Business Education

Hurricanes, Wildfires, and Earthquakes: How Business Owners Can Effectively Deal with Big Problems (Without Ignoring Smaller Ones)

Two monstrous hurricanes hit the southeast late last year – Helene and Milton. Weeks later, ferocious wildfires engulfed southern California. This past Sunday, earthquakes shook Greek islands, followed by a pair of earthquakes rocking San Bernardino on Monday.

Each of these natural disasters wrought widespread devastation, particularly Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which ravaged multiple states, causing billions upon billions in damage. The wildfires consumed homes and businesses and the earthquakes left a huge swath of destruction. While each caused a lot of damage, their severity can be quantified.

Running a business comes with big challenges. And, when they happen seemingly at once or in quick succession, it multiplies the magnitude and the stress. Such a situation can easily be debilitating and even paralyzing. But, taking a step back and prioritizing each one (without ignoring any due to its relatively small size), makes the circumstances appear much less foreboding.

Mastering Problem Prioritization for Business Owners: A Step-by-Step Guide

Big-time challenges arise constantly in any business, and the ability to prioritize and solve problems efficiently is crucial for sustained success. Business owners must navigate complex issues, avoid becoming overwhelmed, and ensure that no problem is left unresolved. So, let’s take a few minutes to help business owners master the art of prioritization and tackle problems one by one without neglecting previous issues.

1. Identify and Categorize Problems

The first step in prioritizing problems is to identify and categorize them. Business owners should make a comprehensive list of all the issues they face. Categorize problems based on their nature (e.g., financial, operational, customer-related) and the impact they have on the business.

2. Assess the Impact and Urgency

Once problems are categorized, assess their impact and urgency. Some problems may have immediate consequences that demand quick action, while others may have a longer-term impact. Use a matrix to rank problems based on their urgency and significance:

High impact, high urgency. Address these problems first, as they pose immediate threats to the business.
High impact, low urgency. Plan and schedule solutions for these problems to prevent future complications.
Low impact, high urgency. Address these problems quickly, but don’t let them overshadow more significant issues.
Low impact, low urgency. These problems can be resolved later, as they have minimal impact on the business.

3. Develop a Prioritization Framework

Create a prioritization framework that aligns with the business’s goals and values. This framework should guide decision-making and ensure consistency in addressing problems. Consider factors such as:

Business objectives. Align problem-solving efforts with the company’s strategic goals.
Resource availability .Assess the resources needed to address each problem and ensure they are allocated effectively.
Stakeholder impact. Evaluate how each problem affects stakeholders, including employees, customers, and partners.

4. Create an Action Plan

Develop a detailed action plan for each problem, starting with the highest priority issues. This plan should outline:

Objectives. Clearly define what success looks like for each problem resolution.
Resources. Identify the resources required to address the problem (e.g., time, budget, personnel).
Responsibilities. Assign specific tasks to team members and establish accountability.
Timeline. Set realistic deadlines for each phase of problem resolution.

5. Implement Solutions and Monitor Progress

With a clear action plan in place, begin implementing solutions. Regularly monitor progress and make adjustments as needed. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of solutions and ensure that problems are being resolved as planned.

6. Review and Reflect

After resolving each problem, take the time to review and reflect on the process. Conduct a post-mortem analysis to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement. This reflection will help refine the prioritization framework and improve problem-solving capabilities for future challenges.

7. Revisit Previous Problems

It’s essential to periodically revisit previously resolved problems to ensure they remain resolved and that no new issues have arisen. Regularly reviewing past problems helps prevent recurrence and allows for continuous improvement.

How It All Wraps Up

Effective problem prioritization is a vital skill for business owners. By systematically identifying, categorizing, and addressing problems based on their impact and urgency, business owners can ensure that they tackle challenges efficiently and effectively.

Developing a robust prioritization framework, creating detailed action plans, and continuously reviewing past problems will lead to sustained business success and growth. Remember, no problem should be ignored; every challenge is an opportunity for improvement and innovation.

Want to Accomplish More?

Do you want your company to grow faster and earn more while you spend more time with your family doing all the things you started your business to do?

We can make that dream a reality. Give us 30 minutes and we will show you how to get your life back. Skeptical? Good! Put us to the test.

You can call us for your free appointment at 480-939-4794, or, if you prefer, send us an email. You can also visit us at Waters Business Consulting Group to learn more about us and the services we offer.

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How Kitchens by Good Guys Broke Through the $1 Million Barrier

September 8, 2026 No Comments

Shannon Carfield and Dean Eckonrode started Kitchens by Good Guys the way a lot of contractors do: one small job led to a referral, which led to another job, and eventually a business grew up around them almost by accident. It worked, but it also stalled. Years in, revenue had plateaued below the $1 million mark, and the couple knew that reacting project-by-project wasn’t going to get them any further. “Like many business owners, we wanted to work less, earn more, and be in a position where we could take some time off,” said Shannon Carfield, Owner. “Our challenges were wanting to grow to the next level and needing a plan to do that. We also knew we needed some expert advice to help us get there and that’s why we reached out to John in 2016. We’ve been with him ever since.” Growth Without a Plan Has a Ceiling Like many home improvement businesses, Kitchens by Good Guys had built its reputation on word of mouth and solid craftsmanship — but not on a strategic plan. Without a roadmap for predictable growth, the company’s revenue and cash flow moved unpredictably from month to month. Margins were also under pressure: Shannon and Dean were still taking on a mix of smaller, lower-value jobs that ate into the time and capacity they needed for higher-margin kitchen remodels. On top of that, they were trying to find and hire the kind of high-caliber talent that would let them step back from day-to-day work, without the infrastructure in place to support a bigger team. Building the Infrastructure to Scale Waters Business Consulting Group’s engagement with Good Guys Remodeling started with the fundamentals: a financial forecast model built around the company’s real numbers and real goals. From there, John Waters and the team worked with Shannon and Dean to build a formal Strategic Growth Plan that identified exactly what resources — people, systems, processes — the business would need to scale. Rather than chasing every lead that came in, the team segmented the company’s existing contact database so outreach could focus where it mattered most: large referral partners, strategic partners, and direct consumer sales. An organizational chart came next, prioritizing which roles to hire first and clarifying who owned what operationally, so Shannon and Dean weren’t the default answer to every question. To keep everyone accountable to the plan, the team also developed key performance metrics that were tracked weekly and monthly against top-line revenue goals. Breaking Through — and Staying There The shift wasn’t just financial; it was about the systems underneath the numbers. With clearer processes and procedures in place, Kitchens by Good Guys tied key performance indicators directly to employee compensation, creating real accountability instead of vague expectations. Lead flow became more consistent, giving the business a more predictable pipeline and more reliable revenue. And with key talent added alongside those new processes, Shannon and Dean were able to start stepping out of daily operations and into the roles they’d actually wanted all along: focusing on strengths, working on the business rather than just in it. The results speak for themselves. Waters Business Consulting Group worked with Good Guys Remodeling for more than three years, helping the company break through the $1,000,000 revenue barrier in 2017 — putting them in the roughly 7% of U.S. businesses that ever hit that mark. By 2020, the company was on pace to break $2 million. Along the way, the mix of work shifted too, with more dramatic growth in higher-margin kitchen remodeling opportunities and a steady phase-out of the lower-margin projects that had once filled the schedule. Ready to Build Your Own Growth Plan? Every business that plateaus has a path forward — it just takes the right plan, the right accountability, and someone who has done it before. If your company has hit a growth ceiling, or you’re ready to start working on your business instead of just in it, a conversation is the first step. Contact Waters Business Consulting Group to schedule your free consultation.