Many people believe that we are brought to this planet with an innate purpose. For some, it’s to create opportunities to build businesses and communities. But how can you better position yourself for growth? Finding your “why” is the first step in growing your business. However, growing your business comes with large amounts of risk to develop strategic planning.
In this episode, Allan Draper shares his background transitioning from litigation to entrepreneurship. He shares his story of growing up in a small town in Idaho and how he pulled himself up to get to where he is now. He has found his “why” that has driven his company and several other companies to success. Through this, he has created jobs and empowered many people.
If you are a small business owner who wants to scale up and develop strategic planning, then this episode is for you!
3 Reasons to Listen:
- Discover tips on building and growing a business in the service industry.
- Allan Draper shares how his background in litigation contributed to his success in assessing risks and growth opportunities.
- Learn how small business owners can scale up their business and develop strategic planning.
Resources
Episode Highlights
[02:15] What Allan Does
- Allan is passionate about growing and scaling companies. He believes that he was born to do this.
- Allan's family barely made ends meet, and he slept on the floor with his brothers for the first six years of his life.
- He noticed how different his entrepreneurial spirit is from his uncles and father.
[06:32] “My entrepreneurial spirit is: I can do so much. And I can give people a great place to work, where they’re proud of what they do, where they enjoy their labor, and they can provide well for their families.” - Click Here to Tweet This
- Allan's upbringing instilled in him a sense of purpose. He believes that there's a lot that we can obtain in life.
[07:35] Allan’s Mindset Around Money
- Allan's childhood played a central role in many aspects of his life.
- Coming from a small town, Allan recalls how motivated he was to break free and explore the world.
- Instead of thinking about how much money he can make, he thinks about his next step or level of progression.
[11:36] What Allan Would Tell His 18-Year-Old Self
- Allan would tell himself that he is capable of so much more. There is infinite potential in so many areas of life.
- Failing is going to happen, but it's going to be okay. So why not go for that big goal?
[14:06] Develop Strategic Planning in The Service Industry
- Allan wanted to be an attorney when he was young.
- Around 2006, his brother started selling pest control door-to-door.
- They decided to start their own pest-control company after seeing its potential. But it did not work out for them.
- Allan went back to law school and did a few years of commercial litigation while his brother stuck with pest control.
- After a while, they decided to revisit their business venture and develop strategic planning for it.
[16:30] Being an Entrepreneur and Lawyer
- Lawyers, especially litigators, are not typically entrepreneurs.
- There is a significant disconnect between entrepreneurship and lawyers because lawyers only see things when they go bad.
- Allan believes that sometimes, you have to be overly optimistic to develop strategic planning.
- Allan had to find this blend between logical, linear thinking and a creative, ambitious, and optimistic personality.
[18:56] The Risk of Owning Businesses
- Allan holds himself back from overanalyzing an opportunity.
- Attorneys err on the side of caution because they are trained to do so in law school.
- Allan's risk tolerance for investment is high. However, once he gets into a deal, he analyzes it to see where he should take care. Doing this allows him to plan strategically.
- There’s value in playing both sides of a business.
[26:55] Having an Arrogant Mindset
- People have this mindset thinking nobody can do it as well as them; this is a bit arrogant.
- Small business owners have such a hard time letting go of control.
- As a business owner, you can’t do everything by yourself. You need to relinquish some control to develop strategic planning.
[29:39] “Even when they hire people, small business owners have a problem micromanaging because that person is just not good enough. If you treat somebody like they’re not good enough, they’re gonna go find another job.” - Click Here to Tweet This
[32:00] Having a Business Partner
- Going into business with a partner is a lot like marriage.
- The match isn’t going to be perfect, so don’t think the other person is perfect.
- Look for somebody motivated and willing to work on the partnership.
[32:02] “Just like marriage, I think that the difference has been two people that don’t think the match is perfect... But it’s two people that wake up every morning and they say, ‘Hey, it’s time to work on our partnership.’” - Click Here to Tweet This
- When you have a family member as a partner, you have to put on different hats. Learn how to separate things—when to turn something on or off.
[37:04] Tips for Service-Type Businesses
- Scaling a service business is arduous work.
- You have to go back to your “why” and vision. The service industry can be lucrative, but it can be a tough road as well.
- Money is never that great of a motivator. People quit all the time because it’s not enough.
- Service companies must provide great value if they want to keep their businesses running.
[41:44] The Importance of Good Customer Service
- Being in the service industry appeals to a lot of people. You can have flexibility in your schedule and opportunities to interact with new people.
- When you connect with customers on a personal level, they become customers for life.
- You don’t need a rocket to be successful. Technicians just need to have the ability to talk and connect with people.
[44:25] Insights on Hiring and Retaining Employees
- Make efforts to retain your employees. But get rid of bad employees because they’ll do more harm than having nobody.
- Continue to develop the perks and benefits for your employees.
- Constantly position the business for hiring to position yourself for growth.
- People are what make companies grow and be successful.
[48:50] How to Develop a Culture That Retains People
- What are you doing to get people excited about their job? Give people a chance to work for a common goal.
[49:27] “One of the greatest motivators in our lives is working together with other people to achieve a common goal.” - Click Here to Tweet This
- What is your company doing to help people progress? Help them earn more, develop skills, and learn more about their jobs.
- Who are you surrounding your employees with? Hire people that don’t cause more frustration.
[54:38] Knowing Your “Why”
- Deep down, we have this innate desire to figure out a few things.
[55:27] “I think all of us, deep down — we have this innate desire to figure out a few things. There are a few questions that we want to figure out in this life, and I think one of those questions is ‘Why am I here? What am I doing on this earth?’” - Click Here to Tweet This
- Your passion should come naturally. If it doesn’t, that’s not your true “why.”
- Conveying your company’s “why” is an ongoing process; you have to be passionate about it.
- You can convey your company’s “why” with the way you treat people. You can also find your purpose by giving to your community.
- If we don’t understand the purpose of our companies, scaling them up becomes difficult.
[01:00:37] Allan’s Ideal Client
- Allan’s ideal client is anybody who wants to get to the next level, scale up, and develop strategic planning.
- He will tell you to quit your job and invest everything you have. He’s turned away a lot of people because of that.
- This is a mindset that people need to adopt if they’re laser-focused on that growth.
[01:03:14] Seek, Go, or Create?
- Allan chooses to create because he was put on this earth to build relationships, people, finances, develop strategic planning, and more.
- It’s easier to destroy than to create something.
- We need people to create jobs that build people and motivate them.
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To growing and becoming all we are created to be,
Tim
