Every time Trump opens his mouth, I see some people say it’s killing their business.

When things aren’t working, they’ll point at Elon, taxes, tariffs, the weather, the lunar cycle, whatever…

But why do some people thrive in this same environment to build extraordinary things?

It’s because they play by a different set of rules.

This is how they do it.

It all starts with focusing on things you can control or influence while ignoring everything else.

1) Identifying the “first principles” of your business

These are the fundamental truths with all the fluff stripped away

For example, what’s the first thing she does when someone’s car gets a flat tire or overheats in Philadelphia?

Check the S&P 500 or interest rates?

Scroll through X to see the latest tariff slapped on China, Canada & Mexico.

No. She Googles “auto repair near me”, looks for a well-rated shop, and dials the phone.

Hopefully, she’s calling one of my 33 auto repair franchises.

A first principle in a consumer-facing business: Do you have great Google reviews?

How my team answers that phone determines if we earn her business or not

Do we sound happy to help or annoyed we had to put down the hoagie?

Are we giving her peace of mind that we’ll figure it out or anxiety, describing worst-case scenarios?

Mastering the phones is a first principle

2) Focus on solutions, not problems

I acknowledge that things are more expensive for everyone due to inflation, tariffs, and interest rates.

Instead of complaining that customers can’t afford your services, focus on the solutions.

Lowering my prices is not a viable solution for me.

But what I can control is the affordability.y

We have multiple buy now, pay later programs that help customers get the work done and pay over time.

Customers aren’t ready to drop $1,000 or $2,000 on car repairs

Instead, our programs make it affordable.

My business gets paid the next day, so it’s all good for us and the customers.

Payment plans can become a differentiator vs. your competitors who don’t offer them.

3) Right-size our team

During good times, businesses get bloated with people who are “good enough”

They are reliable and friendly but low performers.

A much bigger cost than payroll, taxes, and benefits is the lost opportunity

Let’s say we have a salesperson who estimates $250,000 but only closes 20% of the $50k sales.

If we replace him with someone else who estimates $300,000 due to a better process and closes 40%, they sell $120,000 — costing the business $70,000 in lost revenue.e

Every month.

You’d be surprised how much easier the business becomes when you get the right team in place.

Firing someone sucks. But every time you keep a C-player, you tell your A-players that mediocrity is acceptable.

Think about it this way: Would you hire them again if you started your business from scratch today?

If the answer isn’t an immediate ‘hell yes,’ it’s a no

Focus on what you can control & ignore the rest.

Cheers!

Brian

P.S. I’m documenting more of my journey on Instagram. Follow me there.

Brian Beers

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113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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