National Clothesline

No matter how you put it, in a form of a question or in a statement. I hear these words echoing through the various plants I visit or seminars I attend. So many operators are searching for answers, direction and hope. Sometimes it is right in front of you; you know what you need to do, you just don’t do it.

While the economy throws curve balls at us every day, we have two options: sit back and wait it out or move forward. You don’t want to overreact, but nothing ventured nothing gained. So what I am seeing out there is a true lack of focus on routes and retail.

Some of the best operators in the country have hired me to get them back on track. Many of them have gotten in the restoration business, and that is a good thing. This has brought large amount of business to them, but not without a lot of capital and time investment. It took me a while to figure out why many from CRDN and FRSteam have hired me, but seeing how they have treated their route and retail aspect as a step-child or even an orphan, the need for redirection has kept the phone ringing.

Does this sound familiar to your current situation?

Competition with routes has turned many operators into scavengers, looking for each and every customer they can get. Small independent operators to franchisees to the best and largest are all making proactive efforts in building their business. This is why it is more critical than ever to go back to your original R&R (Routes & Retail) so that you can rest and relax.

I have made a simple checklist for you to do a self-examination of your current status.

• Do you have a proactive retention plan?

• Do you know exactly what your counter did this year? Last year?

• Do you know how much your routes are doing and how many customers you have added this year?

• Do you know the top 30 customers by name? Do they know you?

• Are you happy at your current level of operations?

I am sure you have said no to a few of the questions above. One or two is understandable.

The bottom line is that I strive to get people fired up about growing their business internally and externally. So often we focus on one, but not the other. Being a consultant is very stressful when you know that you are making the proper diagnosis, yet the patient won’t take the medicine. Too often, the patient fights us who want to help. Even though I know it hurts, listen to the doctor.

Here is the best free advice I can give in this article. Write down things you need to do. Some of you need a stimulus program, some of you need a stability insurance policy, some of you are just getting started while others are just holding on.

Take a hard look at your business and write the five absolutes you need and decide if you can do it on your own or with your current crew.

Set up a timeline to decide when these goals need to be met and how much it may cost you to achieve these tasks. Now, you must take your overall know-how and honestly determine if you can do it without making too many costly mistakes.

The last determining factor is to look yourself in the mirror and decide if you are the motivational element that completes your growth vision. Seriously, you can actually have an adverse affect in your results just by being the owner. If you are the manager, then you have a different motive for making the growth program work.

Quit sitting on your hands and holding on to what used to work and move towards the 21st century. When I hear “Just holding on”, I quite often see many operations not letting go of the past. Just being friendly and putting out a great garment is not enough. Get proactive and react to the increased business you need and deserve.

We all knew that these times were coming. Many of you just don’t want to embrace or accept it. Now is the time to decide rather or not to hit it head on or try to dodge it. I recommend you take the most direct path and refuse to participate in this recession. Strive to add more customers than ever before.