I have two companies. One is a real estate brokerage, and the other one is an electrical contracting company. When I started my electrical contracting company in 1984 I did it out of my own personal frustration with the caliber of electrical contractors in my area. I was on an academic sabbatical from my job at that time, and I received a lot of calls from family, friends and acquaintances who found out I had a little free time.
What I found over and over is that so many licensed low performing electricians had done work for them, and now they were in trouble with the work and were worried about the potential harm to them and their homes. There are good companies in our area, but there are enough of the other group that I could field a crew that simply does repairs on work done by other contractors. It's got to be around 15-20% of our yearly income. It's frustrating in this particular field because of the inherent danger to others.
You are your brand. When I started the contracting company I called 
it, Quality Electric Co., LLC. Why? Because I wanted the name to imply a high level of quality in the work we do. I personally guarantee that level, and we have a great reputation in our community and surrounding states. Companies have flown us around the country to take care of their electrical needs. For them, the expense has been worth it.
We've had clients wait two years for us to get to them. Why wait? Because they knew that when we did finally get there - the quality would be top of the line. It's always more than they expected, and it's worth every penny. I expect my entire team to have an eye for high quality, and they do.
I let an electrician go in 2009 because he didn't have that mindset. If someone is going to work for me he/she must be a top performer, or he/she must be willing to become one. Otherwise, he or she can find a job with one of the "also rans" in the electrical community. I love receiving calls from people sharing their surprise at how much more they received than they expected. I had one of those this past week. It makes my day, but I expect it because I demand it of myself and my crew.
High performance is an absolutely necessity with our company. If we don't outperform the competition, people should go somewhere else. Every time an employee leaves the shop he is carrying my reputation and the company's reputation into the field. I protect and guard that reputation fiercely.
Whether you're a real estate broker, agent, home inspector, contractor, lender or property preservation worker - you are your brand. Your performance is your signature on everything you do. People will seek you out when they hear about your brand, and when high performance and quality become your signature and mantra, you will never be without business.
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