Fishing for Crappie; fishing for projects

I recently went on a three-day fishing trip with my brothers on a somewhat calm and peaceful Kincaid Lake right outside of Murphysboro, Illinois. I could not help but notice the analogy of fishing for crappie to fishing for construction projects. Perhaps my thinking and lack of focus to the task at hand interfered with my ability to catch my share of keepable crappie fish. Somewhere between the eating and drinking and card playing, we managed to filet up roughly a hundred fish, all crappie. I am happy to report that four of those suckers were mine.

My brother, Wayne—the owner of the boat and our leader, kept saying we are crappie fishing and he would not allow any other type of fish in the live well, even though some nice bass and bluegill happened on our hooks from time to time. It was this commitment towards sticking to our business plan that made me record the following similarities. I think too often in our business we go fishing and catch and keep the wrong fish (projects).

• To catch a fish, one must have their lure in the water

• The color of your lure or the type of jig you are using will differ from day to day; be prepared to adjust your plan

• There are many varieties of fish in the lake; to be successful one must focus specifically on one variety—or at the very least, limit your focus

• Sometimes you simply need to pull your lure out of the water and clean off the seaweeds

• A good fisherman will move his lure to another spot if not successful in its current spot—sometimes a simple adjustment or a few feet can make a huge difference

• Somedays you may have to go to the far side of the lake for success; somedays you can catch your limit right off the dock

• Know your limit and know the size restrictions of the fish you are trying to catch. Not all are keepers; some must be tossed back in the lake

• When you finally filet a crappie and discard the unusable parts you quickly realize there is seemingly so little left to eat

• Above all, the boat you are using needs to float and the motor on your boat needs to work

Do you have your lure in the water? Business cards; informational marketing message in print; attend networking events; outreach events; pre-bid meetings?

Is your business plan flexible; are you focused in on a specific market? Do you know what you are selling and do you understand your market? Do you need to step back and take a look at your total operation and make sure your company is fresh and relevant to the needs of your market?

Are you searching for clients in the right place? Have you defined your perfect client? If not, how do you know if you have the right client when you finally catch one? Do you have the finances and the working capital to succeed on the projects you undertake? Size and dollar amount of the projects you undertake is important; define this upfront before you cast your lure in the water.

When the client is selected and the project completed, are there enough dollars remaining to make it all worthwhile? Do you wait until the ending bell before you start the counting? Possibly you need a new filet knife or a different approach to the cleaning—this needs to be discovered sooner than later.

Are you performing to your expectations? If not, can you expect your clients to continue buying your product? Your boat must float and your motor needs to work at all times; through all phases of the construction process; there are others waiting at the dock to take your place.

Are you having fun? Is the passion there? Is the drive to succeed a part of your business plan?

This is a tough, competitive and demanding industry—keep your eye on your line and when it moves, set your hook and reel it in. Sometimes you will get seaweed wrapped around a log and every now and then there may be that perfect size crappie ready for your filet knife. It is that excitement of discovering the unknown that keeps us all fishing.