This is a duplicate post from ***. If you've already read it there, you can skip it.
This is my notice that I plan to discontinue posting and visiting ***, The Grime Scene and the ***** BBS for at least the rest of 2010 and probably much longer beginning tonight at midnight.
This decision is not based on anything that has happened on or off the boards, but rather is going to be a time for me to rebond with my family and my business after two years of trying to give what little I can to the industry. I have reached a lull in "crusades" and roundtable commitments and find this the opportune time to bow out for a while.
Based on data from our most recent sales figures I estimate that all the time spent preparing speeches and classes, posting on the BBS's and traveling to and from roundtables has cost us around $320,000 in new sales over the past two years. I probably wouldn't have noticed this but I recently did an annual evaluation of our business plan and saw the dip that was not fully explainable by the economy alone even taking into account the devastation our company took in 2008 with all the commercial business closures. That may seem like a lot of money to some and virtually nothing to others, but keep in mind we just started this particular business in 2004 and we are still on the initial growth pattern. This is no one's fault by my own. But it's time to turn it around.
MY INTRODUCTION TO ***
2 years and two months ago I logged into *** for the first time.
After spending hours reading ***. Ron and I spoke on the phone and I told him that over the years I had been involved in BBS's in other industries, but *** was the first time I ever found a board where the Christian attitude of giving freely to others was prevalent. It was also refreshing to find a board with primarily business owners rather than a board that had been taken over by complaining employees who know nothing about what it takes to run a business.
Although Ron and I shared a different religion, a friendship was immediately forged that has not been shaken since. Ron is who he is and he doesn't hide who he is. We do not always agree, but he has never failed to gain my respect, even when he's slipped for a while he has taken himself up by the bootstraps and did whatever it took to get back on track. He is also not afraid to apologize. That is the sign of a good man. I hope you guys can recognize that.
Along the way I've met and spoken with many great and honorable men and women in our industry. Any of you can feel free to email, txt or call me anytime. That goes double for any of the people who have been to my classes. My phone is always open.
*** and NCE
I've never been on the boards for SEO. I didn't even have a link in my signature half the time. When I joined the PWNA and ***** I revamped the sig for their sakes. (to the best of my ability) My industry is different from most of yours and SEO isn't as much of a help.
While I never used the boards much in the way of SEO, I won't try to pretend that I was on here only to help others. I received a LOT of good and needed information from you guys and I am forever thankful.
I tried to return the favor by teaching classes at roundtables as cheaply as I could offer them without losing money yet still lost money every single time! It was frustrating. BUT early on I made a commitment to Ron to teach classes and I held up my commitment to the very end no matter what it cost.
I have reached the point where I think everyone on the boards who is interested in what I do has already participated in the classes and further offerings will just serve to cost Ron money in unnecessary promotion.
And, Kory, you are awesome dude. You are one of the most professional young men I've ever met. I wish you well in your business and NCE. I am humbled by your balance of professionalism and humor.
REFERRALS
Ron has never asked me for a dime. He's referred business in our area to Chris and me but unfortunately we have never been able to make the deal. If we had I would have given him 10% for the life of the contract, as I would with ANY other referral we closed even though he's never asked for it.
Any of you guys who think there is something wrong with that need to re-evaluate your advertising expenses and the cost of obtaining a new account and realize that 10% is a relative bargain. But I emphasize again, Ron has never asked us for a dime.
I will forever be in Ron's debt and the debt of all you guys who have helped me along the way.
THE *****
While I am not always proud of the way I conducted myself, I am proud of the results of my "crusade" against the failed leadership of the *****.
The org is on the right track now with the right people. I stated before that the polarizing figures like myself, Matt Johnson, Ken Fenner, Carlos Gonzales, and others should lay low and allow the ***** to mature for at least a year without significant involvement by any of us.
My leaving the boards is my contribution to that end. My involvement at this point will only serve as a stumbling block to those who perpetually suspect me and my motives.
There has been a burst of new memberships, but I'm afraid future growth may be impeded if I am materially involved during the growth period.
I have full faith in the men who are running the ***** now and have no doubt that they have the integrity needed to build the ***** into something great for our industry as long as they remember the lessons learned.
The PWNA
No comment except for this question -
You doubled your membership last year due to "hard work" from the board (quote from Charleston RT) - with little or no mention of any outside help - --- That's taking a lot of credit - Who are you going to blame when your membership is half next year when all those new guys don't renew? The same way you got them is probably the only way you are going to keep them. Just food for thought.
The CWA
There seems to be little to no industry concern over how the CWA is misquoted and misunderstood to he detriment of our industry.
I leave it in your hands. I won't effect me. The HVAC side of my industry has already took this by the reigns and gained exemptions for coil cleaning in many large cities by using education in the limitations of the CWA.
I have spent a lot of time explaining how we could do this through education and representation, but the myth that buying a lot of equipment to "cull" the lowballers has been swallowed by the collective industry and probably can't be turned around.
I'm not concerned too much about environmental regulations in our area for my son's business. Our state and city has a rebel attitude anyway and has very realistic and easily implemented BMP's. If ridiculous regulation is proposed I would hope that a national org would eventually be able to help if needed.
The end result of the current direction our industry is headed will be one or two large lowball national contractors tailor making the rules to fit their equipment running most of you out of business. It will start with the commercial end and eventually work it's way to residential.
It's in your hands now. Unions make the rules because they don't start negotiating from the middle. Our industry needs to start from the standpoint of ZERO reclamation and COMPLETE exemption and work from there to an acceptable agreement. Anything less than that is just bending over and taking it.
THE GRIME SCENE
Beth and Rod have produced a priceless resource in the Grime Scene. My small contributions to the industry over the past two years pale in comparison to theirs. While I didn't post as much there because there was more of a residential conversation going on there I am thankful for the resources afforded there. I hope that we will be able to meet at an event in the future.
RUSS JOHNSON
I wish I could afford to buy a machine a month from you. Thank you for everything.
Conclusion:
I will probably return to the boards one day. I don't need a requested ban.
Shelly says I have a sense of self control that borders on frightening.
My phone is always open - 702-358-7477 (same number for txts)
This is a duplicate post from ***. If you've already read it there, you can skip it.
This is my notice that I plan to discontinue posting and visiting ***, The Grime Scene and the ***** BBS for at least the rest of 2010 and probably much longer beginning tonight at midnight.
This decision is not based on anything that has happened on or off the boards, but rather is going to be a time for me to rebond with my family and my business after two years of trying to give what little I can to the industry. I have reached a lull in "crusades" and roundtable commitments and find this the opportune time to bow out for a while.
Based on data from our most recent sales figures I estimate that all the time spent preparing speeches and classes, posting on the BBS's and traveling to and from roundtables has cost us around $320,000 in new sales over the past two years. I probably wouldn't have noticed this but I recently did an annual evaluation of our business plan and saw the dip that was not fully explainable by the economy alone even taking into account the devastation our company took in 2008 with all the commercial business closures. That may seem like a lot of money to some and virtually nothing to others, but keep in mind we just started this particular business in 2004 and we are still on the initial growth pattern. This is no one's fault by my own. But it's time to turn it around.
MY INTRODUCTION TO ***
2 years and two months ago I logged into *** for the first time.
After spending hours reading ***. Ron and I spoke on the phone and I told him that over the years I had been involved in BBS's in other industries, but *** was the first time I ever found a board where the Christian attitude of giving freely to others was prevalent. It was also refreshing to find a board with primarily business owners rather than a board that had been taken over by complaining employees who know nothing about what it takes to run a business.
Although Ron and I shared a different religion, a friendship was immediately forged that has not been shaken since. Ron is who he is and he doesn't hide who he is. We do not always agree, but he has never failed to gain my respect, even when he's slipped for a while he has taken himself up by the bootstraps and did whatever it took to get back on track. He is also not afraid to apologize. That is the sign of a good man. I hope you guys can recognize that.
Along the way I've met and spoken with many great and honorable men and women in our industry. Any of you can feel free to email, txt or call me anytime. That goes double for any of the people who have been to my classes. My phone is always open.
*** and NCE
I've never been on the boards for SEO. I didn't even have a link in my signature half the time. When I joined the PWNA and ***** I revamped the sig for their sakes. (to the best of my ability) My industry is different from most of yours and SEO isn't as much of a help.
While I never used the boards much in the way of SEO, I won't try to pretend that I was on here only to help others. I received a LOT of good and needed information from you guys and I am forever thankful.
I tried to return the favor by teaching classes at roundtables as cheaply as I could offer them without losing money yet still lost money every single time! It was frustrating. BUT early on I made a commitment to Ron to teach classes and I held up my commitment to the very end no matter what it cost.
I have reached the point where I think everyone on the boards who is interested in what I do has already participated in the classes and further offerings will just serve to cost Ron money in unnecessary promotion.
And, Kory, you are awesome dude. You are one of the most professional young men I've ever met. I wish you well in your business and NCE. I am humbled by your balance of professionalism and humor.
REFERRALS
Ron has never asked me for a dime. He's referred business in our area to Chris and me but unfortunately we have never been able to make the deal. If we had I would have given him 10% for the life of the contract, as I would with ANY other referral we closed even though he's never asked for it.
Any of you guys who think there is something wrong with that need to re-evaluate your advertising expenses and the cost of obtaining a new account and realize that 10% is a relative bargain. But I emphasize again, Ron has never asked us for a dime.
I will forever be in Ron's debt and the debt of all you guys who have helped me along the way.
THE *****
While I am not always proud of the way I conducted myself, I am proud of the results of my "crusade" against the failed leadership of the *****.
The org is on the right track now with the right people. I stated before that the polarizing figures like myself, Matt Johnson, Ken Fenner, Carlos Gonzales, and others should lay low and allow the ***** to mature for at least a year without significant involvement by any of us.
My leaving the boards is my contribution to that end. My involvement at this point will only serve as a stumbling block to those who perpetually suspect me and my motives.
There has been a burst of new memberships, but I'm afraid future growth may be impeded if I am materially involved during the growth period.
I have full faith in the men who are running the ***** now and have no doubt that they have the integrity needed to build the ***** into something great for our industry as long as they remember the lessons learned.
The PWNA
No comment except for this question -
You doubled your membership last year due to "hard work" from the board (quote from Charleston RT) - with little or no mention of any outside help - --- That's taking a lot of credit - Who are you going to blame when your membership is half next year when all those new guys don't renew? The same way you got them is probably the only way you are going to keep them. Just food for thought.
The CWA
There seems to be little to no industry concern over how the CWA is misquoted and misunderstood to he detriment of our industry.
I leave it in your hands. I won't effect me. The HVAC side of my industry has already took this by the reigns and gained exemptions for coil cleaning in many large cities by using education in the limitations of the CWA.
I have spent a lot of time explaining how we could do this through education and representation, but the myth that buying a lot of equipment to "cull" the lowballers has been swallowed by the collective industry and probably can't be turned around.
I'm not concerned too much about environmental regulations in our area for my son's business. Our state and city has a rebel attitude anyway and has very realistic and easily implemented BMP's. If ridiculous regulation is proposed I would hope that a national org would eventually be able to help if needed.
The end result of the current direction our industry is headed will be one or two large lowball national contractors tailor making the rules to fit their equipment running most of you out of business. It will start with the commercial end and eventually work it's way to residential.
It's in your hands now. Unions make the rules because they don't start negotiating from the middle. Our industry needs to start from the standpoint of ZERO reclamation and COMPLETE exemption and work from there to an acceptable agreement. Anything less than that is just bending over and taking it.
THE GRIME SCENE
Beth and Rod have produced a priceless resource in the Grime Scene. My small contributions to the industry over the past two years pale in comparison to theirs. While I didn't post as much there because there was more of a residential conversation going on there I am thankful for the resources afforded there. I hope that we will be able to meet at an event in the future.
RUSS JOHNSON
I wish I could afford to buy a machine a month from you. Thank you for everything.
Conclusion:
I will probably return to the boards one day. I don't need a requested ban.
Shelly says I have a sense of self control that borders on frightening.
My phone is always open - 702-358-7477 (same number for txts)
Email is tonyshelton@**********.com
Thanks again everyone!
Edited by Beth n RodNO throwing stones!
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