I have no problem with teaching business management. I think most, if not all of us, can use help with all of the intricacies of running a business, from accounting and taxes, to goal-setting, personnel management and retirement planning.
This is where I have always had problems with Joe: It's his marketing material and copy. I HATE negative and fear-based advertising. I also hate wordy copy with too much (word) info in a small format. Any advertising that seeks to raise you up by bashing the competition or other methods, or attempts to make customers suspicious or fearful of hiring anyone but you hurts the whole industry. The WARNING graphics and YP ads, the Ethical Services site, especially as it was originally posted, all serve to make us look like politicians slinging mud (instead of sucking it). I get nauseous listening to a 10 minute dissertation on carpet cleaning and carpet cleaning companies, that has been twisted and perverted to make your company look like "platinum" in a sea of toxic waste. It seems to be a greed or pride based thought process that you must dominate an area, squeeze out the competition and be vigilant against newcomers. I would much rather have a friendly and cooperative relationship with the competition. I would like to be able to refer out specialized work or overbooking to my local guys and know if I need help they are there for me as well. We don't need an edge over the competition, we just need to stop being so greedy and short-sighted. Happiness and satisfaction in life are not measured by wealth or possessions. You should not need to put large amounts of money and effort into advertising and marketing after the first few years. In a service business word of mouth, retaining clients and referrals should be where the vast majority of your work comes from.
Putting a bunch of desperate cleaners into a room, working them up with motivational gobbledy-gook like some revival tent preacher, and making them race to the back of the room to be the first to pay you money for some crappy magic package like you are their lord and savior is demeaning, manipulative.....and most of the time, it is simply shearing the last bit of fleece from the sheep. There is nothing new or ground-breaking. Nothing you couldn't find elsewhere, nothing magic.....You will get better and more original ideas just by coming to places like this and investing the money where it is needed more.
I think we do not only ourselves, but our entire industry a lot more justice when we focus on the positives and let our service and our customers speak for us. I think this world badgers us all far too much with junk mail, spam, advertising everywhere...I'd rather see more cooperation and less competition among local companies and I think all would benefit. If you always treat others, customers, employees and your competitors, the way you would like to be treated yourself, then what comes around, goes around.
Take care,
Lisa
