We ALL make mistakes from time to time and while I believe that we’re pretty good at owning up to ours at LandWorx, we definitely had room to improve! Here are some mistakes we have made – company, project, and personal – so you can learn from them and so you don’t make them!
1. Personnel… is there anything more difficult in the professional services industry right now? We have hired without thoroughly vetting (the “warm body” problem), we have kept employees on for months after we should have cut them loose, we have even taken too long to deal with accountability issues which (indirectly) led to good employees leaving. While we’re still more on the softer/more forgiving side than most companies I’ve worked for, we definitely have learned from these issues!!
2. A/R… We pride ourselves on choosing the right projects and clients – and being able to say ‘no’ – but in a small business, cash is certainly king. Letting A/R issues push past 90 days, or even taking an uncertain project or brand-new client without a retainer can really test the limits. Making sure our clients know that we are NOT a bank and expect payment per the terms in our agreement (which is NOT a suggestion) is paramount. We’ve clamped down on this recently and are seeing immediate impacts.
3. Accountability… It is easy in a small business to not keep track of every minute spent or to let slide things that seem to be ‘ancillary’ like proper processes, updating details and standards, and implementing training. Holding ourselves and each other accountable has made a HUGE difference in our bottom line and in our culture and experience.
4. Taxes… Now, I know what I DON’T know – which is a lot. LandWorx has always had an attorney and an accountant because I don’t even want to play at either of those jobs and they can be critically important. Our mistake came in trusting those professionals TOO much. Not getting an answer to our questions and believing that we were in good hands has led to multiple year re-filings. We’re in a better place now, but we know to trust our gut and demand the answers to our questions – even if they may seem simple or trivial.
5. Q/C… We learned and implemented this a few years ago but are still dealing with fallout from before we did. Most firms have an internal check that they try to implement. We realized that we lacked the time and resources to consistently complete a detailed review by someone not directly involved in the project. Now, we send every set of plans out for a 3rd party review. Sometimes to another firm and sometimes to a retired civil engineer, but we have clear expectations and even a form where they can score our plans based on clarity, constructability, and completeness.