How to Succeed in Signs Part II: Employees

They must buy into your vision to keep growing customers happy.

You can’t make or install signs like these by yourself

OK Y’ALL, SO LAST month we discussed becoming successful by the sheer force of making sure you take care of your clients. Say what you are going to do and do it. Period.

Do everything in your power to make sure your clients get an amazing finished product that they (and you) will be proud of. I do not care if the client is global McDonalds or the hair salon down the street. Make sure you give them stellar service while delivering the very best product possible — which, by the way, is exponentially more difficult the bigger you grow your company, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Next, we talked about clients that suck, those more trouble than they’re worth. They don’t appreciate your efforts, they don’t pay on time, they’re never happy, and they suck the joy straight out of you. In that case, fire them. Shed them and move on.

But sometimes you hesitate. You keep doing work for them, and it winds up robbing you of valuable time you could be spending on a client that truly appreciates your work. It’s a tough call to make, but if they’re not a good fit, they have to go.

However, make no mistake. It’s easy to say or write that; it’s not so easily achieved. Because you have bills to pay. You have a life to build, a family to provide for… motorcycles to buy. So now comes a point where you can no longer provide everything for all your great clients alone. And you want to get bigger, more successful, so you take the plunge and begin hiring.

Employees. Ugghh… The word itself conjures fear, doubt, crushing responsibility and a permanent cold shiver down your spine. This decision will change your life foreverrrrrr! (Insert Vincent Price maniacal laugh here.)

I started this company when I was 16. I’ve had employees since I was 18. Some of them have been with me for more than 25 years. And let me tell you, this decision creates an entire new world for you.

No longer are you responsible for only your family’s well being. Now you have an employee (maybe their spouse and/or kids) relying on you to be successful. And of course, one isn’t enough… ’cause they’re a designer. And you need a wrapper, a fabricator, installers!

Seriously… If you wanna make some life-changing loot, you cannot do it by yourself. You need help creating your vision. And here comes the point of the column.

Those people you hire? They have to be as “on board” as you are. Dialed in to the vision, dialed in to the reason your company exists in the first place.

Does that ever happen? Maybe never quite to the degree you’re dialed in, but yeah, it does happen.

You see, most people want to be a part of a successful organization. I mean, who the hell wants to work for a company that fails all the time? They want to be proud to tell their friends (and inlaws) who they work for. They wanna be part of something special. Something completely successful.

Ooohhh, but wait… Now you have these awesome clients you committed your undying support to. There’s no going back. You told them you were their guy. Your reputation and future success are on the hook. At this point you must drill into your “newish” employees that you run your business with the principles listed above. Their yearly evaluations, their very future with the company hinges on exactly how well they cling to the principles you have promised your clients.

Aww dammit, I’ve surpassed my word count for this month. Like it or not, looks like Part III is forthcoming.

Signs of The Times Article