Greg Cole
Thank you SFS!
In October 2008, Jon-Don gifted me the Strategies for Success (SFS) seminar due to the amount of money I had spent with them over the previous couple of years. Always looking for a reason to play hooky, I decided to invest the week and attend.
After 16 years in business and with dozens of people working for me, I went to SFS believing that I knew everything there was to know about the carpet cleaning business. However, attending Strategies was a humbling experience!
The first day addressed finances. Chuck Violand broke down Profit and Loss statements in a manner that made incredible sense. He provided financial benchmarks for me to bring home and apply to my P&L. He even discussed pricing modules.
The second day at SFS covered marketing and advertising with Bill Yeadon. He did an excellent job and made a lot of sense. Bill made marketing a lot of fun and it was a much welcomed break from the financial side on Day One!
The crown jewel came on Day 3 when Steve Toburen sauntered in. He began to discuss operations with a passion that I had never seen before. The strategies, systems, and ideas he brought to the class were pure genius. I must say that I left SFS with my ego bruised but with about 30 things I wanted to implement into my business. In fact, by using just two of the ideas I learned from Steve at Strategies for Success, I increased my gross business in 2009 (in the middle of the biggest recession the US has seen since the 1930’s) by well over a million dollars!
The real gem was that by implementing a couple of the strategies I learned from Chuck I also increased my overall profit margin by 9%! Thank you to all the instructors at SFS. Thank you to the gang at Jon Don for having the foresight to sponsor a seminar like Strategies for Success! And thank you for reading this!
Greg Cole
President
Pro Carpet of Atlanta & Tampa
Note from Steve:
Here are just two of the concepts that Greg used to transform his business:Ten Essential Strategies for Success in a Tough Economy
The downloads are free. Focus on these SFS ideas and who knows, your business Success Story might be profiled here one day too! Remember that “Your success is our success!”
“Sauntered in? Sauntered in?” I don’t know, Greg. I’ve been accused of a lot of things in my life but I don’t believe anyone has ever nailed me for “sauntering in” at the start of a class!
(Especially after one of Poppa Nick’s rousing introductions!)
Thank you, Greg, for sharing your success with all of us and let your SFS team know how we can be of help. And congratulations on your new Tampa Bay location! You will find that our St. Peterburg branch manager, Ziza Hysell, is every bit as helpful as Cara has been for you in Atlanta.
Steve
PS Actually, Greg, I already thought of how SFS can help you even more than we have up till now. In an upcoming Success Story just as exciting as your journey SFS member Mike Lamunyon of Lamunyon’s Cleaning and Restoration in Hutchison, Kansas shares that over the years he has sent FOURTEEN of his employees to Strategies for Success. Most of them are still with him today. So Greg, think about sending some of your key people (including your Tampa manager!) to Strategies! Share the knowledge!
Thanks a lot, Greg! Now we have been inundated with e-mails asking about just one thing:
“In fact, by using just two of the ideas I learned from Steve at Strategies for Success, I increased my gross business in 2009 (in the middle of the biggest recession the US has seen since the 1930’s) by well over a million dollars!”
That’s right- everyone wants to know what were the famous “two ideas”? I have no problem with you helping folks out so please share!
Steve
PS Now don’t give them the “30 things I wanted to implement into my business.” Otherwise they won’t need to attend SFS if they have Greg Cole’s Cliff Notes for Strategies for Success! And thanks again, Greg!
Obviously, I don’t want to share too much as my competitors are likely reading this. I will tell you that one of the ideas came from Chuck Violand’s day. I spent years asking myself this question: “What can I do to increase my margin?” Chuck solved it for me in one day!
The only complaint I have about SFS is that the food they serve you is too good!
There are questions that I am often asked about SFS that need to be answered.
“What is in it for JonDon? Why would they want us to better? How can they possibly do all this work and give away the class to those that spend $5k or more?”
I have a very simple answer to all: Due to the success that I enjoy due to SFS, I was able to spend just shy of $100k with Jon Don in 2009. They invest in their customers. If I do well, I buy more products and chemicals.
If you are struggling, treading water, or even doing well – you should attend SFS.It can only make you better!
I am off to check in on the new Tampa office.
Best of Luck Guys!
-Greg