Episode 9 Its A Numbers Game Andrew Blate
b"Business And Marketing Podcast With Andrew Blate\\nWhat is it like starting a contracting company at 24 and almost going into bankruptcy? Our guest today is Andrew Blate who is the co-owner of Beautiful Home Services. He is an accountant turned painting/remodeling contractor, and in this episode, he shares some critical information for every business owner. Andrew is also very enthusiastic about his company, which he started in his early 20\\u2019s with his best friend. They've created a company that focuses on their priorities, their strengths and their results. From almost going into bankruptcy to a successful rebound, you will definitely find valuable information in this episode for growing and managing your business.\\n\\nIt shouldn't be surprising that as an accountant, he's also a numbers guy. He knows how many estimates he's given in his career, knows his closing ratio and what's working and not working financially in the business. From my observations, I believe Andrew is an amazing sales person and he\\u2019s running a great business.\\xa0 In some ways it is a game to him but he also has a solid plan for closing business. Maybe that comes from his prior career, but honestly, every business owner needs to know their numbers, no matter what business you are in.\\nBest Ideas\\nThis conversation touches on several essential issues relevant to business owners which include:\\n\\n \\tWhat does it mean to be a good sales person? From being a people person to knowing your numbers, sales doesn't come naturally to everyone. \\xa0Andrew shares some simple ideas that anyone can implement that can help with sales. Most importantly, pay attention to your closing ratio,\\xa0 this year, last year and over your career of bringing in business to measure what is working, not working and look for areas that you can adjust to improve your percentages.\\n \\tHow is the communication in your organization? From talking with your team to talking with your clients, is someone paying attention to this critical component of business?\\xa0 Andrews clients hire him because of his ability to communicate AND his ability to ask for the business!\\n \\tWhy having enough capital when starting is important, particularly if business slows down. If you have overhead but don't have any revenue, cut the overhead quickly!\\xa0 Unless you pay attention to the numbers, it could be too late before you see the problem.\\n\\nAndrew has been a member of Select Business Team for almost 4 years and he\\u2019ll be the first to tell you that joining a group wasn\\u2019t at the top of his priority list. \\xa0Once he experienced our format, he wanted to start his own Team. He was instrumental in being a founding member of our Tysons Thursday Team.\\nABOUT OUR GUEST ANDREW BLATE\\nAndrew is the co-owner of Beautiful Home Services, a painting and remodeling company that does business in Metropolitan Washington DC. \\xa0Learn more about the company on their website, or connect with them on \\xa0Twitter, \\xa0or Facebook. \\xa0You can also connect with Andrew on\\xa0\\xa0LinkedIn."