Your Chosen Vehicle

You have chosen to have your dry cleaning company be the primary vehicle that will assist you in living the life you desire. It serves you and your family. Or at least it should. Sometimes you might feel like you are serving your company, and that is backward.

What is important to realize is that it is a means to end. Not an end. Your business is not the destination. It can help you with achievement, but it likely will not create internal fulfillment.

Marketing is the gas you put in the vehicle. The more marketing you put in the tank, the faster your vehicle will go. And if it is high-quality (proven and tested tactics and strategies) fuel, it will create a more reliable vehicle. Have you tried driving a car without gasoline? Unless you’re a Tesla owner, your car will NOT move. Neither will your company without marketing.

You will have several other passengers in your vehicle – most importantly the leaders of your teams – one for retail, one for routes, one for back office (HR and Marketing), and one for production. You need to create enough sales, a minimum of $1 million of sales, to afford these team leaders. And the more sales, the better.

And here is something most other advisors in our industry won’t tell you. When you get done with work, please park your vehicle in the garage and turn it off. Remember, the business serves you. If you work all the time, you are serving the business. When you get home, it is time to focus on your spouse, your family, and your own enjoyment. And do not try to convince me that work is your reward. I don’t buy that.

If you leave your vehicle running and try to spend time with yourself or your loved ones, the fumes will poison your personal life. There must be a division between work and family. And work MUST serve the family. For most entrepreneurs, it is the other way around, which is why there is a lack of internal fulfillment.

Do you see it like this? Do you want to? Let me know, please!