Night Clases for CEUs

Oh, you WORK during the day?  How would you like to take your CEU classes at a time that doesn't cost you?  You can take either Business Skills or Identity Crisis from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on two consecutive days.  Voila!  You can pick up 8 hours in two evening classes without missing work. More on the classes here.


Check out our schedule here.   Keep checking because we are adding classes--especially these after-hour classes--regularly.  The first ones will be in San Antonio in May. 

So, What's the Best Part In Using CAD?

My last post touted using CAD (computer aided design) for drawing beautiful and unique irrigation and landscape plans.   All true.  But that's not the best part. 

While I'm writing this, CAD is still relatively new.  Most irrigators and landscapers draw by hand.   They are losing some efficiencies, but, ultimately efficiency is not the name of the game.   They may have erasure marks that detract from the neatness, but that's okay too.   If they need a copy of their C or D-sized drawing, they can only depend on their local copy house and, again, that's all well and good.  

I can tell you from my own personal experience that customers view a CAD drawing differently than a hand-drawn one.  I know it may not be fair.  Design knowledge, experience and taste went into both renderings, but there's something about a color CAD rendering that says more than it should.  It says "competent, professional, accurate." 

I don't know about you, but I want and need to tap into all the help I can get!

Do You Believe All This "Running Out Of Water" Hype?

"We have the same amount of water now as we did when Noah was floating above Mt. Ararat."


"Lake Superior (the largest freshwater body on Earth) was too shallow to float cargo ships in the summer of 2009."*

I don't claim to understand how both of the above statements can be true.    But something is happening to water and it's not good.

A friend sent me this picture of a bridge project that is aimed at traffic congestion at the Hoover Dam.  Look behind the dam.  That white "bathtub ring on the banks of the Colorado river shows a 100' drop in water level.   That is huge! 


What is the solution?  Anyone that has studied economics at its most rudimentary level learned that demand and supply influence (dictate) price.  To mash up a quote from Will Rogers, "Buy (or save) water.  They're not making any more of it!"

*quoted from Robert Glennon's book, "Unquenchable: America's Water risis and What to Do About It"

I Went To A Green Conference The Other Day . . .

Let me jump to the chase.  The city of Waco has made changes to its waste water treatment facility that is saving $400,000 in gas, an additional $600,000 in electricity and they are dumping the water back into the Brazos river CLEANER than the water that's already there.  Not bad.  According to Kristy Wolter, the presenter, the Waco treatment plant is number 2 in the United States.   San Francisco has a plant that is even more efficient.  And this is supposed to be a bureaucracy!

So what does this have to do with irrigation in Texas?  

Is it an attitude?

The Waco treatment plant may not be saving water, but, if I am understanding them, they are taking  effluent, treating it so it turns back into an asset (soil amendments and clean water) and spending $1,000,000 less than the old way of doing it.   

It all seems so big.  Maybe you're selling and servicing sprinkler systems that costs a few thousand dollars.  If you can design a system and put a controller on it that has a brain,  you can coax, say, $350 a year in water savings.  If you multiply that savings to everyone in your town that has a sprinkler system, now you're talking about some cash. 

Irrigation CEU Classes Up For First Quarter

If you know of an irrigator or landscaper that wants to learn how to use Computer Aided Design (CAD), boy do I have a deal for them!  We just got the web site updated to include all our courses.  The enrollment process should be a lot easier with more reinforcing feedback. 

We have
CAD Class - Basic, one day, 8 hours of CEU credit from the TCEQ
CAD Class - Advanced, one day, 8 hours of CEU credit from the TCEQ
CAD Class - Combo, two days, 16 of CEU credit from the TCEQ
Business Skills - one day, 8 hours of CEU credit from the TCEQ
Identity Crisis - one day, 8 hours of CEU credit from the TCEQ

So, if you know of an irrigator, pass this along.  We will be teaching classes in Dallas/FortWorth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston.   There's a $25 early bird discount for signing up 7 days before the class starts.  Too, there is an additional Alumni discount if they've taken one of our courses before.

In favor of the abolition of “You’re welcome.”

It’s a matter of perspective, I know. You go to a “big box” store and are waited on by a helpful and friendly employee. Because your mother did a good job of raising you, you say “Thank you” to the employee. He says, “You’re welcome.” Just a polite exchange of pleasantries, right? But so, so wrong.


The perspective of the employee is the important thing here. It is this perspective that is so wrong. The employee is looking at this encounter with the customer from the natural, unenlightened viewpoint of the hireling. It goes something like this:

“My job here is to keep this section of the store nice and neat. Safe too. I keep an eagle eye out for spills and sharp pokey things. Nothing gets past me. Fully stocked shelves, that’s my job too. And customer service. Like the manager said, ‘Nothing is more important than helping the customer.’ Oh there’s one now.”


So they help the customer and expect the customer to show their appreciation for the help. When they say “thank you,” the employee says, “You’re welcome.”


Now, lets say you own this store.


You know that payroll is this Friday and everyone expects to be paid. Not just this Friday, but also next Friday and every Friday for the rest of time. Vendors will be paid or they stop vending. And it all depends on customers buying from you. Not just this week, but next week. There are many alternatives out there and you realize that the only reason a customer would choose you is because they had a preference for you. Maybe you are the only store that could supply a certain part or service, but probably not. More likely, there are dozens of companies that can provide that part or service.

So, what is your attitude about that customer? They are the reason this store exists—that’s for sure. But, they must be so tickled to do business with you that they prefer you to the competition. You have done everything you can think of to make this the preferable business for your products.

You, Business Owner, are incredibly thankful for that customer. And, if that employee has half a mind, he will grasp that thankfulness and take it to the very center of his soul. How will you know that he did?

“Thank you.”


“Oh NO. Thank YOU.”


And he will mean it.


If you are a business owner, or an employee that “gets it,” you too will be in favor of the abolition of “You’re welcome.”

Forgetting the Purpose--So Easy

May I tell you about a distaseful conversation I had Thursday with a yellow pages salesman? The conversation was completely amicable, but, at least for me, tense.

We had tried this new phone book for two years. Last year we even put in a different phone number so we could really test the book's effectiveness. It wasn't. I was dropping our investment from about $2,000 for the year to $300--and would have gone lower if I could have.

When the salesman asked about what I wanted to do in the white pages, I said I wanted just a regular listing. He said that would be an extra $10 per month. I didn't think he understood so I clarified by saying, "No, I don't want bold or anything--just a plain, regular listing." He understood all along and reiterated that it would be $10. "You mean I have to pay just to get my name in the book?" I said incredulously. He said I could take my chances, but if I wanted to be sure it was there, I'd have to pay. I told him I'd take my chances.

Now understand, our day job is sprinkler repair and about 70% of our business comes from the yellow pages. I need the yellow pages. The yellow pages represent a form of advertising that works for us. I have no ax to grind with the yellow pages. But . . .

The yellow pages are only good as an advertisement for me if the book is seen as a valuable and complete reference book for our prospects. The reason I don't use this new telephone book is because I could not consistently and reliably find the phone numbers I was looking for. I have to assume ditto for the rest of Waco.

Somehow the management of this new phone book has lost sight of the purpose their book absolutely must nail with perfect precision. There's really just two points:

1. They must have a book that has every person and every business in alphabetical order with their correct phone number.

2. They must make sure that book is in everyone's hands that lives or works in the area they intend to serve.


If they don't do that, they have no reason to expect advertisers to patronize them. I don't hope they go out of business. I hope they change.

We believe that our purpose is to repair sprinkler systems as quickly and painlessly as possible. May we never loose or confuse that purpose with anything else.

My Double Life

Only recently have I thought of my business life as going down two different paths, but, from the perspective of the customer, the paths have two very different destinations.

On the CEU side, I see the target as you being blown away by our classes. (www.ceuwow.com) We try to engage through asking a lot of questions, using surprise to teach and using different media to get across ideas. We want to be idiosyncratic with the idea that you will love us and come back again and again.

But, I also own an irrigation company. (www.rainstat.com)

And yes, we want people to love us, but on a different level. Beginning when we answer the phone, there's no theatrics. There's not even a hint of anything outside of "get your head in the game, fix this thing and get out." (all we do is repairs and upgrades)

And that's the two choices with any business isn't it.

One is to WOW and be effective and different--even fun, entertaining, having an emotional element.

And the other is to reduce the pain as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Right?

Designing the CAD Class

The past four days I've been hold up in a hotel in Fort Worth with one purpose in mind: Designing a CAD class that was something other than the same ol' type of class. I thought of every detail and every skill-set we wanted to convey and wrote it down on a Post-It note. I used the hotel's wall to start placing these benchmarks in order (right) and started the task of building slides to support it.

I hope you'll join us when we come to your town and let me know how we're doing. We are trying to make this class engaging and an experience that you will remember for a long time.

Remember this is specific to RainCAD's Pro Contractor Studio. It is not transferable to RainCAD 10. Call if you have questions: 866.728.9834 or doug.s@ceuwow.com.

Surprising Best Tool for Pro Contractor Studio

Just press an arrow key and magic happens. At least if you're comparing your productivity to getting out the pencil, ruler and compass. That's because arrow keys invoke a tool on RainCAD's Pro Contractor Studio's CAD program they refer to as "point polar." If you're familiar with RainCAD's other editions, it would be something like the Drafting tool.

The arrow keys don't "do" in that they don't really move the cursor. But press any one of the keys and Pro Contractor Studio brings up "Point Polar," which looks something like a field compass (as opposed to drawing compass). "North" is 90º, south is 270º. Now all you need to do is enter the number of feet you want the line to be drawn and press the Enter Key and, viola! you're line is drawn in that exact direction for that exact number of feet.

I realize that the newbie to CAD might not be all that excited about this, but believe me, mastering it, although not difficult at all, is huge.

ceuWOW's CAD Class teaches this new, robust, and affordable software package to irrigators. If you're in Texas, you know our law has changed to require a scale drawing for every installation. Deviations from the drawing can be made, but they have to be reflected on an updated "as built."

If you'd like to enroll in one of our classes, we will have them in the major market areas. Just check our schedule here.

CAD Class Sheduled for Temple Killeen Harker Heights

ceuWOW will be conducting a Computer Aided Design (CAD) class at the Ewing Irrigation shop in Harker Heights on February 11 and 12th. This two-day class will equip irrigation professionals to use RainCAD's latest tool, ProContractor Studio. RainCAD'sProContractor Studio will allow irrigators to comply with the new rules that went into effect in Texas on January 1, 2009.

It will also give Texas Irrigators the ability to easily prepare multiple layouts, giving their customers more options. This capability can lead to a "good, better, best" marketing plan that businesses have used to put themselves in competition with themselves.

Before ProContractor Studio, RainCAD's software sold for $500 to $900. But, this new program costs $30 per month. John DeCell, the owner of RainCAD, said, "A contractor can use [ProContractor Studio] as much as they want during that month. But if they reach a time during the off-season where they don't need it, they don't pay that month. The next month, they can reactivate." So it's an economical alternative.

If you are an irrigator in the Temple/Killeen/Harker Heights area that wants to bring your tool-set into the twenty-first century, join us on February 11-12. That's a Wednesday and Thursday. Both days are only $275.

You will leave equipped to make professional, beautiful and complete irrigation plans.

Are You Setting Up Your Bussiness to Sell?

I know, I know. You're always looking for customers. May I suggest that you need to be looking for only ONE customer; the one that will eventually buy your business.

In our Business Skills CEU course we talk a lot about the value of your business. We calculate your business' worth as if you were a prospect for purchasing your business. We ask the question, "What is this business worth as an investment?" We do this for two reasons:

• It gives you a good idea of where you are as you build your business.
• You discover if your business is a good investment for you. (By extension, you can look at your business from the eyes of your Ultimate Customer, the person that will eventually buy your business.)

Here's a place to start: Can your business operate without you? Do you have people trained that can repeat your desired outcome day after day? Does everyone know their job? Are the patterns and procedures that generate your desired outcome (excellent installations, perfect repairs, etc.) written down?

Please don't kid yourself into thinking that it can't be done. Not only can it be done, it simply must be done if your business is going to be sellable.

Maybe today would be a good day to do something to attract your Ultimate Customer–your business' new owner.

How to Lapse-Proof Your Irrigator's License

We are working on a plan that will virtually ensure that you never do what I did and let your license lapse. It's a simple plan and it involves a benefit to both of us.

If you will tell us your name, license number and its expiration date, we will notify you of that date on a progressive schedule. Here's the way it will work:

We will send you an email message 90 days before your license expires–just like the State does with your physical, in-the-mail renewal form. But that is all you get from the State.

So we will send you progressive emails at 60 days, 30 days, 14 days, 7 days and 1 day before your license expires.

If you don't know your expiration, we'll look it up for you. You are also giving us permission to keep you updated on our CEU and non-CEU classes for Texas irrigators.

A Phone Call You Never Want to Get (continued)

There it was in the mail. The State is so reliable in sending out these license renewal notices three months early. “Time flies,” I think to myself.

I don’t think of myself as being particularly stupid and I don’t think my bookkeeper is either. But we both did something that, looking back on it, was just dumb.

I had heard someone say that “they” (whoever “they” are) expected more license lapses due to only one notice being sent and that notice so far ahead of the due date. I’m the poster child for that theory.

When my wife called me back, she had bad (really bad) news. (If this isn't making sense, read the post below this one.) As it turned out, I gave my license renewal to our bookkeeper and told her that this was really (really, really) important. She took what I said to heart and instead of placing the bill in the normal pattern for bills, she put it someplace special–giving it the priority treatment I wanted.

Bad move.

I, having confidence in my bookkeeper, did not check on that bill’s progress–so the fault is ultimately mine. When my wife went to our bookkeeper’s office she found the bill, still in the “special” place (so she wouldn’t forget).

Let’s look at the sunny side first.

•The State said that “if I passed” they would re-issue my old license number, 4767, instead of the current 17,000+. That was important to me because I teach CEU classes and didn’t want people thinking I am a newbie.
•I DID learn some things in this beginner class and the review was good.
•I could say something about “getting away from the office,” but that was not a positive to me.
•And, I passed.

And on the not-so-sunny side . . .

•The course costs $500.
•The state’s fees were another $211.
•The course was for four days out of town so there was travel and lodging for four days.
•The test was also out of town requiring me to get there the previous day–more meals and lodging.
•I ate out three times a day for four days for the class and one-plus days for the test.
•I missed five days work taking the class and two days taking he test.

I figure the bottom line for this little mishap–figuring time at our regular rate at just eight hours a day–was $8,261.00! You may charge more or less, but it costs a lot!

And I think I have a solution to the problem.

More tomorrow.

A Phone Call You Never Want to Get

When I answered the phone, I heard the familiar voice of Michelle. She’s with the city and handles our permits. “Mr. Saylor, we did a routine check and you are no longer licensed.”

I don’t know what goes through your head when something like this happens, but my mind shared room for a certain perturbness and stark fear. “There’s got to be some mistake. I’ll check into it.” I happened to be mobile at the time so my checking ability was stunted. I called our bookkeeper first but couldn’t get her. I called my wife to go to her office and see if she could find where we paid for my renewal. That was about all I could do.

When I returned to the office, I got on the Internet and confirmed that, yes, the State shows that I am not licensed. It also ruled out another possible fly in the ointment, my CEUs. There they were; all sixteen hours. So it had to be that they didn’t get my check–or, perish the thought, we didn’t send it. Just then, my wife called. “Here’s the story and it’s not good.” My heart, which was already on the floor, descended to an abyss that I cannot easily described. My mind did a quick inventory of what this meant if I had to do what you have to do to get your license back.

First, I have to take that 32 hour Basic Irrigation Class–and spend 5 days out of town because no one does this class in Waco. I have to take this class because I’ve done irrigation (and made it my living in this trade) since before the State mandated this basic (see also preparatory, elementary, rudimentary) course.

My heart changed from despair to pain.

Second, I had to sit for the exam and pass Design, Installation, Backflow, and Hydraulics. Was I right in remembering that there is only a 13% pass ratio?

Okay, my heart changed back to stark fear.

More tomorrow.
DJS