Trends to Watch for 2020
Greetings!
What Trends Will Drive Your Business in 2020?
As we prepare for our conference this month, we're gathering important resources to grow your success. Don't miss our event to learn about these and more:
A Strong Market. Growth in the home-construction and remodeling sectors is expected to remain strong in 2020. Don't forget remodeling. As Baby Boomers age out of traditional housing (millions of houses to come on the market in the next 10 years), these older properties will need re-landscaping and efficient irrigation. There's money to be made in existing neighborhoods!
Technology Waits for No One. A lot of contracting businesses are stuck in the 1950s: waiting for the phone to ring, using paper-based work orders, selling the same menu of services year-after-year. Yet new products and labor-saving technologies continue to leap forward. One example: direct-to-consumer sales of Wi-Fi irrigation controls are surging. Keep up and adapt to new customer demands. Get your team trained on how to implement them.
Standing Out. There are plenty of average contractors. There's plenty of work. The top contractors are implementing strategies to make their companies leaders for years to come. Surveys show customers want and will pay for a better service experience. Provide more value AND raise your prices.
The Power of Time. Everyone seems to want a piece of your time. Don't squander it on the unimportant. Decide what needs to be done, and set time-based deadlines. Avoid procrastination by getting started on bite-sized pieces. The most successful contractors set goals: 30 days, 6 months and 3 years. Get started now on the future you've always imagined; it will be here before you know it.
See you at the conference!
The Team at MPR Supply
Register Now: MPR Trade Show & Conference
Registration is now available.
Click and get signed up now for new ideas to make 2020 your best year ever. Our show is a not-to-be-missed day of smart seminars, vendor displays and a delicious lunch.
Our show is a not-to-be-missed day of smart seminars, vendor displays and a delicious lunch.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 29, 2020 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Registration opens at 7 AM with a Continental Breakfast. Lunch is included
WHERE: Spazio's Westport 12031 Lackland Rd
REGISTER NOW: Click here to register your team.
Don't Sweat the Wrong Stuff: Where to Focus for Growth in 2020
There are plenty of things to do in a day.The more you do yourself, the less you get done. Most business owners work far too hard. They have too many details to handle and not enough time to focus on the big things that make them the most money.
You know your goals are not to work more hours, worry about more details or fight irritating issues. Get your head out of the ditch and focus on your future!
Schedule free delivery to your job site or office too!
Prioritize your focus strategically. Identify the things that will have the most impact on your company's results, then pick three to focus on for the next 6 months. Identify opportunities for growth and ways to reach your company's full potential. Here are some critical items to consider:
- Strengthening your management team with clear levels of authority and job descriptions.
- Filling open positions with reliable employees.
- Developing a strong leadership team.
- Building a long-term plan for the business (including ownership or leadership succession).
- Increasing net profits to best-in-class industry levels.
Don't try to focus on more than three things at once. If you need resources or support, let us know!
Free Training Video: Troubleshooting a Valve That Won't Activate
What should you do when a valve won't activate from the controller?Is the problem the controller, the wiring or the valve?
How can you diagnose the problem without digging?
Regency Wire answers these questions and more in their NEW free training video for irrigation professionals. Check it out and be sure to share it with your team!
Install Faster with Blazing Saddles
Did you know there is an irrigation saddle that doesn't require any tools to install? Brought to you by King Innovation, the Blazing Saddles are the fastest self-tapping saddles in the irrigation market. Simply clamp the saddle over the pipe, push down, twist on the tap, and you are done! No clamping, coring, or cutting is required.
These innovative saddles are available for use on ¾" to 1-1/2" poly pipe and ¾" to 1-1/4" PVC pipe. Blazing saddles are made of high impact ABS and are designed with a barbed fitting ensuring not only an easy installation without tools, but a secure and long-lasting fit. With optimal sprinkler head flow, delivering more than 7 gallons per minute at 40 PSI and 12 gallons per minute at 60 PSI, these saddles are the best way to guarantee optimal system life and avoid costly re-work.
Learn more: visit poly saddles page and PVC saddles page
Time to Say Goodbye? Weeding Your Customer List Before Spring
You had plenty of work in 2019.And there were a couple of customers who drove you crazy with unreasonable demands and abusive behavior.
It might be time to say "goodbye"?Here are some criteria to consider as you're weeding your client list this winter:
Never Pleased. These are typically customers with finicky preferences, odd-requests and expectations that you'll do lots of extras for free. They want 80% of your time, but contribute very little revenue.
Abusive Customers. Don't allow customers to be mean, condescending and rude to your employees. It hurts morale. It's disrespectful. Draw a line and let them know you won't tolerate it. Your team will thank you!
Slow Pay. You deserve to be paid fairly and on-time. You shouldn't take on financial risks to take care of clients.
Bad Ethics. Avoid associating your company's reputation with customers who don't match your values. Clients who ask you to cheat, cut corners or break laws should be first to go.
Fill your list with great customers. There are plenty out there!
Exploding the Myth: Do Deep Socket Fittings or Improper Application of Solvent Cement Cause Pipe Joint Failure?
Irrigation systems really take a beating. Solvent-cemented joints are particularly vulnerable. Every time water bangs through a pipe, it slams into corner fittings with the pressure of the entire
system behind it. This can loosen the fitting from the pipe, or worse, cause it to pop right off, gushing water everywhere.Do longer sockets help solve this problem? Learn more by downloading this informative article from LASCO Fittings
Train Your Team: Zurn Wilkins Offers Backflow Start-up, Troubleshooting and Winterization Videos on YouTube
Easily troubleshoot and complete repairs in less time for backflows, pressure reducing valves and automatic control valves with the help of step by step YouTube videos. Zurn Wilkins has a new Irrigation Playlist on their OneZurn YouTube channel that puts valuable videos in one location. Zurn has a large library of helpful irrigation videos that cover start-up, winterization, step by step troubleshooting and repair guides, and product overviews to help you maintain optimum system performance.The How to Troubleshoot a Relief Valve video below is just one of the many videos available. Visit the OneZurn YouTube Channel for their complete video library.
Regency Wire answers these questions and more in their NEW free training video for irrigation professionals. Check it out and be sure to share it with your team!