When you are first getting started in any business you have two choices:  You can do everything alone, or you can ask for help when you need it.

Early in my career the best help I ever received was when I went to someone who had already been through what I was having trouble with – preferably for years.You see, in my early 20’s when I asked my friends and other inexperienced people my age what I should do, they gave me one answer.   But when I asked a seasoned professional – usually the answer was completely different.   They knew short-cuts and could tell me what to avoid and how not to waste my time.  They cut through all the hype for me – and directed me exactly where I needed to go or what I needed to do.

They had experience in the real world. They had been there already.  They could point me in a better direction than where my friends were pointing me.

Sometimes the answer didn’t involve short-cuts.  The answer instead was something like “Just keep practicing and doing what you are doing.  There is no short-cut.  It might seem like hard work now, but it will get easier.”

The reality was – it didn’t get easier.  I just got better as I gained more experience, and my business grew because of it. 

I got better at estimating what a renovation would cost.   I got better at negotiating good deals on my materials.  My time management got better.

They all seemed like small things at the time, but when I added them all together, the cumulative effect on my business and my income was incredible.

As the years went on and my business grew, the problems changed but I continued to get help when and where I needed it.

As a follow-up from our meeting last month, my point is this: Get out there and look for opportunity.  When you find it, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  The odds are pretty good, especially early in your career, that you don’t know it all.

Be ready for that opportunity when it comes to you.

By the way – This month at our WREIA meeting we will have a special panel of renovators who have been working “in the real world” for years.

The collective experience of this group would take you years to find out there in the real world.  This group is simply not the type that usually gets in front of groups of people to talk about what they do.  They simply get busy and finish jobs.

It’s a great opportunity to learn from some real go-getters and you will have a chance to ask some questions like:

• Where would you suggest finding good deals if you were getting started today?
• How much time do you plan to flip a property in our area?
• How much money, at a minimum, do you want to make on a deal?
• Where do you get your materials for your jobs?
• Do you have partners and if so, how do you structure the contracts and split profits?

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early.  Then, come join us at WREIA on Feb. 22nd. It will be a great way to start the year, get you motivated, and get a jump start on the rest of 2016.

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Make this year a great year for your business!

John Peterson