by Chris Hunter
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Although roofers may start their businesses as hands-on employees, growing a roofing company requires owners to progress from physical to managerial positions.
Unfortunately, for many less experienced roofing company owners lacking practical leadership skills, this often puts them into “firefighter” mode where they take on too much, focusing mainly on problem-solving rather than properly growing their companies.
To avoid putting out internal fires all day and getting nothing else done, roofers must actively learn how their companies function and how to work on them rather than in them.
The Difference Between Working In and Working On A Business
One of the biggest challenges owners of small roofing companies hoping to grow their businesses face is finding enough time to work on that growth day after day.
A contractor who is always on the roof and has no time allotted for business-building will always stay within that role to the point that they cannot expand their company.
As counterintuitive as it might initially seem, roofers must schedule enough time daily to get off the roof, delegate to others, and then work on the critical tasks of growing their company.
From marketing and hiring efforts to understanding how their company operates and then training others to work within it, these are all essential tasks required for roofing companies to expand and increase their profitability.
Ultimately, the company owner is its principal director and to figure out how to direct all other employees, roofers must get off the roof and spend ample time working on their companies, not in them as the chief hands-on employee.
Using A “Firefighter Model” Reduces Business Profitability
A common issue that many roofing company owners trying to step away from the job site face is that without practical leadership skills, they often move from the role of a roofing technician to that of a “firefighter.”
Instead of focusing on company finances and developing good training and management policies to improve efficiency and give other employees the tools for success, many roofers end up being the immediate “go-to” person faced with resolving internal problems and questions.
They spend their days putting out internal fires instead of working on business growth, leaving the whole company in a sort of limbo without proper leadership.
Stuck in that position, well-meaning roofing company owners will experience difficulty expanding their companies simply due to a lack of delegation and ineffective operations.
Even worse, they may then believe that the only way to profit is by marketing with lower pricing, a method that will only worsen their financial position, not improve it.
Learn How Not To Be A Firefighter With Good Managerial Skills
In this week’s Roofer Growth Hacks episode, Chris from RoofingSites.com talks with Vicki Suiter, CEO and President of Suiter Business Builders, about effective business management and marketing methods that prevent roofing company owners from becoming firefighters and allow them to grow successful, profitable businesses instead.
Roofers Can Improve Their Business Without Being Firefighters
Good leadership skills are essential for roofers transitioning off the roof and into critical managerial positions when hoping to grow their roofing enterprises.
To achieve this, roofing company owners mustn’t fall into the trap of becoming the company “firefighter,” instead taking the time to learn how to lead their employees and turn everyone into valuable members of a cohesive team.
Learn about all this and more in this week’s episode, or visit RoofingSites.com to schedule a free marketing call with Chris for a one-on-one business marketing and management discussion.
While there, remember to click this link for a free copy of Chris’ book, “The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing for Roofers!”
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The post Roofers Are Not Firefighters! first appeared on RoofingSites.com.
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