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MY BUSINESS

Does Size Count ??

I had a discussion with a guy today that has been renovating bathrooms for the last 15 years. Despite all the scary stories you hear about builders this guy is actually a very decent person/guy/father.

He was telling me that the last 15 years had taken their toll on him and his business because of unscrupulous home owners looking for excuses not to pay him, problem staff and bad debts. Apart from these problems I think the most sole destroying part of his job is the lack of respect people have for tradesman. By that I mean you are on your hands and knees on the ground working in someones bathroom over a weekend while people are relaxing with their feet up in the air. This dedication is taken for granted and you very rarely receive a thanks. In most cases the only thank you is a complaint or downright rudeness..

In a small one man business I think that over time it must be very difficult to stay motivated and enthusiastic when you are at the other end of rudeness, pettiness and nastiness on a daily basis. Ignore what the books say because when you are in a large business it is very easy to motivate yourself and to motivate each other, but when you are alone you really are alone. Where is your support structure??? Eventually your loved ones get tired of hearing the same story over and over and simply stop listing to you and then you are really alone.

There are certain trades where I am absolutely convinced that in order to survive you need to be a one man show or at the other end of the scale - a large concern. In the in between stage you only have problems and hassles, especially in the building industry where you are dealing with very subjective attitudes, standards and perceptions.

This chap I spoke to is doing the right thing! It is obvious that he has lost his drive and enthusiasm and instead he is choosing to go farming, his closing words to me “why put up with all this shit.” Sometimes you need to know when to call it a day and when to push on - unfortunately pride has a habit of getting in the way. Human nature is such that we hate to loose.. to walk away from a fight… and sometimes business is exactly that.

If only we could all be sage investors like Warren Buffet who I think it was that said when considering an investment, you need to look at the industry and then decide whether you can make money in such an industry or not. You need to consider the potential risks and potential returns and then make a decision whether to get involved. Anyone can fight BUT there are simply some fights that you cannot win…

By Francois Heyns

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