Your Dream Moving Company is Still Possible

Moving business has been great to me. I've got a great standard of living, but not a great retirement. And at some point in the next couple of decades, it's going to be time for me to hang it up. If I am surviving each year and not putting anything in that 401k or whatever vehicle of choice, what makes me think that I'm going to go to half a million, two million?

You got 20 years.

I got 20 years.

A long time. You were in the business 20 years. Now it's like, okay, it's half time. Come up with a new game plan. We're down by 40 points. Let's go.

I'm right. Absolutely.

You know, and this is like some archaic Mad Max football where you don't lose the game, and it's like, you go home without the trophy, you lose the game, they cut your head off. Like, you got to look at it like that.

I'm here because I'm tenacious, man. I. I find a way to make it work. There have been so many times when the tombstone was carved and I beat death, but I think it's shaped me. And today you said, are there any limiting beliefs that may be holding you back? And that one stood out for me. I'm surrounded by people who are killing it and doing such a great job. And, I mean, I'm inspired by that. I'm inspired by what you're teaching, you know, and even if I decided to keep on my current path, your teaching is going to be extremely valuable, and it's going to be great. But maybe it could be more. And I'm kind of like the guy on the boat in the choppy water. I'm pulling back because it's always worked. You know, I'm the skier that's. I'm back. It may look terrible, but I'll get to the bottom of the hill. I don't know if that's the way it is or whether I'm being smart. You know, maybe I'm in this market and this is the play. And bully for me for still being here and finding a way to make that work for me. So I'm. I want to hear what you have to say about that. You know, I really would value your opinion.

Yeah, I mean, I think. I think it all starts with the mindset just based off what you said and based on what you wrote. You know, you're focused on survival, surviving, and not thriving. True. Right.

I want to thrive academically.

Yeah.

But when it comes to it, am I really ready to put it on the line.

What do you have to put on the line?

I don't. Well, okay, let's say that one of the things I should be doing is having a truck I could be happy about. So that when I get photography that I put on my website or my, my Google listing, it's something that I'm proud of. But now I have a payment and that payment I haven't, I don't have that payment on that amount on the bottom line. So it does not feel responsible to just toss it on there and hope that it works out. I think that maybe in the long term it probably would pay for itself, but would I live long enough to see that reality? And is that the best play? So. So, you know, obviously getting into a better marketing system, getting my scripts going, all these fundamentals that you've, that I am not doing, need to do, that's going to happen regardless of whatever we talk about here. But there's part of me, maybe the little boy that just says, dang, this could be awesome. And I would love to be a man of passion instead of man of survival.

Yeah, listen, you know, we get conditioned, right, over time, and I think it takes events like this or, you know, three days of just, you know what I mean, pounding away at it that it's just.

I never would have thought of this in the chaos of my life. Yeah, it's this, it's this being out, away from that noise and with this possibility here, you know, the corner over there that paints that picture that you think, yeah, that would be, that would be amazing.

I mean, that's the whole reason we're doing it, to retreats. Right. It's like, it's that time away to just focus and think about the business that really matters. So whether you carve that out on your own or whatever the case may be, that's really important because when you're, when you're in the shit, you think about doing more, you're just like, that's just going to be more. More shit on me.

Yeah, yeah. Right, right.

Well, look, you're not doing the fundamentals. Do the fundamentals. That's going to generate cash flow, that's going to generate the money that's going to start giving you confidence.

Yes.

You know, so to say, you know, I'm not going to say go for it and buy a truck so you could have a pretty picture on the, you know, on the, on the website. Even though that's important without seeing your numbers, it'd be irresponsible me to, to say that but you got to do the fundamentals. I mean, that's the stuff, right? So what stops you from doing that? What's the concern and the fear that stops you there?

I hired somebody to take care of the day to day three months ago. And it's taken a while.

For.

We have a pattern now. We're a small company. I have, I have like somebody who's pretty much my lead installer, Works kind of operations are kind of his baby. We have two trucks, but they, it's rare that they're both working every day of the week, you know, so we have a lot of, lot of capacity available to us. And then I have Jess and she works in the office and she handles all the dispatch, all the inbound calls and all that. That was the job that I did four months ago.

Okay.

And it was a job that was very comfortable to me. So she comes into my office and says, ah, you wouldn't believe what Evan did. And I'm like, tell me more. You know, and. And it's this. There's part of me that, you know, I've never marketed. So digital marketing is something that's just this. How do you describe it? It's this place that I don't know how to get to. I've heard of it, but I don't know how to get there, you know, and you know, Facebook marketing or, you know, all of this. Sometimes I get into it and it says, upload your pictures. And I say, dang, I don't have pictures. And then, you know, you know, now I took some pictures and they're not bad, but you know, now it's this or that. You know, I don't have this, I don't have that. And then I'm overwhelmed. And then, you know, something happens because they need the boss. I'm not that isolated from the day to day. And then, you know, it's kind of like, well, let's hope tomorrow works a little better. And so I have had a month and a half of that.

Okay.

And, and so I was hoping, coming here to make some connections, somebody who could hold me by the hand and spend a little bit of time with me, just get me in. I think once I'm in, I have faith that I can figure it out.

But it's.

But I'm struggling with that.

Okay, you carving out time for objectives on your calendar, like putting it on the calendar blocks of time.

No, I. Again, fundamental. I'm going to spare you my bullshit excuses, but I do, I do a half assed version of it. I mean, I'm not completely removed from the idea. I just have not really taken this full command of my day.

What is it you, what is it you want to achieve beyond survival?

I would love to have this company thrive. I would love to see those that have partnered up with me within this organization thrive. I would love to see this become a machine that feeds on itself and, and builds its own momentum and has systems in place that will self correct and just bring beautiful work to my beautiful customers. And right now that's my dream.

Why?

Because one, I love the people that I serve and that I work with and I want the best for them. Personally, I would love the moving company. Moving business has been great to me. I've got a great standard of living, but not a great retirement. And at some point in the next couple of decades, it's going to be time for me to hang it up.

How long?

I would like 20 years is the, is, is the longest. I would love, I would hope to slow down and I'm sure I can, but I would love to be able to do it in a way that feels fiscally responsible.

Do you know what that number is? You know, the number you got to hit in 20 years be done?

Well, I liked, you know, you don't.

Have to say what it is, but I mean, just saying I have a.

Number in my mind.

Yeah, you have a number that you've put pen to paper with a financial advisor that you know you're going to live to your last days in comfort with this amount.

I've not talked to at a very conservative return. I've talked to, I've talked to people who are, maybe not in that official capacity. Okay, but I have these numbers. But they're fantastic. They're, they're, they may as well be a hundred million. It's if, if, if, if I am surviving each year and not putting anything in that 401k or whatever vehicle of choice, then if I can't get to a hundred dollars, what makes me think that I'm going to go to half a million? 2 million.

You got 20 years.

I got 20 years.

A long time. You were in the business 20 years. Now it's like, okay, it's half time. Let's come up with a new game plan. We're down by 40 points. Let's go.

I'm right. Absolutely.

You know, and this is like some archaic Mad Max football where you don't lose the game. And it's like you go home without the trophy, you lose the game, they cut your fucking Head off. Like you got to look at it like that.

Absolutely, you know?

Absolutely.

Like what you had up there, what you're afraid of, as well as what you're drawn to.

So it's like, you know, think about the 20 years. Like that's a long time. Like that's, you know, I like to start with setting goals 20 years out because our mind thinks bigger, right? I'm like, jim, what could you accomplish in the next year? Like, shit, the mind contracts right away. Yeah, but if we look at 20 years, that's a long time. You figure out digital marketing in 20 years and it's going to change every year. Right, right, right. And so first of all, I would get. I would get with a financial planner and I would figure out what your number is for retirement. So you're looking at something real, right? Like a real number. What's it going to take? They want to know what's your lifestyle like? Are you going to want to continue that lifestyle? Are you going to want to travel? Because when you stop working, what are you doing? You're either working or you're spending money, right? So to like stop working and sit at home because you're like, all right, I'm just making enough to survive. That's not enough. Like, you want to live a good life. You want to go do your.

You know, I would not object to living a life where the company ran itself and I tottered in with my cane and my hearing aids and did whatever it is I needed to do, you know? You know, I, you know, if I had, if I had these systems set up that a person in that diminished capacity could easily do that, I think I would actually like that. I like that picture.

Right. Well, you could do that, like in the next six months. You don't have to wait for a hearing aid in the, you know, what'd you say? So what's stopping you, man?

What do you got to do?

No, you know, you're not doing the fundamentals. Start with the fundamentals.

Yeah, no, it's. It's a fire hose. If you ask what am I not doing then, you know, I can't even. I can't even. I can't even talk. You know, I'm. But where's the biggest.

Like when we did the movers profit circle, what was your weakest area?

Marketing.

Sales.

Sales. Sales were okay. Sales were good. I do the in house and I'm really good. That's a great strength.

You closing it at the house? You're booking it there?

No, no, I've done.

Closing at 80%.

I would say that or better. You know, but I'm in a market where there's not as much competition, so it's not like I'm doing one every day. You know, if I was, you know, if I was in some of these markets that are out here, I definitely would have to hone my skills.

Hone your skills. Anyways, market or no market, you know, to get more yeses than no's, it's gonna give you the money.

I'm with you.

And I know it's sometimes it's hard to see it. Sometimes, like, oh, I'm doing a good job. I feel like it's good. Like, what's that little. What's that little thing gonna do? But like, dollars are in the details.

I hear you. Here's why. Part company, it's when you only have a few jobs, there's some jobs that you have to be particularly strategic in your pricing. I've gotta come in tight. And some you're like, well, I think. I think if. Let me think about this. I'm a ponderer and okay, no, wait. I like to come up with what I think it should be, sleep on it, come back, and then fine tune it. And that's part of my system and it works well for me, but.

Does it?

Yeah, I'm just saying.

I mean, you were saying you're surviving.

I'm surviving. And the reason I'm surviving is because those jobs that I do get, I do a great job with. The sales process is strong. I get a great margin and we do a great job. I don't have that many that bats. I need more at bats. And that's where I think digital marketing.

So what are you doing for marketing right now?

Nothing. I've got postcards. We're working on getting something going soon. It's part of my process that's taking me forever, but I'll have something going on in the next two weeks for postcards. Postcards, yes.

And you're going to send them to both houses that are on the market and pending.

That's correct.

Okay, that's correct. That's not digital marketing, by the way.

I know.

Okay.

I know. It's part of marketing. So when I say I suck at digital marketing, that's a subset of marketing, which I also suck at.

Okay, Got it. Yeah, got it. Right? You don't suck at it, you're just not doing it. You don't suck at it. Right.

I'm smart enough to do it, but I'm afraid of it. I don't know where to start.

And you start, honestly, I think you started in a great place. I think you started in a great place with the direct mail.

Thank you.

I think that's a, that's a great move because it's not going to change your, your sales process at all. Right. Whereas if you're buying leads or doing something like that, you've got to take a different approach. Right? These are going to be people calling you.

Right.

The card already rolled out the red carpet. They like what they see, so they're giving you a call or they're submitting a request for a quote. Your conversion is going to be higher. Right. Start there. Right. Use that and then have blocks on your calendar. Like have at least one, one hour or two hour block a week. That's just marketing. And you basically, you know, you have marketing on the calendar and you just lock yourself in the room. And if you sit there for the first 30 minutes going, right, stick with it for the rest of the block.

Okay, what could I do?

I could Google this. I could read a few articles, I could watch a few videos. I met some people at the event. I could reach out, I could talk to them.

Right, right.

And once a week, you're just, you're in that block. You've dedicated time for the things that really matter and you master it. I mean, that's it. We've got to be able to lear stuff that we don't know. Capabilities, right? The capabilities are what bridge the gap.

Oh, I get it.

Right? So it's like I'm just trying to help you with the next level thinking to understand you need the next level capabilities, but you got to take the next level action. Right? That's what's going to get the next level results.

And I'll do it, and you'll hold me accountable.

All right, thanks, Jim. All right, man. Hey, my friend, before you go, you've got to hurry and watch these next few, few videos over here. They will absolutely help you take your moving company to the next level. Go watch them now and I'll see you over there.