The summer between my sophomore and junior year of college was mostly spent fixing toilets and crawling under people's houses.

Surprisingly it was kind of fun and I learned a few things along the way:

‍

Sometimes it makes sense to hire a professional

Figuring something out on your own is rewarding but a lot of time, money, and headache can be saved simply by paying an expert to get things done right the first time.

Customer service is everything

The company did no advertising or marketing. They let their brand, high quality service, and their customer service sell through word of mouth.

They’ve been a local company for decades so they now have that luxury, but they wouldn’t have gotten there with poor customer or actual service.

Having a niche pays off

The company did plumbing and heating & cooling but had extensive knowledge on a few specific brands. To the point where if someone had a problem with "xxxx" brand air conditioner, they knew we were the people that could fix it, no questions asked.

This reputation takes time to build but once it's established, it's hard not to experience business growth.

‍

Essay #58 - 5.23.21