When my partner, Sharie DeHart and I, were running
construction and plumbing service and repair businesses beginning
in the early 1970s until 2000 we felt we did not need to pay
anybody to tell us what to do because we knew exactly what to
do.
After several very painful and extremely costly mistakes, we
found the adage "Experience Is The Best Teacher...And The Most
Expensive" to be oh so true!
We found ourselves, our family, employees, and suppliers were
all riding on our Roller Coaster of Surprises, some good, some bad.
On occasion, we would wake up screaming bloody murder only to
discover it was the middle of the afternoon, and we were not
asleep!
Books, Tapes, Seminars and Gurus
For the next several years we added a combined total of over
4,000 books, cassette tapes, VHS videotapes, workbooks, and several
hundred handouts from every How-To-Do-It guru we could find.
And we were still not getting anywhere fast because the
seminars are like energy drinks, they pump you up, and after a week
or two in the real world, we were beaten down again. It was back to
a roller coaster ride.
Be, Do, Have
In time we found several consultants and professionals some
good, some bad, some nightmares and one, in particular, kept
repeating: Be, Do, Have. Be the person, Do the work, Have the
results.
In life, we produce reasons or results and, reasons don't
count. Having experienced success and failure several times, this
message slowly sank into my head.
We even hired a few consultants that were worthless because
they had no construction experience and could only teach what they
had learned in university or by hanging around hyped up seminar
presenters selling Get-Rich-Quick-Schemes to rooms full of
desperate people.
We discovered that success came fast and easy when we engage
the services of mentors that are skilled in construction because
they were where we wanted to be.
Here are some tips that could help you in deciding on
a consultant:
1. Make sure they have hands-on experience in your profession.
Preferably a
Journeyman License, Certifications or some kind of
external proof of their expertise.
2. Though the dogs (people who think you should tough it out
and go it alone) may bark, the caravan (a long line of successful
people with consultants on their team) moves on.
3. Choose wisely the six people you spend the most of your
time with as
leveling is always
occurring.
4. Make sure your consulting sessions take place in a safe,
nurturing environment.
5. Reflect on what you think, believe, or feel and if it's
important to the topic of conversation.
Questions To Ask Yourself:
1. Are you judged or criticized for anything you say or
do?
2. Is your consultant brainstorming with you on management to
management level about your issues and concerns?
4. Do you feel you can do a brain dump in a safe, nurturing
environment?
5. Are your specific problems and/or issues being
addressed?
Over to you
Do you own and operate a small construction company? Have you
ever wondered if having a consultant with construction expertise to
call on and ask questions would help you? Are you concerned you
cannot afford one?
We would like the opportunity to work with you.
We will spend a full hour with you at no charge so that both
of us can determine if we are a good fit. Afterward, if there is
mutual agreement to move forward, we will customize a program to
fit your budget and your needs.
As a part of our program, we will complete our analysis and
present you a report regularly:
- You decide what to do with the information.
- You make changes or stay the same.
- You may want some show and tell (for visual people).
- You may decide to have us setup your QuickBooks KPI (Key
Performance Indicator) Reports.
You can also get a full in-depth analysis and review of the
biggest issues you're having with your bookkeeping system and any
other part of your contracting company with our Contractor Bookkeeping Review
services.
It is not about what we think, believe, or feel is necessary.
The focus is always on you, what you think, what you believe or
what you feel is necessary. We offer support, trust, competence,
and complete understanding.
In conclusion:
You are a perfect being operating in an ideal place at the
right time, and you are on a never-ending journey becoming all you
were created to be. You will encounter many excellent guides,
teachers, mentors, and consultants who will support you on your
different paths, times, and phases along your quest. It is crucial
you work with someone who has been where you are now because you
deserve to be wealthy because you bring value to other people's
lives.
About The Author:
Randal DeHart, PMP, QPA is the
co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood
Washington. He is the leading expert in outsourced construction
bookkeeping and accounting services for small construction
companies across the USA. He is experienced as a Contractor,
Project Management Professional, Construction Accountant, Intuit
ProAdvisor, and QuickBooks For Contractors Expert. This combination
of experience and skill sets provides a unique perspective
which allows him to see the world through the eyes of a contractor,
Project Manager, Accountant and Construction Accountant. This
quadruple understanding is what sets him apart from other Intuit
ProAdvisors and accountants to the benefit of all of the
construction contractors he serves across the USA.
Visit http://www.fasteasyaccounting.com/randal-dehart/ to
learn more.
Our Co-Founder Randal
DeHart - Is a Certified PMP (Project Management
Professional) with several years of construction project management
experience. His expertise is construction accounting systems
engineering and process development. His exhaustive study of
several leading experts including the work of Dr. W. Edward Deming,
Michael Gerber, Walter A. Shewhart, James Lewis and dozens of
others was the foundation upon which our Construction Bookkeeping
System is based and continues to evolve and
improve. Check out our Contractor Success Map Podcast on
iTunes.
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