EP #15 – The unexpected surprises & successes of a trades business w/ Simon Adcock

Overview

Running a trades business is a journey; one where you learn new things every day. Maybe it’s that you only really enjoy the technical side of the work, or maybe it’s that you’re not terribly fond of managing a team yourself.

These revelations can come about when you least expect them, but it’s important to listen to yourself and put together a strategy that helps you get what you really want out of your business. 

This week’s episode is part 2 of our conversation with Simon Adcock – an accomplished business owner and EOS implementer. Tune in to catch some useful tips and advice for business owners in this day and age. 

Listen to the episode:

Highlights

Starting your own trades business & the initial realisations

• Reasons for starting your own trades business, and the realisation it’s not what you expected. (1:27)
• Some of the best business owners are terrible at the things their business do. (2:28)
• It’s always better to work for another business and learn their mistakes. You get to see how to do it wrong. (3:11)
• Starting a business is flying blind – just try things and learn from them. (6:29)

Why did you start a business in the first place?

• Building a vision, core values, and core focus is incredibly valuable for even sole traders. (4:40)
• If you’re going to start a business, think carefully what you want to achieve from it. Forget about the day-to-day stuff and figure out what your personal goals are. (8:25)
• You should be doing what you love, with people you love, making a difference, being paid well, and still have time for other passions. (11:02)

Are you doing what you’re good at and love?

• The person that starts a business isn’t necessarily the best person to manage the business (do the paperwork, admin work, etc). (4:02)
• The concept of unique ability (the stuff you’re excellent at and love doing) gives you energy and enjoyment. The opposite is also true for stuff you don’t enjoy and aren’t good at. (14:54)
• Employees take the energy and attitude that you have as the leader. This then boils down to the customer. (16:39)