“So you have pole building newsletters, why should I read an online ad to BUY BUY BUY from you?” asked a client recently when I suggested he sign up.
“You are exactly right, and I wouldn’t either”, I replied.
“Really?” he dubiously answered.
I went on to explain our newsletters are purposely designed to NOT “sell anything”. They are meant to educate clients so they make good choices about solving problems they have. Building problems. They have a horse boarding at an expensive facility 30 miles from home and don’t seem to get to ride their prized pet, but have space to put a horse barn on their property. What type and size of horse barn should they buy and how should it be laid out? Maybe the client with the “problem” has a home business taking off, and the garage/basement just can’t hold all the merchandise anymore. Or, how about your expensive RV/boat/new car sitting out in the weather? How much value is going to be left after a few years with it being pelted constantly by wind, snow, rain and hail? I have heard of mice chewing up entire wiring systems and cushions in a half a million dollar RV! I literally wanted to put my head down and cry when a client told me his mice destruction story. A $15k or $20,000 building to store it in suddenly seemed like a bargain. You don’t leave your expensive new shoes, coat, or nice furniture out in the rain. Why would you leave something of great resale value such as priceless animals, cars, boats, airplanes out in the weather?
Or maybe you just don’t know where to get started. How do I design my building? Where do I start figuring what size I’m going to need? What will the building department want to know? Or the planning department – are they going to require all kinds of information? How much is this all going to cost? Can I possibly build it myself, or should I hire a contractor? How about if I get someone to put up the shell and I can save a little money to do the finishing work? What will things cost and what do I need to figure? What design/slope/type of building will best suit my needs? Should I insulate it, and if so what type of insulation do I need to buy? What type of siding/roofing should I choose and what colors are available? I don’t have the faintest idea of where to even start this type of a huge and complicated project!
Or is it REALLY…. huge and complicated? My answer? Only if you want it to be! My solution is nothing you haven’t already heard of: educate, educate, educate! This is what the newsletters are all “about”: education. My goal is to give you all kinds of information on a variety of subjects related to building in general, and specifically, pole buildings. This all comes from probably over 14,000 buildings and 35 plus years of education from the finest university known to mankind: the College of Hard Knocks!
What I tell you today, is a far cry from what I would have told you 30, 20 or even 15 years ago. Did I get a lot smarter over the years? Well, yes and no. Most of what I know today comes from asking lots of questions of people who knew more than I did, (Thank you Frank Woeste!) and had been in the business a lot longer than I had. It also came from testing, both in closely monitored labs (testing steel strength and screw requirements) and in just plain everyday trial and error. My Construction Guide alone grew from 49 pages to over 400 in the space of 10 years. Is this because pole buildings became a lot more complicated? Absolutely not! It was my lovely bride who took one look at the first Construction Guide I wrote eleven years ago and said, “You gotta be kidding me – I can’t build a pole building from this”! Dumbfounded I said, “why not?” And she proceeded to tell me! Pictures, diagrams, detailed instructions on every board, trim, screw and nail were outlined in a fashion even a 3rd grader could read and follow. Whew! Picky? Yes! And I’m glad she picked – me!
So, long story short: my blog and newsletters both are sharing my knowledge with you, hopefully in a format you find both enlightening and entertaining.
Sign up – for the newsletters, which come about once a week, and opt “in” to read my blog Monday through Friday weekly. If you learn something from them, great…and I thank you for allowing me to share my lifetime of experiences. If not, maybe you will share something of value about pole buildings with me! The day I stop learning – is the day I am no longer a fortunate man walking upon this earth.
As always, there is the option to “unsubscribe” if you so desire.
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Have a great day!
Mike
