Will You Have the Energy?
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Or will you be in the line with the other procrastinators?
On Monday, Vice President Biden announced the government’s plan to expand green jobs and improve the energy efficiency of the country’s housing stock.
The plan has a mountain of opportunities for remodelers and their employees. Some say that good things come for those who wait. I suggest that remodelers who wait will get their choice of what is left after the proactive remodelers take first pick.
Time Is of the Essence
One obstacle the plan recognizes is a lack of qualified installers to do the work. Even your highest skilled employees may fall into this category if they haven’t been exposed to or had experience with newer and yet-to-be introduced products and installation methods. Time is of the essence. If you want your business to be at the front of this opportunity, now is the time to start training your employees.
Start the search for the kind of training that will be needed for the niche or niches of energy-related remodeling you plan to pursue. If you haven’t identified them, what are you waiting for? And regardless of the niche you ultimately choose, you can definitely get started right away with the lead-safe remodeling training that will be an integral requirement, most likely, of every energy-related niche in some way or another.
Weakness: Remodeling Business Practices
Want to know one reason the government is struggling to deliver energy-efficiency work? My green acquaintances in the industry point to the lack of adequate business practices plaguing the majority of remodeling businesses.
For example, can you quickly provide consistent unit pricing for green jobs work? Can you understand, complete, and process the required paperwork? Can you predict and deliver services within the schedule you commit to?
If you improve your business’s strengths in these areas, you will be a stronger candidate as a government contracting partner. Moreover, these are qualities that your overall business would benefit from and should already have in place.
The money has already begun to flow for government-backed green jobs programs. The race has already started. If your business and your team start running now, you can be at the clubhouse turn while others are waiting for “Swifty” to leave the gate.
There, now you know this. I have taken away your ability to rationalize why you can’t get a piece of the pie.
Click here for REMODELING’s previous coverage of the Recovery Act and remodeling-related opportunities.
Click here for REMODELING's interview with a government contracting expert.
Shawn McCadden founded, operated, and sold a successful design/build company. A co-founder of the Residential Design/Build Institute and former director of educaton for a national K&B remodeling franchise, Shawn writes a monthly column for this magazine, speaks at industry events, and consults with remodeling companies. Email him at shawnm@charter.net.
Click here to see Shawn's columns: http://www.remodeling.hw.net/expert-opinion/columnists/columnists/shawn-mccadden.aspx