In my column a few months ago, I talked about using social media as a tool for sharing information and making connections in the industry.
While I still think it’s beneficial to cultivate those friendships and build a network online, it’s also great to have a colleague in your area you can rely on — for advice, an emergency equipment loan or to take care of one of your loyal customers if you can’t get to them as soon as you’d like.
You might think true collaboration with a competitor might be next to impossible. But maybe the mistake is thinking of the other company as competition at all. In most markets there is probably more than enough drain cleaning and rehabilitation work to go around. Unless you’re really hurting for business, it probably will only benefit you to make friends with another contractor.
If you’re thinking that sounds good in theory but tricky in execution, the two profiles in this issue show that it can be done. Both located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Matthew Sadler and Mark Joski have different service specialties and routinely refer work to each other. For instance, Sadler Sewer & Drain Cleaning doesn’t currently offer pipe lining, so Sadler recommends Joski to customers when that’s the best option. If Joski gets too busy with lining jobs, especially in the summer, he sends drain service calls over to Sadler. They bounce ideas off each other and even team up to do a job together from time to time.
“We’re both small companies,” Joski says. “So, if I get in a jam, I call him. He does the same thing when he’s in a jam. I go on vacation, he covers for me and vice versa.”
In a large market with aging infrastructure, “There is more than enough work to go around for everyone,” Sadler explains. “There is more work than we all can do.”
The pair’s connection began when an area plumber who sometimes referred work to Sadler asked him if he knew Joski. He didn’t, but immediately reached out to Joski and suggested they meet up to talk. That moment of initiative six years ago was the start of an unofficial partnership that will more than likely continue when Sadler’s son takes over the business next year. It helped both businesses become stronger. Read more about Joski and Sadler’s partnership in the sidebars of each profile.
This sort of collaboration might not be for everyone; or you might reach out to a fellow drain cleaner or two and just not click with them. Maybe the first person you talk to isn’t the best fit, but don’t give up. Keep looking for someone to connect with. You need to establish trust and have a similar work ethic and approach to customer service for a partnership to develop. But picking up the phone and getting to know a like-minded competitor in your area could be a stepping stone to a mutually beneficial working relationship.
It’s worked for Joski and Sadler, and it can work for you too.
I hope you enjoy this month’s issue.
