pany, only think of themselves and bring down morale. I have noticed that the good employees have stepped it up a notch and asked where they can help. Everyone knows what is going on in the economy and your team players will want you to win. And, for those who do, instill confidence in them that everything is good and going to get better if you all work together and stay focused on accomplishing your company objectives. 6. Don’t get caught in the victim men-tality We can spend all day talking about how the government is not helping small busi-nesses or we can use that time to get out there and grow. Be positive: Your employees and cus-tomers want to be part of a winning team. 7. Talk to your industry peers We can learn a lot of valuable information from each other’s insights. There is enough business to go around, and one of the best ways to learn how to get that business is to talk to others who have figured it out. Success begets success: If you want to hang out with whiners, chances are you are one too. Organizations like the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) and other associations can pro-vide good connections for you. 8. Pay close attention to accounts receivable Not collecting your money makes the rest of your operations somewhat moot. We have added the equivalent of a full-time staff person in the last year just to help make sure our franchisees collect their pay-ments on time. 9. Don’t cut back on your sales efforts The days of cruise control are over: Even the best customer base is going to fade away if you are not constantly adding to it. Put on more of a consultant hat when selling and help those prospective cus-tomers solve their problems. 10. For those of faith, pray Don’t get swallowed up by your circum-stances, as how you respond to your cir-cumstances is more important than the actual circumstances themselves. Remember, there are people — family, staff, friends, peers, etc. — who are watch-ing you and your decision-making process. Hold on to your integrity and walk a straight path. CM Todd Hopkins founded Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services in 1992. Office Pride is the most admired brand in the commercial cleaning industry with 115 franchise locations throughout the United States. For more information about Office Pride, visit www.officepride.com or call (317) 738-9280. Todd, author of three Christian-based business books, The Carrot Chaser , The Janitor and Five Wisdoms for Entrepreneur Survival , is a recipient of the Walter L. Cook Award for Distinguished Service to the building service contracting industry. Circle Product Information no. 219 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 45
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