Using Specialty Work To Boost Profits

An education session at the recently concluded WWETT Show shows the type of business know-how you can pick up by attending trade shows and being tapped into networking opportunities in this industry

Using Specialty Work To Boost Profits

Jim Aanderud speaks on the profit opportunities that specialty jobs can provide at the 2019 WWETT Show.

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The Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show provides a lot of new equipment offerings for attendees to take in every year. But education continues to be a big part of the show.

Technical sessions focusing on new equipment and technology are popular, but also important are the sessions that focus on business improvement and department efficiency. For example, in one session at the 2019 show held last week in Indianapolis, presenter Jim Aanderud spoke on the profit opportunities that specialty jobs can provide. 

“These are the jobs that we don’t do every day,” says Aanderud. “They might require special equipment or certain skills. When you get the opportunity to try something new, it is a great opportunity.” 

Aanderud explained that the key to taking on specialty work often means learning to diversify using equipment that you already own, such as a CCTV inspection van, combination unit or electronic utility locator. 

“It’s about being able to take something within your industry that you don’t normally do, but that a customer can find useful,” says Aanderud. “For example, you can take on utility locating jobs for backhoe contractors, or use your combination cleaner for specialty cleaning jobs such as debris cleanup and hard surfaces such as calcium, brine or concrete.”

While some of these types of jobs may require equipment such as expensive specialty nozzles, Aanderud cautioned attendees that it doesn’t always mean they need to spend away their profits buying a nozzle they may only use once or twice.

“You already have the equipment to power these specialty nozzles, so that part is covered,” he says. “Instead of buying the nozzle, look into renting it or even borrowing it from a contact in your field. The business owner who fosters positive relationships with the people in his field ­—­ even his direct competitors ­— is going to come out ahead in the long run.”

It’s important to foster these relationships, Aanderud says, to simply have others who you can trust to bounce ideas and questions off of.

“Especially when you are talking about taking on new work, you need people that have done it who are in your corner,” he says. “As a cleaner myself, some of my best friends are other cleaners who I compete with, and also respect greatly. If you develop that strong relationship, you’ll find that often you help each other so much more than you hurt each other.”



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