Growing an asphalt maintenance company takes a combination of several factors. Fortunately, we’re in control of many of these factors. Whether it’s the risks we take or the culture we foster, scaling an asphalt maintenance company does not need to be a herculean effort.
1. Keep an Eye on the Real Why
One of the essential things people tend to lose track of when they’re scaling an asphalt company is the why. The why is not to make more money. Keeping the focus exclusively on the money often leads the opposite direction.
Instead, the why should focus on what the money can get accomplished. For example, a company owner might scale to spend more quality time with their children rather than working longer hours. Another might scale so they can spend the money doing good in the world.
2. Focus on Results and Values
When scaling an asphalt maintenance company, knowing the numbers is critical. However, understanding and caring about the values of the company is even more critical. Without the values, the client results will be sub-par, and the business cannot grow.
Additionally, a focus on client results is essential regardless of where an asphalt maintenance company is in its growth. Focusing on the client results and doing everything possible to fix any issues is one of the best ways to grow.
For example, if a client requests something specific during a job, we do it. Sometimes, the repair we do doesn’t work the way it should. The path that aligns with our values involves fixing it without charging the customer.
3. Teams and Teamwork
We know the importance of hiring good people. However, before hiring while scaling, we must define company culture. If we try to figure this out later, it will not be cohesive. We may also hire the wrong people along the way.
Hiring employees that fit the asphalt maintenance company’s culture and vision makes an enormous difference for scaling. With employees who see their place in the vision, they’ll support the company every day with 110%.
Teams and teamwork happen best when everyone shares a vision. Additionally, they occur when people feel nurtured and supported. We can give our crew members skills, support, and ways to practice both in a safe environment.
When our asphalt company employees see how we support their dreams as well as our own, that only adds to our company culture.
4. Goalsetting for Asphalt Maintenance Companies
When scaling an asphalt maintenance company, goals are essential. The short-term goals help us gain momentum for our long-term ones, regardless of how big they are. They’re a natural landmark choice for growth.
When scaling an asphalt company, the best goals are those that provide some challenge. Our first step is to figure out what’s doable. Then we add a little more on top of that, so the goal is a stretch, such as 5% more.
Another tip we’ve learned is that structure helps immensely. While we’re goalsetting for our asphalt maintenance company, we want to think about how we’ll get to those goals and what processes we need to support that growth.
5. Reinvesting into the Asphalt Maintenance Business
Reinvesting into asphalt maintenance businesses is essential. That reinvestment can increase productivity, which makes a huge difference. This choice is especially true with equipment, which is almost always an investment unless it lies unused.
As a community, asphalt maintenance company owners are a friendly group. We reach out to other owners if we’re unsure how to scale our asphalt maintenance business, and we encourage others to do the same.
6. Take the Risks
We know that all the decisions rest on us as owners, including the jobs of others. However, that does not mean we can play it safe. We need to decide to take risks, bid on bigger contracts, and other activities with big potential rewards. Chances are, it’ll go right.
To that end, it’s important to remember that we can do things we have never done before. Whether that’s taking on bigger jobs or cold calling leads, these risks tend to pay off in the asphalt maintenance field.
The big takeaway with risks is trying different things. Some of them will work, and those tend to skyrocket our businesses to the next level of growth.
