Balancing Small Wins and Big Relationships - January 23, 2025

Hey Future Owner,

Today was a return to routine with schools reopening (finally!) and a busy schedule to match. Here’s the breakdown of the day:

Job 1: Downtown Pickup
The first task was picking up 32 chairs in downtown Atlanta—a smaller job that came through as a referral from a peer. Not wanting to disappoint, I went all in to make it work:

• Waived the weekend fee

• Discounted the week-long rental rate

• Slashed the portage fee in half

The result? A ~$420 ticket with costs estimated at $129 using the ARA profitability tool. That’s a ~$298 profit and an almost 70% contribution margin—a pleasant surprise!

This experience highlighted the importance of leveraging tools like the ARA profitability calculator to properly assess even smaller jobs. Plus, I earned a 5-star review, which made the effort completely worth it. This feels like a breakthrough moment in valuing smaller opportunities.

Job 2: School Delivery and Setup
The second job involved delivering and setting up 15 round tables and 150 chairs at a local school. This repeat customer relationship is exactly the type we need to build more of.

The Numbers:

• Ticket Total: ~$1,800

• Costs: $280

• Profit: ~$1,520 (84% contribution margin)

This job had a lot of moving parts, including strict delivery and setup timing, same-day breakdown, and after-hours service—fees that accounted for 40% of the invoice total.

However, the job didn’t bring in any cash since it was paid with a credit from a canceled event last year. On the bright side, the credit is now fully used, which simplifies tracking. I’m hoping for a good review from the new school contact to further solidify this relationship.

Quotes and Proposals
I didn’t have the chance for proactive outreach today, but I did manage to send out quotes for incoming requests. One of them is for a fall wedding, which excites me. I tend to gravitate toward events with ample preparation time, and the higher ticket value doesn’t hurt either.

Looking Ahead
Today was a productive mix of fulfilling commitments and planting seeds for future opportunities. It’s clear that balancing small jobs, repeat clients, and larger events will be key to long-term success.

Until next time,
Ramon

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