G. I. Joe’s Advice to Contractors

I’m going to date myself again with this one, but so be it. A few days ago, as I was sitting with my four-year-old watching TV, I had this thought. Cartoons weren’t nearly as educational when I was growing up in the Eighties; at least not in my memory. Sure, we had Sesame Street where a vampire helped me learn how to count and a green dude in a trash can taught me love and acceptance in the barrio, but mostly my childhood was filled with superheroes and the Mystery Machine.

I remember anxiously waiting for He-Man to waive his sword and to see a rat train a bunch of radioactive turtles how to fight ninja-style. You know, come to think of it, I’ve often said the stuff my daughter watches now is weird, but maybe I should cut Paw Patrol some slack because few things top the weirdness of the Eighties. I mean, the Thundercats had a sidekick pet thing named Snarf…

Anyway, even at a young age I was apparently paying more attention to marketing than I realized. It’s shocking how often in regular, everyday life I quote a public service announcement commercial that was tacked on to the end of each episode of G. I. Joe.

See if you can finish this famous line: “So now I know! And _________ is half the battle!”

Sponsored by the National Child Safety Council, G. I. Joe’s massive popularity was used to inform kids about the dangers of everything from lying to parents to giving strangers their personal information over the phone. And I don’t know about all those young kids who idolized the Joe’s, but that iconic, “And knowing is half the battle!” has stuck with me through all these years.

There’s a ton of wisdom in that, right? Forget about just child safety and knowing not to blame the broken window on your little brother, I’m talking about the power of knowledge in general. Having knowledge, or simply having quick access to it really is probably more than “half the battle.” Actually, having the right information on hand is close to the entire battle and that’s why we train, go to school, get certified, practice and tout our “20 years of experience.” Whether from memory or otherwise, we want the right knowledge readily available to us. Then all that’s left is implementation.

These days, thanks to the ever-expanding internet and smartphones, we have access to an almost unlimited amount of information, all the time, 24/7. Now, the main challenge is sifting through to find what information is relevant and correct.

So, what should we be doing with this incredible amount of information at our fingertips? G. I. Joe said, “Knowing is HALF the battle…”; the other half is putting it into practice.

If you don’t use the knowledge you have available to you it makes your work harder, less efficient and more costly. Yet some contractors are still determined to hammer in that screw with their pipe wrench.

Luckily, information in the trades is lightyears ahead of where it was just a few years ago. Manuals are online, you can bring new technicians up to speed quickly with training videos and technical regulation and safety information is everywhere. But what about the less technical, yet just as important sides of your business? Where do you go to learn about them?

Many times, questions about how to hire technicians, plan your year or market your business can’t be answered by a simple Google search. Sure, you’ll get 1,089,097 results in 0.0081 seconds, but none of them are relevant to you in your specific situation. Businessweek and Money Magazine are giving advice that’s rarely applicable to the local contractor. Hudson,Ink saw a need and we have filled it.

For the first time anywhere (that we’re aware of), you have a completely free, expansive library of marketing articles and tips, podcasts, videos, tools and resources designed exclusively to help in-home contractors market their businesses better. You’ve got hundreds of hours of easily consumable content, free downloads and reports. And it’s all online, simply a click away. I want to invite you over to see Hudson,Ink’s NEW Contractor Resource Center.

Bookmark this page and use it to its fullest. You don’t have to know it all or have everything memorized, but knowing where to find good information when you need it could be the difference between success and failure.

Hudson,Ink has made a commitment to helping contractors like you in every way we can. Our new resource center is just another way to give you an advantage over your competition and make you a more successful and profitable contractor. Come look around and start learning now!

So, now you know… and as Joe says, knowing is half the battle. The other half of your success, choosing to USE the knowledge you have access to, is up to you.