The sign in the social services facility said it all for JamesAbrams.
“Plan or be planned for,” Abrams recalls of the sign he saw backin 1968.
At that time, Abrams was a 21-year-old teacher in Detroit, accompanying a student who was having problems at home.
“Right behind that building was another very large building inDetroit, which was commonly referred to as the ‘projects,’ wherethey effectively housed people that had not planned very well fortheir life,” he says.
“So, it was very impacting on me as a young man. I don’t think I’llever forget it — walking in there and seeing that sign and saying,‘Oh my goodness, if one doesn’t plan one’s life, other people havea plan for you that you may not like.’”
The sign made such an impact in Abrams’ life that he still usesthe lesson today as a key factor in leading Clockwork HomeServices Inc., where he serves as chairman, president and CEO ofthe provider of electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other services tohomeowners.
“It’s our plan really that sets us apart to begin with from everybody else,” he says. “The plan is allowing us to have this type ofgrowth and generating profits each step along the way.”
The growth Abrams refers to starts with the company he co-founded in 1998 and had sales of approximately $2 million in 1999.After a steady climb, revenue jumped to $59.8 million in 2005,$111.9 million in 2006 and, in 2007, the company posted revenue of$182.3 million.
However, simply developing a plan didn’t lead his business tosuccess — it’s how Abrams measures within the plan and how hereacts when something isn’t working within it that keep his company running smoothly.