Own your own business? What are some of your stories

[mikeofaustin]

Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

Since I've started up my own LLC, I've gotten quite accustomed to dealing with customers more than ever. The first rule is, "Customers are like birds. They'll sit on your branch, and then fly away without the slightest notion of what spooked 'em off". (this is the most upsetting, but that's beside the point).

But aside from having an 800 number that used to belong to Leham Bros, and getting calls all the time requesting tax forms, its' quite humorous sometimes. I got question the other day from someone that wanted to know if I can make him a device, that he paid for the schematics for, to make water into vehicle fuel. He was obviously taken for a ride, but gee-wiz, this is silly.

..and there's always the horrible client that you end up changing your terms and conditions because of what they're currently doing to you... Like my current client that I've been working with for the last few months that should have taken only 2 weeks. They stop, go, stop, go... and changing all the specs on the fly. What turned out to be 1 board, turned out to be 5. I broke down and told the guy "Look, every time I see a light at the end of the tunnel with you guys, it's really just stars from being hit with new changes". (He was nice enough to let me requote, despite me not having some of these specific terms at the time).

AND, then there's the guys from overseas. They'll want you to build them this and that, and they send this to you from a GMAIL account. So, you tell them up front, that because of their lack of 'business front' that you'll need payment up front, or at least a credit application filled out. Then you hear not another word from them.

But, I guess what's good about the whole endeavor so far, is that once you get a good client on board, they'll know your work, and they trust you to deliver... so they keep coming back.

 

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[nova treasure]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

One thing I learned long ago, know your product is top quality,make sure there money is good and ALWAYS make sure any female in the Sale is Happy and that it is all in writing and after that, it's just another day at the office.

But for a story,
How about where a person just the other day, wanted to buy a bunch of truck parts from me and told me they wanted to pay me with a check and it should clear the bank in a few days.

How about you give a person and estimate and some fly by nighter does it for a fraction of your quote and they get and advancement,spend a couple days screwing up the whole project and than never returns and leaves with the advanced cash and than the homeowner calls me back and said they hoped i could fix the job for my same estimate.

Nova Treasure

 

[AU24K]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

I own a locksmith business and sometimes customers do not understand what a "master key" is. They think it will open ALL locks. Sometimes if you explain something so clearly that nobody will misunderstand, somebody will.
Scott

 

[mikeofaustin]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

Hmmmm, service vs retail. I'll take retail every time Mike, and now you know why. It is the nature of the business when talking about a service oriented business such as yours which lends itself to the inevitable Change order. It's that human factor, that causes this. Anytime you are working with something that isn't yet produced and have humans involved in the decisions of the details surrounding the service to produce it, there is inevitably going to be human indecision causing changes. While in the retail environment, it is the Human nature to do just the opposite. When a human is confronted with a product which has already been produced, the human will inevitably accept the product as is, "since it has already been made".

I learned this secret about human nature through many years and businesses, both service oriented and retail. I began my life operating service oriented businesses such as construction of custom made cabinetry. Then switched to a retail environment when I realized just how easy it would be to sell my competitors cabinets and let them deal with the human nature to change orders.

In the even you might like to switch sides Mike, the best way I found to do this was a transitional plan I developed which seemed to work for the short term. If you can find the way to provide the requested service as fast as possible it will cut down on the time available to make such changes. And it falls into the second phase of human nature which is to say. Once it is already done, the human mind is much more ready to accept it as it is, "since it is already done"

I've actually thought about this. For example. In my 'down time', I could do small gizmo's and gadgets that would cater to things that people need, but can't get without paying crazy pricing. Have something like that on my website for them to purchase, and they would provide a few things on their end, get the same result as the high priced alternative for a fraction of the cost.
For example; the other day, I was looking on the web for an item that I could plug into to a cheap motion sensor, and point the motion sensor out the window and have an 'automatic doorbell'. A doorbell that would ring, even before the person walked up to the front door. Then, I could even have them 'talk' and say "Side Door", or "Drive Way" Or, "Back Yard". There were items like this called "driveway alarms" that were in the hundreds of dollars, but I could do it for probably $30. All they would need is a cheap Motion sensor, and a 12v-24v wall-wart.

 

[AU24K]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

Very good advice, Bull. However you left out a very important step. Protect your idea. Do a patent search. Also I have a form that I use before I show anyone or tell anyone who may potentially be interested. The form is called a "General Disclosure Form". If you like, I can try to send you a copy that you can print off. PM me if interested. I am in the process of developing a few ideas in the locksmithing area.
Scott

 

[greydigger]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

Sad to hear that Americans are hampered by laws that curtail their ability to make things.
Years ago when I heard about NAFTA I thought to myself, gosh, I can compete with anyone so no problem.
I loved piece rate jobs. I got into design and engineering of mass production.
Best days of my life.
Saw ads saying BRIC countries would pay me 5 yrs. wages to teach them for 1 yr.
Was tempted but my family came first. Some other folks did not feel that way.
I still think Americans can develope better ways but farming out jobs such as R+D to other countries makes no sense.

Now my Tool&Die maker job is gone.
Most all manufacturing is gone.

Selling other countries products is what we have?

Sad


Grey

 

[Arizona Bob]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

I almost started a business. Then there are all those (unexpected) dual-purpose type of items getting in the way...

I reverse-engineered a solar battery charger (a friend bought on eBay and didn't want) just to see how they operated.

I built my own prototype solar battery charger- and knew I could sell it for way less than the others!

As I was looking out at my front yard, I noticed one of my solar lights was inop. I popped open the cover and removed.... 2 AA batteries.

Crap! I never realized that solar lights could also do duty as battery chargers. Duh!

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

 

[mastereagle22]

Re: Own your own business? What are some of 'your' stories

Back when I had my business open my number was ONE digit away from a local Pizza place. I kept getting calls all the time for Pizza orders. After one particular nasty person called me several times in a row and wouldn't believe me that it wasn't a Pizza Business I finally answered the phone and took their pizza order. I apologized a few days later to the Pizza Store manager and we had a laugh over it.

The worst thing I had happen was doing computer work and a guy brings in a laptop that has a virus. In the process of cleaning the virus off discovered Child Porn on the PC. Took it straight to the police.

Then there was the time when a lady I knew, very very attractive lady and really nice, brought in her PC which was "messed" up. Again viruses, spyware etc. During the process of cleaning the thing up came across all kinds of info on sex changes. weird web sites etc. on her husbands account, I had to back up all the data on the PC and wipe which is how I accidentally came across the stuff. I didn't tell her about it and a few months later I saw where they divorced in the paper. I felt really bad about it.

I could go on and on, it's amazing what people do with their PCs and don't realize how much trouble they could get themselves into...