I’m an entrepreneur.  I’ve operated several small / micro businesses so far in my life (lawn mowing, contract software development, a computer repair company).  I started Novak Solutions, LLC about a year ago.

Over the last few years I have slowly been reading a book called “Ideas That Became Big Business“.  It is a GREAT read.  It is a compilation of one to two page histories of big businesses.  Taking you from the idea through to the businesses current state (atleast current at the time of writing which was in the 50′s).

I read this book looking for the secrets of success of these big businesses.  I discovered a few characteristics that were common among all the companies (in order of importance I think).

• Persistence
• Hard Work
• A Good Idea

Occasionally luck also played a part.  Specifically in the case of “Cream of Wheat”.  The story goes that one of three partners in a struggling flour business decided to try a new product.  The company had no extra capital so the used existing plates to print the logo on the box (the African American chef), some recycled crates to put the boxes in and included it in their next shipment of flour.  A few days later they received a telegram from the customer that said “Forget the flour!  Send us more of that new Cream of Wheat!”

Another good story is the creation of John Deere.  A farmer was in an area where the mud was such that it would stick to the plow and make it almost impossible to plow a field.  He tinkered some and formed a new plow shape that the mud wouldn’t stick to.  After a few years sales sored and through acquisitions John Deere became what it is today.

Many company founders struggle for over a decade (that’s right, over a decade) before their ideas took off.  Notably the first commercial manufacturer of zippers (The Talon Zipper Company) founded by Whitcomb L Judson, He invented the precursor of the modern zipper in 1891, but it wasn’t until the zipper was redesigned and he partnered with Gideon Sundback to design equipment that would automatically manufacture them that the company began to turn a profit.  Sales were still very Meager until 1923 when the zipper appeared on Galoshes which were marketed by B.F. Goodrich Co. A whopping 30 years after the initial invention.

So, if you are interested in business.  I highly recommend this book.

And, if you own a business that isn’t performing like you want, hang in there and don’t give up.

I use FreshBooks for all my invoicing.  And I LOVE it.

Why?  Because it makes it so easy for my clients to pay.  I just (10 minutes ago) sent out all my running Invoices for Jan (Invoices for misc services rendered throughout the month).  And within 5 minutes I received a total of $710 from two clients.  Both via PayPal at no cost to me!!  I love it.

I also get all my 1099 contractors to setup a free freshbooks account and invoice me through it.  It makes it painless to enter their invoices as expenses.

Question:  If someone showed up at your door, representing an organization with a name like “Arizona Environmental Progress”,  the person is an older man, with a clipboard, a pen, and a very official looking badge hanging off his clipboard where it is highly visible, and said “We come by about once a year and get a sample of tap water to test.  Can you fill this up for me?”  And hands you a little bottle, what would you do?  What would you think they’re motives are?  What type of an organization do you think Arizona Environmental Progress is?

Probably some company that is working to improve the environment.  And hey, who doesn’t want to help with that?  So, you run off, fill up the bottle with water from the tap, come back out, and they ask you some basic questions about your water.  Interestingly, these questions are not really what you would expect from an official or scientist about your water, rather they are exactly the kind of questions you would expect from a salesman…

Then, you see him wrap the survey around the bottle you filled, and hands you a green flyer, advertising their water filtration systems…  Argh…  You’ve been had.  You just provided this man with the perfect lead…  Now the salesman knows if your water is hard or soft, if it smells funny, how you think it tastes, etc…  A few days later you get a call with your “test results”, and get a sales pitch.

Arizona Environmental Progress Inc does just that.  Their door to door sample collectors project an image that is completely false.  Posing as representatives whose primary focus is making the environment better, rather than lead and information reapers.

They are the perfect example of committing fraud without words.

So, next question is, what can I / You do about it?

File a complaint with the BBB!

Just go here: https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint/

As you can see here: http://www.bbb.org/phoenix/Business-Reviews/water-filtration-and-purification-equipment/arizona-environmental-progress-inc-in-phoenix-az-1000014142/customer-reviews/

I am not the only person that doesn’t think what they do is right.  Honestly, I’d be surprised if they did any real in-depth analysis of my water.  Probably just enough to say “It’s hard, and full of bad things.”

My Dad and I were talking last night, and he was excited to relate a customer service experience he had with GPI (Great Plains International) last week. GPI manufactures and sells fuel pumps and meters. Mostly industrial / farm use. My Dad has one of their hand operated fuel pumps on a diesel fuel tank he keeps around for his little Kubota tractor (It’s named yoda). The pump stopped working a few days ago, it’s not unusual, diesel fuel is dirty, and the tank was a few years old, and out in the sun, rarely used, etc… etc… All the factors that contribute to premature failure of mechanical things, no big deal.

He (my Dad) went to their website to purchase a rebuild kit for the hand pump on the tank for yoda. He says he spent 30 minutes. He had the part number for the pump, he knew exactly what he wanted, but their site had absolutely nothing of use to him. The site looked nice, it had lots of information about their pumps, and had ways to request more information, but it didn’t have anyway to buy anything, or any information about how to buy anything other than a “request more info” link.

So my Dad sent them an email. He said, (paraphrased) “Your site stinks. I was looking for a rebuild kit for one of your pumps (model 456xyp) and I couldn’t find anything on your website, or anywhere else on the internet for that matter. …”, and left the matter at that.

A few days later he received an unexpected phone call from a GTI rep. They said “Mr. Novak, I’m sorry you had a problem with our site, you’re right, it stinks. We’re working on it. Unfortunatly, we don’t have a rebuild kit for your pump, but we do have all the parts to fix it available separately. We’re going to send you all the parts complementary.”

Can you say “WOW!”? That, is customer service. My Dad’s not a big buyer. The hand pump on his tractor is probably the only thing he owns that is made by them. But people talk, and anytime this event can be fit into a conversation about something related, you can bet He’ll mention it, and in the matter of Fuel Pumps, he will probably never even consider anything but a gti product.