I Got A Few Things Right — 7 Lessons Learned in Business

Seven well-earned insights for entrepreneurial success

Post #15 of #20: I’m reflecting on twenty years of personal and professional experiences in Birmingham and beyond. See the full list of #20For20 stories here.

This is part one of a two-part post.

There is something primal about entrepreneurship. It is the ultimate hunt. A unique and certain toughness is formed in the spirit when you only eat what you kill. You win, you starve, or worse, you live in obscurity.

I spent the better part of eight years running a business. They were incredibly challenging and intensely gratifying years. The hunt came with its glory and its scars. Over the years, I have shared some of those scars and the mistakes that caused them — operating too many lines of business, weak pricing, and not enough focused time on quality sales. So many others.

Despite the challenges, we also did some things right and eventually sold the business. The Pareto principle is in full effect here — about 80% of our wins came from about 20% of our actions. I have distilled that 20% into seven strategies that will help current and aspiring professional service providers improve their odds for success.

About Our Firm

Relax, It’s Handled was founded in 2007 as an Alabama S-corp under a different name. We did not end as we began. We started as a general project management firm, but within six months we…