It has been quite some time since my last post, and I apologize to anyone off put by the delay! (I think I may be flattering myself with that one...). As business has continued to grow, expand, and time has not begun multiplying itself I fell behind on this blog. However, the months that have passed since my last post have been filled with meeting great organizations and people. The conversations and discussions we have had lead me to hone in some exciting ideas and opportunities to create value in an industry that does a tremendous amount for our communities: Nonprofits!
While I enjoy working with organizations across many industries, markets, and specialties I find that I can be a part of truly impactful conversations when I am meeting with a nonprofit organization. My opinion as to why this is that there is an inherent emotional passion and mission behind the organization's operation. There is a passion there that drives these people to make a difference in the community they are in, the cause they are representing, or the change they are trying to make. I love connecting with this passion, and I love the opportunity to help strengthen their ability to chase that passion. I will share with you today why I am passionate about this industry and how I feel we can change the conversation of how mechanical systems play into operation.
I was in the middle of meeting with a potential client, a nonprofit, recently and we were talking about their current situation. As I find many times their current situation was this: currently had a maintenance contract for the HVAC systems, there was a void in communication when it came to what that contract meant, and there was a feeling of not getting what they needed, and they were paying a lot of money.....and I mean a lot of money. They were looking to see what else was out there, and wanted to know what we could do for them in comparison. They began to ask me about scope of work, how many times per year we would come out for inspection, how many times we would change filters....the standard questions. That's when it hit me-no wonder they are not getting what they want, we are not having the right conversation. The conversation they are used to having in this situation is one of technical specs and maintenance tasks to be performed. Simply put, this is not effective, and it is short-sighted in many ways.
There is not enough information in this conversation to make the most appropriate and impactful decision for the organization. The decision relies solely on what someone tells you "needs to happen"....yea that's not how I make decisions either. The conversation needs to be one of direction, planning, and goals. How can an organization be sure the program they decide is right for them if they have not taken the time to look at how it relates to their mission, their operation, and their long-term goals. Without having this discussion, you are stuck in an expensive sports car when you need a cost efficient SUV....or vice versa!
This conversation and approach is important in every business, but as I mentioned above, there is such an important opportunity within nonprofits. The economy has dried up some funding options, while making others more competitive. Donors' dollars are being pulled in many more directions, government funding is not what it used to be and we are not sure what that will look like down the road. I don't need to tell nonprofit organizations what their challenges are when it comes to raising money and maintaining a sustainable operation-they are in it every day. However, I do have plenty I can tell them about making every dollar on the back-end count, managing the overhead expenses related to the mechanical equipment, and make sure as much revenue as possible is reinvested into the organization to further its mission and service to the community.
In conclusion, nonprofits need to change the conversation they are having about their HVAC maintenance, and all vendors for that matter. They need to look at it on a macro-level and really understand how this impacts their operation on every single level-operationally AND financially. I hope to have this conversation with as many organizations that are doing good in our community and to help them make the best decisions for their specific situation.
I will be diving further into nonprofit challenges as I see them in future postings....and I promise it won't take me four months for the next post!
Luke
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