The Art of (Business) War

We are creatures of habit and everyone likes the comfort and consistency of patterns. We like life to be predictable and try our best to will it to stay still. When good times come, we tend to be lulled to sleep, wanting to enjoy them longer than they plan to stay. In the times where business is good our minds tell us, “You can finally relax! Kick your feet up and enjoy the fruits of your labor.” But keep those feet up too long, and soon you’ll be scrambling to recover. The one constant in life is change, and the most successful people are those who always have one eye on what’s next.

I’m reading a great book right now called The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene. In it he takes time-tested strategies and wisdom learned from battlefields throughout history and applies them to business management, negotiation, and general life principles. While no one is comparing contractor life to the horrors of D-Day or Waterloo, leadership and decision making are obvious deciding factors between success or failure in both war and life.

In his book The Art of War, the Chinese general and military genius Sun Tzu said this: “Plan for what is difficult while it is easy.” Sun Tzu dominated the war-torn Far East for decades using a simple philosophy. He never looked at one battle or even one war as separate events, they were all helping him prepare, learn, and strategize to better fight the next one that was surely on the horizon. He never allowed his men to take too long in celebration or go home after a victory because he knew while he was enjoying himself, another army was training hard to take him out. So, even though he was surrounded by the spoils of a victory and sitting on a newly conquered throne, he never let himself get too comfortable. He rested, he rejoiced, and then it was back to work for him and his men within a matter of hours. And it was during times of peace when he was said to train and prepare even harder than while at war. Sun Tzu claimed, “For a man to know any type of peace he must fight constantly.” In short, whether times were good or bad, he never allowed himself to stand still long.

The Book of Proverbs tells us to watch the ant and consider his ways. While there is food everywhere during the summer months and existence comes easy, he doesn’t just stop to feast. Instead, he knows the clock is ticking, and labors every day packing away surplus for the harsh winter around the corner.    

I’ll be honest, my Justin side interjects here and can’t help but reference The Shining, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We know there has to be a healthy mix of work and play to keep our own sanity and company morale up. You can’t be hard charging and crack the whip on your employees all the time, or soon you’ll have no employees. But contractors are also very aware of the “feast or famine” type nature of our businesses due to the seasonality. When temperatures are at their extremes you can make serious hay without much effort.

At peak season it doesn’t matter much who has the best website or who’s spending more on Google Ads, everyone is getting a slice of the pie. There’s plenty to go around and the demand is largely self-generated – no heating, no cooling, flooded basement, generator install, etc. The phone is ringing off the hook, the crews have appointments booked back-to-back, and the financials look great. The playing field is more level during these times by default. But it’s what the owner, leader, “business general” decides to do HERE that makes all the difference. You decide whether your company thrives through the next chapter or simply tries to survive it. You know it’s not always going to be this good… so party a little, then start preparing for harder times now while you have the resources. NOW is the time to invest in the future of your business.

We’re coming off the heating/frozen pipes season, and now most of the country is free and clear of anything outside of a freak or mild cold snap. The majority of the South is already full swing into the warmer temp calls too, so I want you to consider a few things as we turn the page to a new, often slower season. What did last season teach you? What did last YEAR teach you? What do you wish you would have done 6 months ago that you didn’t? And how will you use that knowledge and the resources you have now to erase mistakes?

Unless you have a plan, that surplus of money built from a busy season will soon be gone, and you won’t have a clue where it went. Earmark it for something to benefit your company long term before it slips away a nickel at a time. Take a few moments to write down some things you wished you’d done better during your last test, otherwise you’ll forget and have to learn those lessons the hard way all over again.

We are creatures of habit. We like to take the easy road, hope the good times will continue to slightly outweigh the bad, and float through. But the good news is, habits can be changed. History will always attest to those who are most successful being the ones who use what they have today to become stronger tomorrow.

If you’d like to speak with a Hudson,Ink marketing coach to explore some options to invest in the image, branding, and lead flow of your business, now is the time. Reach out to us at (800) 489-9099, email [email protected], or use this link to easily schedule a call.