Al Levi, Founder of 7-Power Contractor and Zoom Franchise Company and Ellen Rohr, President of Zoom Drain share how home services businesses can weather the storm of COVID-19 with accountability, urgency, and communication. 

Prioritize Your Efforts

Al shares how today’s COVID-19 pandemic and hardships like 9/11, the 2008 recession, and Hurricane Katrina all serve as reminders that sometimes there is no playbook. It’s times like these where his father’s advice to “Act like you’re going to be in business for a while” rings true and you just have to take everything one day at a time.

Ellen adds that this is also when accountability and consequences become high priority.

“What is different about this time now is that there is no luxury of time. You are going to survive and thrive only if you apply business basics with no excuses, if you take extreme ownership for this situation that you find yourself in. And I think my goal as a leader is to up my standards and the immediate consequences if people are going to do things if they put themselves or the team at risk… If you get them the PPE… and they don’t use it, that puts the entire team at risk.” - Ellen

Execute With Urgency

Systems matter. Both Al and Ellen emphasize how whether you already had systems in place or you are wishing you did right now, they will be what carry you through. Start creating them, leaning on them, and improving them. Don’t wait. Take action. 

Ellen outlines the numbers that matter in their Financial Quick Check system that Zoom Drain monitors weekly in dollars and percentages to see where they can improve:

1. Sales
2. Cost of goods sold
3. Gross margin
4. Overhead
5. Profit
6. Cash flow position (What do you have in cash in accounts receivable and what do you have in bills to pay right now. More cash helps you weather the storm better.)

Communicate!

Let your employees and customers know what you are doing to protect them and the steps you are taking for safety and health. Lead from the front. By communicating exactly what the experience will be like you can establish expectations with your customers and build trust.

“I know it sounds weird because we are talking about sewage, but we are the originators of how it stopped the Black Plague from happening all of these years. And if we fall out of our habits in sewage or any plumbing, you guys have all seen the signs about ‘The plumber protects the health of the nation,’ that’s not just some words written on a page, that is a calling to all of us.” - Al

Ellen and Al highlight a few tips to keep top of mind while communicating:

• Call and FaceTime in order to communicate.
• Remember that the nuances with the added Personal Protective Equipment need explanation.
• Give people the benefit of the doubt.
• Be kind.
• Relationships are everything.
• Share the why behind your standards.

Create Lifetime Customers

Al says you have to pull the curtain back. Proactively communicate how the magic happens, how your business does things, and how you are going above and beyond during the pandemic. Ellen emphasizes the importance of leveraging this moment to share the why behind your business, and make your interactions human by really listening to them. 

What You Can Do Right now

Financially:

1. Find responses and guidance on steps you can take for your business from credible resources: U.S. Small Business Administration 
2. Within the Care Act, it looks like there is relief for payroll if you keep paying your employees, so this is an important step to take.
3. Contact your CPA and financial planner to help you sort through this.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

1. Be resourceful.
2. Share information and how you are solving problems with fellow business owners.
3. Tweak your Customer Service Representative (CSR) script to let customers know what you’re doing to keep them safe.

Your customers will remember how you treated them during this time of crisis. These employees are part of your family. If you can, think long term during this time. Most importantly, remember that everyone has a role to play and you have to work together and lean on each other. Nobody can carry this burden alone. 

“There are many heroes in our life… There’s a reason we are essential workers. It’s because we are essential. And when this passes, I want you to remember that we need to charge the right price… there’s a reason you have to be in business right now. This is why you have to have all the money to buy this stuff, the PPE. This is why you have to get the systems in place. You don’t owe it to just yourself, or even your staff, you owe it to the community you serve.” - Al