I’ve been in the industry a long time and have had many opportunities to see what was supposed to have happen and what then actually happened. I get the opportunity to sit in a room full of insurance repair contractors that are not geographic competitors. I see their financials before they go do work out of their area and after they return to their area. I hear the promises that they make to each other, because their buddies will hold them accountable for what they promised they would do.

They put their numbers on a common form with specific explanations as to what and how they fill the forms out. They also supply their income statement and balance sheet in whatever accounting software they use. This gives all participants in their network to know what’s going on in each other’s companies. I’ve listed some of the questions they start firing at each other when they start talking about chasing after work outside of their area. The first four questions are fired out very quickly, and the networks want to know their clear answers to the questions.