win! 👍👍

Here’s exactly how I structured it:

1. For On-Site Technicians

Your techs are face-to-face with the customer. They’re perfectly positioned to identify additional needs and gently offer Additional Service Options (ASO’s). (I’m not a fan of the word “upsell!”)

These ASO suggestions should come across as helpful and natural. How to focus your techs?

• Raise your prices so you’ve got room to reward performance.

• Pay at least a 20% bonus on ASO’s sold and completed.

• Train techs to gently build the job ticket—never pushy, always helpful. (We need to talk about this.)

💡 Important: Pre-orient your customers on ASO’s a) during their initial booking call and b) with your emailed “Getting Ready for Us” checklist. Do all this before the tech arrives. Your techs will thank you, your customers will feel prepared, and your average ticket will skyrocket.

2. For Salespeople

Sales pros should be paid on profitability, NOT gross sales. Otherwise, they’ll chase big ticket jobs that make no money. (Or worse!) NOTE: Don’t ask me how I learned this! 🙄

I recommend keeping it simple:

• Commission based on net job profitability

• Higher commission for signing a regular Service Agreement

• A small extra bonus when they secure Open Access for your techs. (This allows your crew to work without the homeowner babysitting them.)

This approach keeps everyone aligned with your company’s profitable success—not just their own numbers.

3. For Office Staff

Your office team has more influence on revenue than most owners realize.

For example, I bonused dispatchers for Additional Service Options booked during that first phone call. Their gentle ASO pitch can be as simple as:

“By the way, Mrs. Jones, while Charlie and Bill are there Tuesday, have you thought about ___?”

Even a small 5% spiff on extra work booked 👌 gets your office staff listening, recommending, and helping build bigger, more profitable jobs.

4. For Your Whole Team

I’m a huge fan of our HFS Worker Efficiency Bonus. This program does two powerful things:

A) Rewards the team for working efficiently together.
B) Holds everyone accountable when sloppiness or screw-ups start costing YOU money! 😡

1) Teamwork, 2) Efficiency, 3) accountability, 4) Reward—it checks every box. And hey! Totally by accident, Steve Toburen, the King of the Acronym (KOTA) just invented a new one- “TEAR”! I’m on 🔥🔥🔥! 😁

Yes, Your Best People Want More Than Money

A solid bonus structure keeps the right people motivated, hungry, and focused. But the best employees (the ones you want to keep forever) need more than cash.

1) Leadership. 2) Respect. 3) Growth. 4) Clear expectations. 5) Appreciation. Along with a stable, organized work environment. We’ll work on these soon! (Sorry, no acronyms.)😥

For now, start meditating on a bonus structure that rewards excellence instead of entitlement. Your team will love earning more—and you’ll love the extra profits and HUGE increase in morale! 💖

KickStart: If you're struggling with turnover (many are) read, meditate and implement an Action Plan built on these 8 "Loyalty Tips".

I’ve been reflecting lately on our residential services industry. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It can be the best of businesses, it can be the worst of businesses.”

In my 40+ years in this game I’ve seen the best and the worst of our business. But I gotta say the Dark Side of our industry is much more common. So sad because...

Invariably these beat-up-on home service providers are “salt of the earth” honest people, competent technically, and work like dogs! (They don’t really have a choice!)

One common denominator among these long-suffering folks? Almost always they are struggling with poor Business Infrastructure, high turnover and dismal company morale. Why? This leads to one of my favorite proverbs…

“The fish rots from the head down!”

Yep, if you see yourself profiled above don’t blame your people. Instead, look in the mirror and start each question with “Do I…”

1. Lead by Example?

2. Publicly Recognize My People?

3. Say “Thank You” Often—And Mean It?

Want to do a deep dive review on these three Employee Loyalty suggestions? Then I highly recommend you click HERE.

But now let’s go deeper now with your somewhat uncomfortable self-analysis. Remember, begin each question with "Do I..."

4. Recognize my employee is not me? (And never will be.) I’ll admit it. I struggled (and still do) with this one. I loved the “game of business”. (Sioux correctly says too much!) 🙄 However, I’ve had to learn that even a good employee has higher priorities than my bottom line! This leads to my…

5. Seek first to understand? Yep, the new generation can be frustrating. But complaining has never built a strong team. Study what motivates your employees. Listen. Ask questions. Adapt. You don’t have to change your standards—just upgrade your leadership skills!

6. Realize I'm “competing” for employees? Never forget. Your Very Best People have lots of options. Great employees won’t stick around with a boss who ignores them, disrespects them, or treats them like faceless labor. This means you must…

7. Offer a real career opportunity- Top people want to grow. Extra responsibilities. Skills training. Bonuses for meeting high but achievable benchmarks. Quality employees need a vision of their future. A Career Path is one of the strongest loyalty builders you can create. 👍👍

8. Plan for even my best employees leaving? It happens. Life changes. Their spouse gets a promotion in another city, they go back to school, parents age or heck, your employee ages! 😯 Don’t take it personally. Instead, prepare for it. NEVER stop recruiting or training.

☠️ WARNING: If you do lose a valued employee? Please, please don’t fall back into “Desperation Hiring”!🙏 Click HERE to review why you need to be proactive starting NOW!

And if you’re struggling to compete with “The Big Boys” on wages—don’t stress. There’s a smart way around that, and we’ll tackle this topic soon!

KickStart: To keep good people long-term you must build an emotional bond with each employee.

Question: Which is more important to a residential services business? 1) Homeowner clients or 2) quality employees? I’ll wait while you ponder… 🫣

If you chose #2, “quality employees” WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER! 🐔🐔 NOTE: I have zero idea where this saying came from! 🤷‍♂️

Sure, without clients your company will quickly die. But without QUALITY employees it will be an agonizing “death by a 1,000 cuts”! Some of you are living this slow-motion demise right now. 😭

I hope you’ve finally made recruiting the Very Best People part of your everyday routine. If so, fantastic!

💡 When you surround yourself with solid, dependable, even great people, everything in your business gets easier—quality goes up, stress goes down, and customers notice the difference.

Sure, following my dictum to “pay 20% than the going rate” absolutely helps you ATTRACT good people. In fact, you must pay more if you want better talent. But here’s the uncomfortable truth most residential contractors learn the hard way:

High wages alone won’t KEEP employees loyal to you.

Not long-term. Not emotionally. Not through the inevitable business rough patches.

And again, you DO need great employees—because life is way too short to drag marginal workers along behind you.

So, once you’ve got a Very Best Person (VBP) on your team, your mission shifts from just attracting VBP's to actually keeping them. And the only way you keep great people is to…

Tie Your Employees to You (and your team) Emotionally!

Dollars (of any amount) don’t drive loyalty. Emotion does. Think about it. You see this emotional loyalty with your residential customers—and it’s even more true with great employees.

If you want loyal people, the kind who will go the extra mile and “take ownership” of their job like it’s their own business, you MUST build an emotional connection with each employee.

The easiest way? Make every worker feel like they’re part of your business family.

Here’s what worked in my home services business:

1. Lead by Example (Yes, Even When You Don’t Want To!)

Never ask a tech to do something you wouldn’t. Engage in “Servant Leadership” as in, don’t be that boss barking orders. 😡 Jump in on a tough job. Help carry equipment.

ProTIP: Cook (or cater) a monthly breakfast for your staff. BONUS! This much-looked-forward-to event will be a great opportunity to put my next point into action!

2. Publicly Recognize Your People 💐🪇🎈🎊🎉

Why do I beat this drum constantly? Because it WORKS! Public Recognition is the fastest, cheapest, and most powerful motivator you have. And yet most owners skip it! 🙄

Celebrate individual and team wins in front of your entire company. Brag on your people to customers. Call out great performance during morning huddles. 👏👏👏 Sincere recognition in front of others creates emotional glue.

3. Say “Thank You” More Often—And Mean It 💖

Not the generic “thanks guys.” Be specific as in:

“Jason, thanks for staying late to fix that squeaky dryer vent—Mrs. Green was thrilled.”

“Maria, thank you for calming Mrs. Martinez down. You saved the day. Well done!”

This specific thanks will supercharge your praise X 10! 😯 (X 20 if you can maneuver things to casually thank them in front of their coworkers!)

NOTE: Click HERE to review the why and how of thanking your residential clients.

KickStart: Create a simple system to send a personal Thank You note after working for every homeowner customer.

Allow me to get a little sentimental with you. Sioux and I love French Impressionist art — all those tiny brushstrokes that, when you step back, turn into a stunning masterpiece. 🎨👩‍🎨

Guess what? This is exactly how a great residential services business is built. And just like a painting, your “business masterpiece” isn’t created from one big dramatic action.

Nope. A great home services company is based on 1,000’s of tiny “brushstrokes” — I call them Positive Moments of Truth (PMOT’s) — that stack up into an incredible experience that routinely creates Raving Fan clients.

ProTIP: Want to create a truly great Critical Mass Business that will run smoothly, all the time, with you… or without you! If so, you can’t leave these PMOT’s up to chance, just hoping/ begging/ praying they will happen.

💡ProTIP: These powerful “little things” become “huge things” when you and your staff “program” them to consistently occur every… single… time.

One of the easiest (and most powerful) PMOT brushstrokes to schedule into your residential service company’s workflow?

Send a hand-written, personal “Thank You” note after every residential job.

I KNOW what you young folks are thinking! “Steve, you mean send as in a stamped envelope? That is so 1990’s! 🙄 Nobody mails stuff anymore- can’t I just email them?”

EXACTLY! You want to be different! This is old school, zero-dollar marketing! (OK, you’ll need to invest in some stamps- see below.) 🤷‍♂️

BUT this personal, signed and stamped note will be remembered FAR longer and appreciated MUCH more than the 100’s of digital messages your client scans every day!👌

Here’s the simple yet powerful “Client Thank You System” we used in my company:

1. After each job, the Crew Chief texted the office one specific thing they appreciated and/or enjoyed in that client’s home. Here’s some examples:

• We thanked Mrs. Smith for the milk and tasty home-made cookies.

• Really nice flower garden in the front that we were very careful with!

• Charlie and I had fun with Mrs. Jones Labrador, Smitty! Or if nothing else…

• Our team enjoyed working at their beautiful home/ nice neighborhood.

Then our office staff transferred these personal touches into handwritten thank you notes. We used simple but elegant cards with a tasteful embossed company logo.

True Story: In my early start-up days, we just used blank cards from the Dollar Store! And they worked great! Try them!

HINT: Write the note by hand and hand address the envelope. (Obviously choose someone with good handwriting- NOT ME!) 😁 Include your street address but not your company name. (A bit of mystery here will increase your open rate!)

ProTIP: Always use real stamps to add even more of a personal touch. We chose elegant floral stamps in rolls of 100. I suggest you avoid politically themed stamps.

Here’s the type of hand-written note we sent:

Hi Mrs. Jones,
Steve and Charlie really enjoyed working in your home on Tuesday. And please give your Labrador, Smitty, a big hug from both of the guys! 💖
Thank you so much for your business,
Beau Pleasant
P.S. Mrs. Jones, I’m including a few of our business cards. I know Steve and Charlie would appreciate any referrals you pass along — either by sharing a card or posting an online review.😁 THANKS AGAIN!

Simple. Warm. Human. And worth its weight in gold!

NOTE: This Thank You note should NOT replace your Immediate Quality Check call. The IQC call should still happen within five minutes of your tech leaving the driveway. (If only because you promised the client they would receive an IQC in the Initial Booking Call!)

A personal Thank You note is the touch-up “brushstroke” that nudges your customer one step closer to becoming a long-term Cheerleader!👏👏👏

So please, send out a handwritten Thank You note to every client. These tiny Moments of Truth will start building loyalty, trust… and a steady stream of “My friend said you’re the only one to call” referrals.

HINT: “Thank you” is also a powerful employee motivational tool too. Let’s talk about this soon!

Never forget! Focus on pre-programmed, routine, tiny PMOT brushstrokes — THIS is how you create your residential services masterpiece. (Don’t forget to include several business cards in each envelope!) 😎

KickStart: Implement your 10 day Fast Track Training system in 3 stages: 1) Create paperwork, 2) add accountability, and 3) reward completion.

Sure, I know. You and your newly hired tech are all lovey-dovey in an extended honeymoon phase with each of you vowing to work together forever! I’ve been there- done that! 🙄

However, I recently shared that a new employee will subconsciously decide if they’re going to build a career with you OR quickly bail out… in THEIR FIRST TWO WEEKS WITH YOU!

WARNING! Even worse? When someone “mentally quits” on you but sticks around being a disengaged Debbie Downer for several months (or years!) till they finally give their notice! 😯

All the above means you must “romance” new hires to subtly convince them your residential services company is “Career Worthy”! No, I’m not talking champagne 🍾🥂 and flowers 💐💐 here! Instead…

Remember that the Very Best People (the exact ones you want to hire!) need to feel challenged, useful and productive right from Day One!

However, even the best new worker needs someone to show them the ropes. I recommend you assign a personal mentor to each new hire to train and support them.

Let’s review how to do this with my structured 10-day Fast Track Training (FTT) system…

1. Break Down Each Task into Simple Procedures

2. Write Out Every Procedure with a Detailed Step-by-Step Outline

3. Decide What MUST Be Learned on Their First Day. (Not too much.) Put these sheets in their Day One Folder.

4. Create a One-Page “Skills Review” Test for Each of These 10 Days. Give their FTT mentor a copy. (Click HERE for the details on these four points.)

Are you ready to rock and roll with your Fast Track Training system? GREAT! So now it is time to get down in the trenches when your new hire walks in on their first day…

A. Go All In and Actually Do It!

After your new tech’s emotional Welcome Aboard introduction to your company… their FTT mentor grabs:

• Their Day One folder

• The Day One Skills Review

• The Day One FTT Procedures

Now your FTT mentor and new tech will work side-by-side, teaching only what’s assigned for that day. This focus prevents overwhelming your trainee. 👌

💡 ProTIP: We used to try and keep it secret from homeowners that we were using their home to train a newby! But then I decided, why not flip a negative into a positive?

So, after introductions our FTT mentor would orient the homeowner this about himself and his trainee, “Mrs. Smith, I’m our company trainer and today I’ll be using your home to show Charlie here the perfect way to do the job. You’re welcome to tag along…”

B. Make this Accountability IMMEDIATE

Here’s the fun part. During a new tech’s pre-hire orientation, you explain that at the end of their first day they will take their Day One test.

If they score 100%? (Your VBP hires should totally ace each test!)

👉 Their mentor gets a $20.00 cash bonus paid right then and there!

Nothing creates Positive Peer Pressure faster. Trainers become invested and will make sure the new hire stays focused. Folks, this FTT system works!

C. Celebrate Finishing All 10 Skills Reviews!🪇🎊🎉🎈🪅

When your new VBP tech completes their first ten days? (And aces their ten FTT Skills Reviews?)

You call a quick company meeting, hand your new tech two crisp $100.00 bills—in front of everyone—and your entire team breaks into spontaneous applause! 👏👏👏

Trust me… this new tech will never forget that moment. (Heck, I’m getting all excited just reliving these good times in my home services company!)

Steve’s TAKEAWAY: This Fast Track Training program works—if you do! It builds confidence, accelerates learning, and gives your new hires a sense of pride during those crucial first two weeks.

NOTE: By the way, this FTT concept works just as well for office staff, salespeople, shop employees, etc.

Try it, tweak it, and then watch your team level up fast! Even better, your new employee turnover rate fall dramatically! 💐🎉🎊🎈

Let me know how it goes—seriously. 😎

KickStart: Implement a routine, organized system to orient, train and most importantly mentor new techs’ first two weeks in your company.

In 2026 do you want to build a residential services business that runs smoothly? (Without you babysitting every little thing?) If so, to achieve this Critical Mass Business above all else…

You MUST recruit and hire the Very Best People (VBP).

NEWSFLASH: Once you land one of these VBP rock stars, your real job begins: challenging them fast and giving them a clear path to win.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the last 40+ years helping Home Services Providers. Your new hire decides—subconsciously—whether they’ll stick with you long-term or bail out quickly… all within the first two weeks.

Yep. Two weeks. Sometimes sooner! 😯 Blink once and your new tech has already made their decision! Heck- they may already be GONE!

Steve’s TAKEAWAY: If you want to build a team of VBPs that actually sticks with you long term, you’ve got to stage-manage their entrance like it’s opening night!

Get Your New Hires “Engaged” Immediately!

Top talent does not like sitting around twiddling their thumbs. These Very Best People hate confusion, they hate chaos, and they REALLY hate feeling useless.

This means you need a structured, fast-moving but “high-touch” onboarding plan that challenges your VBP hires right away.

TA-DA! 😁 Your Fast Track Training “mentor” enters stage right! Ideally, this mentor is one of your best field techs—someone who lives your culture and your customer experience every day.

NOTE: If you’re a smaller shop, your mentor could be you… at least for now. Either way, this caring individual is the “acting coach” that will guide your new tech actor through their first in-the-home performances.

RESOURCE: Read more about mentor requirements HERE.

But mentorship alone isn’t enough. You need a system… a simple, repeatable process that gets your new tech up and running fast while keeping everyone accountable.

Here’s what I used in my residential services companies:

My Two-Week “Fast Track Training” (FTT) System

My FTT goal was simple: I wanted a new tech to handle basic jobs on their own within two weeks. (If they couldn’t maybe they weren’t VBP!) Here’s why…

💡 VBP crave challenge, responsibility, and feeling that they matter. This FTT system hits all of these. Let’s examine an On-the-Truck FTT…

1. Break Down a Task into Simple Procedures

List every individual procedure required to run a straightforward job solo. Think basics:

• Paperwork

• Re-stocking their truck

• Equipment names & uses

• Job setup

• Safe use of tools and machines

• Step-by-step procedures

• Customer Moments of Truth

• Reviewing the job with the client

• Receiving payment

• Communicating with the office

These points will become the backbone of your Fast Track Training system.

2. Write Out Every Procedure Step-by-Step
Example: Under Paperwork, you’ll include:

• Reviewing the Production Day Screen

• The Why and How of Job Folders

• Filling out Work Order

• Recording customer concerns

• Communicating job issues and data to the office

Keep it simple. Keep it clear.

3. Decide What MUST Be Learned First (Day One)

Print these Day One procedures and put them in a folder labeled—surprise!—Day One.

4. Create a One-Page “Skills Review” Test for Each Day

Ten days. Ten folders. Ten simple tests.
Multiple choice. No stress. Just clarity.

Clip the Day One test to the Day One folder. Repeat for all ten days.

Simple, right?🤔 No? Well then, in our next KickStart let’s get down in the trenches and do a walk-through of a new tech’s Day One!

KickStart: “You load sixteen tons, what do you get? / Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ‘cause I can’t go; I owe my soul to the company store ...”
NOTE: Merle Travis wrote this song, “Sixteen Tons” in the mid 1950’s. (Famously performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955)

As we close out 2025 👏👏👏 are you identifying with Merle’s classic country lament? If so, you’re in good company with many in our residential services industry! 👍👍

True, the end of a year is just an artificial “deadline date”. And yet, it isn’t wrong to reflect back and also forecast forward. So, as a Home Services Professional, what do YOU see in your business and life? 🫣

Leading up to this end-of-year missive I recently flogged you fine folks on avoiding the dreaded “Road In-Between” business model.

NOTE: Most Home Service Providers eventually wind up on this “too big but too small” Road-In-Between! Are you there now? If so, be happy you DO have two workable business options going forward...

Choosing between life as 1) a solo “Lone Wolf” doing all the work yourself or 2) START growing into a Critical Mass Business that will smoothly run with you… or without you! 😁

For a multitude of reasons, I recommend to all my clients they at least START on the Critical Mass Business (CMB) route. (And if a CMB just doesn’t work for you? No worries, simply downsize and be happy!) 😎

Are you getting the idea that I want you to START questioning your life and planning your future? 🫣 If so, please…

1. START Now (As in today!)

If you want the freedom of a residential services company that runs without you, start by taking one concrete action EVERY SINGLE DAY to build a CMB!

🚫 Puhleeeease STOP burning days, weeks, months and yes, YEARS on what I call Displacement Activities- stuff that feels productive but in reality, detours you from the important stuff in business. (And life!)

The biggest Displacement Activity for most of my clients? Staying on the truck way too long!😨

Here’s the deal: You’ll never start growing if you’re the only one doing the work. (And FAILING to do “everything else”!)

2. START Small: Going from one truck to two can feel like jumping the Grand Canyon. Please don’t do this to yourself.

Instead, keeping your fixed expenses low will let you ease smooooothly into CMB growth:

• Use well-paid, part-time, on-call help on specific jobs

• Develop a team of trusted sub-contractors

• Get used to clearly delegating and supervising the above groups before start hiring full-time

This is how you build confidence in managing without overwhelming yourself.

3. START Prospecting (Consistently) Block out one morning a week—non-negotiable—for reaching out to new prospects. Not thinking about it. Not getting “ready.” 🙄 Actually doing it.

Once you drop the fear of rejection and stop procrastinating, you’ll realize how much opportunity is just sitting out there waiting for you to ask.

4. START Offering Regular Maintenance Programs- Maintenance plans are the cash-flow backbone of any residential services CMB. After all, they will...

• Smooth out the seasonal roller coaster

• Help fund your growth without borrowing

• Boost your company valuation

• Lock in loyal customers for the long haul with zero marketing expense

Put a maintenance option (with monthly ACH debits) in every residential (and commercial) proposal. You’ll be shocked how many people say YES! 👍👍

5. START Building Your “Business Infrastructure”- Some bigger companies I’ve worked with had owners who were more trapped than even the most struggling one-truck owner-operator. Why? No systems which create a Business Infrastructure!

WARNING: If you don’t develop and implement procedures, checklists, scripts, and accountability tools, you’ll grow yourself straight into chaos.

Start small but START. Every procedure you script, test, modify and then implement removes one more thing from your plate.

💡 ProTIP: Any time we had a complaint I asked myself two questions: 1) Why (and where) did it occur? Plus 2) what could I change to make sure it never happened again! (We should talk about this soon!)

6. START Visualizing Your Future Clearly

Growing into a CMB is not easy. Even when things are going well it’s a grind and at other times… building your CMB can be agonizing!👿

And yes, when things get tough, you’ll be tempted to shrink back to “little old me” mode and go back alone on the truck.

That’s why you need a clear picture of the future you’re building—the lifestyle, the Personal Freedom, and the financial wealth a CMB can give you. Plus here’s a CMB bonus most owners don’t consider:

A CMB doesn’t just sell for a lot more money…
it also pays you incredibly well if you don’t sell it!👍👍

Many residential services business owners make far more in retirement by keeping their company and enjoying the cash flow for 10, 20 or 30 years before selling it later—when it’s worth even more. 💰💰💰 (Or they pass it on to their kids!)

Simply put. a CMB can be your ultimate cash cow! 🐮💲

Ready to Start Growing your Very Own CMB??

If you’re serious about escaping The Road In-Between, start NOW! Not next year. Not “after things slow down.” (I’m so very tired of hearing this one!) Not when you feel “ready”. (You never will be.)

Just START. One step at a time. NOTE: If you wish, it will be our privilege here at Home Front Success to help you achieve your dreams in 2026! 💖

KickStart: Choose your poison. “Stay small” or “get big”- both can work. But DO NOT waste your life stuck (stagnant?) on the “Road In-Between”!

Over the last 40+ years I’ve taught, coached (and learned from) over 6000 residential service business owners. I’ve come to realize we all hit the same “3 forks in the road” sooner or later.

“3 forks in the road, Steve?” Yep, as your business grows there are only three ways forward and they all start with the letter “S”…

1. STAY small as a high-priced “boutique” owner-operator, running every call and babysitting every detail yourself. (Properly run, this setup can work… sort of.) 🫣

2. START growing into what I call a Critical Mass Business. This is a company that runs smoothly without you glued to the truck 24-7. 👍 (Done right- this type of business will bring you the priceless but very elusive Personal Freedom.)

Once again, both of the these business models can work great! But there’s one company you NEVER want to own…

1. STUCK on the “Road In-Between”. This is the miserable middle zone where you’re “too big” to enjoy the freedom of an owner-operator but “too small” to have real freedom. I lived this life for several years.😨 I don’t recommend it.

NOTE: As a Lone Wolf owner-operator if you choose to grow you will inevitably spend a painful period on the “Road In-Between” (R-I-B) until you achieve a Critical Mass Business. This is normal. Grit your teeth and keep moving forward.

But far too many Home Service Pros run out of gas on the R-I-B ☠️ and spend their life stagnating between being too big yet too small. Is this sentence resonating with you? Then please…

Let me break down WHY building a Critical Mass Business is the smartest move you’ll ever make!

WHY a Critical Mass Business Matters (A Lot)

A true, dynamic Critical Mass Business (CMB) lets you:

• Take an actual vacation without your phone blowing up.

• Step into sales and marketing instead of crawling around under/over houses all day.

• Get sick—or heaven forbid, worse😨—and your business will still provide for your family.

• Build a company that’s worth serious money if you ever choose to cash out.

Or even better? A real CMB will keep paying you whether you show up or not. Imagine that—your business finally supporting your family and/or a luxurious retirement instead of the other way around.😎

If this CMB vision feels out of reach… it isn’t. But it does (forgive me) require one more “S”:

You must START!

Most owners get stuck (oh no, another “S”) over-thinking. Worrying. Over-planning. Fearfully treading water year after year. And nothing ever changes.

In fact, the most dangerous thing you can do in this industry is drift. Remember this...

A day is a terrible thing to waste. A decade? Even worse. Let’s not even think about a wasted life! 😭

So, in future KickStarts please allow me to share step-by-step (the same way I coach Home Service Pros) HOW to finally start growing into a CMB without burning yourself out.

Let’s talk soon!

When I beg industry entrepreneurs to make “recruiting” Career Candidates a never-ending, ongoing process I can’t tell you how many times I hear the same sad refrain…

“Oh, Steve, I’m done with hiring. I’ve finally found the perfect team!” 👍 Or…

“I’ve found the BEST young tech ever! And even better, Steve? Billy says he’s going to work for me till he hits retirement age!”

Ummmm, sure.🙄 How does the old saying go? “Ignorance is bliss?” So, if fooling yourself makes you feel good… go for it! However…

Here’s the hard truth every residential services business owner eventually learns:

Even your very best people will leave! And no, their departure doesn’t make them “bad”, disloyal or ungrateful. Instead...

Life happens. Parents get sick. A spouse gets transferred. A better opportunity falls in their lap. Sometimes people just need (or want) something different. The danger for you? 😯

☠️ You get comfortable. You stop recruiting. You assume today’s team of all-stars will still be with you tomorrow, next month, next year.

And then, probably sooner rather than later, your happy-go-lucky, foolish lying to yourself (because that’s what it is) collapses! And you get totally blindsided.

QUESTION: Do you want to achieve the elusive Personal Freedom in our labor-heavy residential services industry?

ANSWER: Then ongoing hiring and constant recruiting can’t be a one-time fix—it MUST become a lifestyle that is embedded in your company’s culture!

I know, I know, you can stay a solo “Lone Wolf” long term. And done properly (most don’t) an owner-operated company can be a valid business model. However...

“Staying small” comes with its own headaches, burnout, and income limits. Here’s the mindset shift that changed everything for me:

Just like you never, ever stop marketing for new clients, you must constantly market for future employee “Career Candidates”.

Not just when you’re desperate. Not when someone quits without notice. Instead, you must recruit constantly. Every. Single. Week.

Because when you “marry” (hire) the right people, your business (and life) runs like an exciting and fun dream. Life is great! Get married to a wrong employee? Every day feels like walking on Legos barefoot!😨

Here’s how to get proactive now instead of panicking when your best tech hands in their keys:

💡1. Recruit constantly—even when you’re fully staffed.

Don’t wait until you’re drowning. Keep recruiting visible, active, and especially top-of-mind in all your employees’ minds. The best hires usually show up when you don’t need them at that moment.

2. Never fall into the trap of Desperation Hiring.

When you’re short-staffed, that warm body suddenly looks amazing. Three weeks later you’re thinking, “What was I thinking?” The answer? You weren’t! Drowning people will grab at any twig!

ProTIP: Your goal is to hire slow and smart, not fast and painful. (Don’t ask me how I learned this one!) 🙄

3. Build a bullpen of part-time and on-call Employees in Waiting.

Some of my best hires already had great jobs. They weren’t even looking for work—we had to recruit (OK, poach!) them.

4. Offer a job that’s truly a step up. 👍👍

Your future employees won’t wait around for a position in your company unless your opportunity is waaaaaaaaaay better than where they’re working now! That means you must provide:

• An amazing culture and a family-focused atmosphere

• A clear growth path

• Consistent hours

• Real training opportunities

• A boss who treats people like humans (This one may be a challenge for you- it was for me!

💡 ProTIP: If you want the Very Best People, you must offer them a real career at a Very Best Company.

5. Identify and then romance 💖 your top Career Candidates.

Your best tech, CSR, and managerial candidates have options everywhere—from working at UPS to construction gigs to any office job in town. If you want to keep them, you need to constantly earn their loyalty.

Don’t worry— at HomeFrontSuccess.com we’ve got incredible resources to transform your company into the kind of place top talent fights to join… and to build a career with!

BONUS IDEA: A Hidden Opportunity in Today’s Layoffs

The upside of today’s tough economic times? There are A-players out there—laid off through no fault of their own—who are READY for a fresh career in an exciting industry with unlimited potential. NOTE: See how I’m romancing you? 😁

This is the perfect time to replace your marginal workers with people who actually want to build a future… with YOUR Very Best Company!

Steve’s Bottom Line

If you don’t want to be “held hostage” every time a great employee quits (or threatens to), you need a recruiting machine that runs nonstop.

The residential service companies winning right now are the ones who treat recruiting like marketing— 1) consistent, 2) intentional, and 3) always happening.

Make sure you’re never caught blindsided again by building your pipeline of future employees today. And yes, at Home Front Success we’d LOVE to help you!

KickStart: A review of why you, your family, your employees AND your residential clients deserve the Very Best People.

“DESTROY, Steve? Seriously? That’s a strong word! And why are you picking only on techs?” 😡 Understood. Allow me to explain…

Never forget Steve’s Abiding Principle #1 for all residential service businesses:

“80% of how a homeowner decides if your company did a ‘good job’ or a ‘bad job” is based on their relationship with the employees involved in their service transaction.”

NOTE: Your client’s FEELINGS about your staff (mostly your in-home techs) will also determine whether they post an ecstatic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-star review OR a nasty, “surprise” ⭐-star review!

But honestly? My 80% Principle goes even deeper than your residential customers’ reviews! It also affects 1) YOU, 2) your family and 3) your loyal team of (I hope!)😯 quality people. First, let’s focus on…

YOU: If you run a residential services company, you already know this truth: marginal employees will drain your time, your energy, and basically suck the joy out of your daily life! (Trust me- I’ve been there!) 😨

I remind every coaching client, “Life is too short not to surround yourself with what I call the ‘Very Best People’!” (VBP) No, these folks are not perfect. But by golly, just like you and me, every day they are working toward being better!

Your family: It is so easy to focus too much on business at the expense of your family. (OK for me, it was a fatal obsession that cost me way too much!) 😭

But with marginal employees on board, you are constantly called away by the messes they create. Your family deserves your complete attention when you’re off-duty.

Your team: Any business is a fragile creature especially when it comes to developing the ever-elusive employee morale and team culture. And yes, just one “bad apple” (read here a Loser Employee) can destroy it all- quickly!

So let me quickly lay it out in plain, real-world terms with a simple chart. Ask yourself, which column do you want for you, your family and your team of VBP!

Pro TIP: I’ve learned—sometimes the hard way—that keeping marginal people around “just a little longer” never pays off. Instead, I preach, “hire slow and fire fast”!

Once you’ve A) identified a marginal worker, B) clearly communicated your expectations with a reasonable deadline and C) they simply can’t and/or won’t measure up? Move them out of your company (and your life) gently, respectfully but VERY quickly!

☠️ WARNING: Sometimes a coaching client will tell me, “Steve, I’m just waiting for Charlie to quit. You see, if I fire him, our unemployment rates will go up. But if he quits I’ll save money…”

I reply: PAY THE HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT RATES and get this loser out NOW! This is infinitely safer (and cheaper) than keeping a marginal employee on in your company!

Life is too short—and business is too demanding—to drag marginal employees along for the ride. Terminate them respectfully, decisively and quickly! Your company deserves better and YOU, your family and your team deserve better.

REMEMBER: High-performers don’t just want a job—they want a future. If you hope to attract the very best people, you need to offer a real career path, real opportunity, and a company culture they’re proud to be part of.

Let me help you build that kind of team by building a Very Best Company… together! 😎

KickSTART: Recruit a “bullpen” of pre-screened, pre-tested technician candidates just waiting to be called in to save the day!

At the end of the day ALL of us (me too) are in business to make a profit.💲 And the more profit the better! 💸💰💵

I LOVED it 🎉🎊🪇😎 when my business was booming, the phone wouldn’t stop ringing, the schedule was packed, and my trained team was smoothly running on all 8 cylinders! WOO-HOO!

You too? If so, CONGRATULATIONS! 😁

Then out of nowhere…

BAM! 😨 Two techs walk off the job with zero notice. Suddenly, you personally are pulling 18-hour days and yelling, “Just get me some warm bodies in here!” 😡

And we both know how what I call “Desperation Hiring” turns out. Spoiler alert: TERRIBLE! ☠️ Every. Single. Time.

I had one concept drilled into me early on: Hire slow, fire fast. Great advice… but basically impossible when you simply don’t have time to truly vet new techs.

That’s why the real solution isn’t to scramble later—it’s to prepare NOW! Want to bring in great people immediately when things get tight with ZERO notice? Here’s the play:

Keep a list of quality, pre-screened, pre-tested applicants who are eagerly waiting to be called in.

Yep—your own bullpen of “techs-in-waiting!” Here’s how I kept my own Business Bullpen stocked with eager “techs-in-waiting”:

1. Always Be Recruiting

Even when I was fully staffed, I would always be watching. If I saw an employee excelling in their job (it didn’t matter what the industry was), I’d hand them my business card and say something simple like:

“I’ve been impressed by your work ethic. I might have a really great, local career opportunity for you. Here’s my personal cell. (I’d write the number on the back.) If you’re interested, give me a call on your next break.”

Not everyone called—but the good ones usually did.

2. Give Them a Real, Honest Job Description

No fluff, no sugar coating. I would explain what we did, the real hours, typical working conditions, the base pay, the benefits and potential bonuses, and our advancement opportunities.

Be honest here- after all, they’ll eventually learn the truth anyway and if you’ve lied- they’ll quit and you get to replay this whole scenario again!

IF my “Career Candidate” was still interested and/or intrigued by this position I would move them to Step #3.

🤔 Question: “Steve, did you really use the term ‘Career Candidate’ for a lowly tech job?” WHOA! 🚫 There’s a whole lot to unpack with this question!

First, our techs were far from “lowly”! Instead, we HONORED our technicians. No one worked harder or contributed more to our residential services company’s profitability/ longevity than our in-home production people! 👍👍

And second, words are powerful. So, we optimistically used the title “Career Candidate” to reflect the rosy future potentially ahead for our job applicants. HINT: We used this positive phrasing even though honestly if I got three years out of a tech, I was happy! 😉

3. Bring Them in for an Application & Interview

This is where I pay attention to the basics:

• Are they on time to the interview? HINT: Set your interview for an “odd time” as in, “Charlie, I can fit you in tomorrow right at 9:15. Will this time work for you?”

• Prepared? Do they ask me questions?

• Respectful? Look me in the eye? What is their “fidget factor”?

🗝️ ProTIP: Remember you aren’t under pressure with this ONGOING process. Having the luxury of time means you can be picky.

Never forget that this point in your relationship is “as good as it gets”. So if this potential Career Candidate isn’t cutting it, better for all concerned to break it off sooner rather than later. Hmmmm, this process really is like a courtship! 💍

IF the applicant checked all my mental boxes above, I would then run background and reference checks. (Do NOT shortcut these checks.) IF they passed with flying colors…

4. Test them out with a “Working Interview”

Before I made any promises, I would invite them in for what we called a “Trail Hire”. This could be a few paid hours or even a full day working with our team on their day off.

Nothing crazy intense—just a normal work day to let this Career Candidate see how we work and let their immediate supervisor observe their work habits and personality. Once again, it’s like dating before proposing. 🤵👰

And IF all parties concerned still feel good after this Working Interview? We all moved forward...

5. Keep Them “Warmed Up and Waiting”

Once someone passed every step, we’d tell them they’re officially an “Approved Career Candidate”. Our applicants loved hearing this- because we offered an above average Career Opportunity! (There’s that word “Career” again!) 😎

Then we would send a quick twice-monthly update about what’s happening in the company. This email kept our Candidates excited and connected. Some Approved Candidates would even help us with paid overflow work or a part-time gig until we had a full-time slot open up. 👍

Why My “Business Bullpen” Techs-in-Waiting System Will Work for You

Remember, these Approved Career Candidates you’ve recruited will normally still have steady paychecks, so they’re not desperate.

This means you’re attracting quality applicants that are proving every day they can successfully hold a job. And that they are NOT marginal individuals jumping at the first thing they can grab.

Never forget—if you want these Approved Career Candidates to wait for your call, your offer has to be truly attractive. Competitive pay, bonuses, benefits, culture… the whole package.

People don’t leave a job (much less wait for a position to open up!) unless they believe they’re stepping into something better.

Folks, the 5-step system I’ve profiled above saved me from countless desperate hires, endless headaches, and way too many 18-hour days! Recruit your Business Bullpen now, and you’ll never scramble for techs again. 😎

KickStart: 🛑STOP allowing business pressures to push you into hiring Marginal Individuals as in-home techs.

I’ve been there. You are drowning.😨 You’re short-staffed, jobs are stacking up, and your overworked employees tempers are fraying. Then, like an answer to a prayer, someone walks in that looks at least “semi-capable”.

Yep, in this hopeless moment it’s tempting to use what I call the “Hiring Mirror Test” as in: “If they can fog a mirror, they’re hired!”😮

But now for some real talk. This Desperation Hiring mode will always cost you more time, money, AND headaches than you can imagine. Hiring under pressure always comes back to bite you!

Instead, choose good, moral people you can trust in your customers’ homes. Of course, your question is: “Steve, how can I tell if a job candidate is a solid, quality individual?” Great question!

Simply ask yourself my Introspective Hiring Question #1…

💡 “Would I have this person over for dinner?”

If your gut says “NO,” do NOT hire them. Because if you wouldn’t want them eating at your dinner table, you for sure do NOT want them working in your client’s living room.

Then, perform my Introspective Hiring Question #2 by asking deep down in your belly:

💡 “How would I feel about this technician working alone in my house—with MY spouse at home?”

If this “Gut Check” question makes you even a little uncomfortable, your job candidate should be a hard pass. Your customers are trusting you with their biggest financial asset, their home. Even more importantly…

Your clients are trusting YOU to send only people of the highest moral character into the inner sanctum of their home. This is where their precious family lives!

You owe it to your customers (and your reputation) to only employ quality individuals that you personally trust!

I get it—this isn’t a fun topic. 😢 But as a residential service business owner you need to face it head on.

Steve’s TRUE Confessions Time: I admit it. I’ve been guilty of keeping techs on my team who made me uneasy, but I ignored that feeling because they “got the job done.” 😮 I was wrong.

This sloppiness turned out to be very dangerous thinking on my part. I skated through (barely!)😟 but I cringe to think of what my playing fast and loose with my clients’ lives could have cost me financially, legally AND especially ethically!😢

🗝️ URGENT HOMEWORK: Don’t just use my two Introspective Hiring Questions for future job candidates. Learn from me. Right now (as in today!) complete this assignment:

Seriously ask yourself both of my Introspective Hiring Questions about each employee on your payroll. (Especially your in-home technicians!)

Feeling a bit queasy? (Much better now than later!) IF you have even the slightest doubt about one of your technicians then let me ask you a thought-provoking (and very scary) question…

💡 “If you don’t feel good about this tech being alone in YOUR home with YOUR wife, WHY are you sending him into your trusting clients’ homes to be alone with THEIR wives and families?” Hmmmmm…?

I know, I know. Your guy is a bit sketchy but he is a 1) reliable, hard worker, 2) you’re super slammed with work, and 3) you hate, dread and fear trying to hire his replacement! I DON’T CARE! (Sorry to shout!) Read the next sentence very carefully:

☠️ A “morally marginal” employee is a ticking time bomb that can destroy you, your family and your business!

As residential service business owners we have an ethical responsibility to ONLY send people of the highest moral character into our trusting customers’ homes. Even if you get away with it…

☠️ Never forget, one bad hire (or even worse, a current employee) can tank your reputation faster than any nasty 1-star review.

So, slow down. Listen to your gut. Hire great people that you happily welcome into your own home. This approach will save you from a world of pain down the road.

Of course, the 600# gorilla in the room is, “Steve, where do I find these elusive people of the highest moral character? I’d love to hire them!” 💖 Let’s talk about this very soon!

Meanwhile, you have two very serious Introspective Questions to ask yourself about each and every tech in your organization! 😎