Power Please

Jon, "Fence man on Wheels" is how I want people to remember my name. I have been in a power wheelchair for 15 years and still run my own business. Funny thing is my chair sometime breaks down which it did 5 weeks ago. I realized over again how much I depend on technology to run my life and my business.

It took 5 weeks to get the parts to fix my chair. I sure hope no customer of mine ever has to wait that long to get a part from SummitFenceSupply.com. The taste that it left in my mouth about the company in which I paid thousands of dollars to get this chair makes me certain that no customer of mine will ever have to wait more than a week for a part.

Fortunately, I have lap tops and mini computer to stay connected with the world of the Internet and so I do not miss a beat when it comes to running www.summitfencesupply.com

So this is Jon, “Your Fence man on Wheel” (and now power…) saying thank you Lord that the parts came in and independence is restored. I even went to Starbucks and had my mocha fix.

Jon Mullender
Summit Fence Supply, llc
888.856.0551

Summit Sports Equipment. com

We are proud to open our new sport equipment website. Finally a one stop online store that caters to the sport enthusiast. Summit Sports Equipment is new but the products we carry are from one of the leading sports companies manufacturing high quality Basketball hoops and much more. The other great aspect of this new shop is that all of our products are made in the USA.  SummitSportsEquipment.com. "Get ready for the game" no matter if your game is basketball, football, soccer, volleyball and much more.

Sure hope you enjoy the site.


Jon Mullender
President of Summit Fence Supply.
any question or reviews contact me at
jon@summitsportsequipment.com

This Lights My Fire What About You

I was reading Isaiah 6: 1 this morning and was hit with the thought that Isaiah saw Jesus. Wow!!! I get so caught up in business and work, family and activities of the day that I forget what it is all about. Someday, I will see Jesus in all his glory. Now that is a way to start the day at 5:48.

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.

Quitting is Not an Option

Never Quit or you will get in the habit of quitting. I have a new sign that stares at me as I work each day…. “QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION!

I have been working long hours doing what I love to do. I feel like Job, from the Bible, where everyone said, “Just Quit!” Every goal a person really believes in and works toward better be one that you will do anything necessary to accomplish because once you start there is no turning around. I have quit on diets, exercise programs, cleaning the office, washing the car, doing laundry, I even quit a job. Never remember doing that before so I understand the anatomy of quitting.

It is hard to continue when the going gets so hard that laying in bed in the fetal position is the desire of your heart, or doing the mundane activities that have to be done day after day in order to see the other side of the mountain. The excuses I can come up with as to why not to keep going are like the sands of the sea.

Fortunately, I now have the words posted in front of me. Quitting is not an option! Then if the things I desire and have written down fall into that catagory there is no way of quitting. The best way I have learned to do things is to make a habit of the activities that will take me closer to my goals.

Example: If I want to loose weight I have to do certain activities. Drink water, eat breakfast, and exercise some. And schedule those activities into my calendar.

I remember how hard it was to read the Bible in a year. I would start every year and get as far as Numbers or Deuteronomy and then just quit! For years the same thing happened. Until someone said to read through the Bible in a year just read 4 chapters a day it would get done. That was doable! Then I learned that if you do the hardest thing you have to do first you get it out of the way. It is amazing that once an activity becomes a habit it can be accomplished. I now not only read my Bible every year but have a ritual of doing it daily. I truly enjoy reading and learning so much that it has become a high-light of my day and it is the first thing I do each day with a cup of coffee.

“QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION!” has now becoming my mantra.

Jon
http://www.summitfencesupply.com/

Day: 11 Learning from the Dolphins

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

To be successful in business you have to constantly be thinking. I like to make list of ideas every few days. Just sit and make a list of things I can do to improve the company. Some ideas are worth trying some are not so bright. But the idea is to keep thinking. I think I got the idea a long time ago from Earl Nightingale tape series. “Lead the Field”. My mom had this series on records and I would listen to it over and over again.

Today I was reminded that there is a ton to learn just looking at nature. Watch this video.  It will help you see that there are new ways to do your prospecting, presenting, and closings in your business. As I watched the video today I was challenged to get out my pen and start to create. Creativity feed the dolphins. Creativity will help me reach my goal of 735.

Day 10: It is Freezing in Ohio

Winter in Ohio means snow, cold, snow drifts, shoveling along with the warm fires, skiing, snow mobiles and much more.

To honor winter we are offering our snow and beach fence for a limited time for only $40.50 a roll. We know that many people have open areas where drifting snow can make for morning headaches. If they could slow the drifting it would make things a lot smoother in the morning. Cities use snow fence, corporations and  so do many home owners.

Our snow fence is 4 foot high and comes in rolls of 50 foot. You can buy as small an amount as one roll, a pallet (9 per pallet) or even a truck which would be 366 rolls. 


A common rule of thumb is that snow fence should follow the rule of 35. That is to say that you multiply the height of the fence x 35 and that is how far away you should place your fence barrier. 
Since our fence is 4' high you would use this formula 4x35=140 meaning that you would place your snow fence 140' away from your access road or driveway. 


You can use metal "T" post to install their fence which makes it easy to install. There are special ties we carry that would allow you to tie up your fence to the posts.


When the sun comes out in spring and the warmth starts to touch your face just roll up the snow fence and put it away until the next snow comes your direction. 


So take advantage of this limited time offer by calling me soon at 888.856.0551 for a FREE quote. 

Jon, “Your Fence Man on Wheels”
SummitFenceSupply.com
jon@summitfencesupply.com
Call me anytime: 888.856.0551

Day 9: Failure? Not Possible!

Most start up business fail before 5 years. My dear friend Sage told me once that when you run out of money you have to get a job. I laugh at that because he is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. He is speaking all over the country on SEO principles. He runs his own business, Sage Rock, and he does a daily Video Blog. His business is a major part of his life.

I tend to work hard. I love working! I guess that was instilled in me as a child learning to walk after having polio. I would wear those long metal leg braces and would fall at the drop of a hat. That hat might be someone touching me, or a pebble, or a loss of balance. But I remember my mother, my chief advocate, would always say, “One down, two to go!”

Failure? Not possible! That has to be the mindset of every entrepreneur that wants so badly to make a difference. When I feel like quitting I have to STOP!

S – Step back and look at what you are doing. Get out the pad and start writing ideas and it will come to you in time.

T – Trust yourself and your God. You are not alone. You may have to turn over another rock or two to find something that works but you will make it work.

O – Get the Opinions of people you trust. Not negative people but people that have worked where you are now and have gone on to success. The opinion of a mentor, the opinion of your business counselor. Make a list of people you can go to. Take them to lunch and have them help you brainstorm.

P – Press on!  When I would fall my mom would pick me up and not coddle me. She would go on with what she was doing. That taught me early in life that, Yes I will fall but stand up and go on.

As this year moves on toward the goal of “735” I know I will make it. Will I fall down? Yes! Business has it up and downs but unless you quit trying and lay down on the ground. Success is just around a corner.  

One down, two to go!

Jon, “Your Fence Man on Wheels”

SummitFenceSupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime: 888.856.0551

Day 8: OPM

Money is always tight at the beginning of having a small business. I remember in all my reading about OPM (Others People Money). So over course I went to the bank with the idea that they would be all excited to loan me the money I needed to seed my company. My banker set up an appointment for me to meet with the small business loan manager who asked me a few questions.

How long have I been in business? Answer about 3 days.

How much collateral do you have? Nothing…

It didn’t take long to realize that there was not going to be OPM for this guy at least not until I had been in business for three years. I would need a business plan and I would need to show my successful books.

I would suggest that a person interested in starting a business should do what I didn’t and go to SCORE and get a good counselor before they open the doors of their business.

  

It is great to start your own business. I love working as I think the business should be run. If a customer needs something I would to have the ability to get it for them. 

Day 7: To E-Commerce or Not to E-Commerce, that is the Question

There are so many places online that use ecommerce to reach their potential customers. I have been doing e-commerce for years but one thing I found was that if my customers are purchasing fence they want to talk to someone. Fence is a one time experience for most people. It is not likely that they will be buying a fence this year and then buy one in five years just to get the newest and best. So I thought why not make an estimator so they could get an idea of how much it might cost for a vinyl fence before they call.

It seemed logical to me and has worked but now in my constant search for “What is the True Reality” I am wondering if just having an e-commerce store would have been the choice. What really sold me was last night. I am in bed while my wife is at her computer. She made a list for me to go to the drug store to get some vitamins. I wasn’t looking forward to going out today with my list in hand wheeling in the 12 inches of snow to get vitamins! I much rather work then freeze. As I was laying there waiting for sugar plums to dance in my head she calls out and says, “Jon, you don’t have to go to the drug store tomorrow. I ordered the vitamins online.”

I ordered them online! Of course it makes some much sense to me now. I need them both! I need a convenient way to help my customers get an idea of their project will cost and a way to order if they know exactly what they want. So back to the drawing board! My customers are the life blood of Summit Fence Supply. I respect each project as the most important one I have. Serving the right way is an ever changing process. In order to reach the coveted goal of “735” I need to be flexible.

If a customer wants to talk they have our toll free number. If they want to get an idea of what a vinyl fence or an aluminum fence or even a stone like fence will cost they have our estimators and soon if a person wants to order online that to will be available.

What is the True Reality? I love serving others. Call me and see.

Jon, “Your Fence Man on Wheels”

SummitFenceSupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime: 888.856.0551

Day 4: Setbacks were Expected

Yesterday was smooth sailing along the goal of 735 until late in the evening. My young webmaster called me to inform me that 10 of my pages were just erased. No problem because I am sure he had a backup of them only to be told, “No, I just erased them.”

Accidents happen and he is a valuable part of my team. I can rebuild what is gone but in every situation there is a learning opportunity. My question to him was, “How do we make sure this doesn’t happen again?” Many CEO’s want to assign blame… I have worked for a couple of those types of people. That is the kiss of death to your employees. The goal is to move beyond blame to not only fix the problem but put in procedures that will make the likelihood of the recurrence unlikely.

I am going to reach my goal of 735 and when I make it I want my people to know I could not have made it without them.

What fun is a journey if you have no one to share it with?

Jon "Your fence man on wheels"

summitfencesupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime at 888.856.0551

PS. My hosting company just called and they backed up my pages on Sunday. Thank you Pete!

Day 3: Fear of Failure oh Blah, Blah, Blah!

I was thinking about the 735 this morning at 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM and up until 4:00 when I decided I wasn’t going to sleep anymore so I may as well get up and prepared to begin. I know that the fear of failure holds many people back from taking on their personal journeys. I can’t see the end because I am not near there. I visualize what it will look like but it doesn’t mean that I will be able to make it, at least not on my own. There are so many variables between January 4, 2010 and December 31, 2010. There may be sickness along the way… or maybe an unexpected breakdown of equipment. People could let me down or not keep their promises. There are a lot of things to fear if I would choose to let them. However, most of those things will never happen and if I let the thought of them stop me from my personal 735 I can shut off the phones, crawl under the covers and just quit.

But not today! Today I begin with more enthusiasm then I have had in a long time. Any goal can be broken down into small tasks. Before I can get to the 735 I have to get to the 1. It could take minutes or days to reach the first part of my goal but by doing certain things a certain way I will reach 1, then 10, then before I know it 735.

Today I was reading, “If you want to walk on water, You have to get out of the boat” by John Ortberg. He mentioned that we do not go on our journey alone. We need faith to go in the direction we are lead to go. I have a passion to make this journey and so it begins. It is now 8:00 Monday the 4^th of January and we are off.

“Creative achievement depends on single minded immersion”

Starting the 735 Clean!

Starting a new business year is like getting ready for a road trip. The more organized you are the less you have to struggle to find things on the journey. Day 2 of my journey to 735 began late as I knew I needed to rest before I begin next week. I can see why the Bible was adamant about the Lords Sabbath. I always like Jesus words on the subject. The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.

After watching the Brown's win 4 in a row (Go Brown's) it was time to go into the office and make sure all the material I will need is in order

• Desks are cleaned
• Goals are set and written down
• Charts are in order
• Call lists are ready for this week
• Day planner is ready with the activities I need to concentrate on First things first
• I have plenty of coffee.

My business coach Phil Humbert once told me that doing business was not always exciting and that if he were to walk into my office at a certain time would he find me doing the things I had planned on doing at that time. There is a lot of wisdom in that concept. If I were to climb a mountain would I be on my journey at the time I said I would or would I just be waking up and making breakfast? Personal integrity is a big part of business success.

So as far as I can prepare I am ready for tomorrow to begin.

A journey of 735 begins with the first call scheduled for 8:30 tomorrow morning.

Please add your comments or thought to help me make my goal of 735.

Until tomorrow.

Jon "Your fence man on wheels"

Summitfencesupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

Call me anytime 888.856.0551

735 The Adventure of a Lifetime

I am going on a business journey starting Monday which I am calling 735. I am going write in my blog the events and things I am learning on the way to 735. It will be about the one man’s journey to reach an unheard of goal for himself. This goal is not about miles but about people and business. It is a journey that will take 365 days to complete.

Along the way I am going to face a lot of failure (learning opportunities) and successes to reaching the goal of 735.

I am committing myself to write a blog about the journey every day for 1 year. I hope to share picture of people I meet along the way. Some of the individuals will be out to stop my adventure and others will be sent to encourage me to take just one more step.

Like any adventure the more I keep the goal in front of me the closer I will be to reaching it.

Some of you are asking what is the 735? Join me and see.

Oh and of course call or write me or comment on the passages to criticize, encourage, and just ask questions.

As Sailor Sam used to say... "Full step a head!"

Jon Mullender "Your fence man on wheels"

Summitfencesupply.com

jon@summitfencesupply.com

888.856.0551

A New Decade Begins

As the snow covers the ground on this last day of 2009 and my little space heater is warming me up... I am thinking about what I heard from Claudia this morning. "We are starting a new decade and it will be a great one!"

I love words of hope, excitement and motivation. Hope that our economy will turn around for all small business. That they will find success and be able to hire some of the many unemployed people who so desperately need a job.

Excitement because new things are being created each day and some of them are related to the industry we find ourselves in. We just add Apollo Gates to our website and are looking forward to many years of a great relationship together.

Finally, a new decade to be motivated in. It is true that we become what we think about all the time. We really do! If we want 2010 to be the best, we have to think of how we can help and improve the lives of others. When we help others we in turn help ourselves.

So as the hours tick away until tomorrow's New Decade begins, we at Summit Fence Supply want to thank all our wonderful customers and suppliers who have given us so much joy as we sought to assist others with their fencing needs.

Happy New Year...

Jon Mullender

"your fence man on wheels"

President -CEO

Summitfencesupply.com

Call anytime... 888.856.0551

19 Great Principles for Running your Bussiness

I love to read business books. Right now I am reading three:

“The Field Guide to Sales” by Debbie Mrazek
“52 Weeks to Sales Success” by Ralph R. Roberts
“Email Selling Techniques” by Stephan Schiffman

However the Book I love to read the most about working, sales, and management is the book of Proverbs of Solomon written between 960 and 922 BC. His thoughts were remarkable and if you read today’s writers like Tracy, Rohn, and Canfield you will find traces of Solomon in their writing. It is said in the Bible that Solomon was the wisest person of all times… not just of his time but all times.

I have gone through the book of Proverbs for about 3 years and have come up with 19 principles that can be applied to business. These are great principles to build a business around.

Here are just two...

Principle 1: When you work… Work hard! brian tracy says this a lot

• Pro. 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.


• Pro. 10:04 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.


• Pro. 12:24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor.


• Pro. 28:19 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.


• Pro. 20:13 If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!

Principle 2: There are seasons of work for all companies. Discover yours and make a plan to accomplish your work when it is to be done.

• Pro. 10:05 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

You can download the other 17 for free by going to http://bit.ly/Business-principles

I am looking for the 20th and thought someone else may have found one... Let me know and of course I will add it to the list.

Who is this Sage Rock Anyway

Webmarketingwatch.com is one of my favorite stops during the day. Sage Lewis not only is a friend but one of the best SEO experts in the country. If I ever have a question I go to Sage’s web site and look up one of the multitude of references he offers. Now he has even gone a little further to assist the average person like me find out about what is happening in SEO without going all over the Internet. Check him out. He is an Expert in a world of people who claim to be.

I started my company SummitFenceSupply.com 3 years ago and Sage helped me get it started by telling me about Social Media. Now Jon, Your Fence Man on Wheels is starting to be seen on YouTube and a number of other places. Thanks Sage.

Sage is humorous and enjoyable to listen to but is truly gifted in the SEO arena. Give him a shot you will be glad you did.

EDGE Certification

Being fair is a interesting term in today's life. I usually ascribe to the term, "Life is not fair!" but being a small minority business in Ohio it is possible to even the playing ground a little. Go to EDGE and see if you qualify.




If you would like to see a copy or our EDGE certification call or email us and we will be happy to email you a copy of ours

Ohio will spend millions this year and years to come and I hope you and me both get our piece of the pie.

If you are a minority bussiness you owe it to yourself to contact EDGE.

Jon, "Your Fence man on Wheels"
Summitfencesupply.com
888.856.0551
Fax 866.841.8023

Some things are to good to pass

Marketing is a big part of business. The Internet loves video and Facebook. I am always looking for new ways to get my message out. Well here is an example of someone who did.

A good friend of mine Sage Lewis, shared this on his video marketing daily tips and I just love it. Who ever did this is a genius.



You got to love the Internet.

Jon, "Your Fence Man on Wheels"
Summit Fence Supply, LLC
Summitfencesupply.com
jon@summitfencesupply.com

30% Stimulus Package Rebate. WOW!

News worth Reading:

I just got an letter from Apollo Gate operators stating, If your purchased a solar powered gate operator after December 31, 2008 you could receive a 30% tax credit off the installed cost of the operator on your personal Federal tax return. For information on how to get yours call me at 888.856.0551 or email to Jon@SummitFenceSupply.com

Here is more news on the Stimulus Package.

Stephens Pipe and Steel said that if you are planning on purchasing chain link material using the National Stimulus rebates to make sure you tell them you want US made products.

We stay informed so you can stay informed.

Jon "Your Fence Man on Wheels"
summitfencesupply.com

People Buy from People they Like and Trust.

I was looking at pictures I received from a customer and realized that he was more than a customer he became a friend. Down in Baton Rouge there is a company named Chris' Speciality Meats owned by Chad and his wife. Chad wanted to put up a privacy fence around his house and contact Summit Fence Supply, LLC.

I remember getting the first phone call from him and instantly liking this man. He was fun to talk to and we really hit it off. Over the next few months we worked on his project using Simtek Stone-like fence. “Chad, when you are done send me some pictures I can put on my website. He said, “Sure will!”

Somehow over the process we became friends. He is not one to pay a penny more for something than is fair and I am not going to gouge a person to make a higher percentage. Some would call that not good business sense but I call it honesty. We have to like what we do and we have to like who we are after the job is done.

I went on to sell Chad gate operators, and even a key pad for his house. I still talk to Chad from time to time and when he calls I know the voice and I am glad to hear it on the other end of the phone.

What have I learned by owning a business?

• You are responsible for the business environment.
• You set the ground rules for your customer service. I worked for a company once that would not call people back because the customer might have a problem. That will never be the case with our company.
• The people you hire are a reflection of you and your philosophy. Make sure you hire people that follow your model and get rid of the ones that don’t.
• Sell only products that you would use in your house or business. If you can’t sell the best products and warranties get out of business.
• Factory representatives are people too. They have the right to be treated as friends.
  

I have been blessed to have my own business coming up on 3 years. I have met people from all over the United States, Mexico and Canada. I have shipped product to Main to Alaska and because of that I have friends all over the country.

Thanks Chad for the pictures.

Jon, Your Fence Man on Wheels
Summit Fence Supply, LLC
summitfencesupply.com