It wasn’t until I was attending college at the University of Northern Colorado that I learned what real entrepreneurship was all about. I was in my second year of business school and one of my classes featured guest speakers that were experienced entrepreneurs. One speaker told the class a story about how he had built a company that he later sold for $40 million dollars. Hearing that story peaked my interest in entrepreneurship even more. Keep reading below for the last five Rules of Roofing Entrepreneurship.
Rule #6: Change is inevitable. Embrace it. Most people don’t like change, and if you don’t like change, roofing entrepreneurship may not be for you. A roofing business is a living, breathing entity. It is always growing. It is always changing, and you, the roofing business owner, should always be changing and growing with it.
Rule #7: Don’t freak out. Bad things happen whether you like it or not. When you freak out, everyone freaks out. Don’t focus on then problem, focus on the solution. In roofing, make quick, efficient, and logical decisions. Deal with the results as they happen.
Rule #8: Always be learning. Be a student of your roofing business. Be a student of the roofing industry. Understand that you don’t know everything about roofing. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow your roofing knowledge everyday.
Rule #9: Take the high road. Integrity is everything in the roofing business. There will be many times when you’ll be challenged, and you will be asked to do things that are outside your ethical comfort zone. If you have to question if something is unethical, then it probably is. The key is, always do what you know is right even if it jeopardizes relationships. Unethical people always lose in the end, so why associate with them. Don’t burn bridges because you never know what or who will provide opportunity in the future.
Rule #10: Time is your most valuable asset. There are one so many minutes, hours, and days in our lifetime; don’t waste time on things that don’t propel you forward. Having studied many successful entrepreneurs and read many business books, they one commonality between them all is the level of which they value their time. Time management has been one of the most important keys to my personal success.