The numbers say it all. …at least, that might be true for your potential customers. What are you saying about your company through your pricing? While price may seem like an isolated component in your overall proposal, price communicates more to customers than we sometimes realize. Price not only does or doesn’t fit a client’s budget — it also indicates your level of experience and the quality of your work. If you want to communicate high quality and ample experience, you need to price your services just right — not too high, not too low.

How many employees does it take to require a manager? Three — one to manage the other two. Sounds like a bad joke, right? We laugh about the tendencies of managers to micromanage and serve in a seemingly useless role. But many companies continue to force people into the management role as soon as they start growing their number of employees. Before long, they are wondering what went wrong.

Ever suspect standard solutions won’t work for your business? Does it seem that most solutions, software, or best practices need to be customized in order to really be effective for your company? If so, maybe you’re assuming your business is more unique than it is. When advising AV companies, I often hear, “We’ve seen other people do that, but we can’t. Our business is too unique.” As a person, you are unique. But as a business, you are NOT.

Who are your best hires? Who are the people who will advance through the ranks of your company? The people who probably won’t move out of the warehouse? While most of us tend to look for new hires who show promise of moving through the different positions of our company, that’s not always the best option… for them OR you. The idea that you should only hire people who will move up the career ladder is a myth that too many AV companies buy into.

You’re trying to find a new salesperson, but you can’t seem to find anyone with an AV background. You hoped to hire someone with 5-10 years industry experience, preferably in a company “exactly like yours.” After all, it will cut down your training and they’ll be able to get to work ASAP. Is that really too much to ask? Yes.

Do you have fun in your business? Is there laughter? Do employees enjoy what they do? How are your relationships with your suppliers? Do your customers enjoy working with you? The idea of “fun” comes up a lot in business discussions now, particularly since Google established a unique approach to business culture. They’ve set a high bar for fun in their company by encouraging employees to work how and when they like, use nap pods, and play games when they need a mental break.