Braker’s Rules for Contractors is now up for sale on Amazon. 

Over the next few weeks I will print a chapter a week.  The text and the numbers have been completely redone so I am taking down all the previous blogs. 

Never wish life were easier, wish that you were better.  Jim Rohn

 Chapter 1

The Reason for Braker’s Rules for Contractors

The phone rings. “I need you to come look at a unit for a repair so I can take the quote to the loan closing.” Me, “Our charge for looking at a unit is a set fee, and we need to be paid while we are there.”

Rule #1 – We Charge to “Look.”

I realized at that moment that I had a set of rules that I use to guide my business. I had just never thought of these principles as a set of rules, nor had I ever numbered them.

Rules to guide you through life are not uncommon. Everyone needs a code or set of rules to live by or conduct their business with.

An example of a rule of conduct:  John Wayne in the movie, The Shootist, said, “I’ll not be laid a hand on.” Since his passing, his son has published a book called, John Wayne’s Code. The Boy Scout oath is another example.

A very simple partial set of rules for life might include:

1. Going to bed and rising at the same time every day
2. Being kind to everyone I meet
3. Working from a to-do list as much as possible
4. Walking away from arguments whether in person or on-line as much as possible

George Washington had his Rules of Civility that he carried in his pocket as a young man, and we all know how well that turned out for him. Here are a few excerpts from his little book:

• # 6.  Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you should hold     your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.
• # 11.  Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails.
• # 19.  Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.
• # 51.  Wear not your clothes, foul, ripped or dusty but see they be brushed once every day at least and take heed that you approach not to any uncleanness.
• # 56.  Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for tis better to be alone than in bad company.
• # 90.  Being set at meat scratch not, neither spit, cough or blow your nose except when there’s a necessity for it.

On the TV show NCIS, the main character has his own list of rules, too. The ones I like the best are:

• Never say you’re sorry.  It is a sign of weakness.
• Never go anywhere without a knife.
• Never, ever involve a lawyer.
• Sometimes you’re wrong.

The more I thought about rules, I realized I had several that I used in my business.  Others I talked to said they had learned the same lessons.  But there was nowhere I knew of where a young person could find them listed. So I began to record and number them as they came up.

Rule #2 – We Charge for Every Trip. (As much as possible)

Example:  A customer called last week.  His house had been struck by lightning and had knocked out the electronics on his unit.  He wanted me to come look at it and write up an estimate for the repairs.  I tried politely telling him we had a trip charge for that, and he would say, “Just write it up for the insurance, and we will turn it in.” I finally had to explain bluntly that he would need to pay me the day I came.  Then we could write up the rest and turn that in. He agreed. It works much better to tell people up front what you expect.

Now when the parts come, if it takes multiple trips, we expect payment before we leave each time.

The reason is that after you have “looked,” or written up an estimate or given your advice, they may later decide to throw it away and start over, fix it themselves or whatever.  Then you will have a hard time getting paid for anything at a later date.

You see many people look at contractors as low-lifes or fly by night outfits.  They think they are doing you a favor by perhaps paying you some money for their job.

I have been told when I was younger to only enter through the back door, the servant’s entrance.

I see my business as a business and run it that way.  What they think they see is a man hoping to make enough money to pay his rent and buy food for the week.  Now not everyone is like that, but a great many are.  The solution is to conduct yourself according to a set of rules (which hopefully comes off with an air of confidence, instead of an air of hoping to make some money).  Then also remember that the rules may not always apply.  But they do apply 999 times out of 1000!

Accumulating rules that govern life are all part of The Prosperous Life.

Proverbs 14:24 The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day.  (The Message)