In this second part to last week’s post of our interview with longtime franchise and business opportunity development and industry professional and Maximus Airtech Business Development Director Edmond Travis, he shares more great insights on new small business startup, marketing tips and what makes his particular industry so appealing….
What would you say is the one thing that new business owners forget about or overlook when they’re just planning/starting out?
Far too many aspiring business owners don’t realize what hard work it takes to build a business, and they don’t set initial realistic revenue expectations either. If owning a business of your own was easy then everyone would be doing it!
Plus, you need to be passionate about the business you select. It’s important to love what you do and realize that passion may come in the form of the most unexpected market or industry, so you need to be open. Many white-collar executives left corporate America and now run service-based companies. They are getting their hands dirty every day and loving every minute of it. Just as many hard-working trade-oriented individuals are running their own companies and doing the work themselves… and now for themselves!
Starting any new business puts the owner on the front line. They are the service department, product sales team, bookkeeper, receptionist, human resources division, research and development team, distribution, packaging…all of it! The business is the owner.
To get the business on the move, it takes work and fortitude. If you start out with lots of capital it is common that you will throw money at the business and not do the work yourself. Eight out of ten times that business does not really take off until you are out of money and you, the owner, have to do the work yourself. Most startup businesses have limited operating cash, and the owner’s motivation is simple…I’ve got to pay my bills so I have to do the work. Those individuals historically build the most solid futures and enjoy sustainability.
A good idea is just a good idea. A good idea put to work every day is one that has greater potential to make solid revenue and yield return on the investment. With a good business model, a good idea, you will see results if you are putting effort into networking, telling everyone you know about your business and what you can do for them. Depending on your level of personal effort there will be a transaction, services provided and a paycheck. Providing great service is key— some say you have to be cheaper, faster and better than your competition. While I’ll agree that being smarter and faster is critical, cheaper isn’t always necessary. Small businesses can get off to a great start just by working hard to get those initial clients and by providing quality service at a reasonable price.
What can happen all too easily though is that the expectation becomes, “Well now that I have gotten some work, the phone will ring.” The missing component is often asking for the next job, making the next sales call or looking for the next venue to promote the product.
Most new business owners overlook the fact that getting started takes tremendous initiative and that they have to be asking for the next job and making the sale every day.
What marketing strategies have you found to be most successful in growing your business?
Networking is the key to a successful service-based business. You have to go to your customers as your customers may or may not drive by your shop and stop in and buy your service. Every day you have to interact with your referral sources, work your social media, be visible in your industry, talk to people about what you do and how you can do it better for them.
Small service businesses cannot afford big media campaigns. They do not have huge advertising budgets. Therefore, they have to find those niches, those referral sources where they will get the most bang for their efforts, not so much as a result of dollars spent on advertising but in building good relationships within their markets. After all, people like doing business with people they respect and trust.
Service businesses are often problem solvers. They help people that do not want to do something themselves or that do not have the ability to do something themselves. It takes a servant-leadership attitude and outlook to grow any service- based operation, so every day you have to be telling people what you do, how you do it and most importantly why you do it better than anyone else. Customer feedback and referrals make all the difference in building a solid and sustainable business.
What is it about the business/industry you are in that made it so attractive to you?
First and foremost…adaptability! Maximus Airtech is unique and innovative in its approach to materials handling. The water, fire, smoke, mold, lead, asbestos, HVAC, demolition and construction cleanup, remediation and restoration industries are mammoth in scope.
Maximus Airtech provides an unparalleled trade-industry solution for anyone who is looking for a partner or to start an individual service company. The adaptability allows you to fully develop a HVAC cleaning operation as either a core business or supplemental services.
For anyone who is not yet familiar with the history, Maximus Airtech was initially the result of a desire to solve the problem of the excessive man hours required and high labor costs incurred for vermiculite (Asbestos Containing Material/ACM) attic insulation removal. This new and innovative approach reduces the number of days from six to less than two for the typical ACM insulation removal thanks to a HEPA Material Handling Vacuum System that is adaptable to multiple services and industries.
Maximus Airtech meets the need for effective material-handling solutions for all size operators that desire sustainability, an increased market share, reduced operating costs and increased job profitability. Its revolutionary HEPA and Non-HEPA Material Handling System makes a significant impact on the ability of any small business owner in our industry to positively affect his or her bottom-line profit.
More specifically, the system is designed for and can be described as follows:
• Water and Fire Damage Remediation
• Demolition
• Asbestos Abatement
• Insulation Removal
• Friable Debris Removal
• HVAC Cleaning
• Post Construction Cleaning
Innovative HEPA and Material Handling Systems
• Asbestos Abatement
• Mold Remediation
• Lead Remediation
• Pest Infestation
• Rodent Infestation
• Post Construction Clean Up
• Manufacturing Waste/By Products
• Industrial & Agricultural
• HVAC Cleaning & Remediation
Efficient Material Handling and Removal
• Site Collection
• Controlled Transfer
• Controlled Capture
• Controlled Disposal
As a business opportunity, the Maximus Airtech Advantage allows you to start a Material Handling Business in a fully self-contained unit while following a proven model for success.
What is/are your favorite motto and/or quote when it comes to business? Any final words of encouragement and/or inspiration for the budding entrepreneur?
Three memorable and inspiring quotes I would like to share…
• If it is to be, it is up to me!
• You become what you think about.
• Integrity: It is what you are doing when no one is watching.
To read Part I of our interview with Edmond, click here now!
More about Edmond Travis and the Maximus Airtech Business Opportunity:
In his current role as the Business Development Director for Maximus Airtech, Edmond Travis brings more than two decades of experience in all aspects of the franchise and business opportunity development industry, with specific expertise in the area of materials clean up, removal, restoration and remediation.
Maximus Airtech’s extraordinary business opportunity enables new and aspiring entrepreneurs to either enhance their business or start one of their own using a proven business model, one that features the most innovative and revolutionary currently available in the industry.
For more information about Maximus Airtech, simply click here now!