If you are looking for a way to make an immediate impact on your organization with little expense, try implementing the 5S Methodology. 

The 5S Methodology originated in Japan and is a systematic approach to workplace organization, broken down into 5 steps:

Sort - go through each work area and eliminate all unnecessary tools and materials (especially in the shop and yard areas). 

Set in order - arrange all tools and inventory in such a way that the most frequently used items are the easiest and quickest to locate.

Shine - clean and maintain the cleanliness of all the workspaces and equipment.

Standardize - all equipment, tools and workstations should be identical.

Sustain - maintain and review standards regularly to maintain focus on the new way of doing things. 

Have you heard of this before? I love it because I’m big on systems that simplify what we are doing as business owners. 

For more information on the 5S Methodology and a breakdown of each of the...

In my conversations with business owners, there are issues and problems that seem to arise over and over again. They’re the same problems most owners deal with, the same ones I deal with. We found this article by Roberta Matuson to be very practical and helpful - 7 common mistakes business owners make and how to avoid them. I’m all about avoidance when it comes to mistakes! Take a look and let us know what you think. Do you have any other tips to add to the list?

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I've been in business for over 20 years and have seen my share of mistakes made by business owners — many that certainly could have been avoided. Here’s my list of common mistakes business owners make, along with advice on how to avoid following suit.

1. Failure to hire for fit.
Think about a job that you worked in that didn’t work out. Was it because you didn’t have the skills to do the job, or was it because your values did not align with the...

Let Nextra Consulting get you prepared and expedite the process of hiring foreign workers. 

We understand that Canadian employers need a reliable and stable workforce to maintain sustainable growth. Good access to skilled staff can make the difference between your company and your competitors. 

Nextra Consulting’s LMIA Process Services provide support and recruitment services to help employers address labour shortages with qualified foreign workers. Nextra has been working tirelessly, seeking guidance and direction, and building partnerships in order to provide these services. We offer hassle-free, fair-priced services and accompany our clients throughout the whole LMIA application process. We enable our clients to focus more on their business rather than their staffing problems or LMIA process. 

 Here is how we do it:

SERVICES 

• Complete assistance: Our team guides your company and staff throughout the entire recruitment and application process. This...

If you joined us at our GROW event in Stoney Creek in August, you saw the Metal Pless Live Edge blade in action on the Merlo machine. With that in mind, we are thrilled to hand over the blog to Metal Pless this week as they share more about their company with you. 

Metal Pless of Plessisville, Quebec is a frontrunner in the snowplow manufacturing sector. Clients rely on the company’s products to clear public roadways, commercial and industrial properties, as well as airports during and after a snowfall. It is a task done under intense time pressure and scrutiny; city streets and parking lots must be plowed quickly to maintain access in adverse weather conditions.

The company’s products can be fitted on various vehicles including tractors, wheel loaders, backhoes, skid steers, and tandem trucks. Plows are sold through a North America-wide dealer network. Dealers, in turn, sell to customers – typically snow contractors, Departments of Transportation (DOT),...

80% of new businesses fail every year. 

While that number seems staggering, it’s not all that surprising. Owners get on the hamster wheel of being a technician and working in the business 24/7 instead of on the business and before long they are burnt out and have no money to show for it.

I have been there; I get it. Thankfully there is a better way.

Today’s book recommendation is a good one for this topic. The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz walks you through a different way to look at and run your business by comparing it to the process pumpkin farmers use to grow the biggest pumpkins year after year.

While there is a tonne of incredible information, there are 3 things that really stood out to me:

1. The way he recommends asking for referrals. Instead of asking clients for referrals, Mike recommends that you ask them for the name of contractors that they are working with and that you build relationships with those people because they probably have a hundred clients...

“I left my first meeting with Grant and Marla knowing 2 things without a doubt: 1) Kindness and generosity are at the forefront of every interaction they have, and 2) I needed to be part of the Nextra team" (Jordan - Nextra Team Member) 

Generosity and humility are two of our core values at Nextra. We believe in their power and strive to live them out in our professional and personal lives every day. We have been on the receiving end of much generosity and humility and we remember how good and thankful it made us feel. We want people to experience that feeling when they interact with us.  

Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. And it is so true. Generosity and humility are expressions of kindness. Did you know studies have linked kindness to physical and emotional health? They’ve discovered kindness lowers levels of stress hormones, leaves...

If your staff are not making a living wage all winter long, chances are they will be looking for employment elsewhere. This can be challenging during winter months when you are reliant on snow events to provide them with hours. You’re going to need to get creative.

Can you work on a banked hours system through the summer? They wouldn’t make overtime but the banked hours could top up their pay throughout the winter months.

What about the SUB program we've chatted about previously? Look into it and see if your staff are eligible for it. You can read more about it HERE.

Can you set up an on-call schedule in advance (like some of our clients do) so that your staff know in advance when it’s their turn to watch the weather as opposed to being on-call all season long?

What about offering them new or late model equipment, training, regular communication and employee events during the winter to maintain culture? Whatever you do in the summertime for your staff -...

Are you a snow fighter? Or do you simply plow snow? It may seem like we’re splitting hairs, but author and entrepreneur Brad Caton would argue it’s not. How you see yourself changes how you react in a snow event.

You may remember him from an interview I did with him on the “Nextra Presents…!” podcast last year. If you missed his episode you can listen to it HERE. 

Throughout his book “Brad draws on nearly two decades of experience running his Vancouver-based snow and ice management firm, Invictus Professional Snowfighters, as well as in-depth discussions with industry experts ranging from attorneys, insurers, advocates, property managers, salt distributors, and fellow snowfighters, to present a rare, broad-scoped analysis of the challenges, solutions, and dire importance associated with the snow and ice industry.”

A couple of things stood out to me throughout the book:

1. Brad Caton and his team at Invictus only do snow and are...

How do you handle objections when speaking with potential clients? 

Do they derail you because it feels like rejection? OR do you see an objection as a question - one the client is looking to have answered before they accept the terms and finalize the sale.

In a recent article written by Bruce Wilson, he shares that “objections are simply a sign that a prospect needs more information to make a decision.” It’s a small shift in perspective that can dramatically change your outcomes.

Here are Bruce’s 10 tips on dealing with sales objections:

1. Listen up and validate
2. Rehearse your response
3. Be prepared
4. Isolate the objection
5. Postpone objections
6. Ask questions
7. Talk about money
8. Focus on them
9. Avoid better, faster, cheaper
10. Convert the objection

If you’d like to dig into these a little more, click HERE to read the full article and remember: an objection is not a rejection, but your response to the objection might make it one.

If you joined us in Stoney Creek this week you saw the Metal Pless Live Edge blade in action on the Merlo machine. With that in mind, we are thrilled to hand over the blog to Metal Pless this week as they share more about their company with you. 

Metal Pless of Plessisville, Quebec is a frontrunner in the snowplow manufacturing sector. Clients rely on the company’s products to clear public roadways, commercial and industrial properties, as well as airports during and after a snowfall. It is a task done under intense time pressure and scrutiny; city streets and parking lots must be plowed quickly to maintain access in adverse weather conditions.

The company’s products can be fitted on various vehicles including tractors, wheel loaders, backhoes, skid steers, and tandem trucks. Plows are sold through a North America-wide dealer network. Dealers, in turn, sell to customers – typically snow contractors, Departments of Transportation (DOT), airports, or other...