Profit by Design 187: Narrowing Your Focus to Build a Better Team with Erich Kolb
Today’s episode highlights another “Great Place to Work.” My guest learned the ugly truth of entrepreneurship the hard way, so he made a big pivot and changed everything to align his business with the dream life he wanted. He is an alumnus of our How to Hire the Best course, which showed him what he was doing wrong and could do better. Now, he is moving in the right direction with his team of A-players to make his business even more profitable.
Erich Kolb owns Seagreen Lawn Care and Irrigation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He and a business partner started their first company in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area in 1995 with $40 in their business bank account! The company grew to $700k in revenue within a few years, but Erich wasn’t happy with its direction. A few years later, Erich realized his entrepreneurial dream was a nightmare; he was wearing too many hats and working too many hours to achieve his dream of living on the coast. In 2016, Erich sold his business, made the move, and started pumpkin planning his new business before he even learned what that meant. Through our course, books, and EVERY episode of the Profit by Design podcast, Erich has learned what it takes to be committed to having a business that supports his life.
Join us to hear Erich’s story and learn why narrowing his niche has been a big key to his business success!
Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production in collaboration with Small Business Consulting Group.
Show Highlights:
- Erich’s story: his background, business management degree, and how he started his landscaping business with $40 in the bank
- Why a business degree does NOT match up with real-world entrepreneurship
- The turning point that forced Erich and his business partner to step back and look at the numbers and the truth
- How Erich realized he was not moving toward his life and business goals—and needed to change his direction
- Erich’s steps in selling his business, relocating to Myrtle Beach, and starting a new business in a new and specific niche
- How Erich found success by tuning into higher-profit areas within his industry so he could offer higher wages and build a better team (Pumpkin planning at work!)
- Why a narrow focus allows you to stand out in your field, build an expert team, and free up your time
- How Erich’s hiring mistakes drove him to the How to Hire the Best course (Fact: 9 out of 10 small businesses have no system for attracting A-players!)
- The “Aha moments” for Erich when he took the course regarding immutable laws, job descriptions, and hiring systems (Fact: Following traditional hiring practices will fail 75% of the time!)
- What Erich is doing to make a great place to work by communicating his values, providing training and incentives, and supporting and respecting team members
- Erich’s questions about communication in moving forward in building his team
- What Erich is doing differently in hiring, based on what he has learned and experienced
- How Erich is incorporating virtual team members and helping them feel included and informed
- What Erich says about his experience with our How to Hire the Best course
Connect with Erich: www.seagreengrass.com
Links and Resources:
Learn more about the next How to Hire the Best course. It starts on April 7!
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