THE SEPTIC BUSINESS IS A LOT LIKE BASEBALL...

So it’s no secret that the Kubiks like baseball.  We might even be considered a little nutty about the sport.  If you read my post about constructing our own backyard baseball field you might have some idea about our love.   In our opnion, there is nothing more fun than watching baseball whether it is our own boys out on the field or our Kansas City boys in blue. 

But the madness doesn’t stop there…I have dreams of redoing our basement  someday with furniture like this:

And adding apparel to my wardrobe with shoes like this:

 But I gotta say I have to draw the line with stuff like this….there is even a limit for me…kinda…

Yeah, we might have a little bit of an obsession problem.  And after reading the rest of this blog post, you might think I’m headed down the path that leads right to being institutionalized, but I’m going to write it anyway!!

I couldn’t help but think how there are countless analogies of how baseball is like life, but today I am going to take the time to show you how much baseball is like the septic business.  (I know, I know…where’s my straight jacket, right?) But bear with me…here goes…

April-October are our “playing” months

Obviously, we run a business all year, but we definitely have our “playing” season and I find it interesting it falls within the same perimeters of the regular baseball season.  The phones light up like crazy around April and don’t die down until October.  We do our “heaviest hitting” during these months with installs and residential work.  We kind of get an “off” season, but just like our MLB friends we’re still working, just doing it behind the scenes.  (Too bad there isn’t an ESPN channel for us so our customers can keep track of our “off” season progress right?  Although our channel might just be SPN – Septic Pumping Network…yes, it’s been established, I need help.)

We both experience rain-outs

We are no strangers to a “rain out.”  When Mother Nature starts pouring outside, there’s not a whole lot we can do.  An installation job gets put on hold until it dries out and any kind of residential pumping is put on hold.  We do have enough commercial accounts where we can stay on pavement and so we always find something to do, but a rainy day (or days) can put us off for a while.  (Just be glad you don’t have to watch some lame programming while waiting for us to show up to work.  “Due to a rain delay, we interrupt this regularly scheduled pumping job to bring you an educational segment on ‘how to plunge your toilet’.”  It could always be worse folks).

We both deal with ball-park figures

Now granted our “figures” aren’t batting averages, ERAs or win/loss percentages, but we do deal with figures.  Due to the fact that we give estimates or bids for our work prior to conducting it, a question we get asked all the time is “what’s your ball park figure on a septic system?”  or “ball park – what do you charge to ____?” 

Here’s an interesting fact for you, did you know that the first time “a ball park figure” statement was used in this context was in 1967?  So full of wisdom, aren’t I?

We both have closers

Just like a good baseball team has their closer they send in to finish off the other team, we have a closer too – me.  After a system is installed, I follow up with a quick walk-through and explain the necessities.  I leave them with our manual and card should any problems or questions arise…though I may come in a finish our time with them, I’d like to think I’m not as intimidating as Jonathan Papelbon.  Hopefully customers will be happy to see me coming!

We both must make sure to “cover our bases”

Whether you’re a team or a business  you have to make sure your bases covered.  We live in a world where you’ve got to be prepared for the unexpected.  Obviously, we can’t think of everything, but we try.  We work to be PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE.  Happy customers make for good business.  Not only that, but in a world where people sometimes look to take advantage, we have contracts and records to make sure legally we are always “covered”.

Curveballs

Even though we work to avoid problems sometimes a customer will throw you a curveball.  Things come up that you might never have thought of, or requests or made for issues we’ve never dealt with before.  Life in general is going to throw you curveballs, the same is true in owning a business. 

Hit or miss

As with anything in life, sometimes you just feel like your decision could be a hit or a miss.  There are days when you just don’t know.  Obviously, there are risks you take and though you may feel good about them, sometimes you still don’t really know!! But isn’t that what makes it fun?  We watch games because we know who we WANT to win, but that may not mean they WILL win!!  Risks in business feel the same way.

That’s all I’m going to compare….for now anyway.  I’m sure I could probably go on and compare more, but I think you get the idea.  OBVIOUSLY, the septic business IS like BASEBALL, right?  So, see? I’m not so crazy after all!   

Until next time!!