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| # 23 Doing Business in NZ |
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Just about any trucker the world over, that’s worth their salt, wants to be their own boss one day.
Why this is, I’m not sure, but I guess that’s just the way we are, the nature of the beast. We’re a freedom loving bunch I suppose.
Being in business for yourself allows you a whole range of freedoms that are not normally available to everyone else.
It allows you the freedom to ask “What if”? And then do something about it, without having to ask someone else’s permission.
It allows you the freedom to go broke, if “what if” is wrong.
It allows you the freedom to work 168 hours a week, week in week out, to prove that “what if” is right and earn two cents an hour while doing it.
It allows you the freedom to get up at two o’clock in the morning and finish your taxes.
It allows you the freedom to come into contact with a whole lot of people who want to tell you how they think you should be doing it, but aren’t doing it themselves.
So why on earth do we do this business thing?
Because it allows you the freedom to earn what you’re worth, if “what if” is really right and to stand back and say “I did that and I did it my way.”
The history of this country and particularly our industry is full of people who have built good strong businesses, based on sound common sense, their own money and hour’s and hour’s of plain old fashioned hard work.
But it’s a road that’s also littered with the debris of those that didn’t make it, the cowboys that thought that undercutting everyone else’s rates to get more work meant being an astute businessman. That scrimping on your maintenance work ment saving money, and that investing in driver training was what trendy lefty PC woofters do.
Changing a cowboy trucking company’s culture is not an easy task, it’s much better to get it right at the start.
First you need a plan, this gives you direction, identifies where your starting from and the steps required to get there.
Next you need to let everyone else know what’s going on and why you’re doing it, and encourage a contribution from all involved to reach the end result. Not everyone will be in favour, as most people try and resist change, sometimes even subconsciously.
Most importantly, the boss (you) need’s to take personal responsibility; it’s your vision, money and neck that are on the line and your staff need to be fully conversant with what your doing, the reasons why and what is anticipated from them.
Stop undercutting the opposition’s rates just to gain extra work, your wearing out your gear, your staff and not making any money. If you can see a legitimate opportunity and can still make a dollar, fair enough, good businesses thrive on legitimate competition. If you don’t have the skills to work out your bottom line and know the exact point were profit meets loss, get some training now. It’s only you and your family that will suffer if your business fails, your customers will find other suppliers and your staff will find other jobs. All will be injured in the process, but you could lose everything.
Keep your gear in the best possible shape that you can, only an idiot destroys his own investment. Break downs cost money, your money, not just what it costs to fix the problem, but also lost income.
Your staff is your greatest asset, treat them with respect and encourage and reward their best efforts, they will get you through your darkest hours. Treat their training as your own; you don’t know everything and neither do they. Don’t get so bogged down doing the bread and butter work that you forget to look around.
Don’t lie and cheat, it’s a short road and you always end up losing in the long run.
Nothing is better than word of mouth advertising and that only comes from respect.
Shake hands like you mean it and look others in the eye.
Work more with your brain than your back and take the time to enjoy your family.
With the right attitude you can achieve anything.
Why do we do what we do?
Because we can!
But then, that is “just an old trucker’s point of view.”
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