Looking for inspiration to help build on the housing recovery? Look no further than...
Fill out the online questionnaire to be included in REMODELING’s annual list of the...
Navigating the sea of health insurance options can be daunting for a small business...
An outdoor kitchen, cozy fireplace, and sandstone patio with hot tub make the most of...
All winning projects will be featured in the September 2013 issue of REMODELING and on...
This year's Kitchen and Bath Industry Show offers a glimpse of manufacturers’ newest...
Whether through social media sites such as Facebook or via review sites such as...
Four TV-and movie-inspired ways to win the job
Prequalified leads cost you real money, so a salesperson who fails to close should have a good reason for doing so. If the rep's attitude is part of the cause, don't wait to address it.
In this letter to the editor, a California contractor argues that the federal government's lead-paint program isn't worth the cost and should be abandoned.
This year’s Big50 posted average gross margins around 33% and net profits of roughly 9% for 2012. That’s the best showing for any Big50 group since 2006 and far above another popular standard benchmark.
Paul Hamtil, David Merrick, and Chris Wright share their candid insight into how to make social media work for relationship building, lead generation, and brand awareness.
Bruce Case regards the Remodeling Leadership Conference as one of his favorite events of the year. Here's what he learned at the latest gathering.
Clear communication is a solid start. But here are more tips for working with subcontractors.
Kathy Shertzer writes about the importance of not allowing yourself to get into debt: "[B]usinesses fail because of debt. Don’t fall prey to that temptation again. Plan ahead because the pendulum always swings back."
Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm can be key in generating traffic to your company's Facebook page. Here's how to use the algorithm to your advantage.
An effective daily deal promotion depends on choosing the right provider and good preparation.
These four social media tools will help you discover exactly which social media messages have the most influence on yo ur audience.
Social media can help brand your business and generate leads. But you won't know what's working and what's not unless you measure results. Here's how to get started.
A look at some of the tools and features within Google+ that you can use to build exposure and leads for your business. But first: What makes Google+ an important marketing tool?
The big news is a bump up in the cost-value ratio due to lower costs and stabilizing house prices.
Paul Winans
Paul Winans' career runs parallel to the changes in the remodeling industry over the last 40 years. From beginnings as a carpenter who didn't want to run a business, Paul teamed with his wife, Nina, to build a highly successful remodeling company. After almost three decades, Paul and Nina sold the business to someone outside the company, a rare event in the industry.
I hate value engineering. It occurs after a project has more or less been completely planned and priced, and the cost of the project turns out to be more than anyone involved anticipated. It doesn't just happen when an architect is involved before a contractor is on board, but that is one common cause of the need for value engineering. Why is this so common?
Kyle Hunt
Kyle Hunt is the owner of Remodel Your Marketing and creator of The Excellence Club. After years of experience in the remodeling industry, Kyle now installs his proven and practical Marketing System for remodelers throughout the United States. Kyle resides in Michigan with his wife, Sarah, and their three children, Thomas, Piper, and Calvin. Contact Hunt at 517-548-7140 or email him at kyle@remodelyourmarketing.com. Follow Kyle on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KyleHunt
“Hi – my name is ______ and I was referred to you by one of your happy clients.” Does it get any better than this? Isn’t that sweet music to our ears? Somebody who has taken their "know, like, and trust" with you – and transferred it over to a friend, family member, or colleague. That's as good as it gets!
Ed Voytovich
Ed Voytovich, a 40-year remodeling veteran, is BPI-certified, a HERS Rater, a licensed home inspector in N.Y. state, and has a Ph.D. in English literature. Most recently he has served as the executive director of the Building Performance Contractors Association of NYS and as a consulting adviser to Building Efficiency Resources. He now works with Home Energy Performance by Halco, in central New York. Reach him at ed@TheBER.com.
No one can doubt that cheap sells; all we need to do is to walk into a Big Box retailer, the destination of choice for screw-it-up-yourselfers and low-bid contractors. "Cheap" corrodes the system, puts the providers of good products and technology at a disadvantage, and often drives them out of business.
Kathy Shertzer
Kathy Shertzer has been the officer manager/gatekeeper for eight years for DuKate Fine Remodeling, a design/build firm in Franklin, Ind.
Why are we intimidated by truth? It is a common problem for a lot of us, even for those who consider themselves to be honest and forthright. But the truth is, we are more often than not just like Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story. You know the part I mean, where Mr. Potato Head removes his lips and proceeds to kiss his bottom with them. We say polite things that are not true.
Bruce Case
Bruce Case started his career with Case in 1996, and is a second-generation member of the Case family to serve on the senior management team. Bruce is President of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., a leading full-service home improvement organization that includes CaseInstituteofRemodeling.com, an online knowledge database.
Uncertainty runs deep. With our country, our political system, our economy, our businesses, and our future. Add to that the typical winter challenges (personal stress, client stress, backlogs tightening, etc.). I don't know about you, but often my first reaction in the face of all this is to scramble. What should we be doing that we aren't? What new things should we try? Should we jump into a new business entirely?
Shawn McCadden
Shawn McCadden founded, operated, and sold a successful design/build company. A co-founder of the Residential Design/Build Institute and former director of education for a national K&B remodeling franchise, Shawn speaks at industry events and consults with remodeling companies.
At a RRP workshop I attended last week, sponsored by the Lead and Environmental Hazards Association (LEHA), several renovators complained to Mike Wilson of EPA about EPA's handling of the RRP rule. Renovators complying with the RRP rule have been asking for two specific actions from EPA to help level the playing field: consumer awareness and adequate enforcement.
Check out this week’s featured Remodeling Project of the Week.
Try our interactive Energy Cost and Carbon Calculator.
Learn more about VT's authentic edge profiles.
Browse Stanley's line of construction and hand tools.
Sterling simplifies the remodeling experience.
Wilsonart® HD® technology means your customers can have the look of granite at a...
Watch this webinar and learn to nurture customers and empower marketing campaigns.
Remodeling Magazine’s Lauren Hunter visits Karran at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show to learn more about the company’s stainless-steel under-mount sinks. Stan and Donna Schachne of Schachne Architects and Builders talk with Lauren about the many applications for under-mount sinks.
