Great Advice From A Small Business Owner for Small Business Owners | Butch Cassell of American Fleet Service

As a small business owner, one of my favorite things about working with so many of our clients is what I learn to run my small business better.

After having countless conversations with amazing business owners and thinking, “I wish others were hearing this”, I decided to start a series of blog posts.

Welcome to our new monthly series; “A Business Owner Shares”.

So each month I am going to ask one of our amazing clients 5 questions that I find helpful as a small business owner and I hope you will as well.

First up, Butch Cassell owner and general manager of American Fleet Service.  We redesigned the AFS website in 2020 and now work with Butch to do monthly SEO work to keep growing the traffic to his site.  I leave every meeting with Butch a better small business owner!

That’s Butch on the left with his team at American Fleet Service.

Answers From A Small Business Owner

1. What’s a project you are excited about right now?

We are moving our service advisors to the front offices into a more open setting with the customers. We have two waiting areas we will be installing new windowed doors on them. One waiting area is a fleet truck driver’s lounge and the other is a retail customers offering free soft drinks, coffee, tea and snacks. This will allow our service advisors to totally focus on the customers.

2. What’s a challenge you are currently working to solve and how are you attacking it?

One challenge we’re working on is that the city will be taking approximately 25 feet of property down one of our longest property lines that will completely change how we enter our location. We are thinking about this from a positive stand point because this will present us with the opportunity to actually have two ways onto the site with brand new aprons, gates and a large section of new fence. To be honest though, it was very disturbing when we first found out about it.

3. If you were going to have your memory erased and could only remember the content from one book, what book would it be and why?

If my memory was erased and could only remember the content of one book it would be the Bible! What an opportunity for a new beginning without other corrupt information in your head to cloud or misguide your life.

4. If you could ask any business or marketing guru one question; who is that guru, what would you ask, and why?

If I could ask any business or marketing guru one question, it would be Colonel Sanders because he got started with Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 66 and I am in my sixties. The question would be, “what was the dream and inspiration to get you motivated at that age to build such an empire?”

5. If you were asked to give a keynote speech to a group of business owners and had 10 minutes to prepare a 30-minute talk – what would you talk about and what’s the one thing you would want them to learn?

If I had ten minutes to prepare for a keynote speech to a group of business owners I would talk about the importance of integrity and character. I would want then to learn that the only thing we really leave behind when we retire or go home to be with God is our legacy. Our legacy is worth more than any quick talking deal that only benefits you. Your legacy is left to honor your family, friends and your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Advice I Heard As A Small Business Owner

1. Always look for ways to make the customer experience better.
2. Have a growth mindset and look for the positive.  I remember when Butch first told me of this news, he hadn’t yet seen the positive.  Reading his reply today was amazing to see he had a growth mindset about the problem.
3. The Bible has sound business leadership all throughout. Reminds me of the John Maxwell Leadership Bible.
4. Never give up, sometimes we win and sometimes we learn.
5. Lead with the end in mind.