“I was putting in 60 or more hours per week,” Earl Swalm told me. “I have two kids, and I felt like I was missing out on a lot. It was really tough, very stressful.”
Many dealers can relate to those words. In this installment you’re going to learn Earl’s story; how he took control of his business and cut his work hours by more than half, and grew his revenue by 50% in one year. In parts 2 and 3 you’ll learn about the sales and marketing strategies he used, and the steps he took to cut his work hours.
Earl’s Story
Earl owns a flooring dealership in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan which he bought in January 2000. He worked many 70+ hour weeks for ten years. “I started to implement paper systems early on, but couldn’t escape the ‘I wish I could find someone just like me’ syndrome,” Earl said. “I felt like if I didn’t do it myself or babysit it, things wouldn’t get done right.”
He liked the flooring business, but he couldn’t escape the fact that he was working for his business instead of it working for him. The long hours, stress and the burnout were taking their toll. “I finally decided to sell my business,” he told me. “I couldn’t see any other way to get my life back.”
That’s something I hear from a lot of dealers. They get into the flooring business because they see it as a better opportunity to create a great life for themselves and their family than a 9-5 job. Unfortunately, for many, the dream of owning their own store turns into a nightmare with long hours, stress, not enough money, etc.
Earl began to research selling his business. He wanted to get top dollar, so he reached out to me to help him with his marketing and business systems so the store would be more appealing to a buyer. He began implementing systems and strategies to make his business more profitable and efficient.
About a year into this process I got an email from Earl saying he’d decided not to sell. Curious, I called him and asked why. “Because I’m only working about 35 hours per week,” he laughed. “Business is fun again. Why sell it?”
In my opinion, the purpose of your business is this: to fund and facilitate your ideal lifestyle.
Make it count.
Providing employment, providing great products, taking excellent care of your customers; these are all important. But if you’re not funding and facilitating a great lifestyle, what’s the point? If you’re stressed out and tired all the time, what’s the point? If you lack the time and money for hobbies, traveling, fishing, golfing, having great life experiences with your kids, spending lots of quality time with your spouse, or whatever has meaning to you outside of business…what’s the point? Life is too short to live it burned out and wishing for something better. Make it count.
That’s what Earl decided to do. He works an average of 35 hours per week, and oftentimes only 25. He regularly takes time off, including 10-day trips away from his business. And while he’s away, it continues to run like a well-oiled machine. Last Fall his revenue was up 50% year-over-year.
“I now work from home a couple of days a week,” he told me. “My day starts at 7:00 and I usually quit by noon or 1:00. Last Thanksgiving I took four days off, and completely unplugged from work. Before when I’d take time off, I would check emails and take phone calls, so I was still mentally working. But now I’m totally present for my family, and I really enjoy myself. It’s great.”
In the next installment, I’ll cover sales and marketing strategies Earl used to grow his revenue.
To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”
Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
See what real, live dealers are saying!
For a complimentary copy of Jim’s book, “How Floor Dealers Can Beat the Boxes and Escape the Cheap-Price Rat-Race of Doom Forever,” visit BeatTheBoxesToday.com.