My humble and sincere apologies for taking this long to update my blog. The craziness of summer combined with my little one starting school, and everything else in between left me with little time to focus on writing. However, Fall is here, things have settled down and I've got lots of content stored up in this brain of mine just waiting to pour out.Part of the morning routine in our household involves watching an episode of Handy Manny before school. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, Handy Manny is a Hispanic cartoon character who lives in the fictional town of Sheetrock Hills. He owns Handy Manny's Repair Shop and he is the "go to" guy in town for anything that needs to be fixed. I should also mention he has a toolbox full of talking tools who help him get the job done.
That being said, the show is one that is actually bearable to watch as a parent and maybe I tune in a little too much but I started to derive a few business lessons from watching and thought I would share my findings with you in good fun. So without further ado, the following is what I have learned about business from Handy Manny:
The Power of Team
If there's one concept Manny understands it's the power of "team". Although his business is called "Handy Manny's Repair Shop", he knows he cannot perform any job without his trusty tools, Felipe, Turner, Stretch, Squeeze, Pat, Dusty and Rusty. It takes the whole team working together and communicating to get the job done correctly. If one of the tools has a problem the others jump in to help him out. Manny relies completely on his team of tools and is the first to admit he couldn't do what he does without them.
Resourcefulness
Manny is very resourceful and knows exactly where to go for what he needs, Kelly's Hardware. Kelly always has whatever Manny needs in large supply and Manny knows he doesn't have to waste time searching all over town. Because of Manny's good relationship with Kelly (personally I think they have something going on but that's just my opinion) he knows that he can trust her and her store to help him with any job regardless of how big or small it is.
Attitude
Even under the most challenging circumstances Manny maintains a positive attitude. There have been many situations when he could have said, "you know what, I can't do this". But he perseveres, relies on his team for support and on some occasions breaks into song to boost morale. He also never shows concern in front of his customers. He waits until he gets back to his shop and then he and the tools talk about solutions to the problem.
Outstanding Customer Service
I'm not positive whether Manny has the only repair shop in town or not but whether he does or he doesn't he has a reputation of being the best in the business. He never fails to provide top notch customer service and goes above and beyond to make his customers happy. His phone never stops ringing because word gets around fast in Sheetrock Hills and one happy customer leads to several referrals.
Master Networker
Manny doesn't hide out in his repair shop when he's not busy working, he is out in the community. Whether it's at Kelly's Hardware checking out the latest tool catalog, or Mr. Lopart's candy store or participating in charity events, Manny is a visible presence around town. He says hello and strikes up a conversation with everyone he meets and often times those casual conversations lead to new business. He's never pushy about what he does, he just lets the conversation flow naturally and always with a friendly smile.
Manny is definitely one to watch in the business world. I'm sure any minute now Manny will be writing an ebook, starting a Mastermind group or holding do it yourself home repair teleclasses. Hmmm I wonder if he needs a VA.
