Service Industry Success
164 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsService industry business expert Brian Harding draws upon his many years of experience to share insights, strategies, tactics, and ideas to help business owners in service industries (like contractors, home and auto repair services, IT providers, CPAs, and B2B businesses) overcome challenges in their businesses. Brian takes on a wide range of topics small business owners face with growth, delegating, customers, employees, and processes, as well as the internal struggles and fears small business owners must overcome to build the business and lifestyle they dream of.
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Episodes
163. A Case Study on How Not to Handle the Frustration of Rising Wages
April 23, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutes - 35 MBIt’s been hard to stay on top of wage increases and employee expectations the last few years. Knowing when to grant wage increases and when to say no has been challenging. Talented employees are hard to find… And… There is a finite amount we can spend on wages and still be profitable. It can be frustrating. Very frustrating. Here’s a case study on how not to handle it. Check out Brian's new group at: www.joinbusinesstips.com Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com ...
162. What are Some Tips When Promoting a New Supervisor or Manager?
April 16, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutes - 38.7 MBPromoting a supervisor is an amazing time. It’s can really be exciting. And, sometimes, there is also a steep learning curve – which is not so awesome for everyone. Luckily many of the problems we are likely to face are predictable and avoidable. Tune in and I’ll share some common problems to get out in front of when promoting a new manager or supervisor. To try Brian's group meetings - where you can ask any question you have about improving your business, your growth, your team...
161. How Can We Develop a Stronger Company Culture?
April 09, 2024 09:00 - 17 minutes - 32.9 MBOne of the most common questions I hear when people find out what I do for a living is “How can we develop a stronger company culture?" Tune in and I’ll share how I typically answer. To try Brian's group meetings - where you can ask any question you have about improving your business, your growth, your team, your processes, or your profitability - absolutely free, send a quick introductory email to [email protected] with the word "free group trial" in the subject. ...
160. Us Against the Solution Box
April 02, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutes - 35.3 MBHow did I make sure I was focused on the parts of my customers’ journey I thought could make the most impact on sales, retention, and word-of-mouth advertising? I competed against the “Solution Box”. What is the solution box? Tune in to find out! To try Brian's group meetings - where you can ask any question you have about improving your business, your growth, your team, your processes, or your profitability - absolutely free, send a quick introductory email to hello@serviceindu...
159. How Can I Define My Company's Competitive Advantage?
March 26, 2024 09:00 - 23 minutes - 43.6 MBYou know your company is great. And you want potential customers and referral sources to know too. But it’s not easy to put your greatness into words. Why is that? More importantly, how do we overcome it? Tune in and I’ll tell you what worked for me. To try Brian's group meetings - where you can ask any question you have about improving your business, your growth, your team, your processes, or your profitability - absolutely free, send a quick introductory email to hello@servi...
158. How Can I Better Understand My Target Market?
March 19, 2024 08:00 - 23 minutes - 43.5 MBIt’s almost impossible to articulate how hard our lives are when we don’t understand our clients. And, once we truly understand customers, and potential customers, our lives are profoundly easier in ways that are unimaginable before we have that clarity. Tune in to hear how we can gain the understanding that makes everything fall into place. To try Brian's group meetings - where you can ask any question you have about improving your business, your growth, your team, your processe...
157. The Gift That Keeps on Giving
March 12, 2024 09:00 - 14 minutes - 25.8 MBThis week we are going to talk about quitting – or rather not quitting. I share a couple of statistics about podcasting that will blow your mind, and then of course we’ll talk about how that relates to you and your business. Tune in to see what I mean! Join Brian's lowest cost, lowest time commitment group to get immediate help with the growth challenges you face at: www.joinbusinesstips.com Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
156. Perfect Procedures or Imperfect Processes?
March 05, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutes - 46.6 MBEveryone knows we need to get our processes and procedures documented and in place. But there is a lot of confusion around this topic, from general understanding to specific applications In this episode, I hope to clarify a few things that hold us back. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
155. What Went Wrong, Not Who Did Wrong
February 27, 2024 09:00 - 24 minutes - 45.3 MBLike you, I’ve seen, worked with – and for – some great bosses. I’ve also seen, worked with, and for, some that taught me about the kind of leader I don’t want to be. Of course, there are several key distinctions between the two. Today we’ll cover one that stands out to me, and which I can cite real-life benefits from paying particular attention to. Join Brian's lowest cost, lowest time commitment group to get immediate help with the growth challenges you face at: www.joinbusines...
154. Perhaps the Biggest Mechanical Growth and Scaling Restrictor
February 20, 2024 09:00 - 18 minutes - 34.2 MBNo doubt there are several reasons business leaders and owners are held back from growing their teams and companies. Today I’m going to talk about the critical reason that, mechanically, may be the most restrictive. Tune in to hear what I mean. To attend Brian's upcoming training, titled: The Secret to Getting Employees to Care Again A simple, step-by-step solution that will really get your team engaged (without changing their compensation), go to: www.employeesecrettraining.com...
153. When You're in Charge, How Will You be Held Accountable?
February 13, 2024 09:00 - 20 minutes - 37.9 MBWe spend the vast majority of our lives reporting to someone: parents, teachers, bosses, and even spouses. But, when you grow your company, you no longer have that person to make you do the things that must be done. Our commitment, engagement, and performance levels become self-directed. When that happens… Well… Results may vary. Tune in and I'll share how we can keep ourselves on task and on track when there is nobody else available to do so. To attend Brian's upcoming trai...
152. The Top Three Reasons Most Training Doesn't Work
February 06, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutes - 39.6 MBMost business leaders and business owners feel like they spend a ridiculous amount of their time repeating the same things over and over. Simultaneously, those same business owners and leaders feel like they are not making progress on the embarrassing and costly problems and mistakes that consistently hamper progress. Today we’ll dive in to the top 3 reasons that happens, and how to fix them. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com If you want to come to the webin...
151. Questions to Answer Before Doing More Work on Your Procedures
January 30, 2024 09:00 - 14 minutes - 26.7 MBFor many, a major project ahead is getting processes and procedures in place and documented. This can be a daunting task. Today, I hope to make the work of documenting your processes and procedures a whole lot easier. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
150. Do This so You Can Better Tell Your Story Later
January 23, 2024 09:00 - 21 minutes - 38.5 MBOne day you are going to want to tell your success story. Today, I’m going to share something I did which made remembering, appreciating, and telling my story a lot easier. And if you also do this, I promise your future self will thank you for it. Tune in to see what it is. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
149. Is Your Training Creating the Outcomes You Want?
January 16, 2024 09:00 - 20 minutes - 37 MBTraining is expensive. So for the investment in wages, revenue we give up to hold the meetings, and our own energy and effort put into preparation, we surely want to see a reasonable ROI. But many business owners and leaders feel discouraged by what they perceive to be a lack of performance and behavioral changes after making these investments in training. Tune in and I’ll tell you why I think that happens, and how I overcame this serious problem Get more at: https://www.service...
148. What is Leadership?
January 09, 2024 09:00 - 22 minutes - 41.5 MBNext to religion (AKA the bible) and sales, there are perhaps more books written about leadership than any other topic. But what is leadership? Tune in and I’ll tell you how I define it. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
147. How You Are Crushing it!
January 02, 2024 09:00 - 16 minutes - 30.6 MBYou are crushing it. Yes you. Often, we can get overwhelmed and fatigued and forget just exactly how we are crushing it. Tune in and I’ll tell you how I know you are making more progress than your peers. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
146. The Impact of Big Companies Buying Your Competitors
December 26, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 38.5 MBThere is a trend we can all clearly see of large investment groups buying smaller service companies. What is this going to mean for you? Tune in and I’ll tell you what I think. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
145. How to Tell if Hope is Our Strategy
December 19, 2023 09:00 - 13 minutes - 25.6 MBWe all know that hope is not an effective strategy. Nonetheless, occasionally, we will find ourselves in a situation where it turns out we’ve been relying on hope more than objective truth. So how can we tell if the outcome we want is likely or just a hope or a wish? Tune in and I’ll share the test I use. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
144. Things We Tell Ourselves That Cripple Our Growth
December 12, 2023 09:00 - 14 minutes - 27.2 MBThere are a couple of phrases that business owners commonly say that I believe really prohibit growth and progress. Changing how we use and react to these phrases will make a world of difference. Tune in to hear what they are. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
143. The Two Greatest Lessons I Think Charlie Munger Shared
December 05, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 32.2 MBCharlie Munger – one of the smartest business people to ever live – died last week at 99 years old. Given how brilliant and generous he was in teaching, I thought it would be appropriate to remember Mr. Munger by sharing the two greatest lessons I think he shared for us small business owners. Tune in to hear what they are. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
142. A Case Study on Poor Communication
November 28, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 39.2 MBWe all know how important effective communication is. It can literally make or break our business. Simultaneously, some of the people who are the worst at communicating really think they are doing a great job at it. How do we know our company is communicating at the level we would like? Tune in and I’ll tell you how I go about figuring this out. If you would like to join Brian's new group for solving your growth and employee problems, just send an introductory email with the sub...
141. What Will the Future You be Thankful For?
November 21, 2023 09:00 - 16 minutes - 29.8 MBIt’s Thanksgiving, so of course it’s a good time to talk about being thankful. One of the things that I think is important to keep asking ourselves is what are the kinds of things that we will look back on in the future and be thankful for? Tune in and I’ll explain what I mean. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
140. Who You Should, and Should Not, Listen to
November 14, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 32.1 MBThere is no shortage of people with opinions on how things should be done – especially now in the modern world where such vast amounts of information are literally at our fingertips at any given moment The right advice can save you, and the wrong advice can set you back months or years. How can you know who to listen to? Tune in, and I’ll share the test I rely on the most. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
139. The Companies That do not Adapt on This Will Not Survive the Next Few Years
November 07, 2023 09:00 - 20 minutes - 37.3 MBIt’s rare that I have such a dire tone, or to say something so dramatic like “some companies will not survive”. But I’m seeing a trend that I think is going to be catastrophic for some companies, and it would almost be a dereliction of my duty to not mention it. Tune in and I’ll tell you what it is Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
138. This Kind of Delegation is the Key to Freedom
October 31, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 31.2 MBNearly every business owner I’ve ever asked said they started their business to get some sort of freedom. Time freedom. Financial freedom. The freedom of being their own boss. And there is one thing that provides more freedom than any other. And of course, we are resistant to it, which is why it’s so hard. What is it? Tune in to find out! Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
137. My Selfish Reason For Figuring Out What's in it for the Employee
October 24, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 35 MBAs a business owner, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what’s in it for the employee. Some would say too much time. My motivations are not as altruistic as my critics think. In fact, my whole reason for figuring out what’s in it for the employee is pretty selfish. Stay tuned and I’ll explain what I mean. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
136. How Much is Not Having Effective, Well-Documented Procedures in Place Costing You?
October 17, 2023 09:00 - 25 minutes - 47.3 MBDeveloping and implementing procedures is one of the most tedious and boring tasks we will ever take on. It’s also one of the most important. For many, it’s the thing they are perpetually going to get to next week – like a diet. Today, we will go over many of the ways not having our procedures in place is costing us all tremendous amounts of money each day and each week. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
135. A Common Leadership Mistake That Absolutely Fights Human Nature
October 10, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 47.7 MBOne of the things we can do that absolutely makes our lives more difficult is to ignore human nature. Life is so much easier when we work with human nature, rather than against it. Today, I’m going to talk about a mistake I often made early in my career, which is common among supervisors, managers, and even business owners. In my opinion, this one mistake costs an obscene amount of wasted time, energy, and money. Stay tuned to hear what it is. Get more at: https://www.servicein...
134. Your Biggest Competitive Advantages Over Big Companies
October 03, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 36.5 MBSometimes it can feel like big companies have all the advantages. And they do have very real advantages, to be sure. But their size also provides massive opportunities for smaller companies – especially if we know what those are. This week I share what I think are some of the biggest ways we can use their size to our advantage. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
133. You're Doing Better Than You Think
September 26, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 28.9 MBBeing a business owner can be frustrating, even infuriating. We can often feel alone and isolated. And it can appear from our vantage point that everyone has it figured out except for us. But is that really true? Tune in and I’ll share what I've learned about this. Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
132. Ineffective Talking and Selling Points
September 19, 2023 09:00 - 15 minutes - 29.1 MBIf we want to grow, a question we must continue to ask ourselves is: “Do our talking and selling points emphasize what we do, or how we solve our customers problem?” Tune in and I’ll explain what I mean! Get more at: https://www.serviceindustrysuccess.com
131. When to Trust Your Marketing Provider and When to Push Back
September 12, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 41.5 MBFor many, marketing is once again becoming a part of our business to which we must pay attention. Keeping our people busy is not a gimme like it was a year ago. When revamping or relaunching marketing campaigns, it’s critical to know when to trust our marketing provider and when to push back. In this episode, I’ll share my thoughts on how to do this effectively. Are you ready to solve the most immediate problems in your company? Is it time for you to learn the strategies to gro...
130. Balancing Customer and Employee Needs
September 05, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 36.2 MBToday, I’m going to walk you through a conversation that made my life as a business owner, a manager, and a salesman much easier than perhaps any other Why did it make my life easier? Because we got out in front of a topic that most of us avoid, while simultaneously spending countless hours addressing Tune in to see what I mean! Are you ready to solve the most immediate problems in your company? Is it time for you to learn the strategies to grow and scale your business so yo...
129. Ya, but This Generation is Different... OK. So now What?
August 29, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 39.1 MBOne of the objections and frustrations I hear most from business owners is about the current generation of up and coming employees. And there is no question they have different values and priorities than many of us did. So how do we handle this? Tuned in and I’ll tell you what worked for me. Are you ready to solve the most immediate problems in your company? Is it time for you to learn the strategies to grow and scale your business so you can have both the money and time you dr...
128. How do You Know When Training Has Been Successful?
August 22, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 36.4 MBGetting effective training figured out is perhaps the most crucial thing a company must do to survive tough times, thrive in great times, and give the business owner the ability to delegate decision making Tune in and I'll share how I went from struggling with teaching and getting buy-in to becoming very effective over the years. Are you ready to solve the most immediate problems in your company? Is it time for you to learn the strategies to grow and scale your business so you ca...
127. Is it Appropriate to Fire Customers?
August 15, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 35.8 MBWe work our tails off, and spend a tremendous amount of time and money to find customers. Yet despite our best efforts, sometimes it just feels like it we can’t please them all. But is firing them the right answer? Tune in and I’ll tell you what I think! Are you ready to solve the most immediate problems in your company? Is it time for you to learn the strategies to grow and scale your business so you can have both the money and time you dream of? Are you tired of feeling alo...
126. Why Decisions Should be Made at the Lowest Possible Level
August 08, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 41.6 MBWhat is your strategy for how decisions should be made in your company? More importantly, if asked, would your employees be able to explain your company’s decision-making strategy in a way that matches yours? Why does this even matter? Tune in and I’ll share why I think it matters a lot! Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoom and other details, j...
125. What it Costs to Get the Freedom You Want
August 01, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 41.5 MBWe all want freedom. That’s probably why you started your business in the first place. But truly getting freedom is a lot less common than becoming a business owner. Why is that? I think it’s because it costs us the one thing we want most in life. Tune in to see what I mean! To purchase your own copy of my book, SERVICE INDUSTRY SUCCESS, from Amazon, so you can learn the exact strategies of developing a team that you can trust that I learned from my mentors, go to sisthebook.com...
124. The Two Biggest Mistakes We Make When Making Any Improvement
July 25, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 33.7 MBOur entire journey as business owners is solving problems and making improvements. What if I told you there are two major mistakes that, when made, almost always lead to failure in solving a problem or making an improvement? There are two that stand out more than any other, and in this episode I’ll tell you what they are. Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To...
123. The Number One Way to Improve Performance on Anything.
July 18, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 39 MBThere is always something to improve. There is not, however, always the energy, time and money to invest in lengthy or costly solutions. So what is the best, least expensive, way to improve performance on anything? Tune in and I’ll tell you what I think it is. Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoom and other details, just send a quick, introductor...
122. What are Cost of Goods Sold Expenses and Why Does it Matter?
July 11, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 40 MBThe terminology. The rows and columns. The crunching of numbers. You either love spreadsheets and financials or you hate them. There is rarely anyone in-between those extremes. Today we are going to take a dive into financials and explain cost of goods sold expenses. Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoom and other details, just send a quick, int...
121. What is Really Holding You Back?
July 04, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 32.1 MBRunning a business can be overwhelming. There are so many things to stay on top of, that feeling like we can’t do it all is not only normal, but completely expected. When we get stuck, there is something that we need to clarify so we can get unstuck as quickly as possible. Tune in and I’ll share what it is. Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoom ...
120. The Three Types of Employee You Need to Know How to Fire
June 27, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 40.7 MBFiring an employee is one of the absolute worst parts of managing people. The only thing that can make it even worse – for everyone involved - is doing it incorrectly. In this episode, I’ll cover the 3 types of employees you need to know how to fire and some tips on how to do it. Prefer to have video, rather than just audio? You can find all of these podcast episodes, plus other bonus content on our www.rumble.com channel. Just search for 'Service Industry Success'. Come check o...
119. A Critical Sales Skill That is Rarely Talked About
June 20, 2023 09:00 - 16 minutes - 30.9 MBThere are more books written on sales than just about any other topic. And, almost certainly, you know how to sell your service better than I ever will. So, it’s rare that I talk about sales. But there is one skill that is rarely talked about, which can make or break any sale. And because it’s rarely talked about, I’m going to cover it. Tune in to hear what it is. Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most p...
118. The Costly Assumption We Make About Our Leaders and Managers
June 13, 2023 09:00 - 18 minutes - 33.7 MBGetting the right leadership team in place is crucial if you want to be able to step away from your business – whether for a long weekend, a vacation, or permanently. More than any other, there is one mistake we generally make about our leaders and managers, that is the most costly. Tune in to hear what it is. Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoo...
117. Which Costs More: Insufficient Skills or Misaligned Values?
June 06, 2023 09:00 - 26 minutes - 48.4 MBWhich is more expensive – a lack of experience, knowledge, and skills or misaligned values? Tune in and we’ll break it down! Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoom and other details, just send a quick, introductory email to [email protected] with the word 'group' in the subject. Learn more about Brian's training and coaching at: htt...
116. When is a Procedure Appropriate?
May 30, 2023 09:00 - 27 minutes - 50.7 MBOf the many popular ideas that have emerged over the last 25 years in business, it would be hard to find one that has been more helpful and confusing than getting our procedures in order. In this episode, I hope to clarify a key question: When is a procedure appropriate? Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the Zoom and other details, just send a quick,...
115. Perhaps the Biggest Obstacle to Delegating Decision Making
May 23, 2023 09:00 - 17 minutes - 32.5 MBWe all know that ultimately, to grow a company that can run without us overseeing every critical detail, we must get to a point where we can delegate decisions. Sounds easy. And of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds. But there is one thing that I think holds business owners back more than any other. Tune in to hear what it is! Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGH...
114. Five Rarely Discussed Understandings We Should Have About Our Customers, Part 5
May 16, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 39.9 MBDo our processes, training, and marketing really align with what our customers care about most? In this short series, I’m covering some concepts I think are sometimes forgotten, but are critical to address when developing raving fans. Tune in to hear about the one that probably costs us more money than any other! Come check out my new group, Service Business Academy, where you can ask, and we will immediately solve, the most pressing problems you are facing RIGHT NOW. To get the...