Al Writes

Can I Just Have Ai Create My SOPs? You Can, but Here’s What You Need to Know!

By Al Levi | August 23, 2024September 11, 2024

You’re probably asking, “Can I use Ai to create my SOPs?” In short, yes, you can. But, there’s a catch that you need to be aware of.

Ever since artificial intelligence (Ai) ChatGPT burst onto the scene in November 2022, I’ve been fielding questions about whether it can be used to create SOPs and operating manuals.

“Generative” Ai models (like ChatGPT) base their responses on what its large language model has learned from a huge repository of information. The better questions you ask, the better output you will get—though sometimes it takes a few rounds.

That said, with the right prompts, absolutely Ai can generate a list of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An SOP is a list of to-dos or a checklist—very useful!

However, if your goal is to establish uniform operating procedures, keep them in the culture, integrate them, etc., achieving this takes more time effort and money than you might think—which is why I created a program with 90% done for you operating manuals you just have to tweak.

Here are just 7 reasons why you should buy proven, integrated operating manual templates and tweak them instead of using an Ai model like ChatGPT.

Things Slowing Down? Great Testimonials are What’s Needed!

By Al Levi | August 14, 2024August 14, 2024

I was doing an onsite meeting with Mike, the owner of a family run 100-year-old plumbing, heating, and cooling business on the East Coast. Around 3 PM I insisted we stop and take a coffee break.

At the coffee shop, Mike expressed to me how relieved he was that what we were doing was working so well, and that things were finally starting to turn around for the better.

I sipped some coffee and then looked up at him and asked, “So, what do you want this business to look like when you’re done building it?”

Mike replied, “I have to admit, I’m not sure what you mean.”

I said, “What do you want this company to be when you’re all done? What is your vision for what happens next?”

You Have to See It First

By Al Levi | December 5, 2023November 28, 2023

I was doing an onsite meeting with Mike, the owner of a family run 100-year-old plumbing, heating, and cooling business on the East Coast. Around 3 PM I insisted we stop and take a coffee break.

At the coffee shop, Mike expressed to me how relieved he was that what we were doing was working so well, and that things were finally starting to turn around for the better.

I sipped some coffee and then looked up at him and asked, “So, what do you want this business to look like when you’re done building it?”

Mike replied, “I have to admit, I’m not sure what you mean.”

I said, “What do you want this company to be when you’re all done? What is your vision for what happens next?”

Creating a Business Someone Else Will Want to Buy

By Al Levi | November 7, 2023November 6, 2023

One of my very first 1-to-1 consulting clients was with a contractor in his late 50s, and his business was a small plumbing company in the Midwest.

I sat with him in his office and the very first question I asked him was, “So how well does this business run today on a scale of 1 to 10?”

He growled, “I’d be generous by saying it’s a 1. And I say that because I hate this business and I can’t wait to sell it!” There was a lot of legit reasons he hated it! I could sympathize.

Hey, I too had hated my business once upon a time. That is until I got systems and processes in place. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Buy-Sell and the 5D’s

By Al Levi | October 3, 2023October 2, 2023

My dad, Irving, called my two brothers and I into a private meeting one day centered on him telling us that we each needed to get an estate plan done. He also instructed us to put together buy-sell agreements for our family business.

At the time, I, as the last full-time member having joined the business, had worked five full years even though I was just 25. Marty was 29, and Richie was 28, and we thought, “We’re young… so… why do we need to do this?”

The Dirty Secrets about Side Work

By Al Levi | September 5, 2023September 5, 2023

The Dirty Secret about Side Work is that it has been around forever in the contracting business. What this means for those who are unfamiliar with the term “Side Work,” it refers to a Tech who also has their own business to bring in extra money and they’re potentially taking your calls for themselves or just not being available to you and your company.

To better understand this dynamic, I wanted to share an exchange I had with a contractor about this all-too-common employee-employer issue. (The names have been changed to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.)

Should You Add Another Trade?

By Al Levi | August 1, 2023August 8, 2023

Should you add another trade?

Well, that’s the second question you should be asking yourself.

The first question you need to ask (and answer) is, “Are we paying attention to changing market conditions and monitoring how well our company is functioning with the trade or trades we already do?”

Before making any decision, I recommended doing the “Daily Business Meditation.”

Why YOU Should Become a Better Trainer

By Al Levi | July 4, 2023July 3, 2023

I had a lot of goals when I worked in my family’s plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical business, but I guarantee you becoming a great trainer was not one of them.

Until one day I’d just had enough. I was so tired of feeling like a hostage to our existing employees who were doing things whatever way was convenient for them. I wanted to be able to take Willing Apprentices with No Skills and turn them into Willing Techs with Great Skills who would do things our way.

How I was going to get us there was a little hazy, but I was determined to figure it out.

What does this have to do with “Why YOU Should Become a Better Trainer”? Everything!

Operating Manuals: Ai (ChatGPT) or AL (Al Levi)?

By Al Levi | June 6, 2023June 5, 2023

Ever since artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT hit the mainstream in the spring of 2023, I’ve been fielding questions about whether it can be used to create operating manuals (aka Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)).

The short answer is absolutely. It can generate text that tells you how to do a toilet reset or replace an electrical box.

There are, however, some issues you should be aware of. To understand these issues, you need to know a little bit about what is behind ChatGPT and other “generative” Ai models.

If you’re thinking that it can be used to generate all your procedures from scratch with zero human intervention, let me explain why you might want to think that through.

Count Loaves of Bread, NOT the Slices

By Al Levi | May 1, 2023April 25, 2023

Hey, I’m not in the bakery business or a supermarket owner, so what’s with the loaves of bread and slices reference?

Ah… we, as owners, are far and away perfectionists so we like to get it down to every little detail, but after a while we can’t see the forest for the trees… oh sorry… there’s another analogy.

The point is… when it comes to running your contracting business, you need to know the numbers you need to know if you want to be successful. The question is, what numbers do you really need to know?

Tax accounting is designed to help you avoid or at least delay paying taxes (a good thing). The problem is tax accounting is not very helpful when it comes to helping you steer your company where you want it to go. To do that effectively, you need real-world accounting.