The Business of Saying "Yes" (and Knowing When to Say "No")

Two-for-One Special: Busy with Admin & Unexpected Lessons

The past two days have been all about the behind-the-scenes work—answering phones, sending out quotes, and following up with old leads. It’s been surprisingly busy, even without being out in the field.

The Rabbit Hole of Special Requests

When customers ask for something I don’t have in stock, it’s never a simple "yes" or "no." Instead, it turns into a full-blown research mission—finding a supplier, checking prices, estimating delivery times, and even deciding if it’s worth carrying in the future. It’s exhausting but necessary.

Catching Up on Networking

I finally got through all my follow-up emails from Tuesday’s networking event. It took a few hours—even with the help of AI—but I got it done. I also organized everything into neat folders with labels, making it easy to refer back later. Future me will thank me for this one.

A December Job Already?

This week, I locked in a job for December—the longest lead time we’ve ever had. Guess I can’t shut the business down just yet! 😉

Referrals & A Big Surprise

I've been referring a lot of jobs to my friendly competitors, especially the ones with tight deadlines or requests for things I don’t plan to carry. But I had one that caught me off guard—a 20x40 open gable request for an event just a week away, nearly two hours from us. I assumed it was too small for the bigger companies, so I didn’t even try to refer it. Turns out, one of them took it—and executed it! That was a shock, but with this slow season, I get it. Lesson learned: Never assume!

Every week brings a new business lesson, and this one was full of surprises. Onward and upward!