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Profitability Profile - Preston Wengert

Posted by Ben Weil on 2/3/20 4:36 PM

HOW A COMMUNITY COLLEGE DROPOUT FOUND ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS

You think your market conditions are tough, what about Colorado? According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, the Denver area's average weekly wages are $1,242. Think it's easy to find drivers? The BLS also lists the area unemployment rate at 2.4%. Way lower than the U.S. average.

What made a young guy from out of town who knew nothing about the logistics industry think that he could buy a Ground business to support his growing family? Sure he's smart, but he's so young.

"There's no selling, no advertising, no collecting money from past due accounts. I'm not saying it's easy, but it beats a lot of other options out there," Preston Wengert says.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Results, Management, ISP, FedEx Ground, contractor, Profit

Business Coaching Benefits CSP's

Posted by Ben Weil on 1/19/20 2:43 PM

An Extra Set of Eyes

Dustin Franz bought an RPS route twenty years ago in Pasco, WA. Today, he's a successful FXG contractor with multiple routes. He's traveled an interesting path to profitability.

Buying a route was his first time owning a business. Much of how he learned to deliver packages came from his own experiences plus talking to contractors in his terminal.

Others taught him what they had learned from their own mistakes, and they really couldn't teach him how to be more profitable any faster. It was no fault of their own. They hadn't been trained themselves.

Dustin performed some online research and determined he needed outside assistance.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Results, Management, ISP, FedEx Ground, contractor, Profit, coaching

Profitability Profile - Tracy Taylor

Posted by Ben Weil on 1/6/20 1:15 PM

YOU CAN'T LET DRIVERS RUN YOUR BUSINESS

Business owners (CSP's) are generally likable. Drivers want to work for them. People enjoy being on their team. Nothing wrong with that. It's a good thing.

However, it's a problem when CSP's are too nice. Tracy Taylor learned that lesson early in his career as a Contractor.

"I had 12 employees, 15 trucks and two operations hundreds of miles apart. My people needed me to make tough decisions instead of letting them manage themselves," he recalls.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Results, Management, ISP, FedEx Ground, contractor, Profit

Profitability Profile - Steve Ellis

Posted by Ben Weil on 12/8/19 10:15 AM

RETAINING EMPLOYEES IN TIGHT LABOR MARKETS

Steve Ellis has been a contractor for almost twenty years. Many business owners who've been operating that long think their processes work because they've "always done it this way."

However, Steve's openness to studying and changing his processes make his operations exceptionally successful in a state with some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Results, Management, ISP, FedEx Ground, contractor, Profit

Profitability Profile - Marena Markel

Posted by Ben Weil on 9/2/19 1:07 PM

THE PERILS OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP

Marena and Ralph Markel bought their first FedEx Ground route in 2005.

Of course, they were inexperienced owners, but they were committed to their future and each other. Like many couples who work together, each spouse brought different skills and strengths to the business.

After experiencing significant growth, the pair were overwhelmed by the responsibilities of leading a large team of commercial drivers including:

Scheduling
Payroll
Compliance
Training

Would the couple remain happily in business?

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Business Results, Management, ISP, FedEx Ground, contractor, Profit

Should Contractors Band Together To "Work It Out"?

Posted by Jeff Walczak on 11/5/17 2:50 PM

Take a look around.

Do you see the number of contractors around you dwindling?

How many contractors do you see today, vs. how many there used to be 2, 5 and 10 years ago.

It's plain to see the number of contractors is shrinking, while the number of trucks grows

This results in fewer, but larger operations.

Think this is a coincidence?

It's not.

As you seek answers from FXG on how you will achieve scale, contiguous service areas and overlap, you are being told you need to "work it out" with those around you. Well that's great, but how are you supposed to do so if you have limited resources?

There is a way, but you'll need to ask yourself some questions first.

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Topics: Business Structure, Business Tools, Management, Payroll, FedEx Ground, Business, Investment, model, Merge, Purchase

The Business of Independent Service Provider Contracting

Profitability Profile - Preston Wengert

Business Coaching Benefits CSP's

An Extra Set of Eyes

Profitability Profile - Tracy Taylor

Profitability Profile - Steve Ellis

Profitability Profile - Marena Markel

Should Contractors Band Together To "Work It Out"?

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