More words from the wise

Custom Home, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Rick Stevens

"Words from the Wise" ("On Your Mind," September/October 2004, page 14) made me remember a piece of advice I received many years ago from a plumber friend of mine who is no longer with us. He said, "Don't worry about the jobs you don't get: worry' about the ones you do get. There is no way you can lose money on the job you didn't get."

The man who gave me this advice when I was very green in the construction business was Richard Robert Amos. He ran plumbing repair businesses in the Kansas City, Mo., area and in the San Francisco Bay area. He passed away a couple of years ago and is missed by many.

I always think of Dick and his advice when I bid a job. I would have bid lower on many of those jobs if it had not been for Dick telling me this simple statement. It has made me aware that things can go wrong (and usually do). And it has, I think, made me more money than any advice I've ever received. Maybe you can pass it along so it will help someone else. It has worked for me for the last 25 years.--Rick Stevens, American Heritage Construction, Blue Springs, Mo.