The key to success is adaptability, if you ask me.
This is one of the first lessons I was taught as a soldier, and it was one of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever heard about business.
It really doesn’t matter what you do, you need to have a plan. Since life rarely lets you plan things without ruining them (or is that just me?) you need a plan you can adapt as needed. Have goals, have benchmarks, have keystones, but don’t get too caught up in the little details, let them work themselves out as you go along. This is why I run my HVAC company out of a work van, and don’t rent a storefront. My base of operations is actually my garage, by my HVAC work van isn’t big enough to hold all of my tools and equipment at one time. That is okay, because it is rare that one job will require all of the different tools, so my heating and cooling company stays agile and mobile. The overhead I save on rent, utilities, and various types of insurance, allow me to charge lower prices than my HVAC competitors, as well as offer faster response. In the military I was always taught “travel light, fight hard” and that is the attitude I bring to my HVAC business every day. I take only what I need to do any particular HVAC service as quickly and efficiently as possible, without ever compromising on quality. My fellow HVAC techs are not particularly fond of me, but that really isn’t my problem.