So, you are thinking of dropping out of Harvard and going high tech. That’s been done. The odds are against you for a repeat. The odds of doing very well in small low tech are with you. If you do good work, you will be well rewarded.
Candi LaFleur got rid of the board with the brass-numbered disks that used to hang by her front door, and replaced it with a web presence that allows her clients to pick their barber, plus the date and time for their haircuts. No waiting and you know who you will get.
Small detail, but those are the kinds of things that make big differences. Candi’s All American Barber Shop in Derry has been operating out of the same building since 1908. A long series of owners have made good livings, been able to set their own hours and take home more than most salaried tech workers.
Rick Savoy and Dave Carignan have the fastest hands in the business. They own and operate Great American Subs in Londonderry. A popular name that is easily understood. High-speed, highquality, economically priced product has customers coming back for so long and ordering the same subs that Rick and Dave can be working on their order as they come in the door. Adjusting for takeout, if you are northbound on I-93 passing exit 3, your call in will be waiting for you by the time you get off on exit 4.
Trophy Lawns in Derry delivers its service totally to your door. Mark Edgecomb crews keep their customers looking good in the neighborhood. Growing a service business over the years means that you must deliver year in, year out. Your equipment must work, and you have to constantly come up with skilled workers in a high-turnover profession. Because he has mastered the basics, his customer base and income continue to grow year after year.
Finally, there is Jeff Dagle who, from his Hookset location, fixes what breaks in his customers’ worlds. Almost every call is an emergency. 24/7 is not easy, but Jeff handles it well with some sharp people both over the phones and under your kitchen sink. One customer marveled that a cold snap burst heating could be soldered while still wet and dripping. Jeff was working fast because multiple pipes burst. He really knows what he is doing because he never dropped out of Harvard and had been in the business since he was 16 years old. At one time he was the youngest master plumber in New Hampshire. It shows to this day, and he has a customer base who provides him with a good living while managing crews that he insists do things the right way, which is his personal standard.
What do these business professionals have in common? They all take great pride in delivering quality to their customers. They are happy people who love what they do. Occasionally, they show off how good they are just for fun. They are all that good. They handle the bumps in the business road as part of their everyday work.
People notice, tell others and the businesses build without formal marketing efforts. Who does your lawn? Do you know a good plumber? Where can we get a great sub? Has that barber shop been around for a while? Each of these businesses could be a case study at The Harvard School of Business Administration.
Although all these owners are capable of lecturing at that august institution, none have ever been asked. Before dropping out of college to create the next big thing, take a long hard look at the low-tech businesses all around you.
Jack Falvey taught sales and marketing for many years as an adjunct professor at U-Mass Boston and Boston College. His new book, “All According to Plan, but Not My Plan” is available on Amazon.
