All of us have had the thrill of having our artwork or "A" homework assignments posted on the fridge for the whole family to see. It makes us proud, but it also displays what we can do. Now for most of us, the days of "A"s on the fridge are well behind us, but for entrepreneurs that provide custom products or services, a portfolio of work is something that you should not be without.

When some people hear the word "portfolio," they picture the stereotypical artist in a hollywood movie, struggling with an oversized book and awkward in the world of "normal, non-creative" types. For a business owner, this is not the case. While a neat and clean physical presentation is important, it's the contents that get you the job.

Let's talk about a few examples -

Todd is a building contractor. He's been at it for 15 years and he is really, really good. Steve has been at it for about 6 years and he's really good, too.

Both Steve and Todd pitch to Charles and Anne Wilson, who have just added a third child to their family and need an additional bedroom added to their home. They meet with both contractors seperatly as they decide who will win the job.

Steve and Todd are both competent and could do a good job, but Steve has come with his portfolio.

Every time Steve does a job, he makes sure to get pictures. He's developed a standard page that shows his (scanned or digital) pictures, along with a brief description of the project, the customer's stated needs and anything special that was done to meet them. In many cases, where a customer has written a nice thank-you letter, Steve puts it with the photo pages. These pages demonstrate real world problems and show how Steve has overcome them, and in many cases, just how happy the customers were with Steve's work.

These pages are all neatly fitted into plastic page-protectors and presented in a clean binder with Steve's company name and logo. Since he had these done on a computer, he's got a few of these portfolios. He sometimes swaps out the pages to better target the portfolio to the type of job he's bidding and since he's got more that one, he can afford to leave a portfolio with customers that are still making a decision (although he well eventually collect them back when the decision has been made). For customers that are computer literate, Steve's also got a computer CD with his expanded portfolio that he can give to his customers to keep. (And of course, it's on his website, too.)

Todd's idea of a portfolio is a bunch of snapshots he's taken at a job he did a few years ago, still in the ratty envelope from Costco's one-hour photo center. Oh, and they are his only set so he can't really leave them with you. And Oh, he doesn't always remember the details of the job because it was "a long time ago." Todd figures his skill need only be with a hammer to be a success, not the marketing of his business. Todd need to realize that to be successful, he needs both.

Now, after the Wilsons spent an few days reviewing the bids and Steve's portfolio, who do you think won the bid?

If you said the contractor with the impressive portfolio, give yourself an "A" and put it up on the fridge!

While a portfolio may not be an effective tool for every business, if it is for yours to you want to be the one that shows up to bid a job without one? Let Kamena & Associates create a portfolio that gives your bids the winning edge! Contact us now!