Bruce Wilson

Bruce Wilson spent 30 years with Environmental Care, Inc. (today’s ValleyCrest Maintenance). He and partner Thomas L. Oyler offer consulting services through their Wilson-Oyler Group, www.wilson-oyler.com.

Be better prepared by doing your homework before and after visits.

Once a company creates and enforces detailed policies and procedures, weaves pivotal responsibilities into each job description and disciplines to ensure compliance, good things start to happen.

Owners and managers must make sure they do not fall into the nick-and-dime sales mode with no real plan. Training in how to sell value is essential to keeping the customer trust.

Approach this process as an opportunity to get the right people in the right places to strengthen your company for the rebound.

There's a balance to be achieved. You still want to retain employees, but many companies have cut benefits at the field level because the employees don't value them.

Making paperwork easier to do usually contributes to getting it done in a more timely and complete manner

Beware of any mixed messages you send to employees...as they think that the internal cost reduction is the only important thing.

Trying economic times present some great opportunities to save on equipment costs.

Staying close to your customers and always doing a great job is the best strategy, but during tough times it's also important to pay more attention to your clients' businesses.