Being a business owner or perhaps a general manager requires a lot of skill sets and disciplines.  Even if you have “people” that you have hired to do these things for you, you are tasked to make decisions regarding these disciplines.  You have to know things about Accounting, Human Resources, Legal Department, Purchasing, Warehousing, Customer Service….and the list goes on and on.  Two of the big skill sets involve Sales and Marketing, which are nearly inseparable.

Since I am who I am, I want to focus on the Marketing skill set and give you an analogy to think about.  Since I work with a lot of contractors, please bear with me as I present an idea that will resonate well with them.

Let me give you the example of the well-to-do homeowner that is sitting and watching their favorite Saturday show on PBS or the DIY network.  The shows that come to my mind are “New Yankee Workshop” or “This Old House”.  This example I am giving you is not far-fetched.  I know people that have done this.  So this person is watching their show, and they think “I can do that.  I have an out-building that would make a great workshop.  I like working with my hands.   This would give me a creative outlet.  I think I’ll put in a woodworking shop.”

This person then goes out and spends countless thousands of dollars buying all the greatest tools that he saw Norm Abrams using, thinking that it didn’t look all that hard.  After all, there are plans and materials lists, right?

Let me pose this question to you.  Is it likely that this person is now a craftsman that is on the same level with Norm Abrams?  Do you think that person can likely achieve the same level of craftsmanship that Norm Abrams achieved?  Do you think that the new workshop will be used much in the future if that person becomes frustrated with their lack of skills and/or experience?  I submit to you that it is not likely unless this person had training or years of appreticeship and practice.  But they had all the same tools, right?

You see where I am going with this, right?

Marketing is very similar to this person that spent all the bucks on all the right tools and equipment for their workshop.  You can throw a lot of money at marketing, but without the right experience behind the marketing, you may just be wasting your money.

I am not suggesting that business owners have no marketing experience.  That would be unfair and inaccurate.  What I am suggesting, however, is that with all the disciplines required to be a business owner, why not accept some specialized and experienced help for your marketing efforts to help you assure that your money is being spent wisely.  Why not accept that help, without hiring an expensive employee in-house, so that you can focus your time on making informed decisions and taking care of your core business proficiencies?

As a business owner, you know that the products and services that you provide can likely be done better and more efficiently by you, the professional, than by the homeowner.

Let me help you with your marketing.

Allen Beck

AKOR Services

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