Scott Stone
New member
You have seen the question. Now for the poll. It is your opinion, and a very open question, intentionally.
Scott
Scott
A different poll: What makes a successful contractor?
- Thread starter Scott Stone
- Start date
Bigboy
Member
I liked all of them,liked #2 and 5 the best tho.Cann't see how to vote on "what" "makes' and "successful".
Would I be fooled in believing "what" you "make" is caLLED "successful" hehehehe snicker snicker
.So intentionally I'm going to vote on the really cool eqt. dat is ifen ya don't mine me intentionally doing so .
Would I be fooled in believing "what" you "make" is caLLED "successful" hehehehe snicker snicker
.So intentionally I'm going to vote on the really cool eqt. dat is ifen ya don't mine me intentionally doing so .
Scott Stone
New member
They are all important. It is just that everyone has their own opinion of what the ultimate success is.
Scott
Scott
Dave Olson
Workin North of 60
At one time I thought that being successful all I need to do was just to make enough money to allow us to continue to live in the lifestyle that we had grown accustomed too.
My wife has worked most all of the time except a few years of the last 40! Now I think making enough to allow my wife to quit her good paying job (with all of the benny’s) would be considered success!
Dave Olson
My wife has worked most all of the time except a few years of the last 40! Now I think making enough to allow my wife to quit her good paying job (with all of the benny’s) would be considered success!
Dave Olson
Clean County PW
Active member
For whatever reason My vote won't go through but I would have to say that a good Reputation would be the highest on my list.
Actually they are all important except for the last one(Cool Equipment). If you have that than good for you but the others have alot more importance.
My biggest goal on that list at this time would be to have employees do all the physical work so I can concentrate on expanding my business.
In most cases more employees= a ton more cash which would be my end goal.
Actually they are all important except for the last one(Cool Equipment). If you have that than good for you but the others have alot more importance.
My biggest goal on that list at this time would be to have employees do all the physical work so I can concentrate on expanding my business.
In most cases more employees= a ton more cash which would be my end goal.
Scott Stone
New member
I can't believe it. 114 views and only 14 responses. Simply amazing. Please vote.
Clean County PW
Active member
OK, my vote just went thru.
Paul Freeman
New member
Hi Scott,
I think the ability to pay your bills is #1. Call it capital investment, 401k, Savings, or anything else you can think of. If you can't pay your bills, you ain't gonna be get'n to #2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, period.
Right behind the ability to pay the bills, by whatever means available to you, comes a Good Reputation, #4. If you don't establish that, it don't matter how much money you have, you'll never achieve # 1, 2, 3, 5, or 6.
Once you establish a reputation, the bills will get paid some how (#1, maybe sprinkled with #2).
Once you have a few bucks in the bank, number #2 "may" be start'n to happen.
As far as #3, employees doing all the work, I think #1, 2, and 4 must have already happened.
As for #5, We will wash almost anything...
# 6: We have some cool equipment, but nothig to brag about: we're no "Tidy" operation by any means - maybe next year (as the Red Sox would say!).
Best Regards,
Paul F. - Nice Papa!
(Sorry Paul, I couldn't resist!)
I think the ability to pay your bills is #1. Call it capital investment, 401k, Savings, or anything else you can think of. If you can't pay your bills, you ain't gonna be get'n to #2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, period.
Right behind the ability to pay the bills, by whatever means available to you, comes a Good Reputation, #4. If you don't establish that, it don't matter how much money you have, you'll never achieve # 1, 2, 3, 5, or 6.
Once you establish a reputation, the bills will get paid some how (#1, maybe sprinkled with #2).
Once you have a few bucks in the bank, number #2 "may" be start'n to happen.
As far as #3, employees doing all the work, I think #1, 2, and 4 must have already happened.
As for #5, We will wash almost anything...
# 6: We have some cool equipment, but nothig to brag about: we're no "Tidy" operation by any means - maybe next year (as the Red Sox would say!).
Best Regards,
Paul F. - Nice Papa!
(Sorry Paul, I couldn't resist!)
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Z
Zippo
Guest
I can't believe there are more votes for reputation than anything else! What are you people thinking? No wonder most of you will stay small time...you haven't a clue!
A good reputation is good to have, but is not the mark of a successful contractor. If I work at a loss and all my clients are thrilled, and pass the word around, am I successful? Hell no. I'm a) an idiot, b) a bad businessman, and c) not long for the business world.
You may sit in your little ivory towers and holier than thou world of not cheating on your income taxes, helping an old lady across the street and building a good reputation. None of which will make you successful.
However, if you never have enough cash to pay your bills on time, you work alone without employees your entire life, are not saving any money, do you really consider yourself a success???
Unfortunately the poll is worded or constructed poorly to be of real value. Any one choice presented is not the measure of success, without ancillary choices included.
Zippo
A good reputation is good to have, but is not the mark of a successful contractor. If I work at a loss and all my clients are thrilled, and pass the word around, am I successful? Hell no. I'm a) an idiot, b) a bad businessman, and c) not long for the business world.
You may sit in your little ivory towers and holier than thou world of not cheating on your income taxes, helping an old lady across the street and building a good reputation. None of which will make you successful.
However, if you never have enough cash to pay your bills on time, you work alone without employees your entire life, are not saving any money, do you really consider yourself a success???
Unfortunately the poll is worded or constructed poorly to be of real value. Any one choice presented is not the measure of success, without ancillary choices included.
Zippo
Grant
Administrator
A good reputation to me means across the board, which indicates success of other types:
A good reputation with your suppliers indicates you pay your bills.
A good reputation with your employees indicates you meet your payroll and the other expectations of those employees.
A good reputation with your competitors indicates you are in it for the long run.
A good reputation with customers indicates a quality job at a fair price.
A good reputation with your bankers opens all sorts of avenues for retirement plans and business growth opportunities
All of these put money in the bank and food on the table.
I vote good reputation!
A good reputation with your suppliers indicates you pay your bills.
A good reputation with your employees indicates you meet your payroll and the other expectations of those employees.
A good reputation with your competitors indicates you are in it for the long run.
A good reputation with customers indicates a quality job at a fair price.
A good reputation with your bankers opens all sorts of avenues for retirement plans and business growth opportunities
All of these put money in the bank and food on the table.
I vote good reputation!
David Saulque
Senior Moderator
If you have a good reputation in any market the other items are included. You can't have one without the other. Grant, you are on target. Then what do we know!
David
David
it's all about the money
To me, it's all about ME.
I want the things on the poll but you need money to get them.
Dave and Paul have said it best so no need to repete.
I feel that employee's are the biggest stepping stone to becomeing more successfull and I have seen little to no posts about the who,what,where contractor's got the balls to hire there first person? Time for a new thread.
To me, it's all about ME.
I want the things on the poll but you need money to get them.
Dave and Paul have said it best so no need to repete.
I feel that employee's are the biggest stepping stone to becomeing more successfull and I have seen little to no posts about the who,what,where contractor's got the balls to hire there first person? Time for a new thread.
Scott Stone
New member
I had a wonderful reply. But it got deleted as I was writing the last sentence. I even spent a half hour writing it.
Here is where it boils down to me.
Reputation does not put food on the table, and my kids do not care how good the rep is if they are hungry.
If you take care of the money, the reputation will come. and reputation is really a product of promotion
Scott
Here is where it boils down to me.
Reputation does not put food on the table, and my kids do not care how good the rep is if they are hungry.
If you take care of the money, the reputation will come. and reputation is really a product of promotion
Scott
Paul Freeman
New member
I too, lost my post, after working on it for quite a while. And then, I had to come back and edit it!
For me, it boils down to this:
I guess I'm on the other side of the spectrum as far as a good reputation not putting food on the table. Hell, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on “for gratis” type work and advertising. Yet, nothing has proved to be more successful than the reputation (by verbal referrals) that I’ve gained by satisfied “paying” customers. Hence, I don't do "for gratis" work anymore, unless it's for a non-profit organization that shares something in common with us.
I think that establishing a good reputation is secondary to having the will, determination, and enough money to start a new business (any business).
I don’t think anybody can argue with the fact that you have to watch the money, even if you’re not at the top of the food chain. Just ask any (X) Enron employee.
Best Regards,
Paul Freeman
For me, it boils down to this:
I guess I'm on the other side of the spectrum as far as a good reputation not putting food on the table. Hell, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on “for gratis” type work and advertising. Yet, nothing has proved to be more successful than the reputation (by verbal referrals) that I’ve gained by satisfied “paying” customers. Hence, I don't do "for gratis" work anymore, unless it's for a non-profit organization that shares something in common with us.
I think that establishing a good reputation is secondary to having the will, determination, and enough money to start a new business (any business).
I don’t think anybody can argue with the fact that you have to watch the money, even if you’re not at the top of the food chain. Just ask any (X) Enron employee.
Best Regards,
Paul Freeman
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David Saulque
Senior Moderator
The question was "What is a successful contractor?"and with that in mind on should look for a basic underlying quality that defines everything. That one quality would be a good reputation. With just that all the other items fall into place. On the flip-side if his reputation is poor, one could say that his ability to satisfy the revenue steam shortfall would be just around the corner.
All of those issue are important, however when given just one to pick other issues get in the way. A successful contractor must always have a great reputation.
David
All of those issue are important, however when given just one to pick other issues get in the way. A successful contractor must always have a great reputation.
David
i can buy a reputation
advertisers do it every day. Reputation is all in the selling and image.
Remember one thing about the word SUCCESSFUL
it's all in the meaning to the person useing it.
A singer that can make a living siging but never gets a recording contract may still be a success in his mind because he get's to do what he likes to do to make a living,every day.
If successfulness is going to measured what are you useing as a ruler?
Why will a person get up every day to go to work when he has more money then he can spend in his lifetime, or 50 lifetimes? Bill Gates.
Im sure he changes his measureing tape every day.
Do you know that somewhere out there ,there is someone getting tired of sleeping with a super model? Why, they changed there measuring tape.
advertisers do it every day. Reputation is all in the selling and image.
Remember one thing about the word SUCCESSFUL
it's all in the meaning to the person useing it.
A singer that can make a living siging but never gets a recording contract may still be a success in his mind because he get's to do what he likes to do to make a living,every day.
If successfulness is going to measured what are you useing as a ruler?
Why will a person get up every day to go to work when he has more money then he can spend in his lifetime, or 50 lifetimes? Bill Gates.
Im sure he changes his measureing tape every day.
Do you know that somewhere out there ,there is someone getting tired of sleeping with a super model? Why, they changed there measuring tape.
Scott Stone
New member
Here is my analysis of this poll.
Out of 327 views, 19 people voted. That is an average of 1 vote for every 17 views. I would take that to mean that a lot of people did not vote or Jon was really bored and looked at the poll a lot.
11 people said Reputation was most important to success, and the other 8 said it had something to do with money. Since I know that most of the people that voted for themoney were multiple rig units, and most of the ones that voted for reputation were owner operators ( I am pretty sure that my GUESS is right) that means that owner operators are still trying to prove their reputation where as multiple rig companies are comfortable with their reputation and are more concerned about the bottom line. Remember this is just a guess, and I know that there are some multiple rig operators, such as David the feel reputation defines success.
So what it boils down to, is that if you are a one man band, you have to worry about what your reputation is, where as if you have multiple rigs, you are more worried about meeting your obligations, and meeting your financial goals.
As for me, I have multiple rigs, and I worry about theh financial end, and deal with quality problems as soon as they come up.
I realize this is not everyone's opinion, but it is what seems apparent to me.
Scott Stone
Out of 327 views, 19 people voted. That is an average of 1 vote for every 17 views. I would take that to mean that a lot of people did not vote or Jon was really bored and looked at the poll a lot.
11 people said Reputation was most important to success, and the other 8 said it had something to do with money. Since I know that most of the people that voted for themoney were multiple rig units, and most of the ones that voted for reputation were owner operators ( I am pretty sure that my GUESS is right) that means that owner operators are still trying to prove their reputation where as multiple rig companies are comfortable with their reputation and are more concerned about the bottom line. Remember this is just a guess, and I know that there are some multiple rig operators, such as David the feel reputation defines success.
So what it boils down to, is that if you are a one man band, you have to worry about what your reputation is, where as if you have multiple rigs, you are more worried about meeting your obligations, and meeting your financial goals.
As for me, I have multiple rigs, and I worry about theh financial end, and deal with quality problems as soon as they come up.
I realize this is not everyone's opinion, but it is what seems apparent to me.
Scott Stone