Create a Culture Of ExcellenceÂ
Are you ready to grow, but you are not sure if your business is ready? Unsure where to start? That’s a snapshot of where I was in January 2017.
First, we need to rewind to 2015 when I bought an air conditioning company. I was new to the HVAC industry. I have a business background, so I've never repaired an air conditioner. I hit the ground running inspired by my dream of changing the HVAC industry and eager to implement my ideas to take the business to the next level.
The honeymoon period quickly disappeared. I learned everything in business starts with hiring great people that sincerely care about the long-term well-being of the company.
- Great processes are useless if employees search for loop holes or skip steps.
- Setting the right price is useless if employees rely on discounts to close the sale.Â
- Profit margins disappear if employees do not care about the costs to fix their mistakes.
- Cash is great, but it runs out quickly when you’re paying to fix a never-ending list of problems.
The turning point…
In January 2017, I declared…enough is enough. I was frustrated and tired.
Here's an example - the countless times employees explained why they did not charge the customer by saying things like "it only took me 5 minutes" or "the part was on my truck and only cost $5." I quickly realized the employees did not buy-in to the prices or see beyond their technical role. That's when I started teaching business basics during our company meetings. Before long, employees were identifying flaws in the pricing calculators and suggesting we should consider lost opportunity costs.Â
Before I knew it, I was blessed with an awesome team of Careoholics®, our customer service was compared to Chick-fil-a®, and our business was profitable year-round.Â
Looking back, I can see how the accumulation of small wins created momentum. Our 1% improvements balanced the three key areas – people, money and systems.
I’m convinced these initial changes had a domino effect:
- Creating and using our 5-year BHAG (big, hairy audacious goal) and core values as a guide and decision filter.
- Slowing down our hiring process, so we only hired the right people.Â
- Accepting the fact there’s no single magical solution to building a great company. We focused on making 1% improvements.
- Teaching employees how they affect sales, profit and cash.
Bottom line
We created a culture of excellence by connecting the customer experience to the company's goals, values, culture and cashflow.Â
My Journey:
Entrepreneur + Business Coach and Trainer
Hi, I’m Tina White. An entrepreneur, business expert, and wildly great problem solver.Â
I have a unique perspective based on my business experience as a CPA, investor, lender and consultant blended with buying, operating and selling a home services company.
My mission is to remove the mystery of running a financially strong company by boosting your team’s business skills to match their awesome technical skills. I see a future where every service company is profitable year-round, voted best place to work, only receives 5-star reviews and is not dependent on the owner. Â
My superpower is helping service companies grow in a balanced way - people, money and systems.
Unlike most business coaches and trainers, I’ve run real-world, mature businesses with employees and real expenses. I’ve gone from losing money six months straight to making money year-round even during our slow season. Believe me, I wear the battle scars that can only be earned while owning a business.
More to my story...
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been curious about business. I love to read business books and talk shop with other business owners.
As a kid, I dreamed of owning a bank…yes, I’ve been mesmerized by math, numbers and money for as long as I can remember. I took my first accounting class in high school and I was hooked!
I quickly revised my dream to include an accounting degree and the ultimate badge of honor – a CPA license.
CPA and Financial Storyteller
During my public accounting career, I had the opportunity to serve businesses of all shapes and sizes in a variety of ways: taxes, accounting software, bookkeeping, payroll, financial statements, employee training, internal controls, streamline processes and more.
While I served my clients with traditional accounting services, I noticed more and more of my clients asked questions about operating and growing their business.Â
My calling in life became very clear. I started my first business, Panoramic Business Solutions, in 2010.
Entrepreneur
While operating Panoramic, I had the opportunity to buy an air conditioning company in 2015. We celebrated milestones like Birmingham Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, having our customer service compared to Chick-fil-a and a financially healthy business. I sold the air conditioning company during 2021 to a private equity firm.
Business Coach and Trainer
Now, I am excited to help service companies grow in a balanced way.
The Balanced Business Method is a unique approach to business finances, making decisions and healthy growth. When your people, money and systems are in balance, you create a fly wheel effect. The method is driven by making 1% improvements.
- Pinpoint the biggest opportunity for improvement
- Create a plan to align resources with goals
- Implement the 1% improvement that will have a big impact on your business
- Repeat
Which brings me to you
I’m here to serve. If you find yourself wanting to take control of the business side of your company, then you’re in the right place. We provide service companies with the strategic, operational and financial insights and guidance you need to grow in a financially, strong way.
Through our free content, coaching programs and everything else we offer – we’ll help you create a healthy, profitable business that you enjoy with happy employees, raving customers and cash reserves for a rainy day.
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Learn the business skills you need
to grow a healthy, thriving business.
Wherever you are in your growth journey,
we’re here to help you get there
and avoid the potholes along the way.