Adam Sand is the founder and CEO of Roofing Business Partner, a company that specializes in generating leads for contractors through Facebook using highly sophisticated and specialized technology.
He is also a co-owner of Sargeants Roofing in Edmonton, Alberta.
Having built both of these operations from scratch, Sand knows what it’s like to build a process that can take a business to the next level.
At the same time, Sand has also been around long enough to recognize many of the challenges that are permeating through the roofing industry. He has seen firsthand how some roofers spiral into deep depressions because their roofing business is struggling.
Sand says some of these struggles are societally induced, in that tradespeople are often not given the same amount of respect as lawyers or doctors.
But there also is another underlying issue that is stifling contractors, one that is not as easily detectable.
“They don’t respect themselves,”
Sand says of some roofing business owners.
“Running a business is hard, and this business can get disorganized.”
This is because in the hectic world of roofing, it doesn’t take much for a whole project, or business, to fall apart.
Sand notes how a conglomerate like Walmart has thousands of people that monitor the company’s systems, every second of the day.
While this works for a massive entity like Walmart because they can hire and train staff whenever they please, it’s much harder for a roofing company to duplicate that level of success.
“There’s so much going on and there are so many moving parts because you don’t own your labor. Sometimes you don’t even own your sales team because they’re 1099,”
Sand says.
“What happens is that if you’re not organized, you have this constant thing going on in your head where you’re trying to keep everything stored, and so you need systems and processes that can allow you to get your hands around your business. You need to know what’s going on because if you know what’s going on and you have a clear process, then you can put worry out of your head and go home.”
Sand says following this formula will not only make a roofing company more streamlined and eventually profitable, but it will also allow for business owners to achieve a peace of mind that was previously lacking.
“If you go home and know that your business is okay, that’s going to decrease the anxiety and that’s going to stop people from resorting to drugs and alcohol. In turn, that’s going to allow them to focus on things like respecting themselves,”
explains Sand.
Currently, Sand has been away from Edmonton the last couple months optimizing business processes for his clients. He acknowledges that this time has been stressful, which is why he makes a concerted effort not to fall prey to drugs or alcohol as a means of escapism.
“I know how to run my business,”
says Sand in explaining what helps him stay grounded.
“Getting that part figured out is how you’re going to create that freedom to focus on your own mind and health, and that way you’re not going to resort to drugs and alcohol.”
Sand adds that those who do wind up imbibing in libations are nearly always running away from something that is plaguing them.
“It’s just escapism. You’re trying to numb the anxiety of what’s going on in your work because you’re trying to sit there and take care of your future self,”
he says.
In order to release stress and angst, Sand recommends going beyond just optimizing your business’ processes. He suggests that roofing contractors take the time to find a mentor who knows what they’re going through based off past experiences.
“You want to find people in the industry who can give you that confirmation bias that you’re doing things the right way,”
Sand says.
“If you find good mentors who will invest time and energy in you, you’ll be fine. Ultimately, you need good mentors, systems, and processes, but you also have to take the time to respect yourself and take care of yourself.”
Like this article?
Leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe to all of Roofing Insights’ social media channels so you never miss any of their upcoming content!
