Business Coach Cited in Suit Against Contractor
A New England contractor faces a civil suit alleging his company’s growth was tied to a business coach with a model that “encourages fraud.”
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Harvard Says Remodeling Spending Downturn to Slow
Could the drop in remodeling spending from post-COVID levels regulate soon?
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Power Home Remodeling Now Offers Subsidized Childcare
The home improvement giant's move seeks to address a greater industry issue
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Contractor Facing Lawsuit in ‘Major Case’ by Ohio Attorney General
An Ohio custom builder and remodeler faces a lawsuit after alleged losses exceeding $1 million
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Hiring a Salesperson
Help wanted. Familiarity with residential remodeling required. Excellent compensation. Successful candidates must: In remodeling, you might expect a new salesperson to produce $600,000 dollars in volume in the first year. Ultimately this salesperson could sell $1.5 million annually, depending on the type of products and services offered.
Operation Co-op
Every remodeler knows that having a healthy relationship with the customer is the most important element to the long-term success of their business. That's why I was very surprised to learn that so many remodelers have little or no relationship with the building product manufacturers that could and should be the second-most important priority to them.
Building Team Communication
To achieve excellence within our companies' cultures, leaders must work hard at keeping healthy relationships. Our communication skills must be a strength, not a weakness. It takes time, energy and effort, but it pays big returns by producing better results and deeply enriched relationships. It's a double win.
Getting the Most Out of Microsoft
Think back to when you started your business. One of the first things you did was to develop a set of basic forms, contracts and letterhead. These sales lead forms, customer surveys, proposal templates, invoices and purchase orders have been reused hundreds, if not thousands, of times. They have become not only an essential part of how you conduct business but also the basis for one of your mos...
Making Sausage
Part 8 of a Series on Benchmarking Last month we talked about the first three steps in setting a gross profit target. Now comes the part where we run the numbers from steps one, two and three through the grinder.
Outdoor Living
American homeowners have rediscovered the pleasures of the great outdoors, and this has meant a boom in the exterior remodeling market and a great increase in the options available in decking materials, furnishings and everything in between. The term "outdoor rooms" has become used to describe this consumer trend toward adding backyard living space with all the amenities and conveni...
Downtown Rising
From Minneapolis to Memphis, Tenn.; Philadelphia to Phoenix; and Evanston, Ill. to Evansville, Ind., cities are developing expansive plans to bring more housing to downtowns and urban centers, bolstered by a growing crop of candidates for whom condo, loft or apartment living makes good sense. David A.
Outer Space
Located in an exclusive golf course community in Jupiter, Fla., this 4,000-square-foot home had "a plain vanilla exterior with a lack of detail," says remodeler John Dennis McDonald. "The owners wanted something dramatic." Key to the project was taking advantage of the potential vista — a lake and a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.
A Room with a View
The owners of this home in Cornelius, N.C., had a beautiful lake view, but their rotting wooden deck, in desperate need of replacement, marred it. "They wanted their new deck to be virtually maintenance-free," says Dave Young, a sales consultant with Archadeck of Charlotte. Young, who sells, designs and manages projects, drew some deck plans and elevations for the homeowners by hand.
Marketing
Target Practice To get the best results from your marketing efforts, begin by setting goals for your business's future. Your marketing plan can then be targeted at helping you meet those goals by reaching the right types of customers. During this process, ask yourself these two important questions: Who is my best current customer? Who else do I want to reach? Web Site 101 If your company still ...