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	Subject - A more profitable business model. John A. Peters Switch to an area of electrical contraction, where you can convince the clients that you are so good that they do not need competitive bids, or they do not have time to do get them. Study the contractors who have those full page adds and see what can be transcribed to be useful in a small or a one man busines. Look at this web page for ideas, thanks to Jamie Wilkie. http://www.bruderelectric.com/ An this one for Mister Sparky, thanks to Patrick Kennedy http://www.mistersparky.com/ Check out Mister Sparky's yellow page advert at the URL below. You have to download a viewer application, but you will be amazed. Go to page 333 or search for Mister Sparky as a business name. Also try searching for electrical contractors. They show the actual yellow pages on your screen. http://yp.bellsouth.com/ Any more questions? What did you learn? What can we learn from you? John A. Peters Artists use a portfolio. Salesmen use a catalogue. I use a handout booklet. By giving out a copy of my license, a list of references, a copy of my GL and workers comp insurance and some other information like what you would have on a web page, or other type of promotional literature, I have been able to charge 5 or 10 percent more than before. It does not cost much to publish a booklet this way. Now you can go after and win custom jobs where price is secondary to a good job. To eliminate the risk that the client will not look at your booklet, you may want to wait till you have looked at the whole job and made your notes, and then ask them if you can sit at a table for a minute. I give them a "60 second executive overview". I turn the pages and make sure they know what is in the booklet. I leave it with them to be read later, while I work up the estimate.